Totem T̶u̶e̶s̶d̶a̶y̶ THURSDAY: The Reindeer ★ Witchcraft Diaries Happy Yule and Happy Totem errmm Thursday :) I have a festive offering for you today, looking at the spiritual relevance of the beautiful and magical Reindeer. I hope you enjoy! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for watching! Please share this video with your friends as it really does help me out. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Find out more on Laura's Blog http://www.witchcraftdiaries.blogspot.co.uk Follow Laura on twitter http://www.twitter.com/lauraredwitch Laura also has an Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/lauraredwitch This video and all content is copyright © Laura Daligan 2013
Thursday, 19 December 2013
Tuesday, 10 December 2013
Totem Tuesday: The Heron
Totem Tuesday: The Heron This week's Totem Tuesday is about the beautiful Heron. I hope you enjoy... ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for watching! Please share this video with your friends as it really does help me out. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Find out more on Laura's Blog http://www.witchcraftdiaries.blogspot.co.uk Follow Laura on twitter http://www.twitter.com/lauraredwitch Laura also has an Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/lauraredwitch Heron Image courtesy of Terry Foote This video and all content is copyright © Laura Daligan 2013
Friday, 29 November 2013
Witchy Update - GLASTONBURY MOVE - WCD
Witchy Update - GLASTONBURY MOVE - WCD A little video about a big move... :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for watching! Please share this video with your friends as it really does help me out. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Find out more on Laura's Blog http://www.witchcraftdiaries.blogspot.co.uk Follow Laura on twitter http://www.twitter.com/lauraredwitch Laura also has an Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/lauraredwitch This video and all content is copyright © Laura Daligan 2013
Friday, 22 November 2013
The Witches Zodiac - Yule ★ Witchcraft Diaries
The Witches Zodiac - Yule ★ Witchcraft Diaries All video for this series was shot and edited by Gordon C Burns (www.gordoncburns.com) Yule is upon us and it's time to talk about what that means astrologically. You can find out more about Zoe at http://www.astrozo.com Or follow her on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/AstroZo/364263490338 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for watching! Please share this video with your friends as it really does help me out. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Find out more on Laura's Blog http://www.witchcraftdiaries.blogspot.co.uk Follow Laura on twitter http://www.twitter.com/lauraredwitch Laura also has an Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/lauraredwitch This video and all content is copyright © Laura Daligan 2013
Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Totem Tuesday - Question Time 2
Totem Tuesday - Question Time 2 In this video I look at one of your Totem Animal Questions... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for watching! Please share this video with your friends as it really does help me out. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Find out more on Laura's Blog http://www.witchcraftdiaries.blogspot.co.uk Follow Laura on twitter http://www.twitter.com/lauraredwitch Laura also has an Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/lauraredwitch This video and all content is copyright © Laura Daligan 2013
The Witches Zodiac - Samhain ★ Witchcraft Diaries
The Witches Zodiac - Samhain ★ Witchcraft Diaries All video for this series was shot and edited by Gordon C Burns (www.gordoncburns.com) You can find out more about Zoe at http://www.astrozo.com Or follow her on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/AstroZo/364263490338 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for watching! Please share this video with your friends as it really does help me out. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Find out more on Laura's Blog http://www.witchcraftdiaries.blogspot.co.uk Follow Laura on twitter http://www.twitter.com/lauraredwitch Laura also has an Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/lauraredwitch This video and all content is copyright © Laura Daligan 2013
The Witches Zodiac - Samhain ★ Witchcraft Diaries
The Witches Zodiac - Samhain ★ Witchcraft Diaries All video for this series was shot and edited by Gordon C Burns (www.gordoncburns.com) You can find out more about Zoe at http://www.astrozo.com Or follow her on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/AstroZo/364263490338 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for watching! Please share this video with your friends as it really does help me out. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Find out more on Laura's Blog http://www.witchcraftdiaries.blogspot.co.uk Follow Laura on twitter http://www.twitter.com/lauraredwitch Laura also has an Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/lauraredwitch This video and all content is copyright © Laura Daligan 2013
Friday, 20 September 2013
A Day with the Faery Queens & Kings - 28th September 2013
Journey to the realm of enchantment with the Faery Queens & Kings...
Spend a day away with the faeries and immerse your (s)elf in the myth, magick and rich folklore of faery royalty.
What do you picture when you visualise a Faery Queen? The depictions of faeries and their sovereign guardians have always been diverse. Popular culture from Victorian times onwards has depicted them in a diminutive, patronising and often perverse fashion. But still they persist in our imaginations, our hearts and in the wild natural places.
You may say 'I don't believe in faeries' whilst walking through the glaring lights of the supermarket, collecting plastic wrapped food, but step into the Autumn woods at midnight, or through snow white fields on a frosty morn, and the world seems very different... unknown, magickal and wild.
In this workshop we will:
* Connect with and journey through the realm of faery
* Meet our very own faery guides
* Learn about the faery clans, their stories, customs and all about their Royalty
* Discover how to *see* faeries
* Immerse ourselves in the powerful female archetypes of Morgan Le fay, Vivan, the Lady of the Lake, Titania, the Snow Queen, the Morrigan, the Scandinavian Huldra, Melusine and many more...
*Walk the path of the Faery Kings
*Discover the Sidhe of the Hollow Hills
*Craft a little piece Faery Magic for ourselves!
Come join me on this magical workshop on the 28th September in Grays, Essex
Booking and more info here.
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
FULL MOON BADGER PROTECTION RITUAL
Hi gang,
As the situation with the Badger Cull is getting worse here in the UK, most of us are feeling horrified and heartbroken at the cruel Cull, which is causing so much needless suffering. Here is an idea for a ritual I will be doing. If you'd like to get involved that would be fabulous. You don't have to do the full ritual, you could just do the meditation/visualisation.
This is also only a guide line/idea - please feel free to do your own thing if you prefer.
If you would like to, come find me on facebook or twitter to share experiences.
As the situation with the Badger Cull is getting worse here in the UK, most of us are feeling horrified and heartbroken at the cruel Cull, which is causing so much needless suffering. Here is an idea for a ritual I will be doing. If you'd like to get involved that would be fabulous. You don't have to do the full ritual, you could just do the meditation/visualisation.
This is also only a guide line/idea - please feel free to do your own thing if you prefer.
If you would like to, come find me on facebook or twitter to share experiences.
Full Moon Badger Protection Ritual
I’ll be starting the ritual at 9.30pm this evening (Wednesday 18th).
It’s
the Full Moon in Pisces, which is a deeply psychic, intuitive time. The energy
of Pisces is going in to the still depths of our soul, so in light of this it
probably won’t be a ‘wordy’ ritual, and more about feeling and strong deep, powerful
intent. We may feel tearful or emotional too, that's part of the energy so be very gentle with yourself.
It might be useful to get a map of the cull areas to focus your energy
on protecting (though it’s quite a large area) I’ll try and procure one today.
The intention of this Ritual is to protect the Badgers in the Cull
areas and to send healing to those injured.
