Bon Dammes and a gift-a-away

I woke early this morning to a mist blanket. Deep mist that covered Woodford. Winters last hurrah, I thought. But the sun is starting to peek out through the mist and is promising another warm pre-spring day. The bees have started to buzz and the birds are starting their springtime antics.
This afternoon I have my artists way workshop - we are to take along something that represents our identity - I am taking the small white round stone that Daisy sent me - she found two on the beach in Cornwall and sent one to me so that we could have one each. I sure hope you don't get tired of hearing me speak of Daisy in my posts.. she was just such a big part of my life the past couple of years. I can't stop suddenly talking about her. The moon is in her waning phase now - so i settle down until the dark of the moon.... then off I go again. But it is getting easier now i can see a pattern and I am learning how to handle my emotions at these times...

Yesterday, I picked the faeries some flowers, placed them on my faery 'altar' and I asked the faeries for some guidance on where my life is going right now. I seem to be flitting from one belief to another, not settling - dabbling in one thing, then another..searching. Nothing new really. So I took myself off to a favourite hippy shop.. thinking of buying myself some little trinket.. while aimlessly looking at books, one fell off the shelf, dropping on my foot. SOUL Lessons and Soul Purpose - a channeled guide to why you are here by Sonia Choquette. Another self help book, just what i need. But I bought it. Not much more I could do, seeing it did drop from the shelf... maybe it is a sign from the faeries... funny thing is that the card i drew from my pack yesterday was 'watch for signs' - the faeries told me they would send me signs of coins, feathers and stones.. after I bought the book, I stepped outside to find a small coin at my feet....

according to my Goddess book, today is a summer holiday in the UK. Bon Dammes are devic goddesses in Brittany. They inspire playful, youthful outlooks to take with us into our day with childlike wonder in our hearts.
* Go outside and play with the Bon Dammes. Leave them gifts of sparkling stones & honey under any flower or tree that makes you smile. in return the Bon Dammes will make sure your day is filled with pleasurable surprises. Recapture the moment of your childhood today - play tag with the wind, blow dandelions for faery wishes come true, climb a tree, go for a swing, pick buttercups or whatever inspires youthfulness in your heart.

*and to celebrate this day I have a little gift-a-way - a package full of faery magick..just let me know if you are wanting to have a chance of some magick in your life & will put you into my magick hat - in one week, i will pull one name out and the birdies will be one their way to the winner with a gift held tightly in their beaks !


*~* I hope your day is filled with butterflies, magick, colour & fripperies! ~*~

August full moon in Woodford

The full Moon is in the sign of Aquarius at exactly 8.35pm tonight. According to my chart this full moon is the Wattle moon for us in Australia but here in Woodford, the wattle starts to flower in July. Over the past week in my garden - the violets are flowering profusely even more than last month. Poking their dark purple heads up above the sea of heart shaped leaves, giving a violet scented waft to my garden. The birds are setting up house - nests are being built... eggs are being laid.... the perfume of the daphne still pervades my garden, as though the plant is making sure to give me perfumed memories so that I won't forget her until her return next winter..

At the moment in my garden the flowering plums are in full flower. Gorgeous shades of pink faery floss blossoms, full of nectar that tempts the wattle birds into tasting the first honey of spring... because of this burst of PINK, I am going to call this August full moon - "The SPRING-FLOWERING PINK PLUM BLOSSOM MOON"

so what am I going to do today? It is supposed to be about 25C degrees here today! another trick of Mother earth? tempting us with springtime weather when she is planning her last hurrah of winter? not sure, but I will probably be in my art room all day today... Joe built me some cupboards, weeks ago and I want to put everything away so that I can at least see the floor. I know many 'artists' create in clutter but I am finding that clutter is sending me loopy and nothing gets created by me. According to my moon diary it is a good day to do some divining... I think I might take my pedulum down to the sacred space under the pine tree, where the faeries live & do some dousing for power spots and lay lines. I am sure something is here in my yard..call them what you will, lay lines or faery chains... I can feel it.

*~* I hope your day is filled with butterflies, magick, colour & fripperies! ~*~

nature's healing

I spent nearly the whole day in the garden.. not fluffing about but really hard manual work. I donned my trusty boots, forgot to put sunscreen or a hat on.. so I am a little sunburnt right now. I pruned my lemon tree right back. It had been damaged in the wind a few weeks ago and was looking sad. I hate pruning things but after the lemon trees hair cut today, I am rather satisfied with my job of it! Plus I harvested about 2 washing baskets full of lemons. I have absolutely no idea what I am going to do with them all. I moved compost heaps and raked sticks. Weeded the gardens and mowed the lawn. Yesterday, Joe bought me a 'click-clack' mower.. a push mower - it only took me about 15 mins and it looks wonderful. I am trying to get my 'lawn' looking like a meadow.... none of this kikuyu lawn for me. When I mow with this new mower, I can mow around daffodils or the rose campion that is popping up right now. It was also alot of fun to do! I am looking forward to an early dinner then sitting down and watching 'Dr. Martin'


it is amazing how nature can heal the soul, in the flutter of a birds wing or the buzz of a bee. after getting out from my shower this morning.. I pulled back the curtain and opened the window. A brilliant burst of pink rushed at me... the sun was shining on the pink flowering plum and it was just bursting out in all its pink glory and I could hear the twitter of little birdies. Leaning my elbows on the window-sill, I breathed the pink in and looked closely at the tree - little silvereyes were having their breakfast - kindly supplied by mother earth in the blossoms. Another sound awoke my senses and looking even closer, I could see bees! lots of bees... busily buzzing around the blossom, gathering pollen to take back to their hives, pollinating & gathering.... spring is not too far away here in Woodford!

