Any Witches Here?- Part 19

[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 18th 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

www.mumsnet.com/talk/philosophy_religion_spirituality/4598225-any-witches-here-part-17?page=40&reply=122990208

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/philosophy_religion_spirituality/4717929-any-witches-here-part-18?page=1

Hi TenBlackRoses what a beautiful name.

Mabon blessings to all

I got some beautiful candles today....too pretty to burn!

Happy Mabon everyone. I've never celebrated it before and couldn't do a lot due to having no functioning kitchen. I had bought this lovely orange candle a few weeks ago so I just picked a few wildflowers and berries to represent harvest and ate an apple!

Welcome @TenBlackRoses this is a lovely place, very supportive, wise and non judgemental.

I think Mabon is my favourite festival, I used to love Harvest Festival as a child, so much more fun than the usual dreary and depressing judgey church services.

I presume that Harvest Festival is the Christianised version of the original Mabon festival. Thinking about it, the wheatsheaf bread they used to have at the Harvest Thanksgiving has a strong echo of corn dollies. I am so glad its being reclaimed if this is the case.

Very warm welcome TenblackRoses grab a cushion and come and sit by the fire. We have a magic kettle which pours your favourite drink ,enjoy. * *

Hello @TenBlackRoses Lovely username!

I too loved the harvest festival in chapel much more than anything else @Probablymagrat. I felt a strong connection to the idea of bringing fruits and grains to the altar and celebrating Nature’s gifts. I feel it is so much more intuitive to embrace the seasonal progression. It’s progressing towards being very chilly where I am this morning.

Tomorrow is D day - I am liberating Mr C from hospital. 🤞🏻 I have to have a meeting in order to discharge him and maybe we’ll have to agree that we are leaving against advice. So be it, if so. He needs to be at home in familiar surroundings with plenty of stimulation. I don’t know how he’s managed two months on a ward. Please assemble in spirit tomorrow at around 2pm and send me goddess wisdom.

I will do my best @Craftycorvid . I don't think hospitals are any place to convalesce or recover.

Our apple tree apples are finally ripe. We will harvest them today. This is also my first time celebrating Mabon. My disorganised brain almost forgot.

Craftycorvid I will be sending support and calm at 2pm today.
I am hosting a lunch with a Mabon flavour, I will light an extra blessed candle or you and Mr C.

KateF That's a lovely way to mark the festival, that candle gives me the cozies.

A warm welcome TenBlackRoses, glad you have joined us.

Probablymagrat I think Mabon, like the other festivals has a history that isn't clear. In pre-literate time information was passed by custom, tradition, through art, song, story telling and there would have been regional variations.
I feel there is no doubt that Mabon is ancient- it marks a celestial event, the autumn equinox, so would have been noteable.
We know the ancients held time and the marking of time as sacred, by the many stone circles which accurately align with the seasons.
Keeping track of time would have been essential, Neolothic existence would have been dependent on keeping track of the year to secure food supply.
Mabon is the second of three autumn festivals, Sahmain being the last.

Off to start my day, DD arrives at 10am, and I am hoping to sneak off to a yoga class before the guests arrive, but that means getting the house prepared a bit earlier.

Have a good Sunday everyone

Thank you all for the warm welcome ☺️
@craftycorvid holding you and Mr C in my thoughts.

After a lovely few autumnal days, spent browsing hedgerows on my dog walks for tidbits to give my horses and sheep, the weather has turned quite dramatically! So today will be a day of rest, I can see the rain out the window from my nest, and my little canine familiar is still fast asleep beside me (it's a dog's life!).

Wishing you all a pleasant day

Craftycorvid
I'll be there at 2 for you both. Recently out myself after a longer time

Did someone say Neolithic? There's a brilliant book called Seed of knowledge stone of plenty. It's about how ancient places helped the fertility of their crops with modern day experiments included, it's available as a free pdf download if you Google

Craftycorvid** I'll be with you at 2, sending you strength and healing to your DH. The hospital environment is not at all conducive to recovery and I'm sure DH will be much better off in your home where it's familiar and calm and he can get some proper rest.

