Any Witches here? Part 13

[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.

@KateF I wonder are you referring to Bealtaine Cottage? I have spent a lot of time day sat knitting while watching Bealtaine videos on YouTube. I am up tot date with most recent stuff, but have actually gone right back to the beginning and am slowly getting through them all in the background as I have easy days.

It's so cold here but I do prefer these crisp cold days to the grey and wet ones we have so much of lately. I am definitely supposed to be hibernating though! I was not built for cold weather.
My garden is full of birds today.
A couple of weeks ago we had a woodpecker, and I watched it. It was foraging among the fallen leaves under the hazel tree, and once it found a nuut it flew up into my pear tree, wedged the nut in a crack and then proceeded to crack it open to eat the inside.
Now funnily enough I have often found shells under there while spring clearing and assumed rodents had left them - but now I am thinking it's more likely to have been the woodpecker.

apologies for typos - am very tired this afternoon!

Some one has been reaching out of late. And I need to figure out if friend or foe. And whether I wish to interact. I suspect that there is the scope for it to not be all what it seems and will look into the suggestions you have. After all if people can be multi-faceted I am sure that the spirits and gods/goddesses can be too. I has been made clear that interaction is something I need to chose. Another option is that it is a push towards working with my ancestors.
Thank you.

QueenRollo Beltaine Cottage is a lovely gentle podcast. I sometimes wish i could be like her when i grow up. Life here is far to chaotic sometimes.

Lots of interesting posts this afternoon.
Looking out of my window at a deep frozen scene, the ice and frozen snow are in deep ruts, any car that passes make a deep crunching noise as they navigate a path through.
HillsBesideTheSea I don't keep up with too many gods, but I know some goddesses that help us explain the power of the frozen times.
The Caillaich is the one closest to my heart at the moment,one of the queens of winter. Representations of snow queens are woven within our culture, and worth an hour of worm holing with a hot coffee.
queenrollo I love hearing of your woodpecker.

I love crisp cold days. Living in Scotland I refuse to be beaten.
I stayed in Thailand for a year a long time ago. Beautiful, amazing place, spiritual, tranquil, but towards the end of my stay I was yearning for cold air. And all that comes with a cold place. A crisp environment. The ability to swim in rivers and walk barefoot though forests without dangers.
With my thick socks, heafty boots, and warm knits I am built for the cold weather.

@HillsBesideTheSea

Some one has been reaching out of late. And I need to figure out if friend or foe. And whether I wish to interact. I suspect that there is the scope for it to not be all what it seems and will look into the suggestions you have. After all if people can be multi-faceted I am sure that the spirits and gods/goddesses can be too. I has been made clear that interaction is something I need to chose. Another option is that it is a push towards working with my ancestors. Thank you.

That's interesting. How do you decide?

Blank there isn't room to swing a familiar in here. I have one fern in a small pot and that has to be enough.

speakout I don't do well in extremes of temperature either way. Overall I prefer warmth but the flat gets hellish if it's more than 25c outside.

I decided today was a drifting day so ended up doing other things, but I figure the decisions about the wall altar will come naturally. And I had a nap, which I needed.

I did also look for black spinel online but no one seems to have it in crystal form.

Luna if you want natural uncut unpolished stones, use the term 'rough' in your searches.

queenrollo no it's called Mr Lumpy and Friends. Mr Lumpy is the first badger who started visiting and there is now a Mrs Lumpy and cubs. I will check out Bealtaine Cottage as that sounds lovely too, thank you.

"That's interesting. How do you decide?" good question Luna no idea is the answer.

HillsBesideTheSea I'd start with the Norse Pantheon or maybe the Greek Boreas (God of the North Wind)

Luna Plenty of uncut black spinel on Etsy. Please though for the sake of the miners do your research on where it comes from. I can take no pleasure in crystals mined by children who are forced to work in the mines and from supply chains that are run by criminal gangs. Mining is also hard on the environment too.

Good morning everyone

Thank you for the tips re crystals

It's sunny so I am going to use the energy to blitz the flat.