*~* I hope your day is filled with butterflies, magick, colour & fripperies! ~*~

friday frivolities. . .

today I woke to the sound of the parrots in the eucalypt tree which could only mean one thing and that is the rain had stopped. They tend to stay away when it rains. I wonder where they go? The magpies were having a wonderful time, running this way and that, foraging for worms who popped their heads out of the sodden ground.. a kookaburra sat patiently on the overhead wires. But the sun was only visiting and right now the clouds roll in again and the rain starts.

I just returned home from my acupuncturist - he could not believe the state of my neck.. I have a few bits to do in my home, then it is off to a warm settee, tucked under a blanket, to read for awhile. Then off to have my monthly facial... all I seem to be doing this week is having massages & treatments. But a girl has got to pamper herself once in awhile, me thinks.

remember Faery Friday from one of my past blog lives? well, here it is again.....

Fairies and Pixies, elves and gnomes.
Spinning some magic,spells for our homes.
Their wishes are happy, of joys to share.
Join in their revelry, if only you dare.
Carefree of spirit, their happiness impart
Sending you Magick, to store in your heart.

~ Unknown

and something for your inner child - ELVES - to colour

I have been getting 'messages' over the past few days, very loud & clear messages - whether they are from my higher self, the angels, spirit guides, faeries or Daisy.... I know not, but I am being told that I am needing to trust my own inner wisdom.. to stop seeking outside myself... to go within and find my own truth. I think the word trust is the key here - to trust myself.

I must go and see if my girls have obliged and laid some eggs today. If so, then I think I will make one of my favourite cakes this afternoon for our weekend morning teas....Joe and I often sit outside either on our verandah or in the garden, depending on the weather and have our cups of tea - talking about life, our garden and what our dreams are.

MOIST ORANGE CAKE

*~* I hope your day is filled with butterflies, magick, colour & fripperies! ~*~

moon moods, from my journal and a blah morning

today, I woke with a dreaded feeling of melancholy... I wasn't going to post about it but it is part of me and I cannot deny it. Then I realized that it is coming up to full moon and every month at this time, I get this same odd melancholia. It is at these times, I miss being able to email Daisy and seek her wisdom. So instead of fighting it, or trying to analyze it, I will accept it as part of my journey. If I go with the emotions, I think it will be easier to cope with. Also, in posting how I feel, there maybe someone else out there feeling the same way, who may be helped in knowing they are not alone

Today, I have my second group get together for the Artists Way. Last week we were asked what we wanted to create in our lives... here is a little from my journal

'I wish to create and recapture my belief in faery magick. I know that I saw them as a child but was constantly told to get my head out of the clouds, that it was my imagination and fairies wouldn't get me very far in life!'. So I shut down. Now, my sensible self, my responsible self - the self who is mother, wife and community member tells me to stop wasting time drifting of with the faeries. To stop playing make believe and to be an adult
I want to create joy, laughter and play in my life. I want to allow my inner child out to create fun.
I want to create a trusting and accepting self. And in creating this, I will re-discover my in-tuition, my wisdom and my psychic ability, that I know I have but it has been submerged over years of being pushed deep into my soul in fear of being different, of not fitting into what society and others expected'

I am looking forward to my workshop class - we have been asked to bring something that makes us feel safe.... I am not sure what I am going to choose. I am sure it will come to me over the morning
It is cold, miserable and raining. yes, I know we need rain but I need a break. I need some sun and warmth. I took myself out side this morning... to take in some garden magick

and I noticed that my manchurian pear is trying on her spring undergarments - white blossoms - before she dons her new spring clothes! As I stepped outside, the magpies greeted me with their song - 'hi Miss*robyn - we are here.. we love you, we love your garden. Don't be sad, come sing with us!'... ~ nature is indeed soothing to this faeries soul. I have wings, you know!

*~* I hope your day is filled with butterflies, magick, colour & fripperies! ~*~

me-meee ! - seven random garden facts

I tagged myself with this me-mee, I found it on Tea's blog... it is one that I think everyone will like.. I am supposed to list 7 things about my garden.. but like Tea, I will also post 7 photos. I am never sure if anyone is interested in these things but then I remembered Daisy's saying that we are all sticky beaks deep down! So, yesterday, I wandered around my garden wondering what to show you. I wanted a kind of quirky cross section of my garden.. so come with me, I hope you like my choice. . . . .

this name plaque above is on the doorway to Sophie's bedroom. She has her own entrance from the side of the house... the plaque comes from a bed & breakfast that i owned about 10 years ago.. in Mt Victoria about 20 mins away from Woodford. It was a cute mountain cottage for two.. decorated in shabby chic style before it was made popular by - whatever her name is... We supplied a big basket of breakfast goodies, chocolate and wine... and we left our guests be.. a romantic weekend. I ran it for about 4 years and it became quite popular, however, I tired of it and sold it. I kept the name plaque as the cottage had been named after my Sophie as well as the movie. Spider webs mostly are left alone at Inglewood - my grandma called them spiders lace....
above is thistle that is thriving in my garden. A weed ? to some, maybe.. not to me.. the bees love it as do my chooks... so i cultivate it and pull a few each day to give to 'my girls'...