You may feel you would like to focus on just one of these areas -
Protect or Heal depending on your skills or the time you have.
Cast a circle in your normal way, if you don’t normally cast a circle,
then simply cleanse and create a sacred space, with incense, visualization, or
whatever works best for you.
Invoke any warrior queen/protective Goddesses & Gods - or
Goddesses/Gods of the Earth/Animals you feel are appropriate. You may work differently, with Guides, Angels, etc - so please do whatever works best for you.
Light a candle for the Badgers, and place in your circle a picture of a Badger (or any other representation) and/or the map of the area.
Take some deep relaxing breaths
and focus your energy, either on the flame or the moon, or just by closing your
eyes. Begin to see a spark of light in your mind’s eye, it can be any colour. As
you breathe deeply watch that spark grow slowly until it becomes a circle of
light. The circle grows in size, form and brightness, and it connects with the
protective circle other people have been creating too. When you are ready, send
that circle surround the Badgers. Either visualize it going around the cull
area, or picture the badgers in your mind’s eye and send it to surround them. Stay
in this space of visualization for as long as you need to.
With your eyes still closed visualize the Goddess/God/Guardian that you
have invoked walking (or flying or swimming!) around the protected area, they
may carry a flame torch or other implements of protection!
You may like to visualize one deity guarding the Badgers, while the
other heals and nurtures them, again whatever feels right.
You may wish to chant something like:
‘Badgers be safe
In the night
Goddess protect you
With healing light’
Or
‘Deep in the Earth
Deep Underground
Badgers be Safe
Badgers be Sound’
Or
‘Safe, safe, in the earth
Safe, safe underground
Safe, safe in the woods
Safe, safe in this land’
As you chant you raise more energy and send it to the protective
circle.
If you are doing the healing, use the energy raised to send to the injured
badgers. You could use your picture to help.
Secret world in Somerset are doing a wonderful job of trying to help and
look after them.
When you are ready, bring your awareness back to the room and thank the Deities/Guides and close your circle in the normal way - if you have cast a circle
that is.
Eat and drink something to ground, and keep your candle lit as long as
it safely can be lit for.
THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS FOR THE BADGERS XXX
Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Totem Tuesday Question Time!
Totem Tuesday Question Time! Hello! In this video I look at the similarities/difference of a Totem and a Witch's Familiar :) Thanks for watching and k ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for watching! Please share this video with your friends as it really does help me out. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Find out more on Laura's Blog http://www.witchcraftdiaries.blogspot.co.uk Follow Laura on twitter http://www.twitter.com/lauraredwitch Laura also has an Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/lauraredwitch This video and all content is copyright © Laura Daligan 2013
Monday, 9 September 2013
An Introduction to the Mysteries of the Morrigan
'She is Death, She is Life... My Goddess Morrigan'
Trobar de Morte - Morrigan
When She walked into my life, spear in hand, through a cloud of mist and crows around a decade ago, I knew my path was never really going to be the same again. As I recall people were not too keen to work with Her then, but I've been so blessed to see over the past few years more and more people being drawn to her powerful, sovereign energy.
Now my journey spirals on, in devotion, research and action. I walk closer to Her daily, as She speaks to me in dream, crow caw and symbols... and sometimes with a rather large kick up the backside!
She most definitely is the Goddess of women (and men!) who don't take life lying down; She is known as a Battle Goddess, and this up to a point is rightly so, if you read the Celtic Myths She turns up at many a battle as protagonist and prophetess. If there wasn't a battle going on, She was known to start one by stealing a magical cow or such like... well the Celts did seem to love a good fight and cattle thieving session!
She could place fear into the hearts of warriors before a battle, separating the men from the boys, as it were and was/is a powerful force to have on your side.
Unfortunately that's as far as a lot of people get with the Morrigan, particularly as the Celtic myths were written down many many years after Christianity had 'replaced' the old Pagan ways and the Romans had exiled and murdered Druids. These later ancestors perhaps struggled to get to terms with a woman as complex and diverse as the Morrigan and her many feisty and sometimes sexy guises! We have little written down from what is called the Celtic era, as we know the Druids revered the spoken word over the written one.
Now if the word 'Celt' is a proper term or not is for another blog, but for simplicities sake we'll use that term for the moment.
Why Her role as a Battle Goddess was so important can be made clearer if we look at a woman's role in Celtic society. Women in Celtic Europe really did have it better than most ladies of the Greco-Roman empire, who were rarely seen as little more than a possession. Women in Celtic Britain could marry (and divorce) whom they chose, could take on roles such as Judge, Military Advisor, Druid (the only reason we see Druids as purely the domain of men is from a later patriarchal spin) and Warrior.
Women often accompanied their husbands into battle, and were often a more fearsome and terrifying prospect than their husbands! Yes I can see this relating to a lot of modern day relationships too :).
If a woman wanted to keep ownership of her lands she had to learn to fight, and there are tales and accounts of the prowess of both mythical and real-life female warriors. We of course have all heard of Boudicca,and even though her case was epic, I doubt she was a stand alone character in our land's history.
But battle aside, the Morrigan has many many many aspects to her bow - too many to go into here (though I will advise two good books on Her at the end of this post!).
She like many other Goddesses can be seen as triple aspected Goddess. In most cases triple aspected Goddesses represent maiden, mother and crone, and new, full and dark moon respectively, again with the Morrigan the lines blur a little more in this definition! However She does seem shape shift between lusty maiden to old crone at the drop of a hat!
Her trio can be Morrigan, Badb and Macha, yet often the Morrigan or Morrigu can be seen as an umbrella name for a trio of Goddesses - namely Badb (Crow Goddess), Macha (Earth and Horse Goddess) and Anu (Mother - Earth Goddess), or sometimes Nemain (A Goddess of Fury and Frenzy), depending on the story - or what you feel resonates with you more.
Each Goddess aspect has her own layers of myth and magic, which we'll go into much more in my Morrigan workshop this Saturday. Yet Her story takes us further into our own psyche.
The Morrigan is also Witch Queen, Shapeshifter and Faery Queen. More than one Faery Queen has been associated with the Morrigan, Morgan Le Fay, Queen Medb and Aine to name but a few. It is in this aspect we walk between the worlds as enchantress and elemental spirit.
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She guards the pathways of life, death and rebirth, and as a liminal Goddess of deep inner (and outer) transformation she has really made herself known in my life. Through meditations, journeys, ritual and tattoo (!) I have connected with Her deeply in this guise.
Perhaps Her most important aspect is as Goddess of Sovereignty. The land was seen as female; as the Goddess. If a King wanted to prove himself to be worthy of this land, (and he needed to if he wanted to rule successfully) he had to prove himself to the Goddess. The Morrigan was, and is seen as the bestower of such Sovereignty. In my workshops and in further writings I'll discuss more what that truly means to us in modern times.
