Witchy Wanderings // Avebury

Way back when I started writing this blog, almost two years ago, I wrote about visiting Avebury stone circle, here in Wiltshire. 

Avebury is a really special place to me - it has become a bit of a tradition for B and I to visit there, usually on a Sabbat. For me, it is definitely a place I go to when I want to 'reconnect' with myself and my spiritual world.

Do you have any particular sites that you feel drawn to?

A Journey across Exmoor

Last week, B and I took a journey into the wild, with some family and friends. 

Starting from The Exmoor Centre, a camping barn to the South East of Lynton, we walked along the river, deeper into the moor.

Along the way we adults got our feet well and truly wet, tentatively tip-toeing across stepping stones, while the kids (and dog) bounded and splashed ahead.

This was our goal...

...a tumble-down cottage lying nestled into the hillside, accessible only by striding across the remote moorland. No roads lead to this memory of a dwelling; it can only be reached on foot. 

Yet this cottage is one of the few reminders that people once carved out a life for themselves on the moor. B's ancestors resided in this very shelter: a shepherd, his wife and children, totally isolated and several miles walk across moorland from the nearest small settlement.

B and his family are working hard to try and preserve this piece of fascinating social history, before it is lost forever. Their endeavours can be followed at the charity's website, Friends of Hoar Oak Cottage. 

While wandering, I could not help but wonder what daily life would have been like out there, in the 1800s. Cold, hard, ruthless - that is undoubted. We take so much for granted today.

Less than 200 years ago, children would have piled onto the lone family horse and trotted 5 miles or more to  reach school every day; men would have worked tirelessly in harsh physical conditions to keep a roof over their families' heads; women would have scoured and searched the moorland for wild food to supplement what they grew and raised.

 I worry that for so many young people today, who find their food in neat, clean packages in a supermarket - or worse still, delivered to them in a polystyrene box - all sense of how their ancestors lived and worked is being lost.

If you would like to learn more about this beautiful, unspoilt landscape and how you can enjoy it, visit The Exmoor Centre website. Feel free to wander over and take a gander at the Friends of Hoar Oak Cottage blog on Tumblr. There you will find lots more photographs and information about their fascinating project.

A short walk...

...along a path that meandered and twisted, turning into a long sun-kissed stroll.

Who wouldn't want to hang out in a field with these cute little chaps for a while?

I'm not sure who was more curious and keen to have a nosey - them or us.

And while we were out and about enjoying the, surprisingly warm, spring sunshine, we realised that the hedgerows and fields were teeming with clumps of freshly sprouting nettles - a fantastic opportunity for foraging. More to come on that later. 

The blessing of a two week break from school seems truly wonderful today, as I get the chance to enjoy being outdoors in the bright sunlight. Even my marking can be done from my window-seat with the windows wide open and a glass of elderflower cordial. I hope you too get the chance to be outdoors. Enjoy!

Oh England, my Lionheart

Things I love about you...

Weekend Wrap

Yesterday B and I took the long, winding road to visit Glastonbury, with some uplifting tunes from a collective of local musicians to accompany us in the car. We took a simple picnic that was intended for the top of the tor but wolfed down, after a somewhat lazy stroll, half-way up. Sometimes I love nothing more than a rigorous ramble in the hills. However, this weekend seemed designed for a slower pace and after a hectic week I have relished every moment.

Glastonbury is a lovely place to wander round; filled with brightly-fronted cafes offering home-made soups, a cornucopia of shops overflowing with crystals, herbs and candles and the aroma of sandalwood incense drifting through the streets, it is every witchy-woman’s dream. I treated myself to a piece of protective obsidian that I will be using to make a pendant – more of that when it is finished.

Driving home as the sun was lowering in the sky, we spotted a sign for a riverside bar, tucked into the hedgerow. I love finding little surprises like this so we turned down the quiet lane and discovered an old mill, converted into a restaurant. A lovely spot to stop for a drink – I was gleeful at the prospect of summer evenings sitting on the riverbank with a glass of wine. 

Today has been even lazier still. I potted up a planter of herbs, which B attached to my windowsill, so I am able to reach out a cut them as I am cooking. Endless pleasure! Some blogs on the qualities of these herbs to follow, I feel.

For now, though,  I sit with a cup of tea and the radio, admiring the golden daffodils outside my window, reading through the inspiring blogs that are quickly becoming a staple in my daily diet. 

I hope that you, too, are enjoying the Spring sunshine. Brightest blessings.

Catching my breath

It’s hard to believe that a mere week ago my wanderings offered views like this...

The past few days have been damp, grey and misty; a dull contrast to last week’s crisp white blanket. Thank goodness I have these photos to remind me that, for a short while, the world around me looked serene; perfectly quiet and still.

Although I often find winter hard and resisting the temptation to hibernate is a daily challenge, for those few snowy days I felt far happier. Perhaps it is because the whiteness tricks us into believing we are getting some of the light we miss during the dark months.

Perhaps it is because for a fleeting moment it feels like we have been given a clean slate.

I think what I enjoyed most was that it seemed as though the world had stopped. Cars weren’t driving down my lane; people weren’t rushing about; I could stand perfectly still and take the time to look around me. And what a beautiful sight that was.