above are my gardening boots - with my feet in them! These are an Australian brand called Blundstone.. they are tough. I have had this pair for over 10 years and not a hole anywhere, they have lost their shape and are a little loose but I love them... very glamourous, don't you think? above is a pot that sits at the bottom of my front steps.... with a small plaque that my dad gave me many years ago... and yes, there are faeries at the bottom of our garden! above is a collection of metal garbage bins that I have collected over the years. I grow my tomatoes in them. The tomatoes thrive because of the heat generated by the metal.. I love these bins... oneday, they will be obsolete.. replaced in favour of the horrible black plastic things we have now. I wonder who lived at number 50?

"Sweet maids of honor, woodland elves!
Frail flowers that arrive with the cuckoo,
Pale lilac, hyacinth purple of hue,
And the little pink geranium,
All smil'd & nodded to see me come."
-Roden Berkeley Wriothesley Noel
(1834-1894)

I love geraniums. This one above is 'nutmeg' geranium.. a scented leaved plant.

"the faeries and elves of geranium awaken a sense of happiness and stir the heart chakra. In most geranium beds will be found an elf who oversees the entire area. The faeries of this flower strengthen and vitalize the aura. They can also show you where you may be missing opportunities for happiness"

above is a wall plaque that I found on the council cleanup a few years ago. I love council cleanups... there is one happening around our neighbourhood, now. People put their junk out and the council come by and collect it. Each weekend many of us, drive around checking out other peoples piles of junk. It becomes a very social event, actually.

so there are my seven random garden facts.... I am not going to tag anyone because I have no idea who likes to do these things.... I had an aversion to them at one stage. So, grab it if you like and let me know! I may even do a seven random neighbourhood meme oneday soon

today it is raining again..I am going to give my lounge room a thorough clean and then this afternoon, I am off to have a two hour massage. Absolute pure bliss!

*~* I hope your day is filled with butterflies, magick, colour & fripperies! ~*~

aragonite...and TLC

I want to introduce you to another crystal of mine - Aragonite. I first ever heard of Aragonite when I did my first crystal workshop some years ago. My teacher mentioned that she gridded her bedroom with it to absorb the electromagnetic smog that came from a power box outside her room.. so I bought myself 4 little pieces of aragonite sputnik, cleansed and programmed them and put them in the corners of my bedroom and promptly forgot about them... a few weeks ago when I took my grandson mr Thomas to my favourite crystal shop in Katoomba, I saw two gorgeous pieces of pink 'rock' - when I asked what they were, I was told 'pink aragonite.' I went home and fretted that I didn't buy a piece, next morning I was up there bright and early to buy myself a piece...when I came home, I felt the other piece call me so I went the next day to buy it, yes, crystals do let you know that they want to go home with you!

..Pink aragonite is not commonly found as a piece like this as it is usually used to carve into shapes such as buddha, faeries or angels, so I feel very blessed that I have two pieces. This piece above, sits beside my bed... I believe it is a faery crystal... there is something definitely in the brown coloured area... take a closer look and tell me what you think....
ARAGONITE - a reliable earth healer & grounding stone. It deepens our connection with the earth. it teaches patience and acceptance and helps to combat over sensitivity. It is useful in times of emotional stress, providing strength and comfort. It calms and centres spiritual development in those times when you feel out of control. It would probably be good to have near your computer - it would absorb the electromagnetic energy ! I actually use a smoky quartz cluster for that.
Funny that this crystal should choose me - I needed it for sure

* Pro Hart - Dragonfly*

Mum came home on Sunday - we went to pick her up from the hospital and took her to her home... she is coping well and her Dr is very pleased with her progress. Yesterday, I finally got to see my osteopath to fix my neck and shoulders. I was so stressed yesterday, I had chest pains and ended up in tears... thank heaven for the man in my life.. he is treating me with lots of understanding and TLC... a lovely bath, some candles and a good night sleep is what I needed.. I still have this dreadful ache in my chest though, if it doesn't get better, I will be making an appointment to see my Dr, although I am sure it is just stress.
Today, I hope to get my washing up to date and my computer room into some kind of order. Do a sage cleansing around the computer.. get the crystals in place and then work on some creating. Ages ago, I promised a doll and some tea to Gill from *Gills place* and I really must get the doll finished and sent. Tomorrow, I hope to get into my garden and take some photos for a meme that I found on *Tea & Margaritas* ...

