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.

WrittenInGold a warm welcome. Many of us here are not witches or wiccans, and many of us are atheists too!
Take a cosy spot and draw in.

Thank you speakout!

Welcome WrittenInGold, lovely to have you join us

@speakout

I have been looking at Small country hotels in the highlands of scotland with rivers, moors and mountains, Imagining curling up in front of a log fire in an ancient library, completely alone for several days,

I have been having the very same thoughts. Sounds wonderful!

@speakout

WrittenInGold a warm welcome. Many of us here are not witches or wiccans, and many of us are atheists too! Take a cosy spot and draw in.

Thank you! I do have an interest in herbs and am reading some books, currently working on meditation to figure out where I'm going spiritually, looking forward to being here and reading what others are doing

Happy New Year to those that celebrate.
Not something that is meaningful to me personally but I know it is important to some.
WrittenInGold Seems like a common theme! Many of us are just worn out at this time of year, a calm respite is in order!
I had a relaxing evening last night drinking tea and drawing for some new grimoire/toolbooks I am making. I need more materials, and need some books for scrapbooking and cutting out images to layer, paste and illustrate in combination with my writing and own art. I have the most amazing old rambling second hand warehouse near me that does house clearances, the place is stuffed with everything you can imagine and prices are very low. A rabbit warren with lots of dimly lit book rooms, some quite tatty, some quite old with ripped covers or dog eared- art books, illustrated encyclopedias, occult books,nature books, astronomy, chldren's books, fiction, all subjects, and normally cost £1 for 10 books. So even the damaged or coverless ones will be treasures for my new projects. I look forward to them opening up again so I can go for a rummage.
Despite the fireworks my earplugs meant I was asleep before 10pm, so feeling quite rested.
I have told the family to leave me out of any meal today, I have a few shiny plump aubergines and will make myself Imam Bayildi today. Turkish style stuffed aubergines with garic, cinnamon, pine nuts and lots of other yummy things. In fact I will wrap the aubergines in foil soon and pop them in the oven quite soon so I can wrok with them later when they are cool.
Aubergines are one of my very favourite vegetables and I rarely cook them at home as everyone else dislikes them. But as part of dropping my baggage I have decided to cook and eat what I fancy today.
I let everyone know I would be cooking aubergines today and if that wasn't acceptable then that is fine. No one took me up on the offer ( thankfully) as I suspected, so OH has bought a large steak pie (tradiional in scotland at New Year), pre made mashed potatoes , a tub of pre made gravy and frozen veg. So not a lot of work for him- but I have bowed out of that one!!
Treat yourselves well today sisters.

Good morning. I was asleep by 10 as well, only waking briefly for 10 minutes when the fireworks woke me at midnight. I'm enjoying my morning coffee and considering a drive down to the coast today for a long walk with my dog. It looks like we might see some sunshine today after days of rain so I feel like I should make the most of it.

Speakout your project sounds exciting. I love a good rummage in a second hand shop, you can sometimes find some real treasures. It's always interesting looking at old books, magazines and comics. Your dinner sounds delicious, I like aubergines too and really should cook them more often. I tend to fall into a rut of cooking the same things all the time, just for speed more than anything.

I don't really celebrate New Year either. I've always felt January is the wrong time for it, if that doesn't sound too daft?! It feels strange to be celebrating the start of something new in the middle of a season. I also think the idea of New Years resolutions sets people up to fail. So many people start the year saying this will be the year they lose weight/ do more exercise/ stop drinking/ quit smoking, etc, and then when they don't manage it they feel as if they've failed and give up. New starts can happen at any time, it doesn't have to be January 1. Also, January is a tough month anyway; it's cold, it's dark, money is often tight after Christmas, to me it's a time for being kind to yourself and going within, not setting yourself insurmountable challenges and beating yourself up mentally when you don't achieve them.