Trobar de Morte - Morrigan
When She walked into my life, spear in hand, through a cloud of mist and crows around a decade ago, I knew my path was never really going to be the same again. As I recall people were not too keen to work with Her then, but I've been so blessed to see over the past few years more and more people being drawn to her powerful, sovereign energy.
Now my journey spirals on, in devotion, research and action. I walk closer to Her daily, as She speaks to me in dream, crow caw and symbols... and sometimes with a rather large kick up the backside!
She most definitely is the Goddess of women (and men!) who don't take life lying down; She is known as a Battle Goddess, and this up to a point is rightly so, if you read the Celtic Myths She turns up at many a battle as protagonist and prophetess. If there wasn't a battle going on, She was known to start one by stealing a magical cow or such like... well the Celts did seem to love a good fight and cattle thieving session!
She could place fear into the hearts of warriors before a battle, separating the men from the boys, as it were and was/is a powerful force to have on your side.
Unfortunately that's as far as a lot of people get with the Morrigan, particularly as the Celtic myths were written down many many years after Christianity had 'replaced' the old Pagan ways and the Romans had exiled and murdered Druids. These later ancestors perhaps struggled to get to terms with a woman as complex and diverse as the Morrigan and her many feisty and sometimes sexy guises! We have little written down from what is called the Celtic era, as we know the Druids revered the spoken word over the written one.
Now if the word 'Celt' is a proper term or not is for another blog, but for simplicities sake we'll use that term for the moment.
Why Her role as a Battle Goddess was so important can be made clearer if we look at a woman's role in Celtic society. Women in Celtic Europe really did have it better than most ladies of the Greco-Roman empire, who were rarely seen as little more than a possession. Women in Celtic Britain could marry (and divorce) whom they chose, could take on roles such as Judge, Military Advisor, Druid (the only reason we see Druids as purely the domain of men is from a later patriarchal spin) and Warrior.
Women often accompanied their husbands into battle, and were often a more fearsome and terrifying prospect than their husbands! Yes I can see this relating to a lot of modern day relationships too :).
If a woman wanted to keep ownership of her lands she had to learn to fight, and there are tales and accounts of the prowess of both mythical and real-life female warriors. We of course have all heard of Boudicca,and even though her case was epic, I doubt she was a stand alone character in our land's history.
But battle aside, the Morrigan has many many many aspects to her bow - too many to go into here (though I will advise two good books on Her at the end of this post!).
She like many other Goddesses can be seen as triple aspected Goddess. In most cases triple aspected Goddesses represent maiden, mother and crone, and new, full and dark moon respectively, again with the Morrigan the lines blur a little more in this definition! However She does seem shape shift between lusty maiden to old crone at the drop of a hat!
Her trio can be Morrigan, Badb and Macha, yet often the Morrigan or Morrigu can be seen as an umbrella name for a trio of Goddesses - namely Badb (Crow Goddess), Macha (Earth and Horse Goddess) and Anu (Mother - Earth Goddess), or sometimes Nemain (A Goddess of Fury and Frenzy), depending on the story - or what you feel resonates with you more.
Each Goddess aspect has her own layers of myth and magic, which we'll go into much more in my Morrigan workshop this Saturday. Yet Her story takes us further into our own psyche.
The Morrigan is also Witch Queen, Shapeshifter and Faery Queen. More than one Faery Queen has been associated with the Morrigan, Morgan Le Fay, Queen Medb and Aine to name but a few. It is in this aspect we walk between the worlds as enchantress and elemental spirit.
.jpg)
Morgan Le Fay
She guards the pathways of life, death and rebirth, and as a liminal Goddess of deep inner (and outer) transformation she has really made herself known in my life. Through meditations, journeys, ritual and tattoo (!) I have connected with Her deeply in this guise.
My recent Morrigan tattoo
Perhaps Her most important aspect is as Goddess of Sovereignty. The land was seen as female; as the Goddess. If a King wanted to prove himself to be worthy of this land, (and he needed to if he wanted to rule successfully) he had to prove himself to the Goddess. The Morrigan was, and is seen as the bestower of such Sovereignty. In my workshops and in further writings I'll discuss more what that truly means to us in modern times.
Knowth Passage Tomb & Temple - Boyne Valley, Ireland.
Even though I have barely touched upon Her enchanting complexity, I hope this blog has sparked, or even rekindled your interest in the Morrigan. She is such an all encompassing deep and powerful Goddess, who will take you on the journey of the spiritual warrior. She can help you choose your fights wisely, and take the more magickal, honourable path.
Look for Her on a crow's wing, in green pastures, and ancient sites - and most importantly - within the deepest and most beautiful parts of your Self.
Copyright Laura Daligan 2013
Want to find out more? Come to my workshop in Gray's Essex organised by Inspiral Mediums.
Books to read!
The Guises of the Morrigan - David Rankine & Sorita D'Este
Celtic Lore & Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess (Invoking the Morrigan) - Stephanie Woodfield
Tuesday, 3 September 2013
hollow tree drum SAMPLE
hollow tree drum SAMPLE The first drum meditations will all be recorded out in nature in and around the trees. This is a small snippet from a recording made actually INSIDE of a hollow tree. AVAILABLE SOON AS A DIGITAL DOWNLOAD FROM ETSY http://www.etsy.com/shop/lauraredwitch ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for watching! Please share this video with your friends as it really does help me out. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Find out more on Laura's Blog http://www.witchcraftdiaries.blogspot.co.uk Follow Laura on twitter http://www.twitter.com/lauraredwitch Laura also has an Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/lauraredwitch This video and all content is copyright © Laura Daligan 2013
Tuesday, 20 August 2013
Totem Tuesday - Honouring Your Animal Totems
Totem Tuesday - Honouring Your Animal Totems Welcome to this week's Totem Tuesday with a Twist! This week I look at 'Honouring Your Animal Totems'. Which gives some simple ideas on getting to know your Power Animal and how to work with them. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for watching! Please share this video with your friends as it really does help me out. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Find out more on Laura's Blog http://www.witchcraftdiaries.blogspot.co.uk Follow Laura on twitter http://www.twitter.com/lauraredwitch Laura also has an Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/lauraredwitch This video and all content is copyright © Laura Daligan 2013
Tuesday, 13 August 2013
Totem Tuesday - Finding Your Power Animal
Totem Tuesday - Finding Your Power Animal Totem Tuesday with a Twist! A short beginner's guide to discovering our Totems & Power Animals! Let me know how you are getting on! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for watching! Please share this video with your friends as it really does help me out. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Find out more on Laura's Blog http://www.witchcraftdiaries.blogspot.co.uk Follow Laura on twitter http://www.twitter.com/lauraredwitch Laura also has an Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/lauraredwitch This video and all content is copyright © Laura Daligan 2013
Wednesday, 7 August 2013
The Goddess
This blog is themed around a painting I have just completed. And a painting I have loved creating, truly and deeply. There have been some deeply magical and transformative experiences over the past few weeks, ones which have taken me to the core. These experiences have not always been comfortable, often confusing, sometimes disheartening, but highlighted with moments of brilliant clarity, connectedness and healing. A process of shift and change.
