Time

I had the best intentions last night to bring in the new year with a bit of a ritual.  We are moving and I spent the majority of my night, until well after midnight, packing up my ritual room, which had really turned into more of a junk room as the antics from my old Landlord made it impossible for me to open curtains, windows make much noise without him texting my partner and giving him suggestions as to what I was doing in there.  None of it was pretty or happy, however, that is all old news and has been tossed to the side.  Needless to say, all my ritual stuff is safely in boxes ready to go.  The peace of mind that this has brought about is amazing.  I only have my books to put into boxes and that room is done.  Kitchen is tonight's project, oh and the bedroom drawers.  There was no time nor place for me to perform the ritual and I"m not sure that in this place, with all that's gone on, that the ritual would have worked out satisfactorily.

I know that once I am into the place, I'll be doing plenty of rituals, the important thing, I figure, was to celebrate.  That I did, with an awesome trip over the hedge.  I applied a goodly amount of my seven league boots flying ointment and traveled beyond the hedge.  I ran into my son and we conversed about where I was going and what I was doing.  He heartily approved and bid me to continue on my journey.  As I walked the path that I so often walk that takes me to the crossroads, I had a visit from Freyja and as well from Odin.  They gave me a few portents, but mostly they wanted me to know that my choice to move was a good one, and that soon everything that I wanted would fall into place, including learning the runes and meeting my teacher.  I was told that I would be enjoying my wheel of the year, and that information that I was looking for was closer then I realized.  

My studies occupy my thoughts often.  I have already filled many pages with information I have gleaned about the runes.  I'm studying the Elder Fulwark and every day now I do a reading and note it in the journal part of my book of shadows.  I am currently learning about the various Norse Gods, and go back and forth between reading a little of the Poettic Edda and information regarding the various gods themselves.  I get excited when I study and hate to be interrupted so am cooking less and reading more.  (My round little belly thanks me).  

Once we are more settled, I'll be  heading into the green belt behind our apartment to see what kind of wild things I may find there.  I love a new challange, and although it's not a lake or a park it is a big patch of green, more wild and less traveled than the woods I have been exploring the last year.

All in all, I feel that in my own way I have welcomed in the New Year and begun my project well.  I'll continue to work towards discovering the meanings of my dreams and memories.  This year holds so much promise.

Blessings all. 

The Seven League Boots

Last night, after reading a blog about putting flying ointment on the soles of your feet as a way to fly over the hedge, I felt a little twinge in my brain, as it sounded so familiar to me, flying about the countryside by putting something on your feet.... like.. and then it hit me... like seven league boots.
If you've ever read the full version of Puss and Boots you remember that footwear.  I think the lads name was Lord Caraboose, (I'll have to find a copy and review it, as I've not read the story since I was about 10ish).  He stopped by the side of a stream, removed his shoes and put on the seven league boots in order to get  to another realm, I believe it was one of the worlds of faerie he was entering.  I even recall a tale about the seven league boots for another story, but that was long ago.
Anyways, it got me thinking about fairy tales and travel and flying ointments and the need to hide things out in the open.  It looks like I'll be doing some studying and seeing what other conclusions I can come up with.  I was an avid reader of Fairy and Folk Tales when I was a child, and deeply moved by mythology legend, and history.  I was always in trouble for having my head in a book... the wrong kind of book.  I was supposed to be studying math and french, social studies and science, which I found boring. It was the 70's I was female and I needed my fathers signature on my curriculum and was saddled with languages sciences math and social studies.  He wanted me to be a Travel Agent and I wanted to be an archaeologist, or a writer, or an artist and take art history, English Literature, and history.
 I think this epiphany has led to to the beginning of an adventure into the realms over the hedge, for I put the flying ointment onto the soles of my feet last night and I still feel it's effects today.  I'm trying to figure out my dosage, because I feel I can go up a little more, and after last night, I know I can knock it up another notch.  I'll wait a few days for the effects to wear off and then knock it up to a double dose, I think that should be fine, as one and a half still was not the effect I was hoping for.  I'm pleased there seems to be no hangover or headache afterwards, and that the feeling of euphoria lasts longer than the evening.
Now is the time for me to study and reflect on what my next step should be, but I suspect I'll be wandering towards a copy of Puss and Boots and seeing what kind of plants grew by the lake where the seven league boots were.

