Any Witches Here? Part 16

[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.

@hkwses I’m also starting to express myself a bit more. Baby steps but I’m finding it empowering. I hope you are too.

Bit cloudy here today, but I love the rain so I really don’t mind. I hope everyone has a lovely Sunday.

Hello, I’m a baby witch. Please may I join?

Welcome to out witches kitchen, Hkwes and Passionfruit come sit with us around the fire and enjoy a brew. I'm having coffee this morning as I need a kick start!

It's grey and damp here today which is a shame for all the people who have street parties planned. The BBC app is saying rain and possibly thunder and lightening from 3, so I need to get my dog walked and food shop done so I can bunker down indoors this afternoon.

Just been for a swim which was a nice way to start the day. My sauna was less relaxing than I'd hoped though as it was busy and full of people who wanted to chat!

Welcome @hkwses and @PashunFroot

I found that one of the (few) benefits of getting older was that I started to care much less about what everyone else thought and much more about what I wanted. It was very liberating. I did lose a few friends in the process but the ones that remained and the ones I gained are more "real friends" than the ones that fell by the wayside. My mother though.... well it's the elephant in the room. She must know but it is carefully never mentioned. I am wondering how having her living 5 minutes down the road is going to work out

It's dull and overcast here but this afternoon's plan is to pull all my summer clothes out and see what (if anything) still fits. We're off to stay with some friends in the US this week so I can actually plan to wear some summer dresses for once. I am slightly apprehensive about the journey and I've bought some FFP2 masks to wear in the airports as I don't want to pick up the virus and I don't want to risk infecting my friends.

Welcome PashunFroot, glad you have joined u. No seniority here though, we are on a path, and all equally valid, whether we have been practicing for two months or twenty years. Everyone is learning.
Elphame I agree- caring less about what others think is very liberating, and one of the many amazing things that happen as we get older.
I really don't care what others think, if they judge, well they probably not people I want close anyway.
Like you I have a sticky mother situation- she is elderly, many of her lifelong friends have already died, but the church community has been a real lifeline for her. She goes to church weekly, hosts prayer and bible study classes in my home, and has lots of "extra curricular" activities, whether it is church concerts, craft mornings, visiting a garden centre, going out for lunch, her church friends pick her up and she has various events every week.
It suits me too as her carer to have all this support for her, if her friends found out I am a practicing witch then I think things may become difficult for her, and in turn me.
So I have to be low key and even collude in lies sometimes, to preserve her social life!
I would certainly be out and proud if it were not for that complication.
I have to be subtle with my magical objects around the house- my altar is in my bedroom, magical items are mixed in with cooking herbs, natural objects, I think only someone in the craft or the witch finder general would even spot my goddess or hare prints, hagstones in the bathroom, candles and crystals. It is sad, but comes from a position of ignorance and fear.
It is so quiet here today, a couple of my neighbours were having celebrations and BBQs yesterday, but I haven't heard even a peep from a lawnmower today.
Bliss!

Welcome @hkwses and @PashunFroot - you've found the most welcoming corner of the whole internet!

I'm bringing cake and buttercream icing to the fireside today, have been without my car all jubilee weekend but made it to a medieval festival on Saturday, which was a joy - I was very restrained in my shopping but there were some wonderful stalls for those of us of a magical persuasion. And I always love a good costumed event, a couple of my friends are historical reenactors of various periods so I was accosted by kings and queens at unexpected moments 😂

@speakout I adore stamping! I've just been working on some pin badges and talisman/token cards for my shop (mainly spurred on by the fair last week) and also love to pop a little handwritten something and a surprise (usually a teapigs teabag) in with my orders :) excited to see what you develop, your shop makes me happy!

The fair was wonderful and full of connection - there was a real buzz in the air and my stall was right outside my favourite witchy crystal shop - will see if MN will let me attach the photo as I think you will all approve of the bench outside.