There are many things I'd like to tell you about Her; Her name, origin, how She makes me feel when I gaze into the stars of Her eyes, the meditations and journeys undertaken. But these things have not fully been realised yet, and I feel there is more work to be done. There are things I'd like you to tell me about Her too, if you feel so inclined. :)
So when She has a title I'll let you know! I hope you love her too.
Copyright Laura Daligan 2013
There are many things I'd like to tell you about Her; Her name, origin, how She makes me feel when I gaze into the stars of Her eyes, the meditations and journeys undertaken. But these things have not fully been realised yet, and I feel there is more work to be done. There are things I'd like you to tell me about Her too, if you feel so inclined. :)
So when She has a title I'll let you know! I hope you love her too.
She leads a dance of star~fyre
On pathways carved in silver ice
A wise web of being
All things. No thing.
Her places are the old woods
Upon shining stellar wheels
And in the depths of your heart.
Aching, loving,
Lay your tears at Her altar
Let there be no barriers to love
An offering of Transformation
Blessed. Always.
This blog also begins a merging of my art blog, so do expect to see more art on this blog now! If you would like to find more art please visit www.lauradaligan-art.com.
XXX
Tuesday, 6 August 2013
Totem Tuesday - The Dragonfly
Totem Tuesday - The Dragonfly Totem Tuesday is back! Woop... In this episode I look at the double life of the Dragonfly! http://www.witchcraftdiaries.blogspot.co.uk/ https://twitter.com/LauraRedWitch https://www.etsy.com/uk/Shop/LauraRedWitch ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for watching! Please share this video with your friends as it really does help me out. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Find out more on Laura's Blog http://www.witchcraftdiaries.blogspot.co.uk Follow Laura on twitter http://www.twitter.com/lauraredwitch Laura also has an Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/lauraredwitch This video and all content is copyright © Laura Daligan 2013
Wednesday, 31 July 2013
Lughnasadh Blessings!
Wishing you all a blessed Lughnasadh! May the fire of the sun warm you and may your first harvest of the year be one of deep joy...
To my friends in the Southern Hemisphere wishing you a beautiful bright Imbolc!
To my friends in the Southern Hemisphere wishing you a beautiful bright Imbolc!
Here is mine and Zoe's video about Lughnasadh...
...and for the Australian readers here is my video on Imbolc!
Sabbat Blessings X
The Sacred Scar...
The Sacred Scar...
For a moment, take a breath and step away from any preconceptions you may have about tattoos - and in particular tattoos on women.
For me tattoos are very natural, I'm not looking so much at the 'Victorian Freakshow', (whereas in reality tattoos were a real trend with the Victorian upper classes - Winston Churchill's mother was rumoured to have a snake coiling up her wrist. I guess Victorian clothing would cover up a whole manner of skin secrets... I digress!) I want to look more to our ancestors and to the older tribes.
In my heart and mind, the subversive nature of tattoos and body modification is relatively recent (i.e. within the last 200 years) if we go deeper into our past I believe that they would have been a sign of the warrior, of sovereignty and of status/rite of passage. If you look at the more remote tribes that exist today we can see that this probably would have been the case.
Body art can be many things to the individual, it can be, and most often is, something which marks a period of transition and transformation in our journey, like the butterfly emerging from the cocoon we often wish to visually show our transformation, with a symbol or image that means something to us.
And if your tattoo is there simply cos it's pretty - you know what that is fiiine also! Something pretty is very Venusian and helps is to feel more positive and uplifted about ourselves, if you look at something every day that makes you smile then I see no problem there!
I don't believe tattoos are for everyone and I don't at all expect everyone to like them, and that's absolutely fine. I've had some rude people making comments about my tattooed self: 'a lady shouldn't have tattoos, it's unbecoming' and that's not fine. A lady should have manners, and those ones obviously didn't...
But it's the sacred nature of a tattoo that I wanted to touch upon here, the ritual magick of transformation. Etching a symbol onto skin, onto self, which then becomes a part of the Self... personal and spiritual.
After being tattooed you will never be quite the same person you were before... you may not lose anything (except perhaps outdated beliefs), but you shift in a small way, sometimes in a huge way.
So it is important that you choose a tattoo that will mean something for you, or at least a design that you feel a fuzzy happy connection for. We don't need to intellectualise these things, if we deeply love a symbol, image, then that is enough, it connects with something very deep in us.
Even my first tattoo, which was to be honest, relatively quickly chosen from the wall of a tattoo shop in Newquay (as I just wanted to go for it after a few years of hovering), is not regretted. It's black and red, curvy and tough: I can still go for those things! And as importantly, it puts a pin on the map for where I was at that time. How I felt, what I wanted, and the seeds of who I hoped I could be (and am still hoping!)
On a brief side note- please don't call anyone's tattoos 'tramp stamps' even in jest... think what message that really brings, and the lack of respect those words echo, whatever your opinion of the art.
I had, as mentioned one tattoo in Newquay, which represents a time I was at Art College in Cornwall,
one in Leicester, my birth town, and several (ahem!) in London by an artist I was very fortunate to meet around seven years ago called Dominique Holmes, who works at the Family Business in London.
I have had extensive work with Dom, as not only did we hit it off, She is a wonderful and ever improving artist whom I feel has always completely 'got' what I wanted, and she has taken my ideas and sketches and created some beautiful magical artwork on my arms, feet and back, of nature, power animals, and goddesses.
In a further blog I will discuss, if it is of interest, the meanings of the tattoos, the myth and I'll include photos!
Last Saturday I took a further path in my journey of the sacred scar. I had my own magical design tattooed on my back in a beautiful ritual environment surrounded by people, most of whom I had only just met, who chanted, drummed and supported me through the experience. I felt I could truly dedicate this tattoo to a Goddess, and a powerful experience.
This tattoo was a further commitment and dedication from magickal experiences I have undergone this year, and over the past 10 years, that I'm sure I'll discuss in a video and/or on a further post.
The lovely Suzi Elen Edwards (and organised by the awesome Samantha Elen Marks) was the perfect tattooist for this experience, deep, connected, kind and funny!
In this sacred, ritual experience I feel the work was inked into my skin through beat and chant; devotion and intention. It carries very deep meanings for me, which I guess I'll be working with for a while.
Another pleasure and treasure of the day was designing a sacred scar for a lady, and seeing that design (her first tattoo) being permanently etched onto her skin. That was particularity mind blowing, and has encouraged me to create some more magickal tattoo designs.
Today tattoos are experiencing a real hey day. Men and women are increasingly expressing themselves and their journeys in ink and skin. We are rediscovering the ancestral power of transformation, of the deeper spiritual journey. Look at your current tattoos, or if you are planning one, mediate on the image/words. What beauty, power and change have they/will they bring?
If this topic interests people, I'll write and share more in the future, I have been asked on YouTube to share the meanings of my tattoos, and as mentioned I'll do that soon.
Take gentle courageous steps in the directions of your dreams and ideals.
