A Samhain prayer

On this Samhain Eve

I stand at the head of a long line

The last of my bloodline that there will ever be

I look back at the face of those that came before me

I see my nose and my chin

I see the red of my hair

I see those who went gray and white as I am changing

I see those who walked like me

I see those who loved trees and plants

I see whose who taught me to see the faeries

I see those who taught me to see life

I see those who taught me love

I see the ones who hurt inside so they hurt me

I forgive them

I see the friends that have gone through the veil

Before me

I see those love imprinted on my heart

I see all the shining ones who stand there

It is not my turn to join yet.

This year taught me how close it came to joining you

Some day I will see your shining hearts and faces

I keep you close to me

You taught me so much

I am grateful to have been loved

I am grateful to still have love around me

Hecate, this is your day

You are holding the veil back for us

To send love through

Faerie Queen, you sparkle on the other side

We bow in your honour

And we dance

Brighid, we turn our heads toward winter

And know your quiet strength

Is there for the asking

Elen, your swans pass over

Taking the new souls to Tir Na Nog

And we listen for the sound of wings

This Samhain I honour all those

Whose feet trod the path I walk

Walk with me

Teach me

Tell me stories

Let my ears and eyes be open this night

Let my hands and heart know what is important this night

I wait for the Dark Goddesses

Teach me

Tell me stories

Let my ears and eyes be open this night

Let my hands and heart know what is important this night

I wait for the dead

Teach me

Tell me stories

Let my ears and eyes be open this night

Let my hands and heart know what is important this night

2016

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Saturday’s Faire was magical

Saturday at the Faire was wonderful. At our winter Faire I was sick and I was living with a diagnosis of advance ovarian cancer, supposedly Stage 3 or 4 and I hadn’t told anyone that it was that bad. I went through Faire wondering if it was my last time at Faire. I didn’t take as many pictures then as I usually do. I just wasn’t fully present and I was being pulled away.

Saturday was joyous. I have never been hugged and kissed by so many people. I’m firmly convinced these people saved my life by their loving wonderful energy. I% of the tumours like mine are advanced ovarian cancer but the doctors were wrong and I will take the 1% I was given with love gladly.

I took pictures which I will post some of soon. I even had my traditional photo battle with my friend Tony. We both do a lot of pagan events so we are always getting each other on film , He says I’m sneaky. I like to take candids and he likes to pose people. So we have a bit of fun, I smiled, I even danced a tiny bit. I hugged my friend, Ruth Barrett and was hugged and thanked in return for her support. I’ve known Ruth for 30 years. I started in the Dianic community and I will always have at least one foot there. What the pagan community is doing to her is wrong. And the majority should not rule in their bigotry to women who worship the Goddess and love other women.

For once I was not horribly nervous when I was reading. I did it from my new Kindle which was not cooperating about which stories it allowed me to access. I think the faeries had control. They kept bringing up the Littlest Druid story I posted yesterday. I just couldn’t read that. I was already in tears from thanking everyone for their energy so I could be well.

Faire is always between the worlds but Saturday it felt so obvious that it was a rare safe space to be pagan in public. Womenspirit Faire was magical.

Poetry Month – Rudyard Kipling

A Tree Song”

OF all the trees that grow so fair,

Old England to adorn,

Greater are none beneath the Sun,

Than Oak, and Ash, and Thorn.

Sing Oak, and Ash, and Thorn, good sirs,

(All of a Midsummer morn!)

Surely we sing no little thing,

In Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!

Oak of the Clay lived many a day,

Or ever AEneas began.

Ash of the Loam was a lady at home,

When Brut was an outlaw man.

Thorn of the Down saw New Troy Town

(From which was London born);

Witness hereby the ancientry

Of Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!

Yew that is old in churchyard-mould,

He breedeth a mighty bow.

Alder for shoes do wise men choose,

And beech for cups also.

But when ye have killed, and your bowl is spilled,

And your shoes are clean outworn,

Back ye must speed for all that ye need,

To Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!

Ellum she hateth mankind, and waiteth

Till every gust be laid,

To drop a limb on the head of him

That anyway trusts her shade:

But whether a lad be sober or sad,

Or mellow with ale from the horn,

He will take no wrong when he lieth along

‘Neath Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!

