A Gathering of Women

So, I had planned to write about my latest adventure this month, I was due to start a reiki course with my wonderful friend and old neighbour Di yesterday but she was sadly too poorly so we have had to postpone it until a few weeks time. Get well soon Lovely Lady x x  I was all ready, pre course prep done thanks to a variety of Yule gifts from loved ones, excited, well rested and keen. 

Reiki Ready...

As himself was planning to go out I thought I'd make some alternative plans. Well that wasn't happening: nope, non, nada. Now, by now I've learnt that when life gives you lemons, you freeze them and throw them at your enemies...  no sorry, wrong quote, I meant make lemonade! Watermelon lemonade as it happens that I'd bought to take, so yesterday was spent gently pottering about, organising a few bits and bobs, planning a few future events and mainly relishing the time to do well, basically a whole lot of nothing! 
So this morning drifting awake slowly from my slumber haze, that magical dreamy moment between the worlds of sleep and consciousness, lying snuggled under the duvet, Lola Cat snoozing on (hogging) my pillow, snoring gently, her paws as always lovingly batting me on the nose; I flexed my fingers and thumbs and watched in entranced at my thumb's mundane but intricate and seemingly effortless movements, I realised I didn't know what I was going to write about instead. 

Beautiful Lola Cat - My Feline Shadow

My thumb, wonderful and fascinating as it is, wouldn't really qualify to be the focus of a whole blog. Fear not, as much as my thumb managed to hitch a lift into your world this morning (see what I did there!) the old grey matter managed to fire up the neurons and find a few more ideas for me to wax lyrical about.
So last February I wrote in Spinning In Circles about the  Red Tent, that we had christened the Moon Circle I was starting or birthing for local Pagan Women and promised you an update, well La voila! A year later almost to the day!  I have just re read the article I had written and laughed, I was scared - what were we creating, what if no one came and what if everyone came? I was so nervous that first night waiting for ladies to arrive, candles lit, incense smouldering and soft Goddessy music playing in the background. I'd even begged and borrowed some red drapes to create a suitable ambience!

Setting the Scene

I truly needn't have worried, one year on, we have created a wonder, truly a gift to ourselves. Never has no one come and mercifully neither did everyone ever pile through the door on the same night! As my friend Jenny always said, the right people will be there and that is exactly what happens, there have been 3 of us and there have been 9 of us, from a core group of about a dozen who attend physically and at least another dozen or so who join in and contribute to our online page. It's a fantastic eclectic mix of witchcraft, wicca, druidry, the divine feminine and heathen practices and beliefs. The most beautiful thing about the group is that we have built up such a high level of trust, friendship and free honest conversation. 

A Beautiful Gift That Justina Made For Our Circle 

We meet on the night of the new or dark moon and start as all good gatherings do with a cuppa and a natter, before holding a simple opening circle. Sometimes we drum and sing a song that was brought to us, other times we call in the quarters/elements North, East, South and West - Earth, Air, Fire and Water, the Goddess, The Gods, Spirits of Place and The Ancestors - all dependant on who is there and how people want to do it. Next we have a sharing circle where we are open about how we are feeling and any events that have happened since we last held our space, here where we are vowed to keep everyone's confidences I have felt a deepening trust and bond that is so far unshakable, there are no words of shame or judgement in this circle, no issue is too small, tears, frustrations and anger are welcomed, listened to and honoured, sometimes just witnessed, whatever is needed. Vital in today's 24/7 lifestyle and rat race.

Making Moon Salt

After our sharing circle we  have a discussion such as  juggling stress, our experiences of periods and childbirth, even death planning or talk about a subject, last month we all did some 'homework' and all brought some information about a Goddess of Spring to share which worked really well. 
It's only right that we should break for tea, cake and nibbles at this point, ok so it's an all out feast of whatever everyone has brought! This always results in lively chatter, much hilarity and howls of laughter with himself good naturedly banished to the upper level of the house when it's held at mine, not that I think even he would want to brave the melee round the kitchen table! 

Our Autumn Mandala

After this, we usually have a craft activity, a memorable one being creating our own Moon Salt - which we later found out is slang for Crystal Meth! - popular night that! We blended it as a group adding oils, herbs and then took some home in jars to use as a protective and aromatic salt for our home, not edible I hasten to add! Other creative activities have been drumroll please..... making smudge sticks of course, as well as that, we have also made a beautiful Autumn Mandala for Autumn equinox with leaves, chestnuts, berries etc gleaned from our gardens, created Witch Balls filled with herbs, plants, charms and spells  to protect our homes and loved ones, made Vision Boards to express and capture our hopes, aims and dreams and regularly practising our tarot and oracle card reading on each other. We've been busy!

