Walking with my Goddess

I'm still feeling the presence of the ancestors this week, the veil may have thickened and come back down like thick velvet curtain but the voices and spirits linger for me in these misty mornings and dark evenings, distant voices still calling out to me and clamouring to have their stories told. Voices from my own line and others, some with names unknown just felt and heard in quiet corners.  So Glencoe, it has taken me a while to find the words to describe this haunting place. Everyone has heard of Glencoe, most know a little about the massacre that happened there, lots of people have visited and felt the atmosphere - even a party animal friend who is usually more interested in spirits of an entirely different kind. I remember her telling me about a night that she and a group of her friends stayed there in a camper van, that the sense of brooding permeated even into their tipsy consciousness, she wasn't wrong.  The trip started peacefully enough, flying sat nav

Samhain Blessings To You All!  I hope those of you who celebrated Samhain or Halloween enjoyed yourselves, whatever you did..... this year we finally had some little trick or treaters - only taken 8 years of living here, for once we didn't get to eat the halloween sweets much to himself's disgust! The  history of trick or treating  is a bit tenuous to link back to the origins of Samhain, the origins of which are also hotly debated and questioned - a modern neo pagan creation, a former final harvest or an ancient celebration venerating the ancestors? But hey, each to their own! For me it's about honouring my ancestors, acknowledging the dark half of the year, the final end of summer, reflecting, healing and growing. There is of course room for both, so pumpkins were us  - Cat and Tree of Life pumpkins this year, cats well obviously because I am the proverbial crazy cat lady and tree of life to honour the ancestors and my roots.  In preparation for this I drew up a fa

So Samhain approaches, the veil thins, the ancestors draw near. In eerie early morning mists we catch sight of lingering spirits perhaps, peer fretfully as the last rays of the sun slipping away earlier and earlier, painting the sky a myriad of moody orange or blood red and try to ignore twilight shadows that hover on the edge of our vision... I love it! Up early one morning in the week, I ran a steaming bath and lay there watching with the light of a lone candle as the steam spiraled lazily out of the window, silently and slowly battling the mist that was endeavouring to seep in, snakelike against a  grey skyline that changed gradually from steel to silver. Relishing the warmth of the bath, I watched as they duelled together, envisaging that ancient spirits were rising from their rest and seeking us out. A bit fanciful but you get the idea! The sunsets have been spectacular too, this one below from last week... Our trip away was feast of ancient sites, all beautiful and breathta

Hurrah - finally, proper internet again!!  Whatever did we do without it? It seems like so long ago that I wrote anything here that I'm at a loss as to where to start! I've still been roaming around the countryside and doing all my weird and wonderful things, it feels like it would take forever to catch up.... I think  this week I'll simply start with sharing some photos from our holiday to Orkney, Scotland and Lindisfarne back in the beginning of September, it feels like a distant memory itself now, so looking back through the photos has been a joyous pleasure on a Sunday afternoon. I'll let the photos do most of the talking - they can do it much better than me... The glorious view from our cottage Old Point at Orphir, Orkney; just ten metres from the sea - no internet, no phone signal, miles from anywhere - just the sound of the sea, the birds and the wind - a totally perfect retreat for 5 nights. The stunning sunset from there too - overlooking the islan

What a week, exactly what it said on the label Exploring the Grounds - mixed blessings! It started off beautifully, a surprise call from my lovely friend Tracey who is also a distant cousin of some variety to say that now the summer holidays were here, her 8 year old son would be staying with his Nanna for a week near me if I fancied popping by. Well yes of course I did! Just the previous day I had been really missing my two children and had felt quite tearful about it, missed the snuggles and kisses of them as babies and children and felt the pang of a half yearning for grandchildren.  Goddess appeared to have loaned me a small distant cousin as a compromise instead.... Long story short, a few days later on a hot and sunny day, after a false start when a slightly nervous Ashton wasn't sure if he fancied going out with his slightly crazy big cousin, I picked up this precious boy and set off to explore the famous nearby Leeds Castle. I was slightly nervous myself as Ashton is

 My Goddess Journal Book.. What a long week that was, full of long days - I was so glad that I had decided to book myself a place at the last minute on a workshop on Saturday - An Introduction to Your Inner Goddess. To start with it I had looked at it and thought I've probably done this, no point, but something kept calling me back to it and I decided that despite it being the wrong end of payday in an expensive month I'd treat myself.  So, dusting off my old Goddess journal book I had bought when doing the Discovery Workshops in Glastonbury, admiring it's gorgeous shiny peacock cover - very aptly symbolic of spirituality, vision, awakening, royalty and protection, I headed off for a spot of reconnecting. On arrival I  was delighted  to catch up with several friends, the hilarity and laughter that ensued set the tone for the day, who said that Goddess Salt Goddess wants us all to be serious ? Not my Goddess for sure, which is pretty handy as I only need to look at

I'm Talking to You, Yeah - You! Looking back it's been a week full of signs, several weeks maybe. Nothing as useful as a massive neon lit beastie saying 'Claire This Way' complete with directions and 'idiots guide to your life, 22nd edition' but nevertheless enough, 'hello that's funny' and 'wow, that's the 3rd time that's popped up in my day' kind of soul searching that is Goddess's way of throwing you a cosmic hat and yodelling if the cap fits... Another day, another article this time about the  bravery of being seen  - about having the courage to share your dreams quite literally with others, the elusive sleeping ones that drag our subconscious into the harsh light of day and to lay bare our fears that wrack and torment us. I guess a metaphor too for the hidden ones that we dare not voice, for fear of mockery and derision or someone laughing at you that in particular resonated clear as a bell with me. (Have a read it's

Let Loose On A Special Occasion So all the articles and blogs that have popped up from the ether of wonder known more commonly as the internet and onto my timeline over the last few weeks all seem to be about how women behave towards each other: why women hate each other, sabotage each other and pull each other down - you know the type of thing. I read a few of them then got fed up with women slagging off women for well, slagging off women in most of them and apart from a little chime of a long distance alarm bell thought very little of it. Surrounded by a group of warm, funny, brave and crazy girlfriends as evidenced in the photo above at our Sophie's 18th Birthday (they are sooo gonna love me for that!) and it's fair to say wrapped up and nurtured in the love we have woven through our own, each others, our childrens and in some cases our grandchildren's lives over  a minimum of 15 years, in some cases 46 years, hating other women is not a concept that I felt personall