An omen from my flying ointment

A few days ago The Witch of Forest Grove wrote a wonderful article, On Flying Ointments.  It was well written and included not only the basics of how to make one, but the various components you can use, and the implications of making ones that tend to use the more baneful herbs.  She will not give dosages, however, she provides cautions and warnings and just enough information for further study to help you along your task.  For a long time I have wanted to know just a rough guideline for more information on how to get over the hedge more easily without getting stoned.  I'm a serious student and am not looking for a cheap high.  Sometimes though, the gate to the other-side just remains elusive and all I'm looking for is the right key to get me over.  Sometimes I can get over on my own on purpose, more often than not though, I get there by accident, just bumbling over.  I'm looking for more controlled ventures.
This is not a calling for everyone, I felt the calling towards hedge-riding years ago, long before I knew about flying ointments or even what going over the hedge was.  I was very young then (about 7) and it was like watching TV these dreams, only I could somewhat control the outcome.  From then on I wanted to get over more frequently and control it.  I had no one to guide me or council me in this, yet I persisted and eventually found the information I needed here and there, to keep me going one step at a time.

I am now cobbling together all that I have learned over many years into what I call the "Big Blue Book of Keep the Fuck Out"  The way I look at it, this was my tale of my journey, and what I did to get here.  It's also the journey I am now making and I don't want short cuts; it would take away from the adventures I will go on and all the exciting things that I will seen.
I did try a flying potion... I had a little wormwood.... and no I'm not telling where I got it, but I did and I have a little left, which is a good thing, because I want to use it again.  That was the herb I used when I made my flying potion on the afternoon of the 10th of September.  I didn't even wait for my partner to go to work, I was that excited and that impatient.  I read up on Wormwood and on Thujone before I continued.  I used a small amount in my potion and set it to heat in the oil on, of all things, an electric coffee warmer.  I infused the oil for the correct time and added the wax and a natural preservative (I have a full arsenal in my witches cupboard of rare and exotic, weird and bizarre).  I couldn't get it to cool fast enough and so carried it to the bathroom (in-case it was messy).  With my partner working grave-yard shift, I would have the entire night to myself to give it a try and see what happens without any interruptions.
I deliberately made it less potent, but with what I thought would be enough of a sample to see if I liked it and if it would do as I hoped.  Using my fingers to scoop out about 2 tablespoons of the very oily mass I smeared it on the back of my neck.  I don't know why I chose there, I just did.  The ointment was so greasy I was rubbing it in for a long time and ended up giving up and just letting it sit there for a bit, and then a little later I rubbed the last little bits in.
At first I didn't feel anything, but after a while, colours were more intense, and I had this sense that I could see things really clearly, as though I was truly seeing them for the first time in my life and now things made sense; at last... true clarity.  I saw where I had been going wrong with some things and what needed to be done to rectify my life and simplify things.  I had been so intent on this wheel of the year, and I still am.  I was originally going to study this year and learn more about all the rituals throughout a Witches year starting at Samhain.  About a week later I had this brilliant idea that I would open an online store and sell my crafts and get that all done for Samhain. (<This is the omen part> What I quickly realized was that although the store is a great idea, it's time has not come yet.  I need to learn more about ritual, paying homage, feasting, playing, working, magic, consecration.  I'm not ready now for the dream of the store.  However, I am ready to gather items in a couple of months and sell them off at a craft fair or farmers market. ) As I learn more, I won't struggle over the simple things and so the store (which I have wanted to do for years and years, <small business workbook dated 1990 was eye opening> perhaps decades) will have a better chance of surviving.
I saw that sometimes we as people, get caught up in the dream and completely miss out on the experience.  I was about to sell myself short.  I have been obsessed the last month crafting and studying and crafting and drawing, wanting to know everything all at once and cursing my lack of knowledge.  I was taking all the fun out of the upcoming year, and I hadn't even started it.  So I'm going back to my original plan; Wheel of the Year here I come.
There were other insights that I had as well from the flying ointment.  More personal, but helpful none the less.  I would also say yes, it helps when hedge-crossing, it did make it easier for me to lie down, relax and go over the hedge and talk to my Grandma.  The usual drowsiness I encounter when hedge crossing was not there, instead, I felt alert, but not as though I was controlling the situation, nor was I having a hallucination.
It was a positive experience and something I will take up a notch, but not a big notch.  I'm not interested in getting high, I'm interested in clarity, visions, hedge-crossing and enlightenment.  I feel this fills the bill.  There will be other experiments of course with other herbs and dosages to find the best fit for me in all this and I'm excited.  I'm keeping lots of notes in the "Big Blue Book of Keep the Fuck Out" and perhaps one day I'll pass it on.  

