Happy July! I hope you are enjoying the Summer (Northern Hemisphere) as much as I am. I just love the warmth, the sunshine, the energy, and wearing light dresses and sandals! Sigh…
Eclipses
Astrologically this month looks interesting with two eclipses (2 July with the New Moon and 16 July with the Full Moon). Eclipses present us with massive accelerations of growth, usually during very short pockets of time. These accelerations offer us very big energetic opportunities. Mercury turns retrograde on July 7 and turns direct on July 31. Venus enters receptive Cancer on July 3, followed by Mercury on July 19, retrograding from Leo back into Cancer. Mars starts the lively Leo parade on July 1, setting the tone as it roars into the sign of the lion. The Sun is next, adding its stately brilliance to the story on July 22. Romantic Venus struts her stuff on July 27 when she joins the Leo party. So woohoo! Let’s get this party started!
C’mon ‘N’ Ride It
Last weekend I returned from an 8 day trip to Switzerland to visit the Tarot Conference at Schloss Liebegg (which has a Hexenmuseum (Witch museum) – so too good to pass up on!!) and a stay at my aunt’s house near Geneva. I can’t believe it has already been two years since my last visit.
Because I don’t want to fly this year, I decided to take the train to Switzerland enjoying 12 hours of beautiful scenery (hills, castles, rivers and half-timebered houses). Letting the the cadance of the wheels on the tracks lulling me to release all tension and helping me relax and release into my holidays.
Litha
My departure to Switzerland was on Midsummer day, the 21st of June, the longest day and shortest night. The warmth and light provide a natural climax. The sun is at it’s highest point and provides all with nurturing rays of life making everything come to full bloom and growth, a natural abundance. The force of nature is enormous at this time. You can smell fertility in the air. All is lush and heavy with sweet nectar. Midsummer is also called Litha or Summer Solstice. Usually I celebrate this day by doing a fire ritual, this year I burned a candle which I brought with me in the guesthouse I was staying at. If you want to release something or say goodbye to something or someone, write it down on a piece of paper, everything you want to write down on this theme, take your time, and burn the paper in the fire, with intention. And be grateful for all the lessons connected to this, but releasing it in love as it is no longer serving you.
No rest for the wicked
I stayed in Gränichen, Aarau at a guesthouse above a restaurant situated on top of a hill (about an hour climb – no public transportation) – so great for shaping my tush 😉 Part of the appeal was that it is in in middle of nature and far from the maddening crowd. But no such luck as this place turned out to be popular for parties, such as weddings. So no rest for the wicked as there was a wedding on complete with a live band and fire works (meaning no sleep) and to top it off my room was invested with mosquitos, also biting me bullseye in the…eye (very charming) and many other places. Though apart from it being far from quiet the room was comfortable and clean especially as it came with a shared bathroom. Also the staff was very friendly.
During the day I turned to the surrounding forest for some love and care, it was so quiet and it truly recharged me. I haven’t seen any other people in the woods for the three days I was staying there. I was so craving the peace and quiet and connect with the elementals there.
Tarot Fest
My main reason for staying in Gränichen wasn’t the bustling town (haha) of Gränichen, but the Tarot Fest at Schloss Liebegg.
I started the day of the Fest very early as it was quite the hike from the guesthouse to the castle. Descending the hill and making my way towards Liebegg. What a way to start the day, walking through the woods while nature was awakening, I felt like I was in a fairy tale! After about 70 minutes there I could see the castle up on another hill, so up we go again. The sun was slowly climbing and the birds were greeting me with their song.
The Tarot Fest had about 50 or so attendees (not sure) mostly from Switzerland, but also from the UK and even two girls from China!
It was lovely meeting these people in person and seeing so many people with the same passion, the tarot! Also the castle has such a great energy and the hospitality was wonderful.
Lunch was al fresco in the courtyard:
Another highlight for me was visiting the Hexenmuseum. Wicca Meier’s collection is impressive and extensive. I took so many pictures, but they are for private use only, so I cannot share them with you. You will have to visit this wonderful place to come and see (and experience) for yourself!
The Hexenmuseum Schweiz is the only one of its kind in the German-speaking part of Europe. The collection includes more than 1.000 exhibits on the subject and is awe inspiring! I so loved it!
