Everything is crossed..

Late this afternoon, our Simone went to the hospital feeling not to well, and she has been told she is in pre term labour. This is Simone's first bub, she miscarried the last one,  she is just 32 weeks. She has not had the best introduction to the wonder of pregnancy with a  bicornate uterus causing a lot of discomfort and our wee man is presently breech.. so at the moment she is on corticsteriods to strengthen our wee boys lungs, and tablets to try and stop labour before it gets to established. So I would be much appreciative if you could light a candle, say a pray or uphold Simone, Caleb and our wee boy in your thoughts.. we would love to have him stay put for as long as possible, but if he enters this world to soon.. we hope and ask that he comes in strong and with some good old fashioned fight in him...
This is one wee gift, I am happy to wait a little longer for..

No gentle turns....

Many months ago when I first started this blog, I had no idea what was about to transpire - I think that those who are far wiser than me did. My life never takes gentle bends or turns.. when my life changes it usually broadsides leaving me going.. what on earth just happened.. Someone said to me awhile back, you ask for everything you get.. it bothered me to think that I could have called into my life, the events that unfolded in January..
Over the months, I have not shared anything with anybody, because did not have the Crone wisdom, to differentiate between whining and a genuine need for support.. So,  I am here now because I need a place to make sense of things, I need a place to say the words without fear of judgement, blame, guilt. I need a place where I can let go what is not mine..>I need a place to claim back what is me.. I need a place to heal and grow..  I need to let go of expectations I have put on myself that are not realistic and I also need to put a few goals in place, that are attainable.
I have known for sometime that the time was getting close to take back my power and in the last few days, I have been blessed with email conversations with two very wise woman.. Both have said things that have stirred a breeze that I feel will become the wind beneath my wings..and while the words have been sent out to places far beyond what I can see, I want to write those two things here...
Kerina wrote: *shakes head* We are strange creatures,we humans..we expect from ourselves what we would never expect from others...the day I realised that I just can't push anymore was one of the most liberating I have had,,Realising it is not weakness nor giving in..it just is.In body mind and spirit I gave up societies idea of 'normal' a long time ago ...also liberating.Never defeated, just human,just real..
And today Jodi said to me:
Sometimes it can be healing just putting thoughts out there, but it needs to be a caring place to do it.. Maybe it is time for you to focus more on that then butterflies and breezes blog...it is all about different seasons etc for things.


I am planning to set this blog to private for awhile at least.. if you would like to be part of it still please email me on wendy@frommyhearth and I will send you an invite..
So here I am and here you are  - I would be honoured if you stayed, but understand if you leave.. Blessings.

The Whole of Me

~ The Whole of Me ~

I know not what path I follow

It is the one deep within

It calls to be in the dark of the night

It sooths me in the brightness of the day

When I reach for it - to hold it and give it a name

It slips away, elusive as the misty rain

I want to name it so that I can explain myself

So, that when someone says what do you do

I can say I am this to you 

However, when I try to label it

It fades....

The time I spend trying to see what it is

I miss being what I am

For my path is me

It is the heart that beats within

It is the love that leaps and out of control spins

It is being one with the storm

It is standing barefoot around the cauldron in the snow

It is dancing around the May Pole in the moon's bright light

It is laying on the trampoline, surrounded by grandchildren 

Picking out with them the point of light I will be - when I die

It is holding hands with my husband

It is watching young ones cast their first circle

And knowing in that moment in time - the circle will never end

Knowing that my path is forever with the Lord and Lady

That They are part of the whole of me

So what path am I

All and none, the one perfect for me

(By: Elowen GreyWolf)

A is for Apothecary

If you were to look in a dictionary, for the word apothecary or apothecaries you would find this as one definition a·poth·e·car·y - a person who prepared and sold medicine and drugs.

