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..

Hello everyone.

I am not a witch. Or a pagan. Or anything along those lines. But I love nature and yoga and I resonate with everyone here far more than the rest of society.

So I'm just gonna pull up a chair and listen 🥰

Owlmoonstar a warm welcome. Many of us here love yoga and nature too. Pull up a chair and have some tea. We are a mixed bunch here, diverse in our paths, I don't consider myself pagan - I do consider myself an atheist. I do call myself a witch, for several reasons, in part to reclaim the word which is often considered a slur.

@speakout I love your message about the crone. That's exactly how I feel, I'm leaning in to my natural self and not trying to be anything else. And the candle picture, it could be me applying for jobs, or my dc who has exams next year and has been plagued with ill health so has a lot of catching up to do.
@Owlmoonstar I feel a real connection to nature and am becoming more spiritual in that way. I'm not really sure if I'm pagan or what I am, but living more in tune with the earth and my body is my aim (as well as spreading kindness)

Definitely living more in tune with my body these days, thanks to yoga. It's changed my life.

It is hard not to be a little evangelical about yoga once you catch the yoga bug.

I have exercised in different ways over the years, and still do some weight training, but yoga has become embedded. It works on so many levels, is wonderful for mental and physical health, it is also a deep spiritual practice. But can be experienced in different ways. Different classes have their own approach- some slow and deep, some fast and sweaty, some more focussed on the spiritual. Yoga has helped me heal emotionally, in tandem with psychotherapy, allowed me to fully understand and embrace psychological integration, giving my body a voice, and allowing me to become more tuned in to messages from my subconscious and psyche. My yoga mat is my altar, it is a sacred space, even as I stand barefoot onto rubber I enter into this healing realm.
There is a lovely little book called Yoga for Witches by Sarah Robinson, I do recommend.
I haven't been able to attend yoga class this week because of my finger injury, but I have a class booked for tomorrow.and I will attend. There are always options or adaptations for those with injury or other issues. One other thing I would add is that yoga is a fantastic meeting place to find kindred spirits. I met my two best friends through yoga, and many others, sister yogis generally seem to be very witch adjacent !

I do have a counselling/therapy appointment later today, I look forward to and have trepidation in equal measures. It is such an incredible thing to have a therapist who ( I suspect) is also a witch, or at least witch supportive. Especially as this is mainstream - funded by local authority and free to clients.
I am off for a one handed shower, I have a pile of work to get through this morning.

I would love to feel like that about yoga. I go every week but find it so hard and quite exhausting. I know the class is too hard for me tbh but if I go to an easy beginners one I just find that slow and boring. I'm always relieved once it's over for the week. I go because it helps my flexibility but dont enjoy it.

I think finding a class/teacher you can gel with is important. Finding a class that is right ability wise can be a challenge. Like you I get a little bored in a beginners class - especially if the teacher spends too much time talking and demonstrating. It can be good to practice in a more challenging class- as long as you work within your own limits. There is no shame in stopping or resting in child's pose if pushing forward is not what your body needs at that moment. I always feel a little flutter of admiration for fellow yogis who take rest while the class pushes through. That is a woman listening to her own body and has the courage to respect it.

Thanks Speakout. I like that thinking. I often rest in child's pose while the others are doing stuff,but feel embarrassed. I will now tell myself I am being strong and respecting my body.

Hedjwitch absolutely! Listening to your body is praiseworthy. You are being strong and you are listening to your body. I know it takes courage to swim against the tide. You can speak to your teacher before class about pausing- you are likely to be given unconditional support.

It also gives " permission" to other women who may be struggling and need a pause, but struggling to find courage to do so. There will alvays be times that even seasoned yogis need to pause in class, and many of us have permanent or temporary limitations that need to be honoured.
My balance was way off for me this morning, it was a beginners class but I struggled. I have a bandaged finger, recovering foot and shoulder injury, nothing severe, but combined meant I couldn't do the simplest of balances for more than a second or two. - but that is OK. I took myself into easy pose cross legged and sat with my eyes closed to centre my energies. The rest of the class carried on for 10 minutes with balances while I sat grounding myself. And in fact that is more than ok.
Part of yoga is learning to communicate with our bodies, and that is a two way conversation. My counselling session yesterday has left me a little raw, bringing up lots of painful stuff.
I am planning some cord cutting work soon, a little emotional topiary is called for.

Just recovering from a 22 hr day yesterday.

