Any Witches Here? Part 14.

[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.

@moregarlic

Hello once more! I’ve had some time away as I keep getting pulled into the many, often distressing, distractions of the moment. I find learning to centre, ground and stay away from the news is a weekly, if not daily, lesson at the moment.

I’m trying to place more importance on peace than staying informed, but I must admit I have trouble when the direction the country, and more broadly, the world, is heading is so desperately concerning to me. I feel compelled to do something, but quite what yet, I’m not sure.

Do any of you struggle with this? If so, how do you find a (meaningful and somewhat long term!) balance? I cannot just close my eyes and stick my fingers in my ears, but equally I cannot continue on in such a state of outrage / worry as it isn’t helping anything or anyone.

Anyway, enough gloom! I loved reading of your summer solstice plans. I’m much too frazzled to do anything elaborate, but I am inspired to do a few sun salutations. These days I just carve out little rituals and self care wherever I can, in the smallest possible ways. It’s all I have capacity for.

I'm sorry for jumping in here, I have been a long-time lurker from the first thread and have taken such joy from them, but this post has really touched me as this is how I feel right now. @moregarlic, I can really feel the distress in your words, they brought a lump to my throat. These are such tumultuous times and I am frequently overwhelmed by sadness. All I can muster at this time is to sit quietly and feel love for my fellow humans and animals, filling myself with a gentle pink glow, and pushing it out, into the ethers. It's not much but I think even the smallest bit of magic does make a difference. Again, I'd like to thank all posters on this thread, I am currently in the darkest place I have ever known, but the simple little ritual of checking in here every morning does lift the spirits and gives me hope

I hope you had a good birthday Aerwyna - I see you share the same birthday as Starhawk- she is in good company!
VioletCharlotte I had water babies too, they also loved the rain, sprinklers in parks, puddles, any way to get wet!
HillsBesideTheSea I love the sound of your dried flowers, experimenting is often the most fun part isn't it! I hear your thoughts about blackflies, but they provide such a banquet for ladybirds- such delightful little creatures.
moregarlic it is easy to get overwhelmed by what is going on in the world- and single handedly we can't change much. But we are large in number, and a growing swell that will bring about huge change. So I do what I can within my own sphere.
I also remind myself that the apple cart is being upterned at the moment- like the Tower, all seems chaos and destruction- but this is what we need to reform.
I read with unterest about many companies not going back to the 9-5 office work environment- an accepted work structure that keeps many women- mothers out of the workplace- deepens and entrenches the division of power within business. Just an example of how the old is being dragged into the light and found to be lacking.
I have great optimism for the future.
97% of electricity is produced by renewable sources in my area.
Moves turning away from plastic packaging, everyone is become more aware of the health of the planet.
I am holding tight, I know we will survive.

AnotherCrazyBirdLady

I am so glad you posted. And delighted to hear that this thread has brought you some comfort.
Magic does make a difference- do take hope.
I truly believe we are moving into better times, this is a tumultuous time of change but things need to be broken before we can move on.

I will burn a candle for you this morning AnotherCrazyBirdLady, to help light your darkness.

Thank you and blessings @speakout, this means a lot to me.

Thank you sisters for your good wishes x I’m honoured the share a birthday with Starhawk speakout, she has done such powerful and important work

Hills I don’t have any suggestions for flowers to dry apart from the obvious really, lavender, rose, herbs etc. but hopefully someone more knowledgeable will have some ideas to share. When I read about your wildflower replacement of lawn it reminded me of my musings about a bit of ‘grass’ (heavily populated by ribwort and dandelions) I have out the front here- I’d love to dig it up and replace entirely with wildflowers or plant a camomile lawn.. although I’m not sure how easy the latter would be to cultivate. Come to think of it, camomile would be good to grow and dry out! I love the sound of your patio, full of herb pots.

Violet what a beautiful memory of your DS in the rain, so precious. I love hearing about all the water babies amongst our young! We had rain here the other night and like you I went straight to open the patio doors, couldn’t resist going out in it too, the petrichor combined with the rain on my skin was wonderful.

Good to hear everyone’s solstice plans. like Violet I’m going to see how my energy levels are and go with what feels right at the time. I do love the energy of summer solstice.

moregarlic I agree with speakouts wise words, and think similarly. For me, I think the outrage can be a helpful energy if there’s somewhere productive to channel it- getting involved in campaigns, collective action, awareness raising etc. Otherwise, as you say it just builds anxious energy which is exhausting, and after a while manifests as despair/depression. In situations where I feel unable to contribute to change I do end up trying to disengage to an extent. It feels more like self preservation than refusing to see what’s going on and I know that when I get caught up in perpetual worry I’m no good to myself or anyone else. I do practice ritual/spell work around causes that I feel strongly about which adds energy to the mix and helps with the feelings of helplessness this kind of thought loop can sometimes lead to. But ultimately, I think the balance we seeks comes from hope too- seeking and reminding ourselves of evidence that things can and do change. speakout your words on this are so encouraging

AnotherCrazyBirdLady I’m glad you find comfort in our thread and also that you posted today. It’s good to have you join us and I agree with you and speakout that our magical practices do make a difference, we’re all energy and all connected.

