First snow of winter

You are no bear, Robert. 

I love the images of the “haunted woods”, please tell me if they’re alive with bluebells and wild garlic in the spring 

No.   bluebells are in different woods.

And I get my garlic from a French stall at a European market.

Beuatiful pictures Robert as usual you capture the essence of the subject.

And wow! The woods with the bluebells , so brings back so many memories of me and my brother and sisters visiting Newbury woods before the bypass was built. There was a disused railway line, no tracks, and was very deep in a cutting, the woods were awesome, trees and rhododendrons every where, we would pick bluebells back then as it was ok to . Not ok now which I fully understand.

My mother loved the woods and nature and we often visited lots of different ones,,, also picked one or two snakes heads and primroses,,, not lots just one or two. Again please don’t anyone pick wild flowers now as it may well be illegal for each? Her home had a name plate on it when we moved into it, VALERIAN, the plant often seen growing in and on stone walls, cheddar Gorge has many, they are mainly pink and like fairly dry harsh conditions, 

my mum was a plant rescuer, buying reduced shrivelled up plants from garden centres and giving the tenderness and love , they mostly grew and were added to her huge long garden full of many different types of plant.

I took my home made sleigh to work and once on site we had lots of fun going down a steep grassy bank Lol.

We had very little work to do and it was a very quite long day on Friday, no phone calls, no texts it was unusual as the phone usually never stops Lol.

Actually the day seemed very long indeed apart from the fun we had.

What a picture it was, two grown men in bright orange clothing having great fun. I haven’t had anyone to Share that with  so thank you for the snow thread, 

Oh and thank you sunflower for your pictures too, lovely rolling hills.

Take care all and thanks for taking me back to my youth, I needed that.

Btw ) (do you think of your mother as a witch or more the Oafan Wicca? I.e of the belief system and way of life that aspires to a peaceful, balanced and harmonious way of things?

Read more: https://wiccanspells.info/wiccan-pagan-articles/wicca-vs-paganism-vs-witchcraft/

Robert124 said:

She however did steal large quantities of bluebells from local woods.  And these thrived in our garden.  Years later she grew tired of them and tried to eradicate them because they were taking over the garden.

I like to think of it as bluebell karma... maybe they were trying to spread back to the wood they belonged to.

A childhood of feeling ostracised or “not belonging” is a familiar sense. The choice is to try and “fit”, become content in your own skin, or dip you toe into societies tribes but be happy to remove yourself from it as well.

To ) ( I hope you find some comfort soon.

This brings back memories.

I grew up in an insane family, ostracised by both family and neighbours.

My mother was the gardner in the family and we had a large garden.  Often as children we went on family outings to parks at weekends.  Later in the evenings my mother handed me a plastic carrier bag, a shovel and asked me to return to the park we visited earlier and dig some very specific plants out for her.  I always refused.

She however did steal large quantities of bluebells from local woods.  And these thrived in our garden.  Years later she grew tired of them and tried to eradicate them because they were taking over the garden.  

By the way I am now convinced my mum was also autistic, she often told people she was a witch! A nice one , she had a hazel twig broom, and had a rook that visited and would perch on the window sills and tap the glass so she would feed it. It actually followed us when we moved house some 15 miles away in a different village. 

I Miss her so very much, I know now she spent most of her time with me and I think it was because she understood me like no one else. Protected me and nurtured me. I like to think I have many of her ways, it does however mean I am easily taken advantage of as I struggle to believe anything negative about people, yep,,,, I forgive my enemies and just wished they would see the real me and stop being so beastly. 

Needed to unload tonight and be with friends, excuse my indulgence.

Take care all. ( )

Found this about witches broom sticks!

Broomsticks

Just how did the alleged witches apply said ointments? According to Mann, the earliest clue comes from a 1324 investigation of the case of Lady Alice Kyteler:

"In rifleing the closet of the ladie, they found a pipe of oyntment, wherewith she greased a staffe, upon which she ambled and galloped through thick and thin."

And from the fifteenth-century records of Jordanes de Bergamo:

"But the vulgar believe, and the witches confess, that on certain days or nights they anoint a staff and ride on it to the appointed place or anoint themselves under the arms and in other hairy places."

These passages account for why so many of the pictures of the time depict partially clothed or naked witches "astride their broomsticks," as shown in the woodcut image featured here.

Shown in Mann's book with the caption, "A seventeenth-century engraving of a witch being prepared for the Sabbat. Note the administration of the salve." Credit: Wellcome Institute Library, LondonWELLCOME INSTITUTE

Why Flying?

