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

I so agree about feelings of grief. Although usually connected to loved ones who have passed it can manifest in many life situations.

We have hopes for our children, do the best we can as parents and want them to have happy and successful lives. But things don't always turn out this way, and we have to face circumstances that we possibly never imagined and tha fallout for all the family.
And it is real grief. I have cried an ocean in recent years, but I am coping better now. Acceptance is a huge part of healing grief, I found that by accepting those feelings instead of fighting them everything became much easier.
Sadness, sorrow fear are all very much part of being human, and need to exist so we can recognise joy. And absolutely possible to feel all these things together life is very complex!
Anxiety about the future is very understandable too, but we can waste so much energy by running through all the "what if" scenarious stoking my fears.
While it is prudent to have some contingency plan,s worrying about stuff that hasn't happened or may not happen is futile.
We can't be in control of all situations, but we don't need to be. The future will unfold and we will cope.
I had a profound lightbulb moment last year when self trust hit me like a ton of bricks, it was a powerful.
I have been through some dreadful times in my life and I am still here- some battle scars but I have managed to move forward. And I know I can cope with what may happen in the future, no matter the circumstance. There may be pain and sorrow, but I have resilience and strength. I feel that to the core of my bones- even during the times I am feeling disregulated.

I will light a candle for my sisters and Richard tonight, and send energy to all who need it.
We are all beings of light.

@Hedjwitch and @speakout thank you for your kind words. @Hedjwitch that poem is lovely, thank you, I have a Yoga Nidra Sankalpa (mantra) about choosing the right path and having the courage to follow it - so it definitely resonates. @speakout your words on grief are very poignant and express very much what I'm going through and what I'm discovering.

I do like the 8 and 8 (?) candle idea and have been lighting candles in the evening, but have a black spice and myrrh one, I will light in the morning as I meditate.

Thank you @FrostedSunrise and everyone who has posted. @FrostedSunrise, you have given me so much to explore which is really going to help me structure my days, open my mind and help me learn a bit more about myself. I am really grateful.

This is such a wonderful thread, full of wise words and the love and kindness in people’s posts really stands out. I am so glad to have found it and thank you for embracing me. You have and will continue to help me as I watch on and go through this transition and healing. Thank you.

quirkychick I am glad you enjoy the 8&8, started by one of our dear sisters a few years ago.
I always have a candle burning at the bookend times of the day flames are so special they ,can cut across space and timelines with ease.
It is a wet, cold and blustery morning, I can hear wind through the trees and the rain pounding the windows.
Nosignalnorelationship I am glad too that you have found this thread, yoiur wisdom and love make this a better place.
I was brought up to believe that other women were a threat, that I was in competition with them, they would want to look more beautiful than me, would want to steal my man, would always gossip about me behind my back. Sadly my mother still believes this patriarchial narrative, she thinks women are devious, stupid, untrustworthy- but my eyes have been opened to these destructive structures that are needed to prop up the patriarchy. Having women tear each other down is fuel for male dominated social architecture.
Female power is feared because it is so powerful. Women in numbers and leaning together can literally change the world, and is much needed to shift the balance of power and priority and is needed desperately as we career on this path to human extinction. And it is not too late to change. The media feeds us tales of destruction, war and fear, but there are so many wonderous things happening too- but they lack the sensationalism of headline news.
As I have learned to value myself I have also opened my heart to other women. I want my sisters to be happy, I love to hear of the achievements of other women, I want to support, congratulate, empower and help others feel good about themselves. I hope I am a good shoulder too, to help when things are hard. Helping others to shine their light brighter does not diminish my light one bit- in fact it burns brighter too as a result.

I am feeling much better this week as family stuff has calmed down and I have managed to make time to rest, read, journal. I had an amazing holistic massage by candlelight on Tuesday, and treated myself to a yoga class at the posh place in town- underfloor heating, bolsters and blankets.

Have a wonderful weekend sisters- you are important.

Who loves this ?

I'm Christian but what I love about alternative beliefs to my own is the acknowledgment of something above the machine of society.

I love reaching into history and discovering what ancient cultures valued and cared about. Folk music reaches me on another level.

Somehow my Christianity manages to meld and intertwine with all this but I appreciate when it's absolutely doesn't as the church has a thorny (understatement!) history. But the connection with the spiritual aspect of life and caring and coming together of women on this thread I get and applaud.👏

just that really. Hi and bi. But hoping for some sort of unity and understanding in the future.

thickblizzard · I wish you well on your spiritual path. We each have our own journey of choice- or even not! It is interesting to read your views of something "above the machine of society", as for me the "machine of society" is sacred, contains the divine. I don't see anything as being "above" me, and with my deep questioning of authority it isn't a schema I warm towards.

But these things are worth pondering over, and sometimes trying to square a circle is a difficult thing to do.
I identify as an atheist- in part to distance myself from religion as a whole, and the henious acts, social structures that Abrahamic faiths particularly have brought to the world.
Despite being an "atheist" I do work with deity- I have managed to square that circle in my mind!

