Any Witches Here?- Part 17.

[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..
This is the 17th thread- anyone looking for a deep dive into juicy magical topics may like to browse previous threads.....

It is a long list!!

Part 1 //www.mumsnet.com/Talk/philosophy_religion_spirituality/3241689-Any-witches-here?pg=1
Part 2
//www.mumsnet.com/Talk/philosophy_religion_spirituality/3338025-Any-Witches-Here-Part-2?pg=1
Part 3
//www.mumsnet.com/Talk/philosophy_religion_spirituality/3366411-Any-Witches-Here-Part-3?pg=1
Part 4
//www.mumsnet.com/Talk/philosophy_religion_spirituality/3404406-Any-Witches-Here-Part-4-Edited-by-MNHQ?pg=1
Part5
//www.mumsnet.com/Talk/philosophy_religion_spirituality/3437092-Any-Witches-Here-Part-5?pg=1
Part 6 //www.mumsnet.com/Talk/philosophy_religion_spirituality/3482023-Any-Witches-Here-Part-6?pg=1
Part 7 //www.mumsnet.com/Talk/philosophy_religion_spirituality/3520269-Any-Witches-Here-Part-7?pg=1
Part 8 //www.mumsnet.com/Talk/philosophy_religion_spirituality/a3568622-Any-Witches-Here-Part-8?pg=1
Part 9 //www.mumsnet.com/Talk/philosophy_religion_spirituality/3637696-Any-Witches-Here-Part-9?pg=1
Part 10
//www.mumsnet.com/Talk/philosophy_religion_spirituality/3726266-Any-Witches-Here-Part-10
Part 11
//www.mumsnet.com/Talk/philosophy_religion_spirituality/3850635-Any-Witches-Here-Part-11
Part 12
//www.mumsnet.com/Talk/philosophy_religion_spirituality/3997761-Any-Witches-Here-Part-12
Part 13 //www.mumsnet.com/Talk/philosophy_religion_spirituality/4116107-Any-Witches-here-Part-13
Part 14www.mumsnet.com/Talk/philosophy_religion_spirituality/4213962-Any-Witches-Here-Part-14
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/philosophy_religion_spirituality/4328830-Any-Witches-Here-Part-15?msgid=113505801
www.mumsnet.com/talk/philosophy_religion_spirituality/4435233-Any-Witches-Here-Part-16?page=40&reply=118807589

Last night I put some Star Child meditation oil on my lava beads and boy they really help you drift! My biggest wish at the moment is our own home (we have a tiny flat, children share a room, no garden) and last night I saw a small house (bungalow I think) called “Harebell”. So today I am researching harebells.

It's so comforting to hear that there are other people who were raised in the Christian/ Catholic religion who are also feeling that 'call'. I feel I can't really speak about it elsewhere. I don't necessarily feel that I'm abandoning my faith or belief, just realise that I've naturally been opening my spirituality out to recognising and celebrating the energies of life forces and nature and - it's difficult to describe - a divine feminine energy.
I remember buying books on Wicca and a book of shadows about 20 yrs ago, but then hiding them and getting rid of them when parents came to stay because it would have lead to awkward conversations. So it's been with me a while.

I've bought a few more books over the last week, including some on Christo-pagan and Christian Wicca. I think I have always seen 'god' as a life force/energy and Jesus as another type of deity. But I can't get on with organised religion or the patriarchal nature of the Catholic Church - or the way it doesn't really use the existence natural world to celebrate 'God'.

I've also tried some online meditations online to see if a particular deity is calling to me (after reading up about people who work with deities/patrons), but it led to quite an odd experience and I'm not sure I'm the sort who would work with a 'deity' - I'm happy doing my own thing so far!

mothernaturesdaughter I am so glad you have joined the conversation. You are very welcome. This thread is open to all, the readers only, the once in a while, the regular posters. I love your username btw. Your homestead sounds amazing, do you live in a warm climate? No need to overshare, but would be lovely to get a sense of your place. When we live close to the earth our connection becomes even more powerful. You make a really important point about labelling, I also struggle with those ideas. So good to have you here this summer's evening.

HillsBesideTheSea sorry I missed your post about churches, and had just written a long reply which I lost.
I do too find churches very oppressive uncomfortable places.
Full of harm, fear, pain.
A few local churches near me were at the epicentre of the burning times.
Yes I do visit the places where my sisters lived- those that were tortured and murdered by the church. I spend a few moments, quiet thoughts, touch dwelling stones, whisper. Far more sacred than any church I have visited.

