Category: Healing Journey

How to Connect With Plant and Animal Allies

On the animistic path, we forge relationships with our non-human kin. This includes plants of all kinds, the land and elements, crystals, rocks, insects and of course, the animals. We may also cultivate relationships with our ancestors, spirit guides and other light beings and deities in the spirit world.

Like any relationship we would have with a human friend or loved one, these relationships require some energy, time and willingness to cultivate. Part of the challenge in doing this is that we are conditioned to take these beings for granted or see them as beings that don’t have the same capacity for relationship as a human. Or we may just not be sure how to foster this relationship, because it isn’t something we think we know or remember how to do. We’re afraid of ‘doing it wrong’. We may feel intimidated by the spirit world or think we need some special psychic powers to do this.

The truth is, all we need to do is remember what it was like to be a child, when we felt connected to everything. Kids naturally connect with nature kin and the spirit world very easily! We read fairy tales and watch shows of mythical beings as children and some of us still do as adults, because we know they aren’t silly, but hold truth. We are taught to un-learn our natural connection to the spirits of land and spirit, separating us from our original soul family.

We simply need to remember when we felt the ladybug was our friend, the tree was a wise grandfather, and the wind was whispering to us things we needed to hear. We need to remember to trust the feeling of awe, mystery and magick that lies in the world around us. That remembering of not being alone and that there is a world of loving, sentient beings that we can connect with any time we think we’re alone.

Animism reminds us that we are all connected- to all other beings, whether they have an earthly body or not. We are one and just because their energy is a bit different than ours, doesn’t mean they are less powerful. On the contrary, these beings often carry a purer connection to Source because they don’t have the same ego/mind that humans contend with.

Much of the spiritual path is remembering things we already knew innately as children (and perhaps past lives) and releasing many of the things we were taught at school, at home and in the world.

Beginning a Relationship With our Non-Human Kin:

So how do we start? In my opinion, there’s a lot of old Christian/Patriarchal beliefs that have tainted our innate connection to the spirit world with power hierarchies and rank, bringing issues of worthiness and self-trust to individuals on the seeking path.

We feel we need tons of special training, the permission from an ‘expert’ or high priest/ess, elder, shaman, etc to access our innate heart connection to spirit, but that’s not true.

Any spiritual leader worthy of learning from will remind you that you have the power and innate ability to do this, and believe in your innate connection. It may take some practice. Support can be helpful, of course, but not necessary.

The secret to cultivating these relationships is this:

How would you begin or maintain a relationship with a human? Or a pet? How would you wish to be treated? Our heart connects us to other humans and non-human beings, so let it lead the way. The heart feels and knows more than our mind.

Start simple-Meet a neighborhood tree:

Take a moment to center and ground yourself. Tune into your childlike heart and mind. Be open, curious, and hold a loving, good will within.

Take a walk around your neighborhood and let your heart lead you to a tree. Greet it like you would anyone else you haven’t met before:

 ‘Hi, I’m (name), nice to meet you. Can I come and sit down?’ (or you can stand if sitting isn’t accessible). Listen to their answer energetically, through the heart. Does it feel like a ‘yes, come and sit down’? or a ‘no/maybe not right now’? Trust your instincts.

Usually, trees are more welcoming than humans you first meet and are often happy to let you lean on or sit up against them early in the relationship! Your heart will likely guide you to a tree that is happy to connect with someone and is doing well. However, if you are guided to a tree that seems sickly or unwell, you can ask them what they need. You may be drawn to them to offer some love or learn from them. It’s important to be in listening mode, rather than talking mode when you first meet a tree or any other being, really. Trees, just like people, love being recognized and appreciated.

It’s common for the adult mind to feel silly or worried about what other people might think when we start talking to trees. The adult mind is conditioned to shame this part of ourselves. But with practice, it gets easier. From what I’ve noticed in here Toronto, more people are connecting with the trees around in personal ways and it’s becoming less of a ‘weird hippy’ thing to do and just something we need to do!

The great thing about being with a tree is that we don’t have to make small talk, plaster on a fake smile, or act or perform in any way. We can just be real, and the tree feels what’s real. We listen with our heart and speak from the heart. We can speak out loud or silently. They hear us just the same.

How to Connect With Them:

You can spend as long as you like with the tree. You can begin a powerful connection just by feeling into their energy and merging your own energy with them. You can temporarily let yourself ‘become’ the tree. This is an intro to shapeshifting and is a form of listening and honoring. It helps us to connect with their energy and remember this aspect of our own beingness- because we are all connected.

Does the energy feel it has a gender resonance? Is it soft, gentle, firm, strong? Does it feel young, middle aged or older? If they were a human, how would they look or act? What is their personality like? How do they make you feel? These questions can help us foster a connection.

Once you’ve felt their energy, you may want to have a conversation with them. This can be during your first meeting or after several times just feeling their energy and personality.

When conversing with a tree, just speak intuitively, from the heart. You can ask them questions about themselves or about life, or what they sense about you or something you are struggling with. You may feel the replies in your heart and it will feel like talking with a friend. It takes practice to let go of the ‘am I doing this right? Is this all in my head?’, and to just trust what you feel. But practice is key to noticing the difference. If it feels right, it likely is.

There doesn’t even have to be any words exchanged, really. When we connect with the tree’s energy, we might feel a part of ourselves awaken and receive information through the tree, into this part of us, which then gives us information we can use in our life and feel more whole. We don’t need to let things get too much in our heads. Sometimes the less we think the better the connection is.

Connecting With an Animal Ally:

Connecting with animal spirits and shapeshifting are ancient practices our ancestors all over the globe practiced. It isn’t only special cultures or people that can do this- we all can. Granted, there are different traditions, practices and lineages of practice, which all deserve their due respect. However, the original, pure connection we have with animals is innate, just like with trees and other beings.

When you were a child, was there an animal you felt a strong connection to? Did you have a pet? Is there an animal you feel drawn to these days or keeps showing up in your dreams or in your daily life? If you were an animal, which one would you be?

Animals can show up in real life, however because only some are visible in our local environment and many prefer to stay away from humans, they may choose to show themselves through media, in our dreams, in our environment, on a billboard or ad, on someone’s shirt, etc. They may not necessarily show themselves in real life while we walk down the street. Some animals come from lands far away that want our attention, and some are just less common in our environment. That’s ok! You don’t have to see or interact with a literal tiger to connect with the tiger’s spirit. If it comes with a feeling- like ‘I think this animal wants my attention’- it’s worth checking out!

How to connect with an animal ally: Try my recorded guided meditation journey to find your animal ally here:

This is the meditation we do at my in-person circles and part of my Nourish Your Spirit program.

Cultivating a relationship with an animal ally is similar to one with a beloved human. You may wish to honor them with photos in your space, learning about them and their likes and dislikes, their habits and routines, what they eat, how they survive, what makes them special and how they experience the world. You can connect with them in your imagination, in your heart, through photos, memory, or literal physical connection.

Sometimes having a part of the animal’s body- such as a naturally shed antler, claw, skin, or fur can help you connect. I like to find or make figurines of the animal and have them on my altar.

With animals, it can be easier to feel that they are an aspect of ourselves. We can move our body and make sounds like they do- again, we did this as kids all the time, playing pretend!

One way to get closer to our animal is to merge with them and become them. If you did the meditation above, you may have experienced that. You can also go a step further, and put on some music and dance as your animal. Bringing their energy into your body and into the world is something they appreciate. It is a form of honoring them.

Also, you can honor animals through donating to causes that support their habitat, safety and existence. You can honor them through expressing their energy or your love for them  through art, writing, or simply walking in the world in the way they do. By adopting some of their habits or ways of being in the world, you will start to notice how deeply you are connected and how this energy supports your wellbeing and your life.

Offerings:

I feel an important part of my relationship with spirit allies is giving thanks and appreciation. This comes naturally of course when you connect from your heart rather than your head. It’s not that we ‘have to’ give an offering to get into their good books or make a deal or other manipulative give-and-take actions.  We don’t need to give our blood or sacrifice ourselves to be in relationship. I don’t feel that we need to prove our worthiness or anything to speak with a tree, animal or other non-human kin. To me, that is hierarchical relational nonsense. It’s our natural reaction to genuine heartfelt connection to want to give thanks and appreciation. When you genuinely care, you show respect. If you aren’t genuine, you need to find that first before starting a relationship.

To show thanks, you can honor your plant ally by:

  • Taking care of them physically in the world, such as watering a tree or cleaning up garbage around them.
  • Feeding the earth or the squirrels/birds that live in or near them.
  • Giving them a genuine hug, kiss, share a song or words of gratitude.
  • Offer herbs, or other natural gifts, especially those you’ve cultivated or created yourself
  • Simply offer your love, placing your hand on the plant, tree, rock, etc.

You can honor your animal ally by:

  • Taking care of this animal in its physical form if accessible or offer money or time to an organization that supports them.  
  • Honoring them through merging, or dancing.
  • Creating something in their honor.
  • Having a dedicated space to them in your home or on your altar, having a photo of them where you always see it, candles, etc.

Maintaining a Relationship:

Our non-human kin relationships are like our human ones. Some allies are with us very closely for a period of time and then we may go months or years without much contact, only to reconnect again in a new or similar way. Sometimes we may not really connect much with them again. Some allies are very close with us our entire lifetimes, and everything in between. If we are in a genuine connection with our ally, we will know if it is time to have some space or not. We can ask them directly and let our heart receive the answer.

It’s ok if some allies are a bit further from us for a while. Another may step in to help us learn something, or we may just need time to integrate what the relationship brought us. Sometimes, if they’ve been helping us with something, they give us the chance to see what we can do on our own.

If you haven’t felt a connection in a while, it doesn’t mean they’ve abandoned you, it just may mean you either may need to put forth some effort to reconnect, or trust that there is a reason for the distance. Follow your heart in this relationship. Sometimes they simply wait for us to make the first move to show we want to connect and they are happy when we do!

I hope that helps to give you a sense of what having a relationship with our spirit allies can entail. The same suggestions apply to other beings or guides in Spirit you may be working with or getting to know.

If you have any questions about this or wish to journey deeper into the process, you may be interested in my Nourish Your Spirit program, a 12 week journey where we connect with 5 allies- An animal, tree, crystal, herb and element. It also includes a Tarot Reading. Contact me if you’re interested!  Sessions can be online or in-person.

If you’re in the Toronto area, you may wish to join us for our Spring Equinox Circle: Connecting with our Animal Allies– where we will do the meditation in-person together and connect with our animal allies that are coming through for us during this next season and beyond!

Blessings of beautiful connections on your path,

Serena

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When the Cauldron Feels Empty-The Sacred Void

As the darkness increases and the cold sets in, we can experience a challenging time emotionally and mentally, here in the northern hemisphere. Late Autumn and the Scorpio season brings themes of death, transformation and rebirth, as well as deep diving into the locked closets of our emotions, lineages and past life memories. We may find ourselves in the sacred void of the unknown, a place of release and cleansing, and a liminal emptiness that calls for pause, rest and recalibration before the new light of Solstice comes.

This year is particularly emo, with tons of planets in water signs, and in retrograde, bringing the past right up in our faces- to tie up loose ends, close old chapters, clear away baggage and anything that we’re holding onto that doesn’t belong in the new cycle being birthed in 2026.

We all seem to be going through our own rebirthing process, myself included. It reminds me a lot of the labor of childbirth. Waves of change flowing through me as old skins and inherited patterns release and something new slowly gets closer to being born within. My nervous system and body have been undergoing deep healing as I clear old patterns and trauma from my current and past lives as well as lineage wounds. It has been laborious and not fun to say the least, but I know it is helping me get where I need and want to be in the future. I am already amazed at how much lighter and freer I feel after releasing a lot of stuff over the past few months.

I want more for myself. I want my authentic self fully back home within so I can share more with the world. I am freeing myself of the weight of others’ expectations that I’ve been carrying my whole life. I am breaking unspoken rules and releasing absorbed projections that have taken up a lot of internal space, keeping me small. These have been streaming out of me- through my dreams, my emotional and physical body. Thankfully, I have the support of healers in both human and spirit form and the Earth with me on this journey.

Some days in this liminal transition time, I feel unmotivated and empty. When I was thinking of what I wanted to write for this post, all that came to mind was ‘my cauldron is empty’.

I felt like I didn’t have anything to share. No inspiration or helpful information I thought people would want to hear. Because, I have been in liminal space, a bit of a personal void. Yet there is nothing empty about the void. It’s actually quite fertile and filled with gratitude, grace, magic and mystery. It has transformed me in powerful ways and continues to. I’ve become impressed and fond of it. Surely there must be something I can say about this void or emptiness that could be helpful? I’ll give it my best.

Finding our Way through the Dark

We may find ourselves in the void in many instances in our lives when things are in transition. Between one chapter and another. During times of loss, illness, healing, separation, death, as well as birth, marriage, moving house, starting a new job, lifestyle or embracing a new identity. It can also be in a seasonal change.

We recently unexpectedly got a heavy dumping of snow here in Toronto, before all the leaves had changed and dropped. Temps dropped to winter levels. It felt like the vitality of the earth had just suddenly gone before I got to say goodbye. It triggered a heaviness in my heart- a reminder of the times circumstances or people slipped away in my life unexpectedly, and I never got to say goodbye or grieve properly.

We also recently changed the clocks back to standard time- much better for our circadian rhythms, but it takes some getting used to. All of a sudden the night goes on forever and the daytime, if it’s overcast or rainy, just feels like more darkness. This combo of darkness, dampness, and saying goodbye to the growth season made me feel particularly low and old wounds came to the surface to be felt and healed. Our environment can affect us on deep levels.

The seasons always mirror a part of our life- fall reminds us of what is on its way out, what is dying, or ending its cycle. We may feel more emotional or on edge as we clutch to nostalgia, ride waves of grief or fear the unknown. We know an emptiness awaits us, and we may fear that emptiness.

Yet, in order for new life to bloom, a period of slowness, rest and incubation is necessary.

 Emptiness is simply potential- it holds all the fertility and possibility in the universe.

It awaits our spark of energy to ignite it and set in motion a whole new path of possibility. But there is a time to simply wait, to allow it to be- so our energy can build itself up before the new spark can come into existence.

Life requires a time of rest, integration, recalibration and renewal. We sleep 1/3 of our lives for this reason. We don’t function well without this sacred surrender to the void. The surrender to rest allows us to awaken with new energy the next day.

Having experienced a lot of insomnia over the last year, I was reminded just how precious sleep is. I saw a sleep therapist for a few months which really helped me get back on track. One thing I learned was how important it was for me to re-learn how to surrender and trust my body’s natural capabilities and the Great Mystery itself. Practicing surrender and trust helped me perhaps more than any sleep remedies.

Part of the issue for me was that surrender felt like pain and powerlessness, which stemmed from old traumas, some of which involved my body being in physical pain or emotional suffering. I’ve relived so much of my past over the last year- my moments of powerlessness since birth or even before.

My faith was tested this year, as I grappled with my past and self-doubt and was pushed to strengthen my faith in Spirit and learn the art of surrender, while discerning it from powerlessness.

