Spirit Stewardship

It is a frosty and beautiful morning on the mountain.  I sit, sipping coffee in the kitchen, and listen to the workmen hanging the new ceiling restoring my view of the lake.  You may wonder what this has to do with magic, but it really has been quite a lot of work balancing and maintaining the positive energy in the house with all the construction.  As I mentioned in my previous post, the spirits of the house seem out of sorts with all of the changes and commotion.  I have worked hard ever since moving in to nurture and make them comfortable with our presence, to draw in the magical energies and create a wonderful and welcoming magical space dedicated to the Craft. 

The house and land have a strong spiritual presence, which was evident from the moment I stepped onto the property.  And, while the strength of the presence stands alone, it is my duty to nurture and care for it as the new steward.  When you move into a new place and are setting up sacred space, it is important not to just barge in and take over, forcing your energy onto the place.  While that may work to some degree in amplifying the energies, there are more positive and nurturing methods.  I prefer to develop a relationship with the space, gently introducing myself and my energy, while respecting the strength that already resides here.

Like I mentioned previously, this house has been here for 200 years and has sat vacant for a couple of years before we moved in.  While the previous owners certainly loved the place, no one was here to bring loving spirit into the house on a regular basis.  It sat cold and lonely for a very long time.  This means it needs a nurturing spirit to come in and bring it back to life, making it a home again.  I have worked to nurture the space with cleansing rituals, energy drawing rituals, and long talks with the spirits, in an effort to develop that relationship.

Adding in the renovations required to make the house comfortable and stable before winter falls brings quite a bit of work to the relationship-building process.  Spaces are being invaded by strangers putting in insulation and windows, repairing ceilings and rebuilding the greenhouse.  While all of these things ensure the life of the house, it can be very disturbing for the spirits who dwell within the house and on the property.  In my previous post I discussed a ritual for cleansing the space and balancing the energies, which worked very well, returning a harmonious feeling to the house.  It, however, has not been an isolated requirement.  The continuing work is requiring daily protection and balancing rituals, or should I say the cleansing of "workmen energy" and restoring and amplifying of magical energy.  I have been rewarded for this work by new and more direct contact from the spirits that reside here.

When I first visited the house and "knew" that this was where I wanted to spend the rest of my days, I found a stone in the forest on the property.  This stone was a beautiful pink color, shaped sort of like a pyramid, and was unlike any of the other stones (of which there are many) on the property.  I still have yet to find another like it.  The stone called out to me and I picked it up and carried it with me until we moved into the house.  I vowed to spirits of the house and the land, that if we were lucky enough to get the place, I would dedicate myself to the stewardship of magic here and that all spirits and ways of the Witch would be welcome and nurtured.  That stone holds a place of honor on my alter in my Craft room, where every day I am reminded of my promise and of my joyous duty as the Witch-in-residence.  It is a lot of work, but it is a true labor of love, and I think the spirits and I are going to be just fine. 

Energy Blocks & Anxious Spirits

It has been quite a while since I have written for this blog.  I feel a severe energy block right now and it is impacting everything I do.  It is like I am disconnected from the source or something.  The usual things that make me feel connected to the Universe...the beautiful fall leaves, peaceful rainfall, just aren't working their magic at the moment.  Not to mention, my connection to the Spirits also seems off.  I can still sense them, but it is like I am sensing them in a very muffled way...like through thick cotton...and they seem anxious.  I have always been sort of an emotional sponge...when those around me, whether they are of this world or the Other Side, are feeling anxious or discontent, I feel it too, like a heavy wet blanket being thrown over me. 

