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.

@moregarlic really enjoying my almanac by Lia Leendertz. Which one do you have?

Good morning everyone. Just popping in to say hello as I’ve not had time to contribute much but I have been having a quick read through when I can.
Very cold here and the snow has just started to fall as I got out of bed. Looks enchanting.
I’m ruthlessly decluttering too at the moment ready for our house move. This house has lots of built in and hidden storage whereas the new one doesn’t so we will need to decrease our possessions . Thankfully I’ve always been quite minimalist so it’s not as big a job as it could be and I’m enjoying it. We will be taking only the essentials to the new house and storing a few things until the house is done up. It’s going to be somewhat of a building site for a while. I have a feeling that we will find that we really don’t need some of the stored
Stuff and end up donating it. I’m a great believer in travelling light. We really don’t need much ‘stuff’ to be happy.
My Health slows me down a bit though, I’ve had to take regular breaks. I suffer from chronic silent migraine. So , rather than the classic severe headache, I get the neurological symptoms such as tingling , dizziness , Vision changes , fatigue and head pressure .I’m somewhat used to it now but at the moment I also have an infected (huge) cyst on my head and swollen glands which doesn’t seem to be clearing up 🙄 so , another call to the doctor this morning I think.
My word for the cauldron is ‘bravery’
Have a blessed day sisters.

Oh, gosh, @Elasticatedwaist, really hope that clears up for you soon, do take good care of yourself

Thanks for the well wishes for DS, the sanctuary actually called him a couple of days ago to say scrap the trial, he can start properly next Thursday! He's excited but a little overwhelmed, but I'm sure he'll settle in quickly.

Very, very cold here again, but no snow - we very rarely get it here, being on the coast, and when we do it is so very special!
Well, a quick chamomile tea, then I shall whizz round my home, cleaning and clearing and making space for a relaxing weekend (I hop!) Blessings, sisters!

I'm taking some me time, I've been for a walk around the park this morning. Now I'm sitting in a coffee shop enjoying a chai latte. My best from my high school lives round the corner so I messaged her on a whim to see if she wanted to join me. Amazingly she had booked the day off and she is on her way to join me. I know my spirits will be lifted when we are giggling like teenagers again!

Hi all, just dropping in to read some of your thoughts and activities.
I'm retired now, so I have decided that my life will be sloth, hedonism and magic from now on!
So enjoyed reading what is going on, people's thoughts and hearing the amazing music. Love and strength to all who need it to get through…
I woke up to a dusting of snow and am so thankful for hot drinks and heated throws… not to mention my 4 faux fur throws and sheepskin that I have on top of the bed in cold weather in this old house.
My old man calls it Boudicca's Bed and says he regards it as one of the signs of winter!
However, a group of us are braving the elements for our open Wassail shortly. We have a new place that some wonderful pagan friendly people host, a young wood, with a lake and space for a huge circle and balefire. It is organised by my friend, a brilliant powerhouse of a witch.
Wassail! 🍻

Elasticatedwaist I hope you are feeling better soon.
AnotherCrazyBirdLady great news about your DS and his new job- things moving fast- very exciting for him- and you!
Giggorata loving the sound of your Wassail.

Just taking a breather here, a roller coaster of a week, changes, lots of good ones, and working probably too hard. Just hit a slump, and having a 4pm strong coffee to find the energy to make dinner. I enjoy coffee, but usually no later than lunchtime, it d=feels so tempting to stay on the sofa now until bedtime, but little chance of that!
I 'm feeling quite physicaly tired so may give my usual Saturday morning body pump class a miss, I can do one of Adriene's new onlne videos too, and that will save me a lot of time having to travel to the gym.
It was stunning morning again today, I drove back from yoga under a sunrise of fire, a new moon, and Venus shimmering like a diamond. I could see snow on the hills and mist over the sea, I drove through country roads through wodlan, so much beauty all in one place. Quite overwhelming.
I think a facial and an early night is called for this evening.

@queenrollo I totally agree that the energy here is so nurturing and soothing. I definitely took much more than I gave last year, so I aim to be a better source this year! How're you doing after your emotionally tumultuous time of late?

