Any Witches Here? Part 21

[speakout]

Just settling into the new place, plumping the cushions and opening the windows. Welcome to n everyone, newcomers, old friends, the curious.
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..

Greetings sister,and welcome back. Love your name,Rowan trees are so powerful.

I did a bit more on my wee room today and it is slowly turning into a sanctuary. Raising 3 kids in a 2 bed plus box room flat has meant there's never been room to put my stuff out or have my place. This is utter luxury.

Well that was a disaster! Glitchy phone and I managed to delete the account I created 🤦🏼‍♀️ let's try again! Thank you for the greetings @Hedjwitch. I too am creating a space just for me, and it is indeed a luxury to have everything out on display or where I desire it, not hidden away. It's a warm, fuzzy feeling! I have a little altar of sorts (an old milking stool!) with a candle and a little wooden bowl on it that I put little things I find on my walks to meditate on what the seasons and nature brings. The fact that they don't last long before being returned to the earth (compost heap!) is a good grounding reminder for me to pause and be present, and to flow with the wheel of the year, notice the changes, accept them and let things go. Crafting things like the wreath is a helpful tool, it took time, it's pretty, but the herbs and foliage won't last long, and then I will need to dismantle it and return the to the earth, it's quite symbolic of all the cycles of life, be it plant, animal or person.
Apologies for the rambling tangent!

I am in my room now,reading a very interesting book called The Witching Herbs.
I planned to decorate it all before I moved my stuff in,but I failed on that front so excuse the plaster patches on the walls! It's a work in progress but I find peace here.

Oh I'll have to take a look at that book, I do love working with plants. I've tried to simplify most parts of my craft and not have too many things, but one thing I am a total sucker for is plants and knowledge about them! Your room has a cosy and studious vibe coming from those pictures

I'm just trying to catch up with everything - lots of life stuff as well as summer events. I hope the funeral wasn't too difficult @speakout your OH's family sound a lot like dp's. There's a lot of hidden agendas which can erupt.

We had fun at the Latitude Festival - there's something special about thousands of people all dancing and singing together. We saw the Kaiser Chiefs and Fatvoy Slim.
Last weekend I went to a local Yoga Festival, including a lovely barefoot glow on the grass snd a Sound Bath. At both events I unexpectedly bumped into people I knew, which was lovely.

This weekend, we've had a barbecue in the garden and we're heading to the coast tomorrow.

Tarot reader and empath 👋
is there room on a sofa for me and my two muttleys?

Of course there is. You and your familiars are welcome

SolitaryRowanTree a warm welcome- I love your wreath! I am glad you are able to come out of tHe broom closet and claim your space.
Hedjwitch Your room looks very calm and cosy, lovely energy.
charlieandjenna a warm welcome to you and your familiars.

A rowan tree has sprung up in my front garden in the past few years. It is only 4 or 5 feet from my living room window and front of my house. I imagine it arrived in bird droppings. I have been enjoying it so much, a double main trunk, a beautiful verdant green a beautiful view from inside. Unfortunately it is becoming too large, I have been putting off the inevitable, but it is now 15 foot high or so, and I am concerned the roots may be impinging on my house foundations. I have been watching it and decided to myself that it would have to be lopped before it was too big a job to do myself- then it would cost ££££. That time has come, although high the main trunks are slender, only 6 or 7 cm in diameter. I need to cut them to a shorter size. I hope if I trim it/them to 5 or 6 feet the danger to my foundations will be lessened, I donn't want to get rid of it completely. Just sad when a magnificent tree is so enjoyingn life!! Is it just me that thinks these things?