@moregarlic and @AnotherCrazyBirdLady That is something I have struggled with very much (in my case triggered by motherhood)
I eventually reconciled myself with disconnecting from it all and living in my own bubble. It was very necessary for me to do that for a while to build up my resilience.
I eventually tiptoed back out into the world of current affairs....but the overwhelm is hard. I have now moved to a mindset of locality - so I concentrate purely on what I can do in my own home/village/county to make a real difference to people around me. It satisifies my soul that I am not ignoring the suffering and change.
I have friends who are much more 'big scale' and they go to London on marches and take part in direct action etc but that is just not for me. My sensitive empathic soul is not built for it.

Neither of you are at all alone in feeling internal conflict over this. I don't read or follow the news at all these days, but am lucky that my husband always has and he relays important things to me.

I am feeling very fatigued this week, partly caused by a flare up of my chronic pain condition. I just desperately want to hide under a blanket and drink hot chocolate and watch comforting films.

queenrollo
I hope you are resting tonight - I am sending restorative energy.
I love the wise words of my sisters on this thread- Aerwyna the idea of outrage being a postive energy really resounds with me . You know I am a tad feisty!
queenrollo I have now moved to a mindset of locality this is such a powerful concept.
My local town has some newly founded community groups- guerrilla gardeners, support groups, walking groups, new outdoor exercise classes because gyms are closed- and I am sure this is echoed worldwide right now. Reminds me of the Molly Roberts “ Starfish Chucker” video- why small things are so important.

I engage with the outside world on my terms, I am careful about what social media i consume, i am careful about what news I expose myself to. I read enough that I am up to date, but i do not consume more than i need.
I really noticed the impact of the 24-7 new consumption and realised that when the news was limited it was easier to function without overwhelm. So i might check the news once a day - or in the case of a rapidly changing situation twice.
I am lucky that i also job where I can feel like I am helping others and that i am having a positive impact on the world.
But i do make sure that I am careful to not let overwhelm build up and deal with it sooner rather than later when it arises.

It does help, especially when there are so many other pressures on me that i need to deal with and thus the added pressure from other things can push you over the edge of coping more easily. But it is something i have to be very mindful of, very discerning and careful about my choices for exposure, and very on top of managing. It is all to easy to get overwhelmed by it all in modern society. It is so demanding of our attention, it is non stop. And again i would say in a society that demands our attention all the time, it is a rebellious act of self care to step back and only allow it to have the amount of attention that we feel is healthy.

Personally i would like to go back to the world where news happened at set time slots and the only thing that was on tv at night was all the fun sports on Channel 5... Oh and you made appointments with GPs rather than wait around for half a day for them to call you, after you have had to take the day sodding off because you can't take personal calls at work.
Apparently cash back is no longer a thing that certain supermarket chains offer...

I am shortly out for a walk because i am far to opinionated. Stress has been getting to me. But i might see if i can collect a few more wild rose petals for the jar. They shrink rather a lot when you dry them. I am planning on doing some forget me nots tomo. People want them out the garden anyway and magically they can serve a purpose so it would be nice to have a little pot to look pretty and be available to use.

The dehydrator will shortly be commissioned into food related drying. Spinach powder and mushroom powder are powerful aids in the kitchen. Flavoured pasta for both, and mushroom gravy for the mushroom. lots of fun kitchen stuffs with dried fruit and veg for food purposes. I do love my kitchen witchery. I realised recently how much joy it actually brings when i can focus on it properly and give it the time and attention i enjoy.

I am wishing you all a fabulous weekend.

Sorry about the Flare rollo the weather hasn't been helpful for chronic pain conditions of late. I hope that it passes rather than lingers and you are able to find relief from it soon.

* Moregarlic* sorry to hear you've been feeling so overwhelmed. You've had some great advice from our wise sisters. When I feel like this, it helps me remember how long the earth has been here and how, in comparison, we're only here for such a small amount of time. For some reason, looking at the night sky and thinking about the sheer unimaginable vastness of the universe seems to help me gain a sense of perspective. Being near the sea has the same effect. We all worry about what the future may bring and what sort of world we're creating for our children, but it's important to remember that the world we grow up in is the only one we know. It's easy to look back with rose tinted glasses and think about how life used to be so much better, but in reality there has always been cruelty, destruction, violence, war... in some ways the world now is a much kinder one that the one we grew up in; there's less blatant racism and sexism than there was back in the 80's, less homophobia, more awareness of environmental issues. I think social media and 24/7 rolling news plays a big part in making us overwhelmed, as we've got a much greater awareness of things that are happening, everything is amplified.

