Wednesday 25 March 2015

The Enchantment of Myths and Legends...


I was lucky enough to get a sneaky peek at the new Spriggan Mist CD - Myths & Legends in fact I played it all day yesterday whilst I was writing...Copies of the CD can be purchased via the Spriggan Mist website http://www.sprigganmist.co.uk/mythsandlegends.html

It was the track listing that first grabbed me with titles such as Swimming Sky Dragon, Akhlys Mist and the one that really caught me was The Krampus!

The songs rang from mysterious and captivating with beautiful voices that enchant you to tracks that make you want to get up and strutt your funky stuff...a brilliant mixture.

Spriggan Mist bring their usual sense of energy to this CD along with such wonderful storytelling, you have to sit and listen to all the lyrics because each one tells an amazing story.

The CD will be launched at a party held at The Heathfield Arms in Fareham on Saturday 4th April, 8pm if anyone is free, sounds like a good night (tickets £5 on the door)...where they will also be joined by your favourite pixie...









Tuesday 24 March 2015

Squiffy seasonality and the Wheel of the Year...

When I first started on this pathway of witchiness one of the first things I learnt about were the sabbats and the Wheel of the Year...and it took me forever to remember the names and dates and even longer to remember what correspondences went with which sabbat...I still struggle sometimes now but that's possibly because I have a brain like a sieve...

Except that now, in fact gradually over the last few years I have found myself associating with the set sabbat dates and meanings less and less...

I think perhaps it was more prominent last year because of the weather...in the south of England where I live we didn't really have a winter as such which totally confused my poor garden.  I have geraniums at the front of the house that haven't stopped flowering since last summer, they were in full bloom in December and still are now.   One of my rose bushes in the back garden flowered continuously, I was picking roses in full bloom in November and December and the fuschias have only just decided to take a rest now...

I find myself more and more connecting with the season rather than the specific dates of the sabbat even my altars get dressed according to how I feel and where I think Mother Earth is at now rather than decorating to suit a date on the calendar.

Don't get me wrong I am not trashing the sabbats at all, I think they are really important celebrations and I am more than happy to party with the best of them to celebrate each one but I feel more connected when I am listening to the earth and the weather rather than specific dates.

I do obviously feel the energy at the solstice and equinoxes because for me that's more about daylight/darkness but I find it very hard to celebrate the winter solstice when my garden still thinks it is mid summer...

Tracey and I have actually both been discussing this for a long while, both feeling the same about it (I suspect we share a brain sometimes) so I wonder if it is something that others are starting to feel?

The Wheel of the Year idea is fairly modern but there is evidence that our ancestors across the globe had certain festivals during the year to celebrate important events such as the solstices and the coming of spring.  And the Wheel does make a lot of sense, it is a good guide to the turning of the year and the ebb and flow of the seasons but I like to think of it more as a general guide than something strict I need to observe on specific dates (I never have been good with rules).   The solstices and equinoxes are obviously ruled by outside forces but the other festivals would have marked the beginning of planting or harvesting which would have varied depending on the weather and how well (or badly) the crops had grown and how hard and cold the ground still was.

So I shall continue with this seasonal flexibility and follow my inutition and my connection with nature to see where it leads me...rest assured that I have not completely abandoned the Wheel... I am currently eating chocolate eggs to celebrate Ostara and most definitely will be opening presents at Yule...it's my pathway I can do what I like ...



Wheel of the Year image by Peter Patterson (c) Kitchen Witch 2014

Monday 23 March 2015

Arc of the Goddess...

Tracey planted the seed for this idea well over a year ago and it has been bouncing around ever since...being tweaked, changed, added to and generally mucked about with ever since...but now we are ready and it has to be said incredibly excited to unveil our newest course to all you lovely people. This one is a bit different from the others in that it will run for a year...

Arc of the Goddess Worldwide Online Course

This course launches 1st August 2015 and will then be open for enrolment any time you want to jump onboard!

£50
(£45 for Kitchen Witch School students)

A year long online course taking you on your own personal journey through the magical energy of each month, working with different deities, meditations, crystals, herbs, crafts, magic and foods; this course will help you connect and discover your own personal pantheon and ultimately the Goddess within...

Monthly pdf lessons & MP3 meditations to download, private facebook group to share & connect, full guidance and support throughout the entire course and beyond...




