Wishing you a blessed Summer Solstice

Good morning, how are you?

No, really how are you doing? It’s been a strange year and a bit hasn’t it, I hope you are ok in the grand scheme of things.

The Wheet has turned once again, it doesn’t stop, no matter what is happening in the world, it keeps on turning and we are back to the Summer Solstice. As usual, I had plans, plans to mark it, a small fire out the back, making a honey cake or sun biscuits to simply lighting a candle on my altar. Yes, you guessed it….I havent done any of it!

My altar had had a clean up at the New Moon but I didn’t Solstice-fy it, I didn’t have a fire, I never made any cake or biscuits….I was about to give myself a hard time like I usually do, call myself a rubbish pagan blah blah blah…..but I didn’t do that either.

I havent got the energy, plain and simple. I am tired, there are lots of things going on in my life that are taking up my time and an awful lot of my energy, mainly looking after my family, who all have their own rather large issues going on from mental health to physical health, along with doing all the other bits like dog walking and food shopping as well as trying to build up a small wood carving business. I am learning, thanks to walking my pagan path and all of the wonderful friends I have made along my path, that I can’t do everything. Yes, it would be nice to do all of the above mentioned ways of marking the turning of the wheel, it would be wonderful to go out and do something Instagram or Pinterest worthy….but I can’t, I am tired. So, this morning I set my alarm clock stupidly early and I got up to welcome the sunrise from my little back yard.

I had a candle lit (and a warm drink!), I played my drum quietly and I watched the sky brighten. I could tell when the sun had risen by the slight change in clouds, I could see white ones instead of just silhouettes.

I looked around my quite wild and overgrown container garden and gave thanks to my fruit trees, my herbs and all the other plants….my St John’s Wort (Hypericum Perforata) is about to flower- I wonder if it will open by the 24th, St John’s day/Midsummer?

I then went back to bed, satisfied that I had marked the Solstice in a little way…but I had marked it. See, I’m not such a rubbish pagan, I mutter to myself as I climb back under my covers.

I have now done the first part of my day job and I had to call in at the depot for new paperwork, and just to remind me how beautiful and resilient nature is, this poppy bank is growing year on year in a very dry, dusty, industrial area….it is so cheery, was fullnof buzzy bees, ladybirds on the daisy types, mugwort growing in the cracks between containers.

All in all, I feel good about my Solstice so far and this makes me happy.

So I would like to wish you all a wonderful and blessed Solstice, however big or small you plans are, enjoy your day, x

Lammas/Lughnasadh and beach time!

Hi again!
Here we are rapidly approaching the first harvest of the year, Lammas or Lughnasadh depending on personal preference, as the wheel turns again.

I been have pondering on what to do to mark the turning, it is considered a fire festival so the least I was planning was lighting a fire but I wanted to do more, thankfully a good friend reposted a blog post of his with suggestions for a solo ritual (you can find his blog post here) and I think I am going to go along these lines.

Today we were invied to lunch at my mother-in-laws house as I had asked her if I could attempt to air-layer her beautiful wisteria, if it works in about 9 or 10 months I can remove the chosen branch from her plant and I should have a small tree that is already mature enough to flower without me having to wait years for it to flower…patience not being one of my better qualities!

Anyway, we all went over, which needed doing as I have some demons/issues regarding visiting the house but I am getting better, lunch was rather scrummy and I have left a foil wrapped soil filled sausage shaped lump attached to one of the branches of her tree, both myself and the mother-in-law are quite intrigued to see if it works!

After lunch the plan was to take the dog to the beach and I was looking forward to this, wanted to get my feet in the sand and the sea. As we neared the beach I realised which one we were going to and a similar set of demons raised their feckin ugly heads, again these ones really, really needed facing!

It was fine, a lot better than I thought it was going to be as I was with my husband as well as my daughters and I drew strength from them (I am always grateful to them for helping me through wobbles)

It was bliss….squishing the sand between my toes, paddling in the sea-the water was surprising warm considering how overcast it was while we were there….I had such a warm, comfortable, easy and happy time, walking along with the girls looking for stones and seashells while my husband threw a ball for the dog into the sea and talked to his mum. 

It was good to connect to earth, sea and sky while the breeze cleared away the cobwebs and foggy/unpleasant thoughts. I feel lighter and cleansed and stronger for having put some issues behind me.

I was also awarded with some gifts from the sea for which I am extremely grateful.

Whatever your plans are for the upcoming turning point, I wish you a bountiful harvest and a blessed Lammas/Lughnasadh, x

Air

Good afternoon fellow magickal and pagan types…hope you are well?

I have just been out with the dog for his afternoon donder (walk) before I go back to work and it is stunning beautiful out there, compared to the heavy clouds and rain of this morning, the sun is out there is blue sky and the clouds are fair skipping along as there is quite a strong wind!

Perfect for cleansing yourself with air…just stand there and let the wind blow all around you and through you taking any worries, stresses and strains away, always helped by a bit of sunshine on your face while it happens.  While enjoying the sun and the wind I found 2 feathers in the park, one a lovely small white feather and the other a magnificent, albeit slightly damaged long black feather heavily coloured with green and tipped with purple…stunning feather it is so that was definitely coming home with me and is now sat on the altar.  Yet another air element!

Once home I wanted to do another meditation to carry on with opening of my third eye, so I lit some Dragons Blood incense, as the living room window was open allowing for some more air movement, the spirals that the incense smoke made was quite fascinating…considering that you cannot see air, you can only see how it affects other things, watching the smoke spirals was very theraputic and yet again fell into the category of air…so it would seem that today would be a good day to work air magick/spells or just generally cleanse yourself with the stuff!

Now that I feel suitable ‘cleansed’, it is unfortunately time for me to go back to work, so I wish you well until we meet again, x