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.

Keep cross posting with you speakout!

Yes mine too, there’s something permeating about it I think. I’ll have it on at 8

Important day today for me as we travelled to see a burial site for my mother, and I am hugely relieved because it’s just perfect - a natural burial site next to an ancient woodland with tiny trees starting to grow up so one day it will be woodland too. It’s quite a trek for us to get to but I can imagine our children having a great time exploring the woods. We used to go on bluebell walks with my mum...

YashmisCrone

I just watched that video- so powerful!!
She is screaming at us to listen!!

KizzyWayfarer

That sounds such an ideal place. Finding some sweetness is very sad times can help us.
A woodland sound perfect, opportunity for new growth and playing a part in the circle of life.
Still painful, but very bittersweet.

I am just about to light my 8pm candle.
Thank you YashmisCrone for creating such a platform for us to communicate, support, and touch each other.

It’s such a pleasure speakout I’m delighted that others wanted to join in and I get so much from these times, I felt such a wave of peace tonight. Thank you 🙏

Kizzy reading your post I could feel how right that place is for your Mum. It sounds truly beautiful. Bittersweet as speakout says but i think there’s a real peace to be found in honouring those who go before us in a way that feels right for them. I hope you can have a peaceful evening tonight

Hello, happy equinox to all of you here. Blessed be. And good to join the thread after lurking for many years. Feels right!

themachinist

You are welcome. Glad you have spoken. All are welcome, readers, lurkers, browsers, posters. Looking forward to knowing you.
Always tea in the pot.

Welcome themachinist and happy equinox to you too. I’m pleased you’ve decided to join in and look forward to chatting with you more

This is such a lovely, nourishing place. I am really enjoying all the posts.

Thank you. Been up in to the hills today to blow cobwebs away. First lambs. Snow on the hills in Brecon Beacons.

A new stone circle, waterfalls, wet feet, good to get away from the dystopian vibes...

themachinist

Sounds perfect.

RosesandIris I am glad you are here- you contribute and help create this sanctuary.

I am off for a herbal bath , and excited to be doing a yoga class at 9.30 this morning. It's via a video link, teaching is using an app called zoom, not quite sure how it will all work out, but it will be fun to try.

Later today I will be planting a tree, then a walk in my forest to do some spring spotting.

Pulling up a cushion by the fire and boiling the kettle to mark my place on thread 11!

So much has changed since I last checked in and this thread moves so fast! My head is jumbled at the moment so apologies for not addressing individuals. I would like to extend a warm welcome all our newcomers and express my gratitude to the regulars for keeping this safe haven going - it really is a lifeline and the calm, serenity and escapism this group offers is going to be a necessity over the coming days, weeks and months.

@VioletCharlotte I'm loving your daily tarot cards, please keep them coming!

I hope everyone is managing to stay grounded at a time when it would be so easy to let negativity envelope us and drag us down.

This week has been a complete roller coaster, friends and family are devastated about the sudden changes to their own circumstances and I feel powerless to help. I'm not sure if I have a job next week. I work in childcare and will miss the smiles and enthusiasm of my little ones. Their zest for life is contagious and has always been constant reminder to me to be humble and happy. I just hope I can bottle these feelings to keep close to me. On a positive note, I'm hopeful I can assist other childcare provisions and local families that need care to allow our frontline workers to continue in their important roles. It will be a huge change and I'm not quite sure of the logistics and implications of this yet but the thought that I can still be of help to others in desperate times is keeping me going.

Thankfully, myself and my immediate family are all healthy and I wish those of you who are displaying symptoms a speedy recovery.

I haven't slept too well this week and it has been cloudy here so depressingly I haven't even been able to take solace by moon and star gazing. I have however heard the beautiful dawn chorus at 4.30am, which I otherwise would have missed.

I will be heading out on a long solitary dog walk later. Will try and post some outdoor photos for those of you who are stuck inside.

Enjoy this time of quiet with your loved ones, sending lots of love and light to help keep your spirits and energies up.

littleninja glad you have joined us.

Take heart, this too will pass.

You have us, and all your little ones are stil there.

I am feeling happy about my zoom yoga class that I have just done- there were 15 of us onlne, it felt good to be part of a group again.