We are having construction done on the house right now.  Insulation is being blown into and sprayed onto walls, plastic sheeting is hung up in preparation for the new ceiling in the sun room, and covering the once-dirt floor in the basement.  I am wondering if this has something to do with the change in perception and connection.  I have felt a strong presence in the basement, which seems curious about me but hides in the shadows.  I say hello and talk to it when I go downstairs to do laundry or work in the greenhouse.  I also pick up a presence in the corner and closet of my sacred space room--also watching from the shadows.  These are two of the areas in the house that have undergone the most change, being sealed up for the winter.  Other areas have been impacted as well, as the house has been tromped through by workmen for days.  This has left me a little frazzled, and I can image the Spirits are not any more comfortable that I am with the intrusion.

So, in an effort to bring back my connection and clear out the negativity I have some magical work to do.  I have ordered some great books to read, which I usually find inspiring, and am planning a reconnection ritual.  In this ritual I will light candles and cast a protective circle around the house and land, clearing out any residual negativity from the construction being done.  Then I will draw energy and call the Spirits to join me, comforting them and letting them know they are welcome and that the work that is being done on their home is of benefit to all of us as it protects the house from further decay.  I will also invite them to communicate to me any needs they have or ways that I can make them welcome and comfortable here, so that we can all share this special place.

I guess this is a lesson from the Universe about the need to cast protection before work is done on your home and areas where Spirits reside.  It is also a lesson about the need to keep the magical fires burning.  Once an energy block appears it needs to be dealt with before it gains strength and starts shutting everything down. 

Autumn and the Veil

The heat has returned to the mountain in the last few days.  While it makes us toss and turn at night, it has a sweetness about it this time of year.  A sweetness derived from the fact that it is temporary.  I know that in a few days the weather will turn again and I will be shivering over my morning coffee.  

I can feel the change coming on the wind.  I can see it in the trees beginning to don their Autumn gowns, in the lengthening of the shadows, and in the gathering of the birds.  I welcome these changes as they herald the coming of Winter and the cozy reflective time it brings.

Perhaps this is why the Veil becomes thinner this time of year (as it also does in the Spring.) Perhaps this time of year we are more receptive to the idea the transition to the Other Side because it is symbolized in Autumn's transition.  We have lived out our Summer, actively adventuring into the green world--a time of outward discovery.  This time of Autumn transition, when the greens turn to vivid, beautiful reds, oranges and golds, is merely a transition to a different world.  The world of Winter, of stark white beauty, of glorious storms that send us inside to sit by our warm fires and be comforted, until we are again ready to burst forth in the Springtime on a new adventure.

The Veil is like that.  We finish this adventure, cloaked in the beautiful colors of this life, then retreat to a wonderful, cozy place of comfort and clarity until we decide to venture forth again to another existence (wherever and whenever that may be).  When Autumn comes, if we look carefully, we can understand the Veil and see through it to the Other Side, as well as perceive those who have traveled through it to visit us.  It is simply a beautiful old door that is always right there if we are open to seeing it, and on the Other Side of it a dear old friend.  Our time here, as well as the Other Side, is temporary and sweet.

Greetings from the Spirits

The Spirits of this old house and the land on which it sits have just recently started to speak to me in earnest.  I felt them from moment I set eyes on the house...peeking in the windows, wandering the property when we were sent by the realtor to check it out.  The house is 200 years old and had been sitting empty for two years and no offers for sale had been accepted, so he did not come with us on our first visit.  I guess he thought we would take one look and decide to look elsewhere as other potential buyers had.  But it was quite the opposite for us.  As I said in a previous post, I knew right away that this is where I needed to be.  Something spoke to me.

The Spirits were reticent at first...as if they were testing us to see if we were the Ones.  But we kept coming back over and over to see the house, to walk its rooms and wander the fields and forest.  We knew.  We moved in officially in July and have been tirelessly working to honor the house and land and bring it back to the status of a well-loved home.  And we do love every quirky inch of the place.

As I mentioned earlier, the Spirits have now begun to communicate in earnest.  I sense them in the rooms.  Different presences in different spaces.  Sometimes I can hear them.  Hear them speak or hear them "breathe."  I see some of them out of the corner of my eyes at times.  They are most welcome, like an old friend, and they have made us very welcome.

