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

A warm welcome Latewinter, take a cosy spot by the fire and lean in to our group.
ISaySteadyOn looking at seed catalogues in winter is a lovely thing to do isn't it. I remember as a child my father would have seed catalogues around, and my sister and I were allowed to choose a couple of packets each for future planting.
The Caillaich in her wisdom keeps a fistful of seeds in her fist, pocket or apron for spring as she scours and reshapes mountains and winter landscapes. The cycle keeps turning.
Hedjwitch I love the sound of your magical greenhouse- please keep us posted!

I am glad you enjoyed your break in Devon VioletCharlotte, and impressed by your wild swimming! I am not good with cold temperatures, but full of admiration for those that do!

I love January too. it lands like a salve after the busy christmas period.
Christmas comes with so much noise, busy with people, shops crammed, work busy, mess, expense, expectation, full bins, full fridges, full on sensory input.
I do enjoy christmas/yule, but feel so much lighter when January comes.
Days of quiet and cold and dark cradle and soothe me, quieten my mind as I snuggle down into my roots.
I had some items to return to TK Max this morning, on my way to Body Balance. I was the only customer in the store just after it opened, such a change from a few weeks ago when queues at the tills snaked around two or three isles.

I also popped into M&S for a Bircher bowl, which I have just eaten- a bit like overnight oats, it was so scrummy.
It is cold here today, the frost has not lifted, even in places with full sunlight. It is so beautiful.
Turning my thoughts to laundry now, before a few hours of work.

This week I have a sound bath and a Swedish Massage booked- different days, I am excited for them both.

Have a magical day sisters

I managed an hour or so in the garden today so got started on the greenhouse. Cant decide if it will be a herbery or a witchery or...suggestions please.
Ordered new glass for the missing pane at the side of the door,but and going to leave the broken one at the bottom of the door so small creatures can creep in and shelter if they wish.
Pulled up the weeds and relocated the snails.

That looks amazing Hedjwitch, how kind you are to think of the wildlife.
Could you incorporate herby and witchery? It is a fuzzy line anyway, I often raid my herb cupboard for magical purposes.

It's a super cold day here, minus three, yesterday's frost didn't get a chance to melt, the morning sky is a deep indigo. I will start my day with a long hot shower. I was given a box of shower steamers for christmas, lots of variety to match my mood, and brightens up my morning.

@Hedjwitch, that's gorgeous. I get DD1 to relocate the snails for me because I don't want to hurt them with my clumsy fingers. DD1 is extremely dexterous plus she adores all minibeasts. Even slugs.
Agree with @speakout that you could combine herbery and witchery. That's the basis of my planting plans this year.

What's a shower steamer? Sounds fun.

Your DD sounds like a beautiful soul ISaySteadyOn
We are a family who love bugs, and will always relocate rather than kill. Even the not so friendly things like wasps.

A shower steamer is a bit like a bath bomb, you drop it beside your feet as you shower, and it releases a burst of fragrance while you wash. They don't seem to be as oily as bath bombs, so don't make the floor slippy.
Some have more fragrance than others, and some I can make last for a couple of showers. I have these at the moment, they smell divine, not too highly perfumed.
I use one of these or some essential oil for a "spa" shower, and like to match my mood or set a magical intention using correspondences.

No routine activity is exempt from having a magical sprinkling in my world!!

I think I will have to get some of those. Where can you get them?

DD1 is indeed lovely. I am proud of her. She needs some positive energy sent her way today as it is her first day at a new school after two terms of home educating. I think it will be ok as she has friends there already but a bit of positivity will help.

ISaySteadyOn I have lit a candle for your DD to ease her into her new school. Hope all goes well.

I have bought shower steamers from Etsy and Amazon- lots of variety there.