Hello all

I notice there's more mention of books - any recommendations would be most welcome.

What sort of area are you interested in?

Most of the easily available and usually recommended books are wiccan based which is fine if you are looking for a witchcraft path with a religious underpinning and a morality that is remarkably close to Christianity!

If you are looking more nature based then maybe something more Druidic?

Pure witchcraft?

Elphame something about paganism and/or what it means to be a practicing witch.

that church mentioned on the other thread - with a secret hatch - sounds fascinating!

I agree Elphame, in fact I would disregard any book that claims authority over the definition of a witch.
Books that seek to define or generalise witchcraft or paganism will be very subjective.
One of the reasons I am drawn to an eclectic spiritual path is the lack of rules, structure, allowing the individual to create, seek or follow a journey that is theirs alone.
Because that journey then ceases to be a personal one, no set of spiritual rules can accurately define.
And yes we all carry christian baggage, until we actively seek out and expose those nuances.
The idea of black/white magic is a a christian construct in my view, goes back to ideas of sin, retribution or punishment.
There are thousands of books on the subject of paganism /witchcraft and magic- I would hesitate to recommend any as the ultimate reference, read all books with a critical eye.No book is the ultimate "truth"-.
Read as much as you can, there are some fantastic books around, but the best books will not cover too much ground, they will be more specific in nature for a deep dive.
Follow your interests, whether that may be divination, colour magic, numerology, ancient deity, herbal work, astrology, art magic, spellwork tarot- or many more. We all have interests and leanings, choose a subject you find inspiring and jump down the worm hole.

Before you cast a spell by Carl McComan i found an interesting introduction to energy workings if you are that way inclined. Lots of things you can practise, but does go around in circles a little bit.

The Witch's path by Thorn Mooney - does cover beginner level, is a bit choose your own adventure with lots of different levels of exericses, She is wiccan but the book is not overtly wiccan - only a slight nod in certain sections which is not really detectible unless you know what you are looking for. Although she made an interesting point in an interview once that if you practise magic you will undoubtable have some wicca on you. (which relates back to the satanic panic era)

I notice Molly had a new video last night. It was a delightful walk through the different kinds of magical books, and was a refreshing change from those videos where the individuals magical practise and research is recorded in a wordy, weighted tome. As usual it was her own fun creative style.

Speakout is correct though. Most of my favourite books are specific. This is still one of my favourite books. Beautifully illustrated, touches on the folk lore of various plants, and the binding is lovely too with its guilding.

Botanical Curses and Poisons, the Shadow lives of plants

For a really broad overview, Paganism for Dummies isn’t bad.

For pure witchcraft, Paul Huson, Mastering Witchcraft is an oldie but a goodie. Most 101 books that are churned out are just variations on a theme, usually wiccish. Huson predates witchcraft becoming fashionable and is clear of all the new agey trappings.

Have a look at the Troy Books website. They have a lovely range of books on a huge range of different topics. It’s owned by Gemma Gary who has written some excellent book herself on traditional witchcraft, Cornish style. The authors there are specialists in their own subject so if something piques your interest you may find the rabbit hole you want to explore first.

Like Speakout and Hills, my purchases now are very niche and reflect the areas I’m exploring at the moment. Some of them are by occult authors, some not. I’m currently down a rabbit hole of Welsh mythology being tied to the constellations.

Thanks all for the information on books, much appreciated.

I classify myself as a naturalistic pagan - but have only recently labelled myself as thus after researching my feelings and beliefs to see whether they aligned with any form of paganism.

Need to do some more reading.

