Hardly does it seem that winter has unleashed its grip on us and we have been searching the Hawthorn desperately for a glimpse that summer has begun, and suddenly, Midsummer and the longest day is upon us! We cannot change the timing of the longest day…it is what it is…but usually up here, the best weather comes after the longest day so we, once again, live in hope of sunny days and fine evenings to come, as we always do in Scotland. It always surprises me how soon it gets dark when I go back to England to visit my mother, whereas up here, it hardly gets dark at all in June.
Midsummer is party time. The hard work is done and we await the harvests so this was always primarily a holiday time. Time to wallow in the sunshine, build up your tan and Vitamin D and enjoy nature to its fullest. Life is for living and Midsummer is all about spending quality time with family and friends in the garden or at the beach having a bonfire and a BBQ, eating the best of fresh local food and enjoying all that the long days has to offer. Make the most of fresh local salad and berries…nothing better than a fresh strawberry added to a nice glass of fizz and toasting family, friends and those who are absent from the party. Light a bonfire and enjoy the dancing flames, maybe even jump the embers for luck in marriage or for fertility, as they do at Beltane, and make the most of the longest day and shortest night!
The Body’s heating system…
I was quite pleased with myself at the end of February, as I had only gained a couple pounds “winter coat” as I call it. Each winter, my body keeps itself warm by adding a little extra layering against the cold, as it should, just like an animal’s coats get thicker! It then sheds all by itself, when the days start to lengthen and warm up and the stodge of porridge and stew gives way to salad and stir fry’ as we change from winter to spring. We are talking what normally happens! Then the Beast from the East arrived…thank you very much!! Not only did it screw up my refurbishment plans, but my body decided winter was here, again, and it put on yet another winter coat!! April was just as bad, then summer arrived! What happened to Spring and shedding the winter coat which now had an extra lining! Anyone else experience this?
Fortunately, we have been blessed with some fabulous weather lately, as we so deserve after the 6-month winter we have just coped with, and I am hoping my body is appreciating the sudden warmth it is receiving direct to my skin. It is the simplest of pleasures, but I love sitting out in the sunshine at the end of a working day (or during it), having a cup of herbal tea or freshly brewed coffee and to just simply sit and absorb those rays and their warmth. If you close your eyes, you can hear the buzzing of the bees, the wind in the trees and the birds singing away. Taking a little time out in a busy day is well deserved medicine…and it also helps top up your Vitamin D!!
However, beach body ready I am certainly not, as my body cannot catch up that quickly. So, what do we do? I don’t believe in crash/fad dieting as long-term followers will know…so it is back to my usual plan with added patience …
‘Move more, chew more, drink more’
Move more…once the Spring arrives, it is easier to take longer walks in the sunshine and on lighter evenings to up movement. Only my generation and our children have become used to vehicles, lifts, stairs etc. As kids, we had no option but to bike or walk to and from school, shops, friend’s houses etc, so I now park further away from the shops and walk, I walk to and from work, and I make a concerted effort to up my daily steps and exercise to get my body working as it was meant to do. Our body has been millenia in the making and stationary all day on a chair, sofa or in a car it was not meant to be…so think about how you can just move more.
Chew more…in our 21stcentury living, we eat fast food on the move or in front of the tv and actually don’t notice what is being consumed half the time. Nor do we give our stomach and brain time to catch up. Try taking a mouthful, putting downing your knife and fork/sandwich etc and mindfully chew your food…about 28-30 times, then take the next mouthful…you will then let your body and mind catch up and tell you when you have had enough. It is also better for your digestive system too as the food is easier to process. Another tip… use smaller plates! I have cutlery and pans from when I was 20…they are much smaller than what is ‘normal’ today. If they don’t fit in the dishwasher or cupboard, they are too big! Big plate, big portion, big potential…to overeat!
Drink more…most of today’s kids drink plenty indeed…but of the fizzy stuff! In my day, pop (fizzy juice) was for high days and holidays, not every day and certainly not all day every day…and don’t get me started on diet stuff! The body can utilise water and herbal teas immediately, without ‘processing’, whilst everything else you drink has to be processed through the system. Everything in moderation is the key here, because a little bit of what you fancy does you good. 4 cups tea or ground coffee a day are good for you, 20 cups are not. The body is made up mostly of water, so needs to replenish or you become dehydrated. Drink sips water throughout the day between your cup coffee or glass of fine wine and you will prevent your body from having to crave food just to rehydrate itself. Get a nice water bottle and carry fresh water with you (save on the plastic at the same time)!
