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..

I feel Samhain and bonfire night a bit muddled.
So close, Samhain was probably celebrated by our ancients with a bonfire.

Guy Fawkes has become scary. My city has seen a lot of riioting, attacks on police, street fighting in recent years on this day. There are areas been designated as no firework zones, the places where trouble is most likely.

I have never enjoyed fireworks, even as a child. I have heard them being set off late for the past couple of nights. I feel for the animals who must be afraid, pets, farm animals and wildlife. I will be cooried in my nest with my familiars tomorrow.

How is everyone?

I'm just about surfacing. I found a full week, working full time hours and 2 days set up really took it out of me. And I came down with Covid last Friday...

Anyhow getting better and intrigued enough after reading about time slips in Sydney Gardens in Bath to be planning a field trip!

Sorry to hear you have Covid TheWytch , hopefully you are on the mend.

I just googled time slips in Sydney Gardens- how intriguing!

This week is overly busy yet again with dreary jobs and supporting my family.
In times like this I make sure I make room to rest, sit and have a tea, just for 20 minutes or so. Very important to avoid overwhelm

I hope you feel better soon @TheWytch.

I agree about it easy to feel overwhelmed. What with starting up tutoring, yoga Training and trying to chase up SEND stuff for dd2, it can seem a bit much. I'm really trying to build in rest, one of my students cancelled this afternoon, so I went for a quick walk in the woodland area of a local park. I'm doing a Yin class later - but it's less relaxing as a student/trainee, I have to make notes afterwards.

I went to a great Ayurveda Workshop on Sunday. A lot about looking after yourself and eating fresh, seasonal foods. It was very interesting and with a great group of women. Several of is are trying to implement some simple changes, so I hope that will help us all look after ourselves.

Checking in. Been a bit down with fibro,a sore back and the funeral of dear Vince. I tried a Tarot reading yesterday as I'm still new to it really and the three cards were about descent,challenges and then transformation. Apparently The Morrigan and The Old Crane Woman are there to help.
I dunno. Tarot isn't really my forté but it kind of resonated.

I'd love to eat more seasonably and locally. Money, energy and ND food fussiness are all factors against me currently, but I'm hoping to make some small changes over time.
Edit: this was in response to @quirkychick's post about wellness

I try to eat as seasonally as possible. We have a veg box delivered from a local organic farm and I buy food that is as little processed as possible.

It helps that artificial sweeteners make me really ill so I'm now tempted by far fewer convenience foods but just occasionally I would like a can of something sweet and fizzy on a hot day.

@Hedjwitch - I am a reasonable tarot reader. I don't do it professionally though. Your deck sounds interesting. Which one is it? If I'm reading for someone else I will use the Smith Rider Waite, if for myself I use the Ced deck.

Hedjwitch I hope you are feeling better soon. Tarot can be supportive, I have a few decks, my favourite ( like others on here) is the everyday witch Tarot.
I plan a reading for myself tomorrow- I have a block of weekly counselling coming up with a brand new therapist, and I am feeling some trepidation.
TheWytch artificial sweetners seem to swell my finger joints, I know they can be quite inflammatory. I use a flavoured natural syrup or fresh juice moixed with ice and sparkling water if I need a fizzy drink.
I am also slightlly obsessed with ginger and orange juice right now. I use fresh grated ginger mashed and sieved - or half of a ginger shot from the supermarket. Lots of ice and topped up with orange juice. Drink with a straw. Seems to give me an afternoon boost.
I tend to eat well but simply. I lost my mojo for cooking a few years ago after years of family cooking, and it hasn't returned, so I don't cook much - perhaps if my daughter comes to visit.
I eat a lot of porridge oats, with fruit, nuts etc.I make spelt pancakes, or throw some courgettes, peppers,onions tomatoes in the air fryer and eat with a home made nut sate sauce or some salmon. Or pumpkin- again in the air fryer, drizzled with some green goddess dressing. I make batches of soup to freeze and have a small salad with my meals. I did make an apple crumble this week, with a buckwheat and walnut topping- none of my family like cooked fruit- bonus!- so I cut it into individual portions and froze.
Work is very busy right now, but I attended a sound bath on Friday which was divine. So soothing, comforting- soul food.
Off to yoga this morning, then an afternoon of work with candles and cats.

Sorry, in a rush but for really tasty soft drinks that taste grown up, Google

Fever Tree sparkling Raspberry lemonade with a hint of rose. Has Fructose.

Belvoir Farms Sparkling Elderflower and Rose. Has sugar.

The sweeteners set off my IBS and in the case of aspartame have me throwing up. It ain't pretty.... I do have a fridge of suitably safe drinks at home but I miss being able to pop into a shop and pick up a cold can of something on a hot day when out and about. I really miss Dr Pepper although I'd only have a couple of cans a year! The first thing I do on a visit to LA is go straight to a Mexican owned grocery shop for a 6 pack.

Just off now for a winter ritual in the woods with some friends. Plenty of warm clothes I think, the temperature has dropped sharply here today.

@TheWytch I am.using a lovely deck called The Rooted Woman by Sharon Blackie. I have another botanical one which I really like too.

i'm.. alive. it's been a stressful few weeks filled with medical appointments due to my degenerative disk disease suddenly getting worse.. finally had an MRI scan on thursday.

Also been dealing with both kids being SEN and at College, and finding stuff a bit overwhelming.

I'm not sleeping well, i'm in a lot of pain, seems the October slide got me good this year.

@speakout those drinks sound divine. I love lemon and ginger tea with honey during the winter. It's the only tea I drink as I find the berry ones never taste as nice as they smell.
We had sound baths at work on Friday, but I'm not permanent staff so I didn't stay for it, and I thought the traffic after would counter any bliss I managed to find! @TheWytch I like the sound of your ritual in the woods. @Kreepture that sounds really tough going all round

We have Remedy kombucha, which has stevia but is hopefully reasonably healthy. They have lovely flavours like cherry plum and raspberry lemonade. Feverfew and Belvoir and delicious, I agree.

