BOOK NOOK; Chinook Crew Chick by Liz McConaghy

 "We had pilots who could work out the square root of a jam jar but couldn't take off the lid"

As soon as I heard that this book was coming out I knew that I wanted to read it. I have never read a military book from a female officer before and I was eager to get my hands on this one.  Luckily I was sent an ARC (Advance Reader Copy) and so I have spent most of the night reading it in one sitting. 

It is quite a page turner and I couldn't put it down. I love the writing style, which is extremely accessible. The author is very informal and her work reads like a girly chat over a glass of wine, where she tells you all about her adventures, heartbreaks and triumphs.  

Sometimes military books can have quite a condescending tone, an I'm it, you're shit sort of vibe, but happily Chinook Crew Chick isn't like that at all.  The author draws you into her world with humour and a degree of self-deprecation which just makes her seem all the more charming.  

These lighter moments are essential because the book covers some very dark topics. As a memoir it doesn't have any real self-help techniques contained within its pages, which are the type of hybrid military books I usually read, but it is nonetheless very inspiring and I still feel that I got a lot out of it.

The main thing that I have taken away from reading this book is an insight into what happened in Afghanistan when the Chinooks were sent out to pick up wounded soldiers. I know soldiers who were on operations over there and it helped to give me a clearer picture of what they experienced, both when bringing back a wounded comrade (who is now living his best life in the Highlands!) and also when bringing back a fallen friend who hadn't survived. 

This kind of insight is invaluable to me if I am to be a good friend to my soldiers, but it's not the kind of thing I could ask them about for fear of triggering bad memories.  The author has equipped me with another piece of the jigsaw puzzle, so I have a better understanding of their time there. It may seem like a small thing, but being able to picture the situation they were once in helps me to understand them a little better.  Who knows, it might even have been Gloria Stitz herself who picked them up! In some ways, I hope that it was as she seems to be the type of person who would have made the journey easier for them, with her kindness and humour.

Speaking of humour, some of my favourite parts of the book made me laugh out loud, including when the author is hanging head first out of a helicopter with only a bit of a strap to keep her from plummeting to the ground and she had to radio her boss to come and haul her back in! Also the vomiting on his boots too - probably not the best way to impress your boss! And Gloria. I admit, it took me a minute, but yes, Gloria caught up with me and I laughed my head off. 

Chinook Crew Chick is both a funny memoir and a sad one. War always leaves its mark on the soldiers who fight it. Often we cannot see these marks and the wounds are invisible to the eye, but they are no less real.  If anything, an invisible wound can be more difficult to cope with because you cannot simply point to it and say "Look, I'm injured and I'm still suffering", so the help isn't always forthcoming when it is needed.  

I know from personal experience that the NHS are useless when it comes to handling PTSD, so there is little help in society for ex-servicemen and women.  Personally I believe that there should be greater levels of aftercare for ex-military personnel, which should be overseen by the MOD. I think that they should train battalions of counselors, in the same way that they are happy to train armies of human fighting machines. That way the help will be on hand when it is needed. If the MOD were to handle it then people wouldn't have to rely on charities to fill the gap in mental health services. Then again, I have also heard it said that 'the MOD couldn't handle a f**king pan', so maybe that's just a pipe dream!

Another aspect of the book which touched me deeply was when the author was writing of her own darkest hour.  I remember studying suicidal ideation during my psychotherapy training and I have to say that the author has done a fantastic job of describing the dissociative thought process which can lead someone down the dark path to suicide.  The logical thought process, cut off from all emotion, is starkly illustrated in the book, as is the example of how easy it is to just fall through the net of those who have a duty of care to protect, such as doctors, pharmacists and counselors. When will those in power learn that under-funding and overstretching these services really does cost lives? No-one should be allowed to fall through the net. No-one who reaches out for help should be sent away with a handful of leaflets and promises of a referral that can take months to action. 

So obviously there are trigger warnings that come with this book, because topics of war, battle trauma and suicidal ideation are all covered.  Having said that, Chinook Crew Chick is a fabulous page-turner and I have really enjoyed reading it. I am grateful for the insights it has given me as I can now be of better help to my soldier friends. I hope that the author will go on to write more books, particularly the military self-help books I find so useful. I am certainly happy to have been given the opportunity to read this one.