Blessings,
Laura x
For a moment, take a breath and step away from any preconceptions you may have about tattoos - and in particular tattoos on women.
For me tattoos are very natural, I'm not looking so much at the 'Victorian Freakshow', (whereas in reality tattoos were a real trend with the Victorian upper classes - Winston Churchill's mother was rumoured to have a snake coiling up her wrist. I guess Victorian clothing would cover up a whole manner of skin secrets... I digress!) I want to look more to our ancestors and to the older tribes.
In my heart and mind, the subversive nature of tattoos and body modification is relatively recent (i.e. within the last 200 years) if we go deeper into our past I believe that they would have been a sign of the warrior, of sovereignty and of status/rite of passage. If you look at the more remote tribes that exist today we can see that this probably would have been the case.
Body art can be many things to the individual, it can be, and most often is, something which marks a period of transition and transformation in our journey, like the butterfly emerging from the cocoon we often wish to visually show our transformation, with a symbol or image that means something to us.
And if your tattoo is there simply cos it's pretty - you know what that is fiiine also! Something pretty is very Venusian and helps is to feel more positive and uplifted about ourselves, if you look at something every day that makes you smile then I see no problem there!
I don't believe tattoos are for everyone and I don't at all expect everyone to like them, and that's absolutely fine. I've had some rude people making comments about my tattooed self: 'a lady shouldn't have tattoos, it's unbecoming' and that's not fine. A lady should have manners, and those ones obviously didn't...
But it's the sacred nature of a tattoo that I wanted to touch upon here, the ritual magick of transformation. Etching a symbol onto skin, onto self, which then becomes a part of the Self... personal and spiritual.
After being tattooed you will never be quite the same person you were before... you may not lose anything (except perhaps outdated beliefs), but you shift in a small way, sometimes in a huge way.
So it is important that you choose a tattoo that will mean something for you, or at least a design that you feel a fuzzy happy connection for. We don't need to intellectualise these things, if we deeply love a symbol, image, then that is enough, it connects with something very deep in us.
Even my first tattoo, which was to be honest, relatively quickly chosen from the wall of a tattoo shop in Newquay (as I just wanted to go for it after a few years of hovering), is not regretted. It's black and red, curvy and tough: I can still go for those things! And as importantly, it puts a pin on the map for where I was at that time. How I felt, what I wanted, and the seeds of who I hoped I could be (and am still hoping!)
On a brief side note- please don't call anyone's tattoos 'tramp stamps' even in jest... think what message that really brings, and the lack of respect those words echo, whatever your opinion of the art.
I had, as mentioned one tattoo in Newquay, which represents a time I was at Art College in Cornwall,
one in Leicester, my birth town, and several (ahem!) in London by an artist I was very fortunate to meet around seven years ago called Dominique Holmes, who works at the Family Business in London.
I have had extensive work with Dom, as not only did we hit it off, She is a wonderful and ever improving artist whom I feel has always completely 'got' what I wanted, and she has taken my ideas and sketches and created some beautiful magical artwork on my arms, feet and back, of nature, power animals, and goddesses.
In a further blog I will discuss, if it is of interest, the meanings of the tattoos, the myth and I'll include photos!
Last Saturday I took a further path in my journey of the sacred scar. I had my own magical design tattooed on my back in a beautiful ritual environment surrounded by people, most of whom I had only just met, who chanted, drummed and supported me through the experience. I felt I could truly dedicate this tattoo to a Goddess, and a powerful experience.
This tattoo was a further commitment and dedication from magickal experiences I have undergone this year, and over the past 10 years, that I'm sure I'll discuss in a video and/or on a further post.
The lovely Suzi Elen Edwards (and organised by the awesome Samantha Elen Marks) was the perfect tattooist for this experience, deep, connected, kind and funny!
In this sacred, ritual experience I feel the work was inked into my skin through beat and chant; devotion and intention. It carries very deep meanings for me, which I guess I'll be working with for a while.
Another pleasure and treasure of the day was designing a sacred scar for a lady, and seeing that design (her first tattoo) being permanently etched onto her skin. That was particularity mind blowing, and has encouraged me to create some more magickal tattoo designs.
Today tattoos are experiencing a real hey day. Men and women are increasingly expressing themselves and their journeys in ink and skin. We are rediscovering the ancestral power of transformation, of the deeper spiritual journey. Look at your current tattoos, or if you are planning one, mediate on the image/words. What beauty, power and change have they/will they bring?
If this topic interests people, I'll write and share more in the future, I have been asked on YouTube to share the meanings of my tattoos, and as mentioned I'll do that soon.
Take gentle courageous steps in the directions of your dreams and ideals.
Blessings,
Laura x
Monday, 29 July 2013
The Witches Zodiac - MABON (autumn Equinox) ★ Witchcraft Diaries
The Witches Zodiac - MABON (autumn Equinox) ★ Witchcraft Diaries All video for this series was shot and edited by Gordon C Burns (www.gordoncburns.com) You can find out more about Zoe at http://www.astrozo.com Or follow her on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/AstroZo/364263490338 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for watching! Please share this video with your friends as it really does help me out. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Find out more on Laura's Blog http://www.witchcraftdiaries.blogspot.co.uk Follow Laura on twitter http://www.twitter.com/lauraredwitch Laura also has an Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/lauraredwitch This video and all content is copyright © Laura Daligan 2013
Friday, 7 June 2013
Summer Tree Walk 15th June 2013
Summer Tree Walk 15th June 2013 Check out the event on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/128608014004333/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for watching! Please share this video with your friends as it really does help me out. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Find out more on Laura's Blog http://www.witchcraftdiaries.blogspot.co.uk Follow Laura on twitter http://www.twitter.com/lauraredwitch Laura also has an Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/lauraredwitch This video and all content is copyright © Laura Daligan 2013
Saturday, 1 June 2013
London Against the Badger Cull
Saturday June 1st 2013 - the day when the horrific and senseless Badger Cull 'trial' begins in the UK.
Rose, Me and Oephebia at the Protest
My Badger Poster
Save Us Sketch
A day when the 'powers that be' ignore the outcry of thousands of people, ignore scientists reports that the cull simply won't work, and ignore the pleas of the RSPCA, the Badger Trust and many other organisations to vaccinate not kill. (And yes, vaccination is more affordable and in the long run a quicker way to eliminate the risks of Bovine TB spreading through Badgers.)
But also a day when the largest group of animal lovers gathered to demonstrate their love of Badgers and marched against the cull.
Thousands of us lined the streets of London, each of us sharing our own love of Badgers, dressing in black and white, donning masks, chanting, dancing and waving banners for all to see.
My Wildlife hero Brian May gave an inspirational talk before handing the quarter of a million strong Petition in to 10 Downing Street.
Also the wonderful Virginia McKenna was there and gave us a lovely empowering talk before we started to march.
A young animal lover gets a hug from an IFAW Fox...
As I go to sleep tonight I feel horrified that this cruel, needless and wasteful cull is currently going ahead.