Oh, do not tell the Priest our plight,

Or he would call it a sin;

But – we have been out in the woods all night,

A-conjuring Summer in!

And we bring you news by word of mouth-

Good news for cattle and corn-

Now is the Sun come up from the South,

With Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!

Sing Oak, and Ash, and Thorn, good sirs

(All of a Midsummer morn):

England shall bide ti11 Judgment Tide,

By Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!

Attracting plant devas

Plants to attract the Fae to your garden.

If you feel the need to have a garden that attracts the plant devas and to start a relationships with them there are certain things you need to do. 

One make a place that has water in it. You need to have a bird bath or fountain or some way for the devas to access water. 

Certain plants attract them but truly all plants will attract some one. If you look up lists of plants that attract butterflies or hummingbirds you will attract active plant spirits. 

So plant things that smell good or have bright colours, things attract the child in you.

You can start with rosemary, sage, columbine, osmanthus, roses, abutilons, lantana, morning glory, ivy, coleus and coral bells all work. 

Vines and Lianas are great, like solanacea, moonflower, bignonia.

Trees that bear fruit and flower like citrus and the stone fruits, acacia. 

Think about planting something and letting it go wild in one corner, you never know who might move in.

If you find you are attracting the neighborhood wildlife you will know you are on the right track especially if it is animals you wouldn’t normally find in an urban yard like large hawks or other raptors. 

Start spending time sitting in your garden. Learn who the regular visitors are. The corbie family of birds recognize people and will communicate with you. Hummingbirds will buzz you and let you know they are there. Never put a hummingbird feeder up. They kill more hummers than they help. The sugar syrup goes bad quickly and breeds harmful bacteria which kill the hummers. It also makes them dependent on human and if you aren’t there to fill it they can starve. A hummer can starve in 4 hours if not feedindg. They hibernate in cold rainy weather and are the only birds known to do that. 

Plant plants they can get sustenance from. Don’t plant double flowers unless you are also going to plant plants that are singles. Double plants are difficult if not impossible for insects and birds to drink from. 

If your yard is wet enough for it put a toad house in and see if you can get one to move in. Difficult in Southern California but not other places.

Put a bat box up. A single small bat can eat 1000 mosquitos an hour and some larger ones can eat more. They are very good for the environment and you. And don’t be discouraged if you only get squirrels at first. Squirrels are the vanguard. If they are happy the others will come too.

Oh, and use no pesticides or harmful products is a given.

Anyway, those are some helpful hints to start you out.

Tamsin grows up Part 12

“Well, how would you introduce yourself to a new friend?” said Tamsin.

The witch looked at Tamsin and looked at the tree and took a big breath and thought to herself, this is going to look so silly.

“Hello Oak, my name is Fay, how do you do?”

“I am most well now,” whispered the Oak dryad. “Can you see me?”

The witch looked at the tree and suddenly she SAW!

The witch sat down in the grass with a bump. “You really are there?” she breathed.

“We are all here.” The dryad said. “We’ve been waiting so long for you to see us, so very long.”

The witch looked around, “See us?”

“Yes,” cried Tamsin. “Us! Look around you, please, and really, really, really see all of us”

The witch stood up and saw her garden for the first time. She saw Homer creep out from around a toadstool and caught her breath a little. She looked and saw Willow standing by the creek and she was looking stronger and more solid by the second. She saw the nymphs that lived and swam in the stream that went through the back of the yard at Willow’s feet. She looked up and saw Gus smiling at her in the growing morning sunlight.

Her eyes were wide now. “All of you were here waiting and I never knew.”

“We’ve been waiting so long and now we can work with you in this special place.”

Tamsin spread her wings and flew up to the witch’s face. “Can we stay and help?”

“Oh, please, stay.” As the witch continued to look around her garden. There was so much she had been missing. She just stared and walked around her garden. She touched every tree and introduced herself.

The witch nodded to herself. She could see she was going to have to learn a completely new way to think of her garden and she wondered if she was missing other magic that had been there all the time. She went inside to make herself a cup of tea. She was going to go sit in the garden and get to know her new neighbors.

