A Sanctuary for Old Souls

Hello, Enaid! I hope you are all well, and that you’re currently too busy celebrating in your cozy homes to read this post, but if you are reading this, I wish you a very merry Christmas and a Blessed Yule, and all my love and wishes for the year to come! I know that this can be a hard time for some, and that, for many, Christmas is actually a time of isolation and loneliness. But you are not alone. You are never alone. Presents and religious inclinations aside, Christmas is a time for unity. It is in this time of the year that differences are set aside, enmities are forgotten and peace and love fill all of the cracks in the world. Strangers sing together, families and friends connect from all corners, and children light up their homes and schools and communities with their beautiful wonder. Look at your friends and give them warm hugs and kind words. Look at your Families and give thanks for your place on earth in this transformative time, and for all of the people set to bl...

Hi there :) This week, I got to talking with my mother about everything that we've gone through; reminiscing on how far we have come over the last few months.  This time last year I didn't want to live at all, let alone start planning for the future - The only planning I wanted to think about then was planning my funeral. But now, I'm actively gathering ideas on what to do next, trying to figure out how to get my life started -  A life that I actually want. A life that I'm excited for. In amongst these musings - during which, many tears were shed - My mother asked me what advice I would give to someone who was in her position; a parent watching their child struggle through mental and emotional battles that few can truly understand. I told her this: Emotions happen.  Just like waves in an ocean. They are fluid and constantly moving; the waves are going to go up and down, and the tides are going to wash in and out, but all of that is okay. ...

Hey there. When things were really bad, I took comfort in writing; I wrote a lot of things down in a book that I had. Somehow I felt that poetry had the ability to express feelings in a way that nothing else could, and so I came up with a few poems of my own, in an attempt to express or even explain how I was feeling, even if just to myself. And guess what - I just found the book! Re-reading them just made me think, and reflect on the state I was in. As hard as it might be to believe, it's actually quite difficult to remember exactly how it was. I doubt I could accurately describe or explain it all to anyone now.  All of the memories seem strangely hazy, I don't really know why. My guess is that I was so distant from everything, even myself, that it was like I wasn't really there; wasn't fully present, so it's almost like when you wake up from a dream - You can remember some things, but the more time passes, the more distant the memories become. With...

So, it's 2018! 2017 has been... rough. And I think I speak for many when I say that. But, things always have to get worse before they get better; hitting rock bottom means better projection for bouncing back up, and I think 2017 was just that - rock bottom. I don't think I'm the only one to feel it, the changing that's been happening throughout this year. Everything seems to be shifting, not just on a mass scale, but with smaller, more personal things too. You may be finding that your perspectives are changing, or your interests and hobbies, or maybe you're diet and taste in food, or even the style of clothes you wear or genre of music you listen to. If it feels right, go with it. Everything happens for a reason. And that's my message for the new year: Trust your heart and your intuition, let go . Everything else will come naturally, you've earned it. 2018 is important, I can feel it. And it's going to be amazing. I wish you all an amazing...

It's Christmas!  I can't believe it! Everything seems to have moved so quickly!  Like when you walk a long way and are so focused on the path ahead of you that you don't pay any mind to time or distance. But suddenly you look back only to realize that you have traveled a much greater distance than you thought. This year has been a tough one. Actually, the past few years have been tough (this one being the toughest of all), but I can feel things shifting.  Christmas is said to be a time of giving, happiness and warmth, and for many, it is.  I also know that for those suffering from mental illness, Christmas can seem like the complete opposite, and can make things worse, as opposed to better. But to me, Christmas marks the end of a year cycle, getting rid of the things that do not serve you and opening up to everything that is to come. December, in my eyes, is the month of clearing away the bullshit and preparing for new dreams, wishes and motivation...