But I also feel empowered by the day and determined, more than ever, that together we can stop the cull and save our Badgers, who walked this land for thousands of years before us silly humans turned up.
I am heartened to hear that there will be a full parliamentary debate about the cull on Wednesday June 5th. Fingers and Paws crossed that this debate will go our way.
Please write to your MP and lobby them if you can, let them know your feelings about the cull.
Please do what you can, if you live near a cull zone find out how you can help.
Together we can make a difference and hope upon hope save our Badgers from an unforgivable fate.
Thank you. X
Friday, 24 May 2013
Spring Equinox Tree Walk - Witchcraft Diaries
Spring Equinox Tree Walk - Witchcraft Diaries The next tree walk is Saturday June 15th on Hampstead Heath. If you'd like to RSVP please visit the facebook event page (https://www.facebook.com/events/128608014004333/) Please check out Zoe's YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/zoeastro ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for watching! Please share this video with your friends as it really does help me out. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Find out more on Laura's Blog http://www.witchcraftdiaries.blogspot.co.uk Follow Laura on twitter http://www.twitter.com/lauraredwitch Laura also has an Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/lauraredwitch This video and all content is copyright © Laura Daligan 2013
MAGICAL TREES: The Hawthorn (Huath) - WITCHCRAFT DIARIES
MAGICAL TREES: The Hawthorn (Huath) - WITCHCRAFT DIARIES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for watching! Please share this video with your friends as it really does help me out. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Find out more on Laura's Blog http://www.witchcraftdiaries.blogspot.co.uk Follow Laura on twitter http://www.twitter.com/lauraredwitch Laura also has an Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/lauraredwitch This video and all content is copyright © Laura Daligan 2013
Monday, 20 May 2013
The Witches Zodiac
Over the past few months I've been compiling some exciting videos with my Astrologer friend Zoe Hind. As both of us are drawn to astrology, nature, folklore, Wicca and Druidism we thought it would be interesting to create videos relating the astrological wheel of the year, with the pagan wheel of the year.
If this idea is confusing, here is the pagan wheel of 8 festivals (image from wikipedia) and below is the
zodiac.
Often people find ideas of astrology quite scientific and hard to grasp. The way stellar movements are described usually leaves the layman feeling like it's all going 'out there somewhere' and not deep within every breath. As the saying goes 'As above, so below, as within, so without.' Not much goes on' up there' without affecting the energy and actions of our daily lives.
The pagan wheel of the year has always gone hand in hand with the cycles of astrology and in this series of videos we show you how. The videos are fun, informative and relaxed - and hopefully you will take away with you a deeper knowledge of pagan festivities and astrology.
On my YouTube Channel we have already, Ostara, Beltane, Litha & Lughnasadh. Autumn Equinox and Samhain are coming very soon. Please go and check them out if you haven't seen them already... I'll add the next festivals on here...
Litha is the Summer Solstice (around the 21st June) and Lughnasadh is on the 1st August.
Litha is my favourite one so far... I hope you will enjoy!
Many thanks! :)
If this idea is confusing, here is the pagan wheel of 8 festivals (image from wikipedia) and below is the
zodiac.
Often people find ideas of astrology quite scientific and hard to grasp. The way stellar movements are described usually leaves the layman feeling like it's all going 'out there somewhere' and not deep within every breath. As the saying goes 'As above, so below, as within, so without.' Not much goes on' up there' without affecting the energy and actions of our daily lives.
The pagan wheel of the year has always gone hand in hand with the cycles of astrology and in this series of videos we show you how. The videos are fun, informative and relaxed - and hopefully you will take away with you a deeper knowledge of pagan festivities and astrology.
On my YouTube Channel we have already, Ostara, Beltane, Litha & Lughnasadh. Autumn Equinox and Samhain are coming very soon. Please go and check them out if you haven't seen them already... I'll add the next festivals on here...
Litha is the Summer Solstice (around the 21st June) and Lughnasadh is on the 1st August.
Litha is my favourite one so far... I hope you will enjoy!
And here is Lughnasadh...
Many thanks! :)
Sunday, 19 May 2013
Faerie Queen Workshop & Meditation
The other weekend I had the pleasure of holding a special workshop in a yurt at the Magical Faerie Festival in Findon. Due to the wonder of modern technology and by the magic of my partner Gordon we have the workshop, including the guided meditations and the shamanic drumming recorded here for those who couldn't make it to enjoy, and also for those who were there go back into their meditations.
This short (1 hour) Workshop is an introduction to Faerie Queens. I will be doing a full Faerie Queens Workshop on the 3rd August 2013 with Inspiral Mediums in Essex.
My recommended Faery reading list is on my Amazon store which you will see in the menu here.
I hope you enjoy the Workshop and Journeys...
This short (1 hour) Workshop is an introduction to Faerie Queens. I will be doing a full Faerie Queens Workshop on the 3rd August 2013 with Inspiral Mediums in Essex.
My recommended Faery reading list is on my Amazon store which you will see in the menu here.
I hope you enjoy the Workshop and Journeys...
Wednesday, 8 May 2013
Totem Tuesday - The Cat
Brand new Totem Tuesday, where I look into the wealth of myth and folklore about the fabulous Feline, and also celebrate my Cat's birthdays! :)
One thing I forgot to look into is why are cats thought to have nine lives... more on that coming soon!
Many thanks for watching.
Laura x
One thing I forgot to look into is why are cats thought to have nine lives... more on that coming soon!
Many thanks for watching.
Laura x
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
Avebury Birthday
On a misty April morning there are few better places to be in England than Avebury. In fact, take that for most days!
The only place where a village is contained within the largest stone circle complex in the UK! So I thought for my Birthday this year, I would like to spend it there. I've been a couple of times before, and each time has been magical and insightful in many ways. The first time I went, we were guided around by the inspiring and exceptionally knowledgeable Maria Wheatley and Busty Taylor, and the second time I went with the gorgeous Lucy Cavendish.
Avebury is not too far to get to from London, the train to Swindon takes about 50 mins, and the beautiful bus ride is only 20-30 mins through rolling countryside, where if you look carefully you can see a chalk Horse carved into the hillside.
Arriving in Avebury by bus, you get dropped inside the stone circle, yup I did say inside. Some divine inspiration no doubt, carved a small but very main road through the middle of the large stone circle. Such is the respect for our wonderful megalithic past!
It's not too hard to imagine the grandeur of what the Avebury complex may once have been, (if you ignore the lorry going past you, and pretend that potentially hundreds of the stones had not been destroyed and/or made into parts of the village houses, walls, chapel, etc)
If only it was preserved more like it once was. It took our ancestors many, many generations to complete such an ambitious temple and processional works. Alas, despite the magical and majestic power house of energy of Avebury, it didn't take long for people to destroy it! Most of the stones were buried in Mediaeval times, perhaps from fear of persecution from the church, or maybe to clear the land. Later in the 17th Century, worse still many of the stones were destroyed, vandalised and used for housing and church building.
