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Bonus Ep- Q&A & Connection Ritual. Celebrating 2 years of TBWP!
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Welcome to The Bell Witch Podcast. Two years of 'Witching in the 21st Century'
This is a celebratory episode as TBWP has been running for 2 years. Join Swailes as she partakes in her first Q&A, followed by a guided ritual to celebrate connection and community.
For the ritual you will need- a quiet space, a bowl of water, pen and paper, a candle of any colour (suggested- white/green) Optional- crystals and incense.
Please use #TBWP to connect online and grow the community
Connect with the host at- https://linktr.ee/friendlygreenwitch
Support the podcast at Patreon and get bonus content- https://www.patreon.com/c/TheBellWitchPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator
Part of the Darkcast Network
Photo by Al of https://www.stateofloveandtrust.co.uk/about/
Music by Geoff Harvey of Pixabay- https://pixabay.com/users/9096471/?tab=music&order=latest&pagi=1
MAKE A CREATOR HAPPY BY LEAVING REVIEWS AND RATINGS!
Here's to many more years!
Thank you for your support
Blessed Be
#milestone #bonusepisode #witchy #pagan #spirituality
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Transcript
Introduction and Celebration
00:00:01
Speaker
Darkcast Network, bringing our indie podcasts out of the shadows.
00:00:41
Speaker
Now then, witches and beautiful souls, it's my birthday. Yes, it has been two magical and fabulous years of the Bell Witch Podcast.
00:00:54
Speaker
Witching in the 21st century. rocking it a little bit. I just,
Q&A Session and Ritual Planning
00:01:00
Speaker
I love it. I love it. And I just thought I'd do a little celebratory episode because you know what I'm like. I absolutely love this gig.
00:01:10
Speaker
So for this episode, I was thinking I would do a little Q&A and then be a little ritual together because I love the idea of witches doing a ritual, a guided ritual with the Bell Witch Podcast.
00:01:23
Speaker
So I've been writing something like a ritual of connection, of community. And I'll make it clear and easy and simple. You don't need anything massive and expensive, which it is all about using the tools you've got around you, right?
00:01:37
Speaker
But for the first section, ah thought I'd do a little Q&A if that floats your boat. Do let me know if it doesn't and I won't do it again.
Theme Music and Nostalgia
00:01:47
Speaker
So, as you know, I've started up a little Discord on the old Patreon and it's slowly growing which is just lovely and i've got a couple of super fans that are right chatty and i'm so grateful that i've got you on there and i asked on there if anybody had any questions for a q and a and one member gave me a bunch so here we go so the first one is what would be your theme music
00:02:15
Speaker
When you walk into a room. Ooh, that's a good one. You know, it comes to mind straight away. I used to have this little sound box that I got one Halloween from Waitrose.
00:02:27
Speaker
ah And it had like witch's cackles and wolf howls and creaky doors on it and stuff. And there were this one that went... da the the So maybe that could be my theme tune when I enter.
00:02:45
Speaker
Everybody looks at me. Suspicious. Don't be suspicious. So yeah, probably that. I don't know what you call it though, but it's like mooching around tune.
Magic Plants and Their Uses
00:02:57
Speaker
And then the next question is, as a green witch, What are your favourite plants to grow or use in your magic? So a lot of you will know i love plants as I'm a green witch and I grow indoor and outdoor plants.
00:03:14
Speaker
My favourite outdoor plants is definitely lavender. I love lavender. I've got so much of it and I Use it for sleeping, meditating, tea drinking, baking, food. I use it all over in spells. i put it in the bottom of boxes when I send stuff from Depop and Vinterd and just love it. And it's just so recognisable and loving and calming energy, isn't it?
00:03:41
Speaker
And it's hard to get going, but when it's going, lavender, it's such an easy plant to look after because it loves being hard pruned and it always looks good even when it's dried out it looks good so I'd definitely say lavender and i absolutely love sunflowers sunflowers I've always loved them when I feel scared I think about sunflowers in a field like loads of them and it makes me feel better like I have a nightmare I've got loads of anxiety They're just so sunny out there and big and the bees love them and they're just so happy. Happy little flowers. God, there's loads actually. I could mention loads.