Across the drive there is an old stone foundation from a barn that has been gone for longer than any neighbor can remember.  The previous owners used the space to throw garbage and old things they no longer wanted.  Yesterday I began the work of cleaning out the area.  The overgrown plants have been cut down to reveal a potentially beautiful area for a garden surrounded by the stone wall.  As I worked I could feel the happiness of the Spirits of the land...maybe a Spirit who dwelt in the long gone barn.  As I was thinking about the feelings I was picking up, a neighbor stopped by.  He has lived in the area for many years and said that he and the town historian had done research on old abandoned graveyards and suggested I keep an eye out for grave markers in the foundation area.  He was not certain, since no one had spent time keeping up the area, but records indicate there may be something there either from prior to the barn's construction or after it's demise, again because no one knows when the barn was taken down.  I found it interesting that he came by with this message just as I was thinking of the Spirits of the place.  Sometimes messages come from the Other Side in creative ways. 

I didn't find any grave markers, but there are years of neglect to clear away yet.  And whether or not official markers are found, there is clearly a Spirit (or Spirits) present in that space.  I feel them working alongside me, keeping me company and showing appreciation for the restoration of their home.  I found myself working well into the evening by the light of the nearly full moon.  There was such a sweetness to the presence, I didn't want to go inside for the evening...it was like I had made a new and wonderful friend.

Welcome Home

The clouds hung low over the mountain this morning.  It was a cold night, so the house was chilly as I rolled out from under a pile of blankets and crept downstairs to put the coffee on, careful not to wake my sleeping daughter.  She slept with us last night, since we have not turned the furnace on for Fall and the house temperature sank into the 50s.  Days like this are special.  A little cold snap sends us to bed early to snuggle in the covers...extra blankets added until we are hidden under a heap of warmth.  We went to bed early, but stayed up whispering until late into the night.

I find my coffee in the old pantry and commence my morning ritual of brewing a pot while the dog is let out for her morning rounds.  Then I sit at the window and gaze up the mountain and down to the lake, always reveling in what beauty the morning brings.  I love it here on this mountain that we have just recently made our new home.  While we are new to this place, the house has been here for 200 years waiting for us to come home.  I could hear her whisper of "welcome home" the moment I set eyes on the place more than a year ago. 

The afternoon was spent wandering the woods to see what the latest storm had brought to show us.  Rushing water in the stream that runs down the hill to the lake, an amazing variety of mushrooms peeking up through the ferns on the forest floor, sweet blackberries still on the vine, and an apple tree at the edge of the woods, laden with fruit.  We picked enough to fill impromptu baskets made from our shirts and headed back up the hill to the house.  Now I sit and reflect as the smell of homemade apple crisp baking drifts through the house.  This place is filled with magic.  Welcome home, indeed.

Beginnings

The wind is not so much whispering in the trees as shouting.  It sails around this old house, knocking on walls and dancing through drafty windows.  This cold and rainy day on the mountain seems the right time to start a blog.  Not to mention the waxing of the moon...full in a few days, which is a perfect time to begin a new adventure.  I pause to ask myself it it should start with an explanation of why I decided to blog.  Upon reflection, I guess there is no need.  It will either just be more chatter in the universe or a useful contribution to our community...time will tell.  All I can say today is that sometimes this solitary witch has something to share with the universe and there is not a like-mind in earshot.  

Though I do not care for labels (once a label is applied, someone is sure to show up with a rule book), I would characterize myself as a hedge witch.  I have practiced the craft for as long as I can remember with Nature and Intuition as my guides.  The veil is always quite thin for me, and as I said in my profile I am still learning to listen to the signs and voices.  Whenever the veil seems closed off, I feel very out of sorts and ungrounded.  I devote myself to the craft daily with small practical rituals, reading and exploration.  It has been the one faithful constant over the years, so it is my duty to honor the gift.