Thankfully around the 17th/18th Century, some people saw sense, namely William Stuckeley who was responsible mainly for how we envision the Avebury complex now,
Here are some drawings images from Stuckeley and just after Stuckeley's time of how Avebury might have once looked:
The first time I went to Avebury, I learned how to dowse and tune into the powerful energy ley lines there. Despite the destruction it is still a place of amazing energy and astrological alignments.
Inside the outer circle there is temple to the Sun and the Moon, with alignments to different festivals and Solar and Lunar events.
There is a long processional way leading from what is called 'The Sanctuary', on the right of Stuckeley's area drawing above, which leads to the main banks and circles. The deep ditch/bank, which surrounds the circle would have been a lot deeper and higher when the temple was in use, with the chalk underneath gleaming bright white. What a sight it must have been, travelling through the processional way, with only torches and starlight to guide you, and seeing the bright white bank of the temple circle!
Back to the modern day, and back to the pub! Everyone who has visited Avebury will be familiar with the Red Lion pub - a pub in the middle of a stone circle - awesome. It's also thought of as one of the most haunted pubs in England. It can hardly escape having an interesting energy, considering where it's place. It also does fabulous grub and beer to keep you warm on a long day exploring!
We also walked to West Kennet Long Barrow (which is the first Long Barrow I visited a few years ago, and ever since I have become fascinated with them). A place of such astounding energy and history, where a deep respect for the ancestors flows through the earth. It is believed to be around 5000 years old, and when using dowsers in there, they react very interestingly - swinging one way then the other suggesting underground water activity there.
As we walked to the barrow you can't help but notice Silbury Hill, the only remaining man made pyramid/mound in the UK. Little is solidly known about the uses of the Hill, but we have a few ideas and theories....
Here are some photos by my partner the fabulous Gordon Burns of my Birthday day trip to Avebury, after you've looked at them go check out his amazing work!!! :)
Thank you for reading. x
The only place where a village is contained within the largest stone circle complex in the UK! So I thought for my Birthday this year, I would like to spend it there. I've been a couple of times before, and each time has been magical and insightful in many ways. The first time I went, we were guided around by the inspiring and exceptionally knowledgeable Maria Wheatley and Busty Taylor, and the second time I went with the gorgeous Lucy Cavendish.
Avebury is not too far to get to from London, the train to Swindon takes about 50 mins, and the beautiful bus ride is only 20-30 mins through rolling countryside, where if you look carefully you can see a chalk Horse carved into the hillside.
Arriving in Avebury by bus, you get dropped inside the stone circle, yup I did say inside. Some divine inspiration no doubt, carved a small but very main road through the middle of the large stone circle. Such is the respect for our wonderful megalithic past!
It's not too hard to imagine the grandeur of what the Avebury complex may once have been, (if you ignore the lorry going past you, and pretend that potentially hundreds of the stones had not been destroyed and/or made into parts of the village houses, walls, chapel, etc)
If only it was preserved more like it once was. It took our ancestors many, many generations to complete such an ambitious temple and processional works. Alas, despite the magical and majestic power house of energy of Avebury, it didn't take long for people to destroy it! Most of the stones were buried in Mediaeval times, perhaps from fear of persecution from the church, or maybe to clear the land. Later in the 17th Century, worse still many of the stones were destroyed, vandalised and used for housing and church building.
Thankfully around the 17th/18th Century, some people saw sense, namely William Stuckeley who was responsible mainly for how we envision the Avebury complex now,
Here are some drawings images from Stuckeley and just after Stuckeley's time of how Avebury might have once looked:
The first time I went to Avebury, I learned how to dowse and tune into the powerful energy ley lines there. Despite the destruction it is still a place of amazing energy and astrological alignments.
Inside the outer circle there is temple to the Sun and the Moon, with alignments to different festivals and Solar and Lunar events.
There is a long processional way leading from what is called 'The Sanctuary', on the right of Stuckeley's area drawing above, which leads to the main banks and circles. The deep ditch/bank, which surrounds the circle would have been a lot deeper and higher when the temple was in use, with the chalk underneath gleaming bright white. What a sight it must have been, travelling through the processional way, with only torches and starlight to guide you, and seeing the bright white bank of the temple circle!
Back to the modern day, and back to the pub! Everyone who has visited Avebury will be familiar with the Red Lion pub - a pub in the middle of a stone circle - awesome. It's also thought of as one of the most haunted pubs in England. It can hardly escape having an interesting energy, considering where it's place. It also does fabulous grub and beer to keep you warm on a long day exploring!
We also walked to West Kennet Long Barrow (which is the first Long Barrow I visited a few years ago, and ever since I have become fascinated with them). A place of such astounding energy and history, where a deep respect for the ancestors flows through the earth. It is believed to be around 5000 years old, and when using dowsers in there, they react very interestingly - swinging one way then the other suggesting underground water activity there.
As we walked to the barrow you can't help but notice Silbury Hill, the only remaining man made pyramid/mound in the UK. Little is solidly known about the uses of the Hill, but we have a few ideas and theories....
Here are some photos by my partner the fabulous Gordon Burns of my Birthday day trip to Avebury, after you've looked at them go check out his amazing work!!! :)
Me at Avebury
Avebury Stone Circle
Silbury Hill
Me at west Kennet Long Barrow
Thank you for reading. x
Monday, 8 April 2013
Magickal, Mad March & April Part Two - A Deeper Healing
After the excitement and busy-ness of the wonderful Avalon Faery Ball and Stall in March we spent a little time on the following Monday morning finding solace in one of my favourite places Chalice Well Gardens.
We originally planned to climb the Tor first, but the icy wind was so strong that we decided against it this time. In the more sheltered gardens we were still chilled by the incoming March snow, but I hardly noticed as the atmosphere and energy of the gardens is always perfect.
There is always a special bird which makes themselves known in Chalice Well, usually for me it's their famous personality filled Robin, who follow and keeps a curious eye on you - a real emissary from the other world!
This time is was the magical and melodic Blackbirds who stole the day, scurrying around amongst the emerging green. The Blackbirds were acting like they owned the place at time of year. The Blackbird heralds the dusk and dawn - the 'in-between' times (please see my video on Blackbirds for more info), and what more perfect bird to greet us in this true gateway between the worlds.
I love listening to the waters travel from the well through the gardens. I start my walk in the gardens via the gateway yews and walk up through the small gates to the healing pool. In late October last year me and two friends paddled (albeit briefly) in the healing pool (picture below - of me loving the cold!), this was not going to happen this visit! Brrr
As I wander through the gardens up to the well and beyond I am at peace with the land, flowing like the waters, gentle as a spring breeze, deep as knowing.
The Red & White Wells of Glastonbury (the White Well is just across the road from Chalice (Red) Well) are places of absolute bliss and power. they both feel so different; one comforts, the other opens you up and allows you to let go.
The picture currently used as the background for this blog is from the deeply powerful White Well.