The origin of the word apothecary is old.. one of its origins is derived from the word apotheca which is a place to store herbs, spices and wines. In my research on this, I found the that during the 13th century the word became popular in Britain and it was used to describe those people who sold the spice etc from shops and stalls, basically they were grocers.  By the 1600's these grocers had become what we today would call modern day pharmacists.  These apothecaries even formed a society with a little help from King James wife Anne who swilled potions from one of the grocer types.. Scary eh :-)
King James justified his decision in the House of Commons in 1624: "I myself did devise that corporation and do allow it. The grocers, who complain of it, are but merchants; the mystery of these apothecaries were belonging to apothecaries, wherein the grocers are unskilful; and therefore I think it is fitting they should be a corporation of themselves." 
 So how does this word apothecary fit into witchery?  While I am no expert nor historian,  I know that cunning men and wise woman have been apothecaries, known by many other names long before the word apothecary was ever written on parchment, by some bald headed bloke, in a bad wig.
Before there were drugs and doctors there were herbs, cunning men, wise woman, midwives, grandmothers, witches.
History has long confirmed this, that village people knocked on the doors of these wise folk, seeking herbs and healing hands, in latter times this often leading to persecution.
Many of the herbs they used were those dispensed by apothecaries, barbers, surgeons and clergy but the practitioners of those occupations were never burned for their dispensing.
Comfrey, Feverfew, Arnica, Woodruff, Yarrow, Meadowsweet, Hyssop, Lavender, Marigold, Borage, wild Bergamot, Chamomile, Plantain and Valerian to name just a few that are part of my life.  I know, as well as my ancestors did, the powers and magickal abilities of plants. Although, I do not sell herbs as medicine per se, personally they as well as teas, tinctures, washes, sachets, oils, salves, incense and charms all have important roles in the eclectic journey I amble along.
It is not unusual to find jars of herbs infusing on my window ledges for salves, handmade soaps and magickal oils.

While, I do have a bit of a love affair with those delightfully witch-y apothecary jars, I tend to make things in portions to be used. 500ml to 1 litre bottles in fact. Some of those would be the likes of a house cleansing wash, healing salves of Comfrey, Plantain, Calendula or Arnica then there is four thieves vinegar.. my recipe is not for your salad greens. Some of the easier apothercary mixtures can make for a little daily magick on the most basic level within your home and craft..
I use on a weekly/fortnightly basis in my home,  a house protection wash for doors and door steps
So easy to make;
I prefer to use rain water or filtered water.. tap water left out over night would be fine.. I heat the water and then add a bundle wrapped in cloth of Rosemary, Hyssop, Lavender, sometimes Rue all in equal parts then I add some Van Van oil ( I make my own) I let this steep for a week or so. I then add a cup to half a bucket of water and use this to clean the external doors to my home and door steps..  if your house is feeling a little "down or negative" you can use this to wash the floors.. when I have finished with the water, I pour it down the drain out side my house on the street, quiet conveniently placed I must add.  . but any external drain will do...
A word of warning though.. please be mindful of what your doing with herbs and what your ingesting.. not all plants are of the eating/drinking variety and can make you very sick.. if not worse!

Magickal Plants - Planted

Well, I finally found my way to the plant store yesterday. I have to rely on places like Bunnings which is a home hardware warehouse, as there is not a lot of little purely plant shops about here, not that I have found, so I was unable to find some of the herbs I wanted.. However, a few Facebook friends gave me links to some heirloom seed sites online, so will buy the seeds for Feverfew, Tansy, Borage, Bergamot, German Chamomile - I did manage to find a sad looking yarrow which with some tlc should come back to life.
I was pretty lucky with my other choices.. I have a special reason for wanting to re-plant Red Snap Dragons, Blue Lobelia and White Alyssum, simple plants with huge magickal hearts - to ward my home from outside influences. It is subtle a magick and a way of doing things that is un noticed by the mundane.
Pagans and magickal users have been doing this for a coons age, and even today when out and about and I see a cluster of certain types of plants together I wonder about the person who lives inside.
I have a three plants that thrive all year round at my front door.. they are Bay -

 Yes Bay, like the leaves you put into your cooking. While they can grow to a gi-normus tree it grows happily as a shrub in a pot..It is associated with healing and prophesy, you can bring these indoors in winter, I never do. They happily shiver through the colder months here. 

The next plant that sits happily warding my home is Geraniums.

