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

That's amazing @FrostedSunrise , I really love those examples of ways to celebrate. Thank you for sharing them with us. I will be writing some of those down to do myself.

@Hedjwitch I think I would also prefer to work on my own, but I'll see how my path takes me. Talking of plants, I made some elderberry Elixer the other day, I didn't realise how delicious it is.

I sent the husband up in the attic to find my books, I had The Green Witch book and a couple of Wicca books so I will have to start reading them again. They smell amazing as it turns out I also had some dried herbs stored with them, along with some coloured candles 😂.

It's nice to see other Moomin fans in the group!

And how lovely and welcoming everyone has been.

You are so welcome @Moominmama0 and I'm glad you got something out of that mammoth post. 😂

If it helps, I also think of Mabon as a time to begin learning because it comes at the start of the academic year and also marks the beginning of the dark half of the year, which is naturally more introspective and can be more focused than the light half. So, you could use Mabon as a time to dedicate yourself to studying or learning something. This is the second harvest festival, so it's a great time to reflect on the achievements of the last year (as well as the intentions you set which didn't come to fruition, for whatever reason) and regroup for the final quarter. Samhain is Celtic New Year's Eve, so some would also see this as a time to reflect before setting resolutions for the coming year. 🍂 🍎 🍁

@FrostedSunrise thank you for the link again, I'm going to listen to the Lecture. I'm really enjoying learning about paganism. I must admit I'm really confused about witches and Wicca as I thought all witches were Wiccan. I'm still quite ignorant about all this as you can see! This thread is going be part of my education.
@Hedjwitch , that's a great list. I've always used aromatherapy and I'm building up my collection. Despite growing up in the countryside, I'm clueless about the natural world outside the door though! I never seem to be able to remember the names of things. I'd love to have the knowledge you have.

FrostedSunrise thankyou for such an inspiring post showing us ways of celebrating Mabon. Some really lovely ideas.

My Sabbat celebrations vary a lot depending on what else is going on in my life.
Many of us have burdens or limitations, others to care for, new babies to nurture, energetic children running around.
I liked to involve my children when they were young, baking, crafts woodland walks- but all more based on nature rather than paganism ( although the two melt quite deliciously into each other.
I have also learned to show myself compassion when I don't have the headspace. time or energy to push the boat out.
At those times I mark the sabbats in simple ways- lighting a candle, some divination, meditation or writing- and I honour the place I am in at that moment.

And that's OK too. For those who are going through tough and extended challenges, know that it is fine to pare back celebrations to the minimum.
We can do that and respect our authenticity and sovereignty.
If our witching activities feel like one more thing on our to do list then it ceases to support us.
Magical acts should be there to strengthen us- especially in our darker times. I don't like to think of my sisters here not making the mark or feeling overwhelmed.

Molly Roberts has a lovely youtube video "For the Tired Witches" exploring this subject.
So if your sabbat celebrations are big and whizz bang, that that is amazing, but smaller and simpler ways have no less juice.

I am glad it helped SleepyTerrier .
Molly Roberts has some wonderful videos on youtube- one of my favourite channels.

It's feeling gloriously autumnal here. I am wearing the tweed jacket DH got for me today and I love it.

Also, I found a new school for DS! So hopefully his last year of primary will be a good one.

And I still haven't finished using up our apple crop.

Good morning magical friends.
I hope everyone is enjoying the flavour of the season.
This past week has been too busy for my liking, and my week ahead shows no sign of rest. OH has gone to Ireland, not bak until Thursday.
DD is moving house, we have been helping and hired a van for the heavy stuff, she has an overlap of a week, so can flit between the two places with smaller stuff, but needs me to help with a deep clean of the old place towards the end of the week.
She hasn't inherited my laundry love, and has a mountain of clothes, so I cheerfully picked up 12 black bags of stuff to be washed.
Yesterday my washing machine started making thunderous noises, when I flew into the kitchen there were bright sparks inside the drum and a smell of smoke.
It isn't worth repairing, so I have tons of washing ( including my own too), until the new machine is delivered on Friday. I took some to the local laundrette yesterday and probably a few other trips, too as I wash for four of us at home.

