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..

That sounds a lovely memorial for you MIL and I'm not surprised you are peopled out.

This cake is ridiculously easy - absolutely no skill required. This is the base recipe and then you just tweak as you fancy. In my case I chose dried cranberries as my fruit and added a few spoonfuls of orange juice and some zest.

I cup of sugar ( any sort)

1/2 block of butter ( 4oz)

I cup of milk or other liquid of your choice

1 cup of dried fruit (any sort)

Melt together but do not boil

Allow to cool ( cold water in sink!)

Stir in one egg and 2 cups of self raising flour

(Will be quite wet and runny looking)

Pour into greased loaf tin

Bake for 40 minutes at 160 ( 140 in my oven as it does tend to cremate things)

@Hedjwitch your wreaths sounds lovely, and what a lovely memorial for your mum. I'm going to a wreath-making workshop on Sunday, which I am looking forward to. It's one of the women's circle events.

Thanks for that TheWytch, I will give it a go. Tempted to make an orange glaze drizzle to ice it. I made a huge tray of granola yesterday- first attempt as I had lots of nuts to use up.Iw is so so good- I ended up having two bowlfuls for my dinner last night it was so yummy.
Today I am soaking off cashews, half for a green goddess dressing, half for a berry smoothie. I will make potato wedges and other roasted veg, and a spiced spatchcock chicken for those who like it. This is the closest I come to cooking these days !
Having to admit defeat and get a sore hip checked by a physio. Has been very sore after a hip openinng yoga session this morning, I had hoped it would get better by itself, but I need to find out why it is sore whether I should be resting or stretching and what to avoid. Hopefully I will be able to see a physio this week.

@speakout I hope you get answers about your hip, I think you're wise to get it checked out. Sadly, we're sisters in injury - I've got a swollen ankle following yoga on Monday - it was a tough session, but no different to the previous weeks. I've just been to the GP, who thinks it's soft tissue, but wants me to have an x-ray to make sure. I think we both need to rest!

quirkychick I hope your ankle is feeling better. I do think our bodies will rebel if we are too busy or stressed. Illness or injury is our body's way of poking a stick in the wheel. and telling us to slow down.
I saw a physio yesterday for my hip pain, he ruled out arthritis or anything serious, it is a ligament sprain and needs me to rest it. I have been trying to push though the pain at yoga, which is entirely the wrong thing to do. I can keep up my activities, but as soon as anything feels painful I need to ease off. All I need is patience apparently, I know I let my frustrations push me past discomfort- but I will heed his advice. The christmas rush seems to have started, but I have done very little prep. hopefully put the tree up next week - and I need to start buying gifts too- it is hard not to get caught up in things.I am sure all will unfold in good time.

Hope the hip starts to ease @speakout and your ankle @quirkychick .

Crazy here too. I have 2 markets left, two commissions (one is for a dozen silver goddesses) and a repair. My deadline is Sunday night as I need to be in North Wales by 8am Monday morning. I really could do without the Sunday market but it is one of the busiest of the year so can't afford to miss it.

It will be a quiet Yule with just DH and me but come the 25th we have 12 guests for lunch... dreading it tbh. All but two will be staying over.

Hello all.

i have been quiet but just popping in to see how everyone is.
i have a major spinal surgery coming up, they phoned today with a provisional date in February.
It will be a tough recovery but it’s an unavoidable procedure. I do worry about the pressure on my DH having to do all my jobs and look after me too. I’m no domestic goddess but keeping the house running is a smooth operation between the two of us. Thankfully his work is very flexible so he can be here to help out.

Sorry to hear about your fotrecoming surgery queenrollo, I hope you are able to move through the season with minimal pain.

Work remains very busy, orders quadruple during December, and being so busy has a knock on effect of laundry piles, non- crucial housework piling up. Like you TheWytch like you the work is too good to miss.
I havent done any Yule preparation although I have some very good lists, and a plan to pick up a tree.
I will probably stop work this weekend- put all my online selling platforms on pause and turn my attentions to christmas. I do love this season, and I want to clean and decorate the house, I have ideas in mind for a few personlaised candles to make, and have some foraging in the woods to cellect decorations. I have been drying oranges and apples to make decorations, and bring down stuff from the loft.
I have a yoga christmas lunch today- I nornally dislike these types of events- there will be 40 of us, but such a lovely group of women, I have made a lot of friends there over the years so I will be going.
I have to blast forward with a couple of work hours first though, I have dispatch deadlines to meet.
Have a magical day sisters.