I'm sorry so many of us have to hide our paths, I've also been there although am much more open now - even my lovely Mum has accepted it and finds hagstones for me almost every time she goes pebble hunting with her group. There's an enormous one waiting at hers for me to collect it once I have my car working again! But I do love the subtle working in of the things we love.

Definitely have some more photos to share later this week but here's the fabulous space from Thursday! Have a wonderful week, sisters.

Afternoon, we went swimming today, it’s really warm by us so it was nice to cool down. I love being in water. We’re currently going through baby names, our DD has an extremely unusual name so it’s difficult trying to find a name that fits with that!

speakout I’ve just ordered that book! I have them all on my kindle I’ll attach a pic but I just love reading books about parenting with witchy values. Your job sounds wonderful, I’m currently a SAHM but used to work in a nursery and I’m super excited to get back into that sort of work when the DC grow up.

hkwses I’m so sorry you were mocked it really isn’t nice. I’m glad you’re feeling like you can express yourself more now

TurquoiseDreamCatcher I’m glad your new jobs allow you to spend more time with your DC. It’s great having your energy back, I’m still in the exhausted stage but am looking forward to being back on track

PashunFroot welcome!

Elphame enjoy the US! My DH is from Georgia but I’ve never been, he moved here on his own when he was quite young and doesn’t speak to his family but I’d like to take the DC one day as it is part of their heritage!

hilariousnamehere I’m glad the fair went well, the picture is wonderful! I’m looking forward to more pics!

I’m lucky that my family and friends accept who I am. I suppose I’ve always been a bit ‘different’ though so it was expected of me. I’d say I’m more hippie than anything else but with that comes my love of nature and the Goddess and all things witchy. I was raised Christian and I love religion and learning about it all, I have a special place in my heart for Mary Magdalene❤️

I’ve attached some pics of the books I’m reading, I really recommend them all if anyone wants to read them

hilariousnamehere I love your magic. And also some great ideas for gifts to customers. I have been working on similar too. I would love to see some of your products- pm me if you like. I have a new range too, but prefer not to post here directly . I love the photo of your space- full of juice!
PaintingClocks I am smiling at the idea of choosing names. I agree that either parent needs veto, but can be hard to decide I never made the final decision before my children were born, I wanted to meet and see my babies before I could see if a name was a fit.
My DD had no name until she was two weeks old, none of the names of the list fitted her, so we chose an entirely different name.
Wet and cool here, heavy rain with thunder today, I have been grounding outside and now just relaxing with some sleepy tea, listening to the eveing chorus of birds. The air is fresh, vibrant and light, I suspect I will sleep deeply tonight.
Magical slumbers dear friends.

Evening everyone

Hi ladies!. I had a really difficult life last night, there’s a lot going on in my personal life at the minute and I’m feeling really out of control, so I went to bed early and cried and asked the Goddess for help. I then created a schedule for every day that I can check off, and I’ve altered it to fit with the days Goddess and also the lunar cycle/my horoscope. I’m only half way through day one but already I feel better. DH is going away for work in a week, so I’m waiting until he leaves and then I’m going to give our home a really thorough clean and bless it and hopefully will feel even more in control.

We took a walk into the town today, it was quite a long walk so we stopped off at a pub and had some lunch. The weathers been lovely today which is nice as June has felt a bit dreary really.

@speakout I agree with the need to Veto. My DH isn’t too bothered really so I am lucky with that😂. I think if we have a girl again then she will be nameless for a while because we’re really struggling with girls names. DD is called (very outing but I don’t post anything I wouldn’t want anyone who knows me to see) Eistla, which is pronounced Ey-stla and it’s very difficult trying to find something similar.

I hope everyone’s had a good day

Hi Chakraleaf- good to see you.