Books like this are so important because you simply never know how much good they will do once they have been set free into the world. You just have to trust that those who need it, will find it and that it will make a positive difference.  

I for one am very glad that Liz McConaghy lived to tell her tale.

BB Marie x

AD; This book was sent to me by the publisher for the purposes of review. It will be released on 30th September 2022 and is available for pre-order now. 

BOOK NOOK; Reading the Queen

 

"The Queen hails from the generation in which stiff upper lips were the norm."

I was in London last Friday for the long-planned lunch meeting with my publisher.  It went well and it was a very enjoyable engagement. However, the death of our Queen cast a long shadow over the whole of London and it was impossible to be there, just three days before her State Funeral, and not feel emotionally moved by the experience. I'm glad that I was in London during the official mourning period though, as it helped to process what is a seismic shift in British history. 

On my return to Yorkshire, I soon discovered that I had picked up an unexpected souvenir in the form of a bad cold, brought on no doubt, by the stroll we took along the River Thames to look at HMS Belfast, the war ship museum.  So I have spent the last few days resting, curled up with a regal book or two, reading all about Queen Elizabeth II.  

What Would HM The Queen Do? by Mary Killen is a light hearted look at Her Majesty's resilience and forbearance. It offers bite-sized nuggets of wisdom and social conduct for all occasions, so that you need never be caught out in public.  This little book explains some of the tricks the Queen used to navigate an often tedious lifestyle of small talk and polite chit-chat. Simple strategies are presented and explained - such as how standing close to the entrance at a party means that you greet everyone politely, without the risk of being cornered by the local bore, as the surge of guests behind him sweeps him away from you almost at once. Genius! 

This book also offers budget friendly tips on how to host a country house party, or how to attend Ascot without breaking the bank, so that you can experience a taste of the high life if you wanted to.  There are also insights into the Queen's more personal life, such as what her morning routine would have looked like and how a sudden 'power cut' can be orchestrated to break the ice at an uncomfortable social gathering, because darkness helps people to speak more freely.  Sadly, there is nothing in this book about her secret handbag language, but perhaps that is because it is the worst kept secret in Britain! Everyone knows that the Queen used her handbag as a kind of semaphore to communicate with her staff.  Still, I do think that this topic deserved an honorable mention.  What Would HM The Queen Do? is a flippant take on royalty and the perfect antidote to all the doom and gloom of the past week or so. It is very short book and one that  you could easily read over afternoon tea. So far so frivolous. 

On the other hand, Elizabeth & Margaret by Andrew Morton is a much more serious biography of the royal sisters.  I was drawn to this book because I can clearly recall all the scandal that accompanied the release of his earlier book, Diana; Her True Story, which I have read and enjoyed very much. I have been besotted with Princess Diana from the age of seven, but I remember my grandmother always spoke quite fondly of the Queen and her younger sister, Margaret, as they were the iconic princesses of her youth. 

In this book Morton explores the dynamic of this sisterly bond and how it was forced to change and evolve once Elizabeth became the heir to the throne, because let's not forget, that she was the daughter of the 'spare' who became king, rather than the daughter of the man born to be king. Were it not for Wallis Simpson, we would never have had Queen Elizabeth II. 

Here we get to see a more intimate view of the royal sisters, from their earliest childhood as relations of the King, through their change of circumstances when their father takes on the Crown following his brother's abdication.  As you might expect, it was a fairly glamorous life - the kind of life that people born to wealth and privilege tend to enjoy. Even during the war years, when the sisters were 'evacuated' they only went as far as Windsor Castle, though I doubt if sleeping in the dungeons during air raids was much fun. Imagine the spiders! Still, they were kept within the bosom of the Establishment, among people who had to defer to them as Princesses and just a half hour drive from their parents at Buckingham Palace, rather than being sent far away to strangers as most evacuees were. 

It is well known that the Queen refused to let her sister Margaret marry the man she originally fell in love with. I remember my Nan telling me that Princess Margaret had had her heart broken when she was a young woman.  The reason behind that decision however, was never explained to me and I have often wondered why the Queen said no, causing her own sister so much unhappiness.  The real reason for the refusal was an old law regarding royal marriages, which dated from the 1700's! In short, the Queen had no choice but to refuse. Her hands were tied by the weight of her responsibility to the Crown. 