Some really interesting book suggestions here, I am smiling Elphame at your deep dive into Welsh Mythology/Astrology. I love finding connections like that too.
I love the way interests can ebb and flow- always something new to learn, I may take a deep dive into a particular deity, research some interesting planetary aspects that are current, read about religiion in ancient cultures or recipes to make incense.
Labelling ourselves is often innacurate and sometimes unhelpful. But it does give some indication of who we are and our interests, and help us communicate with others. I am a witch - with eclectic interests-, an atheist ( although not completely true) and a scientist ( which is true). At the moment I have just finished reading Where the Crawdads Sing, DD loves the book and wants to see the movie with me, but asked if I would read the book first. Which I did- no mention of magic or witchcraft there!
HillsBesideTheSea I saw Molly has a new video, I have watched a few seconds of it, but looks so juicy I am waiting for a quiet moment with tea so I can savour it.
Just off to wrap some gifts, my OH and mother have the same birthday- tomorrow- I am so greateful to be able to buy online, I find shopping, especially for gifts quite stressful, so I avoid as much as I can. Luckily OH loves shopping, including food shopping, which is helpful, but he does have a tendency to overspend. I gently remind him to check the fridge before he goes and make a list.
I hope everyone is having a magical weekend.

@Ellami I agree with seeing nature and life forces as a divine feminine energy. The Divine Femine is something I really connect to and I think it’s so important, especially as the feminine has been treated so badly over the years.

@speakout thank you😊. We actually live in the Scottish highlands, so very cold a lot of the time😂. It’s a tiny hamlet but we’re surrounded by mountains and our garden leads onto the water. I feel extremely lucky to live here, it’s something I couldn’t have dreamt of, I’m from an extremely working class background so a home like this is something I never expected. We have chickens, a rooster, 2 ducks, and grow lots of fruit and veg and herbs and I’m hoping soon to get a couple of goats for our milk. We also have 1 dog, 1 cat and 2 DC with another on the way this Sept, so it’s an absolute mad house😂.

Really loving the book suggestions, my reading is currently re-reading books around pregnancy and birth but I will keep all the suggestions in mind.

Hi everyone... I just read through this thread (not been on the forum long) and just wanted to say hello!
I was raised catholic, but was never particularly enthused with the idea of religion as such... but I do like to feel off of different energy/my intuition/inner voice/nature/gemstones/meditation ... my house is full of art that speaks to me, mostly paintings, carvings and natural pieces of stone and gemstones, (and a rather impressive herb collection for my kitchen!) So I'm not sure what I would call myself, if I had to call myself something, but feel like I'm more in tune with nature as a whole and would like to stop by for a chat if you're ok with that 🙂
Maybe discover a bit more by talking to you all 🙂

(And I'll start reading through the old threads! Really lovely to include those, so thank you!)

mothernaturesdaughter so wonderful to hear of your life, living close to nature and the earth. I can appreciate growing up in an "extremely working class" backround.
I grew up in a very large council sink- local authority owned homes,in the 60s and 70s.
Conditions were dire, lots of violence, domestic abuse, poverty, ill health due to very poor nutrition, and a large male population of miners. Men died early. Women suffered a lot.
As a child I lived in my family home with no phone, no fridge, no car, no washing machine, no central heating. Hot water was a luxury- once a week only.
surrounded by native woodland, and all the animal life hat comes with that.
Being a christian was a given, few questioned the idea of god, much like the idea that chillies are hot or ice cream is cold.
I now live in a house I own ( nearly), spacious, in a wonderful location, downsides too- small garden, poor bus service, but every single day I have a thought of how very fortunate I am.

"Elphame at your deep dive into Welsh Mythology/Astrology"

It's getting even more fun at the moment There is also a potential tie that maps the significant Welsh constellations with the mountain peaks on the ground. I'm surrounded by spreadsheets, large scale OS maps of Wales, lots of coloured pins and astronomy books, both conventional and those drawing on the Mabinogion!

Elphame how much fun! Sounds wonderful! You paint a wonderful scene.

@Elphame that sounds fascinating. There’s a book for you to write there, surely?

@Elphame That sounds like a fascinating study!!

I am currently plotting an adventure here www.alnwickgarden.com/the-garden/poison-garden/ it fills my need for medicinal and poisonous plants as a rewarding for completing this next round of professional exams. I long for the day when the professional exams are over and i can indulge my passions more deeply. I have a whole list of things i wish to delve down a worm hole to lose time researching. And that list keeps growing right now!

Raised a Catholic but I am now a witch.

Cant wait for the pagan/witch festival this September in Warwickshire. I went last year also and had a great time.

Oh that garden is the absolute top of my list of places to go when we're in Northumberland in September!

There was a book written by the old head gardener about the place but infuriatingly I can't remember his name or what the book was called....

I was lucky enough to visit the poison garden at Alnwick castle a few years back, when we were on a weekend away - it's fab! We had a great day exploring