Any Witches here? Part 20

[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

@BlankTimes Sorry for your loss 😞 and thank you and @speakout for advice - I charged som salt water in the full moon light and used it to cleanse and bless, and burned some rosemary oil. We spent Saturday physically cleaning the place, I struggled with sleep on Saturday, most likely because of the full moon energy but last night I slept like a baby - I'm sure the ritual helped!

I am glad the cleansing seems to be working SeaEssence. it is a good idea to replace the negative energy with something bright, and rosemary sounds perfect.
My woman's circle was good, indoors this time, as it was raining, but still very special.
I am still a novice to these events, 4 or 5 in the past few months, but I already can see how every meeting has a different flavour or tone. It was a bigger group than last time- maybe 15/16 women, so individual talking time was more limited than with a smaller group. So although more women created more energy, there were fewer tears than I have seen.
I need to sit down with some tea today and have a look through upcoming events in the next while- I see near me there is a "Feather Stone Healing" workshop- I have never heard of that- "Embodying the Sacred Feminine " which sounds juicy, "Creative Wisdom through Mother Earth" which looks like an art workshop maybe, as well as the full and new moon women's circle.
There are also sound baths,cacao ceremony, meditation groups etc. Most of all this is free or by small donation.

My local backwater in the country has taken off! A few years ago some artwork was commissioned by a local community group to honour some local women that were murdered by the church as witches.
The paintings are on public display in the centre of my nearest ( small) town.
My town has had more than its fair share of problems in the past few decades, having relied heavily on the mining industry. Decades of poverty and social decay, the town, businesses and residents were all affected. Covid hit - then many shops closed, leaving only a few selling booze, vapes and barbers.

But the last few years have brought a fresh new energy, the community group have spawned an active guerilla gardening group, every space is filled with new trees, wildlife friendly plants and flowers. We have a large shop selling local arts and crafts, locally made bread, honey and preserves. A candle shop has opened, a yoga studio and several pop up shops, a new regular craft fair. Three ch The town has a fresh new feel, all watched over by the women executed for the crime of wittchcraft, now recognised and mourned. I can't help feeling there is a connection somehow. Three churches ( including the two responsible for many local witch murders) have closed and the properties have been sold. Falling numbers in the congregation mean dropping income, so running them is no longer justified.
The church buildings are very old, but listed and protected- despite their function I am happy they will be preserved, even though I get chills when I walk near them.

A bit of a ramble this morning- sorry! I am just about to crank up my day and get things moving-. yoga class soon then work.

Have a magical day sisters.

@speakout what a lovely hopeful message about community repairing and re-asserting itself! You have brightened my morning.

In my world: I have an offer for my late mum’s house and I really hope nothing happens to get in the way of completion. Please send magical house sale vibes my way, sisters!

Otherwise it’s onwards with work and keeping the home together. Peaceful Wednesdays, all.

Magical house sale vibes to you @Craftycorvid . Just catching up here, it's been a wild few weeks with DH working non stop and me being 100% Mum day in day out! I'd love more women centric events or groups near me, I never seem to have much luck. It's hard to feel disconnected and being a mum who's fully mumming (lost my job, great) can be quite isolating and lonely. I had found a few things to do for my self and soul but they've come to an end (a pottery course was the best).

I wanted to ask you wonderful women if you think I am being too harsh here. Of course DH and I are in Functional Parent mode the past few weeks and it's been almost impossible to find moments of connection. He's a very present dad normally and takes the bulk of the nights with baby, as he's very good at sleeping (and I have insomnia). He calls himself an ally and a feminist. But last night he literally seemed to turn into a man from the 1950s for a while! We were watching drag race and he was commenting on how anyone could find it offensive as its so inclusive and silly (it is! I love it too). I mentioned that usually those with an issue with drag, have an issue with feminine things. That its the feminine side of life that they (subconsciously) see as lesser, trivial or in some instances provoke some very unpleasant reactions (the same folks who'd hate their son to wear nail varnish etc). DH basically said it wasn't that and it was that people hate it when others 'switch lanes'. I said yes, but also there's been tons written about the deep seated hatred for the feminine (the anti-suffragette campaign used exactly that to make digs at the suffragettes back in the day). DH really argued with me about it. I said as a woman and a female I feel like there are some things I have experience of and his point was valid but mine was too. He accused me of 'playing the trump card' (as in 'I'm a woman so you can't argue). I was honestly really disappointed and shocked. we all know that you never say that about any oppressed group's lived experience (and as women we're still sadly oppressed). I'd never accuse someone who has a different lived experience to me as playing the trump card. I'd just listen. Even if I'd never experienced what they had I'd at least say 'that's a very valid POV. I didn't think of it as I don't have the lived experience'. It made me want to cry as I thought he's supposed to be an ally. It also made me think he'd better not take that phrase out of our house, or he'll be torn apart for it!!