I have overslept and won't make my yoga class, I must have switched off my 6.20 alarm in my sleep. Life has been trying this past week, and I have been working hard to keep my anxiety levels low. I need reminding that good sleep plays a huge part in keeping me calm- seems my subconscious has decided that I need sleep more than yoga this morning!
I tried a new youtube yoga video over the holidays- Yoga with Tim. I tend to only use female yoga instructors on youtube, but I really enjoyed the Tim session, so may do that later today.
I also have time to dye my roots this morning, and work is getting busier.

I am excited for a sound bath I have booked this evening, and a Swedish massage tomorrow. Friday I am having a day in the city with DD for lunch, maybe a look around shops or an exhibition.
The National Art Gallery have a Turner in January exhibition running every year. The gallery was bequeathed the watercolours in 1900 on condition that they were displayed for only the month of January, to preserve the pigments and light damage.
I am sure nowadays there are lights which are gentle to artwork, but the tradition remains and I think it's rather lovely.
The paintings with many seascapes lend themselves well to the watery light of winter in Scotland- plus the exhibition is free which is an added bonus!

So after a challenging week I am investing some time and care in myself.

Hello all

I spent a couple of days catching up on posts as I have been out of action since Yule really. I have had one of the lowest mental health dips for a while. Lots of physical stuff too, some of it triggering GP and hospital appointments and tests and I am so fed of up of having my time at home disrupted by it all!

I am still so incredibly anxious about my son going on his ski trip, and trying to hide it from him. It's exhausting me. I feel like my year won't begin properly until it has happened as I feel so much in limbo about it. I acknowledge there is some growth in this for both of us. So really I feel like Ostara is my goal for things to change and until then I must concentrate on nurturing myself and accepting hibernation is ok.
I was hoping to get to my local witchy shop more, almost for the company more than to buy things. But they have changed their hours to afternoons only, and due to school runs etc and travelling times it's just not feasible to get there. I do understand their reasoning for this, but it's frustrtating for me.

Anyway, finally we have bright and dry weather here so I am trying to get out in the garden and tidy a little. I have conceded my body is not as willing as it used to be though and am going to employ a gardener to help me get it back in shape for this year.

Hello all! Glad this busy xmas time is done for another year. I am a Christmas lover but this year, with new baby and tiredness its kind of just come and gone. And for the first time ever I've had moments (rare!) of literally feeling as if I am basking in the peach-pink cold clear skies of January calm. I feel Jan/Feb may become my new favourite time of the year. Quiet, low sun, cold, bleached out colours, no garish lights left. Natural bliss!

@queenrollo I can really relate to your anxiety for your son. My babe isn't even a year and I sometimes future project at how I'll be with things like trips away as my anxiety is HUGE for him now. And before he was born - my husband too. Poor DH could hardly go camping without me requiring he check in regularly so I knew he'd not have died from heatstroke or something. Being an anxious sort is tiring indeed. I so admire you hiding your anxiety from him. Its not easy. But my mum is exactly like me and she never hid her anxiety, she made it quite clear when she was terrified for me and it was frequent! Feel like I deffo 'caught' some of that anxiety into adulthood. I feel for her as its basically me. But it was tricky to navigate as a kid. Love and luck to you - I really do empathise.

Loving hearing about people's gentle winter days. My days are fraught and filled, but I get small pockets of time to decompress in between feeds / food / nappies etc! Weird how any calm time can make one feel peculiarly guilty though. As if we feel we have to fill it 'productively'. While I want to tone up / have a clean home / etc etc what I feel my bones are crying out for is rest.

@MaculataO yes my anxiety is largely rooted in a learned behaviour from my mother. It has seriously impacted my life, I miss out on so much stuff because I cannot drive to new places and am terrified of public transport. I was absolutely determined as a mother to not repeat the cycle, and I have had therapy and hypnotherapy (expensive but very worth it) to help me with that.
My mother would also dismiss my anxiety as a child, which was confusing as it was ok for her but not for me? I fully acknowledge when my children say they are worried - i have even named it as anxiety and I help them understand when it is normal to feel it (before an exam/operation) and how to breathe and calm down. How to recognise when to ask a grown up for help or support.
So my youngest is naturally a little nervous about the holiday, especially the flying, but he also very excited. I told him he will feel such an amazing sense of achievement when he has done it.