This is just one of the revelations that Elizabeth & Margaret holds within it's pages. As it follows the sisters through their lives, mistakes and all, it tells a familiar tale of love, devotion, jealousy and the odd spat that happens between all siblings.  They were two very different women, with Margaret being rebellious and Elizabeth dutiful. How much of this is a direct result of their place in the line of succession, and how much was their natural personality traits, we will probably never know, but this biography is certainly worth reading. 

If you are tired of hearing all about the Queen's death, maybe tailor your reading to studying her life instead, with these books. We can learn so much from her example, if we are open to her teachings.  Enjoy and remember to always wear your invisible crown - Queen Elizabeth would approve! 

BB Marie xxx

ONCE UPON A DREAM; Music School!

 

"All one has to do is hit the right keys at the right time and the instrument plays itself"

Johann Sebastian Bach

This time last year I was looking forward to my MA Graduation.  I had finished classes and I just wanted to relax for a while after years and years of studying.  However, this year I found that I have really missed all the back to uni buzz and the anticipation of a new academic year.  I have missed the learning experience.  

So I decided to bite the bullet and do something I have dreamt of for years. In short, I enrolled in Music School!  This has been at the back of my mind for a very long time. In fact, it was something I always wanted to do as a child and never quite got around to it, but as the signs of autumn start to appear and all the students return to their lectures this month, I knew I wanted to return to a learning environment.  

Music school seemed like the perfect solution! I couldn't have wished for a more perfect autumn day to begin my musical studies, as the rain poured down and the sun occasionally broke through the clouds, sparkling upon the turning leaves. I love the sound of rain as I drive - the swish of the tyres, the sweep of the wipers and the steady patter of the raindrops landing on the roof of my car.  Somehow, driving in the rain feels very cosy.  Driving through the rain to my first piano class felt like an exciting new adventure!

I've been trying to teach myself to play the piano for some time now and while I can pick up a melody fairly quickly and play by ear quite well, I don't read music so it all tends to fall apart as soon as I see the dots! Also, when teaching yourself, there is no-one there to correct your mistakes or stop you from falling into bad habits. I knew that I had gone as far as I could on my own and that I would need professional tuition if I was ever going to progress and begin to master my instrument.  I've had a beautiful piano for years now and it deserves to be owned by someone who takes it seriously. 

I knew that I wanted to approach my music in the same way that I approached my other studies - with an open mind, a willingness to learn and the commitment to put in the time and effort required to succeed.  I couldn't have taken music classes when I worked at the vets as the job dominated my life outside of university, so I just didn't have the time, energy or flexibility to take on anything else. Learning any kind of musical instrument takes commitment. You have to set aside time to practice the fundamentals and develop your skills.

I also want to learn more about musical theory too, as I have been fascinated by this topic since I read the novel Wintersong, which is crafted on the framework of the author's extensive musical knowledge. I want to dive deeper into this aspect of music, learning a bit about the history of music too as I go, in addition to learning to play the piano, so attending a professional music school seemed to be the best option. I can learn about the history, theory and performance aspects of music in one setting. 

I have just returned home from my very first class and I'm really happy with how it went. My tutor seems nice and I think that I will get on well with him. He isn't going to let me get away with playing by ear though. Already he has given me music to learn that I have never heard before, because he composed it himself, so I must learn to read the music! I immediately respected him for this. I tend to like tutors who can see through my bullshit and who don't let me get away with anything, but who call me out in a kindly way, for my own benefit. I definitely feel like I clicked with him.  He seems cool. 

I think that I will begin to work my way through the levels of study, as if I were to sit the Grade exams, even though I only play for myself at present. Adopting this approach means that I could then potentially take the exams along the way if I wanted to. However, it is very early days and there is a lot for me to learn - a new way of reading, a new vocabulary and musical syntax, maximizing my natural musicality, as well as the performance aspects of actually playing the instrument - so I don't want to put too much pressure on myself.  I was nervous enough in the first class! I'm not used to playing in front of anyone and I do hate being watched. It makes me so nervous. I was the same when I learnt to drive. But if I want to progress and learn from my tutor he has to watch me play so he can guide me and correct my mistakes.  I'll never be comfortable being watched though, as the stage fright is too acute. 

I really enjoyed the class and I felt such a surge of joy afterwards, because I am finally making another one of my long term goals a reality.  Walking back to my car, with new music to learn in my old satchel, I felt like I was walking on air.  I was so happy and I can't wait for my next class!

