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.

Happy Imbolc sisters. A warm welcome Funkymommagoose.

Imbolc Blessings friends. May the seeds you sow bring forth abundance

A warm welcome from me too Funkymommagoose, start with what fascinates you or makes your heart sing. stick around and chat with us, there’s usually someone around happy to muse with you on particular subjects that pique your interest

Tea break reading, I love the celebration of the divine feminine in this project

www.herstory.ie/photo-essays-2/sovereignty

Imbolc blessings to you all. New beginnings...

Happy Imbolc for those celebrating today :)

Imbolc blessings everyone. It is my birthday too so I am having a double celebration. It's been a magical day and the house is full of I need to have a proper catch up here, but I've enjoyed skim reading the discussion on terminology. And that photo essay looks amazing, Aerwyna. I shall have a read tomorrow.

Imbolc greetings to all. I'm new to these ways but, crikey, I felt the power of the season today.
After a bit of a down in the dumps start, I went out for a walk across the fields and the woods this afternoon. The air was so beautiful and there was such a strong feeling of a new, light season coming. I enjoy a constitutional walk at the best of times, but this one today left me feeling really energised and optimistic.
I'm not too sure about which rituals are appropriate, but I've had a clean up, am preparing to eat some nice food, have lit a couple of candles, and wished blessings upon my loved ones.
Peace and light to everyone.

Late Imbolc blessings, loves! I have been rushing around busily today but like @agapanthus1979 can really feel the seasons shifting today.

Lalavande Happy Birthday! So pleased you've had a lovely day.

Aerwyna thank you for the link, I look forward to taking a look this evening.

Agapathus1979 welcome Good to have you with us.

Imbolc blessings to you all
I too managed to get out after work with the dog for a short walk and although it’s bitterly cold you can definitely feel the seasons shifting. My weather app is predicting snow for the next week although I think it may have gone a bit hysterical. I haven’t done much this evening as have been chilled to the bone but feel like a true witch with a black cat cuddled up asleep beside me he’s an odd one and is a total one person cat and I am his chosen person. Unlike the ginger one who is the sweetest soul and loves everyone and the tortie who does her own thing. I adore animals cats being my favourites. Love looking for wildlife on my walks too, whoever said about all the people on “their” walks in so right. In “my” woods your lucky to pass one other person on a walk just now swamped with people.

Imbolc blessings to all and happy birthday to lalavande - what a beautiful name.

I have set down roots today I think, and not just because I haven't left the flat 😂 (that's no loss, urban grim looks much the same throughout the year).

But yes...some important things have rooted today, I think.

Wolf woods sounds like an interesting bit of history! It's lovely to hear about nature walks and the things many of you can bring in from gardens. Love hearing about the cats too.

Oops missed that happy birthday @Lalavande

Hello again friends! I missed imbolc yesterday, which rather matches my frazzled state of mind at the moment. I hope you all had wonderful celebrations. The thought of spring just around the corner is very uplifting.

I’m really struggling with this lockdown to be frank. I had my first baby just before the first one and it’s her first birthday later this month. It’s just hit me how sad it is that practically her whole life has been spent like this and how heartbreaking it is that she’s never even met some family members. I find myself almost grieving the normality we’ve missed. I never in a million years thought we’d still be living like this a year on. I feel so guilty sometimes for bringing her into this mess.

I thought I’d share a quote that is getting me through. I frequently remind myself do just hold on a little longer. X

Belated Imbolc greetings, everyone! I’m watching the snow as it falls and have lit a candle in the window next to my glorious blossoming hyacinth in a pot.

Thank you for the birthday wishes . moregarlic I am sorry to hear of your struggles. The quote is very powerful and it is very much worth holding on to the knowledge that there are good times ahead (as well as plenty of mundane and difficult ones!) Imbolc is a good time of year for sensing the possibilities of happier times ahead.

I am certainly growing to appreciate - and even love - the mundane. Yesterday, though, was amazing in many ways. One was receiving a lovely bunch of flowers in the post from my older son who's away at university. They were most unexpected, as was the card that accompanied them. He'd had printed a lovely photo of me and my boys, and the message was about how much I mean to him. He is not usually very demonstrative, and we have been through some dark and difficult times. This is a highlight that I will treasure.

I read the photo story today, Aerwyna, and have saved it for future reference. It's important work. Here's a link that a friend sent yesterday to Three poems for Brigid that some of you may like.

LunaHeather - your name is beautiful too! - I am an academic (not in sciences, though). I am very ambivalent about that world, but the research I do uses creative, feminist ways of knowing and focuses on social justice issues. There are a few like-minded people I come across from time to time but I do have to don a (metaphorical/ magical) protective cloak for the most part!