PaintingClocks sorry to hear things have been a bit overwhelming for you- but glad you called on such a strong source- and managed to find resolution. The goddess is manifest everywhere- and most of all in uor own hearts- we are all divine!
We really couldn't decide on baby names before the birth, but it took the pressure off knowing that we had 6 weeks after the birth.
So my little ones were nameless for a while, untimately we did decide and it was easy in the end.
A new baby cares not one bit to be nameless for a while.
A baby still enjoys the love, the warmth, cuddles and food- all they need.
I am excited to be going to a Litha Witchcraft Market in the city this weekend, with my DD and her friend. There wil be craft stalls, Tarot and astrology, lots of home made crafts, candles, jewellery, books, gifts, food, a chance to talk and meet with others.
Sounds a lot of fun!

Good morning, a cool blustery day here, really strong winds over the past couple of days, brings a stormy edge to proceedings. Good weather for practicing our flying skills - my witch weather vane is spinning wildly!
I was chatting with one of our tribe about astrology, and wonderd if any of you wise women could recommend books or resources as an introduction or for deepening knowledge.
I have had an interest for many years, I am by no means an expert, I know a few of us here have an interest too.
I am off to my witch fare today, so should be a fun outing, I know I will spend more than I intend to!

Morning, it's rather hot and sticky here today so rather envious of your cool weather Speakout it's been really changeable this week, hot and sunny one minute, cloudy and blustery the next. I find it quite unsettling actually and keep having to change my clothes.

I've had one of those weeks when everything seems to be irritating me. There's so much building work and incessant drilling going on around me. I woke up yesterday with a migraine so had to cancel all my plans and rest at home.

Does anyone else struggle with the light evenings and mornings? I find it difficult to relax in the evening when it's light so late and it takes me a long time to fall asleep. Then I'm awake again at 5 when the birds start singing!

Speakout I'm interested in learning more about Astrology too so hopefully someone will have some book recommendations. I know we've talked before about Kerrie Basher's page on Facebook (Bohomofo)I find her posts so insightful, I'm not sure if she's written any books, I'll have a look at her website. I hope you enjoy the witch fare, sounds like great fun!

Greetings to the new joiners. You will find this a welcoming and informative place.

I’ve been letting life take over and the past few months are all a blur. I’m going to try and carve out some time to be myself (from where I don’t know) where I don’t have to be teacher, mother, partner!

I’m also another interested in learning more about astrology and eager for any good recommendations.

Hiya all ✨ I hope you’re all doing well. After calling on the Goddess I had some incredible news so I really feel like it has worked.

@speakout I didn’t realise you could have that long to decide on a name, that definitely takes the pressure off. I hope you enjoy the witchy fare today!

@VioletCharlotte I’m really struggling with the light evenings/mornings. It starts to get light at about 3 here and doesn’t get completely dark until around midnight and I wake up as soon as its light, its a nightmare!. Sorry you’re feeling so irritated this week, I completely understand that, I’ve felt a bit similar and I can’t pin point what’s wrong but everything is grating on me.

The essential guide to practical astrology is quite good for beginners, it explains things in a way that isn’t so confusing. I wouldn’t recommend ‘the only astrology book you’ll ever need’ because I needed a lot more😂

One of my neighbours is cooking vegetarian bacon and the smell is making me feel really sick so I’ve had to go for a walk in the other direction. It’s quite warm here but in a sticky sort of way

VioletCharlotte I hope you are feeling calmer this week, building work and power tools annoy me too my quiet is very precious to me. When I lived in the city I didn't mind the noise, there was always a constant thrum of traffic, doors slamming, voices in the street.
Now that I am back in a rural area my base line for noise has dropped, I usually hear only birdsong- if someone starts up a power tool then I do feel a little irritated sometimes, Usually pop in my ear buds and listen to calm. Hard if it is ongoing though.
PaintingClocks glad you recieved good news through the goddess.
Astrology can be a huge subject, I never stop learning, the internet is a wonderful resource, atrsologycafe.com will draw up your natal chart in seconds, and I think that is a good place to start. There will be an interpretation too, but good to look at the main features- sun and ascendant, planets in signs and houses, and aspects between all the planets. Recurring themes or energies will be the important ones.
I had a lovely day at the witch market yesterday, although it was very busy, a lovely energy to soak up. I was wth my DD, her friend and friend's sister, an afternoon of powerful female energy was quite the tonic!
Off to start a busy day and week.
Have a good week ahead sisters.