I want my child to go out into the world and explore. He is so curious about travelling and seeing new places, and I would hate to give him my anxiety over that and make his world small.

You know the folk tales about a fairy tidying up at night so the person living there wakes up to a tidy house, Here's a modern day occurrence, but the fairy is captured on camera.

Lovely video BlankTimes , it made me smile.
queenrollo I hope things are a little better for you today. Anxiety can be unpleasant and have such an impact on the day to day.
Like many I too have struggled for decades, but thanks to a combination of healing strategies it is under control most of the time..
I still have very anxious time, but they are less frequent, shorter duration, not so strong and can usually be tamed by my emotional first aid kit.

When we are feeling dysregulated it can be very hard to get a handle on things think clearly or even remember what worked last time. The limbic system is not logical, does not respond to words and doesn't always communicate well with our higher executive function.
Our limbic system hits alarm bells, raises our adrenalin and cortisol, ready for fight or flee. Which is helpful if being chased by a bear, but usually not otherwise!
The physical symptoms can be unpleasant too, I feel nauseous, sweaty palms, pounding heart, I feel cold, shaky, sleep becomes hard, my memory is impacted, I can feel tearful, my head pounds.

Things can be improved though, through a combination of healing methods.
We can find what works for us. It is a maintenance for me, but becoming second nature to me now, and easier. I check in with myself regularly, and take some first aid steps if I feel anxiety rising, Therapy has been crucial for me, learning more about myself, and daily practices that I use for anxiety prevention.

I have had a good week, lots of self care- an incredible massage and my first ever sound bath. I would love to share experiences with anyone who has attended a sound bath, I noticed some very interesting things happen during the session- not sure if these are common to everyone.

Off for a hot fragranced shower, and yoga later this morning.

I hope everyone has a calm day.

For those in need of some soothing female balm- I love this.

we will cocoon with the season
and emerge with widened wings

Speakout it sounds like you've had a lovely self-care filled week. I've been to lots of sound baths so would love to hear about your experiences.

Anxiety is so debilitating. Through therapy, I've been learning about the parasympathetic nervous system and the things you can do to switch this on to calm yourself. No real surprise really that it's all the things that I know make me feel better - yoga, meditation, breathing, chanting...the very things I don't make the time for when I'm at my most stressed and anxious! Sending so calming energy for you @queenrollo I love that you are consciously making efforts to not pass on your anxiety to your DS. You should be really proud of yourself for that, and of him and his adventurous spirit 💫

@BlankTimes lool I love this

@speakout thank you for reminding me of shower steamers (or indeed teaching the right name for them) - a few years ago we stayed in AirBnb where I've seen (and used) them for the first time and they were so good! I remember thinking I must get some but it fizzed out of my memory until now! They are not cheap, I wonder if I can find a recipe online to make some!
I occasionally go to sound bath (or sound healing meditation as they call it) - used to go every month but the lady who runs it, while really lovely, is the New Earth priestess and some aspects of that feel a bit off for me. But on the whole I find the experience super relaxing and empowering so I come back when I can and feel like it.

It's been a hectic week, and weekend! DS had the last secondary school exam yesterday, one more interview next week and then just the stressful wait for the results. I don't really mind if he goes to the local comprehensive, we liked it very much, but all the hard work on prep, it would be nice if he gets some satisfaction.
I've started a mission to lose weight, my BMI reached obesity level over Christmas, I'm walking daily in high pace - I love nature walks and we always do a family walk at the weekend so adding more doesn't feel alien at all, and I already feel more benefits on the emotional level too.

My witchery is coming along. New work station was a 60th birthday present from my mother today

@Hedjwitch I love that ! Where is it from please- if you know ?