Beautiful Witch Ball

We've even got a mini retreat booked for next month, when 8 of us are going away for a weekend to do Goddessy Girl Stuff - meditations, crystal therapy, a psychic development circle, singing and drumming, vision boarding and some crafts to name but a few of the activities. To put it mildly, we have blossomed!

This is what we've evolved in our sisterhood, I know other people do different things at different groups, but if you are interested I'd really recommend visiting and joining one or starting your own if that feels right for you! It has definitely highlighted a need amongst our circle and community to nourish ourselves, our souls and our lives, even our families have commented on how much we appear to get out of it.


Ladies have a look at these links if you are interested in finding one: Moon Woman or Red Tent Directory these cover UK, Europe, USA, Canada and Australia
Gents - you can read more about WhiteTent Movement too.
These links also contain information and ideas on how to start one too!

Have A Truly Blessed Week  x x 

Walking With Darkness

Well, guess who's just finally stirred their wintry bones and crawled out from their winter Goddess cave! Hair matted,yawning and  blinking in the light .
There's a bit of a habit forming here isn't there? The same thing happened last year, both unintentionally, but I do feel this year's wintery sabbatical was with more intention and purpose. This winter I have explored my darkness with a degree of relish hitherto unknown. Sounds exotic, dark and mysterious doesn't? Summoning the forces from hell from a witches fire? Dancing naked and muttering unmentionable evils?

New Year's Fire

Hmm, well you know what - I guess in a way, that's what I was doing; Early nights, pyjamas, reading, journalling, meditating, journeying and being creative, but focussing more on my dark self, my fears, my dislikes, my issues, my less positive traits - all very popular at the moment, I'm such a trend setter. Last year I learnt the lesson that sitting with and walking with my darkness was good for me, scary, emotional and at times unpleasant but also rewarding and satisfying. Truly identifying and acknowledging our 'faults and flaws' as we have been  conditioned to perceive them as parts of us to nurture and love, maybe even as  wounds to heal, not with shame and criticism but with understanding and tenderness. Acknowledging honestly that little jealous flash that fires through me whenever someone else achieves something I want to do, listening to what it tells me, sitting with it and unravelling the hot bubbling green mess that hides the root, the fear of running out of time and inspiration to finish my own projects, the fear of failing so paralysing that it prevents me trying at times. So yes, wrestling with demons and indeed muttering unmentionables!

Yule Feast

Mercifully demon wrestling hasn't been my full time occupation over the winter months, Oh no. Much merriment was had throughout the Solstice/Yule period. I was surrounded by friends and family throughout, a beautiful simple Yule feast complete with our ritual of fir cone intentions thrown into the Yule fire, though not as much prosecco was consumed as the year before, which was a bonus the following day.

A side splitting day of laughter on 'family day' with all the extended family, the highlights of witch included my Dad dressed as Father Christmas dishing out the family Secret Santa presents from the massive Santa's Sack I concocted from an old brown curtain, yes we giggled like teenagers at that too!  
It reminded me of a children's Christmas  party at Dad's work when we were both just still at junior school, my brother and I stood in line waiting for Santa who was late, we had picked up that there was some sort of hoo har going on. As we stood there it was with a shocked horror that we realised that we recognised the way Santa was walking and 'Ho Ho Ho -ing' at us all. Yep Dad had stepped in at the last moment, we managed to hiss 'It's Dad!' too each other before we collapsed laughing! 

Himself's Runes

As I had promised myself, I made all my presents this year, which involved many late evenings humming and muttering to myself making up presents for everyone. This doesn't sound especially dark and it certainly wasn't an awful labour of love, but it did involve putting my trust in myself and my skills that I could take this challenge on and that my offerings would be good enough to gift to people. 
Undeterred, I set out with a long list of ideas and closeted myself away trusting myself and my moderate skills making soaps, bath milk, bath bombs, candles, sugar scrubs, wines, liqueurs, meat rubs, pickles, chutneys,salts, beard oil, bottle lights, mason jar lamps, even a set of runes complete with a homemade pouch for them for himself. 
Even as I gave them out I was waiting with baited breath as they were opened. I really need not have worried. There were genuine gasps aplenty from everyone accompanied with 'you MADE this?'