I am just back from yoga, I woke with a low mood, but a yoga class is often just the thing to bring me back to a good place. The temperature has dropped and wind is picking up, so I won't be venturing out again today.
My advent calender has arrived- The Pukka tea one,I have bought myself one these past few years. I have resisted breaking the seal and hanging it up, but trying to wait until 1st December.

I drink so much tea these days, I am awash!
Does anyone make their own tea blends? Including any for magical purposes.
I always stir an intention into my tea, and have tried using dried home grown herbs, but no great sucess so far.
If anyone has tea blend recipes I would love if you could share. This is my pukka advent calender-

Whoops! Sorry for such a large picture!

@speakout thank you. With regards to what you said about society, yes, I believe society has a divine aspect too. I think it is the corruption within aspects of society that I like to look beyond which I think is probably connected to your deep questioning of authority. I think the divine is within (reach of) all of us and everything so from this the greater/higher aspect comes when that divinity throughout everything is harmoniously connected up together seamlessly. 🙂

Absolutely love this advent calendar! I make apple tea with my leftover peelings from the Sunday crumble. Simmer with cinnamon and honey. It’s delicious 😊

I really liked the part in the Modern Paganism video where Ronald Hutton talks about Paganism finding the divine within rather than outside of oneself, trying to be the best version of humanity. I would usually call myself an agnostic, but am interested in exploring deeper connections to the world around us and having a deeper experience of life.

@speakout I have several times walked past that calendar, I've been very tempted! I also have been drinking a lot of tea, not really a recipe, but I bought some dried rosebuds in a middle eastern shop and have added them to jasmine tea for a fragrant tea. I really like both the Pukka night time tea and the peace tea. I'm currently drinking the English Tea Company, green tea with mint. Yogi detox tea is really nice too.

@speakout I haven't made any very adventurous tea blends but I did buy some dried chamomile, peppermint, rose and lavender and have tried some combinations of them. I especially liked the dried chamomile flowers which made a much stronger tea than the tea bags. I'd like to explore more tea blends, I also like the sound of your apple tea @GingerTeaCup . I love pukka teas but the price has gone up so much lately.

quirkychick I also came across this idea of immanence as described by Starhawk.

The locus of divine is internal rather than external- so we are living expressions of deity.

But having been wormholing for a while now I embrace the concept of non duality- there is no difference between external, and internal, there is no separation.

Thanks for the tea suggestions quirkychick. I really love this calender too.
Although my DD lightheartedly admonishes me for jumping around and not sticking to the exact date to be used- must be my iconoclastic leanings!!

@MonstersAndAngels I will look out for chamomile flowers, one of our Asian supermarkets sells them and our Chinese friend uses them for tea. Those are all favourite flavours of mine. In the summer, fresh mint tea from the garden is lovely.

@speakout I will look out immanence and have a read around. Tea, candles and yoga are certainly part of my current self-care rituals!

The Wheel of the Year book is helpful, thank you whoever recommended it. I love the connection with the seasons already and this gives me more to get into.

Evening, sisters! I have just been catching up on all the messages on this thread. Sending love to anyone feeling sadness or conflict just now.

I’m rather in the doldrums. I went ‘on strike’ yesterday in that the furthest I travelled was the back doorstep to collect the milk. Barely got dressed. I think it was a needed rest. Mr Crafty and I had intended to join a trip to the coast to see a seal colony but storm Bert put paid to that. Instead, we had a rootle through some old papers and writings from about 34 years ago and Mr C reminisced. I felt slightly less doldrum-y today and we had a short walk. Can’t say I’m approaching the coming week with wild enthusiasm but it’s a fairly quiet one work-wise, so hopefully we might have a mud-week weekend. Peaceful Sunday evenings, all!

If it was “Rounding the Wheel of the Year” then I believe that was me @quirkychick - glad you’re enjoying it if so! The seasonal connection is such an important aspect of my own path.

@Nosignalnorelationship you’re so welcome, I would recommend looking into the Wheel of the Year too for a sense of grounding. As you mentioned you were interested in the Celtic aspect, I should also recommend OBOD (the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids) - they teach a spiritual path that is very in tune with nature and of course hugely influenced by Celtic themes. As you said you were looking to structure your days a bit more, this might be interesting as the former chief Druid Philip Carr-Gomm does a weekly live stream “Tea with a Druid” on the OBOD Facebook page and YouTube channel on a Monday evening. There’s no expectation that the viewers are druids - it’s open to anyone and he often interviews another person or talks about a topic relevant to druidry, and there’s almost always a guided meditation. The current chief Druid Eimear Burke does fortnightly (I think) “Fireside Chats” on the same channels on a Thursday or Friday evening with a similar format.

I’d also recommend checking out Lucya Starza’s blog (author of the wheel of the year book I mentioned earlier in the post) for talks and events that are happening every day. She updates this page very frequently and while the in-person things are in London and the surrounding area because that’s where she’s based, there are plenty of online events too. Lots to keep you busy with if you’re looking for regular things to look forward to so you can stay busy 😊

@Craftycorvid maybe it's something in the air? Both dp and I were really tired yesterday and fell asleep during the day on two occasions! We had a quick, blustery walk but otherwise a very quiet day.