As others have said, be selective about what you read, limit your social media usage and hide any pages (or threads on here) that make you anxious. Take time to ground yourself and spend time in nature. Protect your energy from toxic people. One thing that really helps me is practicing gratitude. Every morning (or evening if it's better for you) take 5 minutes to to write down things that you're grateful for and give thanks to the universe. I promise you that you'll quickly see a shift

AnotherCrazyBirdLady im so glad this thread had brought you joy. I'm also really glad that you posted, it's good to have you in our cosy witches kitchen, you're very welcome

Hillsbythesea I loved reading about how you've been drying flower petals. Like Aerwyna I was going to suggest lavender. My friend used lavender last year to make eye pillows for yoga and meditation. Like you, I have pots of herbs everywhere! I hope you enjoyed your walk, I find walking really helps me to sort my thoughts out!

Queenrollo so sorry to hear about the flare. Sending healing energy to you. I hope you manage to get some rest and feel a bit better tomorrow.

a pocket full of treasure. Only thing missing is the pine needles and oak leaf. all collected whilst walking tonight
I have been needing to find the beauty in small things.

ate my photo

.

Thank you for all the good wishes. I feel very much improved this morning. My condition is one that can suddenly switch off. So I never really know if I am in for several days of pain or if it will be short-lived.

I stumbled upon the White Hare Wisdom Oracle deck by Jacqui Lovesey, so I ordered it fully intending to put it away so my son could give it to me for my birthday in August. It arrived and I got such a remarkable energy from the package that I knew it wouldn't wait. I spent an hour with the cards this morning, admiring the beautiful artwork and am itching to get back to it. I have Put It Away....I really have household magic to do this morning, which cannot be put off.
I have directed my husband to the Etsy shop though and said literally anything on there would be a most welcome gift for my birthday instead!

queenrollo

Glad to hear you are feeling better. I had a look at the deck you mentioned- it is very beautiful. So many amazing Tarot decks around. So difficult to choose.
When I first started working with Tarot and long before the internet there were not so many decks around, "New Age" shops sould carry half a dozen or so and that was it. Now we have hundreds to choose from.
I could see collecting decks could be a fun ( but expensive) hobby.
I own 6 or 7 decks, I can't really justify buying any more!!

@queenrollo & @speakout,
talk of tarot is always interesting! I have had quite a few decks over the years, but always come back to my Rider Waite deck - I've always had the best results with it even though the imagery can be somewhat basic. There are some stunning decks out there and I wish I could gel with them, but I'm stuck with my old faithfulls!

AnotherCrazyBirdLady

I totally relate to that- some decks just become "old faithfulls" don't they- soaked full of magical juice, they grow in strength over the years.
I think several of us have fallen for the Everyday Witch Tarot- very quickly became my new old faithful!
A day of drizzle and petrichor here, I am batch cooking in the slow cooker and making up packs of incense, burning my new mandarin candle.
A good easy flow.

I'm not a natural with the Tarot, and have let a few decks pass through my hands and on to new owners over the years. The Everyday Witch is the one I instantly fell in love with and that is now the only full tarot deck I work with.
I feel a more natural draw to oracle decks, and have the Everyday Witch and the Green Witch Oracle - the latter one really appeals to plant lover in me.
Hares however are a bit of a theme for me, my youngest son is my 'hare baby' and I have a tattoo that represents him in the form of a hare. So stumbling on this fabulous oracle has really felt 'right'.

Overcast here, but warm and dry. A slow day really for us all. I think my youngest is very ready for the end of term. It's been a very strange school year all round and seeing the back of it will be bittersweet.

I have the green witch tarot cards. the oracle cards look really interesting.
Mine finished school this school year. it has been a very odd school year. Not quite sure what to make of it all. He missed out on work experience opportunities and all sorts of things. He is finding the transition with losing friends to other path a little hard already. I hope he can settle into a new rhythm with the next step of 6th form

queenrollo
I love the idea of your hare baby. How beautiful. I often call my DS my Phoenix baby.
HillsBesideTheSea it has been hard for younger people, I feel for them so much. Precious time that can't be recaptured. Big life events.
My DD graduates this summer and looking unlikely that she will have a graduation ceremony. Will be online.
I am planning to have a celebration at home, 3 of her friends on the same course will also graduate and live some distance away, one from Ireland, one from Manchester so my DD has asked if we can host something for her friends and their parents who would be willing to travel to mark the ocassion. We can borrow a gazebo, I can make a buffet lunch- have champage- at least an opportunity to dress up, maybe even hire gowns for photos to mark the event.
We have to do what we can.

Hi
I'm a lurker but I just wanted to say Hills your post about news etc really resonated with me.