It was fantastic to be surrounded by other creative people too, and while they are musicians not writers, there was still a sense of camaraderie between us. They know how it feels to struggle with a new project when the Muse isn't playing ball. They know how it feels to have a new piece completed and ready to release.  That kind of shared experience and mutual understanding is priceless. 

It also feels good to be learning something new again and to be taking the study of music seriously. I'm glad I finally have the guidance I need, because now I have specific exercises and techniques to learn, new pieces of music to study and practice each day, and a new routine of piano practice and music lessons to enjoy.  I'm a student again, only this time, I'm a music student. 

So tonight, as the rain gradually subsides, I'm going to make a cup of hot chocolate, light the candles on my piano, set up my new music and begin to practice, using the skills I have learnt today. It will be a lovely way to spend a cosy autumnal evening and I plan to make this a part of my daily routine. I may never be able to play like my idol, Amy Lee, but I'm going to give it my best shot, starting right now. If music be the food of love, play on! 

Bright Blessings

Marie x

 

BOOK NOOK; The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow

 

"...her daddy said women were like hens, flocking together and pecking at one another, and Juniper didn't want to be a hen..."

As summer wanes there is the first breath of autumn in the air, so it is time to retreat indoors, preferably with the company of witchy books.  I've had this book for some time, but I wanted to wait until I could give myself up to it entirely.  I took a few days off from my own writing and crept into the fantasy world of New Salem and The Once and Future  Witches - Bella, Agnes and Juniper. 

This book is a melting pot of feminism, literature, Authurian legend, folklore, fairytale, mythology and politics, which the author has stirred together in a big cauldron, thereby creating a totally unique novel.  Here we have the suffragettes that we all know from history, with the Pankhursts making a cameo appearance, yet in this novel they are not only fighting for the right to vote, they are fighting for the restoration of witchcraft.  The sisters are natural witches who want witchcraft to take up its rightful place in their society, giving women back their goddess given power.  It is a dangerous task and the city of New Salem where they live was built upon the ashes of the witches they executed in old Salem.

The story is told from the perspectives of the three sisters and this does lead to a certain amount of head hopping in that you just get used to one character, when the viewpoint changes again.  

I also wonder if there isn't just a bit too much crammed into the story.  Although it works as a cohesive whole, there is a lot in this novel and I am not convinced that all of it was necessary. For instance, although I understand that this is a feminist book, I'm not sure why the author felt the need to turn all great writers of the past into women, so we have a Charlotte Perrault instead of the fairytale anthologist Charles Perrault and the Sisters Grimm instead of the Brothers Grimm.  I'm not sure that this was needed and it seemed quite clunky.  Diminishing or appropriating the accomplishments of men from the past does not lift women higher! So I didn't like that part. 

There also seems to be a trend for lesbian sub-plots in publishing at the moment, with many new titles having an obligatory gay female character, or at least one who is open to sexual experimentation. I feel that this is being driven by the diversity band wagon, rather than the authenticity of the books, or even of the authors themselves. It makes me wonder how much of it is being suggested to authors by publishers in an effort to keep up with social trends. This novel is no different and again, I didn't really like it. I'm not sure what it adds to the witch story and even though I liked the character of Bella, I'm not remotely interested in reading about her lesbian crush! 

On the whole though, The Once and Future Witches did draw me in and I enjoyed the overall plot and the storytelling.  It is very nicely written and as I said, it is completely unique in it's approach to historical witchery.  It just wasn't the book that I was expecting.  However, I'm sure young millennial readers will love it, as it ticks all their politically correct boxes! 

Happy Reading!

Marie x

AD: This novel was sent to me by the publisher for the purposes of review. It is available now in digital and paperback formats. 

BOOK NOOK; Waking the Witch by Rachel Burge

 I read a lot of witchy novels and I am always on the look out for a fresh take on the witch trope, so I was thrilled when Bonnier Books UK sent me an ARC of Rachel Burge's new novel, Waking the Witch.  I have already read The Twisted Tree by the same author and enjoyed it, so I was eager to read this new story.

Waking the Witch is set just off the coast of Wales on Bardsey Island, which is often said to be the site of Avalon. It is there that young Ivy travels with her friend Tom, in search of Ivy's mother, who gave her up at birth.  Ivy has grown up in care, moving from one foster home to another and she is looking for answers as to why she was abandoned.  Following up on a lead, she learns that her mother lives on the island and so Ivy writes her a letter, which results in a strange phone call from her mum telling her to stay away from the island and warning Ivy that there are dark shadows who are trying to find her and harm her.