I have work, and keep those I care fed and organised.

I have to find some balance- I have already cancelled my new moon's womens circle tomorrow, and a massage - which is sad, but I already have yoga that day, and is a bit of a drive and getting home past my normal bed time. There will be other times.
My nurturing activities keep me afloat, but that also includes making sure I have time for rest, sleep, pacing myself, quiet down time, journalling or reading, some easy body care like a foot pack. My own nutrition is important too, so easy to grab unhealthy snacks when we are busy, I will make up some Green Goddess dressing this morning, and have some easy meals, with seasonal produce.
I am reading a lovely book at the moment, called Archaeology for the Women's Soul, a life journey written in poetry- perfect for tonight's Balsamic moon.
If I pack too much into my time- even if these are good things then I start to feel paper thin, frayed around the edges.
I hope tomorrow's new moon in Libra will allows us energy to find balance, for me that is key- but in itself takes some effort.
Just off to have a spa shower- geranium and rose and enter into my day as it unfolds.

Take some time to nurture your own incredible selves.

Evening all, feel like I need to pull a chair up by the fire for some camaraderie tonight. @SleepyTerrier I know exactly how you feel! Libra season and the equinox bring a balancing effect, but I think before the balance can set in there's the forceful jolt of the scales dipping down. I can feel strongly that I'm on the threshold of change and with the veil thinning at the same time as we draw close to Samhain, everything feels very unsettled.

I practise Kabbalah in the sense that I work with the Tree of Life, and I've been holding the Sephira of Yesod since early September. I'm working my way up the tree and am waiting for the 'green light' to move into Hod, but I'm noticing so many similarities between Yesod and the current season that I'm not sure when it will come! Yesod is connected to water just like autumn, it's the gateway between worlds like Samhain, a liminal space connected to psychic abilities, memory, ancestors and those that have passed over (again, just like Samhain!). Strange that I didn't notice this before, but it's interesting how the Universe gives us these opportunities to notice things and make connections.

Your practice sounds fascinating FrostedSunrise, a subject I know little about. I'd love to know more.

It has been a busy week for me, helping DD move has been a big task. The final push today - we are doing a deep clean of her old place this afternoon.
I normally take a trip to a neighbouring small town on a Saturday with OH- he shops while I am at Body Balance, but not today. I will get plenty activity washing floors and cleaning windows, my shoulders are sore and I have bruises all over my body from moving heavy stuff.

I have ended up cancelling a lot of yummy stuff that was booked for this week- a massage, woman's circle, a sound bath, a few yoga sessions.
Once I am back home this evening I plan to book up more events, I like to have a few things to look forward too.

Our local town community group has lots of interesting stuff happening in the coming weeks. With themes of witchcraft very much at the core. There was a recent Mabon Market, and some Samhain events too- a child''s pumpkin dinner, a feast for the dead a Halloween party, psychic fair.
The feel of my local small town has changed a lot in the past few years. Tributes and paintings to remember local women murdered by the church during the burning times, a very active guerrilla gardening group, a large craft shop selling local items, honey, bread, preserves. Working closely with our local council this magical energy is conjured by a group of strong women, steering our town into a more inclusive and abundant place.
During that time 4 of the 8 centuries old churches in the town have closed permanently, congregations dwindling to single figures. I cant help but smile inwardly as female magical energy reclaims its rightful place.
I would love to be more involved locally but I am often stretched paper thin as it is. I do pop into the craft shop most weeks and make a purchase.

I have slept longer than usual last night, and plan a slow morning, some meditation, some spine/shoulder yoga stretches, make myself a large healthy smoothie for breakfast.

I hope everyone manages to weave some magic into their weekend- however large or small.

