Urban witchcraft?

[Pamela]

At the beginning of the summer, I moved from a rural area to a large city. I've always been more of a green/cottage witch, so I'm finding it rather difficult to adjust to my new surroundings in terms of my practice. I'm lucky to live in a quieter, greener neighborhood, but instead of an open field and some woods behind me, I now have a large apartment complex and loads of zero-lot-line houses back there.

Has anyone else made this transition? How do you hold on to nature when you're surrounded by concrete?

[[deleted user]]

I've been moving the other way, from apartment, to a house with 16 ft yard, 33 feet, on up, seems every four years, until now I"m on an 88 acre farm! I can't imagine the opposite, but my treasured memories of those tiny yards is of creating little microcosms of nature, ponds with fountains, secluding bushes, flowers that bloom from spring through late fall. Inside, a space of tranquility. And many trips to the country! The lovely thing about humans is we adapt and can be happy anywyere. Best, Derek

[Pamela]

Ooh, I have to admit that I'm envious, Derek. :) I'd love to live on a big farm like that, or even just a couple of quiet acres.

I live in a third floor apartment, but I've got a nice-sized balcony. I'm working on a little container garden out there, and as soon as I can afford it, I want to set up a little table-top fountain or something. It'll definitely have to wait until the weather cools off, though! The balcony just isn't that comfortable when it's 95 degrees outside.

[Laura]

For 12 years we lived in a second floor condo. I had so many container garden plants on that balcony and by the front door people said it looked like it was a real garden growing out of the floor boards. What a hoot!

But I am also a Wiccan Faery Witch, which makes me very Green. Many of my novel and poetry book customers told me they thought I lived in the woods, because of all the nature in my novels and poems. Yet my condo faced a concrete parking lot. However, because I was looking for it, I could see an abundance of Nature in the trees, grass, and sky that surrounded my condo, even though the trees were few and the grass patches tiny. All the birds, butterflies, plants, etc., people rushed past and missed every day. You could probably find the same around your new apartment complex.

I think this is always a fun challenge from the Goddess. To find her in Nature even in the midst of the city. It can be done, and once you begin to look for her, you'll be amazed how much of Her there is to find among all that steel, chrome, and concrete.

BTW, have you checked out my blog lately? It's called "Magickal Novels & Empowering Thoughts for Women" at http://www.OccultFiction.blogspot.com

You might find it interesting. Lots of Goddess nature there!

Magickal blessings!

[Zephrene]

How is the transition going?

[Ancestral]

The easiest way to become acclimatised in the city is to make contact with the genius loci. They won't be anything like that you may be used to in rural areas, but they are there and, once you've made contact and shown you are friendly, things will be a lot easier.

[Christy]

I've never had an affinity with nature so I think the hardest transition would be to practice more Earth oriented witchcraft.

[Abby]

We are homesteading our urban lot. Our lot is in a typical suburb that is about 1/4 acre in size. In our back yard we grow veggies and herbs plus we are creating a small "grove" for family rites. We are using edible landscaping ideas for our front yard but are just this year getting things started with that. My daughter is an avid bird watcher so we connect to nature thru that as well as working our land. I also enjoy reading about the history and lore of the area we live in. It helps in understanding the spirits of the area.

[Lavender]

Excellent example of bringing it all together in limited space

[Aaron, Moderator]

It'll tell you where to find the fay folk in the city.