Ivy ignores her mother's warning and goes to the island anyway, eager to find some sense of family and homecoming, but there are strange shadows that follow her, shadows which can takes over anyone and make them attack her.  When Ivy finally meets her mother, she finds herself pulled into the midst of a battle between good and evil. How far will mother and daughter go to save one another?

This is a witchy tale with an Arthurian twist, but in this book the popular mythology is subverted, with Morgan le Fey being a benevolent force and with a much darker depiction of Merlin than I have ever read before. The characters are well drawn, with Tom providing the light relief of humour to quite a dark story.  

This is an evocative novel which successfully incorporates witches, shape-shifting, demonic possession and reincarnation, all woven together quite beautifully.  As Ivy discovers more of her family history she must come to terms not only with who she really is, but what she really is too.   The book ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, so I expect that there will be a sequel coming soon as well, which I am looking forward to reading. 

All in all this is another fabulous magical world created by Burge, full of twists and turns and things that I didn't expect.  I loved the Arthurian slant and the witchy vibes were strong throughout the story.  Waking the Witch is an atmospheric read, perfect for curling up with on a rainy day.  Happy reading!

Marie x

AD; This novel was sent to me by the publisher for the purposes of review.  It is released today August 18th, and is available in paperback, digital and audio book formats. 

BOOK NOOK; The Ghost Woods by C J Cooke

  

"I'm much deeper in the woods than I intended to come, and suddenly I don't feel safe. But then I spot the source of the movement - it's a person, quite tall, moonlight falling on a long cloak. The curve of a hood at their head.

I step back quickly, but my foot presses down on a branch, breaking the silence with a loud snap. The figure turns in my direction, alerted to my presence.  They've seen me.

My heart jackhammers in my throat.

I watch, frozen with fear, as the figure begins to walk stealthily towards me. I turn and stumble back to the house, branches whipping my face.  I fall on my hands, my knee connecting hard with a rock.  I turn quickly to look behind me. My pursuer is charging through the trees, gaining speed.

I'm too terrified to scream."

If I could only ever read one genre of fiction, it would be the gothic novel, which never seems to go out of style. So I was delighted when Harper Collins pre-selected me to review an ARC of The Ghost Woods, which is the latest gothic novel from C J Cooke, author of The Lighthouse Witches and The Nesting, both of which I enjoyed immensely. 

Like her earlier novels, The Ghost Woods explores the connection between humans and the forces of the natural world around them. As a gothic novel, it weaves together natural studies, folklore and mythology, to create a story that is completely unique. All the keystone elements of a gothic novel are apparent - secrets, mysteries, otherworldly beings, incarceration, madness and so on - but they are brought together in a way that I have never read before, by the power of fungi and mushrooms! 

The novel, set in the late 1950s and early 1960s,  follows two young women, Mabel and Pearl, who are sent to the same home for unwed expectant mothers. Once there, they each live out their pregnancy before giving the baby up for adoption.  This was an enforced punishment for young women and girls during that time and it was very common for women to be sent away in disgrace and forced to give up their child. It was thought that a woman of such loose morals as to allow herself to fall pregnant out of wedlock, was not fit to be a mother. 

So Pearl and Mabel find themselves at Lichen Hall in the Scottish Borders, having their babies five or six years apart.  At first the novel jumps back and forth between these two narratives, but things really start to get exciting when the two story lines merge into one and Pearl and Mabel meet. From then on, the novel really swings along at a great pace, as the two women try to solve the hidden mystery at the heart of Lichen Hall and seek to prove once and for all if the legend of Nicnevin, the witch who is said to live in the woods, is true or not. 

Nicnevin the witch, is a very spooky aspect of Scottish folklore. She is hag goddess, similar to the Cailleach or Hecate.  In some legends, Nicnevin is an ancient goddess, in others she is a fairy queen. Her name was often applied to women who were taken up on charges of witchcraft during the Scottish witch trials, so it became a by-word for a witch in Scotland, similar to Grimalkin.  She is often said to be a malignant force, rather than a benevolent one and that is certainly the case in Cooke's rendition of her in The Ghost Woods. 

