Witches Online - New Generation, 6

I don't know about you guys, but I have this weird habit where I don't actually start appreciating things until much later—usually once they become a total staple in my daily routine or something I can't stop rambling about in conversation.
When exactly is that moment when Jasmin stops being just some common shrub or a vague association with some pop singer whose music I barely tolerate unless I'm in the right "Jasmin-scented" company?😁

And when does someone you see all the time, or even just chat with every single day, suddenly turn into a lover that makes every cell in your body scream?

To me, it’s one of those huge, unsolvable mysteries... how everything just clicks, wires together, and triggers this absolute explosion of feelings and associations, when a bush isn't just a bush anymore, and an acquaintance becomes so much more...

Anyway, today I headed out to plant two new friends: peppers and tomatoes. The ladies at the local farmer's market gave me such strange looks, and honestly, I probably looked even weirder to them when I told them I only wanted to buy three tomato seedlings and three pepper ones (there's that number three again😁). They were clearly judging me because they had already prepared to dump about twenty seedlings on me, so I just said, totally innocent-like, "Oh, you know, I only have a tiny little garden..."
"Oh, honey, don't worry about it! Everyone starts small... one day you'll be running a whole farm!"

Hehe, I love those women. If I had more time, I would've stayed to grab a coffee with them, and they probably would've talked me into starting a full-blown revolution...😁 😉

So, shovel in hand, feet on the move... and then I stopped dead in front of the beauty of a bush that's been sitting by those old, broken wooden gates for years, and I'm only just now truly seeing it. The first thing that catches my eye are these tiny, delicate white flowers... they've just started to open... and the scent... it's not at full strength yet, you only really catch it if you lean right into the bud, but man, it's there...

"When soulmates meet, the scent of Jasmin hangs in the air..."

"Suppose WE create a civil War among The gardens and crown The jasmin empress and queen of All !" Charles Dickens

By the way, Jasmin is famous for being a powerful aphrodisiac. It smells strongest at night. I don't know much about its medicinal properties, but I think I'm going to start looking into that...

But enough talk, duty calls, so I got to work planting my two modest little friends. There are an incredible amount of butterflies this year, so one light blue one was basically following me around the whole time. It kept poking its nose into every garden bed, swooping down to every little plant to sniff it, acting like it was judging and evaluating my progress. Eventually, it tired itself out and landed right on my little right toe, so we just sat there having a little chat about the weather...

The philosophy for planting tomatoes and peppers is a whole thing; you dig holes about 8 inches deep and soak them with water. That's crucial because these babies need tons of moisture, and I can't exactly trek out to the garden every single day to water them. Then you mix in some good manure, top it with a bit of soil, water it heavily again, and *then* you tuck the seedling inside. Cover it back up with the remaining soil and soak it one last time.

Of course, that is if you don't mind a little blue butterfly slowing down your workflow.
Otherwise, the garden is doing great so far. The basil is going to be massive, and I'm giving away free seedlings to anyone interested.
The broccoli is holding up well too. Same with the sage, and the rest are shyly peeking their heads out.

Honestly, there were so many obstacles on the way to the garden today. A tractor blocked the road for ten minutes, and then on the way back, a truck cut me off, so I actually had to ask the neighbors to let me cut through their driveway to get to the other street.
All in all, a good day.

But it was worth it. As always. Plus, I met Jasmin. And my life will never be the same.🙂

Jasmin

AMONG THE MULTITUDE

by: Walt Whitman (1819-1892)

AMONG the crowds of men and women, the massive sea of people,
I feel someone spotting me through subtle, almost sacred signals,
Ignoring everyone else—not my parents, spouse, siblings, or kids—just focusing on me,
Most people are just lost in the shuffle, but not that one. That one actually sees me.
Oh, my lover and my absolute peer,
My plan was for you to find me through these quiet, hidden traces,
And when we finally cross paths, I intend to recognize you by those same unmistakable signs.

It’s been absolutely brutal lately with this drought... Every single time I was lugging heavy buckets of water out to the garden over the last few days, I kept thinking about how absurd it all is; there’s zero rain, the ground is parched, yet my own body just keeps producing fluid. Way too much. 😁

Staring at that dry, cracked earth, I could practically feel the thirst myself—that desperate craving for water from the plants that felt almost like actual pain. And all those buckets I hauled around? They felt like such a cheap substitute, a pathetic band-aid for what was really needed. Just thinking about it made my throat go dry, then suddenly my mouth was watering... Water is life. Seriously, water is everything. It's the fertile waters of a mother carrying a child, the moisture between thighs in the sweet anticipation of a lover, water in a glass, water inside ripe fruit... Water is life and fertility.