My DD is off filming her dance classes again this morning- to be streamed to the children later.
I am setting up a conference call for my mother to speak to her 3 year old great grandson tomorrow, I have bought a dinosaur hand puppet ( he loves dinosaurs right now) for my mother to use and entertain him.
Would it be possible for you to do similar? Maybe even a 15 minute story time online? Zoom is great and free- and I am sure parents would appreciate it.

I love the internet!!!!

Hello, dropping in to bring some positive energy to you all. After a somewhat exhausting working week, I'm aiming to enjoy the weekend as much as possible and make the most of being able to get outside and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air.

I've not been on the thread as much over the last few days, so I'm looking forward to catching up on all the posts.

Like you Speakout I started the day with an online yoga class which lifted my mood. I've decided to stick to my normal exercise routine as much as I can and do classes at home at the same times I would normally go to the gym or yoga. DS has ordered some weights so my lounge is serving as a home office/gym/ yoga studio!

This afternoon I'm going to go out into the forest with my dog and I'm hoping to buy some plants to cheer the garden up.

I'm also going to get back into the habit of practising daily gratitude. I did this for a while after Christmas and it really helped me lift my vibration. At times like this, it helps to focus on what we have, rather than what we don't have. So today I'm grateful for the sunshine, I'm grateful that I have enough food in the house, and I'm grateful for the internet and being able to stay in touch with friends and family 🙏

Littleninja I'm so glad you like the tarot readings. I'll keep them coming, it's good practise for me and helps me to stay grounded ❤️

I came across this link earlier, lots of ideas here for ways we can celebrate the Spring Equinox - plenty of things we can still do.

https://www.learnreligions.com/all-about-ostara-the-spring-equinox-2562471?utmsource=facebook&utmmmedium=social&utmcampaign=mobilesharebutton2

Thank you @speakout. I do have some ideas about how I can continue to interact with the children online. Story telling was one of them! The puppet idea is great though! I might pinch that! I'm sure your mum will love her interaction with her great grandson. We regularly visit a nursing home (obviously this is on hold) but it's always heartwarming to see how young children really manage to bring out the child hidden away inside the older generation.

@VioletCharlotte I am also going to pinch your daily gratitude idea, not just for myself but I will try to get my own teenagers to do this too. It was my son's birthday on Thursday and I think he felt quite hard done by given that he was unable to have a big celebration like he is used to. He is very sociable and is missing his friends so I think this might help if I can get him on board as part of his daily 'home tutoring'.

Candles are lit and a prawn curry is bubbling away on the stove. I'm looking forward to an evening of tv, Prosecco and knitting! A dog walk and reading is on the agenda for tomorrow along with trying to find some online yoga classes I can join in with!

Have a lovely relaxing evening everyone

I’ve been out for a walk by the sea today. The cafes were closed but the ice cream van was out. Lots of people eating ice reams!
I have been feeling curiously uplifted despite all the gloom , until this afternoon when I crashed. The reality of it all is sinking in.
I need to start practising gratitude.
An online yoga class would be great. I wonder if it’s possible to join yours Speakout?
I think the uncertainty about when all this will end is difficult to cope with.
I must get my knitting out !

Violetcharlotte your words are so uplifting. Thank you for the gift of positive energy you bring- a beautiful warm gift. I love reading your posts, I am glad you are having a restorative weekend. I have been feeling grateful too during these challenging times, having enough food, warmth and my wonderful tribe here! Your Tarot readings are another gift you bring to us, such intuition and wisdom- we would all benefit from any insight that you feel able to share with us. You make such an huge contribution to our group.
Littleninja yes tough on young people’s birthdays. It’s my DDs birthday soon, and she was expressing disappointment too. She had booked a week in Spain with a friend, ( luckily now refunded), and a night out at a club in the city with some other friends. Your evening of Tv, Prosecco and knitting sounds perfect.
Roseandidris the uncertainty is hard to deal with isn’t it. I remain grounded and steadfast, but no doubt will wobble. It is being human!

Littleninja and roseandiris- my online yoga group is open to all, if you would like details them pm me- it’s just a small rural class, but welcoming and very nurturing.

I planted my apple tree today. I enjoyed the digging, the scent of sweet earth, found some beautiful stones as I was digging. The birds were out watching me. My hands and fingernails became caked with soil, I staked the tree up with a broomstick handle- just until the roots find their grip, pressed down firmly but gently with my bare feet, and emptied a bucket of rainwater of the plant. It felt very good! I am also having some herbal tea and relaxing tonight.