Just having a tea break and catching up with the latest. Such a pleasure to come here and find such interesting discussion, snapshots of everyday magic and feel the strength and support. Thank you for generating such beautiful collective energy. A true oasis.

It’s a bright cold day here again, no snow where I am but the moor seems like a different world teeming with elemental energy and ice magic, snow on the hills. I was cheered by snowdrops in bloom in the verge on my way back from the shop and have opened the windows to invite in the fresh cool air. It brings a sense of big shifts being afoot.

Like many, I’ve been experiencing a turbulent time of late but today I’m feeling glad of my ongoing roots work and I have a sense that all will be well- I’m milking it for all it’s worth!

I hope everyone can find time in amongst it all to tend to their roots today

Aerwyna how wonderful to see the moors!

How is everyone?

The clearing - which I have been delaying, I admit - is very hard. I have made many mistakes in the past, giving/throwing away things to make space in this tiny space, and regretted it.

I probably need to get better at clearing space in my head so that the place doesn't feel oppressively full.

What a gorgeous set of messages to catch up on! I am back in my night owl ways but as little earlier to bed tonight than usual as I had an early start.

I'm loving hearing about all the snow - we've had a few flakes but nothing settling yet.

And Beltaine Cottage sounds like exactly what I need right now, will find it and listen while I'm editing tomorrow.

Yesterday I made my bracelet with my words of the year on it so I feel more ready for the year now - wearing my words on my wrist always feels like magic. This year they are Focus, Magic and Grow.

Do any of you have a word or phrase for each year?

hilarious what a great idea. I think I should make my words "go to bed". 😂

Good night.

Hilarious my word is thrive. This year I want to thrive rather than survive.

I spent yesterday cleaning, clearing and rearranging my room. This morning everything hurts, but I a really enjoying the new layout which is making my small room feel much bigger.

Not much of a magical day planned here. Lots of study. So going to indulge in some bread making. Wishing you all gentle days.

I am loving hearing about all these intentions.

I usually set an intention for the day, but my needs vary from day to day, the same intentions do crop up regularly.
I have a spiritual practice every morning, I find rituals calming, and easy to weave in mundane acts.
My inentions are often words like calm, balance, centre, protect, flow, gentle, energy, calm.
It sets my day up for a good start.
HillsBesideTheSea your bread making sounds lovely- and very much a magical act.
There is magic in the mudane if we look.
Hanging laundry, drinking tea, kind words to a staff member at the post office- all magical.
Aerwyna glad to hear your root magic is paying off. Digging deep can be daunting, but pays off.
I look forward to some spring planting when the ground thaws.

Lovely to drop in this evening and catch up on all the posts. Like you Speakout, I tend to set an intention for the day, it's one of my morning rituals. I clear my mind and let a word drop in. I trust that the word I'm given is the word I need.

Ive felt a noticeable shift in energy this week. I feel like I'm coming out of hibernation. During the winter months, I've been very much looking in, my instinct has been to keep warm and rest. As we move towards Imbolc, I'm feeling a pull to be outside, all of a sudden I've got more energy and want to exercise and feel fit. It's a good feeling! In an effort to burn off some of the 'lockdown pounds', I've started running. I'm not a natural runner at all, but I'm enjoying it so far.

I'm also enjoying that the evenings are getting a little lighter day by day. I bought myself a bunch of daffodils yesterday, a reminder that spring is just around the corner.

Hills I'm glad you got your room sorted and you're pleased with it. Rearranging a room always seems to revitalise your home doesn't it? It sounds like you need a salt bath to ease those aches and pains.

Aerwyna the moors sound magical and lovely to see the snowdrops. I see you're sensing the shift in energy too

Elphame good to see you. I'm loving your Lady Poison page. Your posts are always so interesting and make me smile too.

Queenrollo I love the Beltaine Cottage page too. I'll look up the Mr Lumpy page too *Kate F
*
Sending love to you all for a peaceful evening.