Another offering...

Claire and trusting instincts one; 
negative nagging thoughts and doubts zero.
I'd thought about doing this for several years but I kept changing my mind. Just goes to show what negativity we can impose on ourselves without realising our actions, that darkness can weave into the smallest of spaces, but I found working with it, sitting with it and showing it love works wonders. 
Start small and build up. After years of being non musical, I impulse bought myself a tin whistle, Ok so far my greatest achievement is 'let it go' from Frozen - I'm essentially a 47 year old kid with a recorder, think of my poor husband, but rather than being musically challenged, I shall soon be like the pied piper of the tin whistle as i venture out and roam the land, enticing even more cats back to the cottage -  Now there's a thought!

As always the darkness is followed by the light, I caught this beautiful sunrise in the mist and frost this week, I feel the fires of Brigid and Imbolc draw nearer, Goddess and her lands are  slowly stretching, flexing and starting to weave their spring magic. Time for me too to stir and walk from the winter darkness into the spring and to the light.

Have a A Blessed Week x x 

Ancestral Paths

Samhain Blessings to You All!

I don't know about you but these long, dark nights really intensify the thinning veil at this time of year for me. The brooding dark skies with their fiery colours of Samhain streaked with dark swirls make me think of restless spirits waiting to cross back over, seeking loved ones. Hopefully some of mine are drawing near! This year as always they have been around me throughout the year, not merely lingering patiently in some celestial waiting room for just one night of visiting. 

October Sunset

What I have noticed is their quiet presence throughout the year; with it building and becoming more apparent at certain times, depending on where I am, whose company I am in and what we are doing - including the evening when my wonderful, gifted friend Naomi asked me who the old man was in my front room during a Moon Circle and my equally fabulous and gifted friend Shirley agreed and said how much he looked like me. This came just days after the realisation that shortly after we met my Dad's half brothers for the first time and we had started building relationships, their deceased father and my Grandfather found me, something which I wasn't prepared for, neither was Lola the cat when there was sudden bright flash of light by her, I kid you not!  Bit of a shock to the system. I don't think he was very impressed at my surprised language or my fervent smudging either. He came so effortlessly, unannounced and to be fair unwanted, despite me being desperate for my much loved cousin Kev, who we lost 3 years ago to put in appearance and not a peep from him. 

Going Nuts?

I had another odd thing happen the other week too (what a surprise!) I was making a vegetarian haggis, much yummier than it sounds, when I realised I hadn't bought any chestnuts. It seemed the most natural thing to do was put my coat and shoes on, grab a bowl and march down to the fields to collect some. So before I know it, there I am gormlessly gawping at my empty bowl wondering what on earth I was doing, I'd never picked/gathered them before or cooked them from raw. Laughing, I  collected the ones I liked the look of, fat ones that were just starting to burst, filled my bowl and trotted home with my spiky little treasures. Someone else's hands took over as I effortless popped them from their husks and guided my knife as I slit them with a knife to remove the shell! Goddess alone knows where that knowledge came from, but hey I'm grateful and that veggie haggis was delicious as always! I use this recipe and substitute quinoa in or more lentils if I'm doing a gluten free version, for those of you who are feeling inspired, brave or just plain crazy!

Ta- Dah!! Give it a Go!

To celebrate Samhain this weekend, our local pagan group braved the forecast of heavy rain and went on our final walk of the year, up on The North Downs to visit some of the Medway Megaliths as they are collectively called - a swathe of neolithic tombs, long barrows and stones, some of which are known to pre-date Stonehenge. We started at The White Horse Stone, which has seen some darker energy over the years, something a lot of us picked up on.

The White Horse Stone

After that we headed down through an ancient track way to Little Kits Coty House, also known as the Countless Stones or the Devils Stones locally on account of it being almost impossible to count them more than once and make it the same every time, as they lay over each other, use chalk as a marker is my tip - there's loads of it lying around on these hills! Following that we harrumphed and grumphed our way up the hill, another ancient track way, a beautiful avenue of trees that our ancestors ancient and more recent must have trodden countless times. It's worth the travail and the red faces for the stunning vast panorama across our town and the surrounding countryside.

