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Philosophy/religion

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Any Witches Here?- Part 17.

1000 replies

speakout · 26/07/2022 16:37

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

OP posts:
Thread gallery
69
WiccanWonderer · 15/12/2022 18:30

667 hello 👋
I love your user name by the way, it made me chortle!

speakout · 15/12/2022 18:33

dementedma could you pm me a link for the demonstration please?

OP posts:
speakout · 15/12/2022 18:40

WiccanWonderer a warm welcome - glad you have joined us.
Pull up a comfy chair and warm yourself by the fire.

I am keeping warm tonight- we have had a full week of minus temperatures, not once popping above zero.
I layer up like Nanuk when I go outside.
I tried the viral car defrosting hack with a bag full of warm water- it works a treat!
Will be a test tomorrow morning as I have to leave at 6.45am and drive to a yoga class. I have my yoga mat propped against the radiator, sitting on an ice cold mat is unpleasant!

OP posts:
MarieIVanArkleStinks · 15/12/2022 20:42

Hi @WiccanWonderer! I arrived at pretty much the same time as Neighbour - such a great, welcoming thread.

@dementedma that's fantastic to hear. Had I been nearer to Scotland I'd be joining you!

dementedma · 15/12/2022 21:18

@speakout i will try and find one. There is a vigil on evening of 20th and then a demo on 21st from 1-2 pm

speakout · 16/12/2022 19:04

Thankyou dementedma I found the details for the demo and vigil.
I am settling down with tea, a long cardi and a cat this evening. I did a little shopping this morning, then spent a good while in my bedroom-( my secret little fan heater up to max) pulling tarot and oracle cards, reading, stretching, musing and sky watching.
I have lit a candle tonight for my sisters here to send healing , ease and support. X

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VioletCharlotte · 16/12/2022 19:49

@dementedma @speakout sending solidarity. Can't be with you as I live in the south east of England, but will be there with you in spirit. Like others, for me spirituality and feminism are entwined. It's time for us women to rise up.

@WiccanWonderer lovely to have you with us, you're very welcome ☺️

@takemetomars and @Elasticatedwaist I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your loved ones. It's always hard, but it just seems worse at this time of year. Sending you both a heap of warm and loving energy.

@barefootnomadmam thank you for the boat picture. Your lifestyle sounds idyllic. Did you grow up on a boat yourself? If not, I wondered what made you decide to go for it? It's the sort of thing I always dream about doing but then find so many reasons why not to! It must be wonderful to be so close to nature and free to go wherever you fancy. Do you think you'll always live on the boat? Sorry, loads of questions, I know! Alternative lifestyles always fascinate me 😁

So, so cold here again, but bright and the sun shining on the ice and frost looks so pretty. I've had today off so was able to do a daytime Pilates class (which always feels like a luxury!) and wrapped up some presents this afternoon. I am so ready for the Christmas break!

dementedma · 16/12/2022 20:06

Thank you to Violet and others for support and Im conscious of not derailing this lovely thread with feminist rants. But women were burnt as witches for the knowledge and practices the lovely people on this thread have and do...and Scotland was at the forefront of that too!
We must use the power of the sisterhood to fight for our place. Again. I am attempting to knit a scarf for next week!!!

Any Witches Here?- Part 17.
EmmaAgain22 · 16/12/2022 20:26

demented love the scarf.

speakout I meant to spend time on tarot but the week got away from me....next opportunity is Tuesday. I have never used oracle cards, must look into that.

barefootnomadmam · 16/12/2022 22:31

Evening sisters I hope you’re all well. I hope you don’t mind but since announcing Malachi’s birth and including his name its felt weird calling my daughter just ‘DD’, so for future reference if I refer to Sylvia that’s my daughter😂. I know it’s not the done thing on mumsnet to be so outing but it’s easier for me!.

@speakout I also feel that my spirituality and feminism are intwined. Especially as I’ve learned more about the burning times, I feel like there’s so much healing that women as a whole need to come to terms with what we have been through. I’m glad you enjoyed the picture, it is my favourite thing about boat life, having a constantly changing view. Your day out sounds so wonderful.

