Ichabod's Day

Beyond the seas Beneath the trees Beside the whispering well. There lives a maid An old, old maid Of whom my tale will tell. In times gone by, In great supply, Her life was strong and clear. Her wisdom shared, As others cared, She lived a life sincere . Then day by day  The curse, they say, Insidious appeared. So bit by bit, As favour quit, From view she disappeared. Now all alone She sits unknown  A trace of times gone by. To be again She waits in vain  And heaves a final sigh . This tale I tell, Please heed me well, And listen as you will. The sad maid thence Is common sense, She’s waiting for you still .

Grief is a normal emotion in response to loss. It doesnot just arrive with the passing of a loved one, it comes in many guises and forms and can be a response to  tangible and intangible life events such as  transitions, loss of role, relationship breakdown, moving home/job etc. Our reaction to grief can be influenced by many factors, in particular socio-cultural expectations with common phrases attached such as "be strong", "time heals", "keep busy" or even "it wasn't meant to be". These comments, whilst said by well intentioned friends and family, try to convince us that grief is a matter of the head rather than the heart and therefore rational thinking can overcome it. The fact that this is not possible can only add to feelings of inadequacy and impotence when going through the grief process. Ok, so I stated "grief process" however there is no one template fits all, every experience is unique to the individual experiencing

Channeling my best Claire Fraser (see previous post and Outlander) I continued to tend my herbs through the summer of the first year and experimented with drying techniques. I couldn't get on with the dehydrator and managed to ruin a few stored herbs through mildew. Went back to the age old hanging and  air dry - although slow it was more thorough. Lesson 3: the racks of the dehydrator are great as air drying racks for smaller herbs and flowers (and doesn't use electricity). The fridge was starting to fill with small jars and metal tins of "stuff" (lip balm, salves and tinctures mostly)  so I started to get the word out there about my potions (you can still see a list of what is available here) I mainly used my facebook personal page and my Skip's Legacy page and I'm thankful to say that a  few friends made some orders which felt great. Setting up paypal etc was surprisngly easier than expected and over the next few months a decent amount went to a

Last year I decided to bite the bullet and take up something I have always wanted to do but never quite got around to. I decided I was going to become my very own version on a Hedgewitch. I say "my version" as https://wiccanspells.info/wiccan-pagan-articles/hedge-witch/  states that there is no one consensus as to the definition. I am not: - able to see into the future (much!) - particularly in touch with the natural order of nature - but like most I can spot the seasons changing ;-) - able to read cloud formations - worshipping any kind of deity I am: - developing a broad knowledge of plants and herbs - interested in the healing properties of plants and herbs -a lover of folklore - a creative thinker (even if my skills don't always enable me to follow through with ideas) I suppose I align myself more with the old crone of the village in times gone by. A wise woman maybe a more flattering picture (whatever cap fits!). So, inspired in no small way  by Cla

For many years I have been fascinated by the Moon gazing Hare. It seems particularly prevalent in Norfolk (my adopted soul home) and can be seen adorning cards, tea towels and in the more skilled arts and craft fairs displaying the wares of talented artisans working in wood, metal and soft materials.On a recent trip I treated myself to one, finally, and many have been asking what it is? I decided a blog post might be in order.  A useful blog I found put it very well: https://sentiayoga.com/blog/2018/8/26/the-story-of-the-moon-gazing-hare There is a history of hares being linked to the moon which is almost universal (you'll find stories of Hares and moons in Japan and China, Mexico and through Europe) and goes back to ancient times. Whether or not hares really gaze at the Moon is not really clear, but it certainly follows the moons evening progress, as an animal who is usually most active in twilight hours and certainly, we have long been fascinated by the h