My attempts to escape my fears and old pain never worked, and my attempts to control the healing process (which is also a type of escape) backfired and made me feel worse. I spent a lot of time with trees and water and listening to the voice of the earth, my body and my intuition to help me stay afloat. The more I practiced this, the more it proved to be helpful and the more I was able to embody my faith and trust the process.

I know I am part of nature and move with its rhythms and its organic, non-linear ways. The more I trusted the messy, non-linear process in my body and psyche, the easier it became to sleep, and to release my past pain, and feel better than I ever have in many ways. I now sleep well again and have more freedom and lightness in my body, and a growing inner sovereignty than I can remember ever having.

Surrender to the divine and practicing faith offers us the power we need when we’re faced with the uncertainty life brings. I also cultivated a strong daily gratitude practice which expanded my faith.  

How do you deal with uncertainty and the unknown? Do you grip onto controlling smaller things in your life, like diet, your body, environment, or do you escape or numb out? How does your spiritual practice support you?

Creative Droughts and Spaces Between

Sometimes, when the cauldron feels empty, it is more on a creative level, where we’re between projects, or something we put a lot of energy into has ended and we have yet to conceive a new plan, idea or pathway forward.

As creative beings, it can sometimes be hard to admit it when we feel empty, uninspired, unmotivated, tired, or just like we’re in the void and have no clue what we’re doing or what’s next. It feels like we aren’t moving, and that can be scary in a culture that moves too fast and expects us to always be doing and producing.

But being in a phase of nothingness is totally normal and ok!  We are nature and nature moves in cycles. Slowing down is often what we need to do when there is a lot to process and integrate during times of transition. Some stages last longer than others. Sometimes they don’t go in a predictable way. But each stage serves a purpose and happens in Divine timing.

Patience and divine timing is something I’ve really had to learn to trust over the years. I like to feel in control, so life has brought me many lessons in surrender and letting go. I’ve learned to embrace the void, as a sacred cauldron of rebirth. A beautiful space of pure potential and possibility. This space only asks us to wait, and to let ourselves dream.  

But the void can feel scary. Especially in a culture that raises us to feel that rest, slowness, darkness, transition or stillness are dangerous, and the unknown is akin to death. But death always leads to rebirth. Energy is continuously in a flow of changing form, it doesn’t end.

The dark womb is where life begins. It is where we can allow new dreams to take shape.

Do you give yourself space and time to simply wonder and dream? Do you let yourself simply wander and be in a space of not-knowing and enjoy it? If not, what if you did?

Embracing Sacred Pause, Silence and Honing our Intuition

We live in a very logical and visual culture, so it can be helpful to become more well-rounded by honing our other skills, especially non-linear and intuitive ways of processing and being.

We need to balance ourselves by learning to feel our emotions- no matter how painful or messy they are. We need to practice trusting our intuition- that calm, quiet inner knowing we feel when we embrace the mystery that lies within the present moment.

Pause and darkness are what allow us to become more present and hear these parts of us.

When it is dark outside, we need to rely on our senses other than sight to get around. We need to feel what’s in our heart and our gut, feel the moment with our feet and hands, smell the air, sharpen our hearing. Attune to what we sense, rather than what we think or what is visible on the surface.

Silence can feel scary because it allows us to hear the voices of our buried truths and dreams that we’d maybe rather not see or hear, for fear that they may take us off into the unknown wilderness. But these voices carry the gifts of the new life awaiting us beyond the void.

We can plant seeds in this season for next year- But how can we know what to plant if we don’t slow down and listen to the new life that’s calling us?

When we pause, turn off our phones, noise and take a moment to simply be- what arises?

What if we embrace the darkness, the silence and simply light a candle? Take a moment to check in with ourselves to hear the whispers from deep within?

What if instead of trying to figure out our next step logically or force a plan, we simply tuned into this moment and allowed our instincts or intuition guide us forward?

Emptiness brings the Magic

Energy and inspiration need to have space to enter. Often when life seems to be slowing us down, or forcing a pause, it is because we need to receive something, but have been too busy to let it in.

Magic requires receptivity- our open hands, arms, and heart. When we fill every moment with action, noise or distraction, we cannot receive the new idea, spark, inspiration or energy we really want.

Sometimes our manifestations get blocked because on some level we don’t believe we deserve it, or that we don’t have what it takes to get it, or maybe we’re simply holding onto something else that is taking up too much space for it to come in.

So, when it comes to creating something new, we can start by clearing and making that space, then letting ourselves be empty and open to receive.

What is something you wish to have in your life? Is there space for that right now? Is there perhaps a belief or attachment to something else taking up that space in yourself or life? Are you open to creating space and letting yourself receive the new energy and inspiration that awaits?

In the cyclic flow of life, we cannot skip steps. In order to create, to renew and birth new life, we must embrace the stage of emptiness- which is actually full of potential. Perhaps the darkness is actually the most fertile phase of all. The more we practice simply being in it- in surrender, patience and trust, the more magic will be able to come through and ignite all we wish to manifest in the future.

I am here in the dark womb cauldron with you- may we embrace this sacred pause and open to the magic being formed- unseen yet full of new life!

If you’d like to feel the warmth and love that exists in the void, I recommend this beautiful music for meditation and relaxation called ‘Within the Void’ by Mei-Lan and Ali Pervez Mehdi.

Blessed New Moon in Scorpio and the depths of Samhain season!

xo

Serena

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What is Earth-Based Healing?

What exactly is earth-based healing? How can earth-based spirituality help us heal and grow?

Earth-based spirituality is a nature-based path of connection, remembering, healing and growth, rooted in animism.

Animism is the world view that sees all life as alive and interconnected. Each tree, rock, plant and animal has a spirit, and therefore a healing gift for the world. We are not separate from nature, and therefore, when we connect with our non-human kin, we remember our own medicine, too, and that we are not alone, that we belong in the family of this Earth world.

This is an ancient way of being that has existed in cultures all across the globe and is a foundation in many paths of witchcraft. It is very much alive in Indigenous traditions.

I feel one reason it is so popular today, is that we are in a crisis of isolation and have a deep hunger for belonging.

Social media, pandemic mandates, capitalism, and all the ‘isms’ have all contributed to this sense of isolation and separateness that has escalated in recent years.

My hope is that as we move into a new paradigm, as challenging as it may be, more folks will wake up to the fact that this deep hunger for belonging cannot be satiated through social media. Human connection is essential to our well-being and many of us are only satisfied with connecting with people in real life. Beyond that, I feel many of us have an even deeper need for belonging that connections with other people cannot fill- It is the need to feel a kinship with nature. There is a need to belong to the land we walk on and our animal, plant, tree and rock kin. This is our original relationship to the source of life- without the human mind and its drama- we need to remember our belonging with the land.

Deep down in our bones, we know we too, are wild.

The cleansing rain, the soft mossy earth, the whisper of a raven’s wing, the haunting song of humpback whales, the crackling flames of a bonfire- all live within us. We are Earth and Earth is us. When we spend time in the woods, there is often a deep remembering. Remembering the ancestors and how they lived, and of our own belonging to the earth. A remembering of the ancient wisdom trees hold, and the sacredness of the life of a deer- just as sacred as our own.

Life becomes magical when we remember our own inner wildness.

When I say ‘wildness’, I mean our innate connection to the Earth, which can be very quiet and introspective, not necessarily dance-around-the-bonfire-naked kind of wild, though that may be included too!

When we re-ignite our remembering of our kinship with the earth, our sense of belonging grows. It is hard to feel alone when we remember this.

How Do We Practice Earth-Based Spirituality?

The great thing about this practice is that there is no one way. Each individual will have their own unique way of practicing. At its foundation, it is about connecting with nature regularly, and intimately. It’s about going beyond the physical and into the energetic and spiritual essence of animals, plants, crystals, rocks, bodies of water, landscapes, sacred sites and more. It is a deepened sensitivity and intuitive listening to the world around us- to feel what’s beyond the surface and into the heart and soul of the living beings that surround us. It is also fundamentally about being in reciprocal relationship with the being around us- not feeling superior or ‘other’, but being a friend or family member with the beings around us.

One’s practice can entail listening to and talking to plants, and getting to know their energy and medicine. It can include connecting deeply with animals, and working with animal spirits for protection, energy, or healing in daily life. It can entail observing the equinoxes, solstices and moon cycles, connecting with the ancestors of the land, and much more.

Some folks are solitary, while some like more formal gatherings. Some prefer structured rituals, while some keep it loose and just live in tune with the earth and its cycles more intuitively. Someone living on a farm or in the woods will have a different practice than someone in a big city. Neither way is right or wrong, all are valid.

For me, my earth-based practice includes a lot of attuning to the energies I feel from the earth and its cycles as well as the moon. Connecting with the spirits of trees, rocks, animals and the elements is central to my practice, as well as observing my emotional and embodied experience during moon cycles and seasonal cycles.  

I don’t really spend time doing spells, but I have a lot of regular rituals- such as visiting local trees, talking with them, learning from them and giving offerings to them. I try to visit trees almost daily.

I also grow plants in my garden and like to take care of them and listen to them, harvest them and make teas, smoke cleanse, and herbal charms.

I also take regular sojourns to the spirit realm to connect with animal allies and do different rituals of connection with them.

I have many rocks and crystals in my space as well, which I enjoy placing on my body for healing, or wearing for protection, or adding into a healing pouch.

How Does an Earth-Based Path Help Us Heal?

Earth-based spirituality is healing because it is about being in relationship with the world around us. It heals our collective isolation wound. It helps us remember that we belong. Being in relationship with our non-human kin is the foundation of its power.

When we see plants as kin, we don’t wish to harm them, we respect them. This is a form of un-colonising our conditioning. True witchy power doesn’t come from using plants, herbs or crystals to fulfill a personal desire, but from having a respectful relationship with them and treating them as friends or family. They may wish to help you fulfill a desire, or they may want to teach you something, help you heal, or they may simply wish to simply ‘be’ in the environment, or work with insects and animals and not with humans.

Our non-human kin may be called ‘healing allies’ or ‘spirit allies’ or guides that help us heal or deal with a challenge in the present. Their medicine, or the special qualities they carry serve as reminders of a part of ourselves that wishes to come into wholeness.

Each aspect of nature, including us, are an expression of Spirit which flows through everything. Sometimes along our human journey, we forget, suppress or reject aspects of ourselves- to survive, to fit in, or to ‘succeed’ at goals that we set for ourselves. Over time, those aspects may call to be remembered, loved and integrated. These shadow aspects of ourselves, often contain gifts and medicines long forgotten or suppressed over generations in our lineage.

When we answer the call to remembering our kinship with aspects of nature, we are remembering our connection to the whole, and to our own wholeness.

In reality, we are completely whole, and perfect, just as we are. We are perfect and whole just as nature is. We only need to simply exist. Yet, we forget this, and need reminders.

Our kin in nature help reflect back to us forgotten parts of ourselves that are ready to come into integration within ourselves.

For example, we may have gone through some painful breakups that have left our heart untrusting and closed to intimacy. Connecting with a Rose Quartz crystal- and developing a relationship with them over time, can help us heal our heart. Working with Rose could also help, as these allies hold the energy of unconditional love. They can help us remember how to love ourselves again and open our heart to more true connections.

Another example could be that we’ve forgotten our confidence, and thus we may find working with a wild cat like a lion ally or another animal can help us remember this aspect of our nature. Or perhaps we work with the element of fire or sunlight to help ignite our inner flame of strength and confidence.

If we are in a situation where we need to get more grounded and sustain strength over a long period of time. In this case, an Oak tree may help us remember our strength and help ground us.

If you were embarking on a journey- whether a new educational program or traveling, you may find a bird ally helpful, as they resonate with freedom of movement and perspective. Each bird is so unique however, that there will be a specific one that carries an energy you would most resonate with.

How Do We Know Which Ally to Connect With?

Trust your intuition and curiosity. Perhaps you keep noticing a certain tree lately? Or, an animal keeps showing up in your dreams? Or you find yourself craving baths, being near water or wanting to cleanse?

Experiment and notice how you feel. Remember, this is an innate part of you, your inner wild one that has always been there, waiting to be remembered.

It doesn’t have to be complicated, and we don’t necessarily need a human teacher to intermediate between us and the earth. However, it is always great to learn from others! Especially Indigenous folks, when it comes to this land here on Turtle Island.

I believe we all have an inner spiritual guide or healer within that leads us to exactly where we need to be, and shows us what we need. We just need to listen, and to notice what we are being shown. Notice your dream symbols, notice your desires, notice repeated symbols in your environment. Be curious!

What area of your life do you feel drawn to healing or improving? What type of energy does this area need? What animal, element, crystal, herb or tree carries a similar energy?

Here are some more ways you can bring some Earth-Based rituals into your life:

–Walk in a nearby park or forest and allow yourself to be drawn to a plant or tree. Get to know them, sit with them, talk to them, become friends. Bring an offering of animal-safe food or herbs, or offer loving words of gratitude, song or even a kiss or a hug.

–Choose a crystal you are drawn to. You may also find a rock on the ground and ask if you can take them home. Hold the rock to your heart or wherever on your body you intuitively feel their energy. What is their energy like? How do they make you feel? Rocks hold the wisdom of time and the land they are from. Read about their origins and properties, wear it or keep it nearby.

–Get acquainted with an herb you are drawn to. Connect with them outside, if possible. If not, connect with them as a dried herb- either as is, or in a tea or tincture. (Of course be sure to check out the medicinal properties if you are ingesting it!). What is their energy like? If they were a person, what would they be like? How do they make you feel?

–Keep a Moon journal. Note the phase and how you feel during that phase. You may wish to read my blog posts on honouring the moon cycles here and here.

-Let the elements heal you. When the sun is out, take some time to receive the healing light of its rays into your heart, mind, belly. Feel the warmth and light fill any areas of sadness, fear, emptiness or malaise. If grief, wistfulness or overwhelm come over you, spend some time near water for cleansing and renewal. Even just listening to a recording of ocean waves can kindle our remembering. When experiencing anxiety, confusion or overwhelm, spend some time grounding in the earth. Take off your shoes and feel it under your feet. Lean against a tree or sit on a rock to remember your own stability.

As our practice grows over time, we start to feel a greater kinship and belonging- not only to the land, but also to ourselves. When we connect to all the beauty and medicine that exists around us, we remember that it is the same beauty and medicine we carry within.

If you are looking for some support to help you embark or continue on your earth-based spiritual journey, I am here to do just that! I take you on a guided journey to find your allies, through my one-on-one program: Nourish Your Spirit. In a series of 6 sessions, we uncover the healing needed through a Tarot Reading, learn grounding, centering, energetic cleansing and protection practices, and find a crystal, animal, herb, tree and elemental ally for you to work with. Contact me for a free 30 min consult!

In kinship,

Serena

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How to Honor the Full Moon & Waning Moon

The Lunar cycle is such a central part of an earth-based spiritual practice. Many folks are especially drawn to doing something special to honor the Full Moon, as it is such an energetic time of the month. After approximately three days of fullness, the light of the moon begins to darken and wane. It then heads into the Disseminating, Third Quarter and Balsamic moon phases over the next two weeks, until the renewal of the New Moon.

Each phase has its own special energy, but we are often too busy to notice the more subtle energies that lie between the Full and New Moon. Here, I will focus on the Full Moon phase, and touch on the following two weeks of waning light that can be felt and tuned into if desired.