It was from Wayfair. You have to build it yourself and I stained it today but its great. Just the right height.

Hello everyone. I am feeling pretty cheerful mostly. DD1 has had a good start at her new school so I am sending some of that positive school energy to anyone who needs it.

I realised that I have not needed my SAD light once this winter and I really do think that is, at least in part, down to you.

I am helping at DS' school and the feelings of being useful are really good. Plus yesterday I affirmed a friendship with someone I really admire. Now all that has to happen is for it to get warm enough for me to work in the garden and I will be pretty content.

Good news on your daughter steadyon
I'm glad mine are all finished with school and education!
Bitterly cold here so fed and watered the birds. Poor things are so hungry just now.
Then made a big pot of lentil soup for my brother and SIL arriving today from China..so exciting.
And finally a batch of lip balms made for everyone's poor chapped lips.
Its lovely not being in work this week!

It's good to hear those of us feeling a little more upbeat, sending positive energy to those who need it.
I feel a little lighter too, the bright days and clear skies help, even though it is bitterly cold and days still short.

A quick de-brief from my soundbath- I had no expectations and wasn't sure what to expect.
It was held in a cozy well heated room with mats and warm blankets, low lighting and candles.

As the sound volume grew and became complex, deep resonances started, harmonic standing waves began to move around the room. I am not a physicist or musician, but best way to describe it.
Although the practitioner didn't move during the session it felt as if the sound was coming from different places in the room, it ebbed and flowed then the source of the sound felt like it was being generated at the base of my skull, inside my head. Then the "source" started in the top off my head, and worked all the way down my chakras. I could see my chakra colours ( inside my head, I had my eyes closed, and many long forgotten memories starting popping up.
The sound then settled for a while in my left shoulder, I felt a gentle prodding- I know that I carry stress in my neck and shoulders, often the first part of my body to kick up a fuss when I do too much.

Afterwards I felt very relaxed and slept like a log.

Not sure if any of that is usual during a soundbath, and I know nothing of the theory or claims. But I enjoyed it, and will certainly go again.
I would love to hear of any experiences.

A cold but wonderful walk in Narnia today( aka The Hermitage,Perthshire)

Busy day today...made chamomile and tea tree cleanser, elderberry syrup, bread, began decluttering and started re reading Italian folk magic! Really enjoyed myself. Now to journal, meditate and relax. Hope everyone is good xx

It's lovely to hear everyone's feelgood news, it gives us all a lift. Thanks to you all !

Speakout thanks so much for the sound bath info, as soon as I'm mobile again, it's on my do this asap list

I was particularly interested in the standing waves, in his book Stone Age Soundtracks, Paul Devereux explains how this could have happened inside the ancient "tombs" generated by drum and chant. He said they - him and Dr Aaron Watson - were experimenting in Newgrange when they noticed a particular frequency made the dust in the air dance in spiral patterns.

Harmonic resonance and Overtoning are interesting to Google

Hedjwitch beautiful photographs! I remember visiting the hermitage as a teenager and memory is still vivid.
Glad to hear you are taking time for yourself, Slightlylostalongtheway what a creative day.

There is so much magic bound up in harmony and harmonics isn't there- geomancers and early mathemeticians knew that.
Mathematics shows us such beauty and elegance in our universe.

A little milder today, some rain overnight has thawed the frost, my house does not have the sharp morning chill. Still enjoying my morning coffee, I will lay my clean clothes on the radiator to warm while I have a quick hot shower ( lemon today).
I noticed the snowdrops carpeting the floor of Wolf Wood, so a forest walk is called for soon.
I have Body Balance this morning, then a quick trip to M&S for salad stuff and a Bircher Bowl for me. DD is coming over for lunch later, but I cooked yesterday, food is in the slow cooker in the garage- a useful cold space in the winter months! I just need to cook some pasta and make salad.
We are planning some Tarot and cocoa for this afternoon.

Have a magical weekend sisters!