Moving on
The day after the Tarot Fest I took the train (around 3,5 hours of travel) to Nyon where my aunt met me at the station. It was so good to see her again. It is wonderful to feel welcome and to be with kin.
The weather was super wonderful all week, it was perhaps even, dare I write it, a bit too hot, around 38 degrees Celsius. Though this weather helps me relax and makes me wonderfully lazy and slow. I love it, just surrender to the heat and sweat it all out.
Dutch Girl
This trip was also a bit of an Audrey Hepburn pilgrimage. Now I adore Audrey. She always makes me smile and warms my heart, I just love her grace and kindness. I have seen all her films and have many books about her. I have visited many expositions (such as the fab expo on her collaboration with Givenchy and the tiny expo in Arnhem celebrating her life during wartime The Netherlands). The latest book I bought (but haven’t read yet) is Dutch Girl.
We visited her home in Tolochenaz, “La Paisable” and also her modest grave there, where I left a (wilted in the heat, so it was more rose petals) white rose. In Morges we visited a small exhibition with photographs and film.
We also spent some time babysitting the neighbors’ toddler (two years old) and my four year old cousin. It was wonderful to be surrounded by happy, open, playful energy. We went on a picknick and played in the garden. I also so enjoy seeing my aunt enjoy being with these children and her creativity, like making a play house and decorating her clothing. She has never ending positive energy which is very inspiring.
We spent a lot of time relaxing in my aunt’s pride and joy, her garden. My grandmother (her mother) was just like her, her garden was her favorite place (and she had a wonderful and large garden, fond memories of picking fruits and nuts and making jams and such). Such a luxury to eat berries straight from the bush, thick and dripping on the vines, begging to be added to breakfast and other treats. Summer invites us to indulge in the harvest of Goddess. Late summer evenings in the garden are magick, listening to the insects buzzing and letting the cool breeze tickle the flesh. I just so enjoy having meals outside and taking time to really taste the food and enjoy the company.
It was lovely catching up with my aunt, talking about life, family, the past and reflecting on the present and just enjoying the good life (meaning laughing, sightseeing, enjoying the sunshine, eachother’s company, good food and drink). I am grateful for having such welcoming, inspiring and kind people in my life.
Going home, going home, I am going home
The train trip back home wasn’t as relaxing as I expected. I thought well as Swiss people are always on time (they make watches don’t they?) there would be no problem with at least the first leg of my travels in Switzerland. But I was so wrong. The journey of 12 and a half hours became 2 days and the delays already started with the first trip between Geneva and Bern, a lot of stress and running to make the 1st connection / transfer in Bern (to Düsseldorf) – then half an hour delay to Düsseldorf (and no air conditioning in the train with 38 degrees – behind glass in the sunshine, it was very hot indeed), so I missed my connection in Düsseldorf. There it was crazy busy as many trains were delayed because of the heat. So we all had to cramp inside a slow Sprinter train from Düsseldorf to Venlo (NL) (with very “interesting” people, but kind as I received a shot of Jägermeister from the ladies next to me in the train who were going to The Netherlands to visit a coffee shop and party (I do wonder if they will get far in the Netherlands with a liter of liquor in them before they arrive (and in this heat) …) – then finally in Venlo (by this time it was late in the evening) there were delays because of “a collision with a person” (this is what they call people who commit suicide by jumping in front of a train), so more delays and cancelled trains and lots of frustrated angry people.
Eventually I found myself on my way to Eindhoven and yes there were delays too, so I did not make my last connection to Amsterdam (and was already 15 hours on my way by then and frankly exhausted). Fortunately I was invited to sleep on the couch at a fellow traveler’s house and continue my journey homewards the next day. The offer to stay is so very cool and nice, such wonderful people in this world! I also had a great chat with a German woman on the train. So grateful for kind people and connection. If I wasn’t invited I needed to stay at the station overnight, book a hotel or take a very expensive taxi to Amsterdam. Even though I had a wonderful holiday, I always love returning home. Sweet home.
The end.
Thank you for sharing this space with me. Lots of love, Charissa
P.S. A link to all the pictures
“Morning star light the way
Restless dreams all gone
Shadows gone, break of day
Real life… “