The easiest way to honor each lunar phase is to simply tune into how we feel! The moon is intrinsically connected to our emotions and thus can be felt on an emotional and physical level quite powerfully.

There’s a lot of talk about spell work and ritual around Full and New Moons, yet one doesn’t need to get all formal or analytical about this. We don’t need to worry about having the right colored candles, crystals, words or do a lot of prep to make magic. Ritual can be any action that aligns with the energy of the moment. It can be as simple as checking in with our body, our heart, journaling, having a good cry, going for a walk, singing, drawing or moving our body in tune with how we feel. Magic is something that exists all the time. It is felt as a result of being fully present with ourselves and the energies around us, not something we need to create with a special formula.

Often the material world naturally reflects the energies of the lunar cycle. Lunar magic, in its ebbs and flows is a constant that we can tap into any time. Rather than trying to ‘use the moon cycles to manifest what we want’ with specific spells or rituals, I advise simply opening up our senses and attuning our actions to harmonise with the lunar moment. Just notice how it feels, in your heart, in your body.

What’s your mood like? What’s the mood of the people surrounding you? The plants and animals around you? What are your dreams at night like? How is your sleep and energy levels? What emotions, desires, pulls or feels are flowing through you? How are things shifting?

Each week has a different lunar energy. Observe how that energy is manifesting within and around you.

Honor the Moon by flowing with it, rather than against it.

The Full Moon is a very expressive, emotional high tide. It is helpful to express your feelings to someone, or through art, journaling or just to yourself to gain clarity, healing, awareness and release of anything that’s been brewing beneath the surface for the last couple weeks (or longer!).

Full Moon Vibes

Keywords for the Full Moon are:

Culmination

Realisation

Awareness

Expression

Manifestation

Fullness

Visibility

Illumination

Clarity

Revealing truth

Balance & conflict

Light & shadow

Things coming to a head

Outward flow

Breakthrough

Release

The Full Moon Energies:

The energy of the Full Moon is a swell of upward and outward energy. That which has been planted or initiated at the New Moon comes to a culmination. Oftentimes, we are unaware of the seeds we have actually planted. Even if our conscious mind planted seeds at the New Moon, our unconscious may have had a secret agenda that may become known at the Full Moon.

Whatever has been brewing or stewing beneath the surface is revealed. This can be a healing breakthrough, even if it causes stress or conflict at first. When things come from our subconscious into our awareness it helps us to take steps towards new decisions that bring healing and a better quality of life.

This can be the busiest and most productive as well as stressful phase of the lunar cycle, as everything comes to a head and is revealed. That which has been worked on behind the scenes comes into a culmination or manifestation. It can be a time of honest proclamations and emotional outbursts, these can lead to healing breakthroughs as well as necessary endings. We often need time to integrate the truth that is being revealed to us into our body and psyche over the next two weeks, until the lunar cycle is completed by the New Moon.

This phase can be triumphant or challenging, or both. It can also be a very social, celebratory phase, as our energies are pulled outwards to connect with others.

Because the Full Moon is an opposition aspect between the Sun and Moon, there is often a ‘self versus other’ energy at play. Either self vs partner/friend/coworker/boss/family member/society, or ‘mine vs theirs’ or ‘this vs that’- there’s a conflict or oppositional energy to balance within ourselves, often through other people or another point of view.

This is all to help us balance different aspects of ourselves. Perhaps we’ve given too much energy to one aspect of ourselves and now a neglected part is crying for our attention. This may be experienced through conflict with others or our environment. Sometimes we just receive some awareness of where we could bring some more balance into our lives, or something that needs to change so we can be more authentically ourselves.

Even if we feel pretty calm around the Full Moon, others may be sailing rougher seas. This is because each Full Moon happens in a different astrological sign, and these can hit us all differently, based on how it interacts with our individual astrology. So, even if it’s not feeling like a big deal for us, our partner or friend may be really going through it, which also affects us. We also may find others are more high energy or excited than we are, or vice versa.

Sometimes the Full Moon’s emotional brew doesn’t rise up fully until there’s an opportunity when it can. If we are too busy holding all our feelings in, keeping it all together for work, or being a solid rock for others during the Full Moon, we may not receive our own emotional effects until a few days later. This is why it is important to make some space and time around Full Moons for yourself. The longer we hold things in, the less likely our emotions come out in healthy ways.

We may also feel the effects more strongly a few days before the Full Moon instead of during the 3 days of peak fullness. The waves come when they can find a way through. This might even only be during our dreams at night. The Full Moon is a great time to remember your dreams, write them down and see what they are trying to reveal.

How to Honor the Full Moon:

All we need to do is give ourselves the space and time to FEEL our emotions and EXPRESS them. Let them show us the part(s) of us that are calling for attention. Let them flow through us, whether it be anger, rage, grief, joy, pride, love. We are meant to feel the full range of human emotions in this life, despite the hierarchy of ‘acceptable’ ones by society.

Emotions are also ‘energy in motion’, so they need to move and be expressed in healthy ways. Doing so prevents us from reacting in ways we may regret later. Once we are aware of what we’ve been feeling deep down, we can decide how we wish to move forward with that information.

Ways to Honor the Full Moon energies- Feel & express emotions, connect with others:

Journal your feelings and thoughts

Try some creative writing

Deep, releasing breaths

Sing

Drum and chant from the heart

Play a musical instrument

Do some sounding (just making sounds as you exhale, letting whatever needs to come out to come out)

Dance to music you feel called to

Walk outside

Move your body any way that feels good: Shaking, stomping, wiggling, stretching etc.

Scream or yell in a safe place

Punch a pillow or other safe object

Have an honest conversation with a friend, loved one or therapist

Take a salt bath

Watch a movie or reading a book that tugs your heartstrings

Listen to music you feel drawn to

Spend time in nature, especially around water or in water

Listen to ocean waves or whale song

Smoke cleanse your self & space

Record your dreams, speak them aloud to someone

Speak your feelings aloud- to yourself or another who you feel safe to process with

Play a sport or game

Go out with friends

Hold a gathering or celebration

What happens next? The Waning Moon Period:

Once the Full Moon starts to lose its intensity (usually a few days later or when the moon sign has changed), we come into a phase of integration and release.

The period of the Waning Moon is two weeks long and includes the Disseminating phase, Third Quarter phase and Balsamic Phase. Each of these last a few days and flow into the next. I won’t go into much detail of each of these Waning Moon phases here, but overall, this Waning Moon period is where we integrate, process and release the awareness that the Full Moon brought up. It takes a while for our body to catch up sometimes, so our nervous system may take some time to realign, and our psyche may take some time to rebalance.

Shortly after the Full Moon, during the Disseminating Moon, we may wish to continue with some activities of expression that are listed above to help process the energies. We may feel called to synthesize our newly gleaned awareness into something that can be helpful from our experience to share with others. This is an alchemizing, creative time where we can make beauty from our wounds, create new pathways forward and give thanks to others, and the universe.

As the Third Quarter phase comes into play, we may feel challenged to make an internal shift to let go of something that no longer serves us. This is an important time to release, lighten our load and tend to the inner part of us that felt triggered at the Full Moon with gentleness. Energetic cleansing practices, such as smoke cleansing, baths, walks in nature, and healing therapies are great at this Moon Phase. We may need some extra self-care and self-nurturance here. We may also feel empowered as we turn a corner within and make decisions about how we want to move forward.

As we get closer to the New Moon, the moon’s light is becoming less visible, our energies go increasingly inward and downward. We may feel lower energy or wish to be alone. We may also feel called to simplify and free ourselves from anything we don’t need and keep things light and easy. This is our time to release our attachment to material outcomes and embrace a more spiritual perspective. It is a great time for retreat. Meditation, nature, stillness, extra sleep, spiritual practices and healing therapies are supportive during this phase as we prepare to renew and turn over a whole new leaf at the New Moon!

The Lunar Cycle vs dominant culture:

Flowing with the Moon’s shifting tides is very counter-cultural. It upsets the patriarchal system. Our calendars and schedules are not made in honor of the lunar cycles. We are expected to perform in the same way all month long. This is especially hard on menstruating bodies and psyches, which flow in a very similar way as the moon. But it is also hard on any of us sensitive beings who wish to honor nature’s cycles within and without.

Reclaiming our shifting tides and emotional nature is a form of reclaiming lost power. It is a way of healing our lineage and transforming the world. Honoring the ebbs and flows we feel in body and psyche are powerful ways of coming into realignment with nature. We carry the Moon within us (all genders), and its power is available to help us evolve, grow, shapeshift, create and manifest with greater ease and authenticity- if we choose to tap into it.

How do you like to honor the Full Moon? How do you feel at the Waning Moon?

Share in the comments!

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First Harvest Blessings & Oracle Reading!

We have arrived at a deliciously abundant point in the Wheel of the Year. Known as Lughnasadh, Lammas or First Harvest, we celebrate the beginnings of the harvest season in the northern hemisphere. Traditions in the UK & Ireland include the harvesting of grain, making bread, feasting and games with community, and markets to sell wares and foods.

Not as many of us today are in tune with the rhythms of farming as our ancestors were. My mom grew up on a farm in Manitoba, and I grew up in the city of Winnipeg and now live in very urban Toronto. I have no idea how to grow many foods, live a farm-based life. I don’t even go fishing.

I have learned about herbal medicines and grown some here at my home, and I enjoy cooking healthy meals and supporting local farmers, organic farmers and sustainable, earth-friendly living. I love to immerse myself in nature and craft things that reflect the Earth Mother’s beauty and energy. This abundantly earthy season reminds me of how much more I want to do to live in harmony with the earth and support its well-being.

Unlike farmers, I haven’t been toiling too much on the land. But I have been doing a lot of inner work. Our harvest may not be such an external one, but an internal one, where we heal old wounds, come to a new perspective or place within ourselves.

I just want to soak up and receive the earth energies, knowing that they are short-lived and help me get through the winter. This is also my Balancing Season (the season opposite our Power Season- read my blog- ‘What’s your Power Season?’ here). During our balancing season, we are in receiving mode, working behind the scenes and balancing out our energy, rather than shining our gifts into the world.

This is one of my favorite times of year because I always find it does bring a harvest of some kind, and it feels rewarding. I got married in this season, had my daughter in this season, bought a house during this season. It brings a culmination, accomplishment or closure.

The harvest season can sometimes come with a bittersweet note. Maybe our harvest isn’t all that we’d hoped it would be, or needs some more time to mature. We may need to invite acceptance and realism into our harvest basket. Sometimes achieving what we set out to do brings a bit of grief, or sadness as we must let go of the journey and look towards a new future, even if it’s positive. Sometimes we realize what we’ve been toiling for wasn’t the total end game. There is more work to do, or some adjustments to be made.

Even if this is the case, there is always something to be proud of and grateful for. It’s important to take stock this season and appreciate how far we’ve come! Soak up a sense of pride and accomplishment for all the wins or strides you’ve made this year, no matter how small. Appreciate the greater awareness you have now, the deepened capacity, resilience, knowledge and any other things that maybe only you know has changed or shifted for the better. The outside world’s recognition doesn’t decide our worth or the value of our accomplishments, only we do.

First Harvest is not only about outcomes but about gratitude! Every night before bed I list the things I am grateful for. The more I do this, the more I invite bounty into my life, and the more I feel loved, nourished and protected. In a world that promotes a scarcity mindset, fear and constant self-criticism, living in a state of gratitude is a balm of healing that I feel we could all practice a bit more of. That, and some self-appreciation as well.

Other energies that are strong this season are integration, processing and discernment. The Summer Solstice season brought something (or several things) to light, truth and fullness. We have now absorbed that information/energy and are ready to process it into new structures in our lives. This is where we can get creative! We can channel our experience into art, we can help our physical body process with nourishing foods, new daily habits or projects. We can channel our energies into more aligned activities or pathways for the future.

It is time to resource ourselves and solidify our strength. To appreciate how far we’ve come. To take stock and reflect. To enjoy and savor. To show appreciation and gratitude to others, to ourselves, to the Earth, to Spirit, and all that have helped us get here.

We soon prepare for the deepening of harvest season as we head towards the Fall (which includes the 2nd and 3rd Harvest festivals- Equinox & Samhain), where we will be called to shed and release more layers of what no longer serves us as our authentic self emerges more empowered.

Some First Harvest Season reflection questions:

What are you grateful for?

What have you been working on?

What have you learned from the journey you’ve been on?

What are you harvesting?

What do you want to bring with you forward into the harvest season and what needs to be left behind?

Ways to celebrate First Harvest Season:

  • Support local farmers and artisans at markets
  • Craft and create your own handmade items
  • Hold a potluck gathering
  • Enjoy time with food and loved ones
  • Tend your garden, community garden
  • Harvest local herbs and flowers, create something with them- a tea, bouquet, incense, tincture, oil or craft.
  • Bake bread or another nourishing food in celebration of the harvest season
  • Soak up the earth’s bounty and allow yourself to feel nourished
  • Get creative, and do something that brings you joy

First Harvest Oracle Reading:

Looking for some insight on your path right now? I am pleased to present a new oracle deck I’ve brought into my collection called The Magical Spirit Oracle by Alexis Rakun. I just love it! It really embraces the feeling of life being a journey.

Take a moment to breathe a deep breath to clear your mind. Then ask ‘What do I need to know now?’ and choose a card. Remember that number and scroll down for its description. Descriptions are by the deck’s author.

Magical Spirit Oracle by Alexis Rakun

Remember that number! Scroll down to find it and your card…

  1. The Awakened Dead- resilience, nirvana, self-appreciation, future

Affirmation: “I honor all of me. My past, present, and future selves.”

This card can mean it’s time for you to have a powerful moment of self-realization about the life you are leading. As if you have already lived it. As if your future self is talking to you. This card also can mean that you have been self-critical and that it’s okay. You are on the right track, even if it’s not going as you planned.

Point of view: Imagine you are reflecting on your life from the afterlife. You’re so proud of yourself because you were always doing so much better than you thought you were. Yeah, you can see it now; you know it now. But you wish you could’ve known it then. You wish you could have seen yourself the way you see yourself now. God, you are so beautiful!

You realize it was always a choice that you decided to make, over and over. Even when you didn’t want to. You didn’t have to. It would’ve been easier, you know, not to. But you did. You chose to empower yourself. To begin again. To believe again. To pick yourself back up after you feel so hard. Nose in the dirt. Tears in the soil, hands grasping the Earth.

And it’s okay if you sometimes lay there, in that cold darkness, a bit longer than you should have. You were in pain. You were tired. And it’s okay if you judged yourself for that. You wanted the best for yourself. Because you believed: you chose to believe. Because even after your weakest, aching I’m-so-dead-inside moments, you called for a rebirth and a reckoning after the chaos ensued. You summoned those faintly lit and seemingly dormant powers to come out from deep within your soul. And finally they did. (Sometimes you weren’t sure though and that’s okay.)

It’s just incredible that even through all the craziness of this world and people, you did it. Ya know? You did it. Just wish you could’ve known you always could’ve trusted yourself. You always could’ve trusted yourself.

This card is a testament to the times we thought we were broken but instead were awakened. Transformed and alchemized through darkness. A salute to all the lessons ahead and how much grace we deserve to give ourselves.