Speakout thank you 😊 it's lovely to hear your enjoy reading my posts. You, and so many of the other wonderful women on this thread have taught me so much, i'm so grateful to be part of it. This is a time when we all need to be able to draw on one another for strength like never before.

RosesandIris I can totally relate to your post. Like you, I've had times this week when I've felt uplifted, other times when I've felt anxious and overwhelmed. Those are the times when we have to dig deep inside ourselves to find the strength to get through, but it's also important to remember that we're all human and it's ok to feel anxious and to look to others for support.

It is tough in young people. I've noticed a few comment on here and on Facebook that imply we shouldn't be concerned about such 'trivial' things as birthday parties or nights out when people are dying, but I don't agree with this. Of course it's sad that a child won't be able to do enjoy they birthday party or a teenager won't be able to do on their first holiday with friends (my DS has one planned too). They really look forward to these things and suddenly they've been snatched away, it goes without saying they'll be upset. It doesn't take away from those who are suffering.

Practising gratitude really helps me so I will post on here the things I'm grateful for, if some of you would like to join in, that brilliant.

I've also started a journal this evening. I writing and before I knew it, I'd filled 6 pages with my thoughts and feelings about what's been happening. Getting it all out in paper was quite cathartic.

Sending love to you all for a peaceful evening and restful night's sleep. Here's an image from my forest walk today.

VioletCharlotte a beautiful photo- thank you.
And you speak so wisely- feeling loss is not a comptition, our feelings are all valid.
My DD was talking today about graduation ceremonies being cancelled this year, doesn't affect her- she is only second year, but we both took a moment to imagine how that must feel, after years of work, their degree certificate will be posted only.
We must however gird up. Hold our heads high - and stride up with a sure foot of hope.

Wise words Speakout

Just re-read my post, I really should proof read, so many typos and autocorrects!

Lovely to read all the posts. This is a real oasis in a sea of depression.

Being a bit immobile at the moment Ive been planning coffee with a friend over FaceTime and getting to grips with some fancy video conferencing software to get a group I go to every week online. If we can’t meet down the pub we can meet in cyberspace.

I just need to teach my parents how to a Skype....that could be the biggest challenge yet.

Welcome to all the new posters 🙂

Just re-read my post, I really should proof read, so many typos and autocorrects!
No it's fine. I don't care or notice- the intent is stong. Typos don't matter . X

This is a real oasis in a sea of depression.

Completely agree Elphame, it’s something really special isn’t it.

Thank you everyone for your wise words, support and inspiration. This is what will see us through 🙏

Another who is very grateful this thread. At all times, but especially now.

I completely agree that it's ok to be sad about smaller disappointments in amongst everything else right now. My driving test has been cancelled- it's not that so much that I'm upset about but the worry of my lessons being disrupted (they already have due to me having to self isolate) and the effect it will have. I also found out in the week I've been shortlisted for a job interview but it's on hold for now.

I got out of a really horrible relationship only 18 months ago and just as I was enjoying my freedom it feels like it's been stolen. And I feel horrible for thinking selfishly but I'm human. I'm so sad for what people are going through. I feel completely overwhelmed thinking of it.

I'm hoping to be able to keep the DC learning from home and am enjoying planning this. I never thought I'd be able to home educate so it's nice to have the opportunity for a bit. One tiny positive.

Hoping everyone is having a relaxing evening, stay well 💐

Good morning.
I have woken to the most vivid pink sky just as dawn is breaking. Frost is covering the ground outside, and I can hear woodpigeons heralding the start of the day.
I am cosidering a second coffee, but I feel the call of the forest, so will be heading up there soon to soak up her energy and sit awhile with my wolves.
I have calm in abundance, and happy to share with anyone who is struggling.
InTheTempest I am sorry that you feel your feedom is being taken from you- that sense of being unable to control your situation sits close to how you felt in your destructive relationship.
But you have more control than you think, and you are still steady on the track.
Uncurl your fist and stretch out your hand- you have all the space to steer your emotions, you still have your freedoms. As humans we have selfish thoughts sometimes- it keeps us alive.
Nurture yourself as much as you can, we need to give ourselves oxygen before we can attend to the needs of others.