Tamsin Grows Up Part 11

The witch looked startled and held up her other hand so Tamsin could stand on them.

“The dryads are dying because you don’t believe in them and they’ll be gone by Summer Solstice if you don’t see them and believe. Oh, please, please, please believe!”

“Dryads? I have dryads?” The witch asked.

“Yes and Homer the gnome and I will have to leave your lovely garden and find new homes if you don’t. We love helping you in your garden but you have to See us.”

“Oh,” said the witch, “I can see you. How cute you are.”

Tamsin stomped her foot again. “I’m not cute! I’m your faery and please pay attention.”

The witch looked at her carefully, “All right, what do I need to do?”

“Please walk over to the old oak over there and introduce yourself to her?”

“What!” cried the witch. “Introduce myself to a tree?”

“Yes,” Tamsin said firmly. “Please just do it.”

The witch shrugged and almost dropped Tamsin who decided she had better sit down for this ride and let herself be carried to the old oak. Tamsin could see the old oak’s dryad but she was so pale, it broke Tamsin’s heart.

“What do I do now?” The witch said.

Tamsin grows up Part 10

The finger slowed and the witch opened her hand and Tamsin landed on the witch’s palm.

“Can you see me?” Tamsin asked.

The witch looked at her hand and Gus hovered closer in case he had to save Tamsin and give the witch a good sting.

“Can you see me?” Tamsin repeated. “Oh, please, please see me.” She pleaded.

The witch squinted at her hand and said, “I can hear you but you are awfully faint to see.”

Tamsin stomped her foot in frustration. “Owww!” yelled the witch.

“Try harder!” yelled Tamsin at the witch. “Can you see me?”

“I can see you!” the witch said excitedly. “But who are you and what are you?”

Tamsin stared at the witch. “Really? You don’t know what I am?”

“No,” breathed the witch and little fearfully.

“I’m Tamsin and I’m your garden faery.”

“But I don’t believe in faeries.” Tamsin sat down on the witch’s hand.

“But you’re a witch! You believe in magic. You have to believe in faeries. You just have to.” Tamsin pleaded.

The witch stopped a moment and looked at her beautiful May Day garden.

“You’re a faery and you are my garden faery?” The witch whispered.

“Yes!” Tamsin cried. “And you need to look around again and this time really SEE! They’ll die if you don’t.”

Tamsin grows up Part 9

Tamsin watched the days pass quickly toward Beltane and she watched the dryads valiantly try to stop the fading. The witch moved around her garden every day watering and fertilizing her plants. She spoke to them encouragingly. She walked around in the moonlight casting spells for healing of a friend who was sick. She was everything a witch should be, she was loving and kind, she trusted in her magic, she loved nature so why couldn’t she see all of nature? What was causing her blindness?

The weeks and days passed all too quickly and Beltane was tomorrow. The dryads had told Tamsin that the witch loved to follow folk traditions and that the witch would be out at dawn to wash her face in May Day dew. Tamsin left her lovely little cottage under the foxglove and marched resolutely toward the witch’s door and sighed. She still had no idea what to do but she was going to try her hardest and hope.

“Well, Gus, I guess this is it.”

Gus buzzed and bumbled sleepily. He wouldn’t really be awake until the sun rose but he was here for Tamsin and this was really important.

Tamsin heard the door open and had an idea. She flew swiftly up the to witch’s face and hovered a moment and caught her breath. She flew in front of the witch’s nose and planted a kiss on it. The witch’s eyes flew wide open and her hand came up to touch her nose.

Tamsin grabbed the witch’s finger and held on for dear life and the witch tried to fling Tamsin off. The witch could feel her! This was really good.

Tamsin clung to the witch’s fast moving finger and started yelling .

“Stop, oh please, STOP!”

Tamsin grows up part 8

Tamsin sat in the tiny house the Dryads and the grumpy old gnome has helped her build. Nothing they had tried had worked so far and Sylvia and her sisters continued to fade away. Time was growing short and Tamsin was getting very worried for her friends. She also was a tiny bit worried that if her mother heard about her failing to help the dryads her mom would make her go home. Anything but that!

