Yesterday I wrote about one half of the most enchanted couples we know, so today I must redress the balance and talk a little about the better half! Alicen Geddes-Ward. This special lady has such grace it is amazing that she can cope with my over-enthusiastic ways, but I sure am glad she can. Alicen, as well as helping to run their Orkney Faerie Museum and Gallery, is a beautiful writer and has her own web site www.faeriecraft.co.uk Her wonderful book of the same title is the subject of the workshops and lectures that she gives around Britain. Alicen’s mind seems to be at peace with her imagination, allowing her to beautifully express her thoughts on faerie in a way that anyone would be blessed to read. She now has a number of books to her name, including her novel ‘The Kiss of Two Worlds’ and she says she can’t imagine doing anything else (thank goodness!). Her latest project is called ‘A faerie Treasury’ and will be published in November. Living up on the tip of the last of the UK, brings her great respite, where she can ride her horse and be nourished by the sea. (My sadness is that my dear, gentle friend lives nearer to Norway than to me.) Alicen is one of those rare folk, who carry with them an aura of ethereal quality and to be near her spirit is to be truly touched by faerie… for this I feel extremely fortunate as she guides my treading of the path I love so much.

Sometimes you see something in nature that immediately brings out the child in you from wherever she is hiding… the fruit of the Horse Chestnut tree is one of the greatest gifts of the autumn and as soon as these conkers begin to drop and their bright green spiky shell cases split open, I just have to go outside and collect some. Rooting around in the leaf matter under the branches, marks such a happy time for me as the best moment is when you open one up and feel that conker in your hand for the very first time. It is perfect, so gorgeously rich, brown, brand new shiny and has never been seen by anyone else before! I gather some always, just to have inside on our table where I can keep picking them up and holding them. Why they bring me so much pleasure I can’t explain, as you can’t eat them and they don’t really smell, but I even like the noise they make as they knock into each other! After a few weeks, they begin to dry out, so I reluctantly take them back outside to scatter around the garden in case any of them can take root. Years ago our boys would pierce holes in them so as to string them up for games of conkers in the playground, but now they’re just for my delight and I love them!

Magical Blessings, Be

“When I count my blessings I count you twice.” – Irish Blessing