ThriftWitch: Magical Transformations

As I confessed in my original ThrftWitch post, I am an inveterate hoarder. This stems from my desire to find ways of re-using, repairing, re-making things. This woman's treasure is often someone else's trash! The downside of this is of course that more often than not I have more ideas than time to put them into practice - which can make for an untidy house. The upside is the sense of achievement gained when something is transformed from useless waste into something that is either useful or beautiful - or both.

Here are a few of my favourite transformations:

This first piece is a mirror I made from some driftwood I found whilst beach combing. The weathered wood was joined together in a criss-cross pattern by nails that had a wonderful patina from their time in the sea. I saw its potential immediately and used it as a frame for a mirror, finished off with a scattering of seashells and some twisted wire to hang it. It was one of the first things I made and it's still one of my favourites.

These are tea-light holders I made from old jars and they are used to denote the five elements (Earth, Air, Fire Water and Spirit) whenever our local Pagan group gets together for a ritual. They are particularly useful when we're working outdoors as they keep the candle flames from being extinguished by the wind! In this case I knew what I wanted and looked around to find suitable candidates for the job. They are simple, but I'm surprised how good they look as a group, and they have certainly had a lot of use. In fact they have been such a success I'm thinking about making some for my Etsy shop soon.



This final item is where the real 'Witchery' comes in. It's a sun catcher that throws beautiful rainbows around my bedroom, and it was made with magical intent. Just after T and I had split up, I took some bottles and jars to the local recycling centre. As I went to tip them into the skip, I saw the broken stem of a lead-crystal wineglass already in there - and of course my magpie instincts kicked in and I 'rescued' it. I was feeling pretty much thrown on the scrap heap myself at the time, and I loved the idea of taking this fragile, discarded piece of broken crystal and giving it a new start. With the magical intention of forging a new start for myself and making something beautiful to symbolise hope, I transformed it into a sun catcher. First I encased the jagged ends in thick foil to neaten them and avoid cut fingers. Then I wrapped jewellery wire around the crystal so it could be hung, and added some extra dangly bits using beads and findings from my 'broken jewellery' stash, and a smaller crystal from a broken chandelier that was waiting around to be re-used.

Now every time the sun catcher scatters rainbows on my bedroom wall it makes me smile. The crystal and I have both had a fresh start, a second chance at life. And we are determined to enjoy it.

Spring Chickens

Morag, eavesdropping

It was a glorious, early spring day at Halfway Up A Hill. Crocus opened wide faces to the sun, so warm after the long, cold winter. A brave, early honey bee bustled amongst the thick clumps of snowdrops. Nesting birds sang songs of spring.

While the humans worked in the greenhouse, the chickens wandered nearby.

Dot, Daisy and Blodeuwedd gossiped companionably as they sauntered, nibbling at the grass.

Misty spread her wings, sighed, and settled down to a blissful sunbathing session.

Perched on the disused cold frame, Morag eavesdropped on Bella and Blodwen as the two elderly hens reminisced, chuckling together about how Bella had played a trick on the humans last year by hiding in this very spot.

Bella and Blodwen, reminiscing

In a pool of sunshine, Ceridwen and Blossom practiced the Charleston together, finding to their delight that their dance steps had the side benefit of turning up juicy insects and other gourmet treats hidden in the grass.

Ceridwen, dancing

What better way to celebrate the welcome arrival of Spring?

Blossom, scoffing

Valentines Day, Past and Present

How times change. Three years ago today, I wrote on the blog about how T had proposed to me 17 years earlier. I remember showing him the post, expecting him to be pleased, touched by it. His reaction was to say gruffly that it was nice - I thought perhaps I had embarrassed him. With the benefit of hindsight I now see his taciturn response was actually guilt. While I was writing nice things about him on my blog, he was secretly conducting an affair. Even so, I received a Valentine card and flowers from him as usual.