@VioletCharlotte The sudden temp drop was quite remarkable wasn't it? I must admit to being quite pleased though, it didn't really feel like 'proper' winter. Though I find that Jan and Feb are often the coldest months in my experience. I love your shift towards a more relaxing start now you can (despite the doggy alarm clock).

@AnotherCrazyBirdLady that is really interesting that a simple shift in mindset has altered how you feel about cleaning. I really need to give this a go. Can you tell me how you clean your glass and mirrors? Mine always end up smeary and looking worse after than before! Fabulous news about your son and the fact he doesn't even need a trial. Nerves are normal, but it sounds like a wonderful fit for him.

@Aerwyna I'm sorry you had a tough 2020 too, it's been a hell of a few years hasn't it? I think a lot of people feel quite battered and bruised after it. I have made the conscious decision to stop being so angry recently, and I've definitely felt something shift in me. I find anger is fine (useful, even) in short bursts, and if it's used productively, but mine was just festering. I'm pleased to hear you are feeling more hopeful about the future too, it's a much nice place to land isn't it?

@speakout I could do with some of your ruthless decluttering energy, I need to go through everything! DH is much more pragmatic and has already started. Tbf, it's not that bad, we only moved in four years ago. But it's amazing the 'stuff' that accumulates when you're not actively dealing with it. I too cannot handle afternoon coffees - I had one with a friend yesterday and it took ages to unwind before bed (I was up until 11pm reading)!

@WrittenInGold the same one as you! It's fabulous isn't it? Do you know she does a monthly accompanying podcast too? It's a lovely, relaxing listen and I don't mind that it's so similar to the almanac. It's all new to me, so it's a pleasure to hear about these things twice.

@Elasticatedwaist I'm sorry to hear of your chronic silent migraine, that sounds so challenging to live with. I really hope your doctor can help, and I think your word of the year choice is inspiring.

@TotoAnnihiliation a chai latte with your best friend sounds like utter bliss. I hope you had a blast.

Wishing you all a restorative, magical weekend x

Giggorata lovely to see you again. The Wassail sounds fabulous! I've not heard the word before so had a quick google. Hope you have an amazing time.

Toto really glad you're enjoying some much-deserved 'me time'. There's nothing like a good catch up with your best friend to lift your spirits.

AnotherCrazyBirdLady great news about your DS, I've been wondering how he got on. I'm so pleased for him. My DS has just been offered a new job too. I've been worried about him the last couple of weeks, so feeling very relieved now.

Elasticatedwaist so sorry you're not feeling well. I hope you've been able to get some rest today, I'll send you some healing this evening through our 8pm candle connection. I need to have a good declutter in my house too. Like you, I'm feeling minimalist, but cupboards and drawers still seem to fill themselves! Do you have a date for your move?

Speakout your description of your drive this morning was wonderful to read, I could just picture the scene, absolutely beautiful. I'm having a break from Body Pump this week too. I've had some pain in my left knee recently which seems to be aggravated by squats so I need to rest it. I'll go to the gym anyway but do my own thing. I like to listen to podcasts or audio books while I'm on the treadmill, the time flies by!

It's been so cold today, it was a real effort to force myself out of the house to walk the dog. We had a bit of snow this evening, but it was very wet so didn't amount to much. I'm grateful to be indoors this evening with the fire on, candles lit and warm throws to snuggle under.

Stay warm sisters 🔥❤️

VioletCharlotte sounds a perfect evening.
I am in snuggle down mode too, just dropped Ds off at a friend's house and having some Pukka Night time tea.
Facial then an early night, Adriene yoga tomorrow morning at home on youtube, which means I wil have extra time to catch up with work and maybe get to my charity warehouse to look for books with the time I have saved.
It has been an emotional week for me, a time of great turning, family challenges which have jolted and moved- in a good way, but some unexpected and unpredicted stuff which is taking time to process and left me very tired trying to work it all out in my head.
Even when thigs are tough in life we naturally look for some stability and predictaility which feels reassuring- a meta-stable state,. But big upheavals even which seem positive can leave us in a slightly floundering position. Until we find our new sea legs anyway!

