Alex bought me this wonderful piece of Merlinite (as featured in the main picture) when he and his partner recently went to Bristol for the weekend, a possible location for them after university.
Now, I must say I’ve never actually been to Bristol but it sounds a lovely city, bustling and vibrant, right on the River Avon and just over the way from Wales. Alex found some amazing crystal shops and of course just had to go and investigate…
I’ve written about Merlinite before – it has a strong connection with travel and Wales, both physically and spiritually, as it can take you back to Arthurian times. It is actually part of the dendritic (to do with trees) Agate family – see the tree like pattern within the slice – and as such has a strong connection with elemental Nature and Mother Earth.
This piece has a wonderfully soft and subtle feel to it, like fine porcelain, and the patterns within provide a great path for meditation and mind walks… it opens your mind to the spiritual and allows you to witness the dark magic of Dawn times here in our world so you can bring it into a balanced co-existence with your own current physical and spiritual life.
It can summon and manifest good luck and intentions… although I wasn’t aware I had put the intention out in the Universe that I required mice. One day, a couple of weeks ago, when I was feeling particularly rough, I got up at about 5 o’clock in the morning and went downstairs for tea, painkillers, antibiotics etc…
As I was sitting blearily clutching my tea, wheezing and snorting, Lily shouldered her way through the catflap meowing in that strangely mouth-full “Look what I’ve got” way that announces she’s caught something.
My reaction times were a little slower than usual as she made it to the front room. I sat up, slopped my tea down, seized Lily by the scruff of the neck and administered the “cough it up” tap to the back of her head.
Obligingly she spat a soggy mouse out at my feet. It glared at me, plainly not pleased to be seized by the Demon Huntress and dragged away from his mousely business –
“’Ere do you mind – I’ve got customers waiting!”

In one smooth movement I leant forward, pushed Lily away and scooped him up in my hands. Slight problem, I needed both hands to unlock the kitchen door, so I dropped the mouse into a cup and clapped my hand over the top of it.
I opened the kitchen door and ran out into the garden with my cup-a-mouse… Lily followed me. Ting was already outside –
“Mum! Mum! Whatcha got? Ooh we’re running are we?!”
Tooty emerged from the hedge:
“Oh no! What have I missed?”
Then of course Charlie, who’d been having a private moment in the front garden came to participate in my impromptu procession….
“Morning prayers! Great idea – I’ll just follow along…”
So. There I am, running round the garden in my glittery pyjamas (yes, I have glittery pyjamas – they seemed like a good idea at the time) and fluffy pink dressing gown flapping behind me like wings, hands upraised with an offertory of rodent, coughing and roaring as the sun is gently rising over my garden, chased by four cats.
Just another day…. Nothing special. Really.