Friday the 13th and other Magick

Happy Friday the 13th Y'all!

What better day to speak of magick and mystery. 
And the world is filled with both.
I often ponder the road that has led to this chapter of my Life and the coincidences and synchronicities (are they really coincidences & synchronicities?) that have occurred.

I have found that Life strives to give us the tools or experiences we will need for the future. We just need to pay attention and learn the lessons. If we don't, we will be forced to experience those lessons a second (or even third) time. We may not always know what the lesson is until a later stage in our life, at which time it all seems to become clear.

A recurring theme in my Life is living close to a prominent mountain. The times I have lived close to a large mountain have been times of enlightenment for me. These residences have also involved large quantities of quartz. And we all know what kind of a transmitter and amplifier quartz is.

I am amazed at how much our 'new hometown area' feels like home. From the moment we moved here, there has been a joyous feel to the air - as if we were being welcomed home. And every day that I gaze upon that gorgeous mountain, I feel a thrill - like I'm greeting an old friend.

Many say that Pikes Peak is magickal, mystical. Some say that there is a portal, a worm hole on the Mountain. Maybe. Others say that unexplained things happen when in the shadow of the Mountain. Can't say for sure. But I do know, that for me, living here is truly a magickal experience.

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Pioneer Cemetery

{{ this is a re-post from earlier this year. but I thought it was very fitting for October. }}

If you are a reader of my blog, you know that I have a fondness for tombstones and cemeteries.

There are numerous small cemeteries to be found in this area should one look. Many are family owned and just as many have been forgotten and reclaimed by Mother Nature. But a few can still be seen. One of these is Pioneer Cemetery, located not far off the highway on Rich Mountain.

Back in November Hubby & I went to visit Pioneer Cemetery. There isn't much to see, most of the tombstones have long ago been claimed by the elements. The graves are now marked only by large stones. But the story behind this little spot is what took us there for a visit.....

This part of Arkansas is mountainous (by eastern standards - nothing at all like the Rockies). In fact we live in the heart of the Ouachita Mountains, a mountain range which extends from central Arkansas to southeastern Oklahoma and the ONLY mountain range in the United States which runs east to west instead of north to south.

This area was settled in the early 1800's by hardy pioneer families. Life was hard. The nearest town was 80+ miles away.

As the story goes, a small group of pioneers settled in the Rich Mountain area, finding the climate mild and the soil rich with nutrients. Pioneer Cemetery was utilized by this group of settlers.

One winter, the mother of one of these families fell ill. Her three daughters nursed her as best they could. (The father is not mentioned in the legend - perhaps he was off fighting in the Civil War or maybe he was away getting supplies.) Late on a windy, snowy night, one of the daughters left the safety of their house to go to a local spring to get her mother some water. The daughter never returned. She was found the next day, high up in a tree, frozen to death. It was believed that she had been chased by wolves and had climbed the tree for safety. This poor young girl was buried in Pioneer Cemetery.

It wasn't long after her burial that people began to see a floating light in the woods near the cemetery. The sightings of the floating light soon gave way to an apparition of a young girl.

And to this day, it is said that on certain starless nights, a young girl can be seen seeking water to take home to her ill mother.

Hubby and I went to the cemetery in the afternoon and we saw nothing unearthly. Though the area did have a sense of disquiet about it. And a faint mist can be seen in the photo above.

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If you would like to read more about the Strange and Unusual of Arkansas, Oklahoma, and even some points beyond, then you might like these two sights ~

Strange State - Paranormal, Mysteries and More

On The Fringe

The Ouachita Mountains

I am fortunate to live in a very scenic and unique area of Arkansas, the Ouachita Mountains.

The Ouachita Mountains are a mountain range which extends from central Arkansas to southeastern Oklahoma. The Ouachita Mountains are the only mountain range in the United States which run east to west instead of north to south.

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The name Ouachita was probably derived from the Choctaw words owa (hunt) and chito (big). The Choctaws would speak to the French explorers of their Owa Chito (Big Hunt) far away from their home territory of what is now Mississippi and Alabama. The Choctaws would cross the Mississippi River and hunt buffalo in the region of the Red River and later further north toward the Ouachita Mountains.

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The Ouachita Mountains are fold mountains, just like the Appalachian Mountains. Where oceanic crust meets less dense continental crust, the oceanic crust is forced under the continental crust. The continental crust is buckled by the impact, and fold mountains are the result. Geologists from all over the world come to the Ouachitas to see the strange and curious rock formations.

At one time the Ouachita Mountains were very similar in height to the Rocky Mountains. But millions of years of wind and water have eroded them leaving only the heart of the mountain exposed.

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The Ouachita Mountains are also noted for the quartz crystals deposits. The Mount Ida region has numerous crystal mines, many of which are open to the public. 

The eastern portion of the Ouachita Mountains is also home to many novaculite mines. Novaculite or Arkansas whetstone is the rarest and finest abrasive stone in existence. Natural springs can also be found throughout the eastern part of the mountain range. With the majority of the hot springs located around the city of Hot Springs.

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The Ouachita National Forest , established in 1907 and covering 1,784,457 acres, covers most of the Ouachita Mountains. It is the oldest National Forest in the southeastern United States. The Forest contains numerous hiking, biking, and horse backing riding trails with the most extensive being the Ouachita National Recreation Trail - 223 miles long. The Talimena Scenic Byway extends from Talihina, Oklahoma to Mena, Arkansas and travels the majority of the route along the mountain ridges and provides many breathtaking views.

If you enjoy outdoor adventure, then I encourage you to vacation in Arkansas, The Natural State.

The WildWoods

I would like to share with you some photos I have taken of the WildWoods. I hope you enjoy.