@MarieIVanArkleStinks thank you for the link, I will have a read through tonight whilst I’m nursing. I will give the book you recommend a read. I might put it on my Christmas list.

@WiccanWonderer welcome! Love the name

@VioletCharlotte thank you for your kind words about the boat. Don’t worry about the questions! I’m happy to answer any that people may have. I didn’t grow up on a boat but I lived in a caravan for the first 10 years of my life and when we moved to a house I always yearned to be back to living alternatively. We got into boating by accident really, I was walking down the canal with DH (then boyfriend) and we just loved how cosy it looked. We didn’t think anything more until we got engaged and decided we wanted to move out of uni accommodation and the only thing we could really afford was a flat in a bad area, or a boat. So we got our boat and have been with her ever since. Before buying her we got talking to other boaters and realised what a nice community it is so that definitely gave us the encouragement to move. We also have a Campervan that we spend a lot of the summer in going to festivals. I think we’ll live on the boat for a long time, the only reason I’d move is if we got land somewhere, but even then it would have to be somewhere really special and ideally still by water. But I don’t think that will be until we’re at retirement age, and even then I can’t ever imagine leaving this community or the canals. It’s such a beautiful way of life. Another big reason we went for it is my grandad, he’s always been a bit of a hippie but ditched that to settle down and have kids and has always had a bit of regret, and he really encouraged us to go for it, he loves visiting us bless him.

We’re planning Malachi’s naming ceremony, where we will bury his placenta and place it back with the Earth. I’m really excited as it feels like we will be truly welcoming him into our family and this world. I’m hoping to do it some point before Christmas when the ice thaws.

WiccanWonderer · 17/12/2022 17:20

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. Please could I ask a newbie question? To what extent do you follow established paths (rituals etc) and how much do you do instinctively because it just comes naturally to you?

speakout · 18/12/2022 06:53

Two lovely names barefootnomadmam- I love hearing about your boat life.

It is heartbreaking to hear of the burning times. Execution and torture of women was particularly rife in the area I live- near Edinburgh.
I pass two of the churches that were instrumental, grand monuments to the witch hunters still take a proud place. It tmakes it all so much more real.
I visist the broken remains of a house belonging to one woman - a local midwife who was arrested, tortured and killed in her 80s. It is hard to dwell on the suffering. I take offerings to her ruined place, sit in her gardens, and meditate with her, hoping to send even a small piece of comfort to her.
Because the remains of these women killed in Edinburgh ( and there were thousands) were not allowed to be buried in a church yard they were taken by cart to a location outside of the city and dumped in a field near a small village church.
I did some research and found the dumping place.
On a warm summer day- I think two years ago I struggled through the undergrowth and through the now abandoned old church , and found the spot, the other side of a broken wall.

I have told this story before- with pics, so apologies if some are hearing it again.

Although it was a sad moment my heart was lifted to see 7 or 8 beehives sitting over their resting place, bees buzzing about as they worked. Well away from any main road, the scene was calm, fields stretching out in the distance, hedgerows filled with poppies and bramble flowers.

They women were lying in the comfort of mother earth, with thousands of bees for company, an much better resting place than within the church that had murdered them. I laid some wild flowers, and whispered words of comfort, telling them their memories live, that people care and understand the injustices.
And bizarrely too I am friends with the farmer who owns the land, she produces speciality oils, I have helped her out at a few food fairs and farmer's markets.
As drove out of my home the next day, I smiled as I saw a "For Sale" sign at one of the Parish churches which was home to a vicious witch hunter.
The church was formed in the 1400s, and has been in constant use as a church since then. Until that day- when it closed due to falling congregation and upkeep costs.

To me that was synchronicity- 600 years of control released - I couldn't help but smile.
The church did sell, the building is protected because it is historically important, But will no longer be a church.

OP posts:
speakout · 18/12/2022 08:18

WiccanWonderer that's a good question.