00:04:19
Speaker
I love tulips and love daffodils and I love forget-me-nots and oh my gosh, lemon balm is also one of my ultimate faves. I grow a big lemon balm plant and it's more like a shrubbery now. It's getting that big and I use that a lot in smoke.
00:04:37
Speaker
Cleansing wands. They're good to dry out and use and they make a very nice tea as well. Inside, oh, I love a Monstera, is it? The 70s one. Devil's Ivy, also a fabulous plant.
00:04:50
Speaker
Spider plants, they're really good for good luck and the ability to overcome obstacles. They're a survivor plant.
00:05:00
Speaker
Palms, love palms. Oh my gosh, there's so many. Don't really use them in magic, but I use them for mindfulness. Talk to them a lot. I am that witch that rakes plant, buries crystals in them and talks to them and shakes them. I am that witch.
00:05:19
Speaker
Alovera. Gosh, I've had an aloe vera in my life pretty much since I was an adult. And they're good for skin irritations, aren't they? I have them all over the place really. I'm just looking round my room now and I've got plants everywhere.
00:05:33
Speaker
i have actually calved down of buying them because there were a good two or three years where we're getting silly and there were nowhere to put anything and my husband was getting really stressed out because he couldn't go to the toilet without like a plant stroking him.
00:05:48
Speaker
was brilliant. So yeah, plants in general. Just adore them. I adore them. And question three is, if you were to write a book, what would it be about?
Future Book Plans
00:06:01
Speaker
I think about this all the time and I have actually bought a book called Just Write the Damn Book that I still haven't read. and would actually really like to write a book. It'd be amazing.
00:06:12
Speaker
Something along the lines of mental health and well-being, using your voice and witchcraft, and of course, podcasting and the magic of all that.
00:06:25
Speaker
Unusual ways to lift moods and stuff. I'm sure there's a book in there. I just haven't really ironed it out. And keep getting distracted with podcasting malarkey.
00:06:36
Speaker
A question I often get asked is what kind of witch am i As in like Wiccan, kitchen, garden and
Spiritual Journey from Wiccan to Green Witch
00:06:46
Speaker
all that jazz. Probably should have asked this one first actually thinking about it now but hey ho.
00:06:50
Speaker
I used to say i was Wiccan and when I started out I was hell-bent actually on being a Wiccan because it made such sense to me and it it seemed quite a kind, you know, friendly religion to get into, spirituality. I suppose they had rules and guidelines to follow and that's really helpful in the beginning. But the more I've learnt and the more witches I gel with and the more books I read, I'm getting less and less Wiccan and more just Green Witch.
00:07:19
Speaker
And that's not to say ah go around hexing people because I absolutely do not. Because my own spirit and my upbringing prevents me from causing harm. and I don't need them Wiccan rules cause harm to none because they're already inside me. They're already part of who I am.
00:07:38
Speaker
So it's a bit overkill, really, suppose. I never would because I just couldn't deal with the regret and the karma and the, oh. I hope that made sense because I'm a solitary witch as well. I've started to look more inwards in what I can create and what I need. And I don't like the rules and I don't like the gatekeeping. I really do not gatekeep. And I get why people do it to a certain extent because there's like a purity and stuff.
00:08:08
Speaker
But like if you become a witch, it's all about your intent and connecting with the earth. And it can never be a bad thing to me. I mean, I am a bit biased because witchcraft is extremely positive in my life.
00:08:23
Speaker
So yeah, I would just say now I'm a pagan and a green witch and not a Wiccan anymore. But I hasten to add no shade on you, dear witch. If you are proudly Wiccan, carry on being proudly Wiccan.
00:08:38
Speaker
I always will respect you, always.