I also dislike the expectation that we're supposed to know a bunch of stuff about the world. It does not help me to know more stuff on all manner of topics.

The way the world is, if I don't read about it, someone will tell me soon enough.

It's often the case that if you don't look at news, you miss nothing but gain peace of mind.

Ostara212 a warm welcome. Glad you have joined us.
You make some interesting points about the news. While I like to be informed about global issues I am deeply cynical about the fodder that presents itself as the "News".
Often "top stories" are the ones that contain the most shock value, have some media company agenda, or the ones that have the most detailed or graphic video footage.
News that comes without pictures ar video, even if quite noteworthy will not be the ones presented as headines. Stories have to have click bait and news channels are often no more than entertainmant sites, full of gruesome stories of human tragedy.
There is so much good going on in the world, buy good news doesn't seem to figure.
I too like to focus on local issues- and all around me I see good work being done. We have a very active team on guerrilla gardeners in my local town, the area looks amazing, local people and buinesses have donated plants and flowers, there is almost no litter on the streets, the whole community is taking pride.
A free outdoor boot camp fitness club has started just across my road, my local river has been suffering some contamination from old mineworks leaking into the water, a local group started lobbying authorities within days, and emergency work has started to resolve the problem.
The foodbank donation box in my local supermarket has been extended to a dozen large shelves, the donations are piled high, groaning under the weight of produce- it has to be carted off daily- the amount of food donated is astounding.
All around me I see people doing good things for each other, supporting and helping communities.
This is not newsworthy, but this is the real life I see every day. This is the reality I witness. This reminds me that the world is a good place.

Such wise and thought provoking posts to catch up on, thank you, as ever, for all you share sisters.

Ostara, a warm welcome from me too. I agree that it doesn’t always serve us to strive to keep up with ‘the news’ and with speakout’s wise words about nature of what we are bombarded with that is presented as such.

I love that Molly Roberts piece about the starfish chucker speakout, it beautifully illustrates the conversation here about contributing what we can in our communities. Like Hills my work used to involve helping people but this is no longer the case. Interestingly, since this change my vision hones in to local collective action and seeing evidence of mutual support in humanity. There was a tragedy here recently in which someone lost their life- both the energy of sadness and of support and love for the family involved is palpable in the air. It is bittersweet but beautiful. Like the starfish chucker we can change things for one family, one starfish etc and this is has a ripple effect. Makes me think of my favourite quote from Margaret Mead.

I think it links back to what Violet was saying about the power of gratitude- a shift in mindset towards mindfulness and an appreciation of the ‘small things’ that are really the big things.. It gives us hope and with hope comes the impetus to act in whatever way we can. I’m reminded again of the simple idea of a ‘happiness jar’ fb.watch/6eSZJuGAVj/

queenrollo I’m glad the flare up abated quickly this time. Oh my, that hare deck is beautiful- I can see why you couldn’t wait for your birthday!

Fascinating discussion as ever about the tarot, and which decks resonate with us.

AnotherCrazyBirdLady the Coleman Smith/Rider Waite tarot is such powerful universal symbolism isn’t it, I can see why you are so drawn to it and why so many other decks are inspired by it, including the Everyday Witch tarot so many of us here have become connected to. I think the imagery is well rooted in the collective consciousness.

Hills I’m enjoying hearing about your connection with plants and growth, the way you weave this into your practice. You may well have seen it already but I wondered if you’d enjoy this book about botanical folklore:

www.lisaschneidau.co.uk/botanical-tales/

An overcast day here today but no rain for now. I’m continuing with the pottering I was doing yesterday- I had a day of work interspersed with mindful tea drinking, beautiful new candles burning and reading- perfect for me!

Wishing everyone a blessed afternoon

Queen I adore those Oracle cards, I love the illustration she's used on the box and on the back of the cards, the blue eyed white hare in the hat by the cauldron just says 'You know I've always been in your life but now you can have this wonderful image of me in your life too.' as well as your beloved Brian Froud ones.

Welcome Ostara and another vote for Speakout's take on what constitutes "news" these days.

Having said that, sometimes there are interesting (to me anyway) things interspersed between the dire stuff.
Here's something you may like
www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=20277
When you've seen the pics, this article towards the bottom of the page is what I'm referring to,
"Politicians in Jersey ask James Corden for their Stones back"

To me it looks as though it's the inside stones from a passage mound like Newgrange or Knowth but smaller and although all of the stones are there, they've been re-erected by someone who has no clue about a passage mound's layout. Obviously my opinion's only garnered from photos and years of personal interest in Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments and the present day structure could well have been re-erected as it actually was when it was transported from Jersey.

Solstice Blessings Sisters!
www.almanac.com/content/first-day-summer-summer-solstice
May you mark the occasion however you feel it's appropriate to do so within your own paths and enjoy this special time.