Cleansing Water.

I had an absolute wonderful solitary day in nature this week.
Both time planting herbs in my garden, and outside in the great outdoors.

There's a spot, that not many people frequent, and on this sunny day I had it all to myself. Fields supplied by woodland, with a little stream, and green hills.

^^ Nothing but the sounds of nature for companionship.
I left my shoes in the car, and walked barefoot through nature.

Heading to the stream, I paddled for a time.
Washing my face and the back of my neck in the icy flowing water.
I sat with my feet dangling in, watching a buzzard idly circle the tree tops.

 

And before leaving, my inner hedgewitch came to the surface, as my nostrils picked up the pleasant aroma of wild garlic.
I picked a handful, washing it in the stream, and mashed it in with my potato for tea.

Feel The Earth

What with everything going on in my life right now, and Matt finally coming home last night, I was feeling refreshed.

I took myself off into nature today.

I needed to feel the wind caress my skin, and the sun kiss me.

My freckles are emerging now with this warm weather.

I started in a field, looking out over the river, I walked barefoot through the grass - dandelions and daisies, and buttercups dancing in the waters breeze.

Finding a particular sunny patch, I wrote in my journal for a while.

Fluid thoughts floating through my pen.

Then my bare feet took me into the woods.

Sunlight filtered through the tree canopy, and the air was warm and balmy around me.

The Woods are my happy place.

The feel of moss between my toes, and grass tickling my ankles.

Just having the earth under me, soothes my woes.

My message for today is to get outside. Feel the earth, and experience nature.

---------------------------------

And I never usually do this, but as I'm reading more, with all the wonderful books emerging this year, I'm going to leave this recommendation here. >>>>

I am a HUGE Sarah J Maas fan, all of her work is extraordinary, and when 'A Court Of Mist And Fury', landed on my doorstep, it did not disappoint.

Honestly...This book blew me away.

The first book in the series is called 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' - If you can get your hands on a copy, and enjoy fantasy romance, I suggest you read them.

The first one is inspired by a loose retelling of Beauty and The Beast. Set in a world of political fae, that Maas has tremendously pieced together.

This is the second book.

I read it within a day, devouring every morsel she offered to me, and then once I'd put it down...I picked it back up and read the whole thing again.

Book Three cannot come out soon enough.

Tarot Thursday.

Todays Tarot Thursday comes to you from a rainy hill top, known as Gray Hill.
I roped in a friend for a trek to the top, hoping to re-find the sacred stone circle at its point.
However despite reaching the top, due to the heavens opening down upon us, visibility got difficult, and things got very wet.

So we gave up the search for today, to be resumed in better weather.

I did make time to stop and do a quick reading for you in this magical place.
I'll not lie to you it was very rushed, with rain droplets falling onto my cards, I was very worried about water damage.

For you lovely lot, I pulled

 

 

Seven of Swords

I feel like we've been getting a lot of swords lately. Times of struggle, and challenges are upon us.
Traditionally the seven of swords holds meanings of deception and betrayal. Now is a time to watch your back.
Also there is the possibility of ungrounded fears and confusion leading you to insecurities. Guilt or delusions might be causing you to judge yourself to harshly.
So watch your back, but also have your back. Take responsibility but don't torture yourself over silly fears and imaginary guilt.

When the weather improves, well...if the weather improves, I will go and do a reading for you inside the stone circle. A reading that will be filled with ancient wisdom and magic.

I've also been naughty and ordered 'Brian Frouds' Faerie Oracle Deck - so maybe next Thursday you will have a reading using that instead, for a bit of change.

I visited a secret world where magic happens...

Hello dear readers.

 

Saturday daytime I went to heaven.

Matt did the hour drive into Somerset, so I could go to an open day at Secret World Wildlife Rehabilitation Sanctuary.

 

What a beautiful, beautiful day!

 

We took a bag of dog and cat food for donations, and I slipped a note into their bucket, after parking up in the field.
I really admire what these wildlife places do. And they need all the help they can get, so if you feel like donating, visit their website here;

 

http://www.secretworld.org/

 

Or find a local wildlife centre near you, and take them up some food, or old towels. They'll really appreciate it. 

This place saves injured or dyeing wildlife and either releases them back into the wild if possible, or gives them a forever place at the sanctuary.
It is my dream career, and it is truly astounding the work and care that goes into this job!

 

So, we got into this wonderful courtyard full of people...and as I was looking for directional sign posts, Matt pointed out that the volunteers in the courtyard all had birds of prey attached to their arms.
How had I missed that?
Out came the camera, and I got some quick shots, of these regal beasts.

 

 

 

Dotted around were these yellow, portable incubators. Inside were babies. Oh how I adore this type of baby. Ducklings, fledglings and even a curled up baby squirrel.

 

 

 

There was also an area, all about the cull and badger prejudice.
If you went through an old barn door, you could see through a glass pane into the badger sets.
Obviously being the day, the badgers were all there curled up, having a snooze.
They were really close to the glass, and despite it being too dark for a picture, you'll just have to trust me that they were stunning.

Wandering around towards the hedgehog enclosures, I could barely contain my enthusiasm as to how brilliant the enclosures for everything were. As natural as possible, safe and HUGE!

So in a little tent, I picked up handfuls (yes handfuls) of leaflets on how to make your garden and lifestyle hedgehog friendly.

We were just in time for the hedgehog talk.
Everyone listened, anticipating the arrival of the little beauties.
They did not disappoint.
Little noses wiggling, and alert eyes shining in the sun.