VioletCharlotte wise words about new year resolutions. I agree the feels no different for me, Samhain or the Solstice is where I feel the changes most acutely.
The idea 1st of January being the start of a new phase is just some administrative construction, like the beginnnning of the tax year ( crap- a reminder to myself to get my tax return done soon), and has no significance to me.
I hope you enjoy your walk, is a blowing a gale outside with battering rain here, so unless it calms down later I think a day to snuggle in my nest with my books.

I’ve always felt out of step with New Year. An “administrative construction” sums it up brilliantly. But of course, a happy new year to those who do celebrate.

For myself, I feel after Christmas/solstice that my energy changes into something slower, lower, sleepier - a kind of going down deep in order to rise.

And it awakens again into the spring abundance around February. But my “new year” energy of desiring personal change and pushing through on it, comes around September when dc go back to school.

I can see that those fluctuations make sense because of societal constructs like Christmas and the school year but I’m lately fascinated at how they align to some extent with the solar calendar too.

I could no more start a diet or take up running today than I could fly.

Yes, I am still very much in an admin mindset. Something to work on for the coming year. New moon tomorrow an ideal time to set intentions and make plans 🌙

Good morning all, it's probably been a year or so since I last posted on these threads - I can't even say I've been lurking, but I've just had a quick catch up and it's great to see lots of familiar names still gathering around the fire!
I'm stepping into 2022 tentatively as 2021 was such a roller coaster (again). I've just been reflecting on the past year and there were some wonderful parts so I'm excited to see what this year has to bring.
I would like to focus more on my practise this coming year and be more consistent in being mindful as I find this slips as I take on more throughout the year. I really notice a difference in my stress levels when I let outside influences take over my mindset. I will, be checking in much more regularly to soak up the knowledge, wisdom and energy from you wonderful beings! Sending love and light, especially to those who are finding it difficult in the darkness of winter.

See i don't think there is anything inherritantly bad about New Years resolutions. Only that capitailism pushes them so that we don't actually understand what they are, so most people approach them in a manner where they can only fail. There is also a miss understanding about goals vs systems. And most people will set the goal but never understand that there needs to be a system built on habit to get you to that goal. And that big goals will often needed to be broken down into smaller goals. And those smaller goals are where the system and habits can be most clear.

I like the feeling of a nice new year. And love a nice new journal. But i also known that 6mnths and I will want another nice new journal. I have a stationery problem and get bored. Which was always a problem until i found the bullet journal system. I get my nice shiny new book each 6mths but I also keep up with the planning/organisational thing. However, like many of you I am very much a solstice girl. The energy shifts at that time and I have already been working on my habits to allow me to achieve my goals.

Speakout your cauldron is perfect. I love the sound of your art work and your food sounds devine. Unfortuntantly auberguine is a nightshade so not for me. But I hope that you are truely able to just sit and enjoy it later.

hilarious i suspect there is always going to be degrees of success, simply because you can't control people - only guide them. And they can be a bit focused on their own situation and not take into account anything else. But as long as we try and succeed some of the time eventually we will succeed more of the time.

BettyfromBristol have you worked out what you are growing in your garden yet? I need to sit with my seed packets later and work out my planting schedule. And it will be the perfect time as i plan to get some indoor cut and come again salad planting down whilst i have the seeds out. I know that my herb garden is something i really want to expand this year. I have the seeds but getting them in the ground at the right time was tricky last year.

Welcome to the newbies, nice to see you to returning faces.

I think blanktimes posted one of these last week, short farweell to 2021. Although I am not a New Year fan, these touch the heart ( plus I am scottish!)

@speakout

That place sounds amazing. And scrap booking sounds like an interesting hobby. Do you make vision boards or similar? We have a bookshop near here with a huge £1 second hand book section, it is brilliant. I used to volunteer there and spent ages 'sorting' the book basement. I have made myself a stack of books to read; magical and ritual use of herbs, some aromatherapy books, some about food as medicine, and my almanac.