I hope you’re all having a lovely weekend? Wild, stormy weather in the south west earlier, now I spy pockets of cheering blue sky.

Could I ask for some advice?

My body keeps going wrong in very minor but frequent ways. E.g. I’m not exaggerating when I say I have had eight separate colds/bugs this winter. Today is the first day we’ve had free as a family in a long time, and I’m currently in bed getting over a migraine.

I’m really tired of it, but I don’t know how to improve things. I do all the obvious stuff e.g. I get 8 hours most nights, eat a balanced diet, walk the dog and have started back at the gym, take vitamin d etc.

I keep thinking of the book When The Body Says No and I feel like I’m doing something wrong, but I don’t know what. I have just been speaking a dear friend and they said they don’t think I get enough downtime and I welled up, maybe they’re on to something.

Have any of you experienced this sort of thing? I don’t want to make a fuss as it’s not like I’m seriously ill, but feeling frequently rundown and off kilter is starting to wear me down and if anyone has any advice, I’m all ears.

@moregarlic

I hope you’re all having a lovely weekend? Wild, stormy weather in the south west earlier, now I spy pockets of cheering blue sky.

Could I ask for some advice?

My body keeps going wrong in very minor but frequent ways. E.g. I’m not exaggerating when I say I have had eight separate colds/bugs this winter. Today is the first day we’ve had free as a family in a long time, and I’m currently in bed getting over a migraine.

I’m really tired of it, but I don’t know how to improve things. I do all the obvious stuff e.g. I get 8 hours most nights, eat a balanced diet, walk the dog and have started back at the gym, take vitamin d etc.

I keep thinking of the book When The Body Says No and I feel like I’m doing something wrong, but I don’t know what. I have just been speaking a dear friend and they said they don’t think I get enough downtime and I welled up, maybe they’re on to something.

Have any of you experienced this sort of thing? I don’t want to make a fuss as it’s not like I’m seriously ill, but feeling frequently rundown and off kilter is starting to wear me down and if anyone has any advice, I’m all ears.

Hi @moregarlic, I would go to your gp for some blood tests. You might be deficient in a few vitamins. I'm no medical expert but it's best to rule out anything that can be overcome with a simple cause of medication. I, like you, felt like I was falling apart, it turns out my vitamin D levels had crashed through the floor. I hope you feel better soon.

moregarlic I agree with "toto", it may be worth having some blood tests, could be iron levels, thyroid, and number of things. Are you near menopause?
Are you under a lot of stress?I know that if I am holding too much emotionally and finding life challenging then I am very prone to sore throats, back ache. It's the body's way of letting you know you are carrying too much.
Very cold and stormy here too, DD has just had a large home cooked meal and resting in bed before she sets off soon for a nightshift at work.
I take a vitamin D spray all year round, I think it helps ward off infection and seems to raise my mood during the winter months.
An evening of blanket snuggling for me.

@TotoAnnihiliation thanks and I’m glad to hear your vitamin d issue resolved, that must’ve felt rotten. I have this weird thing about not wasting their time as it’s not THAT bad. Plus I went a year ago when I had a load of random symptoms (ended up getting an MRI of my brain, but all good) and all my bloods done. I feel like I’m using more than my fair share. I realise writing that out how ridiculous that is.

@speakout It’s unlikely, I’m early 30s. I had my daughter 2 years ago and in many ways it’s been one thing after another after that. There’s been quite a bit of stress in that time too, I’ve experienced grief for the first time after losing someone very close to me, another relative has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and my dog is terminally ill. I do feel like my worlds been shaken around considerably. It makes sense about your body communicating with you through sore throats and bad backs, I think I’ve historically been a poor listener.

A home cooked meal and an evening of blanket snuggles sounds like perfection. I will look into the oral vitamin d spray too, I keep hearing about how good it is.

@moregarlic don't feel like that! It's best to get yourself checked and a potential treatment sorted for something minor, rather than later on ending up with a more extensive treatment.

You poor thing, you have been through the mill! No wonder you feel like you are falling apart. Do you have friends in real life that you can off load to? I really do feel for you.

Start a little action plan, book an appointment with your gp, then schedule in some time to be kind to yourself. Run a nice long bath and read a book that you have enjoyed before.