A year later, by then all too aware of T's infidelity I wrote about how painful I found Valentine's Day 2009. It was unbearable to remember how I had received that card, those flowers a year earlier, believing them to be genuine tokens of love. It was unbearable to think that as I had been receiving them, another woman had also been receiving love tokens from T. It was unbearable that the card and flowers he sent me had been merely a smokescreen to avoid arousing suspicion, unbearable that I was completely unaware that his true feelings were for someone else. It was unbearable that this someone else knew all about me whilst I remained in blissful ignorance of her existence. It was unbearable that I had been treated like a fool by someone I believed I could truly trust.

Last year I didn't post anything about Valentine's Day. I was struggling with a difficult job, awful weather, and a debilitating chest infection. Yet Valentine's Day had become a source of pleasure, not pain. I received a card, chocolates, flowers. But this time from IB.

I have sometimes shied away from writing too much about IB on the blog. There is a part of me that feels guilty that I have found happiness and love again, so quickly. I never expected to. I worry that others will judge me for moving on so quickly, or believe that this is merely the infamous 'rebound'. I have worried about this myself. And yet... nearly two years since we started seeing each other we are still together. Sometimes he drives me crazy (sometimes I drive him crazy!), yet he can always make me laugh. He is always ready to talk things out, so that our understanding of each other grows and our love deepens. He is hard working, patient, kind, funny, caring. He is affectionate and loving. He understands me. Somehow we just fit together in a way I have never fitted with anyone else.

Today I received a beautiful card. Today we worked together in the greenhouse, clearing it out and cleaning the panes to let the light shine in, planting some early crops. This evening he cooked me a delicious dinner and now we snuggle together on the sofa. Things have changed so much over the last few years. But now, at last, I can relax. I know I am in the right place, with the right person. Perhaps this is where I was meant to be all along.

February Days

Just a few things that have caught my eye of late...

I Love My Blog!

Today is the anniversary of my very first blog post on 'Moonroot', back in February 2007. I had set up the blog and then found I hadn't a clue what to write about. So in time-honoured fashion, I chatted about the weather! I began just writing about my daily life, and gradually found my voice. It was so heartening to find that people were leaving comments and enjoying the blog.

I myself was greatly enjoying it. I had always kept journals, albeit somewhat patchily. Sometimes I would even buy a beautiful new journal but not write in it, anxious about despoiling the clean new pages, waiting to start 'until I had something worthwhile to say'. Since starting my blog, I still keep hand-written journals, but something about the process of blogging has freed up my journalling. I no longer worry about having to write an entry every day, I write when I want to. And somehow I want to write more. I don't worry about the state of my handwriting, or the crossings out or smudges, or even the tear stains that occasionally mark the pages. This is journalling as it should be, life on paper.

Blogging has also encouraged me in other directions. Buoyed up by the kind comments others have left here I have taken a couple of writing courses, which have been both fun and educational. I have also become enthused by digital photography - having started taking photos merely to illustrate the blog and make it more interesting I now carry a camera with me everywhere, snapping away whenever I find inspiration, and learning by trial and error what works and what doesn't!

I have also 'met' lots of lovely people via the blog and found great joy in reading their blogs in turn. There is such a flowering of creative talent in the blogosphere! And these same people have been so kind and supportive to me in times of difficulty - most notably, of course, during my recent divorce. Thank you all so much. You have no idea how much you helped me in those dark days.

Sometimes people ask me why I blog and it is hard to come up with a short answer. But for all the reasons listed above, I love my blog. And I suppose above all, that is why I keep blogging!

Yep - 'Once'

And just a quick recommendation for my friend Al Chan's latest project. He has teamed up with Mark Caputo as 'Yep' and their debut album 'Once' is released today. You can read all about it, listen to some tracks and download it from here.

Al was kind enough to play us a few sneak preview tracks when we were over in San Francisco. I loved it, and I hope lots of other people will too!

Brigid Poetry Festival 2011

Here is my offering for this year's Poetry Festival in honour of Brigid.

To all that is brief and fragile

superficial, unstable,

To all that

lacks foundation

argument or principles;

To all that is light,

fleeting, changing, finite

To smoke spirals,

wand roses,

To sea foam

and mists of oblivion...

To all that is light in weight

for itinerants

on this transient earth

Somber, raving,

with transitory words

and vaporous bubbly wines

I toast

in breakable glasses.

~Maria Eugenia Baz Ferreira