Hazelwood is handy for making magic wands and dowsing rods. Excellent if you need to find underground water, malign earth vibrations, gemstones and buried metal. Over the years many holes have been dug in this lawn, guided by urgent beeps on a metal detector. Discoveries include: 7 nails, 4 tent pegs, 10p and some chunks of silver that turned out to be lead. Maybe a hazel twig would have done better.
Hazelwood is a symbol of wisdom, knowledge and inspiration. Hazelnuts give peace and health so that is just about everything covered with one plant. This is getting boring. All plants laying claim to the same old of stuff. Next week will feature plants that symbolise interesting things like death, sex, betrayal and gossip. Or awful things like parking tickets and tax returns. There must be more interesting ones out there.
Talking of death. One of the chickens passed away for no reason. She died peacefully in her sleep and now lies in an unmarked grave behind the cabbage plants. A pet chicken dying quickly and quietly is is not to be sniffed at. You save maybe £150 in vet bills. (About the price of 14 free range, oven ready chickens). I tried to feel sad but that would have been unfair to the supermarket chicken we ate that day. No tears for her when the bones went in the recycling bin.
Tip. Always use a sad face when telling people that a chicken died (the pet one, not the one you ate). Or just don’t tell them. Visitors don’t count your chickens.
Hazel grows fast and straight. It can be used for fencing, coracle boats, withies (basket making) and coffins. The chicken death would have been a good opportunity to try this craft but that’s an afterthought. Too late now.
Talking of Inspiration. Here are this week’s inspirational happenings.
Unblocking a Drain. Tools included: a cup to empty the stinking water, scissors/knife to cut away built up disgusting things, a glorious mix of bicarbonate of soda and water that bubbled up everywhere, Somebody Else with drain rods and finally evil chemicals from hell overnight. Nothing worked.
Finally, before spending £100’s on a drain company, I brilliantly stuck plunger down there and it worked! Forget holidays, parties and beach picnics. If you want pure joy, go find a blocked drain and clear it out.
No alcohol. A couple of weeks down and it is time to get cocky about it. Sometimes there is a ‘fuckitIamjustgoingtogoandgetsomewinetonight’ moment. According the book the trick then is to imagine a Bad Creature feeding those thoughts into your mind and turning away from it. The author called hers ‘Voldermart’. Mine was quickly named ‘Viridor’. A suitably dark name for someone who might look like one of these.
Maybe not this one actually 
Yesterday I spotted dustbin lorry and discovered that this name is completely unoriginal and apparently inspired by a recycling company. Well it works so far anyway.
Outside the garden there was the equinox by the sea. Here’s to catching light wherever we can. We are going to need it.
Wonderful. Devastated to hear about the chicken but perhaps it was fortunate it didn’t have a name. That wY I feel less emotionally involved.
that sea is wonderful … feel a sketch coming on…
it always leaves me with a good feeling xxx