The Epiphany

I was given a great gift today by my loving companion Sean :D.  I like to keep busy, but with this silly sleeping and bathroom business I've been housebound for 5 days now.  I'm getting cagey and more grumpy than usual and I kinda sit and look at my computer, look at my supplies, look at the TV, sigh, make a meal, eat and sleep.  I need more supplies to complete my projects.  It's hard to get into the head space I need to when I'm drawing because my spouse is very interactive and likes to give and receive attention often.
However today he needed him time, I could tell and he was about to not take it again, which of course makes him grumpy, I could see him eyeing the X-Box controller, and his hand reaching for it then pulling away.  I pretended I didn't notice for a bit so he wouldn't tie in one with the other.  I told him I had a bunch of craft work I needed to focus on and I hated not being able to get to it,   and handed him the controller.
With a big smile on his face he gave me my gift, when you open up Gmail there is a tab there called Site for making web pages and he also suggested that I might want to use it to set up an online shop for all my goods.  He's also going to help me with getting a Paypal account and a few other things I'll need to set up the shop, but then I'll have my own little business, something to help me retain some of my independence.  I had wanted to have everything connected and actually to go google with this venture the entire time and now I can.  Once I get a little further ahead, I'll set up a PO box and take full command of my work room turfing some of the stuff we aren't using because there is no room to cut fabric, let alone swing a cat.
Oh and when I look at exactly what the gift was, it makes me smile, it wasn't the knowledge of the website page builder that was the gift, it was that I needed it and he had been listening to me all along.  I feel awesome and well appreciated, because every woman really just wants to know she's been heard.
As for me, I've been working on the webpage all day, and I find the site builder confusing.  I'm going to be adding more and more to the site as I go, slowly adding my stock and keeping tabs of everything online. I think this is going to do me a lot of good, especially if I team it up with something like ad-sense or not... really not so sure on that one, but I will give it a look before completely dismissing it.

Surprise, Surprise...LOL

I went for a walk in my park today, but instead of going in my usual entrance which is here,

I wandered up the College Drive a little bit further towards the first turn-off to the right.  The reason for this is simple,  I decided that I would make a secret garden in the park and what looked like a perfect location was a small field in behind the scrub at the end of the Cul-de-sac.  I had looked up everything on Google Maps and Google Earth.  So I see the road, and walk in towards the Cul-de-sac that I know is at the end of a houseless street (according to the maps); however, this road is no longer houseless, there are, I believe four houses there, three closer to College Drive, and one near to the little round about.  Along this road is a fine selection of wild flowers that usually grow near woods, in the open areas.

I see these pretty blue flowers all over Nanaimo, along the roads and more wide open areas.

Broom is everywhere, and next time I'm remembering to poke a spare bag in my collector bag, so I can drag some home, dry it out and try my hands at making a besom style broom.

This little beauty was covered in purple flowers, and bees by the score were harvesting full throttle,how perfect I want an apiary in my secret garden, this would be ideal, so close and convenient.

This thistle too, gave me time to reflect on how wonderful this area would be.

'Well now!  This is exciting!' I thought and became giddy with delight at how close to the Hedge (the forest wall that seperates the tame and lawful from the wild and unlawful) this was.  I walked past the fancy and final house and my anticipation grew so much so that I could feel a big smile all across my face, only to be greeted by this:

and this:

Well I am a witch, a hedge-ryder, and a trouble maker extraordinaire.  I will not be held back by lame signs that mean to keep me from my goal.  I want a a secret garden and I will have one or know the reason why!  I put on my grumpy Ember face and trudged along the poorly blocked path into the scrub area just in beyond the rocks.  Ok, so no secret garden here, for there was downfall and roots standing on end, and big rock piles and no way to get past anything.  In fact, it was dangerous in there.  I knew that a new sub-division was going in not to far from the other end of those rocks, so there would be no privacy.  Although my way was blocked and this site holds absolutely no promise for creating my garden aspirations, there are some prospects on the other side of the lake, so all is not lost.  It is mid dayish and I don't do well in heat and sunlight.  I'm very fair skinned, and can be burn within 15 minutes of exposure to the sun, so I wear large baggy clothes and a hat that covers me up and provides shade, but still has a tendency to cause overheating.  I looked around my little lost area and in no time discovered a path that lead into a familiar part of the Park I'd been exploring.  I quickly made for the path with little more than a hint of regret for the loss of future garden and headed into the woods, my favorite part of any walk.

Looks like I found the forest spirit.  I want to come back and look at her, see where she's pointing, it looks like the other side of the lake, but I could be wrong.  All in all it was an excellent and informative walk.  I have lots of food for thought, now that my sleeping is back on track. 

 I finally got my partner to understand that I don't have to sleep with him when he works graveyards, but I can come and visit him, lay down until he falls asleep, do my chores, and return close to waking time and be there as he wakes up, then he doesn't miss me so much.  It has been difficult for us, this graveyard shift, but we are starting to get the hang of it and devell,op a new rhythem for a happy and productive life.

A quick definition on chores is in order as well.  I don't work, or at this point bring a penny into the house.  My partner completely supports me; however, I cook and clean, this is my nature, I love a neat house, and he is a tidy man, so it's not a bother.  He wants me to relax and enjoy my life, be as though retired.  He wants me to take the time to work on my arts, my crafts, my magic and my cooking, reading, writing, all the things I wanted to do, but never had time to do when I was supporting my kids all on my own.  He likes my art and he wants me to be the artist I was meant to be.  He supports me financially, emotionally, spiritually and even promotes my work to others.  Everything else aside, I am a lucky girl, to have someone like him and it's worth putting up with the shenanigans, guess that's what it means by unconditional love.  <3

On Crossing the Hedge

I have been focusing for the last year on what I call travelling the Hedge, hence the name of my blog, Somewhere Over the Hedgerow.  There are many different names for what is basically astral travel, and the destinations although all similar are a world beyond ours, where we go through the mists to visit with ancestors, other wordly beings, the divine, ancient races that exist in this realm no longer.  The entrance is achieved via trance and this can be reached using entheogens, meditation, alcohol, just a  little loosening so that your mind is free.  It is important not to be inebriated, just happy, open to the adventure.  Where you go and what you set up is up to you.  A guide is vital, as there can be dangers once you follow the crooked path.  An open mind is good, but don't fill the open mind with thoughts of your own, let them come to you, and they will come.  After all, you don't want to be having imaginary conversations, you want to stimulate the life spark and speak with those beyond.  I chose to look for my Grandma, who when I was a child, looked out for me and my best interests even when my own mother would not.  I loved that woman and knew that she would be a good choice for me to let me know what is up, which is what the guide is for.

If you are confused, don't worry, it can take a long time for all of the ideas and concepts to sink in.  Once embarking on the path, maintain time in the real world.  Grounding yourself in the real world is important, as spirits can be cheeky or malevolent, kind or curious to see what reactions they can get from you.  They are not like humans, there is a sense of nonsense to them and for them that is natural.

I have a fairly easy time of it, getting to the meeting place I mean (there is nothing easy about crossing the hedge).  When I was 6 my appendix ruptured and I died on the table.  I remember looking down at my body and this was my first out of body experience.  I saw them working on me and then suddenly I was waking up in my bed and I was very sick.  I was in the hospital a long time, I went in just after Christmas and came out Easter Sunday.  I convalesced at home for a month, and then returned to school.  Now TVs in hospital rooms were not the norm, so I had to entertain myself, it was then I develloped a passion for books.  

As I grew up my dreams became interesting, I saw things and knew things that others did not.  For me, these things were obvious, but it set me apart from my peers and they just thought I was creepy.  It was the 70's and you just didn't go around yelling... woo woo... I'm a witch.... You just kept it to yourself.

However, in 1977, Rankin and Bass made an animated film of the hobbit, and the notoriety of The Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit opened the eyes of many people.  Magic and wizards filled the air, and suddenly the 1980's had witches starting to come out of the broom closet.  This was great because suddenly a wealth of information including anthropological studies, women's studies, art, science, crafts, started to make sense.  

