witches?

[jaberwocky]

on holiday last year,wife and i were walking alongside loch tay. in a clearing in the woods we came across an unusual thing. a pile of pine cones in a perfect circle,row on row till about a foot high.took pictures and locally asked someone for any ideas.he mentioned something about a 'coven'? anyone seen or know of these things?

[SusanLisa]

A coven is an assembly of witches. I don't know much about them but I thought I'd start the ball rolling......

[dot.hawkes]

Witches are members of a coven,

[malaise]

Show us a picture!
A coven is a witches group. They're supposed to be stronger in numbers. Don't know what they'd be doing with pine cones since I'm not a witch.
You've got me suddently interested in the history of witchcraft in Scotland, jaberwocky! :)

[gerkin]

Maybe they filmed Harry Potter there and forget one of the scene props

[Golem]

You may have found an original piece of artwork by Andy Goldsworthy, who lives in Scotland and creates the most amazing sculptures from natural found objects. Google him to see some of his creations - brilliant stuff.

[heathfield]

Dummy run for a Ferarro Rocher advert?

[jaberwocky]

thing was golem, there seemed to have been more activity in the area which looked a bit iffy.thanks for the info anyway.jaberwocky

[jaberwocky]

answer to malaise about witches, NORTH BERWICK was well known for them and even has a small cage thing that they were kept in.funnily enough-my wife comes from north berwick. i wonder!!

[sianygirl3]

What time of year did you see this? May have been part of a seasonal ritual? Or could just be a protective circle. Witches use circles (although it would be of energy) to keep in works of magic and to stop negative energies from entering. Sometimes in a Coven they use visual aids such as candles.

Although one thing witches normally do is tidy up after themselves! Being respectful to nature they normally leave areas as they found it?

Hope that helps!

[bricro]

Maybe "pitch pine!"

[mata hari]

Twas brillig, and the slythy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe, all mimsy in the boro groves, and the mole rats outgrabe!

[jaberwocky]

hi sianygirl, the cones WERE in a cleared circle and they looked to be in the centre.i have the pictures but wouldn't know how to let you see them.it was june 2005 that we seen this and a newsagent in aberfeldy said he had heard 'rumous' of a coven, or something like that.

[Whickerman]

June 21st is the summer solstice, one of the 8 sabbaths in witchcraft. It's possible you found the remains of a circle (a circle is a ritual space created for the meet, so called because it's...er.. circular). Anyway, witchcraft is a nature religion, and nothing for you to feel iffy about. Chances are you'd have been invited to join in the celebrations had you come across the coven (unless it was an esbat, which is a full moon ritual and private to members).

[malaise]

jaberwocky: you meanie, i hope she hasn't been out casting pine cone spells on you! ;)

I found this (http://www.arts.ed.ac.uk/witches/) website and it has lots of info / further reading... Once I'm finished uni I'm going to go on a historical witch-hunt!

[jaberwocky]

actually malaise, wife's away to work at the moment on some strange brush sort of thing. and where did she get the pointed hat?

[jaberwocky]

oh, and thanks for the website.if your going on a witch hunt i'll give you my address and i'm sure you'll see one!

[Ruth Mabhula]

i know a lot of freaky things out there maybe it was a witch or maybe not what can u say

[saintjohnny]

Of course, it could just be kids playing at being witches, rather than actual wiccans. Kids do all sorts of crazy stuff. Shunting pine cones around for strangers to ponder over would fit the profile of any normal 10 year old brain in my view!

[Dudee]

Sounds like the 'Circle of Fairy Life' to me.....made when they run out of mushrooms......