2. Truth: Honor, knight, empress, integrity

Affirmation: “Abundance happens when I honor my soul and live in truth.”

The honest path, the honorable knight. The noble empress. The liberation of Self. The highest view can be seen once we have reached the mountain peak. And what a breathtaking view it is. A grueling climb that requires strength and perseverance can lead to a feeling of total freedom. This is what it feels like to set yourself free by the power of truth. Fulfillment on the level of soul and wholeness of Self. Regardless os what the world may see, you have earned your own sight.

The path to authenticity is not an easy one. There are temptations all around. The Witches’ lair calls you near. Dark forces seek to make you stray from the path. To neglect your true Self, discard your values and dishonor your soul. Some people will even choose the ‘easy path’ selling their soul in exchange for a shortcut to the top. This never works; this is the false Self. The starving ego. For when they reach the peak, their view is obstructed by thick fog and mountain mist. They become cursed by the one who lured them in. They will never see the view. Only living truly can earn this gift of sight and fulfillment.

The Truth card is about living with honor, integrity and authenticity, and having goodwill towards humanity. Being a real gem in a world of fake stones. Shining by your own light rather than relying on the reflections of others. It is to validate yourself, fully. It is to honor the callings and highest truth of your soul, even when faced with temptation.

Drawing this card can be a sign that you are currently navigating this path. You are indeed on a quest for truth. Living authentically has become a core value of yours. If you continue in search of this highest honor, you will surely be rewarded. In priceless ways. Perhaps, if you continue to live within the space of truth, you will achieve an abundance you never could have imagined. It is not dishonest to wish for true wealth in the metaphysical and physical world.

3. The Red Rose- Overcoming obstacles, finding joy, Buddha energy, carefree

Affirmation: “I freely flow and find my path. I nurture my joy.”

As an ally and guide, the Red Rose represents a being that blooms even in impossible situations. This particular rose grew from the concrete of the sidewalk. She had an all-seeing eye at the center of her petals. Sha has used her insights and magic to overcome all odds and obstacles in her way, even when others didn’t believe it was possible.

Her spirit is surprisingly lighthearted, playful, and colorful for such a resilient and spiritually connected being, who chooses to be stubborn and still seek joy, magic and meaning despite circumstances. This results in her ability to continue growing, and even uplift and inspire others as they try to do the same.

There is a carefree and fluid energy behind this card. The card and guide invite you to stop being so serious. To trust that you will make it through whatever it is that you need to. As you have in the past. You are not permanently ‘stuck’, so lighten up. Relax the worry, overthinking and doubt; it isn’t helping you or anybody. It only blocks what you want or where you’re trying to get to.

If you have pulled The Red Rose, it could also mean that a mentor or guide will come into your life to help you overcome an obstacle. Or a person who is already in your life could greatly assist you at this time. Is there someone who always seems to stay joyful and light? Observe and learn from these people. The most enlightened teachers on the planet are those who seem to always be giggling. The buddhas of the world. Learn from them. How they are, not just what they say.

4. The Alchemist- Empowerment, pain, sorceress, heart

Affirmation: “I light the spark of power and strength within my heart.”

The hero’s path. The gaining of strength. The path of empowerment.

Heartbreak, challenges, trauma, being underestimated, failure. Why should we let these things keep us down, instead of seeking to use them them as opportunities to overcome> To make ourselves proud? To strengthen our minds? To become a higher human and learn from them? This is the path of the hero.

Instead of letting the darkness win, the hero chooses to pursue the ultimate alchemy: turning pain into power. Not everyone is capable of this level of sorcery. For some, pain is very great and penetrates the darkness to the core of their being. Only soul and stubborn persistence can undo a curse like that. But the power does indeed exist within all of us.

A hero can still grieve, fall into darkness, give up, fall again, lose hope, seek help, or honor their natural emotions. The difference is they don’t stay there. In that darkness. Why would they? What would come out of it? What good would that do the hero or anyone else?

So they keep trying. They persist. They light up the darkness within their heart again, even if little by little, bit by bit. With the magic of faith and sometimes the aid of others, they choose to fight on for the light of the world, refusing to let the dark side win and become more powerful. This is how we change the world. Healing ourselves heals others, which heals the soul of the world.

At the end of the day, finding meaning in what happens and having a prpose is unbelievably empowering. This is what fuels our power. This is a love spell that we cast upon our own hearts. It is healing. There’s a big difference between having self-compassion and endlessly feeling sorry for ourselves. Falling into the bottomless pit of victimhood is to become the soul that is lost in the place where no light can reach, no tree can grow.

5. Goddess of the Sea- Abundance, purification, ego, treasures

Affirmation: “I am coming home to where my soul calls me.”

The fisherman has been on a long and challenging journey. He has been casting his net for fish but the fish do not come. His soul is starving and he longs for more. Suddenly, he sees a shining light in the distance. A soft purple glow that he decides to follow.

He is led to the Goddess of the Sea, her ruling element being the forces (and symbology) of water. Her purpose is to help us remember where the real treasures are. She can show you what it is that you need, not just what you want. And if you are willing to know, she can show you what is soul vs ego. She takes you beyond your false needs and false Self. She shows you a world of true spiritual abundance.

The fisherman symbolizes the ego and its endless desires and and hunger for more. Yet he is searching in the wrong places, and it’s never enough. He plunders the sea and gets lost in its vast expanses. After all his searching for more, he has never felt less small, insignificant, empty. Even though an abundant sea lies beneath hum and all around him.

The Goddess of the Sea dissolves everything that is not true or rooted in soul. This can be painful, as we all have our vices. She is powerful and represents the endless abundance of water, its purification power and the cleansing it can bring.

Pulling this card is an affirmation of her awakening within you. You’re starting to notice more of what is not true. You’re realizing more often when you are casting a net for false treasure. The things that used to sparkle have become dull and undesirable. You feel called toward what is real for you. You’re becoming less and less like the fisherman.

This card can also be a sign to watch extra closely where you are fishing. The Sea Goddess calls you near and has much to show you. You are so close to her. It is time to come now. Release your net. You won’t need it much longer.

6. Flower Child- Self-pollination, momentum, creativity, action

Affirmation: ” I am the beekeeper of my own garden that grows.”

It’s so easy to accidentally live for others; for their approval, praise and validation. The ego thrives off this; it’s easier to exist and make choices that way. But more than ever, now is a time to take your focus off the wants of others and start focusing on the pulls of your soul and heart, even if it ‘doesn’t seem right.’ What does Spirit call you to do? What is it that you really want to do, to feel? Ironically, perhaps channeling your energy there will end up being in service to others. Not desperate attempts to satisfy that come from lack, comfortableness and scarcity.

Dear Flower Child, throwing her seeds and flowers. You are blooming even when you thought you couldn’t. Your sweetness is now attracting the bees. Think of your energy channels as bees that pollinate (nourish) flowers and growth. You have the power to summon them and send them wherever you want. Where will you send them, Queen Bee? Remember this. This card has an energy of royalty behind it. What you say and what you think has great power behind it now.

With so many bees on your side, now is a potent time for creativity, projects, and taking action on whatever it is that you really want to do. Anything you act on or set intentions for has the perfect sacred soil right now, on the physical and metaphysical levels. So plant your seeds magic Flower Child, you are ripe with power and possibility. Use it.

Drawing this card can also be an affirmation of self-love and honoring your own sacred life. You’re at a place of rich soil (soul) nutrients. You planted yourself, watered yourself, and you’ve grown so much because of it. And so you shall continue. Even when it feels like you’ve been buried, you still find a way to flourish.

7. The Mystic- Intuition, high priestess, visionary, self-belief

Affirmation: “I trust that I am a powerful visionary.”

You’re a mystic. Stop doubting your insights, visions, and dreams. Your magic and intuition are on the rise. You are more powerful right now than you might think. Trust that there is a reason you have been given these things at this time. A hidden layer just beneath the surface will soon appear.

Take special note of any visions, peculiar night dreams, new desires, new life goals, or seemingly ‘random’ ideas you’d like to take action on. Have you had any recently? Ponder and pay attention. Perhaps there is one (or more) coming. You are a strong portal of connection.

It’s time to take a closer look within. And when you do, don’t invalidate yourself. Believe. Take inspired action and heed the signs. There are omens pointing the way. Patterns, signs, and repeating themes. Observe. Allow. Listen.

Spirit says: go deeper and be bold in your endeavors. Trust the dreams and desires you are inspired by. There is a reason they are yours. You have magic within and are capable of divine insight. Trust in that and your intuition will grow and deepen every time you do. Every relationship grows with trust and consistency. Your connection to your magic is no different.

8. Harmony- Sweetness, ease, inner child, softening

Affirmation: “I appreciate and attract the sweetness of life.”

The perfect pair. A beautiful harmony. The loving flower that provides the sweet nectar. The generous bee that provides the nourishing pollination. Both of these beings have so much to teach us. They are lighthearted, bring beauty and flow with the natural rhythm of life. They are warm with golden hues. They appreciate the balance and offerings each provides.

Magic happens when true harmony is achieved through delightful processes and the law of least effort. Some of the most beautiful things seem to exist effortlessly and in tune with the forces that be. Is it possible for a human to access this potent elixir, this nectar of life?

What if, like the bee, you were to seek out the sweetness of life? What if you sought out the flowers of the world, leaning more toward what is soft, attracts your spirit, and brings joy? What if that actually led you to more growth, potential and peace rather than the daily grind of forcing, disciplining and controlling?

What if, like the flower, you offered your own natural sweetness up to life itself? What if that would attract the bee (the right people, opportunities, actions, pollination) that your life needs, without having to strain to be what you think the world wants you to be. What if what is truly needed in this world is more softness, kindness, joy, ease and magic?

Perhaps it is our childlike nature, spiritual side, wonder and playfulness that we need to bring out more. To be easily amused by the beauty of the world. To see the miracles in the mundane. To open up instead of closing down. To create, live, and love from playful joy. To nurture the child within us. Maybe that is the best way to receive the honey of existence.

Did your card resonate? I hope it did!

Wishing you all the abundance, support, love and fruition you desire this First Harvest season.

xo

Serena

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Summer Solstice Wisdom & Oracle Reading!

We have arrived at the moment of the Sun’s peak power- the most illuminating point in the Wheel of the Year. With the Sun’s light at its zenith, much is brought forth out from the shadows, and this portends a gateway of healing and transformation.

The Solstices & Equinoxes are turning points in the season and in our lives. We are part of nature, interconnected with our human and non-human kin. As above, so below. In this very tumultuous year of change and rebirth, old power structures are crumbling, and we are collectively experiencing this on a large scale as well as personal level.

The brightest light casts the darkest shadow, and so this point of the year can magnify contrasts and imbalances, as well as shadow within and without. It can become painfully clear what isn’t serving us anymore, and where we want to be in the future. It is a time where great strides in healing and renewal are possible, if we harness the energies towards strengthening our inner power and letting ourselves receive the abundance of light and life that surrounds us. We may also need to let go of structures or habits that are no longer serving who we are becoming and shed those layers of burden. We can imagine old ways being dissolved in sunlight, transmuted and released.

Summer Solstice stands opposite the Winter Solstice, a time of darkness and traveling inward. Now, the hidden, inner world comes out into the open to be seen- which can manifest as buried truths being spoken, oppressed feelings being expressed, declarations, proclamations, decisions, directions and life choices being made. Like the energy of a Full Moon, Summer Solstice can bring things to a head, a culmination of the past 6 months’ efforts.

You may wish to think back on the Winter Solstice and what you were dealing with then, and what has been revealed or changed now. The seeds we’ve been planting may start to show their true colors, helping us to decide how to move forward. There is no rush to this process, however. It may take time for new awareness to be integrated. We can let the Earth Mother’s bounty nourish us as we make steps forward.

What is being illuminated or revealed? Where are we out of balance? What clearly needs to change or be healed? What new strengths are growing and blossoming within?

I find this time of year always carries an intensity to it-which can be positive, challenging, or both. Often both! The sun can burn as easily as it can illuminate, and we may need to remind ourselves not to over-do, which can lead to burnout. Just like wearing eye and skin protection, we may need to find ways to filter the powerful energies of this time, so they can illuminate without causing harm. This may come in the form of slowing down, enjoying the little things and doing what nurtures you rather than going full force towards your desire to the point of excess frustration, tension, or burnout. Offering yourself and others gentleness can help channel the light in more productive ways.

Summer Solstice is where the Sun enters the sensitive sign of Cancer the Crab. The crab knows how to protect their vulnerable inner core and trusts their instincts. They carry their home- their shell- with them everywhere they go, which can be a teaching for us to learn to have healthy boundaries and ensure we feel safe enough to venture onto the path illuminated for us.

The crab can also help us to fortify our emotional and physical foundations, our sense of being at home within ourselves. This season can support our efforts in healing our emotional life, our past, family issues, as well as create a more supportive home space or sanctuary within.

This nurturing sign offers us a balm to the heart, as we learn to forgive our mistakes, honor our vulnerability and open to love and compassion in greater ways.

What does it feel like to ‘come home’? What does it feel like to ‘come home to yourself’? What nourishes and fortifies your inner sanctum?

Ways to celebrate the Summer Solstice:

  • Spend time soaking up the sun’s light in gratitude and renewal. Allow the sunlight to cleanse your aura, and transmute the shadows into light. Breathe the sunlight into every chakra, or any area of your body that feel it needs healing. Be mindful of sun protection as well, of course. You can also absorb the sunlight through a canopy of green leaves, beneath a tree if needed.

  • Gather flowers, herbs, rocks, sand, shells, a vial of water or other gifts of the land that have absorbed the sun’s power and keep them as protection for you or your home. Be sure to ask the being first and connect with it! Give the land an offering in gratitude, such as herbs, a song, a prayer, or an animal safe food offering.

  • Charge your crystals, jewelry, or any other sacred items you wish to energize under the light of the sun! They will have extra cleansing and protective energies after at least a few hours of the brightest light.

Summer Solstice Oracle Reading:

The light of summer solstice not only reaches us through the sun, but through the healing magic of color! Each color carries a frequency that can harmonize our mind, body and spirit. Choose a card below from the Secret Language of Color Oracle by Inna Segal. You may wish to wear this color, use a candle this color in a ritual, or connect with a crystal, flower or other aspect of nature that carries this frequency.

Take a deep breath in, and exhale. Ask, what color frequency can most benefit me now? Choose a card. Remember that number and scroll down for its meaning!

Remember that number and scroll down to find it! Words are from the deck’s author.

  1. White- Lighten Up!

White heals your body as a whole, clearing toxicity and assisting with purification. White also enhances clarity and understanding, and can be helpful in healing skin problems. Bringing peace and comfort at the highest level. White represents integrity, light, holiness and surrender. Lighten up with White.

The feeling of lightness is a magnificent experience; it encompasses innocence, purity, and joy. White brings this faith that you are completely loved, taken care of and supported.

Close your eyes and imagine that you are standing on the biggest, most magnificent white crystal mountain. Inhale deeply, allowing the clear white light emanating from this mountain to purify, energize and enlighten you. Visualize yourself letting go of all the unnecessary baggage that you dragged up the mountain with you. How does it feel to be free of this baggage? Experience the ease in your body and soul as you look out from the mountain. Focus on circulating white light from the tips of your toes through your whole body. Feel your body softening and lightening up even more. You are getting ready to soar. Give yourself permission to soar!

