Candlemas 2005

Since the Autumn Equinox, the Lords of Opposition have thrown everything, in my direction. The Lords of Karma have been quite busy too!

For many years, I have thoroughly disliked being in the public arena; giving talks was a nightmare that only ended when I had left the building. Television appearances brought me out in a rash in fact, anything that had a microphone attached filled me with fear and trepidation; hard to comprehend after years of proclaiming the Craft to the world through whatever media presented itself! Last year I made a conscious decision to accept requests to speak in public only if the location was of interest to me or if the fee offered was worthwhile. My first engagement was in North Wales at the wonderful Pystyll waterfalls; it is a place of peace, and startling clarity. A sense of Spirit pervades the area. Surprisingly, I quite enjoyed the experience, perhaps because the atmosphere was so conducive. The next talk was in Cornwall, Tintagel, the weather was wild which made the dawn ritual more a battle to keep standing whilst the elements raged against anyone’s recognition or appreciation of the dawn of a new day. Whilst not at ease giving the talk it did give me the opportunity and privilege of meeting Graham King, the man who looks after the Witchcraft museum in Boscastle. The reconstructive work after the flood that he, and others dedicated to the museum have achieved is truly remarkable. Mother nature’s brutality can have purifying and beneficial affects! I had been toying with the thought that much of the magical equipment used by Alex and me should be put in a place that enables all to see it. After visiting the museum, I now know where that place is. The magic and power within these artefacts was in the work of the day and that has passed. I am looking forward to travelling back to Boscastle later this year the car loaded with beautiful memories and a touch of magical history.

Witchfest, both in Cardiff and Croydon were quite interesting, personally. Witchfest is delightful to attend attracts the old and young who learn from each other. Talking in Cardiff was as nerve racking as ever, however the Croydon event was most enjoyable. I quite got a buzz out of talking to the audience; this has inspired me to start work on a couple more talks to see if it was a fluke or otherwise; in either case it will interesting.

On November 29th 2003, I had a procedure known as a micro vascular decompression of the 7th; in other words, brain surgery. A blood vessel had gone a little crazy and was causing problems for the brain stem and half of my face, hence the surgery. This meant that celebrations of my forty plus year since my Initiation into the Craft had to be cancelled. It was all rather traumatic and left me feeling delicate. Good friends and some bad ones, came to visit; the bad ones were truly amazing! Yule passed in a haze. Eventually Mary came; she is a red-haired Scottish priestess who takes her Craft responsibilities seriously; a tough task mistress! She was a little bit like Mary Poppins; Bilbo, Lady and the hens were all attended to; fires were lit, the house cleaned and cosy and I rested whether I liked it or not. I now feel ready to get fit and start walking the mountains again. Mary (Rands) gives talks on her experiences in the Craft; she is matter of fact and tells it, as it was to be an Initiate of Alex and the Alexandrian tradition.

We are still waiting for the promised cold weather to come; the floods have caused havoc yet again washing away the railway line and causing terrible distress to those who live in the flood areas that are ten minutes or so away from Bron Afon. Today the sky is blue, the daffodils are nearly in bloom, and spring is in the air. Happy Candlemas.

It was cold when I arrived at the Edge to work the sun magic which is always done in full view of those who walk in this stunningly beautiful place. It is obvious that they are curious and would love to ask us questions; so far British reserve has prevailed allowing us to continue without being disturbed. By early evening the group was able to start the ritual of Conception; the temperature was still cold but not too unbearable on the feet; it is easier to make contact with Mother Earth’s energies via bare feet. The year’s ritual form continued with the two circles created to allow the worlds to interact bringing the concept of conception into being; this was so abstract, beautiful and uplifting and with a strangeness that I am still enjoying questioning.

That night several of us stayed in a Tudor farm house in Styal, very beautiful but surprisingly lacking in atmosphere. It was arranged that we would walk in Lymme Park the next day. This would have been good if the white mists had been less thick, nevertheless it was enjoyable to eat lunch together before making my way back to Bron Afon where two new chickens, Desdemona and Delilah, Buff cochins, have come to stay. This brings the chickens up to seven with Taurus in his element. Lucy, the wonderful Barnevelda was discovered in a crowing competition with Taurus. The young cockerel had to be dispatched before the possibility of renaming her Lucifer made his dispatch more difficult. There is snow on the mountain tops and the weathermen are forecasting more with icy winds and the return of winter.