Enchanted Greetings dear friends,

I thought it might be appropriate to share with you the little piece I wrote for one of my Uniting Kingdoms sections in Faerie Magazine, as it explains why we chose this particular venue for our forthcoming annual EF midsummer Merry Meet…
 
I am privileged to say that my Grandmother inspired one of my favourite pastimes. I was lucky enough to be close to my Nana who was on this earth for a hundred years! Like all quintessentially English women of that age, she was elegant, well mannered and a real lady all her life. I learnt a lot about good old-fashioned customs from this special soul who had been brought up by Victorian parents in a very different world from today. Through watching my Grandnana (named by my boys, her great grandsons) set table in the afternoons at four o’clock, I learnt the art, grace and sheer delight of formal High Tea. Bone China tea sets, tiny teaspoons, antique silver sugar tongs, little cucumber sandwiches (without crusts of course) dainty fancies on a layered cake-plate with paper doilies, and a sherry Trifle to finish! All lovingly served on an embroidered heirloom, a freshly pressed white linen tablecloth with matching napkins, each held for us in our own ring. In the centre of this table of anticipation, there was always a crystal vase of colourful fresh and fragrant flowers from my beloved Gramps’ prolific, well-tended and gorgeous garden. Gramps spent much of his retirement growing Nana’s favourite blooms especially for her to cut and arrange indoors, possibly one of the secrets to their sixty-year marriage *smiles*

Therefore, earlier on this year we went to the nearby City of Bath, a place I adore visiting, and treated ourselves to the famous Afternoon Tea at Sally Lunn’s Refreshment House (near to the glorious Bath Abbey and well-known Roman Baths) on what used to be known as Lilliput Alley. Sally Lunn’s Tea House is Bath’s oldest building dating from 1482, and you can still see the original baking ovens in the museum there among the excavated Roman and Medieval foundations. It is an enchanting narrow house with ancient wooden winding stairs, low-beamed ceilings and pretty decor. The charming waitresses served us the most delicious fare imaginable with a large pot of piping hot tea, together with their traditional Bath Buns (still a secret recipe from 1680, a very popular delicacy in Georgian England) accompanied by strawberry conserve and some scrumptious west country clotted cream, the perfect combination.

Our family were all so impressed that we were inspired to arrange to have our annual UK Enchanted Folk midsummer Merry Meet there on Saturday 20th June 09. We have a special room booked for us at 1.30pm and there are details on the EF Group members.enchantedfolk.com/ukmerrymeet where you can also ask any questions you may have.
All are warmly invited to join us at Sally Lunn’s Refreshment House in the beautiful city of Bath for delicious Cream Teas with Bath Buns (under £6 per head inc. tea!) in a truly enchanted teashop  www.sallylunns.co.uk  Drew and I would be delighted to have your company on this inexpensive informal, lighthearted and fun time out for the family.

(I do realise as I write this that many of our very special friends across the oceans sadly won't be able to make this meet. Please know dear ones that we will be holding you in our hearts as we gather together sincerely wishing you were with us ~ maybe one day... and not forgetting that there are other lovely EF Merry Meet Groups too of course ;o)

There is still something about mid-afternoons that inspires me to pop the kettle on and make a cup of tea, and as I do so I raise my cup in our Grandnana’s honour and to the treasured memory of both my dear Nana and Gramps. Happy memories indeed.
 
Keep living in the magic ~ we look forward to maybe seeing some of you soon…
Be

Okay, back to work on the new summer issue of our EF Faezine, even more of a joy to collate than the Spring edition which I loved! faezine.com is free to subscribe to and I am honoured to present this amazing gift from our special community.

"The greatest events are not our loudest hours, but rather our most quiet.”  Nietzsche

Hush listen look carefully heed well there is something afoot a whisper heard tell like something you already thought you knew a memory long forgotten first smells of spring a refrain from the early bird at dawn, sand between warm toes an owl at dusk, sensing a loved one’s near, unexpected thoughts, walking in beauty, snowflakes blossoms falling in an indigo sky, crescent moon rising a favourite song familiar whistle an unopened book, smiles from a child laughter bubbling over ripples in a pool star constellations, kinship and friendship connection and hopes for tomorrow belief in the good, grace, feeling an animal’s fur, sparkles on water, napping and blankets, wishes for others, a cake with candles, sunsets that envelop you breeze brushing your face, wagging tails, a welcome indeed, a baby’s soft hand, happy tears an unexpected rainbow crisp cold air dew on a cobweb, rain on parched earth first green shoots, a bee dusted with pollen a butterfly still, a fledgling’s first bath, cards in the post, happy news, witty conversations, waking up giggling, fresh ideas answers, a dream of a lost one a hug, cup of tea someone made, care, trees’ dappled shade, an achievement in one’s own eyes, the belief of folk who take the time to listen loyalty integrity and kindness…
This day and going forward I humbly offer you a few of my favourite things the wonders that inspire and comfort me whether I hear sense see smell or feel them they bring me the magic I need. We each have our own.