Say “I give myself permission to lighten up and experience ease in my body and soul.”

2. Cyan- Build Your Confidence

Cyan strengthens your confidence and belief in yourself, balancing the systems of your body and giving you clarity in times when you need to make choices. It also helps release stress to attain peace and relaxation, and can help fine-tune your communication abilities. Build your confidence with the help of a cyan circle.

Close your eyes and take a slow deep breath in. As you breathe out, allow yourself to completely let go of all the stress and tension in your body. Take in another slow breath and visualize a deep cyan color filling your whole body. Then, as you breathe out, relax.

Imagine a big cyan circle in front of you, focusing on the different qualities that make a person feel confident. They might be things like knowing what you are doing, feeling good about yourself, feeling happy, getting what you want, and so on. Place all these qualities into the cyan circle, and then visualize stepping into the circle yourself. Breathe in all of those qualities, allowing yourself to become more confident and empowered. When you feel completely confident, clap your hands three times and say: “I now embrace my confidence, happiness and clarity” and walk out of the circle.

From now on, every time you need an extra boost, clap your hands three times and breathe in confidence from your cyan circle.

3. Coral- Allow synchronicity and flow into your life

Coral restores physical vitality with its grounding properties, releasing stress, worry and anxiety. See things from a different point of view with coral and heal a broken heart and unrequited love. Coral also helps bring synchronicity and flow into your life.

Imagine coral rays shining out of your heart, allowing more flow and synchronicity into your life. See or sense yourself stepping onto a coral road that leads you onto the right path. In this vibration, things happen easily in synchronistic ways.

Say “My life is easy and full of synchronicity. I follow the most divine path for me.”

Any time you have to make a new decision and need some extra help, visualize stepping on the coral path.

4 . Purple- Develop mental clarity

Purple helps with eyesight, hearing and bringing back a sense of smell; clears mental complexes, negativity and inflammation; and aids with rheumatism, pain and the healing of bones. Creating a connection between your mind, body and soul, purple also brings positivity and success. Use purple to clear your mind and let go of negativity.

Light a purple candle and focus your attention on it. Become aware of any negative thoughts or feelings you are experiencing, saying each aloud as you burn the candle. Imagine the negativity being consumed by the flame of the candle, then say “Divine Intelligence, please delete this negative thought from my mind, body and energy field.”

Now focus on creating a positive state of mind. Say positive affirmations that can help you feel more inspired and peaceful in your life. Say “Divine Spirit, please install thoughts and feelings of clarity, peace and gratitude.” Keep practicing this exercise until your mind is purified of all negativity.

5. Black- Find richness from the dark night

Black is a color of protection, strength and retreat- a gateway to new experience and a test of strength and resolve. Many people experience the dark night of the soul in order to gain wisdom and emerge for the better on the other side. Black dissolves the old so you can welcome the new. Receive divine wisdom and the gifts that have been buried deep inside you with the help of the black ray.

At some point in life, everybody experiences a dark night of the soul. Give yourself permission to connect with the black ray so it can guide you to the gifts which lie in shadow. Visualize yourself in darkness and ask for divine wisdom to show you what you need to learn from the shadow. Receive its gifts to strengthen your faith. Say “Divine Spirit, infuse me with the strength, wisdom and courage to learn from the shadow aspect of myself.”

6. Azure- Protect Yourself

Azure purifies your aura and strengthens your connection to the Divine, leading you to discover your truth and empowering you to make important life choices. Immerse yourself with azure rays to protect yourself from negative, dense energies and to find your center.

Breathe in azure rays of light to feel safe and secure, imagining an azure bubble of light that surrounds and protects you. Say “I ask Divine Healing Light to surround me with love, peace and healing. Please bar any dense energy from entering my space and affecting me. Thank you.” Do this for yourself and your loved ones whenever you would like some added protection.

7. Rose- Attract a relationship

Rose is a color of romance, deep love, and affection that assists with opening the heart and attracting a healthy relationship into your life. It can help you if you have low self-esteem, loneliness, and sadness, and Rose is also great for releasing worry and stress.

The color rose helps to attract love into one’s life. Today, wear a rose-colored top, or hat, focusing on this ray and allowing yourself to be playful and have fun. Different shades of pink, especially rose, awaken your heart and allow you to be open to other people.

Use a pink pen to write down all the things you love about yourself. As you become aware of your value. so will other people. Write down all the people you love in your life, and let that love energy build. Allow yourself to feel grateful for all of these wonderful people. The more love you feel, the easier it is to attract more of it. If you are looking for a relationship, write down all the qualities you would like in a person. Then close your eyes and imagine placing your list into a rose bubble Observe it as it floats out into the universe, looking for your perfect mate. Now all you have to do is be open for this wonderful new person to come into your life. Say “Divine intelligence, I am open to attracting wonderful people with open minds and loving hearts into my life.”

8. Pearl- Connect to the Divine

Pearl is a special shade of white that calms, purifies, and promotes faith. It allows you to flow with life and connect to your Divine nature. The color of personal integrity, truth and loyalty, pearl brings clarity, peace and harmony into your life. To strengthen your connection to the Divine, visualize pearly light.

Imagine a ladder made of pearly light, and begin climbing this ladder in your mind’s eye. With every step, allow yourself to breathe in more pearly light, clearing your mind and releasing all the density and heaviness in your body. Allow yourself to focus on purity, clarity, and the divine connection between your body, mind, emotions and soul. When you feel like you are close to the divine light, open your arms wide to receive it.

Did your card resonate? I hope it did! May this Summer Solstice bring you so much beauty, color, abundance and healing!

xo

Serena

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Beltane Wisdom & Oracle Reading!

Welcome to the season of Beltane!

Beltane is the anglicized word for Bealtaine in Irish Gaelic which means ‘bright fire’ and is also the name of the month of May in Ireland. In Scottish Gaelic it is Latha Bealltainne. In Wales, it is called Calan Mai. In England and parts of Europe, it is May Day and in Germany it is called Walpurgisnacht.

Beltane is one of the four fire festivals, and thus bonfires are an important element of this celebration. The sacred smoke, ash and flames are used for cleansing and protection. A commonly held rural tradition was to light two bonfires and pass the cattle through the smoke to cleanse of bugs, bless and protect them as they went out into the summer pastures. The ash was sprinkled over crops for protection and used to protect the self and space as well.

This is a time of year when it was also important to appease the Fairies, as they are out causing mischief, so offerings were given.

As a season of growth and fertility, celebrations often include Maypole dancing, and fertility rites to encourage abundance.

Here in Canada, the buds are just starting to appear on the trees and new life is just sprouting from the ground. The sun is strong and the earth is warming up, with new life finally manifesting before our eyes!

Like young new shoots reaching for the sun, it is important that we too open to receive the nourishment we need to grow right now. This may mean feeding ourselves with nourishing food, rest, and positive, supportive people, online content and thoughts, as well as releasing things that drain us. Like with a plant, we must create the right conditions for us to thrive.

Once we do this, we may notice our own vitality and creative energy increases, and we become stronger and more resilient. Our ability to heal, to start new projects and ventures, to get out and socialize, are increased as well. It becomes easier to harness the energy of growth and manifest our dreams into reality!

If we have been feeling low energy, anxious, or impatient and desperately wanting to create change in our life, it can be helpful to ground our energy by reacquainting ourselves with the land. The Earth’s rhythms are deeply soothing and supportive to helping us reach our goals with greater ease, trust and enjoyment.

Each plant blooms in its own unique way and timing. We must honor the process of manifestation rather than getting too rigid about the goal and timing. We will get where we need to be with the earth as our guide. The land reminds us to trust the natural process, and to create sustainable, realistic goals.

It is a great time to get your hands dirty in a garden, go out for walks in the sunshine and open to the bounty the Earth is offering to you. Take in beautiful scenery, listen to the sounds of the birds or ocean waves, sit on the grass for a picnic or rest under the shade of a mighty tree. Give yourself permission to receive, to be nourished, and to experience pleasure. Let the wisdom of your senses lead the way forward!

The next several weeks are a great time to put your ideas, feelings and creative energy into tangible actions! The energy of manifestation is building, and the universe is supporting our ability to birth new creations into life. Tend the garden of your life in the ways that feel right to you. Make adjustments, create necessary boundaries, release the old to open up more space, plant new seeds, and cultivate ongoing projects to be in the shape you want. You are supported in all your endeavors now.

Beltane is about celebrating being alive, and joining our unique song with the song of the universe. What we put forth now will become part of our harvest later!

Your Beltane Oracle Card Reading:

Take 3 deep, cleansing breaths. Ask ‘What do I need to know now?’ and choose a card below. Alternatively you may ask a specific question about your life right now. Scroll down for its description. Words are of the deck’s author.

Seasons of the Witch Beltane Oracle by Lorraine Anderson & Juliet Diaz

Remember that number! Scroll down to find your card…

  1. Orgasm: Release

Thrust your body, elevate your spirit, open the gates to your renewal.

Release is a necessary part of life that you must give way to from time to time. When that does not happen, your soul becomes too overwhelmed and will seek release in more destructive ways. Never is this more true than with emotions: Lower vibrations such as anger, jealousy, and rage can consume you if they are left unchecked. You may think you are getting over what you feel by ignoring it or locking it in the back of your mind, but eventually your emotional baggage will seek another outlet and may manifest in self-destruction, illness, chaotic outbursts or other negative expressions of release.

An emotional release doesn’t have to be dramatic; there are many ways your can free yourself from the storm brewing within. Giving yourself to creative expression is a healthy way to channel darker emotions. Dance or cook or lose yourself in art, body expression or music. The medium doesn’t matter if it brings you a sense of freedom.

2. Boundaries: Self-Respect

Sewn into the parts of who you are for they are not to be crossed.

Self-love can be expressed in many different ways. Sometimes it needs to manifest in a spa day with girlfriends, getting up to exercise or sleeping later than usual, while at other times it manifests in a need to set and enforce boundaries so that no one person completely drains you of your energy. No one is allowed or even needs to take all of you; no one has teh right to demand all of your time, energy or resources or any parts of who you are. It isn’t selfish to want to keep some things for yourself, as doing so is a show of self-respect and an understanding that you cannot give what you don’t have.

Imagine trying to give more of your time when you don’t have enough in the day to do what’s already on your plate. Imagine spending more money when you’re already in debt or giving more of your energy to make someone else happy when you’ve been depressed for a long time. You have pulled Boundaries because you are giving too much of yourself away without recharging your batteries. You are encouraged to say ‘NO’ more often or the very least ‘Not right now’. Know that this is for the good of everyone in your personal orbit, that you will have so much more to give once you are in a proper place of balance. Additionally, make sure to follow through with any boundaries you’ve set, as other people will push your limits to see how much you’re willing to bend to their desires. Stay committed to yourself and stand your ground.

3. Phoenix: Rebirth

Summoned, your flesh rises from the ashes and into the expansive flame of your soul.

Phoenix is the ultimate expression of life, death and rebirth. She allows self-destruction to take hold, tearing apart the old so that a new, more enlightened being can take shape, You can see the intelligent process of the life and death cycle all the time- one season sheds into another, one day drifts into the past and allows a new day to enter the present; the bush loses one brilliant bloom so that a new rose can flourish.

Phoenix is lighting a blaze in your life. You are about to embark on a fresh journey, but before you can welcome the new, you must be willing to shed something old. Do not consider this process to be a sacrifice. Instead, consider it to be a trade in or an upgrade rather than a loss, for what you will receive in return will be much improved from what you have now. Even if you are happy in your current situation, pulling this card is a sign that there are bigger, better things just over the horizon.

Additionally, Phoenix represents a breakthrough or a significant change in circumstances. What you have inquired about today is nearly at its end. In this way, Phoenix represents hope for a new beginning. You may be the lucky receiver of a financial windfall, suddenly find the solution to a long-term problem or move past troubles in a relationship. Be at peace, for soon all will be well.

4. Growth: Expansion

Inside myself I’ve sewn beauty with wounds, which speaks of my immortality in the expansive eternal song softly bellowing in spirit.

In ancient times Beltane would have been considered to be the start of summer, the season of action, abundance, and energy. The universe will present you with opportunities in such a period of growth but you must be willing to meet opportunity with commitment and passion.

Make those calls, start researching and be ready to make your pitch when you’re put on the spot. Your dreams are out there for the taking but you must be willing to do the work to see them grow.

You have pulled Growth to remind you that success lies outside of your comfort zone. This card is challenging you to reach for things that are much bigger than you’d normally go for. Do not worry about the outcome, but instead focus on what you can do today to be one step closer to the goal line. Just as farmers have to do heavy lifting during spring pulling weeds, fertilizing crops and monitoring growth, you will also need to expend energy to reap your harvest down the road.

5. Sacred Waters: Healing

Drunken by the swell of the sea, I can feel the blanket of her embrace. Unafraid of the presence releasing the cords, I call her in, I call her deeply within.

This card comes to a reading when you are ready to heal wounds that have troubled you for many moons, perhaps lingering pains from things lost or the weight of the past that creeps up to haunt you at night. Pulling Sacred Waters is a sign that you will soon be renewed and your soul will release the cords that have bound you to memories of old.

You may not know what needs to be healed- you could be carrying baggage that isn’t immediately present in your consciousness- but the effects of such deep healing will become evident in the changes happening around you. Do not question the blessings coming into your life; they are here because you are slowly learning to wash away the blocks that have previously prevented such abundance.

Sacred waters reminds you to be gentle with yourself in the coming weeks. Difficult emotions or painful memories may surface, but this is your spirit bringing them to your awareness so they can be healed for good. If you do experience painful memories, allow them to wash over you. Do not try to overcome what you feel or allow yourself to feel guilty for what you’re feeling. Simply experience the wave, allowing it to pass at its leisure.

6. Rowan: Protection

There is no need to fear, dear one; protected you are and protected you always will be.

With success also comes envy and, sad as it may be, there are those who will seek to possess what you have. This is true even if you do not feel particularly successful. There are those who believe you are better and smarter and have something they do not. The good news about pulling Rowan is that you are protected and safe from any forces wishing to move against you.

Those who are seeking to bring you harm do not have what it takes to defeat you. Yes, you may need to defend yourself, but you have worked hard for what you have an you are more than capable of standing your ground. Push back against any adversity; knowing that you are supported by the universe in your fight. All will be well, and while it may be challenging you will emerge from this struggle unharmed.

7. Ribbons: Awareness

For it lives in the silk of my binding, the knots in my truth; the eye of becoming, the witness swallowed in stillness.

Dear sacred soul, Ribbons reminds you that you already know the answer to what you have inquired about. You are connected to your situation in a way that makes it clear what your next steps should be, so follow the signs- or in this case, the ribbons- and allow the truth of your query to come to your consciousness. Trust in your ability to see what you need at this moment. It may be scary or require more of you than you’d hope, but you can move forward with the knowledge that this path is for your greatest good and will lead you to success.