VioletCharlotte

Glad to hear you are feeling the spring juice. Yes it is good to see some light returning, I think lockdown has made tese winter days even darker and longer than usual.
Great to hear you are, running it looks an amazing exercise, quite a meditative thing to do too I imagine. Not for me- I have tried, but I am glad it is working for you.

I look forward to garden days again, when I can hang my laundry and feel a warm breeze on my skin.

Off to do some morning yoga, and a slower day of work, I have been working full time without a day off for 13 days- I have just realised, so time to slow the horses a little.
I get so wrapped up in work I lose perspective a little.

Have a magical day everyone.

Does anyone else here love mist and fog?
I love all extremes of weather, but have woken up to a thick blanket of fog.
I always feel a tingle of excitement, the spooky liminal feel, the idea of hidden things.
Still have snow on the ground here too, so a very interesting combination today!

Lovely to hear the connections with nature and how everyone is elementally attuned. Conditions here gifted us sight of a beautiful ‘moon halo’ a couple of nights ago- magical.

Interesting to hear everyone’s thoughts on energy generating words, I like the idea of letting a word for the day ‘drop in’ Violet, thank you, I’m going to try that.

Also interesting to notice the clearing urge that many of us have- incoming spring energy bringing a desire to clear the decks and shift the energy. I’ve noticed this happens to me at the cusp of autumn/winter, although I haven’t got round to much of it this year! I seem to have been living in my head a lot and I know that both my physical space and body will need attention when I get the time and am feeling some regret that I have let things slip on both fronts. An example of when small regular practices in these areas would have served me well!

speakout glad to hear you’ll be taking it a bit slower today. I love that your work gives you such flow much of the time and also think you are wise to know that it’s time to slow the horses a little.

I’d like to ask for some support if anyone is willing/able? Please excuse the daily Mail link but this is something I’m feeling angry about

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9183885/Covid-UK-Lockdown-visitors-ruin-one-Britains-important-ancient-forests-holding-weddings.html

The magic of this place is hard to describe but very powerful and to me, sacred- it really shouldn’t be messed with. I want to help protect it and have been thinking about speakout’s wolf medicine. I’ve been visualising the woods circled by a pack of snarling wolves, seeing off disrespectful visitors. I might ‘journey’ there (not physically) too and patrol the boundaries myself.. If anyone has the mental energy spare I’d really appreciate you joining me in this. The upcoming ‘wolf moon’ feels like a good time to boost this. A force field to keep people out is what’s needed before more damage is done. I feel both sad and furious about this.

I do love it speakout! We have it here over the hills today too. I was thinking of using it in my protection magic for the woods! Yours combined with snow sounds particularly magical

Speakout I love mist and fog too, I always have done, ever since I was a child. Thank you for your encouragement about my running. I'm told it's meant to be meditative, at the moment I'm mainly just trying to breathe! I'm sure it'll get easier.

No fog here, just grey skies and drizzle. I'm warm and cosy indoors, enjoying a cup of coffee and some delicious smelling raisin and cinnamon toast.

I am really enjoying catching up with this thread. I am inspired to restart my practice of setting an intention word for the day. I don't know why I got out of the habit of doing that. My word for the year is 'beautiful'. It's to remind me to see the beauty in the world - particularly in the mundane - when life seems a bit of a grind. I also want to focus on beautifying my living space. It gives me such an uplift when I do this so I can relate to Hills and her revitalised room, but also to Aerwyna's feeling that material things are getting a bit neglected at the moment. Work and home schooling (as a single parent) are taking up a lot of energy.

I love fog, too, speakout. There is definitely something exciting about it. It must be extra special with the snow as well.

Aerwyna that article has made me so sad. I despair sometimes about the mentality of human beings. I just can't get my head round why people would think it's ok to spoil beautiful spaces in this way.

I love your idea of working energetically as a collective to protect this magical forest and agree the upcoming wolf moon feels like the right time. Perhaps we could agree a day and time when we could all work together on this as a circle of sisters?