Over the years I have developed a "freestyle" magical path.
I have been involved with Wiccan groups, a "high" magical group- very ceremonial, Shamanism and earth based practices.
I have taken what works for me, used my instinct and love of nature and blended my own way.
No magical path has the "right" answer, and they are all themselves a blend of curated ideas.There is no establishment in witchcraft or magic.
Wicca for example has only been around for less than 100 years, the ideas and doctrine have themselves been cobbled together, not a direct lineage that have spanned thousands of years.
There is no real "truth", I have no problem taking part of what interests me with some discernment.It is useful to examine " established" ideas, and there are very powerful tools that we can adopt and adapt.
I still enjoy some ritual in my practice, and not just in my spellcraft or honouring of deity- it extends to my everyday, helps me feel calm, comforted and grounded. My magic suffuses and seeps into many aspects of my life. Cooking, craft, yoga, gardening, self care have all become magical.
I go with my instinct. If is feels right then it is right. Our instinct is a powerful source.

OP posts:
queenrollo · 18/12/2022 08:37

My practice is almost entirely instinctual. I will sometimes look up correspondences for spells, but more often I simply use what calls to me. Especially with plants because I try to use only what is at hand either in my garden or village. Likewise, I stopped buying crystals and just use stones or pottery that I find in my garden/on the beach/out walking.

I've never been part of a group, and briefly dabbled with Wicca in the 90s (but I am not good with rules, and it felt too restrictive for me).

I do love following accounts that show lots of very well thought out and high ritual. I particularly like accounts on Insta like The Barefoot Witch who practices traditional folk magic and shares detailed information about her practice and its history (she is based in Scotland so that is the roots of her work)

Sometimes I feel lonely in my practice and would love to work with others, but haven't yet found anyone on my wavelength to do this with.

dementedma · 18/12/2022 10:01

Speakout..that moved me to tears. Where is this place?

speakout · 18/12/2022 10:50

It is sobering isn't it. dementedma
I have p'md you.

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speakout · 18/12/2022 10:58

Interesting that the church has not issued an apology.

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WiccanWonderer · 18/12/2022 12:41

I watched the first episode of the series by Lucy Worsley about the witch hunts and it made me cry. Then it made me angry. So much injustice towards women throughout the years. It was even highlighted in the comedy series Ghosts.

WiccanWonderer · 18/12/2022 12:48

Thank you Speakout and Queenrollo for your replies to my question. So far I've found it difficult to feel that any of my practices are 'correct' because I have nobody else to share it with. I'm trying to retrain my thinking so that I can accept that I don't need to conform to a prescribed set of practices. I am curious about Wicca but I'm far more hedge witch.

speakout · 18/12/2022 12:56

WiccanWonderer I think we have a social legacy of being judged- especially when it comes to spiritual practices. Generations of being meek little lambs and being told not to question.
I have problems with authority anyway, and I wouldn't tolerate anyone tell me that I am witching "wrong".
IMO no one has that authority over me.

This too is an informative but sad video about the burning times-

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Backtotheland · 18/12/2022 15:10

Please can I join you? I live in Scotland, although I’m not from here originally, but since moving here I feel so much more in touch with Mother Earth and my history as a woman

speakout · 18/12/2022 15:35

Welcome Backtotheland - glad you have joined us. Take a seat by the fire and make yourself comfortable.

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dementedma · 18/12/2022 15:47

Welcome Backtotheland.
I have been attempting to make a wreath. The base is willow whips,then holly,ivy and rosemary for the greenery from.the garden. And some dried oranges. Its not perfect but all made with gifts from the Goddess and smells gorgeous. The rosemary is for remembrance of those beyond the veil and I wove their names into it.

Any Witches Here?- Part 17.
Any Witches Here?- Part 17.
WiccanWonderer · 18/12/2022 16:29

That is absolutely lovely Dementedma, I have made similar but never thought to use rosemary, what a good idea. I love the traditional style wreaths with everything local, and compostable in January! I'm jealous that you have holly with berries too, the birds have eaten them all here but I think they've needed them in this cold weather. I love holly, and it's strange how rarely I notice it in the summer. I suppose it's for a good reason that winter brings the reign of the Holly King.

WiccanWonderer · 18/12/2022 16:31

Hello Backtotheland, I'm new too 👋

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