Thursday 19 March 2015

The gift of gym...or not

For Mother's Day my lovely husband purchased me a two week pass to the local gym...now you might be excused for thinking it to be a strange gift, especially those that know me and the lengths I go to, to avoid excericse.  But there was a lot of thinking behind the gift...the gym has a spa section with sauna. jacuzzi and swimming pool and it also has a large Costa coffee shop... the idea being that I could go there to chill...

I went last Monday to activate my membership card and as part of the deal I got shown around the whole gym by one of the staff.  I am actually familiar with this particular gym as I was a member for about six months a long while back (yep I went 2 or 3 times a week) but life gets in the way, time and priorities change...

He showed me the swimming pool first which was packed to bursting with ladies leaping about doing aqua aerobics, loud music blaring out and the instructor shouting loudly to be heard over the top of it...calming it was not...

Then onto the gym which at 9.30am on a Monday morning was heaving...again mostly women all on the running and rowing machines...it was noisy, hectic, chaotic and swirly...and smelt of old sweat...

Classes next...there were two exercise classes in progress both were packed to the rafters and again all ladies squished in like sardines...very overwhelming...

However the Costa coffee was empty...

I am not saying that gyms are a bad place, not only was I a member a couple of years ago, pre children I used to go regularly after work and loved it.  But that was a long time ago and my ideas have changed.

Two weeks ago I started going to a She Flow Yoga class held by a friend, in fact to be honest I signed up:

a. to support her new venture,
b. coz Tracey said it would be good for me and she's too scary to argue with...
and c. because I suffer from polyarthralgia (side affect of having ulcerative colitis) and the consultant said I should do some yoga or pilates to ease my joints...well I did one kundalini yoga session from You Tube and nearly killed myself and purchased a pilates DVD that is still in the box...

Anyway I digress...back to She Flow Yoga...well blow me down with a feather, twirl me round and call me Susan..I LOVE IT!

What the gym gift has actually done partnered with my new found love of She Flow Yoga is to give me a butt kick and make me reassess my eating habits AND to start practising my new yoga skills every day and I am enjoying every moment.

So a huge thank you to my gorgeous husband for his gift that was very well received, just perhaps not with quite the effect that he meant and a big thank you to http://sassyology.com/flow/ for the gift of sacred movement yoga.

Excuse me...I am off to wake up my Shakti...

Wednesday 18 March 2015

Avebury Cosmos


Having visited Avebury on several occasions myself and knowing how magical and beautiful the area is this book was really interesting.  Incredibly well written and researched, whether you have visited the stones or not you will find this a wonderful book to read.


Avebury Cosmos by Nicholas R Mann
The Neolithic World of Avebury henge, Silbury Hill, West Kennet long barrow, the Sanctuary & the Longstones Cove

Mann throws light on the motive behind the creation of Avebury’s awe-inspiring mounds and megaliths by demonstrating that they were aligned to the cycles of the Sun, Moon and stars.

A fresh look at the World Heritage Site that includes Avebury henge, West Kennet long barrow and Silbury Hill. Mann combines archaeology, astronomy and anthropology to offer an original and convincing account of the building of these extraordinary Neolithic monuments. The ancient Britons were inspired by a profound knowledge of the heavens when they erected the monumental stones of Avebury. Mann throws light on the motive behind the creation of its awe-inspiring mounds and megaliths by demonstrating that they were aligned to the cycles of the Sun, Moon and stars. This book will help visitors and readers to see Avebury in a wholly new light - the light of the heavenly bodies that guided its Neolithic builders. Avebury Cosmos will reawaken our ancient reverence for the stars and deepen our respect for the extraordinary abilities and forgotten knowledge of our prehistoric ancestors.


Monday 16 March 2015

Flowers that tell a story...♥


I was incredibly blessed to receive some lovely presents on Mother's Day and one of them was hand crafted by my daughter.

She wanted to create something that required book pages but knowing that I treasure books and am incredibly strict about how books should be kept, looked after and treated she had a bit of a dilemma as the craft needed book pages to be cut up *shock horror gasp*...I don't even fold down page corners let alone cut up pages!!

My daughter visited a charity shop and looked through all the books to find the tattiest most unloved book she could and unearthed a small hardback book whose spine was broken and the book itself was very battered.  It just happened to be an Agatha Christie Poirot story (one of my favourite book characters).

What she created with the pages after that was absolutely beautiful...here they are...book page flowers - not only wonderful and creative but also with the added dimension of having words from an incredibly good story printed across the petals.