Family Heirlooms in Magic
00:08:42
Speaker
and Another question I've been asked in the past is what is your favourite magical tool or ingredient this is quite a hard question actually my favorite magic tool swales just looking around her house eagerly trying to work it out Probably my mum's crystal actually, you know, my mum's crystal quartz that I inherited. It is just so powerful and I use it in Reiki and I use it in magic and I always bring it out with me and put it in the moon when I can and in in streams and in rivers. I remember once I thought I'd lost it at a camp and my heart absolutely sank and I spent ages searching for it and
00:09:25
Speaker
Me being me, I'd just forgotten that I'd put it in a tin, in a bag somewhere as to not lose it and ultimately lost it. But I found it. And I think that were when I realised just how important and this crystal is to me, because the way I reacted when I thought I'd lost it, it absolutely shied me like it rocked my soul. I was so upset about it. So I would say that's one of the most important magical tools that I own.
Elemental Magic Preferences
00:09:54
Speaker
I'd say as well my little goddess and god that I got from Witchfest a few years ago. You'll have seen pictures of it, little purpley pink goddess and a greeny god.
00:10:05
Speaker
And I love them. They're just ideal and they're so robust because I'm always knocking them blooming over. and they're from an amazing artist from the Belly Ceramics. And I always toot a horn because her work is beautiful, loads of big goddesses and stuff.
00:10:19
Speaker
And I think my favourite element to work with is fire. like How can you not love being round a fire? It's just so tribal, isn't it? And so forceful and passionate.
00:10:31
Speaker
It's powerful. It keeps you warm. It's very, very hot when you get too close. People who round a fire just can't help but stare at the fire. I mean, I did Friendly Coven last night with a couple of friends and we became just so enchanted by the flames.
00:10:49
Speaker
staring at them and seeing what we can see any divining information within the dance of those amazing flames even a candle definitely fire in general is probably my favorite element to work with although the earth as well you see this is what i do i can't make my mind up really i think between fire and earth I love being a fell jogger and jogging through the woods, touching all the trees, listening to the birds, breathing in that clean oxygen that they're giving me.
00:11:21
Speaker
Oh, it's so magical. Them two elements are my most important. I mean, I love water too, but I'm not so fussed about air. I like the sword suit. I'm not fussed.
Significant Spells and Manifestations
00:11:33
Speaker
what is the most powerful spell you have ever cast h i can think of two one was a sigil spell and it was just amazing and it was ah friend of a friend who was pregnant and she'd had to Bit bad luck regarding pregnancies. She had a a daughter who was quite a bit older, you know, like nine or something. But she was pregnant and she wanted a spell to create a lovely pregnancy and a safe home birth.
00:12:08
Speaker
And so I did this sigil jar spell for a safe pregnancy and the perfect home birth. And of course, she had this perfect home birth and everything went absolutely well. She went to full term and she was saying a lot of that was because of the sigil. But what I found really incredible was this sigil I'd created, it looked a certain way. And this lady knew exactly what the sigil meant and she could pinpoint bits of the sigil and go, this is my daughter, this is me, this is so-and-so, this is so-and-so, this is this.
00:12:40
Speaker
And I just found that amazing because I didn't know any of that. I just created this sigil and it was just so powerful and meaningful to her that she actually gave me more insight into something I'd created, which is just mind blowing, really. I mean, how cool is that? And I think she got it tattooed in the end. But I always think about that one when people ask me. I mean, I've had sigils to sell houses and pass exams and they've all worked.
00:13:02
Speaker
But this one always stands out to me. I also think I manifested my husband because when I was a kid, you know, we're all little kids and we had the dream to meet the knight in shining armour and I used to really, really obsess over it because my mum had a really rocky relationship with men and she didn't treat them very well at all and it got a bit murky and they were a bit of DV and all sorts.
00:13:24
Speaker
I remember thinking when I get older, I'll meet a guy It'll be made for me. We'll have a long, happy life in a lovely house with lovely children and just it'll be right easy.
00:13:35
Speaker
And I met him at 19 and I'm still with him. I've been with him 20 years now, 2004, met him. So, and I honestly think that's because of me. Like I manifested this and it is an easy relationship. And that is my strongest spell work ever. Nothing can ever come close to that.
Anniversary Ritual and Community Building
00:13:59
Speaker
So, as promised, here's a little ritual written by me to celebrate two years of the Bell Witch podcast. This is a simple yet meaningful ritual that can be done individually or as a group.