*~* I hope your day is filled with butterflies, magick, colour & fripperies! ~*~

ask & you will receive

sometimes I wonder if all of our earthly catastrophes are actually 'sent' to us by Mother Earth. She knows how we have stumbled away from our connectedness to her and she also knows that in these events, most of us join together in prayer and support.. and many of us try to 'heal' our Earth... thus bringing us back to our connectedness.
*~* I hope your day is filled with butterflies, magick, colour & fripperies! ~*~

Borage, bees and potatoes

“It maketh a man merrie and joyfull. Use the floures in sallads to exhilarate and make the minde glad. Use everywhere for the comfort of the heart, for driving away sorrow and increasing the joy of the minde. The leaves and floures of Borage put into wine make men and women glad and merrie and drive away all sadness, dulnesse and melancholie. Syrup made of the floures of Borage comforteth the heart, purgeth melancholie and quieteth the phrenticke and lunaticke person.”
-- John Gerard, 16th century Herbalist



I lived in the 16th century, the words above seem so familiar to me and this morning, I was reading a herbal book and the picture plates, rang bells of memory for me. And I love borage. It is one of my favourite herbs. The borage in my garden, started off as one small seedling about 4 years ago. I was in the nursery looking at some to buy and a lady came up to me and said 'don't buy that, I have it all over my garden. I will give you some.' So she came to my home a few days later with a small plant..over the years it has self seeded all over the place. And I don't care. I love it.. there is just something so medieval about it... it takes me back to times past

I love the gorgeous blue flowers, as do the bees... every day the bees are busy amongst the borage. I have it planted near my strawberries as a companion plant. The borage faeries keep me company, while I garden. Just yesterday, when I was working in my vegie garden, I looked over at the borage and I could feel faery magick.. it was so strong. Sometimes, I can close my eyes and I can become one with the borage... it is like we have an energy exchange. I wonder when I do that, if I am actually taking on the healing properties of the borage? . . . .

In Elizabethan England, it was considered to lift melancholy. Culpeper said 'the candied or jellied flowers comfort the heart and spirits of those who are sick from consumption or from the passions of the heart'. Borage flowers in the house help bring about domestic tranquility and a cup of borage tea can help with feelings of vulnerability and disjointedness.

the Celtic name for it, barrach, means "man of courage" and obviously focuses on borage's psychological effects. A tea of borage flowers and mint is especially cooling in the summer. Try freezing the flowers in an ice cube for a nice garnish to iced tea, especially if you have a suitor. According to folklore, if the person drinking the tea is someone you would like to marry, it will give them the courage to propose. Borage is also known as tailwort, bee's bread, and starflower. read more about the magickal herb here BORAGE

I was quite busy in the garden yesterday. I planted the first of my potatoes - my spunta tubers. I also pruned a few of my lemon trees and mulched around them in readiness for summer. I filled my bird baths with water, netted over my strawberries so those pesky possums don't eat them all & I pruned the last of my roses.
last night I went to visit mum. She is doing really well- showering herself now, taking short walks and I am just amazed at how well she looks. No more of the grey colour that she had before her operation.... i know she is better - she is a little cantankerous ! ha! but ya gotta love her... This morning it is raining, so no garden for me today. I think I will play in my art room. and by the way - all the borage photos in this post, were taken in my garden
*~* I hope your day is filled with butterflies, magick, colour & fripperies! ~*~

*keeping the faeries happy & daisy chains

I remember reading once on Daisy's blog that she like to keep the faeries happy.

"as a child I dug little nests in the grass under the lilac trees, and left little scraps of fine material for them, such as chiffon or pieces of ribbon, I even remember leaving a small bright metal coloured thimble, also shells and pretty little stones. Now in the summer at the right times, I leave something sweet for them, as they are supposed to have notoriously sweet tongues. Marshmallows, a spoonful of honey in a little milk. I leave it on the end of the garden wall, where the hedge starts above the wall"


Daisy ~ This flower is drawing to all faeries, elves and nature spirits. Where it is found, nature spirits will also be found. It is one of the best flowers to work with to begin communication with the faerie kingdom, as its faeries have no fear of humans and are very open to contact. They stimulate great physical awareness of the presence of nature spirits. The daisy is a favorite flower of dryads (wood nymphs), and simply sitting among the flowers invites contact. Daisy faeries help awaken creativity and inner strength.

Remember making Daisy chains when we were little? I made mine from the flowers of clover. I would sit for hours making the chains, then I would hang them all around my cubby house.. pure childhood magick! I think I will make some this weekend! I can hang them around my sacred space... a gift for the faeries.

To bring joy back into your life, pick a bunch of daisies. Shorten the stems to approximately 3 inches in length. With your fingernail, cut a small slit halfway down the stem of one flower and insert the next flower into the hole. Repeat the process until you have a daisy chain. While you work, chant:

Daisy, happy little flower,
Lend your joy to me this hour.
Bring your mirth into this band
As I chain you with my hands.

When the chain is long enough to slip easily over your head, securely tie the first and last stems together. Place the chain around your neck and say:

Daisy chain, once flowers free,
Bring the wildest joy now unto me.
Bless me with gaiety and mirth
As I live upon the Earth.
And as you dry in heat and air
Take with you my worries and cares.