You Tube link if you want to give it a go...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_cCGh3Ckzs

Friday 13 March 2015

A bow to Sir Terry...


Yesterday I cried...for a man I never met...Sir Terry Pratchett was one of my heroes who was taken too soon.  His Twitter said it perfectly:

AT LAST, SIR TERRY, WE MUST WALK TOGETHER.
Terry took Death’s arm and followed him through the doors and on to the black desert under the endless night.
The End.


I have been following Terry Pratchett for probably 25 years now originally stumbling upon The Carpet People and then reading everything he produced thereafter, waiting (im)patiently for each book to be written and published.   

Once I was well into the title of 'geek fan' I would purchase the hardback book as soon as it came out but not read it (I know...such patience) but add the book to my collection to keep pristine and special, then I would devour the paperback as soon as it came out.  Consquently I now have a very large collection of beautiful sparkly hardbacks and a box of very well thumbed and incredibly loved paperbacks which I have read countless times.

I love the Bromeliad and Johnny Maxwell series and also the novels (Nation and Dodger being particular favourites) but my real love is for the Discworld series, such a wonderfully clear way of looking at the world we live in and creating a comparative fantasy world...oh and such amazing characters.  I can and do read and re read the Discworld books over and over, they are my 'go to comfort' books.

I have to admit when the TV adaptations came out I wasn't sure, I love David Jason as pixie Albert in Hogfather but am not sure about him as Rincewind, for me the wayward wizard is more of a Nigel Planer character, surprisingly I love Going Postal best of all the TV films.

Years ago when the wonderful creative company Clarecraft was in existence I dutifully collected all of the character ornaments that they created, we had shelves full of them.  But as life and priorities (and space) changes I gradually parted with them...all except one...the figure of Granny Weatherwax always stands on my altar, she symbolises to me the characteristics of a witch, real old school.  Using headology instead of magic wherever possible, commanding respect from everyone and not standing any nonsense.  I have an old Discworld sweatshirt that no longer fits, but I keep it just the same and a worn and well used mug that looks black until you add hot liquid upon which the image of the Great A'Tuin appears resting on the back of four elephants...

I was dismayed to hear of the news that Terry had Alzheimers a few years ago, having had three of my grandparents suffer the same, it is a horrible disease especially for a wordsmith.  So I guess we were all expecting the news yesterday but it was a shock just the same, heartbreaking - my thoughts go out to Terry's wife Lyn, daughter Rhiannon and his friend Rob.

The world has become a slightly smaller place...although I like to think that Terry and DEATH are sitting have a good ole chin wag right now...and I hope he enjoyed his ride upon Binky.

The turtle moves...




A good bibliography of his works http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/p/terry-pratchett/

http://www.discworldemporium.com/ for Discworld merchandise

www.alzheimersresearchuk.org



Thursday 12 March 2015

Wibbles...

I suspect a lot of us believe that people they know that seem outwardly confident and successful never have worries or doubts...but everyone does and that's a fact, I bet even the Queen has her moments when she wonders "jeepers what the heck am I doing..."

I was having a bit of a wibble last night (wibble being slightly smaller than a wobble)...I do have them occasionally actually I have them a lot...am I doing things right?  have I made the correct decision? Why did that book sell 2 more copies than the other one?  What if? Will they like this book/course/lesson/ritual/workshop? Does my bum look big in this? Yep all silly things...

And it doesn't matter how good life is or how wonderfully successful, rich, famous etc etc you might be that self doubt still manages to creep in. (Not that I am wonderfully any of those things.., but you get the idea).

Generally life is good for me...but that doesn't stop the wibble monster...

Self doubt is a doozy and can make your mind wander off in all sorts of stupid directions and can undermine any of your achievements.

So how do you combat it?  I guess if you are lucky enough to have friends or partners you can say to them "hey I'm having a wibble about xyz" and they will hopefully reassure you, smack you up the side of the head and say "you are being a knob womble cut it out".  But that doesn't always get rid of them completely.

I don't actually think there is an absolute certainty answer...sorry...perhaps we should just take each wibble as a life lesson, learn from it and try not to worry about the same thing again, perhaps it is also something that comes with age and experience, worrying less about the silly stuff the older we get or perhaps we never grow out of it.