00:14:16
Speaker
it is a wonderful way to foster community and share experience so this ritual is called the celebration of connection ritual and this is to honour the journey of the podcast and celebrate this lovely little community that's starting to grow which i'm just so here for and setting tensions for the future and building community for that future.
00:14:42
Speaker
What you'll need, a candle of any type, size or colour, whichever resonates with you, a tea light, a birthday candle, a spell candle, whatever you've got at hand really.
00:14:55
Speaker
I'd consider gold for celebration are green for growth, but white will do. That's all you've got. Piece of paper and a pen, a small bowl of water, optional crystals, rose quartz for love, any personal stone that resonates with you directly. Clear quartz is good for clarity as well. and is considered a master crystal.
00:15:22
Speaker
You could even use pebbles out of your pocket, out of your garden, off the beach, shells, or anything like that. It's also quite nice to burn a bit of incense or some sage if you are so inclined.
00:15:39
Speaker
You can whack them on because everybody likes a bit of incense for a ritual. Find a quiet place where you can sit comfortably. Set up your your items in front of you. You can imagine your circle, light your incense, ring a bell to set the tone and it gain a calming atmosphere.
00:15:58
Speaker
Close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths in and out. and ground in this moment within your beautiful, calming circle.
00:16:09
Speaker
Visualise roots growing from your body into the earth, grounding and connecting you to the energy of Gaia. Take a moment to think about those amazing community of witches our friends that's currently growing all around you online and in person.
00:16:32
Speaker
light your candle and as you do it, say a few words of gratitude for the past few years and the connections you've made. You could say something like, I light this candle to honour the journey that I've been on and the community that has grown around me.
00:16:53
Speaker
Gaze at the candle and reflect on those relationships that you love and you trust and you nurture and feel the excitement about the future as you watch them and progress.
00:17:12
Speaker
and progress and stretch out roots all around your life. Think about the past year, the past two years, what personal insights or growth you've experienced.
00:17:30
Speaker
Take your pen and paper and do a little bit of reflection on page. Write down two gratitudes in this current moment and one hope or aspiration for the future, for your own spiritual practice and maybe for the podcast, if you can think of anything.
00:17:54
Speaker
the water which is set in front of you in your circle is the offering hold the piece of paper with your intentions and gratitude over the bowl of water and as you do this say i release my gratitude and intentions into the beautiful universe may they grow just like the connections we are creating together and you can choose to fold the paper and place it in the water as a symbolic act of releasing or you can simply hold it above the water if you have the crystals you can place them around the candle or hold them in your hand visualizing the energy of the crystals and the candles and your intentions infusing together with hopes for a growing community take a moment to sit in your circle of silence
00:18:50
Speaker
focusing on that beautiful flame of the candle and think of the community that is being built. It's all about the visualization. And when you feel ready, you can blow the candle out and say, may the light of our community continue to shine brightly, guiding us as we move forward together.
00:19:14
Speaker
And yeah, I think that's it. I mean, it'd be great if you could share your experience of the ritual if you did it, either through the social media or you could send me an audio clip on Instagram or WhatsApp, whichever. And you can tag me and use my hashtag TBWP.
00:19:38
Speaker
Could you hear the cogs, the gears in my brain cell then? china trying to get that hashtag right. yeah This ritual, it not only celebrates two years of the Bell Witch podcast, but also strengthens the bond within your own communities.
00:19:54
Speaker
allowing everybody to feel connected and empowered as they join in on the shared experience. And you can use this ritual and adapt it however you like.
00:20:05
Speaker
Just make sure you mention the Bell Witch Podcast. Anyway, witches and beautiful souls, I hope you enjoyed my little offering today, just a mini one.
00:20:15
Speaker
Just to celebrate two fantastic years of podcasting and winning awards and growing and learning on the job with a faulty computer, one day I'll buy a new one. May there be many more ahead of me.
00:20:30
Speaker
Have a lovely day or evening and stay magical, my dear witches. Blessed be.
00:21:05
Speaker
Bye.