Читать книгу The Real Witches’ Garden: Spells, Herbs, Plants and Magical Spaces Outdoors - Kate West - Страница 15

The drawbacks of an outdoor working space are easy to understand. Unless you are very fortunate in your climate, the weather is likely to play a major part in determining whether it is reasonable to work outside. This is not only because it is hard to maintain focus in the pouring rain or strong wind, but also because you will be that much more conspicuous to any observers if you spend time outside in inclement conditions. The advantages, though, are well worth the effort of developing and maintaining one. Having your own outdoor space means that when you feel the need to be closer to nature you do not have to seek out a working area on public land, with all its attendant complications, such as dog walkers, stray policemen, etc. Nor do you have to carry any tools or equipment for miles. Your space is there for you, whenever you need it, and conveniently close to hand.

As has been mentioned elsewhere in this book, Witches tend to work their magic at the Full Moons and celebrate the festivals or Sabbats. Some will also work at other lunar phases, especially the New Moon. An outdoor Sacred Space is particularly good for celebrating the Sabbats, as these are closely linked to the passage of the seasons. It is always going to be far easier to feel in tune with the seasons when you can see, hear, feel, smell and even taste them all around you. At Imbolg, for example, you are not just thinking of the buds on the trees, you can see them. For this reason a good many Witches who use an outdoor space will celebrate the major Sabbats at the times of the seasonal markers, rather than on the calendar dates they have subsequently been given. So Imbolg would be held when the first buds or lambs are seen, Beltane when the hawthorn (or may) blossoms, Lughnasadh when the first of the harvest is coming in and Samhain when the first storms of Winter arrive.

Many people still have the image of Witches working at the dead of night. This has been so in the past for fear of discovery and today is often so with a group or Coven as it is the time when daily life is complete and everyone is free. But Witches on their own do not need to wait for darkness to fall, they can work whenever suits them. With an outdoor space you can perform your magic at any time of day.

An outdoor Sacred Space is particularly good for working magic relating to the cycles of nature; for spells affecting fertility, plants, animals and healing. All these benefit from, and are stronger for being worked close to the land. As mentioned above, when working outside you do not need to summon the elements in the same way as you would for an indoor Ritual. Nor will you need representations of them on your Altar, as they are all around. It is enough to turn to face each quarter and call upon the elements in turn, making sure that you recall each one’s personal associations as well as the external ones. You then invite the Goddess and the God as usual. Of course it is still important to remember at the end of your Ritual to thank all the elements and deities which you have called.

An outdoor Sacred Space is also useful for other magical steps which may not be a part of a spell or Ritual. When you need to place something in the light of the Full Moon, then the centre of your space is an excellent place to put it, so long as you remember to remove it before any children or pets can interfere. The centre is also a good spot to place any poorly plants which you intend to nurse back to health. Of course this latter, like many Craft activities, should be tempered with common sense. There is no use putting a sensitive tropical houseplant out into the Winter’s snow and expecting it to thrive!