I always wear my Chalice Well ring, and as it picks up 'crap' from every day life it was good to cleanse it in the well waters...
My chalice ring looks quite happy here, after the cleansing!
My favourite place to sit in the gardens is a swinging chair, where you get a lovely view of the Tor. When I spent a few days in Glastonbury in September 2011, I sat sketching for a few hours on this seat, in the afternoon Autumn sun - I was kept good company by Dragonflies and Robins then. It's a perfect place to relax and wonder.
And then, alas it was time to drive back to the chaos of London, but I took a bottle of well water, as well as a more peaceful heart with me back to the big smoke.
The true healing power of water will be explored more in my next blog update, as well as the wonderful benefits I've been experiencing from Qi Energy Treatments.
Thanks for reading,
BB
Laura x
Photos by Gordon C Burns
We originally planned to climb the Tor first, but the icy wind was so strong that we decided against it this time. In the more sheltered gardens we were still chilled by the incoming March snow, but I hardly noticed as the atmosphere and energy of the gardens is always perfect.
There is always a special bird which makes themselves known in Chalice Well, usually for me it's their famous personality filled Robin, who follow and keeps a curious eye on you - a real emissary from the other world!
This time is was the magical and melodic Blackbirds who stole the day, scurrying around amongst the emerging green. The Blackbirds were acting like they owned the place at time of year. The Blackbird heralds the dusk and dawn - the 'in-between' times (please see my video on Blackbirds for more info), and what more perfect bird to greet us in this true gateway between the worlds.
I love listening to the waters travel from the well through the gardens. I start my walk in the gardens via the gateway yews and walk up through the small gates to the healing pool. In late October last year me and two friends paddled (albeit briefly) in the healing pool (picture below - of me loving the cold!), this was not going to happen this visit! Brrr
The Red & White Wells of Glastonbury (the White Well is just across the road from Chalice (Red) Well) are places of absolute bliss and power. they both feel so different; one comforts, the other opens you up and allows you to let go.
The picture currently used as the background for this blog is from the deeply powerful White Well.
I always wear my Chalice Well ring, and as it picks up 'crap' from every day life it was good to cleanse it in the well waters...
My chalice ring looks quite happy here, after the cleansing!
My favourite place to sit in the gardens is a swinging chair, where you get a lovely view of the Tor. When I spent a few days in Glastonbury in September 2011, I sat sketching for a few hours on this seat, in the afternoon Autumn sun - I was kept good company by Dragonflies and Robins then. It's a perfect place to relax and wonder.
And then, alas it was time to drive back to the chaos of London, but I took a bottle of well water, as well as a more peaceful heart with me back to the big smoke.
The true healing power of water will be explored more in my next blog update, as well as the wonderful benefits I've been experiencing from Qi Energy Treatments.
Thanks for reading,
BB
Laura x
Monday, 1 April 2013
Magickal, Mad March Part One - Fire & Faeries
In the first week of March 2013 I thought to myself, buckle up- this is going to be one hec of a month, and I wasn't wrong! It's been a wild ride through the elements and through magic, dance, art and healing.
Here is my stall... big thanks to Jenny Holmes for making the gorgeous bunting for me!
Above, Me, Felicity and Aria dancing to 'This Corrosion' - photo courtesy of Deborah J Ballantyne. We even made the front page of the Central Somerset Gazette!
There were some amazing outfits and costumes at the ball, my partner Gordon had a photography studio there and captured some magical shots...
We danced away to the sounds of the Dolmen, and drank from the giggling Goblin Bar, Esther and I were swung around by Terry English - he sure is a strong guy! :)
Here are a few more faery highlights in pictures - pictures by Gordon C Burns for a (glorious) Karen Kay event...
The weather has been... well unswervingly cold, we've had snow, Arctic winds and blizzards pretty much from the start, and there's still not many sign of spring arriving - apart from some brave leaf buds, catkins and seeds on the trees. But that hasn't stopped the onslaught of spring activity.
So much has happened that I'm splitting March into three blogs!
The bigger events of March started with the Avalon Faery Ball & Fayre on the 9th-10th March. The week before was a flurry of activity, I prepared arty goodies, some Badger themed ACEO' (Art Cards, Editions & Originals), Goddess & Faery Pendants (also available in my lovely Etsy Shop!), Canvases and Prints.
So much has happened that I'm splitting March into three blogs!
The bigger events of March started with the Avalon Faery Ball & Fayre on the 9th-10th March. The week before was a flurry of activity, I prepared arty goodies, some Badger themed ACEO' (Art Cards, Editions & Originals), Goddess & Faery Pendants (also available in my lovely Etsy Shop!), Canvases and Prints.
On Friday morning we hired a little car (which we aptly named Moonstone) and rammed it full of goodies (plus Gordon!) and headed down to Glastonbury. We arrived in the evening, a little frazzled after a long journey, but as soon as we checked into Ye Old Travelodge, we were delighted to bump into the lovely Esther Remmington (artist and all round craft goddess) and her equally talented (and lovely!) partner Martin Winckles, it suddenly felt like the magic of Avalon was beginning!
 |
| Esther, Gordon and I - Photo courtesy of Esther Remmington. |
The traditional Friday evening at the George & Pilgrim is always lovely, not many things can feel more like a faery home coming than chatting with fellow artist and creative types including Linda Ravenscroft and armourer extraordinaire Terry English.
 |
| Me and the legendary Terry English |
The atmosphere at Karen's events are great, it's a big ever expanding faery family. Every one I saw had really up-ed their game, as it were and their stalls and art were looking fabulous. I'm honoured when people like my art and it's so good to meet new people, and talk about my work! :)
The Faery Ball was quite an event, as I ended up being the entertainment rescue team! Stepping in to model a BEAUTIFUL Mermaid wig for Ghoulia's Perculiars, was great, but we only had a minuscule amount of time to choreograph the wig model show. With the help of some other mermaids and Faeries we pulled it off though!
Next was the fiery hight-light of the night - the fire performance. I joined the faery talented Felicity Fyre Le Fay's fire choreo using Fire fans to dance to Sister of Mercy 'This Corrosion' - awesome! It was a real high and something I'll remember for a while to come...
Above, Me, Felicity and Aria dancing to 'This Corrosion' - photo courtesy of Deborah J Ballantyne. We even made the front page of the Central Somerset Gazette!
We danced away to the sounds of the Dolmen, and drank from the giggling Goblin Bar, Esther and I were swung around by Terry English - he sure is a strong guy! :)
Here are a few more faery highlights in pictures - pictures by Gordon C Burns for a (glorious) Karen Kay event...
Above clockwise: Me and my dancing faery pal Freya, the wonderful Martin & Esther launch their new venture Triba Mythica , Sarah looks GORGEOUS in a Terry English breastplate, and Michael Tingle looking mischievousness at the FAE stand!
Finally, some of my treasure from Avalon, a lovely Ivy Necklace by Triba Mythica and a Terry English armour necklace, modelled on Liam Neason's off cuts!!!
More magickal tales to follow! xx
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