Kits Coty and The View Over Town

Once we'd got our breath back, we held a simple ritual calling in the elements, the Goddess and Gods, Ancestors and Spirits of Place, before remembering and honouring our ancestors and sharing a little about people we had loved and lost. We made an offering to the ancestors at the stones and blessed our circle with some soul cakes - a traditional cake recipe I had found for All Hallows Eve, which were a little dry - thankfully washed down with the last of some Sloe Gin that my lovely friend Janine had gifted me last Yule! A song and a poem finished of our ritual  and we'd managed to pretty much dodge the rain apart form a heavy 5 minute downpour which we braved, proper Pagans we are!

Offerings For The Ancestors

My poem I read was called:        

In My Blood

Double helix eternally twisting, 

through countless millennia of time,

Ancient memories and forgotten knowledge

Are carried through my Motherline.

Whispered voices tell their stories, 

In turn of phrase or smiling quirk

Through skin and bone, through blood and sinew;

Ghosts of ancient loved ones lurk.

In half remembered gifts or talents,

Their quiet presence gentle shows;

Nanny's hand for craft and drawing,

My taller Nanny's height and nose.

Their quiet love and reassurance,

Through my familiar veins they flood,

So close right now, I see and feel them,

Unafraid and joyful, they are in my blood.

Have a Blessed Samhain x x 

So that's what I've been up to apart from finally collating my Walking With My Goddess calendar for 2019 - Hurrah!! 

It's filled with photos from my journey and available from my Etsy shop: WalkingWithMyGoddess if anyone is interested! £10 plus postage - which varies dependant on where you live. Please feel free to contact me there or on my email walkingwithmygoddess@outlook.com

    More photos are on my Walking With My Goddess  Facebook page x x x

The Mysteries of Mabon

Autumn Sunset on Orkney

What is it? Mabon or Second Harvest or Autumn Equinox... 
When is it? 21st? 22nd? 23rd 

For some people it's a 'one sabbat fits all' kind of affair which is completely cool, for others there is a more strict observance of a particular date or an event. This year the 'true' equinox here in the UK was at 2.54 am this morning 23rd September - a huge round of applause for anyone who got up to mark that exact point when the sun crosses the imaginary line of the equator on it's journey from North to South, I for one was sound asleep and probably snoring like a hibernating bear. That said, today is the day that I particularly mark, taking extra time to reflect on the year, to celebrate what I have and to let go of things that no longer serve me. Some extra time communing with my Goddess, preparing a lovely dinner for me and himself to enjoy this evening and we have special drinking ware that we use for Sabbats.

Tonight's Libation...

Just to really add to the fun we have our daughter's birthday on 19th September, this year as some of you may have seen on WWMG's facebook page she was 21 so a very special celebration, our younger child and my very own special second harvest. This means this is a date that we focus on too for our own reasons, I expect many many people before us have done that too. The Autumn Equinox is known as the Second Harvest and the date changes due to the orbit of the earth round the sun which varies between the 21st and the 23rd every year. So despite the ancient people of the world having a far superior knowledge of the turn of the wheel, the alignment of the sun, moon and stars than most of us will ever have (more's the pity) they didn't have google to check and the date may well have been fixed to reflect that. Some beliefs now choose a fixed date, often 21st whilst others prefer to be technically correct. nothing new there...Easter and Mother's day are movable feasts and dependant on the moon believe it or not. Easter is the first Sunday after the full moon that follows the Spring Equinox , unless that coincides with the Jewish feast of the Passover, then it is delayed a week - Phew! Ecclesiastical authorities have  fixed Spring Equinox at 21st March for this purpose.

Autumn Arachnid Activity

Traditionally the Harvest would have been the all important activity around this time and reaping an abundant one would be cause for even more celebration. Mabon itself is a relatively new term. Our ancient ancestors would have been as likely to be nodding heads, hands folded and saying Namaste as they would yelling 'Merry Mabon' to passers by, it's a relatively new title adopted as late as the 1970's. Mabon is the name of an ancient Welsh God -the child of the light and son of the Earth Mother Goddess Modron in Welsh mythology. This means  that among purists it's a contentious issue right up there with Ostara/Easter - but that's a thought for another day. My view is simply that it doesn't matter, celebrate away however you choose. Thanking our divinities for our harvests, our blessings and preparing ourselves for the darker months ahead is a pretty universal, joyous and wonderful thing!