I don't really celebrate the new year but I did light a black candle and burn some sage (was also trying to release some negative energy from our home as we have some big challenges we are trying to overcome), if anything it felt like a natural end to a period of feasting from solstice on! (We also celebrate Christmas for the children).

I am bayaldi sounds delicious and I hope you enjoy it. Since pregnancy I have felt that intuitive eating is quite important and can tell you a lot, perhaps there is something in the aubergine that your body needs?

It is very interesting that many of us are starting some admin. @HillsBesideTheSea I hope you find a lovely new notebook! There is something very fertile and luxurious about a new, blank book!

Bringing a big pot of sorrel and ginger tea and some lemon, berry and poppy seed muffins for anyone who fancies!

WrittenInGold my lovely new notebook was started after solstic and was set up with all the new year spread my little heart felt my head needed, and January has also been done with a scrap booky style. All i had to do this morning was open it. It has been making me smile over the week that I have been working on it. Only thing left is to finish writing in my intentions for the year and actually do my annual draw. I have been procrastinating on it.

That tea and those muffins sound lovely!

Speakout those displays are fun to watch. our village christmas fate normally has fireworks, but due to the high wind they were cancelled. They let the display off last night. Twas loud but short (half hour ish). Unfortunately we are under a flight path so drones here are very problematic

WrittenInGold I don't journal, no and the books I have started creating are intended to be emotional and spiritual toolkits- with some emergency sections when things are really bad, more of a very personal self help guide really, with strategies and affirmations to help me through hard times- of which I seem to have a great deal of lately!
I do keep a grimoire too, but that is mostly for practical magic stuff, spells, potions, astrological workings, tables of correspondences recipes for elixers etc.
Journalling seems too much like homework to me, and pouring out all my negative feelings onto paper is not something that would help me, nor something I would want to go back to read.
I am not a goal setter or into bullet type stuff. I set daily emotional intentions during my morning yoga or meditation , but these fluctuate a lot, so an intention set one day may not be helpful to me in a week's time.
I also don't like to plan too much, I have a mercurial nature, setting myself up for daily weekly or yearly targets would doom me to failure, I like to take the scenic route.
Having said that I am a very driven person, I run my own small business, I attend a yoga or gym class every day, always enjoy being on the go. Motivation to work comes very easily to me, but I like to keep most of it in my head, that way plans and pieces can easily be shuffled at the drop of a hat and I don't feel I have missed some written target. That would seem constraining to me.
I know many people keep journals for lots of different reasons, health, weight loss, exercise, work, financial, mood tracking, emotion dumps. I understand they are a great thing for many - but not for me.

We did have some fireworks early, but most neighbours used silent fireworks this year. We have a lot of wildlife and farm animals around, so good to see more people are becoming sensitive to this.

@speakout I like the sound of a spiritual toolkit. And yes I can see way journaling could feel like homework! I use a journal occasionally for trauma processing, but also for poetry (which I suppose is another kind of processing!) I am a planner but that may actually be my way of attempting to control the world around me rather than work with what the world has in store for me each day... something I am working to change.

I have made toolkits for difficult times with candles that I've made with specific herbs in, and oils, and affirmations. I have a big black scrapbook I've never used, I may take your lead and try something similar to what you're describing. To look over when I need it. I'm still learning what works best for me, I think! Today I am also going to make myself a proper seasonal alter as I need a bigger, proper space to focus my energy.

