The 12th June 2018 marked the 10th anniversary of my move to Cornwall. The life I visualised here is completely different to the one I now have.

Living near the sea, you discover the elements of rain, wind and storms intensify. Cornwall may not be as cold as other parts of the UK (although our last winter was a harsh one) and frosts occur less here. The cost of living is rising everywhere, but in tourist areas, prices also rise during the holiday seasons and tourists pay the higher prices for the short time they are here, however residents are required to pay these high prices throughout the season. Work opportunities increase during the summer, but lessen in the winter when the cold weather means an increase in utility bills.

Taking a vacation in Cornwall is easier than living here. During a vacation you have free time to visit beaches and places of interest, but when one is trying to earn a living and survive, pleasure visits to beaches or sites rarely occur.

On a positive note I have enjoyed my work as Wisewoman throughout the last 9 years and learnt so much from Cassandra Latham Jones throughout this fascinating and testing journey. Working with the land and sea with their powerful unpredictable energies has been challenging as tests from the ‘powers that be’ are severe with obstacles constantly placed in one’s path. It takes strength of character and determination to overcome these and continue………the spirits test you as if to say ……..”how much do you want this???” Cassandra admits she has been tough with me throughout this time and admires my tenacity.  She also revealed that others in the past who desired to learn from her were unable to withstand the tough tests and tasks it entailed.

My experience and training in ceremonial magic while in Kent has been useful for conducting Rites of Passage. Cassandra is happy to leave what she refers to as ‘arm waving’ to me when setting up a sacred space for ceremonies.

The consultations we provide together work well, the moment just before a reading while Cassandra connects with a client’s energies, I ‘tune in’ to spirit presences around them. While Cassandra shuffles the Tarot cards I provide the client with a description of a presence and any messages they may wish to pass on. Cassandra then lays out the Tarot spread and on many occasions the same message has also appeared within the cards giving the client double confirmation. I have witnessed many readings over the years and know her cards well. I now own an identical Tarot deck and am able to provide readings.

Property cleansing needs a huge amount of work, particularly when they have been inhabited by a variety of residents over time,(more-so with period properties). The energies from traumatic events are absorbed within the foundation and walls of these buildings and can have a profound effect on future residents. In hotels and drinking establishments often referred to as Inns the energies intensify and can affect the smooth running of businesses. We have had many successful outcomes from this work.

Curse breaking is another intense area of our work. Many clients consult us about this and Cassandra has a unique and powerful method for dealing with it that she has passed on to me.

Wart charming is a service that at first I was rather sceptical of, it was difficult to understand how it could possibly work. Even now I cannot explain it but have witnessed the success of this process with clients.

I have constructed many charms over the years and had a high success rate with fertility charms in particular. It delights me to think I have assisted in creating new lives and brought happiness to prospective parents.

I continue to provide Holistic Services and have taught Reiki courses  a system that is of great benefit to students. The original practice of Reiki is more about spiritual and emotional development of the person rather than a complementary healing therapy.  I have assisted a wide range of clients with Reiki including the terminally ill and it has helped owners of pets and those who work with stressed animals.

My Crisis and Trauma counselling services have also come to the fore as often clients are affected by religious cults and childhood abuse. They do not realize how past trauma can affect their everyday lives as adults, even though it happened long ago. Tis counselling service also helps those with bereavements, divorce, family issues and mental/physical health problems.

 Walks with Wisewomen was also an enjoyable aspect of our work as it enables us to visit and enjoy the sites with our clients. I have, over time learnt the folklore associated with them by listening to Cassandra repeating the information on each visit. We also find out more about our clients as we converse with them while walking to and from the sites. (We no longer provide this service).

Our: ‘Old Ways’ workshops have been successful during the last few years. I suggested hosting them and Cassandra was at first a little reticent, but as we had many inquiries about them, she agreed to try. The workshops have gone from strength to strength covering five subjects. We have met some fabulous people who experienced some extraordinary occurrences while they were with us. The preparation and workshops themselves are hard work but also energizing and satisfying on a deeper level.

I have learnt a great deal while living here and the main lesson is that life is indeed unpredictable. One can plan for the future to a certain extent but unforeseen circumstances can create sudden changes that can have incredible impact with positive or negative outcomes.

I have also learnt that being successful in work and within a community brings rivalries, competitiveness and jealousy from some, who will then project dissatisfaction with themselves onto another. When a person experiences this level of pettiness it is vital to remember that these people, by their treatment of you, are validating how exceptionally good you are. If you were not successful or talented, negative people would not bother with you. When a person moves into a new community, they are on ‘foreign territory’ and therefore vulnerable to predators and bullies. I have also met, genuine good-hearted people within the community who will do what they can to assist and support you, especially if they were once in this position.

Cassandra Latham Jones falls into this category and has helped me in so many ways.

I have integrated socially by attending festivals and utilising my talents as  musician and dancer.  The residents of St Buryan village have been particularly welcoming and now treat me as part of their community.

My time here has  been  a catalyst for new ideas as Cassandra and I, along with my son, formed our: Guise team Boekka featuring Penkevyll the Lands End ‘Oss. Our team has performed since 2010 and we have added Morvargh my Dark Sea ‘Oss. To top it all, my idea of Cassandra, myself and Penkevyll the ‘Oss, meeting Phil and Vivien Larcher with their Welsh Mari Lwyd in Boscastle on Samhain 2014, has grown into a fantastic event entitled:  The Dark Gathering!

Now that I have lived in Cornwall since 2008, I am no longer a ‘newbie’. The local community has witnessed how difficult it has been and the obstacles that I have overcome. I am sure certain individuals would not have withstood or endured a fraction of what they have directed my way, but that is par for the course.  The positives I have experienced far outweigh the negatives and I am still here…….