I've had an enjoyable morning in the garden, did some general tidying up and planted some bulbs ready for the spring. There's something incredibly grounding about the process of burying them deep in the earth where they'll be protected from the winter elements.

I used to love the harvest festivals at school too. I went to a CofE primary school, but they didn't push the religious element. What I took from it was having gratitude for the food you have to eat, and giving to others who were less fortunate. My grandad used to grow vegetables in his garden so I was able to bring in lots of home grown veg. It's funny how we remember these little things and how it made us feel.

Had a lovely lunch wirh dd2 to celebrate her 30th birthday.
Now back to reading this and being incensed!

Does the changing of seasons bring on a lot of emotions for anyone else? Right now, I am wishing that I could step out my door and just run until I can't run anymore (I think maybe some sailors felt like that except with the sea). But I live in London so I can't. Not without planning. And my brace because of my tendency to shin splints. How can I be tired of planning and afraid of spontaneity at the same time?

It is very weird because this feeling was set off by my not knowing what to cook, going to the shop and feeling overwhelmed by people. It's all too much right now.

I guess I figure that if anyone besides DH could understand it would be you lot : - )

@ISaySteadyOn yes, I understand what you mean. I always feel strange and emotional when we're on the cusp of a change of seasons. This will sound very weird, but for me, it's almost like those few days when you're waiting for your period to start and you feel tetchy and tearful, but once it comes there's a feeling of relief!

I totally get that feeling of needing to be away from people! I don't live in London, but I'm in a big town in the south east and it does feel sometimes like there are people everywhere. I sometimes long to live somewhere like Northumberland, North Wales, or the Scottish Highlands...anywhere really where there is more space!

ISaySteadyOn "How can I be tired of planning and afraid of spontaneity at the same time?"

I think maybe because you find planning dull maybe? And spontaneity scary? Is there a running track near you by any chance?

I think a lot of people feel funny at the change of season.

I have basically done my altar space. It can be screened off but I wish I had the courage to leave it there. It would freak out some people though. It's really beautiful. I hope I don't start taking it for granted. It's kind of weird that I even think that.

I want to make use of the seasonal change to go to bed earlier and get up earlier.

@Craftycorvid will be thinking of you and sending positive energy tomorrow at 2, hope all goes well x

@ISaySteadyOn change of season is always emotional for me, sometimes in a positive way, sometimes less so. I love autumn and have been looking forward to it, but I feel incredibly tired and all over the place lately, which makes me procrastinate. Different feelings than yours of course, but I see similarity in that being bored of planning and scared of spontaneity also naturally leads to procrastination. Perhaps it's the nature's way of telling us to slow down. Not sure if I'm making sense...

I would like to start studying Wicca or Paganism. So I would like to join this thread. Cheers.

I am just catching up with the thread after a busy day yesterday.

CraftyCorvid I hope yesterday went well, we were thinking of you and Mr C as he returns home.
wakeupandsmellthehoumous a warm welcome, find a comfy chair, we look forward to getting to know you.

My family lunch went well yesterday and was lovely to see everyone, but I get "peopled out" easily, I am glad to have a quiet day today to find centre and ground. My usual Monday yoga teacher is on holiday, so I will fit in some practice later at home.

Mercury and Jupiter form a trine this morning. This aspect may unlock useful or important information allowing us to move forward with optimism or see clearly when making a decision.

I too am not fond of seasons shifting. the weather is becoming more autumnal, but still mild, and although summer flowers are fading the trees have all their leaves and only the slightest tinge of gold. It feels neither summer or autumn right now.
But either way I will be cozy making, candles and music to bring balm to my day.

Morning all, and thanks for the support. I’m springing Mr C from hospital today. I feel woefully under-prepared at home as I had to be away at the weekend. I’m sure just being in his own home will be the most important thing for him and we’ll catch up with ourselves as we go.