Thank you for the welcome @speakout. No it is not just you that thinks these things! I love seeing a tree reaching it's full potential, especially a rowan tree. I was sad to leave my sapling rowan behind at my last house, but I wasn't going to remove her as she was doing so well and had claimed her space. I do wonder how big she would be now, if the current owners have left her there. Yet to plant one where I am now, but the landscape on the doorstep has plenty of wild ones growing, so I tend to just take my dog for a walk and visit a few each time, though I do miss having my own to sit under and ground with. We went for a walk yesterday in an ancient woodland and it was quite something to absorb every sight, sound, smell and texture there, my mind was empty of everyday things yet so full of what was there and wondering upon what stories these trees could tell. It wasn't a long or strenuous walk compared to our usual types, but both me and my little familiar are quite tired today, which is most unusual for her! Maybe allowing myself to be fully open and receptive, on the day of a full moon drained me so I can refill anew with what I wish to become. With madame terrier, I think it was possibly a case of so many good sniffs her brain is still processing them!

I had to cut back the wild cherry and plum trees in the garden last year. I told the trees first why I was doing it and asked them to pull their energy back from the branches to be cut. Sounds silly but I felt better about it.

Morning all! And hello to new folks!

@Hedjwitch your room looks delightful! And I absolutely understand the need to explain if I have to uproot a plant or cut down a tree. My matriarch of a rosemary plant was sacrificed without ceremony when the gardener installed a raised bed for me. The deed was done before I could thank the plant for her comfort to me and the pleasure of her presence in the garden. I had to go and apologise to her remains. When Mr Crafty was in hospital after his stroke it gave me great solace to come into the garden and enjoy the fragrance of the rosemary plant.

My energies have been rather unsettled lately - could be the beautiful full moon has magnified things, but I’ve felt a profound sense of loneliness which is quite hard to define. Mr Crafty’s memory was affected by his stroke and he’s forgotten many of the things we did together over the years, as well as some of the places we visited. I feel as though I’m the sole custodian of the relationship sometimes, which is a bit dramatic, and my sensible side gets my feet on the ground again after a while. We have kind friends in our lives and I have people to talk to but this isn’t loneliness that can be cured by contact with others - I’m blessed with that - it’s an interior sense of loss. I think that’s part of the attraction to my garden as it’s living, changing and growing all the time, yet it stays essentially recognisable as my garden. And Mr Crafty very much enjoys the garden alongside me.

Wishing you all a peaceful Moon-day.

I understand about the trees too. Our old neighbour had two silver birches in her front garden, but they eventually died. The last one symbolically died just after she did and we had to ask the executors to remove it as it was dangerously close to both our houses. I had to cut the wisteria, even after pruning, as unseen, it had reached tendrils between our fence and nextdoor's wall along the drive. Suddenly, there was wisteria growing out across the pavement. It felt a bit like a Sleeping Beauty moment.

Edited to make more sense.

I love silver birches. Such elegant trees. My mother's memorial bench is placed at the edge of a stand of silver birches and I love sitting there listening to them whispering in the breeze.

I live in an old cottage, and there is a Rowan tree near the front gate, and one at the back where there was a gate that opened onto a now unused track. A couple of other cottages here also have one at their front gate - supposed to keep witches away! I always salute it on my way out and in.

knocks on door quietly am just starting my journey into this. Brought up in organised religion but Christianity never clicked at all for me, it all just felt false and controlling.....yet I definitely have a tugging need inside to link to something, spiritually. Am a huge nature nerd, love my plants and wildlife and am increasingly drawn to the wheel of the year, and a closer relationship with the earth.

I feel totally out of my depth and could do with pointers where I could read or learn or get started on my journey. Any starter books for intrigued newbies?

Hi SuePreemly and welcome. Grab a beanbag and some tea and cake.

Do have a look through our previous threads and see what takes your interest. Then explore that, there's no right or wrong way to "do" our way of life, we are all different with different interests 😋

Welcome SuePreemly
My interests are those of a greenwitch,so herbs and healing plants. Happy to help if I can. Others will be able to advise on Tarot,Runes Crystals etc etc. For now,just chill and feel at home.

Craftycorvid the way you describe your loneliness makes perfect sense to me. Even when that happens in a relationship. I was pondering these things recently- I feel that I am growing apart from Mr Speakout. We have been together for decades, but my path is taking a different direction. He seems stuck somehow- although I'm sure that isn't the case. As I awaken into my self, my growth, my journey is leading us apart. It is sad in a way, many things we enjoyed doing together have lost my interest. There is bound to be changes in long term relationships, even without serious medical events.
So I focus on the good things that still make us work-our shared humour, our love of good food, the way we support each other in difficult times or hard decisions need to be made and many other aspects. So despite moving apart there are overwhelming reasons for us to stay together.

