Image from Google
It seems that you can have it all ways when it comes to pretty plants, pest control and food. All in one pretty package – the humble Nasturtium.
I began growing Nasturtiums this year, after discovering that you can make Faux Capers from the prolific seed pods that result from a dying bloom. I then learned that the flowers, stems and leaves are all also edible (I tried a Nasturtium leaf yesterday and they have a wonderful peppery taste). Continue reading
I don’t know about elsewhere in the world, but here in England there are probably more Solitaries than there are Covens. Covens tend to be selective and secretive and they are very difficult to find – especially here in the rural south.
Yes I know; with so many sites such as Tintagel, Stonehenge, Glastonbury Tor, The Cerne Giant, Belas Knap and stone circles everywhere you might think it were easy to stumble across a Coven, but they’re more elusive than saffron.
There are probably hundreds of Pagan social groups for knitting, sewing, pickling etc. but not where I live that I’m aware of. I know of one other Solitary living near me and I have never spoken to her (when I saw her she was gathering rowan berries and I didn’t want to disturb her while she was Working).
With that said, Pagans like to meet fellow Pagans to learn and share and make friends. Some may join together and form Covens, others are happy to remain Solitary but to have Pagan friends to contact when advice is needed (I am one such Solitary).
A gentleman by the name of Paul was thinking about the isolation that some of us feel one day. He created a community and advertised it on Facebook – which is how I stumbled across Pagan Friends.
Paul has had more success with this than he thought he would; I am not sure how many members there are now but the numbers are climbing steadily. I have met some wonderful people, and there is even a community for my area (The Essex Chapter). I have now come into contact with quite a number of Essex-based Witches and other groups are springing up all the time.
Paul was very happy with my offer to publicise his venture, and he would love more members to come and say hello – as would I. You can find me there as RoseBlossom4 and I would love to chat to you there.
Disclaimer: I have not been paid to promote this site, and actually offered to do so of my own volition.
One of my favourite bands of modern times – Within Temptation – sum up the Wiccan belief in the Mother quite nicely here. Incidentally, I want that white gown! (Video contains some mild flashing – just to let migraine sufferers know. It’s not triggering to my epilepsy and so I think you should be able to watch it, but I’d better leave this warning out of politeness).
Each Wiccan has their own personal beliefs and practices. The line “She goes her way” is especially true of the Wiccan lifestyle. We each walk our own Paths as long as our actions harm none.
“She gives and she takes”. This is also core to the Wiccan Path; the Earth gives much, but we must put back. We can do this by planting trees, growing our own vegetables (which I am doing this year along with my husband) or a simple Altar ceremony to leave an offering (flowers, honey, milk, an incense stick/cone, a lit candle… the list is endless) and give thanks.
Or you could just go out into your garden (or to a nearby field or hill or whatever) and dance your thanks in the rain. That’s perfectly acceptable too. No, you don’t have to go skyclad (although if you’re a naturist anyway that’s fine) and you certainly don’t have to have sex with anybody. Unless you want to, of course; sex is, after all, a celebration of the beautiful human form and the God. It is also used as a ceremony in some Covens.
Even then, however, it should be with somebody that you know and trust, even if you are not in a relationship with them. Picking up casual sexual partners in bars or nightclubs is distinctly not the way of Wicca, and the God and Goddess would frown upon it. Wicca is not an excuse to be putting yourself about.
Some of us create flower gardens to thank the God and Goddess. Others observe every Sabbat and cook the appropriate foods and leave an offering on their Altar. Some create pot gardens on balconies or in window boxes.
There are many ways to celebrate and thank the God and Goddess. All are beautiful. There is no official ceremony, as long as whatever you do is filled with love and joy.
To many people, the idea of a Witch keeping a Book Of Shadows is creepy. They think that the writers of these very personal accounts of the Wiccan journey record curses, nasty recipes for making evil spells and so on and so forth.
Your average Book Of Shadows will generally contain the following:
A dedication to the Goddess and God on the first page, sometimes including a poem
A brief account of what the author hopes to achieve by taking notes
Sketches of Altar layouts and a list of required items
Favourite herbal/medicinal recipes
A list of candle colours and their uses
Prayers, incantations and invocations that the practitioner has adapted to make them more personal, but which happen to work
General Nanny Ogg type ramblings about what has been learned from something the practitioner has tried
Favourite websites for Wiccan advice and supplies
There is nothing creepy or nasty about keeping a Book Of Shadows, and they are readily available online. Mine arrived a couple of days ago and is black with an embossed silver Pentagram on the cover. You don’t need to buy a specific Book Of Shadows though; you can simply buy a pretty notebook which has a cover that speaks to you. I happen to like the Pentagram, since it is a symbol of protection and often drawn in a Witches’ Circle. You might prefer Faeries, Gnomes or flowers. It is entirely up to you.
The Book Of Shadows is a journal. It also helps you to remember important things that you’ve learned along the Path. For instance, I now know that the spider is associated with the Goddess – and when one span itself down from the ceiling and plopped itself on to the bed at 5.00 this morning the Goddess was probably trying to get my attention! I am arachnophobic and have been battling it for years, and this is a good reason for me to persevere with curing myself.
In my defence, I only screamed because it startled me. It wasn’t a very big spider at all.
So, I have a written dedication and a poem on the first page of my Book Of Shadows. Now I just need to write about what I hope to achieve before I can begin to write down useful things.
Hey; this book (and others to follow) might fall into the hands of a relative when I’m gone. They need to know what the book is about 
Simply put, you can’t.
A Witch could be the young hippy chick sunbathing in the park, or he might be the young man behind the counter at the bank. Perhaps she’s the rotund, smiling, middle-aged housewife buying cauliflower at the market stall, or he’s the geography teacher at your child’s (or your own) school.
In other words, anybody you know could be a Witch. Not all witches are female either: there are no such things as Warlocks. Male or Female (or any other recognised gender) we are Witches all.
You’ve probably heard all the myths and legends and seen all the horror film stereotypes. Old hags with black cats, broomsticks and wide brimmed tall hats. Probably green and warty and likely to turn you in to a frog. Continue reading