Hey there, enaid! I've been tired but restless lately... (Strange combination, I know) I want to do things and take those first steps to a 'normal' life again (whatever normal is), but I still worry about it. A lot. Bored, restless and capable, but also tired and scared of taking those steps. But, despite that, I finally did something! Courtesy of a few amazing friends of mine, a new, local theatre group had been created for young people, targeting some of the most trying issues for young people today, and I was honoured to be invited into this new family after attending their workshop audition, and I'm so excited to get started on the project! Energy is a bit on the low side today, as expected, but I'm bouncing back a lot quicker! And soon, I don't think there will be any energetic or emotional setbacks to counter each new step I take. It may not seem like much to the outside eye, but consider this: The past year and a half has been an extremely d...

Things haven't been particularly good of late. The past few weeks have been hard, I think mainly due to my birthday being so great, as strange as that sounds... everything's been on a bit of a downward slope since then, but It's expected. It's almost as if, during the low days, all previously happy experiences become melancholic memories for the time being. But that's just it. For the time being. Before, this would have greatly bothered me. It would have seemed permanent, the 'true way' of looking at things so-to-speak, as if that momentary experience was fleeting and inconsequential, but although it can be extremely distressing, I know that it will pass. I know that I am strong, and I am capable, and things will get better, because I can make it so . I've tasted happiness and confidence and independence. I know that I have it in me already, even if I'm not ready to fully use those muscles yet. They've been atrophied for some time, o...

Believe it or not, yesterday was my birthday. Officially 18! Don't really feel any different, but I don't suppose you ever do, do you? Anyway, not much for large celebrations, we just hosted a little get together at my house, for family and friends.  It wasn't much, nothing elaborate, but It turned out to be the best birthday I've ever had. This year was important for me. Not because I was turning 18, but because this is my first birthday coming out of depression and anxiety, and it just so happened to be my claim to adulthood as well.  It symbolized new beginnings. Things are getting better, I am getting better, and I was glad to have something important to celebrate. It may not seem like much from the outside, but this is the first time I've felt truly hopeful. The first time I'm truly looking forward to the future, and feeling like I can cope with everything to come. So, already an emotional time, my feelings were still a little mixed. With g...

Samhain has been celebrated for centuries and has its origin in Pagan Celtic traditions. It is the time of year when the veils between this world and the Otherworld are believed to be at their thinnest: when the spirits of the dead could most readily mingle with the living once again. Samhain is not only a time for reflecting on mortality and honoring those that have passed, but also for reflecting on the passing of relationships, jobs and other significant changes in life. A time for taking stock of the past and coming to terms with it, in order to move on and look forward to the future. Acknowledge, embrace, and let go of that which has passed, and invite willingly everything that is to come. Blessed be, Prydferth Enaid. IvyMoon xxx

Not feeling good? Tired? Grouchy? Tense? Try this: https://www.youtube.com /20 minute yoga for beginners It might not be for everyone, but I have found this helpful for relaxing my body and renewing my spirits in the morning, ready for the day ahead. Give it a try, and let me know what you think. IvyMoon xxx

'I'm tired, boss... Mostly I'm tired of people being ugly to each other.  I'm tired of all the pain I feel and hear in the world everyday.  There's too much of it.  It's like pieces of glass in my head all the time.' - John Coffey,  The Green Mile

“The real warriors in this world are the ones that see the details of another’s soul. They see the transparency behind walls people put up. They stand on the battlefield of life and expose their heart’s transparency, so other’s can finish the day with hope. They are the sensitive souls that understand that before they could be a light they first had to feel the burn.” ~ Shannon L. Alder My prydferth enaid,  I know I'm not the only one to feel this way. To feel drained and overwhelmed by... everything. Sometimes, you will feel able to cope and rise to the challenge, and on other days, you won't.  That's OK. Sometimes you feel helpless and overwhelmed and miserable, and unable to do anything about it. Today might be one of those days, or it might not. Just know that whatever your feeling, however uncomfortable or painful, is meant to be there. Don't try and question it, or change it. Embrace it. It will pass. This is extremely hard, I know, and it doesn't ...

Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding it's way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge’                                       - Isaac Asimov

The relief when someone understands.

Quote of the day.