From these feelings and sensations is found a new beginning something unique and gentle, playing and revealing thought provoking and encouraging. A gathering of like-minds a gift from fellow beings from their hearts. This is all their wonderful doing I am only the collator, collaborator fulfilling my own yearning. Simple.

Our secret is now revealed this full spring moon, created in calm and peace through joy and hope excitement and intuition. Is all.

I warmly invite you to take a peek have fun find magic discover a place you can take reflect in. No agenda, nothing needed but your time ~
Welcome friends to the Enchanted Folk Faezine

"It is the stillest words that bring on the storm. Thoughts that come on doves' feet guide the world." Nietzsche

THANK YOU to my wonderful enchanted friends ~ I am completely overwhelmed with joy, and extremely appreciative for all your gorgeous gifts magical messages precious poems kind comments caring cards and touching thoughts, gosh you made my birthday so special and very memorable, and as for all the MMischiefs, brilliant. I had such fun and am filled with wonder at your warmth and generosity, I'm a lucky Be indeed *big smiles*

Mr Tommy is a very clever cheeky monkey, what an amazing amount of work he has done making that fantastic EF collage, wow it is awesome ~ and as for contacting folk… hmmm!?! We will be putting his great gift on the EF Homepage to keep on celebrating!!

We enjoyed a very happy sunny day in beautiful Glastonbury on the 2nd and it did me a lot of good to have a really rare day off, I’ll write about the stunning Abbey there soon.

I deeply apologise for not replying individually to everyone, and for getting a bit behind on my EF Welcomes. This is an extra busy time for me and soon you will soon understand why ~ it feels rather like when I was teaching and on our birthdays we would bring in cakes for the rest of the staff ~ well I’ve been working on a unique gift for You all, to be revealed very soon…

With my love and gratitude always,
Your Be

“If Candlemas Day be fair and bright
Winter will take another flight.
If Candllemas Day be cloud and rain
Winter is gone and will not come again.”

The sweet snowdrops that are bravely beginning to grow again in our garden, are also known as Candlemas Bells!
It was felt, long ago, that by the 2nd of February, we shouldn’t need to get up by candlelight…

“Candlemas Day stick beans in the clay
Throw candle and candlestick right away.”


What a delight to read of all the beautiful folklore and traditions surrounding this special day, very generously posted on EF. I feel honoured to have been inspired, and able to learn so much. I am grateful to you clever and well-read enchanted folk for sharing such treasures, it has been a joy to celebrate with you here ~ enlightened with new knowledge and hopeful for the light to return…

