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.

I have no time for JWs after seeing the way they targeted my elderly FIL after he was widowed. They wouldn't leave him alone. It got to the stage that he was afraid to open his own front door in case it was them again. They scented loneliness and vulnerability and went for the kill.

I was able to put a stop to it when I found out and I made a complaint to the police about it too. We've had one accidental visit since and I have no shame about what I said to get rid of them.

It's a mix of black clouds and sun here with strong winds so I'm stuck inside ( wind sets off my TN). I'm sure I'll find something to do!

Thank you @speakout
Today is easier... But I keep getting these awful waves of realisation. It's just awful.
I am moving through it. I am doing my breath work and yoga, and keep checking in with mum.
I have wobbly moments that bring me into the disease trauma and family trauma, but mum keeps nodding at me and saying that it's all fine. She's fine and to not worry about what had happened, as horrible as it may be.
We have each other and that's what matters. Forget them, she says.
It's like having a foot on both worlds... And sometimes I lean more heavily on the foot in this world and it feels... Like the other world doesn't exist. Does that make sense? It's hard to put accurately into words.

Elphame

What an experience with the JWs. For my mother it was Mormons, but she did convert- around 4 years ago, at one point they were visiting 3 times a week. She had a full immersion baptism at the temple two years ago at the temple- quite an experience.
However she is now converted ( again) to the Baptist faith. She has been baptised 6 times!.

The trouble is that christianiaty is an evangelical religion, spreading the "good news" is part of who they are.
Spiritwriter that sll makes perfect sense.
Glad you are taking things slowly, the breath work and yoga will help.

I don't know if you do yoga on youtube, but Adriene has released her latest 30 day yoga programme, called Breath.
It is very gentle, some days just breathing exercises, she is a lovely calming teacher.

May be of interest.

Good evening sisters, the thread is moving so quickly at the moment! Its good to catch up on all your news. Like others, I'm looking forward to the full moon, and hoping for clear skies and a dry night as I'm feeling the need to bathe in her energy. I've had quite a bit going on in my life recently and I feel this will be the opportunity to let go of some of the "stuff" I've been hanging on to. I find it really powerful to get it all down on paper and burn it, releasing it all to the universe.

Spiritwriter my thoughts are with you and I'm sending you love and solidarity. I'm glad the yoga and breath work are helping a little. Have you ever tried yoga nidra? (yogic sleep) There are lots on You Tube you could try. I find them really calming and they help me to sleep.

violet I am looking forward to the full moon too, hopefully a time of release and positive change.
Today Mars is trine pluto, *Mars trine Pluto encourages fitness, movement, and the recalibration of our body’s natural energy—something we can all use. But more than fitness, it’s a time to (potentially) allow our body to release the sadness it’s holding onto
Trines means the two planets are 120 degrees apart in the sky ( trine, is 1/3rd of 180 degrees- hence the word) A trine brings about harmony and ease of the two planets. There are a number of “aspects” including conjunctions ( when two planets are near each other ) also usually harmonious, squares ( a 90 degree aspect) where two planetary forces are in conflict. There are quite a few more too. For anyone looking at their natal chart positive aspects are usually drawn ( or written in the table below) in black ink, conflicting aspects in red. So a quick glance of a chart immediately will show the amount of conflict or harmony someone is dealing with in their lives!
Apologies if this is old ground for anyone. I studied astrology in depth in my early 20s, including attending a year of RL classes- no computers then- we had to use great tomes of planetary progression tables and calculators to plot positions and draw chats by hand. They were beautiful pieces of artwork in my mind, and I loved the process.
It’s not something I pursued too seriously though- too many other rabbit holes to jump down, but like many of my spiritual interests ebb and flow, as I pass like a spiral on my journey.
For anyone new to a spiritual journey it may feel confusing to think about which topics to explore, how best to define themselves, which ways to move forward.
I think that confusion indicates the awakening of our instinct, our self governance. We- especially as women- and particularly if we have a religious upbringing or background are very used to being told what to do, to be comfortable with, even need authority. Whether that is a boss, husband, church leader.
Taking back sovereignty and plotting our own path can feel perplexing, but it helps to learn to go with the flow. Learning to accept our heart’s judgement is part of the fun. For a few months I may get wrapped up in Tarot, or a deep dive into Greek Deity, make sigils, I decide that I need to collect river stones, or potion making becomes very exciting. I like to just go with the flow.
And for me astrology is making another appearance on my journey, an old friend that has popped in many times in the past 35 years since my first interest.
It is an exciting journey!