Magic Mushrooms

Interestingly and perhaps unsurprisingly the word Harvest has it's own special roots in Germanic, Anglo Saxon, Dutch and Old Norse etymology, derived from words such as herbst/hervest/herfst/haust used to describe the period between summer and winter. Harvest as a time in the year clearly predates the use of Mabon which was more recently introduced in neo-paganism. Ancient texts and writings suggest that even in Roman times the seasonal shift of the wheel was known merely known as Autumn Equinox, more recent Celtic based traditions offer even more suggestions such as Alban Elved but seeing as no one was around to have a definite opinion - what the hell Merry Mabon!!

Autumn Seeds

I love this photo, it's sheer beauty of death as part of life as the plants yield their fruits, their seeds to come back next year strikes me as a real representation of the time of year as the light and the dark are in perfect harmony. Not surprisingly there are a few dates that  tie in with my Goddess Ker around now; the Feast of Ceres in Ancient Rome on the 18th and the start of the celebration of the Eleusinian Mysteries of Demeter and Persephone around the 23rd all so closely tied in with Ker as I know her. Perfect !

Have Blessed Mabon x x 

Bibliography and Link Sources

https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/autumn-equinox-2018-when-is-the-first-day-of-autumn-how-is-it-celebrated-a3942246.html

http://www.goddessandgreenman.co.uk/mabon

https://www.etymonline.com/word/harvest

http://www.sacredfire.net/festivals.html

Remembering the Winchester Geese

Nestled just a road or two off the main bustling thoroughfare in Southwark,  close to the world famous Borough Market  is Cross Bones Graveyard a place that had escaped my radar until a few years ago when I was shocked to discover it's haunting story and existence so close to the razzmatazz and wealth of the city.

In The Shadow Of The Shard

Forgotten and neglected, it was a sad and forlorn final resting place for the  brothel workers and the unloved destitute of London's post medieval slums until the mid 19th century when it was built over. Ironically the prostitutes who were known as The Winchester Geese, as they were licensed by the Bishop Of Winchester to work the surrounding area which was known as The Liberty of The Clink; full of bear pits, taverns and brothels or 'stews' as they were called, but they were typically and hypocritically abandoned, unloved in unconsecrated and unmarked graves along with the unborn or stillborn proof of their sin. Historically a 1598 text refers to it as the 'single woman's churchyard'. Even in death they weren't allowed to rest peacefully in their mass burial pit of an estimated 15,000 bodies, the nearby Guy's Hospital made them an easy and unremarked upon target for the macabre practice of body snatching for anatomy classes.

No Longer Forgotten

I read the story in mounting horror and disgust, getting angrier and angrier by the minute. The raw hypocrisy of it hit me full pelt like a body blow. Reading on I was relieved to find that finally in 1990, during work on the underground, that the graveyard was rediscovered and the forgotten started their long, slow journey back to remembrance. The veil of history was pulled back and bone by bone, body by body the unloved started to become cherished. A writer called John Constable known as John Crow was amazed to find that the words of a visionary poem he had written rang true and had previously unknown and undreamt of roots planted firmly in Southwark's soil. 

Remembered Geese

Slowly, work began to clear the overgrown scrubby patch of land, to make a memorial garden,  a place of reflection, remembrance and of celebration. Years of work, campaigning, fundraising and devotion have meant that since June 2004, John has held a vigil every 23rd of the month for the forgotten and silenced souls. 

The Shrine, Complete with Gin

A beautiful shrine was created inside, along with a pyramid partially covered in oyster shells and the 'infinity beds' - a lemniscate border - (figure 8 shaped symbol for infinity). There are symbols of the Goddess, from all faiths, cultures and origins. A few months ago in July, a spontaneous suggestion led to an impromptu visit with my wonderful friends Carmel and Mags. This came the week after I'd heard of the sad and sudden passing of one of the homeless guys I'd met over the previous winter. After these two lovely ladies had pointed out  the tourist sites of London to me like a small child and had held my hand to stop me walking in the path of oncoming red buses as I gazed in wonder at my alien surroundings, we waited at the gates and railings which are completely covered in ribbons, flowers, clouties, jewellery, rags - whatever people had to hand or had brought with them to mark their presence as a visitor or pilgrim who refused to turn their backs, while we waited with a growing crowd for the Vigil to commence. 