The Sharon Blackie tarot sounds really interesting, I loved the book If Women Rose Rooted.

@CailleachGhlas when DD2 was at home we had quite a few restrictions with food.

@Kreepture that all sounds so hard.

Evening all! Just catching up with all the posts. I’ve been immersed in prepping and painting our large attic room for fitted storage units. Having the house in upheaval doesn’t suit my nerves -I worry about literally any and every possible thing that could go wrong!

It’s interesting to see how others work with Tarot. I use the Thoth deck which can give some rather ‘tough love’ readings at times! Helpful insights though.

Been a witchy weekend here with a bit of urbex involved.... Last chance for a bit of fun as the Christmas market season is beginning and I'm going to be working some funny hours until the Solstice.

@Craftycorvid I also have the Thoth deck but I rather struggle with it. It hasn't yet "clicked" with me but I've had friends use it for their readings for me. My favourite/least favourite is the Pracownik Dragon deck. It was the first deck I ever bought, totally unsuitable for a beginner and even now I find it impossible to read. I still love the artwork though so I hang on to it for that alone. My weirdest deck is the Housewives Tarot. At first glance it looks ridiculous but it is often absolutely spot on!

A frosty start to the day here, I have a secret fan heater in my bedroom, I run that while I get ready and ease into the day with my rituals.
It has been a busy time on all fronts this past while. Busy season for work, and also family commitments too. I have had to cancel yoga classes as simply no time to fit everything in- that is one of the last concessions I will make.
I took my mother to have a psych tapptat the hospital- mostly because of her age. No signs of dementia and only a very slight cognitive impairment, so that's good. I was planning to brinng her to my home , make lunch and let her have some time with my cats, but she was so rude to me in the car that I dropped her back at sheltered housing. It stings because OH and I do so much for her, and there is never any recognition. Yesterday she was blaming me for a mild stroke she had a few years ago- complete recovery- and her ongoing high blood pressure. These things happen because I am a nasty selfish person apparently.
I won't stop giving support as she has no-one else who lives near, but I won't put my neck on the chopping board for her, it is simply unfair.

I did have a lovely lunch with a dear friend, connections like this are liquid gold.
We managed to between us find the plot of land that the remains of many women were unceremoniously dumped during the witch trials. Just outside the county line, and over a church wall ( no doubt clergy were paid well for that) The site though unmarked is home to lots of bee hives- I love the connection.
Turns out my friend owns the land ( she is a farmer), so many wonderful threads to the story.

I love a Tarot talk too- I have a few Tarot and Oracle decks, but would love to know the favourites of others, I may treat myself this festive season!

This is from a couple of years ago, but I'm really enjoying this podcast.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0fp3ntn?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

One of my friends from my yoga course has made and given me a herbal (lemon balm) tincture for cold sores. The kindness of friends is always touching. She apologised and said it was "witchy" but I told her witchy was good!

I know very little about tarot, so very interested in others' knowledge.

Thanks for the link quirkychick
I find the meeting place where logic meets magic - very interesting. I am a witch but also a scientist who has worked in scientific research for many years.
I find no dissonance.

It has been a bright sunny day but very cold here, I am glad to be back indoors after a trip to the local town. I have a hot tea and the loving welcome of a purring cat who is snuggling in.
I need to fold some laundry upstairs, but these type of tasks are absolutely easier if lathered with a little ritual and some magic dust.

@speakout I agree, I think our science is only just catching up with other, older wisdoms - we still don't understand Dark Matter or Consciousness. I spent the weekend doing anatomy training. for my yoga course. On Saturday, we did Western Anatomy and on the Sunday we went into the Subtle Body, where both meet eg Chakras, nidas, koshas etc. We had an Om bath which was absolutely amazing and really profound.

Procrastinating like mad here.

I've made "fridge bottom" soup from the last of the vegetables before the new box comes tomorrow and someone told me it was National Cake Day so I've made a cranberry and orange one which has just gone in the oven.

What I should be doing of course is setting a load of tiny blue topaz stones in a ring and casting a goddess figure in pewter. It's that second one that I'm finding any excuse not to do. I may even have to resort to doing my tax return.....

TheWytch orange and cranberry cakes sounds divine ! Do you have the recipe? I am not a baker, but looking to improve my skills.

I am just back from a memorial service of my late MIL. Quite emotional, mixing with a famous author, a well know actor, MPs and local big wigs. It was a standing event so we could mingle, smile a lot and say nice things. I took my car into the city centre so my OH could have a tipple So I am home feeling completely peopled out, having a hot chocolate and a loving familiar who has flumped on my chest, his head on my neck loudly purring into my ear.
Anyone else find these type of social ocassions hard work?

Oh yes @speakout, I quite enjoy some socialising, but anything too formal or too long and I feel completely drained after. It sounds like youre getting the treatment you need now to decompress!
I'm fighting to get rid of a cold that's been hanging around for over 2 weeks now - anyone have any tips to get rid of it? Ive been steaming my face, drinking honey and lemon tea, using what my dh calls 'alien music' ie isochronic tones and binaural beats and I just cant seem to shift it

I take a powdered mushroom mix from Sevenhills (Naturya used to do one, but I can't find it anymore), which is good for the immune system. Oregano is good, too.

Today I made Yule wreaths of holly, ivy, rosemary and bay,with dried orange slices,cloves,and cinammon.
The holly is from a tree in our garden and one wreath will go to mum's grave this weekend. A memory of a garden where she spent many happy times. It won't let me add images.