Wear the chain for the rest of the day, then hang it up to dry.

piecing together the past

I was very close to my Pa, we had a real 'connected-ness'. I know I was his favourite grandchild. I wish he were still alive today, I am searching my memory of things he said about England.... but it is vague. There is so much I would ask him.... I would say 'Pa, what are the Tregilgas 'ways'..what is it that I do, that remind you of them?', "why did you give me a teaspoon of Cornwalls Malt extract every morning?", ' why did you have Pick-me-up sauce on the table every dinner time' and "pa, where do I get my love for Cornish pasties from?". I have lots to learn about Cornwall. how I wish my Pa was here to help me - even though he was born in Plymouth, Devon... he was a Cornish man - he was quite short, had very olive skin, people would often remark how unlike the usual 'english rose complexion' he was. Lucky for him, coming to Australia, with our hot, hot sun and high skin cancer risk... he would go as 'brown as a berry' in summer time.. I am lucky to have inherited his skin (and his shortness in height). He was wiry, or stocky in stature, much like a 'true cornish man', I am told. It seems that my mum takes after him - as my son said the other day: "Nan is a tough old chook". Yes, she is.. last night I went to visit her and here she is, sitting up in her chair, eating her dinner. She is in quite abit of pain which is to be expected but she is looking so much better. Her colour is really good and she looks alot younger. I said a big thankyou to the angels and faeries last night. Now all she needs to do is rest and mend.
This afternoon I have my first 'class' in the workshop - The Artists Way. I am looking forward to it actually.. it may just help me to get into the creating mindset again. During winter i tend to snuggle and read - spring and summer are the seasons when my creative spirit comes out to play. I am still reading Labyrinth and Daisy was indeed correct when she said it is a page turner. I sit engrossed for hours, reading. I just wish now, that I had taken alot more notice when I studied History in High School..

* above is the Brighid 'bride' doll that I made Ninnie to celebrate the sabbat of Imbolc...using vintage tuille for her dress, vintage tatted lace for her veil and a macadamia nut wrapped in a piece of vintage voile...to be hung at Imbolc to invite Brighid into the home which will bring blessings for the coming year. Of course Imbolc for Ninnie is not until February so there was plenty of time for the birdies to deliver the package!*
Ninnie has received the parcel - the birdies are flew all the way across the ocean right to Ninnie's door.. they said she enjoyed the chocolate very much. .. it is such fun thinking of bits to put in these sabbat packages

*~* I hope your day is filled with butterflies, magick, colour & fripperies! ~*~

my very own sacred site

I am planning something special for my sacred space, the area, under my pine tree, where the faeries live. I have decided to dedicate the area to Daisy. Joe is erecting me some lattice partitions to separate it from the rest of my garden, to make it completely private. The plan is to have a gate and an arbour with clematis growing, a sacred well, lots of garden statuary, a gazing ball and all manner of plants, shrubs and trees that have an association with celtic lore, faeries and also Daisy.... I am going to have a Green Man rondel on the tree and hopefully a hare or two (if I can find them. I don't think we have hares in Australia). It will be a place that I can go and talk to Daisy and the faeries... a place where I can connect with Mother Earth, a place where I can leave gifts for the faeries and where I can celebrate the seasonal changes . I need to find a name for this sacred space of mine... any suggestions? Funny that I decided to create this garden, a few days ago... and last night I was reading 366 Celts - in the Path of Sacred Sites - "if the place where your feet are currently rested is not in your mind a "sacred site", consider this question: what can you do to make it one?". . .


*~* I hope your day is filled with butterflies, magick, colour & fripperies! ~*~

the last of the book!

the last few pages of Daisy's altered book... then it will be on its way to Sweetpea next week sometime. onto the next page which is Mabon...

I made a little pocket from tuille and slipped in some of my sacred sage.. so that Daisy could use it at mabon to cleanse and protect her much loved Dene Cottage. On the right is a Mabon blessing.. I used some tigers eye crystal hanging from a red thread at the bottom of the page.
next we have Samhain.. or Halloween... rosemary is the herb and it is the time when the veil is thinnest... I wanted this to look dark and mysterious. I stuck black tissue all over.. then painted orange paint, here and there. Once that was dry, I painted it all over with beeswax. The photo of the fire is behind a veil of black tuille and a gazing ball I found in a garden magazine.. representing scrying.

and the last of the sabbat pages is Yule

first of all I painted a tree on the left then I used some gold paint to paint borders on both pages.. a Yule blessing which I love and some baubles and mistletoe..lots of glitter of course cause she was the glitter Queen. Poundland will miss Daisy alot !
the last page... I wanted to do something for Pixie... and I went out of my comfort zone and wrote haiku... I am not an expert on Haiku actually I know nothing much about it at all..

Under the haiku I was going to find a picture of Pixie.... but I will leave that for sweetpea to do.. and on the right some Daisy plastic paper.. a little box cut out to show the words... the end
and below is the back cover.

I found a vintage envelope and I am going to stick it on the back cover. My plan was to put little bits of interest into it as Treasures for *Daisy*... there are a few blank pages after Samhain, that I will paint pink *cause pink is sweetpeas favourite colour* and I will leave them for her to put her memories of Daisy, her mum... so there you go.. all finished. now I think I will make myself an altered book... not sure what theme..

Today I hope to do some work & creating in my soul journal/BoS... I have so many loose notes that I want to copy into and a few collage type things I want to create. So after my housekeeping is done, I will sit down and play. It is raining outside so no gardening today. I am also going to cook tonights dinner, this morning, a yummy soul nourishing beef casserole, as I am off to see Mum this afternoon and my dinner will be ready for when I come home.