Moregarlic I'm sorry you've been feeling so unwell and rundown, sounds awful. I echo what others have said about getting some blood tests done. I know you said you had them done about a year ago, but it's worth checking them again. My DS has been through similar, one illness after another, followed by a really nasty bout of tonsillitis. His bloods showed his vitamin D and B12 levels are low. Also, what is considered an acceptable level of B12 and vitamin D in this country is much lower than other countries so ask for a copy of your blood results. If you're at the lower end of the 'normal' parameters, it could well be that you need a boost.

Stress absolutely plays itself out in physical symptoms. Having a small child is incredibly tiring, are you working as well? It sounds like you're exhausted and in need of a break.

We've had wild, witchy weather here today. I threw the windows open this morning and let the wind give the house a good airing while I was cleaning. I spent the afternoon drinking fruit tea with a good friend, putting the world to rights and making plans for the summer. It's nice to have something to look forward to.

I hope you're all indoors, warm and cosy tonight 🧙🔥

You can have a physical response to emotional trauma. it is not unusual. Stress and emotional trauma can suppress the immune system. But I agree with the others, it is always best to rule out the medical stuff first.

Odd kind of day here, but my book order can in so I have some nice new "witchy" books to delve into.

@TotoAnnihiliation thank you, you’ve spurred me on, I will contact the GP next week about it and arrange some tests. I do have friends, plus close family and a very supportive DH, I’m just not very good at being the one that offloads on them / asks for help. I love your other suggestions too, I’ve just put in an order for some library books. I’ve been reading lots lately, but non fiction. I’m looking forward to escaping in to another world!

@VioletCharlotte ahh yes I remember your post about your DS - how’s he doing now? On the mend I hope. It’s a very good point about our levels of normal being lower, I’ll try and get the actual numbers. I do work a couple of days a week, and the odd evening too. I’m self employed so it’s not set in stone and I can easily agree to take on too much. I think I am not honest with myself about how tiring having a toddler is too. Your evening sounds lovely, I don’t know about you but having things to look forward to makes me feel more optimistic and sunny about the future in general. It’s all too easy to get stuck on a treadmill of work/chores/admin and I think after the weird last few years “planning for the future” is a skill lots of us are having to relearn. (Well, at least I am!)

@HillsBesideTheSea which books have you ordered? Yes I think that’ll be my plan, gp to rule anything else, otherwise focus on de-stressing. Quite how I manage the latter I’m not sure yet, but baby steps!

Thanks so much for all your support tonight, it’s made a world of difference and I so appreciate it.

Seventy eight degrees of wisdom - Rachel Pollack
The witches' shield - christopher penzack
The witch's path -thorn moony
The triumph of the moon - Ronald hutton

I really like Thorn's youtube channel. She has a very grounded, thought provoking, big picture view on things. And I am finding that the book takes a similar approach. Hutton's book is very much the academic work that I understood it to be. Complete with size 8 font. Tbf it would be a mighty tome if it was size 10/12 font.

In terms of things that can be done - basic well rounded nutritional diet with reducing sugar is often a good place to start. Although if you are anything like me - when you are stressed the wish to cook and eat the healthy food and not the chocolate/caffiene etc can be really hard. But mostly I would recommend giving yourself the grace to process all that is needed to be processed. I am sorry you have had such a tough time.

moregarlic I am glad you are thinking of ways to help you feel better. I agree with toto- take all the help and support you can get. Having a toddler is exhausting, just keeping them fed, clean, healthy, amused is a full time job. And they are very messy creatures, in their pursuit and exploration they can trash a house more easily than a dozen drunk teenagers.
Whatever challenging position we may be in support wlays helps. I am awaiting a block of counselling ( free through a local charity) and also have had grant money for yoga classes and beauty treatments.
I have a woman's empowerment course coming up soon, again paid for by various sources, but not me.
I am careful what eat, I take supplements, multivits, collagen, vitamin D and K2 and I go to bed at 9pm every night.
Have to say I am not a planner.
Life has thrown me a lot of curved balls, and no amount of planning would have helped. The bad situations were sometimes caused in part by choices that I made, but I was trying to make the best of life as I could at the time, so in no way"blame" myself for bad things that happened. A lot was not of my making, like bereavement and the pain and illness of others.
Having done a lot of shadow work, learned to understand and work through baggage, motherwounds, both personally and with professional counselling I feel in a much more grounded place, with my self firmly at the helm of my own life. There will be storms, but I feel resilient, I have weathered the before and I know I can again,