I had a market during the day, then I joined my first ever paranormal investigation over night. That was fun but it was a cold night anyway and watching the thermometer dropping 3 degrees in seconds in some of the rooms was quite the experience.

I am beyond tired today, with a load of commissions to tackle and the clock change really isn't helping.

TheWytch your paranormal night sounds amazing. Did you hear/see anything?

I'm just catching up with everyone. Welcome @Owlmoonstar - great name btw.

I've just come back from a week's yoga immersion in Wales for my yoga course. It's great to hear all the love for yoga - I am now a certified Yoga Teacher! The week was very deep and tough physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Wales was so rugged and wild, I especially enjoyed meditating on the beach and by a stream in the woods. 5hrs of yoga on the final day was very challenging.

Not as much as I'd hoped.

There were a few strange things happening - two of the torches started strobing in one of the areas and the thermometers showed a rapid fall and rise in temperature in several rooms. The "boys with the toys" ( fancy PI gear) were getting some EVP readings and the EMF meters went off a few times.

The spiritboard yielded some checkable information so that needs to be followed up but there were no manifestations and the nasty "thing" in the cellar proved to be very shy! There was evidence of ritual workings in one of the rooms there so I do wonder if it had been bound in some way.

Wow 5 hours of yoga! Was alot of it Yin yoga?

No! It was a lot of sun salutations and delivering classes to qualify. I'm a bit sore today, so have booked for Yin tonight 😊

Full Moon Blessings sisters. may this pink moon bring manifestation and abundance. I am enjoying a period of calm and optimism at the moment, and enjoying the gentle flow.
Just back from my local charity shop, bought a soft summer top, a woollen coat and an organic citrus soy candle, which is divine. Sum total was £3 for everything.
After gutting a room upstairs I am getting ready to paint, but I am still nursing an injured finger from a cat attack 10 days ago, it's healing really well although painful, but I can't get the dressing wet. Even being careful and wearing gloves won't help, in my experience painting can be a messier business than I anticipate lol ! I am unable to wrap rocks, which is a little frustrating too. But in the meantime I am making a shoji style lamp for my new room. I love tasks that demand precision, I enjoy working slow and methodically, I am a scientist by training, so any pastime that involves precision and creativity is very soothing for me.
I hope everyone enjoys the full moon energy.

I've been feeling a real sense of - I'm not sure if it is confidence as such, but less care about what others think of me or any mistakes I may make, so while still trying not to make mistakes, I'm not second guessing myself half as much. I've just finished a big project at work, hopefully the feedback on that will be at least partly positive about my contributions!
I feel a bit achey this weekend after doing some diy around the house, so I'm having a few days of rest and relative calm.

@speakout I hope your finger is healing well and more comfortable now. How is the lamp coming on?

Does anyone have any specific easter practices they do? I think I might sow some more seeds as a celebration of spring, although they'll have to be indoors for now as we've a storm raging outside, blowing trees down today and tomo, and I haven't built my cold frame/mini greenhouse yet!

What a windy night one of those storms that Ithought the windows would blow in I could hear bangs abd debris crashing about outside - I am guessing there will be trees down. Much calmer this morning, but I have yet to go outside to look for damage.
CailleachGhlasI hope you have managed to find some calm and rest this weekend. I have reached a stage where I care far less what others think. There was a definite shift for me after menopause, I have also gone through a phase of deep healing and awakening in recent years.
I still have a loving heart, but much more comfortable in my skin, aware of who I am,confident in my capabilities. I don't absorb unfair criticism,and if someone is rude, I can immediately respond to that. My trigger mechanism is much lower now too, and I can navigate life and my own internal landscape with much greater ease.
Age brings courage and wisdom to women, which is why patriarchy seeks to diminish us, ignore us, burn us at the stake.
Maturity allows us to step into our power.

My Easter celebrations vary from year to year, some more magical than others. We have often hosted a family get together, today we are going to a local indian restaurant, with my mother, daughter and new boyfriend who we haven't yet met. Before that I have some work to do and a yoga class later this morning.

Easter is one of those times when the underbelly of christianity is exposed in all its fetid undregrowth and tendrils.
Oestre is such a positive time, full of new growth, new life, warmth, light and optimism.
But just so we don't get carried away in pleasure the church has added elements of betrayal, torture, execution, blood, pain, sorrow all wrapped up and doused with guilt.
I'm just not having it.