*~* I hope your day is filled with butterflies, magick, colour & fripperies! ~*~

Tuesday and life continues on. .

a long day yesterday.. leaving at 6am and home at around 9pm. many hours spent sitting and waiting. Mum came through the very well. The operation took about 5 hours and she was taken to cardiac intensive care unit, so last night I could only spend 5 mins with her, but at least I saw her after her operation. The Drs. are keeping her sedated for 12 hours and will then take her off the respirator and gradually bring her off sedation. She looked so tiny and frail in the bed. But I am so thankful that she is ok! Thankyou, for each prayer, good thought, candle and anything else that you sent to us... it was all heard and taken by the angels.



So today I am spending playing catchup - catch-up with washing, cleaning and hopefully in the afternoon, gardening. I have my late winter potato tubers to put into the ground. I want to harvest some lavender and start on my new sacred space garden, which I must tell about soon! I feel I have been away from blogging for so long but i look and it is only a few days. I have so much to tell about my garden and what is happening around me, but I haven't been able to sit and concentrate! Once I get all my planned chores and stuff over and done with today, I will sit and come visit my blogging friends. Oh and don't forget the dark of the moon... three days before the new moon and two days after... all of you who are feeling lost and lonely and not quite settled - take this time to snuggle, to rest, to nurture yourself... read Daisy's post on the moon phases.

*~* I hope your day is filled with butterflies, magick, colour & fripperies! ~*~

a short post

I thought I had better come and post, seeing as it is a few days since my last post...thankyou to each of you who have emailed me or left a comment here. I promise I will get back to each of you as soon as I can and I will be around to visit blogs sometime this week coming. Also thankyou to those who nominated me for the kind award xoxo

I think I have passed the worst of this 'viral' thing that I have. We went out to dinner on Thursday night for Sophie's 18th birthday but I was a little out of it so didn't have alot of fun. I was doped up on tablets - not something I do very often but it was a necessity to get me through the night. Friday saw me delirious and I could hardly get my head of the pillow. I was shivering one minute, the next cold sweats. I felt dreadful. There is a deadly flu going around here at the moment but this is just a head cold.. it hasn't gone to my chest. I don't feel 100% but I feel much better than I did last week. It will take me a little time to build myself up, I guess, due to the stress of all that is going on and just snatching food & rest when I can.

I had to go and see my mum on Saturday night - the last visit before she goes into have her op on Monday morning. Joe went and bought me some face masks so that I could sit near and hold her hand.. it was awful not being able to give her a kiss but at least I was there for awhile.

So early tomorrow morning (Monday), I will make the journey to see mum off to theatre.. I will wait until she comes out and then I will come home... and take it from there.

*~* I hope your day is filled with butterflies, magick, colour & fripperies! ~*~

for full moon in August -late winter flowering lavender moon

Lavender Sour Cream Pound Cake

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
6 large egg yolks
3 1/2 cups cake flour
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons finely chopped lavender flowers (I buy these organic from a local farmers market)



Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter and lightly flour a 13x9x2" baking pan. If you use a bundt your cooking time will be much longer.
In a mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in egg yolks one at a time.
On low speed, add cake flour alternately with sour cream.
Beat in baking powder and vanilla.
Beat in lavender flowers.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees, until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out on to a pretty platter and cool completely



*~* I hope your day is filled with butterflies, magick, colour & fripperies! ~*~

taking sick leave

just to let you know that I have come down with the flu.. I am aching and paining all over, hot and cold shivers and a fuzzy head...not good at all. It is my youngest daughter's 18th today and I don't feel much like celebrating plus I need to get myself well for my mum... so I am taking a short break to rest and boost my immune system. I could just about cry.
*~* I hope your day is filled with butterflies, magick, colour & fripperies! ~*~

HAZEL lore

Hazel - August 5th to September 1st. The 9th moon of the celtic year. The celtic name for Hazel is "Coll" which means 'life force within you'. Hazel is associated with the element of air, the planet of Mercury and the day of Wednesday. The bird connected with Hazel is the crane.

Hazels are often found at the border between the worlds where magickal things happen, and therefore Hazel wood is excellent to use to make all-purpose wands. Any Hazel twigs, wood or nuts should be gathered after sundown on Samhain since it will be at the peak of its magickal energy. Hazel should be cut at the waxing moon and must not be cut with a knife, but with a flint.
It is sacred to the Fey and you can call them by using a wand made of the tree.
To enlist the aid of plant fairies, string hazelnuts on a cord and hang up in your house or ritual room. in times past, the Hazel was known as The Tree of Wisdom, so is a good herb to use to use for magic when asking for wisdom. Hazel wood is one of the nine traditional firewoods that is part of the Belfire that the Druid's burned at Beltane - it was added to the fire to gain wisdom. Druids often made wands from Hazel wood, and used the wands for finding ley lines. Forked twigs of Hazel can be used to divine for water or to find buried treasure. It is said that hazel nuts gave the Druids their ability to write their poems and songs of the ancient legends. The wood can help to divine the pure source of poetry. Wearing woven caps of hazel twigs will ensure good dreams and brings wise understanding
The god of healing, Diancecht, is said to have made a porridge that would cure colds, sore throats, and worms. According to legend, it consisted of hazel buds, dandelions, chickweed, sorrel, and oatmeal. It was to be taken in the mornings and evenings. Mix powdered Hazelnuts with mead or honeyed water to help a cough. The nuts are a good source of phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, copper, protein and fatty acids.