Hopefully there will always be someone or something that smites the wibble monster, last night whilst having my wibble I received the most wonderful email from a chap thanking me for writing Grimoire of a Kitchen Witch, his words were lovely and perhaps whilst not actually thwacking that wibble monster completely it did smooth it considerably.

I looked up some self doubt tips (not how to have it but how to combat it obviously) here are some suggestions:-


  • Recognise and acknowledge that doubt, bring it out into the open, you can't fight something you hide
  • Analyse it, why are you having these feelings?
  • Is there a pattern?  If it happened before what did you do to combat it, did it work?
  • Strategy...work out a plan of action to beat the wibble monster
  • Identify any challengs within your plan and if you need help with some areas...ask
  • Put your plan into action!
  • Ground yourself,..if you are being pulled into negative energy ground, cleanse and protect
  • Bring in the balance, for every self doubt find a positive attribute about yourself
  • Step back...if the self doubts are about something you are creating or working with, take a break
  • Look after yourself, make sure you have ME time to nuture YOU
  • Find and ask for support from others if you need it, don't be afraid to ask


All good tips, some more difficult to implement than others but definitely worth a try.

Anyone up for some wibble monster bashing?




The image is of the yellow worried monster http://macula-art.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/yellow-worried-monster.html by Macula




Wednesday 11 March 2015

Way of the Druid

Way of the Druid by Graeme Talboys


A book that takes you back to the roots providing a foundation on which to base druidry, its origins and how the druidic system linked into the practice of the ancient Celts right through to how it is practised today.  Very well researched and written, makes for an interesting read.

It's not surprising that the Druid Way is one of the fastest growing religions in the world. It's one we, in the West, all used to follow. Thrown into turmoil by the Roman Empire and then squashed by monotheism, it has nevertheless always survived in some form. But it is poorly understood and often dismissed, rarely treated seriously in religious discourse. Graeme K. Talboys offers an intelligent and well-researched exposition of the origins, history, metaphysic, doctrine and practice of modern Druids. A thorough exploration of Celtic history and beliefs is followed by an analysis of their view and its modern relevance. Massively comprehensive but very accessible, all students of religion and serious seekers will find this the definitive guide to what Druid means and how to be one today.

http://www.moon-books.net/books/way-of-the-druids-rebirth-of-an-ancient-religion

Monday 9 March 2015

Briar Blackwood's Grimmest of Fairytales


Briar Blackwood's Grimmest of Fairytales by Timothy Roderick

Fabulous take on a well known fairy tale, bringing it dragging kicking and screaming into the 21st Century...

After discovering she is the fabled Sleeping Beauty, a brooding goth-girl races against time to undo her deadly fate.

If you want to know what really happened once upon a time, ask Briar Blackwood. Nearly sixteen, cynical and goth, Briar lives a less-than-fairytale life in the home of her rotten foster mother and snarky foster sisters. With her biting wit and deadpan demeanor, the other kids call her Queen of Darkness. All the better for keeping everyone at arm’s distance, she thought. But now she’s screwed up by seriously and inconveniently crushing on the most popular guy at school. 


And if that isn’t sucky enough, Briar finds herself suddenly thrust into a hidden bloodthirsty world, filled with dark magic, curses, and poisoned spinning wheels where she learns the deadly truth of her identity and the reason she’s never fit in.

Can she truly be the fabled Sleeping Beauty? Or has she finally cracked?

And, hello! Aren’t elves and fairies supposed to be dainty and adorable? If she wanted to deal with drooling, snapping jaws she could have stayed at home.

Now she has to rescue the gorgeous guy that may be her one true love, and stop a wicked queen bent on destroying her. Luckily, being a bad-ass has its perks. With an uncontrollable power rising within her, no one knows for sure if Briar has a happily-ever-after future. But if she can handle the mean-girl clique at school, she can damn well go toe-to-toe with ogres, wolves and wicked witches.


http://briarblackwood.com/

Thursday 5 March 2015

Devil's Dung...A Witch's World of Horrible Herbs

This one smells...bad...referred to in folklore as 'Devil's Dung' and I am not surprised why because it really does pong - the plant is Asafoetida.

It seems that part of the reason for the strong odor in this plant is that it contains sulphur so actually it works well as a substitute in magical workings when you can't get hold of sulphur.

Asafoetida works well in incense blends for exorcism and protection and can also be burned to help stop someone from bothering you.

It can also be used in magical workings to rid yourself of negative energy or bad habits.  Asafoetida also adds a power boost to any spell work.