I know I'm tired. We both are. Our fuses are short. But honestly for him to turn into someone I didn't recognise briefly was crap. Am I being OTT? I think it weighs on me too as I want my son to grow up respecting women, trans folk, the gay community, POC, everyone! I want him to be understanding and I want him to see us being understanding to others - and each other. I can't do that alone.

I am sending house sale vibes your way craftycorvid, I hope things go as smoothly as possible.
Having a new baby challenges us in all sorts of ways MaculataO, and can really shine the spotlight on areas of discord.
My OH had some pretty "old fashioned" ideas about feminism etc, he was brought up by grandparents and traditional boarding school- his mother died when he was a baby.
I agree that men can never truly see things from a woman's perspective, just as I will never know what it is to be a person of colour.

I would pull up my OH if I felt he was being bigoted or racist, but we do have some areas that we do have conflicting opinions.
I am not sure what being an "ally" is - do you mean a supporter of women's rights?

How you deal with all this moving forward is maybe something to think about. I find time often gives clarity. It may be that you need to revisit the discussion when feelings have calmed down, or you may decide to ring fence the subject. OH have several opposing ideas, and although he isn't a bigot, we know to change topic in a conversation if it is veering into a hot zone.

I can feel your concerns surrounding your son as he grows and the possibility that he may grow to have similar views to your OH.
It takes many people to raise a child, and I think that many schools steer children towards inclusivity. Your input is crucial too, and even if things are not resolved with your OH on some topics and you continue to disagree- that dynamic may offer a starting point for you to discuss these ideas with your OH. Your DS will have his own views by the time he comes to that stage.
In the meantime I would make sure that you increase your DS's awareness of women in strong powerful roles.
By the time your DS is a teenager he may decide that his father is a bit of a dinosaur.
There will be plenty opportunities for you to have a positive influence over the years, and OH may change the way he thinks too.

I am no expert on relationships or raising children- so feel free to take my words with a pinch of salt!

House vibes needed here too. Mums house not had an offer so reducing price. I hate that its there standing empty and unwanted with all of our memories in it.

Sending house sale vibes to you too Hedjwitch.
So much wrapped up in our childhood home. Could you take a piece of earth from the garden perhaps? Maye some meditation or spell work so you can carry all the good energy forward into your life.

It has been an interesting week. I started a block of talking therapy on Tuesday. and over the past few days I have felt with such clarity one of the ways I need to heal. I need to work on my root chakra to strengthen my roots.
Any ideas? I know some yoga poses, but any other ideas? I walk barefoot outside most days, but realise I have not a single item of red in my wardrobe. So maybe a trip to the charity shop to find a red dress is in order!
I plan some spell work, and meditation, and have been writing like fury in my journal.
I am fortunate to have a therapist who embraces many ideas about bodywork Eastern philosophy etc,so she can help me through this too.

I am usually not too vigilant in identifying coincidences - but yesterday brought so many that my spidey senses were spiked.
The goddess manifests in many ways- there was a knock at my door yesterday- it was an engineer from my power company asking for permission to do some work in my garden.
Power lines are being replaced locally, and one needs replaced under my garden.
The engineer- female- and I discussed the work, she commented on the vibrancy of growth in my garden, started naming tree and shrub types, and explained the work- it is minimal - only a 3 foot trench, but she wanted to minimise damage to my tree roots. That sparked a discussion about the "World Wood Web" and tree interaction underground, pointed out the three Sycamore Sisters ( three huge sycamore trees just outside my property) which she suggested are supporting the new trees in my garden. She was very pleasant, and had that twinkle in the eye of a wise woman.
I came indoors with a smile, again more root stuff!!
Have a magical Friday everyone !

In haste, Speakout,
Roots, literally visualise yours, grow roots from your feet deep into the earth and anchor yourself, wrap them around the existing roots of an ancient tree with whom you have a rapport, or a large natural crystal.
Breathe in the strength and unity from your roots to your root chakra, breathe out your thanks to your anchor. 😍

You can gradually expand this through all the chakras, then when you get to the crown, anchor your crown to a star or planet or galaxy, breathe in to your crown, work all the way through the chajra system.

Then when you have got both exercises comfortably sorted, send to both earth and space, breathe both in to either heart chakra or work through all of them, out simultaneously above and below.

Guaranteed to give you a gentle 😃

That is so very helpful BlankTimes- thank you.