@speakout Your town sounds very special and like a safe haven, almost like the magical village of Myrtlewood in Iris Beaglehole's Myrtlewood Mysteries book series (not sure if anyone here is familiar with those!). It sounds like you had a lot planned for this week, sometimes it's more enjoyable to do less. I hope the move goes well for your DD

There's plenty about Kabbalah that I don't know - my practice and research has primarily focused on the Tree of Life and the angels. The Tree of Life is a spiritual concept in Kabbalah, representing all of life as a macrocosm and the human being as a microcosm. It's composed of 10 sephiroth (emanations), which represent different points on the journey of the creative process, which work together to channel the energy of the divine to its ultimate manifestation. Each sephira has a name and the temple of that sephira can be visited in meditation. A common practice is to work your way up (and then back down!) the tree by visiting each sephira in turn through meditation and visualisation. Once you've visited one sephira, you invite that energy into your life as you travel up the tree. It's normal to 'hold' one sephira for at least a month to allow it to fully integrate into your life so you don't stumble. The sephiroth are also all connected to each other by paths that represent each of the major arcana cards in Tarot, so those energies are worked in as well. It's one of those things that you can study for a lifetime and there will still be plenty you do not know.

Today I've been tuning in to the Hay House Mystical Connections all day free event on Zoom. There are some interesting speakers although it has a strong North American vibe in terms of the setup and presentation and salesy vibes. Hope everyone is having a good weekend so far

That's so interesting FrostedSunrise, thanks for sharing.
Trees seem to feature heavily in many spiritual paths, practices and religions.
Without trees none of us would have life, so fundamental to our existence.
Interesting too that there are to Tarot perhaps a connection through hermeticism?
You are right about rest- I have been focussing on the importance of allowing ourselves down time, including breaks during the day.
I am tendency to charge on through my day, telling myself that a change of activity is as good as a rest, and sometimes that works, but I am now elevating the importance of a pause. Even though the words inside my head try to speak of "lady muck" or " who does she think she is" a fragment of my protestant upbringing and ethic.

I have a day at home today, I have to work for a few hours and a yoga class, but OH is here to handle all the domestics. My car is full of stuff to recycle, and term storage from my DDs flat, but thankfully again OH will deal with that.
Off for a shower and an easy start to my day, allowing magic to flow and fill the gaps to give me ease and comfort.

Trees play a large part in many paths.

Druids' sacred groves, Beth Luis Nuinn alphabet, modern day conservation projects.

Norse pantheon, Yggdrasil the World Tree.
Odin hanging upside down on it, one eye facing outward, the other inward. He discovers the Runes

Sacred ancient woodland, where oak, ash and thorn grow, faeries live.

Seahenge in Norfolk, utter shambles of an excavation but a reconstruction shows a tall timber circle with an upside down tree at its centre.

Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree and found enlightenment.

There's so much more to discover.

Try Tree, Essence, Spirit and Teacher by Simon Lilly for a very different perspective.

BlankTimes I agree.
I have a silver filigree necklace - my mother asked me why I was wearing a christian symbol.
Trees are so ubiquitous throughout most religions, spiritual paths, myths, symbolism, history.
It feels that autumn has arrived- mornings and evenings are so dark.
I have my growing collection of Nordic socks to sort through, pairing them up, looking for those too worn to wear, filling my sock drawer and putting the rest into deeper storage.
I will of course have a candle and a mug of cocoa on the side. I welcome the fun and enjoyment in tasks like these!
I have one of my last few therapy sessions today- and it is unlikely I will work with this therapist again as she moves on.
Leading around to a natural conclusion for this work takes me staring at my spiritual self, my divinity, my craft. My initial target for therapy was to help my anxiety, but we have traveled much deeper and wider than that. Back to the essence of being, awakening, non duality. Incredibly profound. I am changed forever- my heart space opened.
It is definitely a candle day, heavy black clouds dominate the sky- I love the coziness of this season!

Absolutely, trees are important in many spiritual traditions. The Tree of Life doesn't look that much like a tree in how it's usually depicted, but it's common to envisage it as a real tree in meditation. I see it as a beautiful grand oak tree with colourful gemstones sparkling amongst its leaves which can then break away and expand into shimmering portals to the different sephiroth and their temples. The entrance to the temple of Malkuth (the lowest emanation, known as the 'Kingdom' or 'manifestation' and representing physical embodiment/physical existence) is a doorway in the trunk of the tree.

