Whimsy On A Wednesday Bringing You An Encounter With A Fairytale Fungus!

A Mushroom Fit for a Fairy Queen

It all started on a typical lunchtime walk. I was cutting through the churchyard, the kind of place where you’d expect nothing more magical than a few moss-covered gravestones and a vicar who says hello. But then, as if out of a storybook, there it was. Standing proud and glowing in all its red-capped, white-spotted glory—a giant Fly Agaric. I stopped in my tracks. Surely, this thing had been dropped straight from a Disney film? It looked less like a mushroom and more like the palace of an entire fairy village.

I mean, let’s be honest, I thought these mushrooms were invented for animation purposes only. Perhaps a little extra whimsy to pad out the background of a woodland scene where a princess breaks into song. But here it was in real life. For a brief moment, I seriously considered the idea that I had moved into a magical village complete with enchanted plants. Was I about to stumble across tiny fairies with little brooms sweeping their front steps? 

Oohs, Ahhs, and Mush Wisdom

Naturally, I did what anyone would do when encountering something extraordinary these days: I took a few awesome shots and posted them on Instagram. The red-hatted beauty immediately drew oohs and ahhs from the usual suspects, friends and followers who’ve seen one too many artfully filtered shots of my escapades. “What a find!” they cried. “So magical!” they gushed.

Then, there’s always that one person. You know the type—the one who sees a beautiful, enchanted moment and has to give you the other side of the story. One commenter sent me a private message, “That shroom be very magical as it sits on hallowed ground.” Oh, right, of course. Magical Godly fungi. Naturally. As if this mushroom needed any more mystique. Then another added, “Could be cursed, either good or bad…”

“Don’t eat it! You might die!”

So might you, if you don’t shaddap!

Oh, brilliant. Just what I needed: someone trying to scare the spots off my mushroom. Here I was, having a nice time in the enchanted world of fairytales and someone throws in the word “cursed.” Cue the wicked witchery! 

I’d barely finished my joie de vivre before wondering if I’d accidentally triggered some sort of ancient churchyard curse. Should I be concerned that the next time I pass through I might sprout red spots and start glowing in the dark?

A Shroomy Sign from the Universe?

Despite the unsolicited advice, I’m taking it as a sign that I’m officially living in a magical village. Forget your city skylines, I’ll take giant mushrooms on sacred ground any day. Of course, I’ll keep an eye out for any strange happenings in the village (and possibly avoid walking past that mushroom for a while), but for now, I’m leaning towards believing it’s a good kind of magic. The kind that makes autumn walks even more beautiful and perhaps has me winning the postcode lottery.

And speaking of autumn walks, after my little fungal discovery, I took the wolfits out for a wander through the woods. No glowing spots or fairy sightings on this occasion, but the forest felt just that little bit more enchanting. Who knows, maybe next time I’ll find a fairy ring or birds will start conversing with me. Until then, I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for any more things that look like they’ve wandered straight out of Snow White.