It is essentially a banishing herb and can be used not only to get rid of people from your life but also to rid yourself of any fears you might have.

Asafoetida can also aid your mind, to concentrate and to bring clarity of thought and to find your inner balance.

A very masculine herb it associates perfectly with the Horned god and any fertility deities.

Use for any Mars workings such as courage, healing, hex breaking, lust, strength, politics, protection, sexual energy, aggression and defense.


Gender: Masculine
Planet: Mars, Pluto
Element: Fire
Deities: Cernunnos, Pan, Priapus

Tuesday 3 March 2015

A Witch's World of Horrible Herbs...Wing of Bat...

A Witch's World of Horrible Herbs...

Taking probably one of the most well known terms for ingredients that a witch supposedly throws in her cauldron...'wing of bat' is the ancient folk name for none other than a holly leaf, well I guess it does look a bit like a bat wing...


Wing of Bat - Holly
(Ilex aquifolium, Ilex opaca)

An evergreen shrub that can grow into a tree if left to its own devices holly has dark glossy green leaves and red berries during winter. It wouldn’t be Yule without holly would it? Although holly is also burnt at Imbolc ceremonies.

Keep a sprig of holly above your bed to ensure good dreams and insightful visions.

Plant holly around your property for protection against lightening, poison and evil spirits.

Put holly sprigs on your altar at the winter solstice to invite happiness, balance, success and luck into your life for the coming year.

The holly berry is symbolic of the life giving blood of the Goddess, to work with fertility and feminine sexuality take three holly berries and throw them in water (the ocean, a river or a pond) and make your request to deity as you do so.

Holly Magical Properties:
Protection, luck, dreams, balance, success
Ruling planet – Mars, Saturn
Element – Fire
Gender – Masculine





Magical herb information from A Kitchen Witch's World of Magical Herbs book

Monday 2 March 2015

What do you expect from a High Priestess?

A question that came up recently and one that I have pondered often...

What do you expect from a High Priest/ess?

I feel very honoured to have earnt the title High Priestess after eight years of training, working through the three Wiccan degrees including training 'in the field' as well as academic, admittedly it took me eight years because I had a baby in the middle of my training but still...

During my own training I studied under two High Priestesses and two High Priests... in my own humble opinion some of them were better than others but I learnt something from all of them...what to do and what not to do.

I did some research on the net to see what definitions and requirements were for the role of HPs...in addition to what I already knew/believed in.

There is as far as I know no actual 'law' about who can call themselves an HPs...you could in effect give the title to your pet tortoise...

However within most Wiccan/Witchcraft circles it is believed that a High Priest/ess is someone who leads a coven and should be very knowledgeable about the Craft but I personally believe there is a whole lot more to it.  In most Wiccan traditions you are also required to have trained and worked through the three Wiccan degrees to earn the title and must be given the title by someone who is already themselves an HPs.

Everyone that walks the pathway of the Craft may call themselves a Priest/Priestess so what makes an High Priest/ess different?  Personally I believe it is experience and knowledge but also an ability to be 'a witch of many hats' and I believe you have to earn the title and role...

From my own experience and I believe these are some of the qualities required:

Experience
Knowledge of the Craft
Advanced knowledge of the Craft
The ability to work proficently with energy
Organisation skills
Planning & co-ordinating abilities
Management and people skills
Ability to resolve conflicts
Able to put together a ritual...on the spot...with no planning or script
Teaching skills
Supporting your coven members
Good self esteem and self awareness
Respect not only for others and the Divine but self respect too
Kindness
Generosity
Humility
Emotional balance
A desire to do the work of the Divine in whatever form it might be

Obviously the exact role of an High Priest/ess will vary depending on the Witchcraft tradition and the type of coven but I think the above lays out the basics.

Do I meet all of those expectations as an HPs myself?  I hope so, but I am not perfect...not by a long shot but I try to do the very best that I can.

My list of qualities would probably have to include those of - sense of humour and ability to bring laughter to the circle...and cake, I always bring cake...

Most importantly...being an HPs is a position of service...not power.

I feel extremely blessed to be the High Priestess of the Kitchen Witch Coven along with my co HPs Tracey Roberts, I do hope that we bring all of the above qualities to our group of coven members and our students, we feel extremely honoured to be a part of it.  We aren't any better than anyone else, we aren't cleverer or even the most knowledgeable but hopefully we fulfill the role to the best of our abilities.