Decorated Memorial Gates

On the dot of 7, heralded by the bells of Southwark Cathedral, John Crow started the vigil, sharing the history, remembering the forgotten, celebrating the memories. People read poems, played music, sang songs, talked about loved ones that they had lost. It was beautiful, poignant, sad and wonderful at the same time. A simple ritual was carried out, words that have been recited and repeated there every month since June 2004. Gin was splashed as an offering, gin how poignant, 'Mother's ruin' - how many women had walked those streets desperately swigging gin back to procure a miscarriage to relive them of their shame? I thought about lonely, deserted grave of Betty Corrigall  that we had stumbled upon on the Island of Hoy last year, said a quiet prayer for her in a moment of reflection and was rewarded yet a again with a visit from a dragonfly, that soared mystically and knowingly above the railings.

Rosemary For Remembrance

I'd made a simple pentagram and woven rosemary through it, a simple gesture of remembrance and solidarity, and found an inch of railing to attach it to, my token to honour the souls that hopefully rested more peacefully in this tranquil garden, loved, commemorated and remembered once more, maybe more so than in life. We were given ribbons to tie on to the gates, in light of the sad news in the week, it seemed fitting to write the gent's name on there before I tied it, he too was not forgotten nor unloved. He may have slipped out of the focus of polite society, living life precariously on the streets, but he was remembered here and people will see his name and will wonder who he was, his memory nestles safely here, woven into the memories of many, which made me smile, more importantly it would have made him laugh.

R.I.P Dermot

It's a beautiful place to visit, vigils are held at 7 pm sharp on the 23rd of every month, and a warm welcome is extended to all. If you plan on visiting its worth noting that the memorial gardens isn't open for the vigil, visiting times and events are on the Crossbones website with much more detail than I could ever hope to give you.    

Have a Blessed Week

The Enigmatic Lady Of The Woods

As well as meeting for pub moots and online moots, this summer we have been regularly getting together for a walk through the countryside usually to a place of interest such as Sittingbourne Wooden Henge or more recently to The Lady Of The Woods Statue at Otterden and of course we usually find a nice pub for a refreshing beverage or two.

An Idyllic Country Scene

The lovely Jenny  from Pagan Federation Disabilities team asked me if I would do a sort of audio blog about our latest escapade as part of the Pagan Federation Lammas Online Festival…so here it is! I had to wait a bit to publish this but luckily you don't get to hear my dulcet tones....

So this is the story of our quest to find The Lady of The Woods.

A few weekends ago our intrepid band of heroes and heroines, met at a lovely old Pub - The Harrow, high above Lenham on the North Downs and yet again put their slightly misplaced trust in my sense of direction….  I have a bit of a track record of getting lost as we know but hey, no one is perfect no hormonal ducks were present - if you discount myself and Maria.

Sensibly, this time I had done a quick recce, as parking near the site is scarce and I managed to find a couple of lay-bys near to where we were headed to save a ¾ of a mile hike there and then back on a very hot day.

Cow Parsley 

Shading our cars under the cool leafy canopy of trees, we bravely sallied forth, armed only with water, a google map print out of the area and Dougal the dog.

Stopping briefly to gaze at the cornflower blue skies, dotted with fluffy white clouds and swaying fields of golden corn, we passed some slightly alarmed sheep who decided we were scary looking Pagans and fled as we  headed up a somewhat uneven and rocky track way.

Looking for an elusive path on the right, we kept strolling along, the hedgerows a butterfly filled riot of springy cow parsley, pale dog roses, sunny dandelions and bobbing daisies. Several times we puzzled and swore over the map, changing direction and path, searching for this elusive Lady.

Dougal the dog was by now looking at us as if we were all quite mad.

Finally  just when we were ready to admit defeat traipsing along a  less travelled path ,  someone peered through a gap in the trees and excitedly shouted ‘She’s Here!’

Stepping out of the heat of the sun into the cool dark sanctuary of the wood was heavenly.

The Lady Of The Woods

There she was, the enigmatic Lady of the Woods.

An 8 feet tall oak carving of a woman, faceless, serenely still, her abundant swollen belly rounded with child, hands folded in prayer or offering, maybe even a plea.

Silently we stared up at her, the woods curiously silent and watchful. Her blank inscrutable face, guarding her secrets.