Throwing hazelnuts into the fire at Samhain, will discern the feelings of ones betrothed. If the nut burns strong and steady then so does your partners love for you. The Hazelnut is a symbol of fertility - a bag of nuts bestowed upon a bride will ensure a fruitful marriage.

Tie two Hazel twigs together with red or gold thread and carry as a protective good luck charm. Hazel was one of the magical, protective plants brought into the house on May Day. Hazel nuts were sometimes put on window sills during storms in the hope of calming the weather. It was strongly believed that once the summer jam had been made it was vital to stir it with a hazel stick, this would ensure that the piskies didn't steal it.

I hope you have enjoyed this little piece about Hazel. Hazel sounds like something I would love to have in my garden. I would love to plant it in my sacred space under the pine tree where the faeries live. I will have to see if I can buy a few plants.. I like the idea of the good luck charm and stringing the nuts on a cord.. that is my kind of fun & ritual! I could maybe make myself a wand ... to satisfy the Druid in me. I am beginning to think I could be living on a ley line, if not on it, then quite near one!

I have been buying a few books the past week... one is Labyrinth by Kate Mosse, which Daisy was reading. I don't know if she finished it but she did say it was a page turner. The Mists of Avalon, a book that I have been meaning to read for absolute years, is on order. And the other book is Earth Magic by Clare Nahmad.. it is a great book! Full of ancient folk-lore... I cannot wait to get started on it.

And, thankyou so much to all those who have emailed or left comments about my mum. xoox. I do have a good positive feeling about her.. there is just alot going on with my sister that puts added stress on me.

I get most of my tree wisdom from here... CELTIC TREE LORE a website that Daisy shared with me

*~* I hope your day is filled with butterflies, magick, colour & fripperies! ~*~

I love my mother as the trees love water and sunshine - she helps me grow, prosper, and reach great heights. ~Adabella Radici

Winter is back with a vengeance today... a bitterly cold wind is blowing outside, so there go my plans for being in the garden. Last Monday, my mum was taken to hospital early Monday morning after a weekend of shortness of breath and tightness in her chest...a suspected heart attack. She had an angiogram on Wednesday and we are at this moment, waiting for a decision from the heart specialist to see if she is able to have open heart bypass surgery.

I have been spending most of my time this week, driving to see her. It is a four hour round trip to see her.. I don't mind driving. I usually don't have music playing, but I spend the time thinking.. which I guess is sometimes not a good thing. Yesterday, the trip home, a usual 2 hour trip, took over 5 hours due to an oil spill on the mountain road... 5 fire brigades had to close the road while they mopped up..


* my mum & I taken about 2 years ago*

When I went yesterday to see her, she is sitting up in bed, worrying about all the other patients! Really, she must have a true strong Cornish heart.
a little teary and worried about me losing my mother.. she said to me, 'it is a different kind of grief losing your mother to when you lose your dad'... she is not worried at all about dying but worried that I will spend my time sitting by her bedside if she has a stroke, which there is a very high chance of happening if she has the operation due to her diabetes and family history. But if she opts not to have it, then she will progressively deteriorate and will most probably die of a massive heart attack. ... so we talked about that, as well as what she wants to happen when she dies, she wants to be cremated and put 'somewhere'.
... she gave me some jewellery for my girls and I did some reiki on her.... I took her a huge bunch of flowers from my garden - every single flower was out blooming, amazing. Snowdrops, daphne, roses, violets, lavender, feverfew... I am the eldest daughter, I have one sister who lives out in the country.
The emotions are so difficult, I know many of you will understand what I am going through... I feel a little guilty about not being able to have her live with me.... she has made me promise that if she has a stroke then she be put into a home. Daisy's blog came to mind, I remembered her once posting about her mum. so, I searched her blog for these words that I remembered. I needed some Daisy wisdom:

"my Mother has not adapted well to being a widow and that, combined with her illnesses, has left her with no joy in life and the feeling enough is enough and she is just treading water. Sad though this is, I am so appreciative of the doctor taking time to chat to me like that, and I just want to say to all of you who read my postings and are in the same position, please take those words to heart that the doctor told me. We are not cruel, we have done our best and there is NO need for guilt trips. "

Yesterday, she gave me a little gift that she had bought for Daisy. When Daisy passed, my mum cried with me.. She was so excited when Daisy helped find our Cornish roots. My mum is no saint, and as I have said before sometimes, she drives me mental... but I love her so much...

* taken on my deck last summer*

I am off again this afternoon to see her... I need to be close to her right now, for me... I need to tell her that I love her and that I will be ok. I need to hold her hand and cry..

*~* I hope your day is filled with butterflies, magick, colour & fripperies! ~*~

IMBOLC and some family news!