When the rain finally hit two days ago, my thirst just vanished. None of that other stuff—no tea, no juice—could ever touch that growing desperation I felt after my last trip out to the garden.

So now I’m just sitting here, watching the soil finally look satisfied, purring in contentment as it starts to grow again. It's like the earth is pregnant. 🙂

And then, out of nowhere, this music drifts into my ears. It sounds so familiar, yet totally foreign at the same time... voices echoing a single word over and over—allahuu, allahuu, allahuu.

I’m struggling to remember where that melody came from... and then it hits me. It’s from that Sufi spiritual music concert at the Lincoln Center earlier this month. The whole set lasted, what, two and a half hours? But the very next day, I couldn't recall a single tune. Not one lyric. Nothing. It was like I wasn't even there... until now.
The rain unlocked the memory; it released the melody and pulled it right back into my consciousness... allahuuu, allahuu, allahuuu.

Sorry if this post feels a bit unhinged or "impure," but I can't help it. This is just how it comes out.

Paul Campbell3 said:Well, once I finally cleared my schedule, I got to work planting my two modest little friends. ...

For the most part, the garden is actually doing great. My basil is going to be overflowing soon, so I’ll be handing out free seedlings to anyone interested.
The broccoli is holding up well too. The sage is thriving, while the rest of the plants are just shyly poking their heads out of the soil.

🙂 I really loved reading this; it actually made me realize how much we need a dedicated sub-forum for
MY GARDEN.
After all, gardeners focus on the dirt, and witches focus on the magic.😉

Look, you can have a garden run by witches, or you can have gardeners who are just a little bit witchy themselves..😉

Paul Campbell3 said:But it was worth it, really, just as it always turns out to be, and besides, I finally met Jasmin, and my life will honestly never be the same again.🙂
[/URL]

I first encountered Jasmin about three months ago when he was at his absolute peak, and though there were little glimpses of him before, this time his presence was just completely overwhelming...😁.....
Right now, he's the only one who truly understands the subtle nuances of roses and orange blossoms.🙂

So, you won't believe what happened to me yesterday... I’m walking up toward my favorite patch of Jasmin, and suddenly... the whole damn bush starts vibrating like crazy!
I look closer and—holy crap—there are about 40 bumblebees living inside that shrub!
My God! The singing, the shaking, the buzzing... it was like standing right next to a high-voltage power line and hearing that constant bzzzzzzzz...
😁
A literal natural power line... 🙂

Insane! So, naturally, I started singing that old nursery rhyme:
"It ain't easy for a bumblebee, zum, zum, zum, zum!
For a bumblebee man, zum, zum, zum, zum!
To pick out from all the bees, zum, zum, zum, zum!
With the same colors and patterns, to find his one true Mara;
zum, zum, zum- zum, zum zum!"

Look, I know I'm tripping... but life's been rough lately, and this was just one way to make things feel a little lighter. 😉

🙂Barbie and the gang

"Eye for an Eye?

If you throw a punch at me,
I’m swinging right back at you.
By the end of it, we’ll both
Be staring through nothing but black eyes.

But if you give me a hug,
I’m going to hug you right back.
And that’s how we’ll both end up
Sealing a lifelong friendship pact."

June 8th

St. Jude yesterday

The weather we saw yesterday is likely to be what we experience for the next forty days.

Look, let me tell you... today's massive cloudburst just completely shattered the scientific foundation of folk religion and superstition..😁

Dammit, I walked through my front door absolutely soaked. Sure, I was praying for some rain for my garden, but I didn't ask for a freaking flood.. I'm sitting here wondering where exactly I went wrong with my "rituals."😁 😎

Paul Campbell3 said:Once the prep work was done, I started planting. I exposed the seeds to the sun and wind, covered them with soil, and finished with a good watering.
The layout went like this:
First, basil. That's my favorite.
Then sage next to it. Actually, scratch that... there's no sage...
Underneath the basil is mint, under where the sage would be is thyme, and finally, oregano.

One pot stayed empty. It's reserved for my lady's grass. I'm having a bit of trouble sourcing some seedlings, but I'll figure it out eventually.

