The Legend of Knockgrafton

This legend tells of a poor man from Aherlow who had such a great hump on his back that when sitting down, his chin had to rest on his knees to support it. He was nicknamed Lusmore, as he always wore a sprig of a foxglove in his hat. The man was mild-tempered, but because of his deformity rumours circulated about him and many feared him. He was a skilled weaver, making baskets and straw hats, but also had great knowledge of herbs and charms.

One night, Lusmore was returning from Cahir and on his way came upon the moat of Knockgrafton. He decided to rest his weary feet and gaze upon the moon, when he suddenly heard an unearthly melody sang by many voices, one verse repeated over after a pause:
Da Luan (Monday), Da Mort (Tuesday),
Da Luan (Monday), Da Mort (Tuesday),
Da Luan (Monday), Da Mort (Tuesday),

After the verse was repeated three times, Lusmore joined with the singing, adding augus Da Cadine (and Wednesday) in the pause. The fairies were so thrilled by this they at once decided to bring Lusmore to them. He swirled in a whirlwind to the music he heard, welcomed by the fairies and placed above all of their musicians as an honour.

The fairies then consulted one another in hushed voices, until one stepped forward and said:
Lusmore! Lusmore!
Doubt not, nor deplore,
For the hump which you bore
On your back is no more;
Look down on the floor,
And view it, Lusmore!

At these words Lusmore felt happy and light, as he watched his hump roll down the hill beneath him. He was then free to look up and admire the beautiful sights, until he became overwhelmed and dizzy, falling asleep. When he woke up, he found himself on the moat once again, with the sun shining brightly upon him. He checked for his hump but it was no longer there, and he was also pleased to find his clothes were all new, fashioned by the fairies.

He set off again on his journey to Cappagh, where no one recognised him without his hump, so it took some hard work to persuade them who he was. His story soon spread, and one day an old woman knocked on his door looking for him. The woman explained that she was hoping Lusmore would reveal the charm he used to get rid of his hump, as her son was suffering with one of his own. Lusmore told the woman everything in detail, for which she thanked him and returned home to retell it to her son – Jack Madden.

The woman brought her son to the moat at Knockgrafton, and soon enough Jack heard the fairies sing the new and improved version of their song. However, Jack was in a rush and did not sing along with the fairies, nor did he wait for the right moment in the song but simply yelled augus Da Cadine (and Thursday), augus Da Hena (and Friday).

The fairies were not pleased. They whisked him up in a whirlwind, screeching and screaming about the spoilt tune, until one again stepped forward and said:
Jack Madden! Jack Madden!
Your words came so bad in
The tune we felt glad in;
This castle you’re had in,
That your life we may sadden;
Here’s two humps for Jack Madden!

At these words, twenty fairies lifted up Lusmore’s hump and put it on top of Jack’s own, then threw Jack Madden out of their castle back to the moat, where his mother fund him half dead. For fear of having more humps, nothing was said and Jack was brought back home but died not long after. It is said he left his curse to anyone who would go to listen to the fairy song.

We can look a little closer at the symbolism hidden in the story. Foxgloves are often associated both with the fairies and with witches, which Lusmore likely was given his knowledge of charms and herbs. The moat is also likely a liminal space, between land and water, where the Otherworld is a little closer.

This tale showcases the importance of music and manners to the Fey Folk, and we know from other stories musicians were often taken by them to provide entertainment. It also serves as a good reminder, that while they are powerful beings and can be helpful if they so desire, they can also be quick to anger and their reactions may be extreme. It is therefore sensible to tread carefully when approaching them.

Can you see any more symbolism or Otherworldly associations?

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Adapted from Celtic Fairy Tales (1990) by Joseph Jacobs.

Past Lives – Evidence and Thoughts

Many believe in reincarnation and past lives, though reasons for which we come back may vary. Some say we come back until we learn all the necessary lessons, some say it’s until we fulfil our soul purpose, and some will say it’s until we are deemed worthy by the Divine. I’m sure there’s more and a mixture of these theories. I have started my own journey into past lives a year ago, and today I wanted to explore the idea of past lives and my own beliefs in this area in more detail.

At this point you may very well be thinking “Past lives? What a load of bull hockey!”. Let’s consider some evidence.