Hello sisters,

I'm dropping in to ask for some help. I have serious pregnancy insomnia. I'm looking for a natural pregnancy safe method to encourage sleep. Have any of you got any remedies?

I've tried lavender and chamomile spray, milky drinks, a relaxing bath and magnesium spray on my feet.

Thank you 😊

TurquoiseDreamCatcher sorry to hear you are struggling with sleep.
Have you tried an audio/hypnosis type of listening?

I use them almost every night, my two favourites from youtube are Nothing Much Happens and Michelle's Sanctuary. Both female voices, which I prefer.

Thank you @speakout, I had forgotten about listening to a guided meditation/sleep. That could certainly work for the initial trying to get to sleep.

TurquoiseDreamCatcher I find these two guided meditations usefu for getting back to sleep and night wakenings.

%27sSanctuary%3ASleepStories%26Meditations %27sMeditationSanctuary

Turquoisedreamcatcher sorry you're having trouble sleeping. I remember how hard it was to sleep during pregnancy, I could never get comfortable and kept needing to get up every 10 minutes to go for a wee!

I've been struggling a bit with sleep myself recently and I bought these eye heated eye masks from Amazon. They seem to help me drift off more quickly. A bit pricey to use regularly but a nice treat.

5 Dreamy Eyes Self-Heating Eye Masks, Box of 5, Heated Eye Mask, Migraine Relief and Soothing Sleep Mask amzn.eu/d/3zKPUC6

I love the sleep stories that Speakout suggested and find they really help.

Paintingclocks good to hear you've had a positive outcome from your goddess work, well done! I hate the smell of bacon cooking too (even vegetarian bacon!)

The incoming full moon is making me feel a bit wired. I've booked myself into an extra yoga class tonight p help release some of the excess energy. It jolted me a little when I realised this is the Strawberry full moon and we've almost reached the solstice. This year seems to be passing me by. A reminder to myself that I need to take some time out, get off the treadmill and just be in the moment.

I use this heated eye mask. I have dry eyes and some of it due to blocked pores so my optician suggested this (along with drops and creams!) It is heated in the microwave for 25 seconds. Because it has hydrobeads it's a little heavier than the disposable ones. I find it really helpful when I am having headache/migraine/hayfever issues too.

www.boots.com/optase-moist-heat-mask-10226772

I'm feeling so restless at the moment. Struggling with the alarm/morning routine of school runs. Feeling quite low at the thought of 7 more years of this and when he goes to Secondary we will have to get up even earlier.
I never coped well with going against my natural sleep rythmn - and when I had my business relied on alcohol/drugs/caffeine to function. Of course none of those things are even thinkable now. I think my body changing with perimenopause is contributing to how awful I feel physically.
I crave solitude and absolutely no call on my time other than things I choose to do.

I've just waved off my DS and DH to school/work respectively. I have a dentist appointment at midday (so annoying it cuts my day in half) but right now I am going to get in the garden and pot on some geraniums.

Thank you for all the suggestions ladies. I'll get onto researching those today. I'm at the hospital this morning being tested for gestational diabetes. I'm looking forward to getting home later and have a rest in the garden.

Queenrollo I'm sorry to hear you're struggling. Peri menopause can be so debilitating for women, particularly at a time of life when so many of us are juggling young families, stressful jobs, as well as having ageing parents to care for. Have you considered HRT? A few of my friends have starting taking it recently and say it's made a huge difference. I'm so pleased menopause is finally being discussed, it's crazy that something that has such an impact on half the planet was not talked about for so long.