They only had a few more weeks at the facility, before they were going back to the wild.

 

 

Gardens galore led us to the fox enclosures...but sadly they must have all taken to ground as we saw no red fur today.
 Looking into a large fenced off area, with a pond, and lots of ducks, geese, and peacocks...I finally found a gorgeous red deer. I'd been waiting for her.
She did not want to stay still mind, more interested in the food coming her way than in us.
She was a lot bigger than I expected the deer there to be.

 

 

I adore deer.
I've been feeling super connected to them recently.
Imagery of them is everywhere I look, and something about them has taken root in my heart.

 

Matt got some chips from a vendor in the field, and then we headed into the gift shop.

 

 

Where I obviously could not resist an adoption pack.
I choose the otter....
Mainly because the otter toy was the cutest ;)

 

 

 

What a glorious day!

And now I'm sat with my candles burning, the sun streaming upon my face through the window, and the Parlour is just about to begin.
Learning a new tarot spread today.

Life is beautiful.

The WildWood Is Alive And Thriving

Hello my loves.

As I write this to you, I have moss clinging to my hair, tree bark between my toes, and my heart full of wilderness.
I went into the woods today,
Far from the beaten track.

I climbed  and danced my way along fallen trees,
Soaking in the feeling of the wind on my skin.

I went to the woods to perform a bit of magic that the wonderful Veronica Varlow taught me, magic to get my foot in the door!

I took my deck with me.
Seriously fellow tarot readers! If you have not yet gone adventuring with your deck into the wild, DO IT!
Do it now!
Find a spot,
Get comfortable.
Take in the sound of the birds, the small wildlife rustling nearby in the undergrowth. Watch the sunlight filtering through the leaves, as it creates gently swaying shadows down around you.

Feel the solid earth beneath your bare feet.
Get connected.
Feel the power of nature around you, and use it.
Push all of this raw energy into doing a fantastic reading.

I did a reading for myself, using the Compass Spread.

Now, this reading was super positive. The universe is practically screaming at me, that all the steps I've taken recently will pay off, and the future is bright.

 

Card 1 - Ten Of Cups
Card 2 - The Sun
Card 3 - Page Of Cups
Card 4 - Ace Of Wands
Card 5 - The World

 



Any reading that features 'The World' gives me butterflies.

It is the last card in the major arcana, number 21. It is all about being in the here and now. Success, euphoria and completion! Being alive in the moment - And an end to a challenge, and now a new beginning!

Don't worry witch babies, I did a reading out in the WildWood for you aswell.
But you'll have to wait till Tarot Thursday, tomorrow for yours.

Check back then.
I'll see you here tomorrow.
xoxox

Divination Under A Burning Sun

Taking inspiration from this blog; 

http://dangerdame.com/2014/07/21/magic-monday-a-wild-one-card-tarot-reading-from-me-to-you-adventure-black-bears-and-a-new-song/

And

From a desperate urge to clear out my head, I headed off into the wilderness, and plopped myself down on the solid earth, in a lovely spot about five minutes from my house.
The sun was beaming down, my skin clammy in the heat. Iridescent dragonflies, guided me to my spot - where handfuls of beautiful butterflies awaited me. The ground was warm under my bare toes, the crispy grass breaking underfoot.

I took my paint supplies with me. I always like to get creative when I'm out in nature, and hence this little hare was born.

Doing magic actually out in nature is truly freeing. It overloads and opens the senses all at the same time. Due to my Parlour class being moved to a Sunday I will not be able to attend the live session (but I will be receiving the download and pdf later), So I thought I'd do a one card reading for my fellow witchbabies, as I cannot join them.

So it was time to rip off my lovely vintage atlas inspired scarf from LUSH which holds my tarot deck.

And this is the card I pulled for you beautiful people. 

The Queen of Bows

(Or Wands to you normal deck holders)

So Queens represent people who nourish you and your dreams. People who are caretakers of all your hopes.

The Queen of Wands, is representative of a powerful, fiery figure coming into your life. Or it could mark a change in yourself. It suggests someone with previous successes, and someone who is known and respected in their courage.

I also took the oppurtunity to do a one card pull for myself...specifically revolving around guidance towards mellowing myself out. Before I left the house today, I was so overwhelmed. Nothing in particular, just lots of little things weighing heavily on my shoulders. 

And this is the card I pulled,
Seven of Bows
(Again that's Wands to the rest of you)

It means Clearance. A time to make decisions and prioritise. What is really important in my life? And what is worn and broken, and is better chucked away?

I'm gutted that I can't be live at this weeks Parlour, but I look forward to seeing you all the week after, and to watching the chat-box stumble into the gutter in the download. 

xoxoxo

Caldicot Castle Grounds Photography

Twilight

The sun was setting in a red and pink sky. The birds were chirping, and the river was lapping at it's banks. If I closed my eyes, and took it all in, I could forget the worries of my life. The wind blew gently against me, whipping small tendrils of hair around my face.
 I was there to shoot a mother/daughter combo set, with a wonderful friend. I'll get those up here in my next post. I've just finished editing them.
But I had such an experience with nature today, I felt so grounded.
Below are pictures my friend took of me, in these moments of bliss.

I felt like an elf princess this evening - with my homemade head jewellrey, walking boots, and Joe Brown coat. In a state of peace.

Flowers.

Maybe I'm feeling reminiscent of Spring, because I feel the need to post some of my flower photos.