Although I am not nearly as well versed as many here, through the years that my boys were at a Waldorf Steiner school, our family entered into the rhythm of some of the more traditional festivals. These then gifted our lives with an ongoing annual pattern of familiarity and continuity, a wonderful thing for children in this challenging modern era. This following is just my ‘mum’s’ account of my own involvement with Candlemas, as this has left a powerful legacy of poignant memories that I thought maybe I could share with you here this day.
As a parent I was introduced to Candlemas at a lecture, by one of my son’s amazing teachers. This sensitive, enthusiastic chap encouraged us to make Earth Candles to celebrate the 2nd of February. I was so taken with this simple ritual, that I decided to create an annual project for the whole school, to enable the newer parents and children to continue to witness this magic if they wished.
So the following year, we began in the winter term by collecting the ends of old candles from all the families, and being a Steiner environment, most of us used candles on a regular basis *grin* On the day before, February 1st, having previously planned out that year’s design, I walked the school grounds, placing a stick where each of the earth candles would be made the following day. I was inspired to plan for as many lights as our school had been in existence, so there were at least seventy tiny flames (as one of the first Steiner schools established in the UK) with an extra one added each Candlemas. One year we made a huge star shape and on another, I followed the straight lines of the foundation plans for our desperately needed New Hall. (This was something we were continually fund-raising to build, and my hope was to bless that special space so that when it was finally built, the generations that followed could maybe remember the dedication of those who had brought the amazing eco project into being.)
I had already visited the local craft shop to buy lots of wick, and throughout the evening before, I spent many contented hours trimming 4” lengths of wick and threading cocktail sticks through the tops, at about the 3”mark. Very early on the morning of February 2nd, we would get a fire going in the grounds and melted all those kindly donated, colourful old candle stubs in a large heavy tin can. It was such fun to see the recycling and melding of what would normally have just been thrown away ~ at the threshold of a new season, what better way to celebrate than to surrender the old and prepare for the new!
This is usually a cold time of year here in England, so, wrapped up warm we got each of the classes, aged from 4 to 19 years old, to come and make the holes in the frozen ground where I had previously placed each of the stick markers. The youngsters used a dibber (like the end of a broom handle) and pushed it into the earth leaving a hole about 3” in depth. If the ground were very frozen, then the older ones would help by carefully hammering in the dibber with a mallet. These were always team efforts with the little ones aspiring to help the class below them the following year.
The next task was to gently place the prepared wicks into the holes, using the cocktail sticks to keep each of them hanging in the middle, spanned across and suspending it above the ground by laying across the top of the hole on the grass. The youngster’s favourite part, as I’m sure you’ve guessed, was to then pour the melted wax into the hole, right up to ground level. It didn’t matter if it splashed or spilt, although the older lads just Had to put their hands into the actual mixture too of course (being a teacher, and parent of naturally inquisitive boys, I’d expected that particular ‘test’ *smiles*) We left the stick markers next to the holes for when it got dark, as I went round trimming the wicks to about half an inch, and then left ingenious mother nature to harden the wax for us. This was an all day activity which involved the whole school and however cold it was, those who’d done this in the previous years were as keen as we were for dusk to fall…
At about six o’clock when it was dark, the pupils, parents and friends returned to the school field for hot juice, heated on the same fire, and some cake (many Steiner parents are excellent cooks!) And now for the best bit, we lit all the earth candles, removing the markers (the cocktail sticks burnt away quickly) and eventually there were dozens and dozens of little lights looking like we’d brought sparkling stars down from the night sky. Whatever the weather conditions, those astonishing candles stayed alight through wind and rain, it always amazed me. We grouped around this beautiful scene and sang together ~ Steiner schools are brilliant at encouraging music and choral participation, so harmonies and rounds were in full swing as some of these songs the children had learnt together over many years. This moment would bring me to tears of joy as we communally thanked the earth for all her bounty and blessings, whilst bringing down the light in preparation for the spring to come. These very special earth candles would then burn merrily all through the night, without the need for watchful eyes, as they were quite safe holding the light.
Early the following morning, as this festival took place on the playing field where Games lessons were played, I would make sure that all was okay. Nothing would be left by then, other than little black holes surrounded by bits of scorched grass. This meant that all the pupil’s running, jumping and ball games could be played quite safely. The most astonishing thing was that within a few days, you could hardly see the pattern at all anymore. Then when a couple of weeks had passed, Mother Nature had naturally filled in those holes, as though our earth stars had never been there… The next year would be a whole new beginning.
So now you can see why Candlemas is so dear to me, whatever is going on in this mad mortal world, those beautiful earth candles remind me of Hope, of a very precious time for me when my boys were young. And, hopefully, some memories that may be recalled as those dear children who took part, now grown up, remember and maybe wish to recreate a similar moment for their younglings. That, to me, is part of what all these wonderful festivals and rituals are about, creating and evoking magical memories, giving thanks and counting our blessings.

On this Candlemas day, I give thanks for the returning light, and the approach of Spring, my favourite time of year. I am thankful that my beloved boys, now also grown up, are safe and snug with me here in front of the cosy fire, as the snow is still falling and thickly laying around our cottage, creating an exquisite, quiet, winter wonderland.
In between working today, I have regularly put out fresh water, breadcrumbs, varieties of seeds, nuts and scraps for my garden birds. Dozens of fieldfares and blackbirds, together with a few song thrushes, gathered till nightfall around the apple trees, feasting on the windfalls. Luckily one of our old trees seems enchanted, as it holds onto its apples until the end of winter and there is still plenty of fruit to go round. Two pairs of cheeky robins kept swooping to the backdoor, keeping the chattering sparrows, chaffinches and shy shuffling dunnocks in order. My peanut feeders were teaming with coal tits, tiny blue tits, great tits, darling little long-tailed tits, often joined by a pair of assertive blackcaps, a rather dominant nuthatch and a magnificent greater spotted woodpecker. These also shared the other seeds when they got too crowded, while pretty goldfinches, greenfinches and serins laid claim to the niger thistle seeds. Our resident pheasant, his tail laden with snow, was running backwards and forwards from the orchard area to outside my kitchen, noisily making sure he didn’t miss any meal opportunity! I was living in the magic.

I really appreciate you reading my Be ramblings, and warmly wish you, my lovely friends, Happy Groundhog's Day! The night is here now, JellyBean has to be encouraged to go out again and then warmed back up after another of her snow adventures, and I need to make another hot cup of tea for my family before supper ((Hugs))
The light is returning, Spring is coming, All Will Be Well.

I don't normally blog this kind of thing, but it was sent to me by a very special friend and I wanted to share it with you ~

Inner Peace

If you can start the day without caffeine,

If you can get going without pep pills,

If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,

If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,

If you can eat the same food everyday and be grateful for it,

If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,

If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,

If you can conquer tension without medical help,

If you can relax without liquor, 

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,

... Then You Are Probably The Family Dog!  




(And you thought I was going to get all spiritual with this *grin*)

Hoping I haven't offended anyone, but this made me smile and lifted my spirits,

My love and Happy Thoughts to you all,

Be