The trees look a bit rusty here due to the alternating rain and baking heat. I wonder if we will get much autumn glory in the colours this time? I do love this season though, and find September a poignant month - beautiful but filled with the sense of time passing in a way no other seasonal shift seems to be.

Well, the season is definitely changing. Dear cat brought us a dead mouse. She does this every shift of seasons. It's both eurgh and very sweet at the same time. In cat, she's showing she cares.

I've been following this thread too, and in South East. It's getting very over crowded here

My wish I was running to place is Somerset, every book I pick by what I think is chance has a connection to it.

I think I need to explore ......

Good morning everyone
it's very summery here today

CraftyCorvid hope all goes smoothly at the hospital.

Currently sat in the garden with a brew and my little dog sniffing about, watching the moon rose and grow... completely empathetic with those who wish to run away from it all... many changes have happened personally of late, and many more to come. I feel overwhelmed with it all. Trying to ground myself in the moonlight. Usually love this time of year, with the change in colours and looking forward to cozying up introverting some more... not this year it would seem. Would appreciate some wisdom if any to be shared on how to walk this path

TenBlackRoses In terms of being buffeted by unavoidable changes, if I have no hope of getting things sorted in my favour, I try to go along with it.

But one reason I'm working at getting rituals into my life is to get a sense of consistency rather than waking up and immediately checking my messages to find out what the latest problem is.

I have a way to go there - I woke up groggy and had to go out quickly, so it was a nod hello to the altar and then shower and off out.

In terms of running away, I have always tried to live as free of obligation as possible, but like many, came crashing up against the elderly parent problem. Dad died so he spared me more issues there but mum...I should have dropped caring for her ages ago.

So if you have stuff you can drop or run away from, maybe you should.

Alas, I can't see the moon from my side of the building.

I'm still so exhausted from the breakdown and other things, I can see altar time is going to be hard. But the fact that it's there is soothing. I've got a busy day tomorrow (but I will back out of it if I'm too tired) but after that, I should be home till Monday, which is nice.

I wish there was a spell to make me one of those really energetic types but I have been low energy and prone to sensory overload since birth, not helped by the increasing pace of the modern world.

@EmmaEmerald thank you for your perspective. Some of your situations sound very similar to mine. I like the idea of little rituals, I will look into this and try to incorporate them into daily life once things are more settled (currently renovating his parents house to move into next month, whilst juggling work and animals, time is scarce and stress is plentiful!) Dropping some aspects of modern life to embrace things from a simpler time may be a habit to build going forward.

I think living a life free of stress, obligation or responsibility for others is rarely achieved and possibly not even desirable.
We could become a Tibetan monk or live off grid in the woods, but I suspect those options would have their own stresses.

Walking a spiritual path while living a " normal" life is the journey I travel.
If we wait until our lives are calm, perfect, serene, free of worry then that point may never come. Many of us live in the city, work, live with others and all that entails, have to care for children, other family members, keep on top of laundry, shopping, home admin. A lot of it doesn't feel magical or fun.

On an emotional level it helps to build up a strong place of inner calm and safety that we can rely on no matter the storms that blow. Learning how to accept emotions and control dysregulation means that we are not always at the mercy of circumstance, and can right ourselves even with things are tough. We can't always get away or take a break easily, but building small pockets of calm or ease into the day- even if it is only 10 minutes can give us respite.

On a magical level I make sure that my practice never becomes a chore, another thing on the to do list, because that would be adding stress to my life. My practice supports me throughout the day, I weave magic into things do anyway, whether it is cooking, taking a bath or shower, drinking tea, cleaning, housework, exercise- it all becomes enchanted if we allow it to.

There has been chat on these threads about everyday magic, and there are a couple of good Molly Roberts videos about everyday magic.

She also has this one for tired witches- which is soothing and nurturing.

s