I choose Red Germanium's, I have just dead headed this to encourage flowering, but it is a very red flower, don't worry if it is not a bold red.. red is red when it comes to this. The properties of this plant is to guard the home and protection. I choose red as the color represents protection here.. It is a great hot spot plant and can go without water for a wee while..

Ivy, the witches plant.  I included this in my bouquet when I was hand fasted and married..

This is one of my favorites and even if it didn't represent friendship and have protective properties, I would still have it about.. 

Here is my pagan/witch protective garden box. Red (protection) snap dragons for warding of negative spells and hexes, blue lobelia to stop gossip and the beautifully, sweet scented alyssum breaks manipulative spells.. I usually empower the whole box with some purple petunias, they also smell gorgeous when the sun goes down, unfortunately I had to take them out of the box the other day, they got so fried in the huge heat wave we had I couldn't fix them, I have left some room to add some later. This is a seasonal box and it will change as it gets cooler.. I may add black pansy's and red begonias to the box.

As I potter in my garden and plant out, I am mindful of my thoughts and my heart attitude..This is not about hurting others, it is about creating magickal energy in my own yard - perhaps you would like to discover this for yourself.. there are many great books on the subject, the internet is loaded with wondrous learning.. not all plants will speak to you the same.. keep an open heart, and work with the ones that do...  Ellen Duggan whose books are a huge inspiration to me, wrote :

By the shadow of the moon and the light of the sun,

Happy gardening, blessed be, and it harm none

Magikal Plants

Now the best laid plans of mice and men - went a bit wishy washy today.. it started today by me sleeping until 9am.. yes 9am ..unheard of for me, had my body not needed it, I doubt it would have happened.. but it threw my day out.. I had planned a trip to a few local plant stores.. but by the time I had got all my soap orders out, and eaten a bowl of cereal for lunch it was after, noon.. and I never got to the plant stores..wait 'Just Right' for lunch another first, but hey it was kind of liberating. Anyhow.. I found a very cool store filled with wonderful produce, cheese and meat.. and wheat.. not wheat in a bag, but wheat on a stalk.. I bought two bundles! I am going to be making a wonderful Brigid's Cross for Imbolc. It has taken me forever to find some wheat sheaves..I am hoping mine will look as good as this..

I felt a litte frustrated as I really wanted to buy some white sweetalyssum, blue lobelia and some red snap dragons to make a wee witch-y container garden for my front porch. They will keep company with the Ivy and Red Geranium.  All these plants have a particular magickal correspondence and are great for stopping negativity entering the house.. tomorrow I will attempt a second run to the plant store.. when I have the plants, I will take some photos and will go further into detail on each plants abilities..

Witchy Books Reading Challenge 2012

I love reading, and the older I get the more I relish those times when I can sit and read.. I love all books, but for this challenge I will be undertaking the challenge reading books in the craft.. wonderful witch-y books..
Now anyone can join this reading challenge.. pop over to Pagan Culture   and grab a button and the info.. I am looking forward to this.. what a wonderful reason to spend more time reading..
I am going to add a column in the sidebar of my blog, or a page with the books I have read, when I have finished a book I will write a wee review.
My first book will be Clan of the Goddess by C.C Brondwin

The Beginning

I am aa earth loving pagan woman, a daughter of the Goddess -  Hekate and Hestia have called my name. What path do I walk?  That of a kitchen witch? perhaps but it never seemed to cover all that I feel.. so I see myself as a hearth come hedge come kitchen witch..perhaps it is more than some folk care to absorb.. but it works for me..
Maybe, some of you may know me from my other blog at Butterflies and Breezes, but I wanted to have somewhere to share my journey as I venture further down the path toward Crone. Woman in general are living far longer these days, so 51 may seem to be a young age to take on the title Crone. However, who is to say what age a woman is ready to trek this path. I think that is only something the woman herself knows. I have known in my heart for a year or two know, that this is where I am being led.. it is odd sometimes..it is frustrating sometimes and it is fulfilling and comforting at times.
It will be interesting to see how this all unfolds.. sharing what takes my fancy.. and I am sure I will be messing about with the layout for the blog as well - if you have just tumbled in to Tales From A Crones Hearth, blessings and welcome.