Some people report having memories from another life, often expressed as a repetitive dream or a nightmare, or a strong sensation of deja-vu in what was supposed to be a new place. A friend of my family told me she had repeated dreams as a child of a factory she worked in and died in, only to find the exact place years later and be told that everyone who worked there was slaughtered during World War II. There are also many documented cases, published in peer-reviewed journals, where the idea of past lives is explored. For example, Lucchetti at el. (2013) wrote about a patient who reported past life memories of death linked to his rare health conditions. He was initially admitted to hospital with chest pains and received heart surgery, following which he recalled a past life memory in which he was a priest, who ended his life with a crucifix. He was urgently admitted again a couple of months later with abdominal pains, which again matched the position of his crucifix from the memory, but turned out to be another rare medical condition. In the next regression session, patient recalled being killed with a medieval weapon, and a later routine GP consultation found an aortic abnormality in the same position as the recalled memory suggested, but with no visible skin marks to explain it.

The obvious criticism is that the patient could be reporting false memories, suggested intentionally or unintentionally by their therapist, and linked to the problem areas. Indeed, research has shown that it is relatively simple and easy to manipulate such memories in past life regression, resulting in rich emotional and historical backgrounds entirely made up by patients (Pyun, 2015). This, however, does not explain such memories occurring organically, without prompts from regression therapy.

Could it be that our past holds the key to our future?

Keil and Tucker (2005) describe the case of a six year old boy from Turkey who recalled clear memories of a previous life including names of his family members, his faith, home, and details of death. These were later confirmed by the researchers to match the life of a man from Istanbul, 850km away, who died 50 years before the child was born. They argued that this excluded any possibility of the child learning details of the life by accident and attributing it to himself. Researchers have studied over 2,500 similar cases, with many of them verified to a particular person from the past (Tucker, 2007). Moreover, some of these memories are believed to explain bodily malformations or birthmarks in current lives. It may therefore be reasonable to at least entertain the possibility of the existence of past lives.

“So what?”, you might ask. How does acknowledging this help you in any way in your current life? Well, apparently it can be helpful in a few different areas. One important aspect is any past life trauma that may have occurred and whether this has any impact on your current life. It may be the case that traumatic events or a traumatic death from a previous existence, leave some sort of a mark, or as some would call it, an energetic block. This may then lead to unexplained phobias, which Stevenson (1990) has shown may develop in children with past life memories without any indication they were learnt from another family member or a result of post-natal trauma. I also know past life therapists who have successfully treated phobias through past life therapy. It is therefore possible to gain a better understanding of ourselves, our fears and weaknesses through understanding what happened to us in previous lifetimes. It is also possible to heal these wounds and become stronger.

Past life exploration can be difficult, as it can often include revisiting traumatic events.

Since it is possible to explore the traumatic side of events, it may also be possible to explore the strengths acquired in our past lives. The aforementioned therapists also believe that we can re-gain these strengths through past life exploration, re-learning forgotten skills and gifts.

Personally, I am exploring the idea of both sides of the coin. I am trying to overcome some trauma from my most recent life, though I have been told that it is important for my “soul purpose” in this existence. We shall see how this works out. On the other hand, I was also told of a more prominent, older past life, which can allow me to draw strength and confidence from it to help me on my journey. I am finding it more difficult to acknowledge the life of a more prominent historical figure, since everyone always wants to be someone significant in history and that’s just not possible. I am, however, choosing to trust the guidance, seeing as it comes from a more experienced source than myself. I am also hoping to take part in a past life course soon, which would help me understand the theory better and allow me to explore it all in more detail. This may be something I will revisit in future posts to write a little about my experiences.

What’s your belief and experience of past lives? Do you have any memories or recurrent dreams that seem out of place? I’ curious to hear about other people’s experiences in this area.

References:
Keil, H. J., & Tucker, J. B. (2005). Children who claim to remember previous lives: Cases with written records made before the previous personality was identified. Journal of Scientific Exploration, 19(1), 91-101.
Lucchetti, G., dos Santos Camargo, L., Lucchetti, A. L., Schwartz, G. E., & Nasri, F. (2013). Rare medical conditions and suggestive past-life memories: A case report and literature review. EXPLORE, 9(6), 372-376.
Pyun, Y. D. (2015). Creating Past-Life Identity in Hypnotic Regression. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 63(3), 365-372.
Stevenson, I. (1990). Phobias in children who claim to remember previous lives. Journal of Scientific Exploration, 4(2), 243-254.
Tucker, J. B. (2007). Children who claim to remember previous lives: Past, present, and future research. Journal of Scientific Exploration, 21(3), 543-552.