Additionally, pulling this card means the signs have been around you for some time waiting for you to invite them into your awareness. Be especially mindful of any colors, animals, numbers or feelings that crop up repeatedly as they are messages from the divine guiding you to the truth of your situation.

8. Honey: Sweetness

The sweetness of you swells in the grace of your pull, oh so beautifully lethal.

You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘You catch more flies with honey than vinegar’, which easily applies to manifestation, magick and even healing. Your soul attracts more with positivity, love and compassion that it does anger, frustration and sadness, so if you have found yourself in a period of unrest, jealousy, heartache or fear know that the path to healing yourself is through allowing sweetness to swell within your being.

Rejoice in the success and good fortune of others. Celebrate the good in your life rather than focusing on what’s wrong or broken. Find compassion and forgiveness for those who have brought you pain. Each act of sweetness, even if you have not felt much heartache and are currently experiencing a period of good fortune. The more you lean into kindness of heart the more increase you shall see return to you: an increase in love, wealth, health, or joy or all of the above.

Did your card resonate? I hope it did!

Wishing you blessings of love, ease, peace, health, joy, abundance and dreams birthing into form this Beltane season!

xo

Serena

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Spring Equinox Wisdom & Oracle Reading!

Spring Equinox Blessings!

What a powerful season of change we are in right now. Not only is Spring Equinox the astrological new year, but we are also amidst an eclipse season and Mercury and Venus retrograde. The Sun moves into fiery, trailblazing Aries and there are some larger planetary shifts from Pisces into Aries coming soon, too. Talk about endings and beginnings! Big and small cycles moving through here.

March of this year is just a lot, energetically. So if you’re really feeling it right now, you’re not alone. We are shedding an old skin as a new one emerges from underneath and this process can have us feeling vulnerable and overwhelmed. We may feel alot of mixed feelings as the past, present and future all meet up together to create a new brew in our inner cauldron.

Things get clearer as April moves in and by May we can really feel like we’re flowing forward again. We are in this retrograde energy to integrate all we’ve been going through these last 6 months and much further back too. There are some bigger cycles closing here, so there may be many past memories, emotions and experiences bubbling up to the surface now to be integrated, moved through and released.

We are shedding so much, like the Snake. Old outworn programming, social conditioning, burdens we no longer need to carry. It’s a process we need to be patient with, which can be hard in Aries season. But we are moving forward, even if it doesn’t feel like it sometimes.

The planetary energies are really reflecting that spring dynamic of two steps forward, one step back. One day you are wearing your light spring coat and rain boots, then the next day it’s back to the parka and winter boots. It’s sunny, then it snows, then it rains. You’re not sure whether to ditch the sweaters just yet, but you really want to. It seems we can never really dress right for the weather. That’s kind of the vibe of this eclipse and retrograde season. It can be confusing, frustrating, exhausting, exciting and overwhelming.

All this push-pull, back and forth energy is like labour contractions- it is a necessary process leading to our imminent rebirth. We must trust that all this change is bringing us exactly where we need to be.

Have patience with yourself and your own process. Letting go can be hard, and there is so much vulnerability that comes with rebirth. Like the little sprouts poking up through the soil, we must turn our gaze to the sunlight- to hope, inspiration, vision, desire. We must gather our strength and rise up to meet our destiny with faith and trust in the universal flow of life.

Spring Equinox brings us a beautiful balance of darkness and light- the Equinoxes are helpful in showing us where we are out of balance and need to make adjustments. We may be evaluating our relationships, jobs, lifestyles, work-life balance, inner-outer needs and may see where some shifts could be made for greater balance and wellbeing.

When we look at Spring’s opposite season- the Fall Equinox- we see a similar theme of shedding and letting go. However, the difference is that Fall is about letting go of what we don’t want to take with us on the inner journey we’re about to embark on, and embracing changes that draw us inwards and down into our subconscious realms, spiritual realms, roots, and shadow material.

Spring is about shedding what our inner journey demonstrated is holding us back, so we can launch into a journey of outward manifestation and self-actualization. We are being drawn out and upward, like the buds on the trees, flowers and sprouts reaching for the light of the sun.

There is an aspect of ourselves that is rising, reaching for the light and longing to be seen, heard and embodied. We may not even have a clear sense of what that is for us yet, but there is often a feeling that comes around this time of year of a desire or wish we want to fulfill. A part of us that wants to be felt and expressed more fully in our lives. Through the challenging inward journey that winter took us through, a new seed or gift was conceived and is trying to find its way into our consciousness and into the physical world.

In order to rise up, we may experience a type of breakthrough akin to the sprout breaking ground. There may be a hurdle to jump over, fears to confront, a new pathway or trail to blaze. We may be shedding old generational narratives, old trauma responses, and creating new pathways, which take courage. Be kind to yourself and acknowledge any brave steps you are taking forward. Your small step forward creates a pathway for others.

Remember we all sprout, rise and bloom in our own time. The seasonal calendar may not be perfectly in sync with your particular rhythm of growth and shedding, but regardless, new life is rising around us, to be enjoyed, seen, felt and heard to nourish us no matter what stage we find ourselves in! Light, life and love are slowly blooming around us to feed our heart and soul with all it needs so we can do what we’re here to do.

Spiritual Support with Animal Allies

With all of this change, it is very helpful to connect with our Animal Allies this season.

Animal energies help us remember different aspects of ourselves, each holding its own particular medicine. Animal Allies are spirit guides that come to us in animal form, and are an important part of Indigenous cultures all over the world.

Animal Allies come to us to help protect us, strengthen us, and align us with our gifts and power. They help us embody aspects of our being we may have forgotten and give us the strength we require to get through challenging times.

My journey with animal allies is ongoing and has changed my life for the better in countless ways. I honestly don’t know where I’d be without these relationships in my life.

If you are interested in connecting with your own Animal Ally to help you move through this season of rebirth, please join me online for the Spring Equinox Circle- Connecting With Our Animal Allies this Friday, March 21st @7pm EDT!

You can also connect with animal energy with the oracle reading below- I am using the beautiful new Animal Elders Oracle by Indigenous creators Asha Frost & Hawlii Pichette.

Choose Your Animal Oracle Card:

Take 3 deep breaths to ground and center yourself. Then ask- ‘What animal energy can help me most for this Spring Equinox?’ Then gaze at the cards below and let your intuition choose one!

Remember the number of the card you chose, and scroll down for its meaning! Descriptions are by Asha Frost, the deck’s author.

  1. Elder Cardinal- Gitchi-aya’aa misko-bineshiinh– Ignite Your Flame

With their bright and beautiful red plumage, Cardinal often bring instant delight when they fly across our path. A powerful messenger from the spirit world, this Elder asks you to reconnect to your inner flame. There is a fire that dances inside of you, yearning to be expressed and released. Maybe it’s a truth that needs to be shared, or perhaps it’s a way of leading in the world, but whatever it might be, a call to courage is the message of Elder Cardinal. What are you currently feeling fired up and passionate about? Your ideas matter, and you cannot hide in fear of being shamed or misunderstood any longer.

Cardinal swoops in as a messenger from an ancestor or loved one who has passed. They are standing behind you in full support, flooding you with the courage that you have inherited from your loved one’s heart. Feel this warmth now as you dare to speak, share, and take bold steps toward sparking new consciousness in the world.

You have the support of generations behind you, and if your flame feels small or you feel scared, lean into your ancestral support, and they will remind you why you’re here. Elder Cardinal brings a splash of good luck, encouraging your inner flame to grow in the magnificient fire that your ancestors have always held for you. Be loud and be proud; your life force is yearning to be shared.

Elder Cardinal speaks: “When you need to remember your brave spirit, call on me, and I will invoke the resilience of your ancestors. Many of them have walked in courage, helping to create the opportunities that now lie before you. Your flame is fueled by their wisdom, their love, their challenges, and their growth. My vibrant red feathers inspire you to take a bold step, and I hand you one to carry with you. Remember that your ancestors did not have the same privilege to speak and share. It is now your sacred responsibility to use that inner fire.”

2. Elder Canada Goose- Gitchi-aya’aa Nika– Invest in Community

A wisdom keeper of community and connection, the Canada Goose reminds you of the power of dedicating care to your fellow kin on this planet. This elder is part of many Indigenous creation stories, supporting Sky Woman in her journey down to the earth. Canada Goose shows up today to call you into leadership and to invite you to be a voice for those who don’t have one. With their characteristic V-shaped formation during migration, Elder Canada Goose teaches us that we must lean on one another to get where we need to go.

In order to create an equitable world, we all need to shoulder some responsibility to care and take action. We cannot fly free unless we all fly free, and Canada Goose calls you to the front of the V formation. You are here to set the pace for your community through words and actions, for you have always known that nobody should be left behind. Remember you can lean on the support of others, calling upon the communities you are connected to , to rise up in allyship.

Elder Canada Goose knows the power of strong family bonds and asks you to look around at those who might not be seen, heard or uplifted. Invite them into your sacred circle, advocate for them and remember that we are all interconnected. Community care is the best care; you know what to do and where to direct your compassion and love. With this Elder flying beside you and helping to lead the way, you remember the power of inclusivity and building a just world.

Elder Canada Goose Speaks: “With you at the forefront, you set the pace. Invoke me when you need guidance and clarity around how to be the best ally and advocate. There are many ways to be an activist in this world and I will help you return to your true nature regarding what is best for you and your communities. Your actions have an incredible impact on the world around you, and I offer you a feather to welcome you into leading the way.”

3. Elder Horse- Gitchi-aya’aa mishtadim– Honor Your Sensitivity

Elder Horse trots across the wildflowers into your cards to affirm the current heightened sensitivity of your heart and spirit. As incredibly attuned beings, Horses invite you into the spaces and places inside yourself that feel extra perceptive and acutely aware. This Elder holds incredible physical and emotional sensitivity, as well as powerful muscles that allow them to travel far. It is in this way that they remind you that your sensitive nature is a strength and not a weakness.

Just as Elder Horse can sense emotions, shifts in energy and even potential threats, you too are asked to trust your ability to feel moments deeply. Because sensitivity has often been shamed in our younger selves, we are frequently conditioned to turn away from the imperceptible nudges our body and spirit offer us. Horse always trusts their acute senses and reacts accordingly with a swish of the tail or a swifter gait, and this Elder is here to support all that you are feeling and picking up on.

Sometimes amplified sensitivity can feel raw for our hearts and spirits, and this Elder reminds you of the importance of a calm external environment. Just as the Horse gallops through fields and forests and nourishes themselves near bodies of water, you are asked to do the same. The Earth Mother is always here to help you regulate your nervous system. Know that you can pull on the reins of life and set appropriate boundaries when your system feels flooded. Take the time to graze on what balances you. The world needs your tender heart.

Elder Horse Speaks: “When your relational experiences or your environment are filled with subtle signs that are only detectable to you, call upon me so that I can help you trust yourself. When you find yourself saying that you’re too sensitive, remember that your acute perception is a superpower. I am here to remind you that trusting those nudges will always lead you to greener and more vibrant pastures.”

4. Elder Coyote- Gitchi-aya’aa wissagi-ma’iingan– Embrace Flexibility

To many Coyote is a trickster, bringing us witty and unpredictable energy. Culturally, for Indigenous people, this trickster has strong medicine. If Elder Coyote has crossed your path, it’s a reminder to stay extra curious and not get thrown off by unexpected changes and obstacles. There is no room for rigidity, and the current situations in your life require you to be more flexible and adaptable.

If questions arise around which path to follow or what decision to make, Elder Coyote asks you to seek a new way. If you only see two paths before you, this Elder suggests a third. If you have always been serious and responsible in your decision making, this Elder adds lightness of heart and laughter. It has been said that before we pray, we must laugh so that the sacred can flow through more effortlessly. Bring in this good medicine so the trickster spirit can guide you.

Elder Coyote reminds you to see through the illusion of certainty. While the energies may feel erratic and chaotic, stay with the shake-up. You have the power to adapt and move forward in a new and amplified way.

Elder Coyote Speaks: “Even though I am known to be a jokester, when I show up it’s a sign to pay attention, for my medicine is powerful. If you are feeling confused about how your life is going or if something isn’t turning out how you anticipated, I’m here to bring joy to the redirection. If you are having a hard time letting go of expectations, reach down and feel my bushy tail wagging as I support you. We will trot along the path of the unknown together. I shall remind you that even if you make a ‘mistake’, you will remember not to take yourself so seriously, for spirit has a plan.”

5. Elder Hummingbird- Gitchi-aya’aa nenookaasiins– Remember the Magic

This tiny and beautiful bird has many enchanting gifts to offer you. Hummingbird has to eat every 10 to 15 minutes to sustain their energy, and yet they travel long distances, trusting that all of creation will support them sweetly. The flowers of creation meet their expectation, offering nectar abundantly. This Elder comes forward to remind you that you are constantly showered with sweetness and support.

Elder Hummingbird calls you back into the magic of your child self when you held awe and wonder. Do you remember wishing on a star? How about the joy of blowing on a dandelion puff? The innocence of your child heart is asking to be remembered. You are invited to see how even though you’ve journeyed through the ups and downs of life, the spark of magic remains a part of you. Gifts and blessings are here to touch your life, and this Elder asks you to expand your capacity to receive them.

The fluttering of the Hummingbird’s wings is a miraculous sight to see, and with this delicate bird at your side, the same quick vibration is offered to you. Look for the magic all around, see the beauty that Mother Earth offers you, and open your heart to receive. The nectar is here to feed you, and teh blessings of your life are about to bloom in a riot of kaleidoscopic color.

Elder Hummingbird Speaks: “Invoke my spirit when you have forgotten the magic of life, for I can fly in all directions and gather it from the past, present and future. I flutter before you and expand your heart to remind you of your inherent worthiness to receive sweetness. I carry an incredible ability to remember the flowers that have nourished me, and I bring this memory medicine to you. I shall help you to recall the sparkle in your eyes and the hope in your spirit that you once held. Magic abounds.”

6. Elder Frog- Gitchi-aya’aa amagakii- Break Generational Cycles

A symbol of rebirth and renewal, this Elder hops into your energy space, calling you from the land to the water. Water is our first medicine, and when Frog shows up it invites us back into this space of creation. When you swam in your mother’s waters, you were sensitive to the energies swirling around, imprinted with different thoughts, words, and environments. In those waters you were also exposed to inherited energy threads that link you to generations past.

When you were birthed out of your first waters, you brought these energies into your earth walk, and with each step you have chosen what to carry with you and what to heal and release. Addressing generational wounds is a lifelong journey and is calling to you once again. What are you compelled to do in a different way than your parents? What is something that happened to your ancestors that you can alchemize into medicine? A generational wound is coming forward for you, and as you bring healing awareness to it, Elder Frog guides you through the waters of creation with care and safety.

As you move through this renewal, there are waves of wisdom that flow forward, connecting you to the stories, healing and resilience of your ancestors. Elder Frog swims beside you as a tadpole, sprouts legs, and hops beside you to encourage your metamorphosis. You are reminded that, with their help, each time you swim into the depths of your generational healing you will emerge cleansed and renewed.