In this novel, Nicnevin is an ever present threat, a malignant entity, waiting to prey on anyone who wanders into her woods, even creeping into the Hall at times. Here there are fairy rings of such magnitude they seem more like a huge trap, rather than a lovely natural phenomenon. There are lights in the woods at night, mushrooms that glow and fungi which is encroaching on the house itself. Nicnevin is all around the girls when they are at their most vulnerable, for how can they run from the threat when they are weighed down by their own great bulk of pregnancy? 

It is an atmospheric read, at times revolting in its descriptions of how fungi work, at times sinister in the gathering threat of doom that hangs over the girls. As the house they entered for sanctuary during pregnancy becomes a threat, the girls have to work together to find a way to escape from the constant menace and the contamination that is all around them. Their only hope is a little boy with strange powers of foresight, but do his gifts come from a good place, or is he being used by Nicnevin herself? 

The Ghost Woods is a fabulous book with a subtle Scottish slant. It made me feel very glad that I have never wanted babies and that I don't like mushrooms! It's a great one to read during the autumn, which is why it is being published in October, during fungi season.  A word of warning though, this novel will probably put you off mushroom soup forever, and if you dare to go foraging in the woods after reading this, you're a braver person than I am!

I hope C J Cooke continues to write more gothic novels, because she certainly has a talent for this genre. 

Blessed Be

Marie x

AD: This book was sent to me by the publisher for review purposes. It is released on 13th October 2022, but it is available for pre-order now. 

ONCE UPON A DREAM; The Upturned Cauldron Goodies

 

Today is Lughnasadh and I have had a good harvest again this year, so I've been treating myself to some new witchy bits for autumn.  I first discovered The Upturned Cauldron last year and they have fast become one of my favourite witchy brands.  I love everything about them, from their ethics to the stunning artwork on their spooky packaging.  As we are now in the final weeks of summer, my thoughts have turned to autumn and I wanted to get a few new bits in preparation for the spooky season, both from The Upturned Cauldron and beyond.   

To begin with I bought a fabulous pumpkin shaped chopping board from the local shopping center, which is just lovely.  It looks fantastic in my kitchen, as I have pumpkin crockery out all year round.  I also picked up a wonderful wine bottle holder that is fashioned to look like a witch's boot.  It has sparkly stars all over it and a curled up point at the front.  Even if you don't drink wine, you could use it for coffee syrups, incense sticks, knitting needles, cooking utensils or paint brushes - anything long and thin could be stored in this witch's boot. 

Then I got a few bewitching goodies from The Upturned Cauldron, who are an independent online candle makers.  All their candles are hand mixed and poured, fragranced with delicious spooky scents like Poison Apple and Immortal Slumber from their very own secret recipes.  My personal favourite is Bewitched Pumpkin and I am so tempted to start burning these ones, but instead I'm being good and waiting until October. They will be one of my autumn treats to look forward to. 

All their candles are made from soy wax, so they burn quite cleanly and are a natural product.  They come in compostable and biodegradable packaging, plus the tins are so witchy that you'll want to reuse them, either for spell craft or to organize your witchy pantry. You could even reuse them as tea light holders for on your altar.  As a small business they make just four scents in all, but each one is beautiful and this means that you easily collect the whole set.  They do seem to sell out pretty quickly though, so if the item you want is out of stock, it probably just means that they are currently stirring up a new batch in the cauldron or waiting for their latest batch to set, so check back in a day or two for restock. 

This year The Upturned Cauldron are also making wax melts, in their signature scents and spooky shapes, such as jack-o-lanterns and poison apples.  Each bag contains between 8-12 melts, depending on which scent you choose.  I have already started using these and my home currently smells of Bewitched Pumpkin. I love it and I am totally ready for spooky season!   These products have a touch of real magic and enchantment about them and I would describe them as an affordable luxury with a witchy twist.  I shall certainly be burning their wax melts in my study as I write my new witchy and psychotherapy books!  

This is the kind of business you would find on Diagon Alley. You can also find them in the Muggle world on Youtube, Instagram and of course at their stunningly atmospheric website, The Upturned Cauldron.  It is the perfect place for restocking your fun little witch supplies, ready for autumn to roll in on a mist. Happy Sabbat! 

Blessed Be

Marie x

AD: Some of these items were gifted to me by The Upturned Cauldron. All opinions are my own.