November 2005

Winter approaches, the tasks seem endless as the yearly jobs of preparing for the cold need to be done. The weather witch forecasts a hard winter. Rain and gales are bringing trees down making the garden, which is wild at the best of times, seem part of the woodland that abounds here. The river is threateningly high, its sound thunderous, furious, and menacing, its power awe-inspiring.

The chickens multiplied in the spring, they are eating enormous amounts of food, promising to make them the fattest birds in the area; they are most certainly mollycoddled.

Keeping this diary becomes more difficult as the activities of the stone and water magics grow to dimensions that are addictive and fascinating.

Ultimately, I have had to give in to the constant reminders of my dear friends and give time to the recording of recent activities. Sorry, I have to learn how to put new pictures on to the web site. Fortunately, a witch who understands these mysteries is going to instruct me, soon, I hope. Then, the ‘today’ Maxine with her wellington boots, waterproofs and survival attire and wrinkles, essential in this place, will be revealed. Ah, the yesteryear days of gentle city magic!

The Autumn Equinox was a little bland for me this year and passed with the anticipated tears of those who were forced to admit that life and its involvements, romantic and otherwise, must evolve, change, and move on. Initiates endeavour to be filled with understanding of the Universes unfailing wisdom and perfect law and accept the manifestation of the undeviating justice in all the circumstances of our lives. For many, this has been such a hard time; if we fight against the changing tidal eddies and pattern of the universal law the more painful the experience.

The Sun working at the high altar on the Edge entailed practical magic’s including the making of the necklace of the Goddess. Forty knots of intent tied evenly on thread and then left to disperse in Mother Earth’s capable element; this working demanded total concentration; completion was a blessing in itself; the wine was most welcome, the libation a joy to make. The Alderley Edge group was delightful although a little awkward probably because of the shifting psychic tides and the settling of aura interaction that can be extreme when groups meet outside ordinary covenstead gatherings, especially at this time of the year.

Halloween on the other hand was wonderful, gentle, and potent; the meeting of the priesthood flowed, and power started to build early in the evening. This was almost certainly due to the extraordinary presence of the Cheshire constabulary. The car park closed at 3pm, which was inconvenient for the aging witch with a walking stick who enjoys the sun workings and convenience of the local car park. A lady at the National Trust organisation told me the early closing was because of Halloween. They apparently anticipated ‘trouble’. Nearly affronted, I wanted to tell her that I was a practicing witch and had never experienced trouble on the Edge in over forty years of religious observation in this remarkably magical place. I refrained; silence is often the wiser course.

Quite early in the evening, the group met and prepared for the rite. The HP and HPs for the ritual is not discussed beforehand, I suspect we all come prepared to take the ritual and then allow the natural energy of the evening to dictate who and where on the Edge the rite will be celebrated.

I enjoy being an elder without the responsibility of the circle; it allows me take on the role of Crone and hopefully none of the more strenuous work. There are a few old crones in the Alderley Edge group!

Two circles were created simultaneously; the priest and priestess mirroring one another in a dance of time, space and worlds of being, as they cast their respective circles sunwise and starwise the veil betwixt them being most fine in the northeast. It was here that we were invited to spin into the realms of spirit, where those who had gone on before were invited to make merry with us. I was rather apprehensive about passing into this other realm before my time; curiosity won out as is usual for the occultist. The magic once again was the creating of the necklace of the Goddess, this time created by the entire coven, which is far more demanding than when performed alone. After much laughter and the touches of spirit anticipated in this rite, cakes and wine and explosions of fireworks being set off by others sharing a different kind of energy on the Edge, we descended into a strange world.

Police cones, riot vans, patrolling police, and a cave rescue team, (the Edge has many mine shafts) and an extreme waste of taxpayer’s money.

We spoke to one policeman who told us to be careful ‘there were dangerous people about’. Were they referring to us or those who may be anti-witches? As we walked back to our cars, which were now surrounded by ‘no parking cones’, we were stopped and once again told that it was not a good night to be on the Edge.

It was an excellent night to be on the Edge and part of the circle of the wise.