moregarlic I can only agree with the wonderful advice you have had from others.
Particularly with blood results, I now always request a print out as previously my GP has said they were normal when my iron was literally 3 points above the bottom end of the NHS range. I know that for me my body cannot function at that level. I need to be well above mid-range to feel well.
Likewise, VitD. I was even on a supplement and my levels came back in the advisory range. I switched to the DLux VitD with added K2 and it's made a big difference.

I had an awful time when my youngest son was born, the stress was inescapable and my immune system was collapsing. I got every bug going - having previously had a cast iron constituion and rarely ill. I knew I was in trouble when I started getting urticaria daily and with no obvious trigger.
I'm afraid my GP was not much use, in the end it was a medical herbalist who put me on the path to healing. I also had to make some very hard decisions about life choices and sacrifice principles, but my personal circumstances were a little extreme if I am honest.

It's such a wet and miserable weekend here with the weather and it affects the household mood. I really struggle to find momentum to do anything! My DH did take all the Christmas decs back to storage yesterday though, so I need to cleanse the house to remove the lingering energy from them. Probably tomorrow when I have the house to myself and go 'full witch'!

I've been thinking about you Moregarlic and about how tough it is to have a two year old. As your children get older and you reach the next stage, the memories of exactly how hard it was to have babies and small children fade. With each stage comes a new set of challenges, but I don't think that any other stage is quite so physically and mentally demanding as having a toddler. I look back now with rose tinted glasses and think about how cute they were, but when I really think about it, I remember being exhausted from the constant demands on my time and energy. And mothers are just expected to get on with it, whereas actually I think you deserve a round of applause (and a large gin!) for just getting through the day, keeping them alive and not having a complete breakdown!

There's also the fact that you brought your child into the world during a pandemic, when everything was closed and most of the normal support channels (baby groups, etc) were open. I don't think e can underestimate the toll the last two years will have taken on us all.

So do go easy on yourself and find ways of carving out some time for yourself for self care, gentle exercise. Sending a bundle of restorative, healing energy your way.

Superquick flying visit again...

As well as all the excellent advice on here for general health with wellness practice and vitamins, please don't forget about your gut health.

I try to vary the microbes by eating Kefir, Sauerkraut, Kimchi and Barley Miso, at least one portion of those, NOT one of each a day and vary which source.
It takes a little time to find the 'proper' active versions, rather than just the condiment type, but once you have, you'll be hopefully much healthier. Next step is making your own organic fermented foods

Another thing I was reading stated that oral hygiene was very important for good general health, particularly inter-dental hygiene.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20002297.2017.1332710
Abstract
" Increasing evidence has suggested an independent association between periodontitis and a range of comorbidities, for example cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, psoriasis, and respiratory infections. Shared inflammatory pathways are likely to contribute to this association, but distinct causal mechanisms remain to be defined. Some of these comorbid conditions may improve by periodontal treatment, and a bidirectional relationship may exist, where, for example, treatment of diabetes can improve periodontal status. The present article presents an overview of the evidence linking periodontitis with selected systemic diseases and calls for increased cooperation between dentists and medical doctors to provide optimal screening, treatment, and prevention of both periodontitis and its comorbidities. "

Have a magical (and healthier!) day everyone

Blanktimes i have a particularly lovely fermentated carrots with ginger recipe.
For those considering adding the fermented foods, consider making your own. It is actually pretty easy, you just need time. But i find that i am more likely to enjoy something I have make then something I have bought. Although the texture of things like saukraut/fermentate carrots etc can take some adjustment. Don't even need a lot/per day. Just a little bit.

I should probably set up a round of fremented carrots, i have both carrots and ginger that needs eating up. Thanks for the reminder blanktimes!