Elder Frog Speaks: “It is courageous to go back and address the pains and wounds of the past. I see the brilliant sparkle of your sacred waters each time you acknowledge a layer to be healed. Each time you exit a body of water, think of me, for I am with you, bringing forward generational rebirth and beauty. It can feel vulnerable to move through these cycles, and I am here to hold you while you take your first steps upon the land as your renewed self toward your reimagined life.”

7. Elder Raven- Gitchi-aya’aa gaagaagi– Activate Your Spiritual Connection

One of the most intelligent birds in the sky, Raven soars into your sacred space today to connect you more deeply to the intelligence of the universe. Elder Raven acts as a powerful messenger and opens up your connection to the spirit world and beyond. Ancient and ancestral wisdom drop in with ease when this Elder appears, and you are asked to listen with an attentive heart.

You are ready for the next level of your soul evolution, but it will take a greater commitment and dedication to your spirit connection through rituals and ceremonies to achieve it. It is in these sacred spaces where the echoes of knowledge and wisdom drop in, so be prepared to dive deep into your spiritual practices. Elder Raven opens the bridge between this physical realm in a way you have not yet experienced. Ancient secrets flow from the higher realms, and Raven captures these energies in their beak, bringing them down from the star nations to the earth.

Elder Raven reminds you of the magic you have held for many lifetimes. You are an old soul, and the memories from your previous lives are revealing themselves. Tap into the memories of when you practiced as a medicine person, healer, and seer, for you are meant to bring this forward into your current life. With Raven guiding you, your connections to the spirit world is strengthened, and your gifts grow and blossom. It’s a time of great responsibility on your spiritual path and you are ready.

Elder Raven Speaks: “Invoke me when your spirit is ready for great transformation. I will help you remember the vast tapestry of gifts that you already hold. When you call on my medicine, I will encourage you to share your elevated abilities with the world so we can all remember our interconnectedness. You are a vessel for higher-level spiritual wisdom, and I offer you my feather as an invitation to listen to the call of the ancient ones. They sing to you from the stars and are delighted that you are now listening.”

8. Elder Hare- Gitchi-aya’aa waabooz– Seek Perspective

Often in life, you gain perspective on a situation or challenge only after time has passed and you have had some distance to reflect. In those moments, you must hold compassion for the previous version of yourself who didn’t know then what you know now.

Elder Hare is hopping into your field today, asking you to take inventory of how your past experiences have shaped you, marked you and changed you. Hares have an incredible capacity to see 360 degrees around them without turning their heads- in the winter, seeing their tracks in the snow behind them and the clean, untouched blanket of white ahead of them. They offer the medicine of holding the past, present and future all at once.

Is there a relationship from your past that felt like a world-ending loss when it came to an end? Did you have a creer change or job loss that shook up your life? Was there an unexpected redirection of your path that felt painful or a failure that brought shame? Elder Hare is here, holding space as you alchemize those previous pains into current wisdom. It’s a gift to be able to look back at the places where your heart was broken in the past and see that eventually light poured through the cracks, sealing them up. It is time to seal any lingering cracks from these situations and own the power of what you have learned.

Elder Hare Speaks: “Call upon my insightful medicine when you are ready to dig deep and examine past scars left on your heart. I am here with my swift energy, helping you to transform pain into purpose and challenge into knowing. With my help, this process will go quickly, so get ready for an increased level of energy as we call back any energy you may need to reclaim. As you feel this strengthening healing energy moving in yoru body, mind and spirit, know that you now hold everything you need to make powerful decisions and live the life of your dreams.”

Did your card resonate? I hope it did! Feel free to ask another question to the oracle and choose another card if you like!

Wishing you blessings of rebirth in light, joy, freedom and renewal this Equinox and beyond!

xo

Serena

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Betwixt & Between: The Power of Liminality

As we navigate Pisces season and Eclipse season this March, we swim in a realm of deep liminality and transition.

Pisces invites us into the universal, cosmic ocean of life, the sacred source of being, our non-material existence. This is a very counter-cultural, mystical place to reside, one that honours spirit, mystery and magic and asks that we expand our perception beyond the material and logical.

As someone who appreciates both science and spirituality, I know that science becomes mysticism if you go far enough. Matter is mostly empty space, even if we perceive it to be solid. The more you learn about the material world, the more you realise is still unknown. The seemingly solid structures our society is built on become blurry and dissolve into meaninglessness if we rely too heavily on them. Mystery is the true underpinning beneath our feet if we dare look beyond the forms it manifests through.

Life holds many mysteries that cannot be explained, that cannot be pinned down or quantified. It is meant to be this way. Otherwise, what would be the point of being here? Mystery gives life meaning and allows us to learn and grow.

Our Spirit self dwells in Mystery, and it is during times of liminality that we can most easily touch this magic and let it rekindle our memory of our spiritual home and self.

What is Liminality?

Liminality is the in-between place- not completely in one realm or another. It is also the in-between time- when we are no longer who we once were or who we are becoming.

Accessing liminality is part of almost every spiritual practice. It is sought after for growth, transformation and renewal.

Experiencing liminality may be pleasant or unpleasant, or both. Its doorways often take us both into illumination, enlightenment, as well as shadow and darkness. These are ultimately part of the same continuum, as one is necessary to experience the other. This is why folks doing their spiritual work will often know both their light and darkness intimately.

Liminal Places & Spaces

Bryn Celli Ddu- Sacred Burial Chamber in Anglesey, Wales.

Liminal places are sacred spaces we seek to connect with the divine or have a transformational experience. They are often removed from typical everyday activities and may be constructed purposefully to be aligned with constellations, ley lines, or sacred geometry. However, they may simply be where they are out of necessity or natural formation. Some liminal places are:

  • Temples, churches, sanctuaries
  • Tree groves
  • Watery shores
  • Stone circles
  • Cairns/burial chambers
  • Crossroads
  • Caves
  • Hilltops
  • Lakes

Liminal places don’t necessarily have to be a place with historical spiritual relevance. They can be stumbled upon in various forests and landscapes, easing our access to the Spirit world. One doesn’t need to be in a liminal place to access a liminal space within, however.

We can find ourselves in a liminal space internally, no matter where we physically dwell.

Liminal spaces where we may dwell in consciousness:

  • Transitory moments between sleep and wakefulness
  • Journeys to the otherworld, or spirit world through trance, shamanic journeying or plant medicine.
  • Union with the divine through meditation, movement, chanting or other forms.
  • Channeling and expressing intuitive downloads, psychic messages or impressions in its various forms.
  • Being in ‘the flow’ creatively- when you are channeling and manifesting visions in the material world, for example through all forms of art.
  • Trance states that arise through doing a repetitive task or through repetitive rhythms.

In these spaces, we are neither fully in our ‘mundane’ consciousness, nor immersed in the spirit world or dream space, but in-between, so we can channel these energies and insights into our lives.

Then there are liminal times. Liminal times are when we are amidst changes and they can often come with feelings of uncertainty and fearing the unknown. During liminal times our well-worn path and routine disappears, and we are faced with new territory. We are forced out of our comfort zone and must change to adapt to the situation. Often during these periods we are leaving behind an old self and embracing a new version of ourselves.

We are collectively in a liminal time. This whole year of 2025 is quite transitional, which is why collective anxiety it quite high these days. If you’re a sensitive like myself feeling this, you’re not alone. Keep your spiritual & grounding practices strong, my friends! This is a collective gateway, and it too shall pass.

A large portion of the planets are huddled together in Pisces right now, the final sign before rebirth into Aries. We are all on an individual, social and spiritual level shedding some old skins and making space for a new chapter.

We will move into a new skin that fits us better. As we near Aries, there is a call for us to reclaim our power, be brave and create a new path forward. For now, we embrace the in-between.

Liminal times in life:

  • Physical transitions such as puberty, pregnancy, parenting, menopause, aging, recovery and healing from illness, identity shifts.
  • Emotional transitions such as death of a loved one, retirement, moving to an unknown place, child leaving home, relationship changes (marriage/breakups/divorce), family changes, trauma healing, identity shifts.  
  • Less dramatic versions of the above such as starting a new job or school program, a local move, changes in appearance, unforeseen circumstances, changing plans, a new pet- Anything that forces us to pause, takes us off the usual path, or opens us up to lasting inner and/or outer changes.
  • Dusk & dawn- Sacred gateways we are offered each day to tune into deeper, unseen realms
  • Major planetary changes and transits- This year a lot of the planets are ending cycles in signs and beginning in new ones, putting us all in a collective transition.
  • Eclipses- New and full moons that carry extra weight and often coincide with fated, lasting changes and events.
  • Seasonal transitions such as Equinoxes & Solstices- These cardinal points carry the energies of endings and new beginnings that last approximately 3 months each.

Eclipses are Liminal Gateways to Growth

In the Red Spring Garden in Glastonbury, UK

Eclipse season, which is approximately the month containing both the solar and lunar eclipses is also considered a liminal time. Eclipse season’s purpose is to help us grow by clearing the old and offering us new perspectives and ways of doing things.

The whole month of March is eclipse season this year and is a continuation of a story that began in September 2024, dealing with themes of spirituality, mind-body health, healing, work-life balance, sensitivity, forgiveness, releasing the past, and getting clearer on where we put our faith and how we ground our beliefs into our everyday lives.

Eclipses last in the same signs for about 18 months, so we are still at the beginning of this chapter. Each eclipse season offers us a doorway into a mystical realm of inspiration, liberation from outworn stories, and opportunities to align more strongly with our spiritual purpose and inner light. (For eclipse season tips, you may wish to read my blog post from September about Grounding Through Eclipses and Times of Chaos. )

Liminality is a Great Spiritual Teacher

Glastonbury Tor

Most spiritual paths involve some practices that embrace being in a liminal state of consciousness. But why? What does liminality offer us? Mainly, a change in perspective.

  • Liminality helps us see the big picture– Our human dramas become much smaller when we step outside of them and recognize that we are part of a much bigger picture. We are drops in the ocean of life. We are all connected in a sacred dance and flow. We are part of something much greater and more powerful than we realize, and we are always connected to this divine power, in every moment.

  • We can see new pathways and opportunities that we couldn’t before– We can easily get stuck on autopilot- forgetting that other possibilities exist for us than the ones right in front of us or what we are used to doing. Liminal times and spaces allow us to imagine more for ourselves and see new pathways that were previously hidden from our view.  

  • We can access new aspects of ourselves- Aspects of ourselves may be inaccessible when clinging to our same routines for too long. For instance, maybe we used to be more creative, but family duties have been prioritized for so long that this part ourselves has been undernourished. Liminal spaces help us reconnect to this part of ourselves and pave the way for new routines that can integrate this.

  • Ego power fades, spiritual power expands- Accessing liminal consciousness often involves leaving our ego at the door. I don’t mean just our inner pride or vanity, but also our very sense of self or individuality, which can be quite jarring at times. These experiences can bring us much closer to our true power- our spirit- which is connected to all life. This communion with spirit aligns us with our wholeness, while also clarifying our individual path and purpose. *Please keep in mind that the above applies to entering liminal consciousness in situations that are not dangerous to your mental or physical health. I don’t encourage trying to ‘lose yourself’ in harmful ways.

  • Greater presence in the moment– Liminality alters our sense of time and space, so we are less focused on the past or future. We are more present to the now. Not just its physical energy, but its inherent spiritual energy. This is in large part what is responsible for all the expanded consciousness and access to new opportunities, pathways and parts of ourselves. The more fully present to the moment we are, the more life becomes available to us.

As our consciousness expands, old identities, stories and energy drains fade and dissolve.

We reconnect with lost parts, soul pieces, and re-member ourselves whole. Greater peace, presence, strength, confidence and inner light grow!  

However, in order to access the power of liminality, we must embrace the unknown.

It is perfectly normal to fear the unknown. But I always remind myself that Fear=False Evidence Appearing Real. The unknown is abundant and fertile soil rich with possibility and new life we simply have yet to imagine!

How to work with liminality and embrace it in our life:

Somewhere in Cornwall, UK

Liminal times and places should be handled with care and reverence. It is a time to be sensitive and kind to yourself, and create a sacred container around your experience.

You can facilitate access to spiritual guidance by doing simple practices that can ease you into a more liminal state. Once your mind is calm and you are feeling comfortable and open to intuitive guidance, you may wish to commune with your higher self, spirit or source, ask a question you’ve been struggling with, and listen for an intuitive message.

Simple practices to facilitate entering a liminal state of mind:

Breathing Practice: There is a sacred space of liminality between each inhale and exhale- and each exhale and inhale. Sit comfortably, take a few breaths to simply relax. When you are ready, inhale for 4 counts, then hold the breath for 4 counts. Then exhale for 4 counts and pause with empty lungs for 4 counts. Repeat as often as needed until you feel relaxed in those in-between pauses between inhales and exhales.

Trance Music: Put on some music that has a repetitive beat. It could be fast or slow, which ever helps you in that moment to become calm and open. Begin to move in a repetitive manner. It could be a shifting of your weight side to side while standing or sitting, rocking, or it could be a repeated movement of any kind that is simple and comfortable to keep doing. Let yourself surrender to the rhythms and let your imagination flow. Don’t censor anything, think or analyze what you are doing. Just allow yourself to flow with the rhythm, merging your movement with the music. Allow feelings and visions to emerge from this experience.

Water, Earth & Sky: Sit near a large body of water outdoors, or if this isn’t available, you can do this indoors, listening to ocean wave sounds and looking at a photo of a shore. Sit (or imagine you are sitting) at the water’s edge. Notice the connection between the earth, the water and the sky. Let the sound of the waves put you in a relaxed state. Notice how the sound of your breath is just like the waves. Feel the waves flowing through your heart. Notice how your body and the earth are connected, grounded, heavy. Notice how the sky is open, expansive and free, like your mind. Breathe the sky into your mind. Breathe the peace of the waves into your heart, and then breathe the earth’s strength into your body. Feel how you are one with earth, water and sky.  Feel your connection to all life.

Other ways to enter a liminal state could be: Yoga, dance, walking in nature, rhythmic drumming or listening to a shamanic drumming track, sitting with a tree, coloring in a coloring book, chanting, meditating, mindfulness exercises, staring at a candle flame, taking a bath, or any other activity that helps turn off your day-to-day thinking and enter an open and relaxed state of being.

During this Pisces and Eclipse season, take some time to slow down- don’t over-schedule yourself. Give yourself the opportunity to relax, rest more and have the ability to enter liminal space. Pay attention to your night dreams and allow some time to simply day dream too!

What helps you enter a liminal state of mind?

Tips for Navigating Liminal Times:

  • Give yourself some space and grace– Leave space in your schedule and give yourself extra time to rest, process and recuperate. Don’t pressure yourself to achieve or perform at ideal or ‘normal’ levels. Be kind and gentle with yourself, you are processing more energy and information than usual. Say no to extra duties, efforts or activities and let go of perfectionism.
  • Meet liminality like an old friend– Let it be a remembering and returning home to your true nature- wise, adaptable, expansive and light.
  • Embrace any discomfort as expansion- And a deepening of your capacity for light and life force energy. Like a deep stretch that feels uncomfortable now, but will feel amazing later. Change is an invitation to expand, create and start anew.
  • You are a co-creator of the universe: Hold the Unknown as abundant potential, awaiting your creative input and manifestation.
  • Grounding is important! Embracing liminality means we allow for change without losing our grip on reality. Reach out to friends, healers, professionals and helpers if you need help. Nature is a natural grounding, calming force for our body, energy and nervous system. You can read my blog about Grounding During Eclipses and Times of Chaos. Or, you can practice my Grounding Tree Meditation.