But what about the issue of flying on said broomsticks?

The tropane alkaloid hallucinogens tended to cause sleep, but with dreams that involved flying, "wild rides" and "frenzied dancing." A 1966 description of tropane alkaloid intoxication was offered by the Gustav Schenk:

"My teeth were clenched, and a dizzied rage took possession of me...but I also know that I was permeated by a peculiar sense of well-being connected with the crazy sensation that my feet were growing lighter, expanding and breaking loose from my own body. Each part of my body seemed to be going off on its own, and I was seized with the fear that I was falling apart. At the same time I experienced an intoxicating sensation of flying...I soared where my hallucinations - the clouds, the lowering sky, herds of beasts, falling leaves...billowing streamers of steam and rivers of molten metal - were swirling along."

By the way I am now convinced my mum was also autistic, she often told people she was a witch! A nice one , she had a hazel twig broom, and had a rook that visited and would perch on the window sills and tap the glass so she would feed it. It actually followed us when we moved house some 15 miles away in a different village. 

I Miss her so very much, I know now she spent most of her time with me and I think it was because she understood me like no one else. Protected me and nurtured me. I like to think I have many of her ways, it does however mean I am easily taken advantage of as I struggle to believe anything negative about people, yep,,,, I forgive my enemies and just wished they would see the real me and stop being so beastly. 

Needed to unload tonight and be with friends, excuse my indulgence.

Take care all. ( )

Found this about witches broom sticks!

Broomsticks

Just how did the alleged witches apply said ointments? According to Mann, the earliest clue comes from a 1324 investigation of the case of Lady Alice Kyteler:

"In rifleing the closet of the ladie, they found a pipe of oyntment, wherewith she greased a staffe, upon which she ambled and galloped through thick and thin."

And from the fifteenth-century records of Jordanes de Bergamo:

"But the vulgar believe, and the witches confess, that on certain days or nights they anoint a staff and ride on it to the appointed place or anoint themselves under the arms and in other hairy places."

These passages account for why so many of the pictures of the time depict partially clothed or naked witches "astride their broomsticks," as shown in the woodcut image featured here.

Shown in Mann's book with the caption, "A seventeenth-century engraving of a witch being prepared for the Sabbat. Note the administration of the salve." Credit: Wellcome Institute Library, LondonWELLCOME INSTITUTE

Why Flying?

But what about the issue of flying on said broomsticks?

The tropane alkaloid hallucinogens tended to cause sleep, but with dreams that involved flying, "wild rides" and "frenzied dancing." A 1966 description of tropane alkaloid intoxication was offered by the Gustav Schenk:

"My teeth were clenched, and a dizzied rage took possession of me...but I also know that I was permeated by a peculiar sense of well-being connected with the crazy sensation that my feet were growing lighter, expanding and breaking loose from my own body. Each part of my body seemed to be going off on its own, and I was seized with the fear that I was falling apart. At the same time I experienced an intoxicating sensation of flying...I soared where my hallucinations - the clouds, the lowering sky, herds of beasts, falling leaves...billowing streamers of steam and rivers of molten metal - were swirling along."

Btw ) (do you think of your mother as a witch or more the Oafan Wicca? I.e of the belief system and way of life that aspires to a peaceful, balanced and harmonious way of things?

Read more: https://wiccanspells.info/wiccan-pagan-articles/wicca-vs-paganism-vs-witchcraft/

Robert124 said:

She however did steal large quantities of bluebells from local woods.  And these thrived in our garden.  Years later she grew tired of them and tried to eradicate them because they were taking over the garden.

I like to think of it as bluebell karma... maybe they were trying to spread back to the wood they belonged to.

A childhood of feeling ostracised or “not belonging” is a familiar sense. The choice is to try and “fit”, become content in your own skin, or dip you toe into societies tribes but be happy to remove yourself from it as well.

To ) ( I hope you find some comfort soon.

This brings back memories.

I grew up in an insane family, ostracised by both family and neighbours.

My mother was the gardner in the family and we had a large garden.  Often as children we went on family outings to parks at weekends.  Later in the evenings my mother handed me a plastic carrier bag, a shovel and asked me to return to the park we visited earlier and dig some very specific plants out for her.  I always refused.

She however did steal large quantities of bluebells from local woods.  And these thrived in our garden.  Years later she grew tired of them and tried to eradicate them because they were taking over the garden.