I've included a picture below of the Tree and the 10 sephiroth, also showing the different paths that connect them which represent the major arcana in tarot, so you can see what it looks like. This image also includes the '11th sephira' called Da'at or 'knowledge' which is sometimes omitted or represented by a dotted circle, as this is a sephira that represents nothingness and the abyss. Many argue it isn't truly a sephira at all.

I wonder if anyone has any ideas as to how I can bring the energy of rowan into my life more? Rowans are my favourite trees and they have a special significance to me. We have some rowan trees growing nearby but they're public property (street trees), not ours. I looked to see if there were any rowan essential oils or rowan teas or something in that vein online, but nothing jumped out at me. I'm also aware the berries are poisonous so was wary of the dried rowan berry teas that I saw in my searches. Any ideas?

I've been thinking a lot about my ancestors and beloved dead recently as we're heading towards Samhain and October is the month we lost a family member and a beloved pet (more than a decade ago in his case, but I still struggle to believe it some days!). I went for a graveyard walk with DP and a friend at the weekend (friend's suggestion, but it felt eerily in line with the mood of the season and what I myself have been pondering in my own energy - a synchronicity). Some lovely old graves but it always makes me very sad to see the headstones that have been broken by plants and the weather, or whose writing is completely eroded so you can no longer read the name of who is buried there. I think because it highlights that there is no-one left to remember them anymore, so it's as though they have truly been forgotten.

I lit some opium incense this morning and dedicated it to all my ancestors, ancient and modern, and my beloved dead. The incense was burning next to an open window and it had just begun to pour down when I lit it. The sky went very dark as the rain was lashing down at a rate I couldn't quite believe. Then, about a minute after the incense had fully burned down, the rain stopped and the sky began to lighten until the sun began to shine. It really felt like the many souls I was honouring had descended upon the space and then left feeling lighter once they'd received the offering. Very special.

Just popped on briefly to say that Rowan berries are quite edible and make a lovely jelly that you can serve with meat or whatever takes your fancy.

Check out the Woodland Tryst website for a recipe for Rowan jelly and how to identify the fruits.

I thread Rowan berries onto red thread to form small " bracelets" which i give to people as protective charms to hang in the house or car.

Hello, I've been lurking and reading for while and would love to join in here. I have never called myself a pagan or witch, but have long been interested in things like tarot, crystals, dreams, synchronicity. I always feel there's so much we don't understand and can't explain. I explored these things around thirty years ago, but then as life took over I sort of drifted away. Apart from always feeling a deep connection to nature, it's the one thing that grounds me.
At very end of last year I started reading about paganism and witchcraft, and felt the pull to explore some more. I've tried to mark the sabbats this year, to notice the moon phases, and to read here and learn from you all! So I'd love to join in the conversation and learn some more.

Hello @MonstersAndAngels !

Just realised my typo above - mind you, a ‘woodland tryst’ might be fun! 😂

Hello @Craftycorvid - I didn't notice the typo 😂

Welcome @MonstersAndAngels we're delighted to have you!

Thanks so much for your tips on the rowan energy everyone! I've seen some nice rowan wood bracelets online which look nice. I had one many years ago which unfortunately came apart one day out of nowhere, but it had always been that bit too big for me. Do you have a particular way of drying out the rowan berries for bracelets @Hedjwitch?

Haha I chuckled at the typo earlier @Craftycorvid - I love the idea of a romantic tryst in the woods that culminates in picking rowan berries for a jelly 😂

Thank you @FrostedSunrise
One thing I'd love to know is how those of you who have Oracle cards use them? I hadn't heard of them until reading here, and I bought some - the druid plant oracle deck as I loved the images and I'm interested anyway in herb medicine and folklore around plants and animals. I did try drawing a card a few times, but feel like i need to get more familiar with the cards first.
I used to read tarot, and after buying the oracle cards I was thinking a lot about my old cards - I knew I hadn't seen them for good number of years and was worried they might have got lost in a house move, I knew I wouldn't have deliberately got rid of them. Strangely, I found them about a month ago in a box in the shed!!