So with my new found information and a lot of floundering, I found my own way, albeit slowly, over the hedge.  I taught myself to go into a trance without falling asleep.  I would meditate walking along a wooded path and then going beyond the hedgerows and into the wildwood where I would sit by a fourway crossroad and just wait to see who came by.  I had problems connecting with anyone there and often sat alone on a rock.  Then one day I reached out to my Grandma on my father's side, I called out to her and she came.  She has been guiding me ever since.  

I have worked on the crossroad, and now there is a beautiful garden at the crossroads with an outdoor pub, where I get together with my recently departed relatives and we talk.  We keep away from my mother's relatives, but that's a tale for a different day.  Anyways, this is how I get in.  In your mind, you can build a crossroad, a safe place, and from there your guide can take you into the world beyond.  I have not travelled often beyond the safety of my crossroad, but it's an issue with my mom and as I said earlier, that's a tale for another time.

Mercury in Retrograde

I have been unable to focus much on anything lately, my communication with my partner has been bad.  Words, which rarely escape me, have vanished upon my lips and I have been stuck standing there with a vacant look wondering what the hell was I getting yelled at for.  The last few days have been rough in other ways too.  Time has become elusive and I am sleeping for 12 to 14 hours a day at times.  It's like I"m loosing control.  Items are moving about all over the place and nothing is where I left it any more.  Attacks from the other side of the Hedge have me sleeping at night with my wand in my hand shaking in fear (I am the one who picks up the cast iron griddle to go chasing down burglary noises in the house).  As for my cooking, that is starting to leave a lot to be desired as well, although adequate enough it is not up to my usual standards of deliciousness.  I was going to go off on this rant about how crappy all of this is and then, as I was reading my morning Witchy news a certain theme has come up over the last couple of days and I need to take heed.  Damn.... Mercury in Retrograde is at it again and he's here from August 2nd to August 26th, or perhaps I should say, he's not here.  It's actually the lack of him being around that creates this little travesty of life-cycle.  Thank the Gods that it's short, only about three weeks and then things stat again on a more even keel.

LOL, I knew I forgot to put something on my personal calender.  All I can say is one big OUCH!  Now I can cast all those feelings aside and look for ways to somewhat neutralize the effects of this not so stellar time period.  I figure there is less than 2 weeks to go, so I'll just do what I can on my end to keep the worst of the effects away.

Do You Believe in Witches?

It has come to my attention that some people do not believe in witches, they think they are hogwash and well, that peole who think they are witches are nuts.  I'd be careful tossing that insult around, after all, what if you are wrong and we are right, we do have the ability to curse after all.  Now in the bigger scheme of things, I know that you are not going to be seeing huge fireballs errupting from my fists anytime in the near future, I'm not crazy.  However, in the past I have had lightening bolts, very thin, white ones emerge from my fingertips and head skyward.  I was sleep walking and my partner woke me, not so daintily I might add and I saw at that time the light from my fingertips and the look on his face confirmed I wasn't seeing things.  It was not some big glorious eruption, but it was a large enough shock to pretty much put an end to any life he and I had left together.  A couple of months later, my kids and I left him and the island.  It was not as cool an experience as one might have hoped for, perhaps had it happened in a more openly pagan town things might have been better for us.  Alas, the churches had one big agenda on their list... to pray for the heathens to join or depart instead of live and let live.
Lucky for me, my Doctor was awesome and we were in the same Women's are group.  She did not think me strange or perverse and said she had heard of cases where women pick up on the electric static in the air and channel it out when it becomes too much in a safe manner.  I felt better about the whole situation, and it made me realize, that yes interesting fireball or lightening strikes could happen under just the right circumstances, but that it was a rare occurance.  Besides where would one train for something like that. Yes once again I find myself wishing there was a real Hogwarts. 
One thing I always remembered about my Dad was that he wanted me to keep my feet on the ground.  He disliked me reading and thought that I lived in a fantasy world.  He kept telling me that one day I would grow up and see the world as it truly is.  Now I do a lot of reading and there is a plethora of people out there claiming to be witches, some are, some aren't, but it's those that are that intrigue me.
When you read their blogs you know that they walk the crooked path, or take journey's over the hedge.  There are so many ways of the cunning folk to travel and meet.  Yes the internet has made it easier to believe, I must admit, but then I never had a problem with believing. LOL!!! I think that ultimately, what I am saying is that things have turned around some.  I think that there is more of a belief in witches than there ever was, and this is for the better. We can preserve the knowledge at last and keep it safe for future generations, so that never again will it be banished to a broom closet and practised in fear, rather we shall hold it in reverence and supreme respect for the powers it brings.

