Rain, Mud, and a Thanksgiving: Welcome to Our Chaos

Rain, Mud, and a Thanksgiving: Welcome to Our Chaos

If it’s been raining for what feels like 'forever' in the Devon countryside, it’s because it has. I’m starting to wonder if we’ve offended some weather spirit, because the skies have not stopped crying for days. Meanwhile, inside our little cottage, we’re doing our best to stay dry (barely) and keep the kids from turning into wild woodland creatures (failing).

But amidst all the soggy chaos, we had a beautiful moment this week: a Thanksgiving ceremony to honour our family member who passed a few weeks ago. It was a chance to pause, reflect, and give thanks, it was actually in only time all week where it stopped raining and the sun shone.

Rain, Mud, and Too Many Spells

Let’s start with the obvious: it’s been raining a lot. Like, I’ve started seriously considering building a boat. The kids, of course, are thriving in this weather. The littlest treats every mud puddle like a personal invitation from the universe to splash until he’s soaked through. Meanwhile, the 2 youngest girls have been conducting “water rituals” all week, which basically means mixing rainwater, glitter, and food colouring in every jar they can find. Our house currently looks like a witch’s potion shop met a glitter bomb.

The 10 year old, ever the optimist, declared she was going to do a “sun summoning” spell, which involved twirling around in the rain and chanting about sunshine. Spoiler: it did NOT work. my eldest, always the philosophical one, insists the rain is “cleansing our spirits” and “reminding us of life’s cycles.” Very poetic, but I’m just trying to figure out how to dry the washing before we run out of socks.

Thanksgiving: Mud Optional

In the midst of this waterlogged week, we managed to carve out a beautiful moment to honour our family member who passed. We decided to hold a Thanksgiving ceremony to give thanks for their life and spirit. And let me tell you, if there’s one thing we do well as a family, it’s a heartfelt (and slightly chaotic) gathering.

After the main ceremony with friends and family we gathered in the living room, candles lit, a little altar set up with their favourite flowers and items. The rain outside actually made it kind of cozy. Everyone shared memories they kids found a poem that made us all tear up (well, except for the littlest one, who was busy trying not to blow out the candles 'by accident'). The girls were convinced they felt Gran's energy “right there in the room,” which is totally believable because our house is always full of the paranormal.

The youngest girly, in true fashion, created a “spirit potion” for Gran’s journey to the afterlife. The potion was 90% glitter and 10% cinnamon, which they then offered to the wind, only for it to be immediately blown back into their face. If Gran was watching, I’m sure she was laughing as hard as I was.

Witchy Business as Usual (With a Side of Wet Socks)

Even after our lovely Thanksgiving ceremony, the witchy activities haven’t stopped because around here, there’s no such thing as a 'quiet week.' My middle daughter has been scribbling down new spells in their “book of autumn magic,” most of which involve rainwater. The boy is still leaving acorns in the garden as offerings to their imaginary spirit fox, despite the fact that I’m certain the only thing we’re feeding are the squirrels.

Meanwhile, the eldest pair have turned my kitchen into a magical laboratory. I caught my youngest girl trying to “bless” the toaster this morning with a stick she found in the garden, and I’m pretty sure there’s glitter in every cupboard. If glitter were currency, we’d be rich.

Halloween Countdown: Will We Drown Before the Big Night?

Now, with Halloween just around the corner, the excitement levels are rising (along with the puddles in the front our house). The kids are bouncing off the walls, already debating their costumes and what kind of spells they want to perform. The 10 year old is pushing for an enchantment circle, while the boy he’s just excited about wearing a cape and eating his body weight in sweets.

Here’s hoping the rain clears up in time for our big Halloween plans, or else we might have to hold our ritual in wellies and raincoats. Either way, it’s going to be witchy, wild, and *very* messy.

So, while the weather may be doing its best to turn us into swamp creatures, we’re still making magic, one soggy spell at a time. Rain or shine, our witchy little family will keep finding ways to honour the past, embrace the present, and most importantly survive the mud.

The Unschooling Witchy Mum