What a beautiful spot for your Mum's memorialbench Hedjwitch -trees especially birches do whisper their incantations into the breeze. They are full of wisdom and truth.

A warm welcome SuePreemly, I'm glad you have joined us. Like many of us here I have no appetite for the christian faith-" fake and controlling" describes it accurately. I cannot accept a faith that puts some boss into my life, and I don't need a book to tell me that killing others is wrong.

This week has been an easier one, lots of life situations and challenges are becoming resolved and delegated, really taking a lot of pressure from me. it's a lot cooler here- 19 degrees, I am enjoying an iced freshly squeezed orange and ginger juice and having a little break.
I just love when life is soft and simple, living in the flow, my nervous system unravells, my emotions calm and life feels comfortable. Even if only for a short while!

Hello @SuePreemly (great name) I'm also a newbie, but these lovely sisters are very welcoming.

Your mother's memorial with the silver birches is beautiful. I have always felt an affinity to trees. As a child, we used to visit the New Forest on our way back from the beach and I always loved it more.

@speakout I know how you feel about drifting apart. I feel the same (24yrs this month) but we've had so much turmoil the last year, I just need to take stock slowly, I think.

Same here on the drifting apart, but not surprising after 38 years!
I am up to my eyes in plums,courtesy of my kindly neighbour. So far I have 6 jars of chutney and a plum strudel cake and still they keep coming!
I think plum vodka or brandy next.

Hedjwitch a plum glut! how lovely! My fruit has pretty much vanished in recent weeks, a little disappointing, as my trees produced so much this year. I didn't get to sample a single apple or cherry, pears were taken. The victoria plums are a greeny/purple colour, and quite a few left, but still small and very hard. I did have a lot of raspberries, but they have finished now. On the plus side my garden is teeming with wildlife, so many butterflies, bees, ladybirds and of course birds!
I am off to the gym to do some weight training this morning, I have been a few times recently and I am enjoying it, it fits in with my yoga practice well. I plan a weekend of magical restoration - I know there will be tasks, some work and things to do, but only the minimum. I plan a river visit to collect stones for painting, write some poetry, some Tarot, and Oracle work also some journalling and a little spellwork.
One thing about Mr Speakout is his unwavering support for my spiritual journey. Although not a practitioner himself he sees my work as important and powerful, which means a lot. My own family - apart from my wonderful niece- either disregard my work and see it as silly, and is actually kept as a dirty little secret from some of the more religious members who would have a hairy canary if they found out!

I hope everyone finds a sprinkling of magic to lighten this day.

Hi All,

I've kinda bounced in and out here and there over the years, but never stayed long.. im a very solitary solitary, having never had like minded friends, but i'm realising as i get older (now 44) that i think by staying so isolated in my craft, i'm missing out on learning, and frienship.. so i'd kinda like to stay (if i can)

Warm welcome Kreepture come on in and make yourself at home 🏡
Lovely to see you again, do stay.

Kreepture - glad you have joined us. There's a pitcher freshly made of iced tea- help yourself.

Most of us here are solitaries- so we understand where you are coming from. There is a huge amount of freedom in practicing alone, I have worked in groups, a coven, but not for me these days.
I still enjoy magical energy in groups, but they tend to be witch adjacent rather than witches themselves. I love raising the energy in women's circles, yoga classes, meditation groups etc.- these are enough to fill my need of magical connection.

Hello, is there some room by the fire? I’ve not been around for a while but I’m feeling the need for some company. I lost my beautiful spaniel 5 weeks ago. He was 15, so a really good age, but it doesn’t make it any easier. I keep telling myself that he’s no longer in pain from the arthritis he’d been struggling with, but I have a spaniel sized hole in my heart and feel I’ve lost a part if me, somehow.
I hope everyone is well. I’m going to spend some time catching up on your posts. Love to you all.