Plant Spirits and Allies

Animism is the belief that all things have a spirit. This can include spirits of places, such as meadows or forests, spirits of natural features, such as stones or plants, spirits of everyday objects, such as lamps or your house, etc. There can, of course, be some debate as to where one spirit ends and another begins. Is is that every room, or every wall, or every brick in every wall has its own spirit, or is it all of the above? If a plant reproduces to make more versions of itself, are those still the same spirit or are they new ones? Do they develop their individuality over time? Whatever your specific views may be, many agree that such spirits can make powerful allies if we build relationships with them.

In Shamanism, relationships with plant spirits are particularly important. They can provide valuable information and support when it is needed. The plant can reveal information on its healing properties, and the spirit itself an greatly aid the healing process. Some argue that experiences generated by certain natural psychedelic substances taken to aid shamanic journeys, are in fact messages from the plant spirits conveyed in the form of visions (Baghramian, 2015).

In order to learn from a plant spirit, one should find a plant they feel called to, observe it for a while, and begin talking to its spirit. Permission should be sought to take a part of the plant away, and this should be done in a respectful way which will not harm the plant. One can then journey to meet the plant spirit in non-ordinary reality and converse with it (Baghramina, 2015). Another method is to find a plant one is attracted to while holding their intention or question clear in their mind . An offering can be made to the plant, though it is important that it is suitable and does not harm the plant or wildlife around it. While sitting in a meditative state with the plant, attention should be paid to any messages that are received. These messages can be visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, or cognitive, and as such present themselves as seeing, hearing, feeling or knowing (Farmer, 2009).

With time and patience, plant spirits can become allies who are willing to aid us in our endeavours. However, as with any relationship, there has to be some give and take, some reciprocity, and efforts should be made to maintain the relationship. With time, you may even be able to ask your plant spirit ally to perform certain tasks for you, such as warding your home for example (Sebastiani, 2017).

There are many ways to deepen our relationship with spirits and allies. So, in the spirit of making these alliances (terrible pun intended), why not challenge yourself to explore something different. May marks the beginning of the 30 Day Plant Spirit Ally Challenge, organised by Hagstone Publishing. I’m excited to try it!

References:
Baghramian, A. (2015). The Magic of Shamanism. Barcelona: Guid Publicaciones.
Farmer, S. D. (2009). Earth Magic: Ancient Shamanic Wisdom for Healing Yourself, Others and the Planet. London: Hay House UK Ltd.
Sebastiani, A. (2017). By Rust of Nail & Prick of Thorn: The Theory and Practice of Effective Home Warding. Smashwords Edition.

Common Sage

As a witch, you more than likely have stumbled upon the idea of smudging with sage, and maybe even done it yourself. Smudging is a Native American practice that uses white sage, and has recently been surrounded by much talk of cultural appropriation. Luckily, with over 750 species of sage out there, there are other choices.

Its Latin name Salvia comes from the word ‘salveo’, which means ‘to save’ and refers to the widely recognised medicinal uses of this plant. Salvia officinalis also known as Common Sage or Garden Sage, is probably the most commonly used type of sage in cooking, and therefore the most easily obtainable one.

It is a fairly hardy plant, able to survive most winters outside. Seeds should be planted in spring and are easy to grow, with little maintenance needed and no common pests or disease that you need to worry about. It needs full sun and well drained / dry soil.

My garden sage, in need of some TLC after winter.

Sage is an antiseptic. It can be made into a gargle when infused as a tea to aid sore throats and throat infections. However, drinking the tea for more than a week or two at a time can cause symptoms of poisoning due to the herb’s strength.

As witches, we also value its cleansing and protective properties. It can be used in a cleansing bath, before or after a ritual, or maybe even as a part of it. To infuse your bath simply add 7-8 drops of sage essential oil to a full bathtub. Alternatively, you can get a small bit of muslin or similar fabric and fill it with dried sage. Tie it with a string and attach to the tap, so that water flows through it as you’re filling your bath. Sage can also be grown, harvested and dried into a cleansing stick or burned as incense to cleanse your space. Personally, I like to cleanse the house every couple of weeks with it, as I find it really lifts the energy at home. Similarly, a couple drops of essential oil can be added to home made cleaning products, to obtain the same cleansing and protective effects. Other magical correspondences include healing, wealth and wisdom.