I feel this will be a process- one with no end- but that's OK.
It is of huge curiosity to me that my ongoing talking therapy has brought me back to my spirituality, where deep emotional systems and my spiritual being merge. Where my shadow work informs my healing, and a deep integration happens.
A beautiful sunny afternoon here, with a cool wind. I bought a large apple strudel today and already had two portions- so yummy, tart apples, plump sultanas and a generous amount of cinnamon- it will completely spoil my appetite for dinner, but that's the way life rolls sometimes!

I hope everyone is having a good week so far. it has been sunny and warm here, so I have washed anything that doesn't move. Cushion covers, blankets and covers, cat bedding too.
Hanging laundry outside is a mindful moment for me, feeling the warm sun on my skin, birds singing, cool breeze, clean smell of the clothes- I slip my shoes off before I go outside too, some barefooting to recharge.
I am trying to avoid news bulletins today, the world can be a sad and scary place.

I plan some meditation this evening, and an early night.
I had a therapy session today, dealing with such emotional energy leaves me very tired, sleep is so restorative.

bright blessings sisters.

I have brought several things from the house,but perhaps something from the garden is a good idea.
We have a viewer on Thursday. What can I do to attract success and make the viewer feel positive?

I hope today goes well Hedjwitch, I will be thinking of you.
Taking a little bottle of soil may be a good thing to do? You can use in ritual work.
My dear niece and I have swapped vials of garden soil as a way of remembrance and connection. She lives the other side of the world, so we see each other infrequently. I keep the bottle as a permanent connection to her near my altar.

This feels like a long week. It was my OH and DM's birthdays yesterday, DD came over, and the house was busy with wrapping paper, music, several flower deliveries. We ate out at a local restaurant, but I was tired and needing alone time when we came back. It was a good family day, but I can only enjoy that busy chatty energy for so long.
I was glad to get into bed last night and recover!

Morning all! And Lammas blessings! I hope everyone finds space to mark the turning of the year in the midst of busy lives. 🌞

I hope everyone enjoyed Lammas/Lughnasadh, the energies are still high, There are some changes afoot in my family and home, living arrangements/practical stuff which will hopefully improve life for everyone, but some unknowns too- and it feels unsettling and little scary not knowing how things will pan out. I must trust the process, trust myself and know all will be well.

hope to do some baking later, I was watching the latest Witches Cookery video on youtube, a great channel, and although cookery is sometimes included her content is all about living a magical life living in a busy town with two young children. I know some of you already watch her

This is her latest

which is lovely, but she also has a wonderful sense of humour and not afraid to tell it like it is-

Have a great start to the weekend sisters.

Hello sisters, I hope you're all doing ok. I have been dodging this thread because I've had some very low negative energy recently and while I know you're wonderful I didn't want to bring the mood down. But I keep getting into pointless arguments on other threads so am just going to bring myself back here because it is soothing and lovely and hopefully will just lurk for a bit without making anyone sad!

The last couple of days I've had a real urge to go feather collecting, so went to some of my favourite places and added a few hundred more to my now ridiculous stash. Found another jay feather so that made me happy, and am currently researching the best way to clean and sanitise them - I cleaned a whole batch including my first jay feather in boiling water and shrunk them all 😂 so would like to avoid doing that again! If any of you have any advice I'd love to hear it - so far it seems like rubbing alcohol and fairy liquid are the two main steps. I have some test ones in Dettol at the studio too!

Have a very relaxed wedding to go to tomorrow next to one of my favourite antique shops so that will be a lovely day I hope, and mum and I are plotting to use august to clean, declutter, clear and reset both our homes and garages.

My energy levels and oomph and motivation have been on the floor so am hoping this will be the mundane yet magical boost I need. Although also a bit stressed at how much work I need to squidge into that time as well!

Setting a reminder to come here in the morning and catch up rather than doomscrolling Facebook and the rest of Mumsnet so apologies if I've missed anything huge and I will catch up shortly! Xx

Belated Lammas blessings, and house sale vibes to @Hedjwitch and @Craftycorvid

We returned home this week to find the garden incredibly overgrown, it's been neglected for 3 weeks and while really wild I couldn't stop smiling walking through it when we got back. Colours, scents, insects everywhere, just lovely. Today I picked the first batch of blackberries and made jam, if it doesn't rain overnight I'm hoping to harvest the nettle seeds, and looking forward to cleaning and tidying in house too while DS is with grandparents. Feels like a fresh start!

