It’s not been a very good winter for an outdoor magical group!

The ground is muddy and soggy and every time we go out it’s raining.

Now we don’t mind getting a bit wet and we love the crisp cold winter nights but wading through mud and lighting fires in puddles is where we have to draw the line.

So our last two rituals have been inside, listening to the rain and wind crash against the windows.

It’s very different being inside. Not better, not worse just different.

Instead of being surrounded by the elements and open spaces there is a feeling of being surrounded by the ‘unseen’.

Meditations flow more easily as there are less distractions. But it’s not as edgy.

So as Imbolc draws near we are hoping for a cold dry night so we can venture out again and reconnect with the woods and the land.

First we have a night in the pub meeting some interesting people on Wednesday…

As Remembrance Sunday draws to a close the veil descends and we can leave behind our thoughts of the beloved dead; remembrances and rituals that began at Samhain and begin to look forward again. And enjoy the wonderful winter season ahead xxxx

We celebrated our fourth Lughnasadh  this year.

Thanks to all those who have made inquiries, sent emails and requests to join Blackthorn. We are currently answering them all – and there are quite a lot – so apologies if you are still waiting to hear from us, we hope to complete the replies by the end of today.

These are all now done so we can sink back into the dark time of the year, look forward to our Samhain celebrations and enjoy.

At last we had some warm weather for our trips to the woods. We went on various walks and explorations looking at flowers, trees and different woods and hills.

We spent Midsummer overnight in a fantastic dark wood and then watched the sunrise – which was misty and drizzly as always!

We’re really sorry but as of Beltane 2013 we can no longer take any new members into the coven.

It takes at least a year to integrate anyone new into the group and we just can’t take anyone else at the moment.

We may be open to new applications after Samhain 2013.

Our visit to Stonehenge, in the rain

And in the woods

Ostara

April Full Moon

Beltane

Imbolc Altar

Some of the group with our ‘Maiden’

Maiden wearing her circle of lights

Imbolc Circle

February Full Moon

Blackthorn’s Yule altar in the woods and our High Priestess

Circle of light welcoming the returning sun

We celebrated Yule late at night in the woods, deciding not to stay out overnight as we did last year.

The sunrise was the usual vague lightening of the sky and the weather unseasonably warm. A circle of light surrounded us as we celebrated the slow awakening deep within the earth and within ourselves.

We visited some new woods for our celebration of the Earth Moon and it was a clear calm night, perfect for what we had planned.

Not sure we expected to find this!

or this.

Full Moon Altar

Samhain Altar

The Witches of the North West group is holding an Open Social meet on Thursday 8th November 2012 at 8pm in the Fairfield Arms in Audenshaw.

All are welcome to come and share their Samhain experiences and chat with other like minded witches. We look forward to meeting up with old and new friends and you will be made very welcome.

For more details go to:

http://www.meetup.com/Witches-of-the-North-West/

Or contact Blackthorn at

blackthornmoon@hotmail.co.uk

Beltane 2012

We abandoned our tradition this year and held our Beltane celebration on May 5^th to connect with the ‘super moon’ that was predicted for that night.

It was a cold night, around freezing, colder even than Yule, which felt strange for Beltane, but clear and calm in the woods.

As usual we dressed for the occasion with flowery headdresses and cloaks, with offerings of flowers and food on the altar.

As we raised the circle the huge vanilla coloured moon rose over the hills casting a golden light onto the trees and changing the colours of the flowers on our altar. Long shadows appeared from the trees casting strange fingers of darkness around us.

We wove coloured ribbons around the stang, wove in some magic and jumped over the fire making wishes.

We missed the presence of a couple of the coven who were involved in family ties, especially Brock, who is our ‘keeper of the flame’! But we managed to build up a large fire without him to enjoy our feasting and drinking afterwards.

It was well after the witching hour when we closed the circle and, as often happens, as we closed the circle the moon went behind the clouds and the temperature dropped as we left the woods behind, after our third Blackthorn Beltane celebration.

It was a warm sunny day which turned into a cool evening and an even colder night as we made our way into the woods for our Ostara ritual. We have a tradition of using certain places at different times of the year so this was our third Ostar here and it now feels the right plcae to be to celebrate the balance of day and light and to welcome the light of spring.

The fire was lit, offerings were made, our deities were invited to join us and our own Blackthorn ritual was played out against the backdrop of ancient trees and a clear starry sky.

The February full moon fell on the coldest night of the year. The atmosphere in the woods was magical, the trees glowed silver and stars glittered in the clear, dark sky. The moon heavy, red and plump lighting our path to the circle deep in the depths of the trees. The fire took its time to warm us as we created our sacred space and enjoyed the energies of the moon Goddess and the playful woodland spirits.

After midnight the temperature dropped to minus six and by this time we were huddled round the fire drinking ‘Hecate’s brew’ made by Brocky and adding more and more wood to the flames.

As I was driving home I looked at the closed curtains of the houses on the way and felt sorry for those who hadn’t experienced a full moon night in the woods in winter…