One month later:

Well, look at that... today's thunderstorm really shook the scientific foundations of folk religion and belief.😁

Dammit, I walked home soaking wet. Sure, I prayed for rain for my garden, but I didn't ask for a flood. I wonder where I went wrong.😁 😎

I am eager to see how the garden responds to the storm. 👍

😉 😉 😉

Woohoo! Reporting live from the scene of a massive rainstorm that apparently only had devastating consequences for my garden and not me...
Exactly the opposite!

So, I can officially announce to all you commoners, The Witch of Lin, fellow gardeners, and regular folks alike—because let’s face it, we’re all in this together—that we have finally become parents!
The first fruit has arrived: a tiny little tomato!
Sure, it’s in the "microscopic pumpkin" category right now, but whatever... let’s not split hairs!😳 Once it grows up, it'll be a real tomato!😁

Also, the basil is absolutely taking off, especially after I thinned out the rows last time to give it some breathing room. The smell is pure heaven!

Mint is striking; a few sprigs popped up, and even though there isn't much quantity yet, the quality blows the other plants out of the water.

The broccoli is thriving too, and honestly, the zucchini aren't shy about showing off either...😁

Sage is clearly loving this dry spell, because it’s currently racing with the basil to see who can grow faster and better..

Thyme is just thyme, moving along slowly but surely.. such a delicate little thing; it's the baby of the group for now, but don't let that fool you; those are the ones that catch up later and overtake the fast burners who use up all their fuel at the start.😉

The only thing worrying me is an ant... it refuses to come outside. Reminds me of myself; until everything is certain, there's no leaving the bunker!😁
Hmm, I'll have to come up with some kind of magic trick....

Oh yeah; I gorged myself on blackberries today. The white ones haven't ripened yet. And I've got a tenant in the basement—while I was filling up a jug with homemade apple cider vinegar, I spotted two eyes staring at me from the barrel. A little rascal. I have no idea how many chances they had to touch frog skin; it's a very weird, slightly unpleasant sensation. Sticky and damp.

Oh, also. Some strange chicken greets me in the yard every time, and then we play hide-and-seek. Maybe it's a female peahen that escaped from someone's yard, but since I'm not exactly an expert on identifying breeds, who knows..😁

What else? Butterflies are still "getting in the way," and by the end of the season, my biceps and triceps will be the envy of every bodybuilder😁 (of course, wherever I go, I lean on male strength to help carry the water buckets, though that doesn't happen often enough..😉 ) and hopefully, I won't end up with a bruise.

Last week the garden had some visitors, and I think there was some mutual love exchanged, and I have to thank my buddy for his selflessness in hauling canisters out of the well. Props to you!

Anyway, I'm off to pick off any potential ticks and water myself!

Cheers!🙂

We had some company over at the garden last week, and I honestly think everyone walked away feeling a lot closer. I also have to give a huge shoutout to my buddy for being such a legend—he spent all that time hauling canisters out of the well just to help us out. Seriously, man, you're a lifesaver.

👍 🙂 😁 Man, if you could've seen it, you wouldn't believe it. It looked like straight-up sorcery! The sheer power of it was insane!

It’s Friday the 13th, and 😲 😁

Today, a certain "good kid"—someone truly special—is celebrating a birthday 🙂

To our Horned general, happy birthday!

I’m wishing you endless spiritual joy, plenty of wisdom, beauty, long bike rides, inspiration... well, you know the drill.

🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Matthew Lopez11? 🙂 The date works for me. 😁

😘 Man, that's some wild stuff... 😁

😉 :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: 👋 👋 🙂 🙂

🙂

🙂🙂🙂

Paul Campbell3, your stories about that garden inspired me to put two celery and chili seedlings in pots on my windowsill today. I’ll be using spring water to keep them hydrated.🙂 Let’s see how they fare.🙂

In a real backyard, I’d probably have to deal with chickens, frogs, and ticks, but I’m not looking forward to trekking uphill in the heat with heavy watering cans. 😉

Anyway, 👍 cheers to you and your garden.

🙂 🙂 🙂

Hehe, Slav, one of these days I’m gonna drop a few words about celery... though we already know all about chili, right? We feel it deep down..😁 😉
Today I'm feeling a little😢 and just don't have the drive..

But I'll make it up to you with the first round, I promise..

Wait, what???

Man, I heard there was a huge party, and I actually missed out!!

Happy belated birthday, seriously!😁

Here, take this🙂

🙂 ??

🙂The whole crew is rolling in on the Greyhound bus

🙂

🙂 hik 🙂 hik