Resources for this post:
Jekka’s Complete Herb Book by Jekka McVicar
A Concise Guide to Herbs by Jenny Linford
Traditional Herbal Remedies by Jenny Plucknett
The Kitchen Witch by Soraya

Ostara Celebrations 2019

It’s been a little longer than I intended since the last post, but then it has been a very busy couple of months.

Ostara has just passed and there are many articles on its history, origins of the name, and associations – some more accurate than others. It’s up to you to review the evidence and make up your own mind on what it means to you. Today I wanted to share my own reflections from this holiday, and how I celebrated.

The celebrations for me started a few days early, simply for practicality and free time on weekends. To me the Spring Equinox is a time of balance, reflection, recharging, and marvelling at the beauty of nature. You know that fresh, juicy green colour of young grass, bathed in golden rays of sunshine? The dazzling white blossoms against a brilliant blue sky? Those intense, yet gentle colours make my heart skip a beat this time of the year.

On Sunday, I went on a journey with a local group to gather the four different elements and rebalance ourselves. We started at a beautiful waterfall, and the mossiest valley I have ever seen, to gather the element of Water. The place felt quite magical and emotional, so I let the energy of the water cleanse me. We all received a rock, which symbolised one thing or experience we wanted to let go of and cleanse; and a crystal, which was meant to gather the energy of the elements to help us re-balance at a later date if needed. Afterwards, the spirit of the waterfall quickly claimed its payment for cleansing, as one of the crystals disappeared in depths of the water without a trace. The spirits or guardians of the place also made it very clear they did not want anything taken, as the second one of the participants picked up a pretty little branch, a tree above us collapsed with a turbulent roar. The branch was quickly returned to its original place and we continued with our journey. This is an important point to consider. While we all sometimes likely mementoes or beautiful pieces for our altars, it’s important to ask for permission before we take anything, and only proceed if it is gifted willingly.

This photo doesn’t quite do justice to the beauty and depth of the moss here.

The journey continued to a historical site on a hill, where we collected the element of Air and connected with the ancestors. The weather obliged throughout, as we experienced rain, hail and snow at the waterfall, followed by a really strong wind at the hill. Since my roots are not local, I did not expect to be able to hear the voices of the ancestors, but I was pleasantly surprised to receive a message nonetheless. While sharing our experiences, some of the others presented the stones they found when asking for a sign. I felt the urge to find something similar myself and looked down at my feet. Surprised, I found there was a small fossil in stone right where I was standing. I’d like to think that this was a gift, since there are no coincidences in witchcraft, and no one else could find one though they looked for a while after. Fossils can be particularly useful when connecting with ancestors, and in past life work.

Our next destination was a stone circle to gather the element of Earth. I stood against a stone, visualising my roots going deep into the soil and my consciousness following through. I haven’t yet figured out the messages that came through, though my guess at the moment is that I simply connected to the energy of the place, and others who have been here before me. While this was a particularly cold and wet part of the journey, I would like to think that it brought me closer to the place, almost becoming a ‘weathered stone’ myself.

The final stop was on top of the tallest local hill (so that we were closest to the Sun), with rich quartzite composition – which apparently corresponds to the element of Fire. Touching the stones, we journeyed with a drum. The Sun even peeked out from behind the clouds for us briefly! The journey was supposed to illuminate our path forward, though once again the messages are not always clear.

It was a beautiful day out, with really lovely company. The crystal I had with me has been exposed to all four of the elements and charged with their energy for future use. I spent the actual Spring Equinox meditating on some of the messages received and going for a lovely walk to really take in the changing seasons. Celebrating each holiday in turn can be as big or small as we choose, but I feel this was a particularly special holiday for me. I hope that you enjoyed your Equinox celebrations, and that my story might inspire some to try a similar celebration in the future.

The Golden Dawn

I have recently realised how little I know about some of the historical occult organisations and figures, so I thought it might be interesting to do some research and share it. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn seemed like a logical place to start.