@speakout That's a really interesting post, thank you and it's definitely not old ground for me! It's always something I want to learn more about but, you know...time. I'm really glad the Cafe Astrology link has been shared on this thread as it's very useful, as is the Bohomofo FB page (which is also beautifully written).

Another lovely sunny day here and I'm looking forward to my lunchtime walk (which has been a little bit of a chore on some days...)

speakout, really interesting, thank you. Very apt here. After a cathartic experience yesterday I have very much felt the release of sadness today, necessarily so I think. Interestingly, I’ve noticed it in others around me too, there’s been a common vibe with the people I’ve had contact with today. I’m another one who’ll be looking to the full moon energy for release.

I can also totally relate to waves of interest in different topic areas, ebbing and flowing as my energy shifts. It’s a ride I enjoy.

Lovely to hear of sunshine and spring beginning to spring. I think we could all do with a bit of solar energy to lift the spirits, the days are getting noticeably longer I think.

Love to all for a restorative night

@VioletCharlotte I do yoga and pranayama and prayer each night before I go to bed.
I tend to sleep OK, though sometimes my dreams are not so nice. But that's something I've always had. It's not a problem.
Thank you for your solidarity. It means a lot that so many of you offer this to me. Thank you 🙏
I will check in over the weekend and read everyone's posts to try and catch up.
Love to you all. 🙏

I am lying looking out the sky-light that i forgot to draw the curtain on, looking at the moon large and highly illuminous, with a 2nd moon next to it, slightly smaller and much duller. Realistically i know it is probably some sort of reflection/visual artefact, but my brain can't quite compute that right now.

I wish i knew where my camera was. but i suspect it would not capture if i tried.

Morning everybody. I've woken up to blue sky and sunshine today. It's lovely sitting here by the window, listening to the birds sing. After a difficult few weeks, I'm feeling a sense of optimism, and the fog that's been hanging around seems to have cleared. The forecast for her weekend is good and I'm looking forward to a long walk with my friend tomorrow.

Speakout your post about astrology was interesting. Like you, I dip in and out of things that interest me. I've never studied astrology in any depth but I find it fascinating and would love to learn more. Like Brightyellowdafodil I love the Boho Mofo page and also Kirsty Gallagher.

Spiritwriter will be thinking of you over the weekend and sending love. It's great that you're doing yoga and pranayama, a regular practice makes such a difference over time.

Aerwyna your post really resonates with me, and I can completely relate to that feeling of the relief that comes with releasing sadness. I share your joy in the longer days, it's so lovely to not far up in the dark and to be able to finish work in daylight.

Hills how magical to be able to lie in bed and see the moon. I often leave the curtains open on full moon nights, I can't see it from my window but I love to bathe in her light.

Love to you all for a magical day

HillsBesideTheSea your double moon sounds very interesting!

A week off from work allowing me time to catch up with lots of jobs in the house and garden.
I have just spent two hours clearing out a flower bed just outside my front windown, cutting back dead wood, making room for new growth.
Sharing the same cathartic energy as you Aerwynaa, it is very cleansing and uplifting to let go.
It was a delight to see so many little shoots and bulbs awakening, they now have more space and light after the clear up.
VioletCharlotte I am glad you have left the fog behind and have a brighter sense. Me too, althouygh family tensions are running a little too high for my liking.
I have every window in the house open right now, and just about to put some laundry outside.
Then I think I will pop to the Range to have a look at little bits for my new bathroom.
A day of pleasure for me!!

A nearly full moon from my garden.

speakout thank you so much for the picture - my concrete living situation mean these pictures are a joy!