@MaculataO Men will always be men, they don't see the way we do (not a bad thing necessarily). I see it on my DH - also an "ally", but (simplified for the sake of not writing a novel) because he treats women "right" he assumes all men do, and thinks that the difficulties and small injustices women face in day to day life are inflated. We've had many opinion exchanges on the topic, I learned to let it be now as you can't replace experience with education, even if it's frustrating.

The humidity has finally broken and now we have rain and cool breezes. I'm enjoying watching the return of the birds (and squirrels} to the garden.
I would appreciate any advice on rituals etc for our ongoing difficulties getting a mortgage/home. It is our stumbling block to starting a family, which is very depressing and makes everything seem bleak. Currently the only soothing things seem to be knitting and losing myself in books, but I feel too overwhelmed to take any steps in the garden or house which really need work.

Evening all! Been really heavy weather here today. I had a few client cancellations so I’ve been busy making beetroot hummus(glorious vermillion colour) and flatbreads for dinner.

I'd ask for a picture but I am assuming that all that lovely hummus is long gone 😄.

I am feeling very proud today. DS and DD2 swam all the way to the end of the pool 3 times yesterday. They have worked really hard to learn and it shows.

DS also managed to overcome his fear of insects while we were on holiday so much so that he rescued a very tired wasp by giving her a bit of sugar. She ate it and flew away.

Hope everyone has good days today.

@ISaySteadyOn some of the hummus ended up in the freezer - I did make rather a lot! No idea how well it’s going to freeze, only time will tell.

Wasp rescue is very noble! 🐝

Good morning sisters.

It's been another difficult week here, the storms just keep coming.
I had to take myself off on wednesday, drove for hours and ended up staying at a buddhist monastary/retreat centre.

I'm home now and the storms have passed,I ned a few days of slow and mindful living this weekend.

hilariousnamehere you are very welcome on this thread- no matter what you bring to us. We all know that life can be very hard, and most of us have gone through difficult times. Don't be afraid of coming here when things are difficult. This is a place of strong connection and energy- we are here to support you.
I love the sound of your feathers!

Well done to your children ISaySteadyOn, good to see their swimming practice has paid off.

I love the sound of your hummus Craftycorvid I am slightly obsessed with eating crispy pears and hummus at the moment, as a snack or light lunch. I buy my hummus, do you have a recipe I could try?

I am also looking for a recipe to make face cleansing balm- the type that melts, great for make up removal. I have only just discovered this product. I bought one from ALDI which I loved, but has been discontinued, now using one from M&S, which is OK, there are others but very expensive. I would like to make my own and include essential oils that I know my skin loves- so if anyone makes cosmetics and has a recipe I would love to make some.

Otherwise a quiet day hopefully. OH has a day off today, and work is thankfully quiet, so I will have time to take a slower pace. I have yoga class in a while, but I will let my day unfold rather than make plans to do things.

I hope everyone finds time to treat themselves with soft loving care. We all deserve that.

Good morning! I wish everyone a calm day as we head into the weekend. I’m planning to catch up with chores, read and cook. I woke today - as most days recently - feeling very out of sorts. Given everything going on in my world and the world ‘out there’ it’s not surprising I feel less than chipper. I have my therapy and a gentle walk to look forward to, as well as some reflexology. And I’m taking time out from work for a few weeks to catch up with my head.

The hummus recipe was a bit of a ‘dollop’ recipe! Can of chickpeas drained, 2 or 3 decent sized cooked beets, shimmy of Cumin, salt, garlic, lemon juice, dollop of tahini. Blitz in a food processor. I’d maybe add less Cumin and a pinch of chilli next time.

Thanks for the recipe Craftycorvid I will give that a go. I hope your day is treating you well.
Moods and feelings move like seaweed underwater, and often with no obvious explanation.
Sometimes I wake up feeling anxious or very sad, it helps me to be aware of that and give it some attention. These are messages from our emotional self, shadow self trying to help or protect us.
I had a good yoga class, and now sorting out my candle and wax supplies.
I also have a 10 minute tricep challenge to do- I have set myself a challenge of doing it every day for a month. It is mostly vanity- but that's OK!

I popped into our lovely new craftshop this morning and had a lovely chat with a staff member about spaewives.
Is the term spaewife a term used widely or just in my neck of the woods?

Sorry if I’m intruding but I have been reading through these threads and I was wondering if any of you have any book recommendations?. Specifically historical books, possibly about the burning times, or just pagan history in general. I’m trying to get a few books to keep me company during the night feeds 😅.

@kfellover I’d recommend anything by Ronald Hutton, starting with ‘Triumph of the Moon’ which is a history of how we got to neo-Paganism and Wicca. Modern Pagan practices are a vibrant quilt made up of many old and cherished pieces of fabric.