A little change in how I practice

I have always done my magic on the fly.  My workings constrained by jobs, my mother, my kids, partners (there were only a few, but some had incredible demands on my time and I was always a long term kind of girl), friends.  I pick things up easily, have a generous nature, work hard and have acquired a number of good skills.  I also make friends easily and here is where the rub comes.  Not all people who are friendly towards you are true friends, although they say they are, you can find yourself mired in their work as well as your own.  I was forever helping with resumes, or anything clerical, as well as cooking, cleaning, etc., and there was nothing in it for me, for once I'd performed my task they were too busy with their own life to return the favor.  So, in the last little while I have learnt to say no I'm busy, especially after seeing how much I had accomplished for others and how little I have for myself.  It's bad business, the whole lot of it.  I love my new word and it's good to be able to say it and mean it.  I've even learned not to explain myself, that just opens it up for people to convince you why it should be yes, (ever heard the words "I would never do that" duck and cover, get out of there fast.  A flat out no stands up on it's own and a quick stern look locks it into place. 
For the first time in my witching career, I can actually plan my rituals, and spellwork, as well as my craftings.  This makes me happy, as I've done well on the fly, but I like to imagine that I can do more if I perform my work at the more auspicious times.  Although I've done well in the past, I never really felt that connection.  I kept hoping that as I grew stronger I would feel it, but no.  There is a whole hierarchy to connecting with the spiritual side and talent aside I just felt like too much was missing.  I needed to more fully commit.
After reading a few blogs, The Witch of Forest Grove and Swampwitchery were the ones that I clung to most.  I had always been interested in brooms, flying ointments, and the history of witchcraft.  I never believed that witches simply crawled on a broom and flew about the skys.  I just had to know more and strangely enough, I wanted to try it.  I wanted to  go where they went, however they went and see what they saw.  So that too is part of my journey, to get more in touch with my spiritual me go over the hedge, commune with my relatives on the other side of the hedge.
The other thing that was lacking was my homage to my diety, Ember, the Spark of Creation.  I have always loved that name, Ember.  It came to me when I was a young girl and in studying the name discovered it was also part of the ember months, or the burning months.  It has a lovely history all it's own and in my head I chose her as my deity.  I worship her and try to emulate my ideals of her.  I do not believe she created thing,s all on her own, I believe she has a consort, that changes, and I had decided this long before I had ever read any history of people and religion and pagan history etc.  Even as a child I knew it took two to create a world and it was their dynamic natures that governed it.  I understood that woman tended the hearth and made the home beautiful and that men kept it safe, and stocked with meat.  That being said, men had a life cycle that was much less than a womans so in my young mind it just made sense that Ember and her consort ruled the universe.   However that is an entry for another day.  Needless to say, I have not been sacrificing or paying homage, as she so justly deserves.  In my life I have had losses, but losses are different, they are lessons to be reminded of or learnt, but they are not in lieu of holding the divine in a state of reverence and presenting them with gifts for the many gifts they give us.  I was not lazy, I was interrupted with too many things on my plate.  In the last couple of months I have been giving gifts when and where I can, a home made biscuit with yummy raspberry jam, a piece of fine imported chocolate, some fruits, but I need to learn more about gifting the gods.  It's not a payment, I do love my Ember dearly, I want to make her happy, because she makes me happy.
As simplistic as this entry is, it is leading to the fact that things must be done auspiciously and never before have I felt such a pull as now.  I am working on my crafting room, which will also contain several altars, one to Ember, one to my ancestors, and perhaps one for the consort.  I'll be working on my timing of events and will be using my Correspondances more diligently from now on.  Making sure I'm doing things at the right time of the month, on the right day of the week.  Eventually I will have a Correspondance for what you do magically during the year, but I want to get first the first wheel of the year before I'm out of my depth.