In the Celtic calendar Imbolc is the first of the four fire festivals. It is known as the Festival of Light ~ the rekindling of the fire. Although it is still cold, it is the day we celebrate the passing of winter and make way for the coming spring. Imbolc is a time of cleansing and blessings, a time to clean out all the unwanted in our lives & our homes as we prepare for our new beginnings. It is the time of year for recommitment to your spiritual growth. Traditionally the date of Imbolc down here is August 2nd (well, that is if we actually celebrated it) but the date changes each year according to 'the stars' . The date for Imbolc 2007 is August 5th. I celebrate it, traditionally, so,here in the southern hemisphere I celebrate on August 2nd. a look into my garden at Imbolc; magpies, irises, buds and new growth of Spring are starting to become visible. It is a time when I can feel the blood stirring in my veins..awakening to the promise of warmth to come. I see the sun at a different slant each afternoon in my garden, staying a little longer each day. I want to go and buy my seedlings but I have to remember to be patient and not rush spring.


*art by Colette*

the Goddess of Imbolc is BRIGHID

Incense: Frankincense, myrrh, jasmine, camphor, cinnamon, lotus, basil, wisteria.
Candles: Red and white.
Gemstones: Amethyst, garnet, onyx, turquoise
Ritual Herbs: Angelica, basil, bay, benzoin, celandine, heather, myrrh, frankincense,
Plants for Imbolc: Snowdrop, Rowan, Apples, Potatoes, Corn, Lavender,
Foods for Imbolc: Dairy foods, Spicy foods, Curries, Peppers, Onion, Garlic, Raisins, Cinnamon, spiced wines. All foods symbolic of the Sun
Colours: White, lavender, Silver.

It is a time to bless our candles, to bless the seeds that will be planted in spring time - either those you will plant into the ground or those seeds that are in your creative mind - your intentions and wishes.....ask that they grow strong and come to fruition.

Leave a piece of cloth on your doorstep for Brighid to bless. It is believed that Brighid will lend her healing powers to any piece of cloth that is left out at Imbolc. The piece of cloth is known as Brighid's mantle. As the cloth is blessed each year, the mantle gains healing power

Take a walk and look for signs of spring, collect pebbles and other natural trinkets, to place on your altar, a shrine or in a nature bowl.

light candles in each room to bring on light and warmth and say goodbye to the dark - to honour the Sun's rebirth.

food should be plentiful! Something green and fresh, such as a salad, would indicate the coming of spring, but since winter is still with us, the main fare should be hearty, served with a nice, crusty bread. Mead, ale, spiced wine or non-alcoholic equivalents would all be appropriate beverages

Make a bride/Brighid doll, with a bouquet. Give her a veil and hang nuts with white ribbons around her arms. The doll may be dressed in a long white gown and a white mantle. She is then decorated with bits of greenery, spring flowers, ribbons pretty stones and shells. The best and brightest ornament is placed over the heart and called Rionnag Brídeóg, the "Star of little Brighid." A small wand placed is beside her. "Bride is come”

This is traditionally a time of purification — clean your house! If you have any Yule greenery lingering, burn it now.

Make your own Brighid’s crosses and hang them up, especially in the kitchen where her influence can bless your food.

Meditate upon what you would like to see grow in health and strength this year: for yourself, your family, your community, the Earth, and ask for Bride's blessing upon your prayers.

"If Candlemas day be fair and bright, Winter will have another flight.
If Candlemas day be shower and rain, Winter is gone and will not come again."
(traditional verse)

today dawned 'fair and bright' here in Woodford, albeit quite chilly so it looks like Winter will 'have another flight', so it is not quite time to clean my fire out or put the winter woolies away!

and I guess this is as good a time as any to announce that we have a new addition coming to our family. Our eldest daughter Louisa and her husband Garth are expecting their first baby in early March.... if all goes according to plan.. a little Pisces baby.... those of you have been reading my blog since i started will remember me blogging the wedding on *Daily parcels*





*~* I hope your day is filled with butterflies, magick, colour & fripperies! ~*~

the flannel flower

Australia has some of the most exquiste native flowers than any where else in the world.... oh yes, I adore all the cottage garden plants, the lavenders, the foxgloves and the daisies.... but there is something unique about our native flora here in Oz... take for instance the little flannel flower.

This has to be my all time favourite wild flower. When we use to go on bush walks when I was little, I loved it when I stumbled across a bush of flannel flowers if they were blooming. I would touch them and pat them and sometimes pick one (it is illegal to pick flowers from the bushland but we were on my uncles property so that was ok *I think*), so that I could brush its soft little petals across my face. It was so comforting... the petals are just like flannelette to touch. Even now, when I come across a flannel flower, it takes me back to those times... times when I saw faeries sitting in the bottle brush tree..... there is a bush flower essence of flannel flower which is used for: addressing the child within * playfulness, to be carefree.

Since Daisy passed, I have just been drifting through my day, allowing myself to feel any emotion that I needed to heal my grief..., still 'doing' all my housework but without the usual joy of creating my nest... I woke this morning to see that my home needs some sparkle! So the next few days I am going to be getting my home into that space where it exudes love and peace once more..I will invoke the help of the goddess, Hestia and I can pick myself a huge bunch of flowers from my garden - daphne, roses, feverfew, violets and lavender and tuck them into an old glass jar.... light some candles and tonight a lovely dinner for two... the Moon is in the sign of Pisces and according to my Moon diary - a day to eat light and simple meals.. a day to have a foot massage... a time to start to think detoxification during the waning moon..

*~* I hope your day is filled with butterflies, magick, colour & fripperies! ~*~