I hope everyone is navigating the season with a little calm and staying grounded.
My work is finished, and now have time to do christmas shopping and get the house in order. My mother and daughter will be staying over for a few days, so I have been sorting out one of the bedrooms today. New sheets, making sure electric blanket is working, giving everything a damp wipe and a hoover. The windows need cleaning, but that is a step too far!!!
I have been to yoga thhis morning then swung by my favourite local charity shop- I bought a huge bag of craft materials full of brocade, ribbon, trim, many in unopened packets, so thhey will jazz up my wrapping! Dose anyone have plans for Yule or Solstice? I plan to make a cake, have a little fire ritual and perhaps Tarot reading. Life is often too hectic, so I am making the most of quiet and softness when I can. Off to wrap some gifts!

Hi sisters. Been hectic here with one thing and another, but finish up on Monday.
I am spending the Solstice with Christian friends who are nonetheless very open to my beliefs and very in tune with nature. They have a lovely old house right on the river so we will gave a fire outside,hopefully under a clear starlit sky,but forecast isn't great. I have a blessing of the elements to read and incense for the fire,so it should be nice.

Hello! I’d be delighted to pull up a chair by the fire and join you all as we approach the solstice. I’d also love to hear about the rituals you practise at this time of year.

Welvome wordywitch, glad you have joined us. Grab a cuppa and warm yourself by the fire.
I am glad your froends are so open minded Hedjwitch , your plans sound lovely. My family is devout christian, but unfortunately mostly hostile to pagan ideas, so I keep my practise private from them. In my wider world my craft and activities seem to be well accepted, although I don't broadcast my beliefs. But probably just the circles I move in- yoga classes, women's circles etc.
I have physio for my hip this morning, the clinic is very near a large retail park and I still have christmas shopping to do, so makes sense to go a little early so I can pop into a couple of shops- I'll make it quick though! There is an M&S food store there, I will have to get myself a Bircher Museli bowl, they are so scrummy! There is also a Costco and an Ikea, but these bigger shops need a half day each!
I think I need an action plan to make my trip smoother!

There is also a good place to gather river rocks on my way home, so that sounds like a good stop too, and will finish my trip on a high note. I'd love to hear of your magical or otherwise activities- although in my world there is no difference.

Evening, sisters! Good to catch up with your Yule and Solstice plans. In recent years, I’ve begun a little tradition to keep alive the best bits of the season from childhood. We have afternoon tea on the solstice itself. I get out my grandmother’s bone china tea set and we have as many foods as possible that hold memories: florentines for my dear mum and (still trying to source one) a Dundee cake as my grandma always made one. For some reason, most ‘celebration’ cakes you can buy are chocolate cakes or iced fruit cakes. We will also find time over Yule to wassail our old apple tree.

Happy Nearly Solstice folks.

Doing a little better here, the weather isn't helping aches and pains, but at least the lovely flare i was in seems to have finally settled. Got the results back from my MRI, it's confirmed i have arthritis in my lumbar spine, alongside a fully compressed nerve and some canal narrowing.. that's beside the herniated/dried out disks i already knew about, but nothing to be done about it, just have to get on with it... will discuss it more with my physio on Tuesday.

Last day of college for my youngest today, will go fetch them shortly and then can sit back and relax a bit until the new year without having to think about early mornings, which my body will thank me for, looking forward to a couple of weeks of just resting with my coffee.

Was mincepie baking day on Wednesday, the house still smells like them. My 73 yo Mom did most of it because it's her thing, but i helped where i could (putting the tops on them and basting them with egg/milk)

No-one else in my wider world is Pagan, they all lean agnostic if not atheist so i make a nod to Solstice and then will celebrate Christmas with everyone else.. but tbh, the way we celebrate is very Yuletide-esque anyway.. good food, good company, time with family and friends.

