Yesterday was busy, hectic indeed. With my friend and my husband, I helped create something both practical and beautiful. My friend made a birdbath with a big leaf from our thriving rhubarbs in the garden. My husband and I created a heart-shaped birdbath with beautiful pebbles on the edges.
They are still drying. Therefore, today´s picture will be of another garden pride instead; my husband´s new den he has created over the past three years.
The afternoon meant two visits and a couple of hours of concentrated talk, fun, and laughter. And then, at evening coffee time, the phone rang, and our dear friends wanted to see us for cake and coffee.
After such a day, with annoying arthritis pain, I was tired and decided to stay on the couch to enjoy a good movie on TV. Rather than writing bad stuff, I prefer to wait until I feel better.
Today, it still hurts, but now I feel fine, refreshed after a good night´s sleep, a morning walk in the garden, and a couple of painkillers.
It is summertime in Southern Denmark. We may have lost the European Championship semifinal, but we got a great team, and I´m sure they will make it all the way another time. Yesterday, we had a major downpour in the afternoon, yet the weather was more than fair at the end of the day.
Such happenings tell me as a writing witch that witchcraft and magick are everywhere. If you only dare to let it happen to you.
For the last two couple of weeks, I have had excess physical and mental energy. I´m not using too much power, however. It is the first time in my entire life where everything seems to work together, where the meaning of life is crystal clear, and where living in the present moment is the only alternative to a world in deep trouble.
I have used that energy to tidy and clean our kitchen. It shocked me at first. It has been four years now since I was hospitalized and diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The psychiatrist told me that it would be a couple of years before I could dream about a full recovery.
By full recovery, I mean to be the best possible version of me. I was born with the disorder; it will follow me for the rest of my life. The anxiety disorders will do too. But it is okay, Self. The critical issue here is to do my best every day.
I found old stuff in the kitchen that told me a story about how far away mentally I have been. My husband has worked so hard to help me get back in the saddle. Thank you, love, for my life. And thank you, dear readers and followers, for making my window to the world a wonderful place to write my heart out.
Summertime in Southern Denmark means tasting new potatoes from the garden, watching beautiful bouquets of my husband´s many flowers, and enjoying a bonfire in the garden in the evening.
It is so short, the Danish summer. We have a little more here in the southern parts. Still, the first harvest festival, Lammas, is only a few weeks away, the second coming up in September at the Fall Equinox/Mabon, and the third being Samhain in October.
So it is all about making the most of every situation and creating lasting memories as they happen.
On my whiteboard, I have written my writing plan for my first novel. Then, in August, I embark on the second stage of my endeavor to become the writer I have always dreamt of. And I begin with my characters.
Reaching September through October will mean writing a road trip. November is reserved for backstories, and in December, the plotting process kicks in.
What happens after that, well, that´s my prerogative for some time yet to come to know about. But when I feel that I can introduce you, dear readers and followers, to snippets of my novel, I will post it here on the blog.
Next week, I dedicate myself to creating beautiful witchcraft rituals and intense studies of the settings for the novel.
This weekend, the settings rule. They constitute a significant part of the novel, so I need to absolutely sure that I have enough background data to write as authentic as possible.
It is not only a dream journey for my characters. It is also a dream for me, and if I had the resources to go there myself, I definitely would go. But it is also possible to travel in your imagination, as long as you do thorough research first.
So, I watch real-time webcams, read loads of background materials, and do frequent checks to be updated with what´s happening right here, right now.
Summertime in Southern Denmark, therefore, also means hard work, business as usual with me. But I simply can´t sit still for more extended periods. So it is better to be busy using my excess energy to be both practical, helpful, and happy at the same time.
I know that eventually, my mood will turn to a quieter, more depressive state of mind. So I do everything I can to prolong my best version of myself. Still, I have learned the hard way that it is equally important to rest a lot, especially with excess energy.
My bipolar disorder tricks me not to notice when I´m overloaded and stressed physically and mentally. And medicine and therapy cannot cure, only support my own daily hard work.
So, I rest a lot, and yesterday, writing was not the right option for me.
Today, however, writing feels easy, comfortable, and life-affirming. And there is witchcraft around me as well. I have at least three rituals to archive, a small meditation with a cup of chai tea, a few lit candles, and incense will cleanse my soul this afternoon.
May you enjoy happiness, inner peace, good health, and kindness, dear readers and followers.
The Northern Witch' s Blog 