Hopefully, my body will shed its winter coats with ease, as it does every year, by following my usual plan. All you have to do is support your body to do what it needs to do, give it fresh natural food and plenty of hydration with exercise & it won’t fail you…and in return, you’ll look and feel much healthier too…!!
Spells…do they work?
I was asked this question last week on messenger and couldn’t bring myself to answer the lady without the fear of ranting, so thought I would quickly discuss it here…again! When you perform a spell, you are sending the vibration of your request into the Universe with positivity, and the belief that your request will be answered. It may not be straight away, but your request will definitely be answered and your need (not greed) fulfilled. The fact that she asked if they work undoes any spell she may or may not carry out because it’s obviously without the magickal intent that we as witches live with daily. If you live in our magickal world, then the simplest of things can be magickal. However, you cannot simply pick up a spell book and carry out a spell when it is not in your belief system, then go “I wonder if it will work” or “Do you think I have done it right” as the intention has just been undone.
Never doubt what you do magickally and the Universe will allow for mistakes and grant your need. Doubt it and you might as well not bother!!
Oils in the Home…
A man came in the other day to try and make his new house smell better! I love essential oils, as you know, and simply cannot live without them. Yet occasionally, I still get people who have no idea what you can use them for. So here are a few uses around the home.
Obviously, you can drop the oils onto water in an oil burner to scent your home, but you can also add them to warm water in a spray bottle, shake and use them to scent your home that way. I keep Witches Gold in water in my bathroom spray…destroys all known bathroom aromas!! A great way for keeping beasties away in the summer is to put insect repellent oils like lavender and citronella and spray near windows. I also use citrus oils in the kitchen, adding them to my dishcloth after washing up in a morning, to clean and disinfect my kitchen surfaces…and inhaling grapefruit, lemongrass or orange makes me feel more awake in the morning too…added bonus the older I get!!
If you are cleaning your paintwork, add oils to the soapy water to cleanse and purify at the same time. I could keep on going with all the uses I have for oils around the home and it is a good way of using oils that may be getting a little old so sprinkle that out-of-date lemon in the sink and down the drain…smells much better than bleach!
The Dinosaur/Crone
As we age, us women go through our many stages of life from girl to maiden, then to mother and finally to crone. I am much more thinking dinosaur these days, rather than crone at the moment, as our High streets fade, shop chains collapse and our everyday world changes as we now rely on the internet and phones for everything.
I am standing up for the little shop in the High street and continuing to do business as I have always done it.I was advanced in my thinking when I built my 1st website in 1999 and the local garage surprised me with lettering on my new car. Now, in today’s fast-moving world, I feel like my mother who couldn’t even work the video recorder!
Today, I feel outdated in my ways, yet I stood up and said I was a witch when it was still frowned upon. I won’t move my shop into 21stCentury tech with live video feeds, networking and online motivation. As an old crone, will continue in my old ways giving advice in my little shop to those who find me and ask for help. I don’t want to change nor am I going to, and when the time comes that this dinosaur should become extinct, I will close my door for the final time and end my personal fight to be that stand-alone, gobby, stubborn old witch who just wouldn’t go away, no matter who or what attacked, and when that day finally comes, I know I have helped in my own little way to make it ok today for the next generation of witches to go out there live on air and be who they want to be!
Moon Times…
Full Moon: Thur 28 June @ 05.53 hrs New Moon: Fri 13 July @ 04.01 hrs
Full Moon: Fri 27 July @ 21.22 hrs Another Friday 13thso read the Beltane newsletter!
Away for Midsummer – hence the rushed newsletter
Partly why I am feeling like a dinosaur is the death of 2 close family members and how it brings the importance of family to the fore. Life is for living and not stressing over stupid stuff. My cousin was just 65, his death a shock and a tragedy, and my father-in-law over 100, a celebration of a life well lived after a good innings, but still a sad loss for the family. My husband and I are attending his funeral then heading off for a needed break away to evaluate our life. Sometimes normal life gets in the way and it has certainly been the case in the last few weeks but I hope our break away will bring things back into perspective and I can return with enthusiasm and get back into the running of my witchy little empire of which I am so proud, dinosaur or not!! In the meantime, Helen and the kids will keep the shop running in my absence…any changes will be on Facebook!
Blessings and love, stay safe and see you soon from Chris (alias the Green Witch)
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