Who was she? Who had lovingly carved her smooth curves from the Oak tree that had once stood there? What did she represent?

Personal Reflections

Local folklore offers several theories – an epitaph to lost love crafted by a returning soldier during the Second World War or fashioned by a Polish airman stationed nearby, missing his far away wife and unborn child.

Or perhaps more mundanely a carpentry student who stumbled on this remote fallen oak tree in the 70’s and honed his remarkable skills in peaceful seclusion, leaving her to be an unexpected joy to passing walkers and hikers.

Whoever created her and for what reason, she is simply beautiful. Graceful, mysterious and unmistakably tender. Goddess, Mother, Saint, Madonna, Magdalene or someone’s lost love. Someone different to us all.

A Beautifully Scented Smudgestick

We lit a homemade smudge stick, blessing  the woodland  and earth around her, taking time to be thankful for the beauty and abundance that surrounded her, contemplating all the things that she may have stood for and had a few silent moments with our thoughts before leaving her an offering a small posy of herbs and flowers from my garden.

Rosemary for remembrance, Hyssop for purification, Jasmine for purity and grace and Lemon Balm for love, along with a feather that we had gleaned on our short but hot and dusty pilgrimage.

A Small Offering

Heading back to the pub, we all reflected on the quiet stillness of the wood, proposed theories about who she was and why she was there.

A silent, enigmatic and elusive Goddess in her woodland home, a simple reminder of the circle of life, the transience of life – death and of rebirth, symbolic of the mysteries we yearn to understand and witness. Many, many things to different people.

For us she was a beautiful mysterious epitome of a much-awaited harvest, of love and birth, of abundance and life.

I Hope You Had a Blessed Lammas

Simple Smudge Sticks

I thought I'd share the information sheet I made for the workshop with you, just in case anyone is getting as obsessed with DIY smudge sticks as me!

Gather a good handful of herbs, flowers and some foliage like the ones described below, keeping all the stalks to one end. Don't worry about them being wet or green, they are easier to work with like that. Sometimes I use bamboo leaves as an outer layer.

Measure a piece of twine/string that is safe to burn to about 5 times the length of your bundle. Use an elastic band to secure the stalk end of your smudge stick. You can remove it or cut it out later.

Fold the twine in half and make a loop about an inch or two long to hang it with. Secure the looped part of the twine round the back of the elastic band end, tie and re-tie very firmly.

Take the twine and cross over from behind all the way down the body of the smudgestick at regular intervals so that you form a criss-cross diamond pattern.

Pull the twine as hard as possible - the dried finished article will shrink.
Secure at the other end and cut off any excess twine and remove the elastic band. Don't worry if you have an uneven end or there are flowers sticking out.

Finally using the loop hang up to dry thoroughly for about 4 weeks. I would recommend not lighting this over a flammable carpet or flooring without a shell or bowl beneath!

Rosemary 
For remembrance and warding off 
negativity, wards off bad dreams and 
keep thieves at bay. Attracts faerie energy 
and purifies the air. 


Bay Laurel  
Good for banishing unwanted spirits, sanctifying an area before a ritual, purifying and cleansing. Also enhances psychic ability and dreaming 


Lavender  
Purifying, cleansing and stress relieving, creates a balanced calm atmosphere. Traditionally averts evil spirits form entering a dwelling. 

Roses  
Rosewater can be worn on clothes as a protection and petals guard against the evil eye. Brings love and good fortune. Encourages friendly spirits.

Honeysuckle 
Attracts love, luck and wealth. Burn to support any money drawing spell. Brings happiness to a home and can increase psychic dreaming 

Hyssop 

Helps breaks hexes, curses and negative energies. Renowned for purity and protection. Often used as part of a protection ritual. 

 

Lemon Balm 
Used to ward off evil and to promote good health and cheer. Traditionally brings joy and peace as well as promoting self nurturing. Associated with reducing stress and encouraging relaxation. 

Jasmine  
Positivity and simplicity in overcoming hurdles. Brings purity, harmony and balance to relationships & the home.  

Bamboo 

This brings tranquility and humility. Associated with the spirit of the summer and the ability to bounce back after adversity. New life. 

Olive  

Brings luck and protection, Good for cleansing and purifying. Calls to the ancestors. Symbolic of peace and 
fertility in both sexes.




Of course, there are many, many more! 
These just happen to be the ones in my garden 😊 Blessings Claire x x