So she started her desperate campaign. The dryads told her the Witch would dance in her garden at Spring Equinox because she had at the Autumn Equinox so she lay in wait with the gnome and Gus. She’d arranged for the dryads to come out and dance around her when the Witch danced.

The evening finally came and the Witch did come out and Sylvia and her sisters danced all around her sending cool breezes toward the Witch and the Witch still didn’t see them!

The Homer, the gnome was so mad he came out and kicked the Witch in her big toe and she never saw them even though as she jumped up and down on one foot they all came out and waved and yelled. Nothing! She sat down on her bench and tried to find the thorn in her toe.

The dryads continued to fade and summer was coming. She had one last chance, Beltane. If she couldn’t do it on that day it probably couldn’t be done. So Tamsin plotted one last try….

 

Tamsin grows up Part 7

Tamsin was starting to get a little motion sick when the Cat stopped and gathered himself for a jump. He leapt part way up a tree, onto a stump and then onto a fence. Tamsin swinging wildly all the while. “Heyyyyyyyyyyyy!” She yelled but the Cat stopped suddenly on a fence and dropped her gently on the top of a fence post.

“Ohhhhh!” She cried. She looked out onto a vast garden, spring flowers as far as she could see. She could hear water burbling to itself a short distance away and there were several very large and elderly oak trees scattered around the garden as well as roses and lilacs and in one corner bright orange poppies and blue and purple lupine. It was lovely.

“You’re sure there are no faeries here?” She asked the Cat.

‘Sadly, there are no faeries in this garden.” Tamsin jumped as she heard another voice. It was a dryad from the nearest oak tree.

“How can a garden this lovely not have faeries to guard it?” Tamsin asked with a quick bow to the dryad.

“Because it belongs to a witch that doesn’t believe in faeries?” the dryad said.

“A witch that doesn’t believe in magic?” Tamsin said unable to quite comprehend that.

“Oh, she believes in magic, she just doesn’t believe in magical beings.”

“So she doesn’t know you’re here either?”

“No, even though she sees us every day, she doesn’t believe her eyes.”

“What a strange witch!” Tamsin cried.

“But I’m being a bad host.” Said the dryad coming closer and extending out her hand to Tamsin. “I’m Sylvia and I need to get you past the wards.”

Tamsin put a hand forward and carefully touched in front of her until she found the ward. “Pleased to meet you, I’m Tamsin” and she gave a quick curtsy. “Why would a witch ward against things she doesn’t believe in?”

“She wards against everything and everyone except Samhain here.” Pointing at the Cat.

“Oh, so he does have a name.” The Cat was sitting looking rather pleased with himself as cats do.

“Yes, he does but I sent him out to find someone like you and he gets like that when he is on a mission. I take it this is your first quest to find a garden of your own?”

Tamsin nodded. “I only had 4 more days and one more day and I would have had to turn back until next year.”

Just then Gus caught up with them and landed on the fence too. “This is my friend Gus. He came with me to keep me safe and out of trouble.” Tamsin grinned at the tired bee.

The dryad bowed to the bee and the bee bowed back gracefully. Gus was delighted for bee speech is half in bows and it was very nice to find someone besides a bee that knew the right bow.

Gus sat regaining his breath. He’d had a very hard time trying to keep up with the Cat.

The dryad reached out her hand to Tamsin and let her climb on. “You can take me past the wards?” Tamsin asked.

“Yes, because I was here before they were cast. The witch didn’t think to keep out beings that might already be here.” She said with a smile. ‘There are also my sisters and one grumpy old gnome who lives on the far side that she never sees because she doesn’t look. So my dear you have a mission besides helping in this garden. You need to get her to see us and believe us or she will never be all she can be.”

“How do I do that?” cried Tamsin.

“That will be up to you but I suggest you do it soon before my sisters and I fade away. She has only been here since last fall and we are already fading from her disbelief.”

‘Oh, uh oh!” Tamsin thought to herself. Was this lovely garden worth the challenge? How would she ever do it? She looked at Gus who was looking encouragingly at her. Was this why she was being pulled so strongly to travel in this direction? She sat in the dryad’s hand and let herself be carried into the center of the garden.