@FrostedSunrise yes it was "Rounding the Wheel of the Year" and thank you for your other recommendations too. I will look at those as well.

I've just remembered we also drink Greek Mountain Tea (ironwort) as well. Dp buys it dried online.

quirkychick I have not heard of Greek Mountain tea- I will look out for that.

My DS is a lover of fancy chinese teas, and has quite a collection.
I prefer herbal teas, peppermint ( Tea Pigs is my favourite) chamomile, fennel. Both ALDI and Lidl have tea blends that are really good, and very inexpensive. I am not such a fan of fruit teas, I find them usually bitter and astringent.
It's still blowing a hoolie outside, I am happy to be indoors with a warm drink.

I have just started listening/watching this-
s
I think someone posted it here recently, and I am sure it was mentioned by our dear friend Elphame a couple of years ago. A slightly chilling antidote to christmas comerrcialism.

@speakout we first had Greek Mountain Tea at a Greek restaurant, I also like camomile, peppermint and generally herbal teas. Aldi do a great teapigs version of peppermint, I bought some of their lemon and ginger in case of colds last week.

@FrostedSunrise I've just watched one of those fireside chats on YouTube. Really interesting about how being in nature helps - not that I need persuading!

Made some pomanders today by studding oranges with cloves. They are in a wooden bowl with cinammon sticks and star anise. Nearer to Yule I will decorate the bowl with Holly and pinecones

Hedjwitch your home must smell lovely. I remember doing this with my children too,
In fact pretty much the whole of december would involve some daily winter craft or activity.
The first to make would be the paper snowflakes- there was a Norwegian woman who attended one of our toddler groups, showed us how to make them. They can be as simple or ornate as you wish, stuck flat to inside of windows, we put them up in every room. The low winter sun would cast shadows of the snowflakes on the walls- my kids thought this was pure magic! I would keep the snowflakes up until Imbolc.
We didn't have much money as a family when the children were small, but we always found inexpensive ways to enjoy the season- foraging on woodland walks for wood to make a yule log, or paint pinecones.
I know this thead has had many amazing christmas craft ideas over the years- so worth scrolling back.
Making ice candles was one of my favourite, expecially as the ice can be charged with intention, releasing energy as it melts.

I have just returned from a shopping trip- Ikea and Matalan, I had planned to visit more shops, but it was becoming very busy, and I don't have a great appetite for shopping.
I am glad to be home, just finished my coffee and hung up my yoga mat to dry- I gave it a scrub in the bath yesterday.
Off to do some laundry magic then make some candles.
Have a magical weekend sisters.

@Hedjwitch we used to make pomanders too. I have dug out some cinnamon sticks to put in a glass jar of pinecones I have. We used to make the dried orange slices (smell really lovely with cinnamon) in the oven when we didn't have many decorations and the dcs were young.

@speakout we used to make those paper snowflakes at school, though usually 7 pointed and not ironed flat. So pretty.

I agree about shopping. I went into town late morning and thought I'd pop into John Lewis (I have a birthday coming up and dp wanted some ideas) I had forgotten it was Black Friday, they also had a pop Christmas Market and a kids choir. It was so busy, I just went back out again.

Has anyone got any recommendations for books on plant medicine, herbalism etc? I have a book on Ancient Remedies, but a lot is quite complicated Traditional Chinese Medicine. Thank you

The Herb Book by John Lust is the most comprehensive one I've ever owned. The extra info like which plants to use to dye natural fabrics is amazing.

www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/herb-book-book-john-b-lust-9780553172737?sku=GOR003168399&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAjKu6BhAMEiwAx4UsAlJb3knreMCWPsdhnM-Z2zGOcKR-BakAoK8NipA--7vkwfWeA-4E7hoCanoQAvD_BwE

@BlankTimes thank you very much. I will have a look at that - I now have a massive booklist thanks to mn!

Danu's Irish Herb Garden has a book. I've not read it, only seen her you tube videos, but you might like it.

I've just found this thread and I'm a newbie in all ways, but I think I might love it 🌱❤

Hi witches...

I wondered if you might point me in the right direction.

I have a feeling that I have some kind of dark energy that has attached itself to me for the last few years, maybe longer than that, I'm not sure.

When I say "dark" I don't mean anything very serious, but something that drags me down and can make me feel anxious, lethargic, sometimes nauseous, sometimes low in mood. Also forgetful and distracted with disturbed sleep.

I'm not prone to being dramatic or thinking things are "against me" (I say this because I imagine there are people who constantly think there's something "dark" attached to them). I've pursued all the typical modern medical answers to this.

It's just an intuitive feeling and entirely open to me being incorrect. I'd just like to cover this in addition to more 'modern' answers.

If I did want to cleanse my home and myself / my energy, what would the best way to do this be?

I was also considering adding protection to my home (bells, salt, etc) but should I cleanse first before adding protection?

Thanks so much for your wisdom in advance