Mabh Savage
Words and the world passing by; how it sings to me; how I clamour back.
Frosty Morning
Soft grey sky
Belying the killing cold
Temperatures plunging
Diving in to that icy pool
Wood pigeons fluffed up
Cocky against the cold
Marching smugly
Through frozen grass
So steely
The wind doesn’t have a chance
But we stay inside
Admiring echoes
Of misty Niflheim
Wondrous at beings
Resilient enough not only
To bear it
But to revel in it
To thrive in what can kill
Having said that
We smile and create
A tiny corner of Muspelheim
With nary a fear
Of burning the house down.
Cold Moon
January’s full moon has many traditional names, from Wolf Moon in America to Old Moon, Snow Moon, or Cold Moon in Europe. I like Cold Moon – it’s frosty right now in Yorkshire, not snowy, and January is a deep, cold month. It encourages us to rest and recharge, but holds a dark and inviting well of inspiration to draw from for the year ahead. Combine that with the energy of the full moon and you can start to really feel the anticipation for what’s to come thrumming and thrilling through your veins.
Thank you to my beloved husband for stopping to take this photo of the full moon rising into a glowing sunset. Stunning.
Written, not yet Writ
Pouring frazzled words onto
Digital paper
Quill in my own blood
Hardly plucked
From a falcon’s wing
Only my own
Tortured imagination
Obsession with fiction
Becomes fascination with fact
But truly
The latter came first
And now I carefully
Build a wall between them
Brick by imaginary brick
A mental dam
The floods pushing, cracking
Tiny trickles teasing over the top
Stop
Listen
Sigh in relief
Listen, you’ve done your work
Commitments met
Thanks given
And this fascination
This fascination held since you were
Your daughter’s age
Is natural and holds
No contract.
So why do I feel
Like I could dip this
Quill in my own blood
And sign off right now
To the Falcon; the Mare: the Giant
Ice and Fire incarnate
Mischief manifest
Chaos eternal.
But I take a breath
Smile
And for one more day
I simply don’t.
PaganAid Auction Live!
There’s only a short time left to grab one of the amazing items in the PaganAid auction! Many items are bespoke or unique, and I’ve donated a poem that’s written just for you – go and name your price!
PaganAid is a charity that works to fight poverty and protect Mother Earth. Currently, the charity is raising funds to support indigenous peoples in the Amazon rainforest, and to help protect the forest itself. Find out more about the amazing work PaganAid is doing here.
The auction is now a yearly tradition, and I have a few choice items that I’ve won over the years, including a bespoke Red Fox ornament that’s currently on our tree.
This years auction winners could take home signed copies of a number of popular pagan books, handcrafted plaques and Godposts, or even a stunning runic steel gauntlet that’s currently only at £30! An easy way to get your solstice gift shopping done – and raise some money for an amazing cause. Go see what’s on offer at this link. I’m off to bid on some rather beautiful Yule cards!
Autumn Equinox: Reflect, Relax, Rejuvenate
This equinox lead up has been a melting pot of fiery sunsets, a huge and glimmering moon for three nights, and an unhealthy dose of insomnia. Colour me not surprised to find out that many of my magical colleagues have also been kept awake by the weird and wonderful energies of the season. Late one of these sleepless nights, while gazing tiredly at the Harvest Moon, three words popped into my head:
Reflect
Relax
Rejuvenate
The equinoxes have always been a time of reflection for me. What’s happened so far this season? What am I planning for? What am I happy with? What do I need to let go of?
Relaxing is a different kettle of fish. I naturally find it hard to unwind, and at this time of double school transition for our house, and tentative planning to safely go away somewhere, plus a thousand other demands on my tome, relaxation seems a distant dream. Magic, of course, is about making the impossible possible! So I need to find the time, even if it’s only 15 minutes here and there, for stillness and peace.
Rejuvenation is about filling whatever cups are currently empty. I believe that what you need changes rapidly, so keeping an eye on what your daily “fuel” is can help you keep on top of your energy levels. To be absolutely clear, that’s something I’m failing miserably at, right now. I’ve let stress take over and I’ve taken my eye off the internal ball, so to speak. However, this weekend I’m meeting (safely) with kith and kin, spending time outdoors, and time with the kids without the incessant demands of school. I can’t bloody wait!
Whatever the equinox means to you, I wish you well and may you carry warmth and happiness with you into the coming season.
Urgent – Please Share and Signal Boost!
Wildfires in Greece are taking a serious toll, not just on people but on animals as well. One example of this is at Ranch-Eros, an animal welfare rescue centre and home to many, many horses who are struggling and suffering due to the fires.
Members of the Hekatean community and beyond, gathered together by the rather amazing Tara Sanchez, are trying to drum up support for the ranch to help feed and water the horses and raise awareness of what’s going on right now.
There’s a two-fold joining of practical and spiritual energies, with a Just Giving page to raise money for the horses, and a Ritual to Hekate Eurippa (horse finder) composed by Tara and including a prayer I finished this morning specifically for the horses. Many of the horses were missing until only a few hours ago. They have now returned without a single burnt hair, which seems remarkable, but they still need help.
If you can donate, please do. If it’s appropriate for you to petition Hekate using this ritual, please do. If not, please share widely and let’s see if, as a diverse community, we can help some of the people and other animals struggling this disaster that has befallen Greece. Look out for a skills auction on the Facebook page over the coming days. Thank you for reading and, if you can, sharing either this message or your energy to help at this time of the Perseids and the New Moon.
Dealing with Imposter Syndrome
My “day job” is as a freelance writer and editor: copywriting, copyediting, marketing, articles, and blogs are all in my wheelhouse and I have a range of clients. I’m lucky to be busy enough to pick and choose who I write for, usually managing to choose clients whose values align with my own. This means I’ve written articles about sensible eating versus fad diets, how to be more environmentally friendly in a range of industries, and plenty about animal care.
You would think, with such a portfolio, that Imposter Syndrome would be a thing of the past. I don’t know if it’s a trauma response or an integral part of my anxiety, but it just simply won’t give up. Even writing about myself in such a positive manner makes my skin crawl, just a little.
Today was a prime example. I had a new client who had requested some revisions on a piece of work. I hadn’t had chance yet to see what they required, but my assumption was, and always is, that they hated the piece and wanted it all changing.
There is no evidence to back this up. Rarely have I ever had a client loathe what I’ve done. It’s usually just tweaks or some new information they want adding. But the awful anxiety of not even wanting to read what they’ve asked for in case it’s soul-crushingly critical is so real.
Eventually, I tapped on the piece in question and downloaded my revision requests. It was praise for a great article and simple a request to make a minor (but client-critical) adjustment. The wave of relief that washed over me was palpable. There was never anything wrong with my work and their request was more than reasonable and in line with our working relationship. So, why do I always assume the worst?
Just to be clear, this blog doesn’t provide any answers! A previous therapist suggested I always keep my portfolio to hand so I can remind myself of the physical evidence that I literally make a living off folks liking my writing. But it doesn’t help.
So my question is, do you suffer from imposter syndrome? And if so, how do you deal with it?
NaPoWriMo Day 14 – Water
Uisce
I hiss like a hungry kettle
My faltering Gaeilge
Always practiced at the altar
In honour of Her
Uisce arís
Not even knowing
If it makes sense to say
Water again
Water again
Red and flowing
Life and dreams
Surely, hardly
What it seems?
Looking for hidden meaning
Trying to understand
Trying to catch the reflection
But breaking it into
Ripples
With my clumsy fingers
Uisce
Water
I see the card again
Roll my eyes at myself
Head to the kitchen
With a glass.
Mabh Savage 