Hills are you sure? Wasn't there a bit of a thing last night with two planets showing up clearly near the moon? I didn't see it but I read about it.

A question for clever herbalists

Is there anything cheap and cheerful I can put in face cream to make it cooling? Or any not pricey creams for sale that are genuinely cooling? Thank you.

Oh yes. It was very much the moon. Just in a slightly duller and only a tiny bit smaller version. Had the same patterning/shading stuffs. Not a planet because i checked and googled for it.

I think it has something to do with the angles involved with the skylight vs vision etc and probably very mundane to explain. But as it moved across the sky together and was still there when my position relative to the window changed it was rather odd and midly hypnotic.
Terrible, terrible night's sleep though.

Herbs wise, it is hard to know what to suggest because contraindications are going to be very specific for you.

Things I use that are cooling on the face
Witch hazel - distilled (from the pharmacy and not in any of the fancy expensive preps that contain a load of other stuffs
Pure coconut oil from the cooking aisle
Mostly I will take a camomile tea bag, steep it in hot as can stand water and use that. (the tea bag is simply ease of access and cheap and works. Although people will look at you crazy if you take a camomile bath and basically brew a giant cup of camomile tea in the bath tub. Blooming effective though)

Speakout that moon is stunning!

I am currently taking a free herbal tea course which is very very basic, but interesting. If anyone wants I can link to the origin youtube channel, they have lots of info in their videos. Only FYI is i believe it is a short time limit offer on the email course.

Thank you Hills

Luna, why do you want to cool your face?

If you have a skin condition like eczema, you need to be v-e-r-y careful and do a test patch 48 hours before you use anything.

Oat milk, homemade, very hot water over oats in a muslin pouch works to take the fire away for a lot of people.

Peppermint is cooling, e.g. foot lotion BUT for facial skin I'd dilute it x10 and patch test. Not advised for baths.

Temporary coolness, very thin slices of cucumber from the fridge

Strong chamomile tea can stain the skin brown, again, test patch.
It's great as a final hair-rinse for blondes and can blend in greys

Not everything works the same on everyone's skin, what soothes one causes problems for another, trial and error and test, test and test again.

Not everything works the same on everyone's skin, what soothes one causes problems for another, trial and error and test, test and test again.

This.

@BlankTimes

Luna, why do you want to cool your face?

If you have a skin condition like eczema, you need to be v-e-r-y careful and do a test patch 48 hours before you use anything.

Oat milk, homemade, very hot water over oats in a muslin pouch works to take the fire away for a lot of people.

Peppermint is cooling, e.g. foot lotion BUT for facial skin I'd dilute it x10 and patch test. Not advised for baths.

Temporary coolness, very thin slices of cucumber from the fridge

Strong chamomile tea can stain the skin brown, again, test patch.
It's great as a final hair-rinse for blondes and can blend in greys

Not everything works the same on everyone's skin, what soothes one causes problems for another, trial and error and test, test and test again.

I live in a freakishly hot flat and my face suffers

If you saw the post about the lady whose baby's room is 24c already, think of my home like that

Male friends enter and say "am I having menopause" and look worried.😂

I was all right with it in the past but now my face just feels annoyingly hot a lot

I could maybe just get a gel mask thing that you keep in the fridge.

I have a cooling body gel I use in summer but don't want to put that on my face.

I am about to close the balcony door now so I can hear my TV. In summer, the balcony door will be open and I will have earphones for TV.

I should add, it's not fiery hot

I am just very hyper sensitive to this sort of thing I guess.

Tbh Luna I would just use cold water in that situation, and figure out how to reduce the temperature of the flat.

Nothing i have suggested would help you!

Oh and I am that crazy person that is already walking around in shorts with sleeves shoved up (but with wool shorties cos cold feet).

We run the heating here at around 19C sometimes and that is just too much. I have had the windows open all day for nearly the whole week. I have complaints that i am freezing everyone else. So i do sympathise with the running hot. But mundane is going to be more your friend imo.