The Golden Dawn was a hugely influential society, which informed much magical workings today, and inspired many other traditions such as Wicca or Chaos Magic.

In1800 interest in occultism in Europe spiked, with people seeking more exciting spiritual systems than orthodox religions of the time. Spiritualism was gaining momentum after being created in 1848, while Eliphas Levi was revising occult studies in France in 1950, and the Theosophical Society was opened in 1975 in New York

The Golden Dawn was founded by three Freemasons (Samuel Mathers, William Woodman and William Westcott) in 1887, after they received and decoded the Cipher Manuscripts, which contained information on Hermetic magic, alchemy, Qabalah, astrology, and tarot. There are some doubts over the authenticity of the manuscripts, as some of the information they contained was not put forward until after 1809- date of their supposed creation. The manuscripts contained an address to Fräulein Sprengel, who was contacted by Westcott to obtain information on starting the Golden Dawn in England based on the organisations based in Germany. Some believe that there was indeed a German Rosicrucian order with an existing branch in London, others believe Golden Dawn was born from a Jewish organisation called Lodge of the Rising Dawn, yet others believe that the manuscripts were fabricated along with their back story. Either way, the manuscripts formed the basis for the first five initiation rituals.

The Golden Dawn teachings included ceremonial magic, symbolism, divination systems such as tarot, geomancy and scrying, astral travel, sigils, Enochian magic, Greek mysticism, Egyptian mysticism, Qabalah, angels, astrology, and more.

The Complete Rose Cross, developed by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Its design includes the Three Alchemical Principles, the four elements and spirit, pentacles, hexagram, 22 petals for Hebrew letter and paths on the Tree of Life, and rays of Divine light.

In 1888 the first temple Isis-Urania was opened, with more temples following in the years shortly after. Around 1891 Mathers finalised the Second Order – the Order of the Rose of Ruby and the Cross of Gold. This order was much more practical with rigorous examination and focus on magical skills, rather than philosophical teachings. More temples opened in America in late 1910s.

Trouble began when Annie Horniman, main financier of the Order, accused Mathers of focusing too much on politics rather than the organisation, and he in turn accusing her of weakening his authority. This eventually resulted in Horniman withdrawing her financial support and later being expelled from the organisation. In1987 Westcott was forced to resign as his involvement in the order became known to the authorities. His position was taken up by Florence Farr, who was beginning to tire of Mathers and suggested the Golden Dawn is dissolved. Mathers believed this was a move to replace him with Westcott, so he revealed to Farr that the letter from Fräulein Sprengel were forged by Westcott, which was a huge blow to the London members and their trust in the organisation. Later trouble with Aleister Crowley’s initiation into the second order further deepened the rift between Mathers and the London members. Eventually Mathers and Crowley were expelled, but chaos and confusion ensued, with the name of the organisation being further tarnished by Mr. and Mrs. Horos, who were a couple of fraudsters, exploiting members financially and sexually. Mr Horos was arrested for rape, but because they claimed to be leaders of the Golden Dawn, many of the secrets of the organisation were made public. Following this fiasco, the London order changed its name to Hermetic Order of the Morgenrothe, while Mathers re-named his Second Order as Alpha et Omega. The orders and their variants continued to operate under different names with different focus points with varying success until 1970s. Since then, new versions of the Golden Dawn organisations have attempted to revive the teachings and rituals.

Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed

“Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed” is the first story, or ‘branch’, of the Mabinogion. The Mabinogion is a collection of Welsh myths written around the 12^th century, though it is unknown when they were first told as they were passed down orally until this point.

The story opens with Pwyll hunting with his dogs, spotting a stag being taken down by another hunt. These strange, white dogs with red ears belonged to Arawn, King of Annwvyn, whom Pwyll offended by setting his own dogs to feed on the stag. As an apology, Pwyll agreed to trade places with Arawn in disguise for a year, in order to defeat Arawn’s rival for him. He also refused to sleep with Arawn’s wife, which earned him the king’s respect. Meanwhile, Arawn ruled Pwyll’s kingdom successfully. The two became friends and returned to their own kingdoms once the year was over.