WrittenInGold I love the sound of your toolkits too!!
Good to have things on hand when times are tough- even if it is just a candle to light or a bra crystal.
It has been a wild and stormy night, real rain batterring off the windows and howling gales.
I am enjoying my time of sovereignty, nodding towards the kitchen if anyone looks hungry. I have read, watched so much netflix, my face is as sot as a baby's bum with all the treatments.
Today I will be delivering lunch boxes to relatives.
OHs family usually come over around just after christmas, but we cancelled because of covid, so like last year OH has made a buffet in a box for them, platters of food home made pickles, baked ham, cheeses, salads,breads etc and we will deliver to the doorstep.
My DD has been working 3 x 12 hour shifts in the past 3 days, missed New year, so will be taking her and her flatmate a buffet box too, with some on my stuffed aubergines ( which were lovely) as flatmate is vegan. Oh has done all of the cooking and shopping, but lacks a little artistic flair, so I will pack the boxes to make them look a litttle more appealing! MIL, SIL and my DD all live within a mile of each other, so I will take in DDs box while OH drives on to deliver a box to his family. Will give me a little time to see DD, but she really just wants to rest today, and her flatmate ( who is also her best friend) also has the day off. So not too much work for me apart from packing boxes, then home for another day of doing very little and no cooking.

WrittenInGold I am always up for some altar talk too. Just getting ready to pop out for a few litte bits for the boxes, and want to get there before shops get too busy. I look forward to catching up on that one later!

I will be taking down my Soltice alter today. I really enjoyed making and having it throughout the Yule period. Even used it as a table centre piece on Christmas Day.

Looking forward now to Imbolc and will be borrowing speakout's idea of bringing some (of next door's) forsythia indoors in a couple of weeks.

Enjoy your visits today, speakout, the food boxes sound delicious.

I have a mini altar but tend to keep the same things on it. I would love to change it up a bit in line with the seasons / my intentions and would be interested to hear suggestions if any of you are willing to share?

I am very new to this littleninja and my Solstice altar was the first I built purposefully. However, I now realise I have other little 'altars' all over the house, made up of things that have meaning to me, have spoken to me or are of the season. I still have mini gourds on the mantle piece from Halloween, which I now know to be Samhain.

I'm sure others will be along to advise, but I don't think there are any rules and everyone's will be individual and personal to themselves. Have fun.

I’m not sure if I can really class this as an altar but I use the side board of my kitchen dresser as a focal space for the energy of my home. I don’t think anyone would look twice at it, or see it as anything but decorative, but each of the objects, plants, candles, are significant. And there are secret things hidden in plain sight - blessings carved into candles, ashes sprinkled.

On the surface of it, it’s just as simple as seasonal decoration with sentimental items but I’ve spent a lot of my life burying my own awareness. I’m getting older now and taking less guff, including from myself. So, I take back my first sentence! And recognise that I’ve actually had an altar for a while now.

Swanhilde

One and only rule.

1. There are no rules.

Like others I probably have mini type altars all over the house- meaningful objects, special candles and stones.
I do have a permanent altar in my bedroom, it is forever growing and changing, I don't use it as a season marker, just all the things that are magical and meaningful to me. Picture of a wolf and woman ( thanks dear friend) framed as a backdrop, small item, carvings, my favourite stones, crystals, pieces of bark and stones from sacred places, bottles of soil from distant lands, images and candles.
All this stuff is very personal to me and we do have a lot of fundamental christian visitors to my home who have curious ( and suspicious) minds who would think nothing of poking around and picking up things from my altar.
I don't want that type of energy anywhere near my precious things.
So firmly out of sight from visitors and strangers.

Yes will be time for the forsythia soon, I think I used pussy willow last year, and have used hawthorn, anything with a bud will burst forth in a warm light kitchen in tme for imbolc, and doubly satisfying that it will grow roots too especially if you add a little honey or sugar to the water- then you can plant in your own garden, Swanhilde you may be harvesting forsythia from your own garden next year!

I’ve just been catching up, I feel much like many of you, spent.

Since the summer I seem to have near back to back colds and I’m just laid up in bed exhausted with yet another. I heard about the book “the body keeps the score” and I’m feeling, like many of you do too, that I need to get better at boundaries and saying no.

My head is all over the place at the moment. I have so many projects and plans, but not enough focus or time to progress any of them. But to pick just a few feels like a loss. Silly really.