Thankfully the tide is returning,

Yes much calmer here, and I woke to blue skies and sunshine but it's now overcast and rainy again.
I had started looking into the origins of easter recently, I must look again. On paper I am christian, and I do at times pray, but for a long time I have felt more of a connection with the earth and mother nature than anything else, and when I do pray it is more to my relatives who have passed away and asking for guidance and courage/resilience

I hope you have a lovely day

CailleachGhlas I think it is such a lovely thing to connect to your ancestors.

I have been deep diving of late exploring the idea that our DNA carries memory, that our ancestor's experiences ifnluence our own DNA expression. There is a lot of evidence that is the case which is so interesting.
Potentially that could explain thories of collective unconcious or even past lives.

I was fortunate enough to be brought up without heavy religious indoctrination, but christian influence was everywhere. We prayed at school every day, had bible stories and religious worship again at school, but none at home, although there was always the assumption that the christian god existed.
I devoured books as a teenager, quickly came to doubt the existence of a god and became an atheist.
I still use the term atheist for myself although that isn't strictly true. I have spent quite a bit of time in Buddhist and Anamistic countries and it has been interesting to see how religion intertwines with life.
Although I call myself an atheist I do work with deity. I love the pantheon of Celtic, ancient Greece, Norse and even Japanese-( I have a Japanese friend who is a witch- so fascinating. These gods are so increedible in informing us of the complexities our lives.
I do take issue with any faith that has an overlord, one that creates, judges, writes silly rules, demands supplication. The Abrahamic faiths are particularly good at upholding male power and mysogyny. Many of my family are born again christians, and it has been devastating for my nieces to grow up in such extreme faith.

For me the sacred, divine if you like is everywhere, in me, in others, in waterfalls birdsong and trees. and therein lies magic too.

The weather today is incredible, blue skies, thunderous birdsong, I need a forest walk today.

Also need to visit B&Q to look at paint, and portion up food I cooked yesterday for the freezer.
My finger has almost healed, looks like most of the skin was pulled off the pad of my finger. It is no longer an open wound, clean and dry, a little sensitive, so I am still wearing a latex glove when I do wet jobs.

Have a magical day sisters.

After a morning spent working and running chores for other family members I am resting a while with a coffee and a cat.
Recently I have been more mindful of taking rests in my day, especially important when life is hectic. I just wondered if others do the same? I make myself sit down- often just for 20 minutes or so to gather myself before moving on to the next set of chores.
I know in the past I have charged through busy days with speed, immediately moving onto the next task without even a pause, but having little rests seem to calm my whole day and not feel so draining energetically.

I am trying to decide on a paint colour for my new bedroom- I am looking for a soft, minimal muted tone. But there are far too many colours to choose from! I picked up colour charts from various manufacturers and a few test pots too from B&Q, but the choice is staggering! I am just off to have another look in the room, to see if I can at least score off some from my list!

I need to rest in between jobs too,but that's more due to fibro. I have managed to clean and paint the bathroom this Easter break - a pale green- and that has taken its toll. I need to get on with the garden but low on energy. Hopefully the plants will survive a few days more until I'm up to it.
Have the rare treat of a trip to the theatre on Saturday so looking forward to that.

I think we had summer yesterday here. I had to venture into Bath today and came home perished.

I have long been fascinated with the theory that ancestral memories are encoded in our DNA. There is a lot of "redundant" DNA in our make up which seems to serve no function. That it is actually a carrier of our forebears knowledge and experience seems to be very plausible to me. It would certainly explain a lot.

I stop and rest now too. I didnt used to, but would then crash and do nothing for days after! I have all or nothing tendencies that I have to temper down and accept that lots of little steps cpver the same ground as bigger leaps. This week I have planted more seeds, painted the windowsills, organised some paperwork, finished a job, applied for other jobs (long essay style questions involved!) and cleared away clutter in one of the cupboards. Still have a list of things to do but I'll get to them as and when.

Ive taken the time to watch the wildlife on the garden for a while before bed every evening, and it's been very calming listening to the bats and hedgehogs (so long as they don't fight)!

I also try to find points in the day to rest. I think having had burnout, I'm very aware of it. I have been trying to build in more breaks into teaching, as some students' times have changed with the clocks (different timezones) and it seemed a perfect time to take some charge. I've been getting up earlier and sitting in the garden with my coffee, listening and watching the birds. I'm off to a gentle yoga this morning, as I think my body's feeling a bit sore this week.