Hopefully have my best friend who i haven't seen since feb visiting on boxing day.. he's coming all the way from Scotland, and i can't wait to see his grumpy old ass!

That sounds lovely Craftycorvid - it's nice to create new traditions. and remember loved ones. Did you find the florentines? I think I saw them in Lidl recently.
Kreepture sorry to hear about your arthritis, I hope some kind of support can be found. I think christmas has reverted to pagan origins by most of UK. I don't even see many religious christmas cards nowadays, jesus isn't a factor in most families.
I am just back from a little shopping trip, now having a mince pie with an orange and ginger juice. Then to wrap some gifts. I really enjoy gift wrapping, and do a neat job very quickly. I wrap and post 300 items a month anyway for work, probably why I find it enjoyable. I have been watching videos of japanese wrapping, so precise and clever, and often need only one small sticker to secure.
I hope everyone is finding some magical energy today.

Lovely to hear everyone's plans for Winter Solstice. We are going to visit my dd in her placement tomorrow (and Christmas day).
I'm embracing a more natural Yule and Christmas, I feel all my busyness and minor injury has disconnected me from nature, somewhat. I have my wreath (first time, I've made one) that we made in the women's circle and have decorated the mantlepiece with ivy which was growing up the house. I may add more ivy closer to Christmas Day - last year it needed replenishing.

I love your decorations quirkychick, your wreath is beautiful, and really set off by the blue door.
A wreath is not something I have managed this year, although I do have two trees, and putting little twinkles here and there in the house.
I find this season a bit overwhelming, but I am managing to stay calm. Having lots of sleep and quiet times help keep me in balance. So I avoid busy shops as much as I can, and try not to join in with the frenetic energy. I had a river walk today as dusk was falling, it is so calming being in nature.

Thank you @speakout it's my first attempt at a wreath, I went for an organic look! I agree that it can be overwhelming. I ended up having to go into the city today and although the lights and buskers were lovely, the relentless stuff to buy was a bit much. I'm trying to focus on good friends, good food and good wine with getting out into nature to keep myself sane.

Just got home from a few well deserved days away. DH is busy putting up the Solstice Tree - we have Krampus on the top. I bought a new set of lights this year, supposedly Warm White but they are actually yellow. Oh well too late now.

I'll get the mantlepiece dressed in the morning and we'll light a solstice fire at 3pm and have a glass of something to celebrate. I will also cook something nice for supper. Don't ask me what - I have to go to Waitrose for inspiration. I will leave a candle burning overnight as well.

Then Monday is planning for the 25th. We have 12 for lunch and 10 staying over for 2 nights so it's a bit of a logistical nightmare. I shall be so glad when it's all over

I'm not popular - I really hate the new lights and DH is now unwinding the new set and hoping the old ones work...

Happy Solstice everyone. I haven't been here for a while, although lurking begnignly in the shadows sometimes. I need to deal with guests right now but will catch up with everyone's solstice celebrations later.

I will be in my garden at 3.03 pm, sitting among my snowdrops shoots.

Happy Yule ladies.

I had to re-find this thread as haven’t posted for an age.

Today, the universe has (mis?)aligned so that I’ll be having dinner with my overbearingly Christian family at the time of the solstice. But I’ll be spending at least some of the day cooking ready for next week and making orange and clove garlands with my son to welcome the longer days.

Blessed Solstice celebrations to you all. I'm looking forward to spending the evening with friends tonight round a fire in their garden overlooking the river. I have a decorated Yule log to burn,and gifts for my hosts: a white beeswax candle with a sprig of rosemary, an orange pomander,plum brandy and incense. I will read a piece to honour the elements and welcome those who have gone before to our circle.

Solstice Blessings, sisters and brothers!
So happy that we called the Sun back to us with our ritual fires, drumming and other celebrations.
I had wonderful night with my coven and guests, including seeing shooting stars before it clouded over.
We also gorged ourselves had a lovely feast and I ended the night by (carefully) placing a lighted candle in my East facing window overnight.

it will burn until this afternoon, and we are all meeting up again for storytelling round the fire and more celebrations. There may be drinking…

(edited because it keeps on crashing.grr)

Happy Solstice!