Pwyll then learned of a magical mound, where anyone sitting on it either is attacked, or sees a wonder. Pwyll decided to try this and spotted the beautiful Rhiannon riding her white horse. He tried to chase her for three days, on foot and on his fastest horse, but came no closer to her as the faster he tried to ride the further away she got. Eventually Pwyll asked her to stop, and she obliged. Rhiannon revealed she was promised to Gwawl, but was in love with Pwyll and asked him to marry her. Pwyll agreed, and Rhiannon asked him to meet her again in a year at her palace for a feast. At the feast Gwawl tricked Pwyll into giving Rhiannon away to him, by getting Pwyll to agree to grant him a favour without knowing what it is. Rhiannon was angry at his foolishness, but came up with a plan to trick Gwawl. She agreed to become his bride and prepare a feast in twelve months, asking Pwyll to come to the feast requesting for his bag to be filled with food. Unbeknown to Gwawl, the bag could never be filled completely, and when he became frustrated with this, asking if it will ever be full, Pwyll explained that it will not – not until a noble, wealthy man stands on top of the food and says it is enough. Gwawl is then trapped in the bag, beaten by Pwyll and his knights, and only released after he promises to let Pwyll and Rhiannon marry and not seek revenge on them.

Rhiannon from *The Mabinogion* by Lady Charlotte Guest

After almost three years of ruling together, Rhiannon became pregnant. She gave birth to a boy and six women were charged with looking after him, but all six fell asleep and the boy was snatched by something in the night. To avoid their punishment, they conspired to smear Rhiannon with blood of a dog and claim she has killed and eaten her child. As the rumours spread, Rhiannon was punished for these crimes by having to sit outside the palace for seven years, every day telling her confession to visitors and offering to carry them to the palace on her back.

Meanwhile, Teirnyon Twryv Lliant was having trouble with his mare, who gave birth to a foal every year on the first of May, and every year the foal disappeared. This time, Teirnyon waited up all night and saw a claw attempting to take the foal. He struck it with his sword, cutting off its arm. He then discovered an infant on his doorstep and realised the creature must have dropped it. Teirnyon and his wife adopted the child, naming him Gwri of the Golden Hair. The boy stayed with them for a few years, but grew abnormally fast, growing as big as a six year old at the age of two, and taking the horses to water by himself at the age of four. However, as rumours of Rhiannon’s punishment spread, Teirnyon realised his son looked very much like Pwyll. They returned the boy to his rightful parents, who named him Pryderi, meaning ‘worry’. Pryderi grew up and ruled his father’s kingdom after his death, beloved by his people.

This story is full of themes and signs of the Celtic Otherworld. White animals with red ears often signalled not being of the mortal world, suggesting Arawn himself was the king of the Otherworld. This explains how he was able to swap appearances with Pwyll. Similarly, the mysterious mound is often associated with the Fae, as they are said to reside in them. This would make Rhiannon an Otherworldly woman too, with unions between mortals and Otherworldly beings proving to be a common theme in such tales. She is believed by some to be an early Celtic deity, and is often associated with the horse goddess Epona. Pryderi also appears to be connected to the Otherworld, as the passage of time differs there and may explain his abnormally fast growth. The differing flow of time can also be observed when Rhiannon’s horse cannot be matched by any speed, and would make sense if time flowed differently for these characters. Lastly, the first of May is a significant date, as it marks Beltane, when Fae folk are said to be most active.

This story is one of my favourite in the Mabinogion, with magic of the Otherworld blending beautifully with the mortal realm, and enchanting the tale.

Introduction

Welcome, and thank you for visiting my blog. I have been toying with the idea of setting up a blog for a while now, to use it as a prompt to delve deeper into my practice and to document it in some way. Who knows, maybe someone else might find it useful too.

Now, to tell you a little bit about myself. I’ve been interested in witchcraft and paganism for over a decade, but I have only been actively practicing for the past couple of years. I am an eclectic pagan witch and a polytheist, interested in different aspects of the occult and esoterism. It took me a long time to arrive at this label, having explored different paths and beliefs. I would like to use this platform to explore topics such as myths and folklore, spirituality, paganism, the multitude of different tools such as tarot, astrology, crystals, etc. I don’t consider myself a ‘beginner witch’, but by no means am I an expert on anything so I will stay away from any reviews. I would simply like to share some knowledge, offer my opinions and open up some discussions. I hope that you can join me on this journey.