Happy imbolc. So glad to finally get here. The house is full of daffodils and I've cleaned the windows. The daffodils are scented so I'm feeling even more blessed.

Imbolc Blessings everyone, it was white with snow this morning and it laid for most of the day, a silent sparkling blanket. The light reflected from it seems to illuminate our interiors in a way no other sunlight does.

Good to hear of snow sprinkling some magic to others, none here- although it was forecast overnight. blanktimes yes I understand about the illumination- I can tell if it has been snowing even before I open the curtains in the morning, there is such a luminous quality.
Lalavande what a special gift from your son.
I agree what you say about pleasure in the mundane. It is easy to get caught up in a frenzy of thrill seeking, chasing higher rides , fancier restaurants, more glamourous locations, faster, higher, brighter, but I have found more pleasure in the slow lane- cloud formations, buds on a tree, the small of petrichor after summer rain, the twinkle of shared humanity in a stranger's eye.
When we start to find such pleasure in the everyday the opportunities for joy increase a thousand fold- that to me is the real magic. Our lives become richer without that meaningless pursuit of buying things to fill the void, racing around race tracks, filling our homes with things we don’t need.
Opportunities to heal and nurture ourselves are all around us- if we take time to listen and watch.
moregarlic I understand your sadness, and it’s natural to feel a loss about the situation. Allow yourself those feelings. But also allow yourself to move on from them. We don’t have answers right now, but we do have the strength of a wise group of women here who can share in your grief and understand a little of how you feel. We always keep a warm fire burning and have hot tea. So whenever things feel lost, drop in for talk of Tarot or salamanders. The magic is not lost.

@speakout beautiful, wise words as always. I agree wholeheartedly about finding joy in the little things - a small vase of daffodils is providing me with a spectacular amount of happiness at the moment! And thank you for your kind words too; I always struggle to get the right balance between feeling my feelings and wallowing. Yesterday I wallowed unfortunately. I was listening to the psychologist Philipa Perry talk on a podcast and she said “it’s been such a hard time to become a mum” and I just burst into uncontrollable tears (fortunately it was nap time for DD). I really didn’t realise how much I needed to hear that / have my feelings validated.

@Lalavande I’m glad you enjoyed the quote too, I find myself returning to it daily at the moment. What a gorgeous surprise from your boy! I’m glad you had a good time and managed to celebrate. Side note: Your work sounds completely fascinating.

I feel lighter today. DD slept in until 7am this morning (she’s usually an early bird) and DH is off work today, so there is a chance to recalibrate. Maybe a long walk with the dog by the sea. Have a peaceful day everyone x

Blanktimes I love your description of the snow being like a sparkling blanket. I know exactly what you mean when you say by the light. As a child I can remember laying in bed and just knowing when it has snowed because of the light shining though the curtains.

I found myself nodding along to the posts about taking pleasure in the mundane. This is something I've been thinking about quite a bit recently. If you can find pleasure in the mundane, and look forward to the small things - your morning coffee, going for a walk and feeling the sunshine on your back, watching the seasons turn, the smell of clean washing - your life will always be full.

With that in mind, I'm off to pour myself another brew, would anyone like one? 🧙‍♀️💫☕️

Yes please VioletCharlotte

I have hit max lockdown mental coping. There is still no where to walk without people. People clutter is everywhere and it makes even the thought of leaving the house stressful. The backdoor is stuck solid (as it always is this time of year) so there is no access to the garden and even the thought of seed starting is not helping the driving need to escape this house, and the noise that is associated with it and the locality. And yet the thought of actually leaving the house is not something i find appealing either. This pandemic has definitely taught some lessons.

Snow always feels like a blanket to me. Like something that wraps itself around you to make you feel safe and lighter. It is why I am such a snow lover and often head out for very very long walks when it has snowed.

I am very much enjoying the lighter nights. Even though I am still in winter hibernation mode. Looking forwards to getting out of that mode and into the more energetic modes as the season progresses.

Hills A wooden door swells with the moisture in the air but can often still be opened and closed - albeit firmly - if you rub the door where it sticks and the door frame in candle-wax.

Unfortunately it is the door and door frame that swell and we have tried wax treatment, sanding back and rewater proofing. Throw in some hinge issues, latch issues (tried replacing but door is so badly warped that it is a parallellagram rather than cuboid) It really lets all the wind through so the room the door is in is never much above outside temp, and the door sticks really badly all winter and through real wet parts of the rest of the year. Replacing the door and door frame was on the pre-pandemic to do list. It is on hold atm.
In theory I could probably climb in and out of the kitchen window but it seems a little extreme. And not sure that I would physically be able to manage it.

I introduced Imbolc to my Year 10 class yesterday (remotely, sadly) and set them the task of producing a piece of writing, encapsulating the essence of the celebration. They rose to the challenge! Great stuff.