Remember you are never alone. There are others just like you, feeling just like you right now. There are healing allies, support around you, ready to help, and are likely also helping already behind the scenes.

If you would like some support in connecting with your spirit helpers and healing allies, as well as energetic cleansing and protection skills, you may be interested in my Nourish Your Spirit Program.

Flowing with you through these transformational times,

xo

Serena

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Imbolc Wisdom- In the Belly We Grow

We are now entering the season of Imbolc, celebrated in early February. The word Imbolc comes from Gaelic meaning ‘In the Belly’ referring to the peak of lambing season in the UK, where the ewes are pregnant and/or nursing their young.

The goddess Brigid, who later became St. Brigid is venerated this time of year. She brings new life and fertility to the land, as well as healing and inspiration to our lives. As a goddess of fire, she is associated with the hearth and smithcraft as well as poetry and inspiration. She awakens the earth and the spark of life within us to be reborn anew.

Here in Canada, it is often our coldest time of year with everything still under a lot of ice and snow, spring seemingly eons away. Yet, the light is noticeably increasing, bringing us the hope and reassurance that indeed spring will come!

Funny enough however, here in Toronto, I saw snowdrops sprouting through the ground last year at Imbolc! I had never seen them so early, as it was a very mild winter, the warmest on record, I believe.

Snowdrops in Toronto in February 2024

Snowdrops are a common Imbolc symbol of hope and new life in the UK as they begin to sprout at this time. I am not sure we’ll be so lucky to see snowdrops here this year, but even if we don’t see the physical evidence of new life sprouting, we must have faith that life is forming, incubating, and stirring beneath the ground, just waiting for the perfect moment to be born.

Imbolc is very much a season that asks us to cultivate faith and patience. There is so much we just can’t see yet. Trust the process. New life is stirring, forming, becoming. We must hold space for some mystery yet and allow for some things to unfold in divine timing.

This is an incubation period energetically, but it is not passive. In fact, it is a perfect time to strengthen and nourish ourselves for the journey ahead. It is a ripe time to gather our resources and prepare. Not from a place of fear, but from a place of love and hope. We must tend to our inner strength and light. This might mean prioritizing self-care or positive connections, anything that brings us a sense of inner peace, happiness and warmth.

This is a wonderful time for gentle nurturance of new dreams, goals and aspirations that may be stirring within. It is a time for some tenderness and care as we are not quite who we were and not yet who we wish to become. Allow for innocence and childlike dreams imaginings to surface, for they may become seeds of rebirth. Honor your inner child.

Imbolc is the season opposite Lammas, held in early August. Both times of year are considered times of preparation. At Lammas, we are harvesting the outcome of our work and toil of the warm months and gathering our resources for the inner journey coming in fall. We separate the wheat from the chaff in our lives, give thanks for all we have and begin to slowly draw our energies inwards as the darkness increases.

At Imbolc, we have come through an inner journey and are preparing to slowly come out of our cave and into the light, as the sunlight increases. We have gleaned wisdom from the dark terrain we’ve traversed and must decide how we’d like to put that into action in the world. We cannot rush the process, but can use this time to sift through our dreams, visions and yearnings and decide what will see the light of day in manifestation and what will wait in the ethers for now. This requires some receptivity and deep listening, as we turn our ear to the whisperings of our heart and soul.

Brigid reminds us to tend to the creative spark within ourselves. This light is our unique essence, love, and medicine we carry. The world needs us to shine. We each have a purpose. We all matter right now, and the more of us that are lit up inside, the stronger we become against the powers that strive to keep our light diminished.

Energetically, love is extremely powerful and brings us together to make us stronger. I am not talking about romantic love (not specifically), but rather a universal love, the love that motivates us to shine our light in the world, to care for others, and for the planet, to create works of art, to start movements and communities. While we can’t be in a state of love all the time, cultivating it in small gentle ways within ourselves and then connecting with others who share that love increases our ability to move mountains.

Whether it is people, a cause, the earth, animals, a creative or spiritual practice, tend to that which you care most about now. This increases your power. Also, let yourself receive love and care in return! We all have nurturing ability within us, and we also have that nurturing energy available to us through the Earth, the Goddess or Divine Mother energy. Let yourself receive what you need.

I invite you to imagine we are literally in the belly of the Goddess, held and nurtured right now. We are not who we were last year and not quite who we are becoming yet, but we are changing, and we are growing.  She is holding us safe and helping us become who we are meant to be with her divine love that is available to us all.

There are some unknowns of what life will be like in the future. During these times we may feel restless, impatient, and want to control some things that we cannot control. We may ignore the things that are completely within our control. We may wish to see things we are not yet meant to see or look away from things we must see. We may wish to jump into new life before we are ripe and ready for it.

While we may feel like we need to make everything happen now, or we just simply wish to escape to anywhere but here, there are other ways to use the energy of this time:

We can begin to envision the future we’d like to experience. We can prepare ourselves, mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually for what we wish to create or cultivate in our life. This might look like:

  • Resourcing ourselves with love– Connect with loved ones, friends, kindred spirits, pets, nature, a passion or cause you care about. Who brings warmth to your heart? Can you let yourself receive it? Where can you offer love to others? Becoming aware of our connections and networks help us forge a supportive container for our creations.

  • Healing our wounds, doing our trauma work and releasing blockages that are holding us back. What do you feel is preventing you from living the life you desire? What can help you heal and move forward? Baby healing steps make a big difference! Notice how far you’ve come already. All types of healing are well-supported during this season.

  • Looking for inspiration in new places, spaces and people. What helps you feel inspired? Music? Art? Nature? Spiritual ideas? Open to new sources that feed and brighten your inner fire. They just might be the seeds of your magnificent manifestations in the future.

  • Experimenting with small shifts in our habits, thought patterns, diet or our daily life. What helps you feel more energized? What could you release to feel lighter? Every small thing you do for your own energy right now will serve you well in the months to come.

  • Planning, visioning, brainstorming- This is a great time to tinker with ideas you want to manifest in the future. Is there a creative project you wish to begin? An experience you wish to have? A community you wish to start? Sketch it out, write it down, envision it happening, make a draft, start the foundation.

  • Cleansing, clearing, making sacred space- Your space reflects your inner self. Optimize the energy in your home or space by getting rid of clutter, fixing broken things, redecorating or changing the energy to reflect your goals. Create an altar or make changes to your existing one(s).

  • Awakening your inner Hearth- Your own energy field requires cleansing and protection too. Become aware of the flow of energy in your body. Is there an area of your body that feels blocked or rigid and needs softening? Or an area that needs a bit more light, energy and vitality? Bodywork, energy work, chanting or meditation practice can help. See resources I created below to help your energy flow!

I have created a couple of Imbolc resources for you. A chant and a meditation:

Chanting helps to open up our creative energy channels and ease the flow of expression. May my ‘In the Belly’ chant inspire you to sing along and help you move forward gently through these times:

Lyrics:

In the Belly song lyrics:

In the belly we are, in the belly we are, in the belly we are transformed again.

In the belly we are, in the belly we are, in the belly we are reborn anew.

In the belly we are dreaming

In the belly we are healing

In the belly we are nourishing

In the belly we are strengthening

In the belly we are, in the belly we are, in the belly we are transformed again.

In the belly we are, in the belly we are, in the belly we are reborn anew.

In the belly we are reclaiming

In the belly we are remembering

In the belly we are reweaving

In the belly we are rewilding

In the belly we are, in the belly we are, in the belly we are transformed again.

In the belly we are, in the belly we are, in the belly we are reborn anew.

Awakening the Inner Hearth Meditation:

Here is the meditation I created that we will do together at our upcoming Imbolc Circle followed by a ritual and craft. May it support your Imbolc journey this year:

May we turn to face the direction our heart is pulling us to and trust that what we seek is also seeking us. May we find our way forward with clarity.  

Remember that you ARE the light, the flame, the warmth of the hearth. In the belly of the Great Mother we grow and patiently await our rebirth!

*If you are in the Toronto area and would like to celebrate Imbolc with me, register for the upcoming in-person Imbolc Circle: Awakening the Inner Hearth at my home on Friday, Feb 7th, 2025 @7pm!

Much love and bright Imbolc blessings,

Serena

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Flowing Gently into 2025 + Oracle Reading!

A quiet, liminal energy flows through this gateway, as we enter a New Moon in Capricorn on Dec 30th, right before welcoming a new calendar year. So much has transpired over the past year, and there is much to come. This moment of reflective pause is an opportunity to just exhale. Let go. Rest. Reflect.

Allow for spaciousness and emptiness to hold you in its potential. Allow silence to surround you so your heart’s voice can be heard.

Take a moment to reflect on all that you’ve accomplished. Not just external things that society values, but the subtle, internal ways in which you’ve changed- the quiet shifts no one else noticed, the spiritual, emotional or physical challenges you overcame. Give yourself the recognition you deserve, for you’ve come a long way. You’ve made it here. And you will flow into 2025 with so much potential to grow, change and offer your gifts to the world!

There is no rush to get the next year all figured out now. We don’t need to prove ourselves by fitting in or keeping to imposed timing. We can take our time to truly listen in to the beat of our own drum and let our goals organically flow from there. Mars- planet of action- is retrograde until Feb 23rd, slowing us down and allowing us to ponder our next moves more deliberately, ensuring our New Year’s goals are aligned with our heart and souls’ authentic needs.

This Capricorn New Moon on Dec 30th is a grounding one and asks that we turn our focus to the structures and foundations of our lives over the next few weeks. It asks that we start getting real and begin creating sustainable structures that support our well-being, dreams and goals. So, there is a very productive energy here we can work with, it is just best to think slow and steady, small steps forward. Rushing ahead into a big drastic change, or on something we feel we should do, but that isn’t aligned with what we desire won’t work for us.

Capricorn is realistic and conscientious, valuing sustainability. This is why its planet Saturn, rules commitment. When we truly commit our heart to something, we must think about how we can sustain that over the long-term. It is often easier to sustain a commitment when we have realistic expectations of ourselves. Not exceptionally low ones based in self-limiting beliefs or exceptionally high ones that are unattainable. We must find the balance. Also, our heart and soul’s investment in the goal is key to being able to sustain our efforts!

This New Moon, we can reflect on what our heart and soul needs are at this time. Then we can decide what goals feel compelling enough to commit our energy to. We can then begin to create a pathway forward with realistic baby steps. We must decide where we’d like to commit our precious energy in the weeks to come and slowly build something nourishing and abundant for ourselves and others in the future.

Capricorn’s ruler, Saturn is direct in Pisces, reminding us that our actions in daily life are like a devotional prayer to what we believe in. Whether it is a dream, a cause, an ideal or an energetic vibration we are trying to manifest on Earth, we must get clear on what it is we are devoting our energy to, and how we’d like our daily actions and commitments to reflect that.

A reminder that commitment is a process and doesn’t have to be a rigid set of rules that never bend! Give yourself grace to experiment and change your approach if needed along the way. Process is progress. Commitment requires flexibility to be sustainable, too.

This Capricorn New Moon can teach us the art of commitment. Let it be a process, a learning experience, an expression of your passion and devotion- not something you either succeed or fail at. 

Capricorn New Moon Reflection Questions:

What am I currently committing my energy to?

Does this align with my physical, emotional and spiritual needs at this time?

Do my commitments align with my values and my ideals?

What am I truly devoted to? How can my commitments reflect that?

What do I wish to commit my energy to in the coming year?

2025 – A year of change and rebirth

It feels wise to take these quieter, slow-moving winter months to fortify our mind, body and spirit for the journey ahead. Soak up gentle and slow medicine while we can, because the upcoming year portends to be one of transformation and rebirth!

All of the outer planets will eventually be in new signs this year, as well as the lunar nodes, which is rare. This means that we will all be moving into some kind of new territory, collectively and personally. If you’ve felt things have just not been moving forward fast enough, or like you can’t shake the past, 2025 will help you feel the change you’ve been waiting for, starting in Spring. New beginnings are afoot.

It is the Year of the Snake, helping us shed old skins and grow.

2025 is also a numerology year 9, which is a year of letting go, change, gratitude, spirituality and humanitarianism.

New energies will flow in as the year progresses, and two planets move from Pisces to Aries in the spring which is a huge ‘new beginning’ energy. We may find that who we are in a year is very different from where we stand now.

I am excited for the changes the year will bring and also feeling the call to stay grounded and centered in my spiritual practice to help root me as things shift.

Oracle Reading- Themes for Contemplation

To get your reflective wheels turning for this new moon and new year, choose an oracle card from my new deck I got this Solstice!

It’s called the Old Ways Magick oracle by Naomi Cornock. Each card holds a theme for you to contemplate, with both positive and negative manifestations as well as wisdom to help you navigate. It leaves freedom for you to interpret as you feel called. Words are of the deck creator, Naomi Cornock.

Take 3 cleansing breaths. Then, choose your card. Remember that number! Scroll down to find its number and meaning…

Old Ways Magick Oracle by Naomi Cornock
  1. The World- Lughnasadh

As the Wild Goddess brings abundance wherever she treads, so as we gather in the harvest. We give thanks to her for her wonderful bounty.

Welcome: Grasp hold of bounty or boon and a world of possibilities is before you.

Warning: Disappointment, lack of reward for efforts made.

Wisdom: Be aligned with the rhythms of nature, and a world of endless bounty opens up.

2. The Cauldron

The Welsh Goddess Cerridwen is often associated with witches and magick, as well as nature, creativity, herbs, poetry, spells and knowledge. Her cauldron holds all potential and possibilities.

Welcome: A time to stoke the fire and harness the creative energy brewing in your cauldron.

Warning: Your cauldron is empty, your fire is out and energy gone.

Wisdom: Light the fire, fill your cauldron with creative magick and potential.

3. Community

Wolf can teach us to embrace community and understand it is there for us in times of need. In wolf we find courage to trust and lean on others.

Welcome: Reach out, connect with others when support is needed.

Warning: Unable to ask for community support.

Wisdom: To Wolf I ask, guide me to hold others with courage and love.

4. Sacred Journey

Find the quiet space inside you. Hear your own truths, recognise that everything is connected and you will not only heal yourself but all the world around you.

Welcome: A time for internal healing, look inwards to prepare for a new journey to begin.

Warning: Feeling unprepared and lacking the tools necessary to begin a journey.

Wisdom: Awaken to a new day, beginning of a sacred journey of healing.

5. Journey’s End

Sit under the long branches of wise old oak, soaking up quiet strength. Time to rest again and be still and grow moss. Steadfast and sustained, at one with the spirit of the land, sea and sky.

Welcome: Steadfast, stable, quiet strength.

Warning: Feeling unsupported and unstable.

Wisdom: A journey is complete, be uplifted and sustained.

6. Illuminate

Arianrhod is mother, lady of the silver wheel and queen of the citadel in the stars. She is Goddess protector, healer and wielder of justice.

Welcome: Shine a light in the shadows so hidden obstructions can not trip us up.

Warning: Be careful not to be ruled by the fear of what is hidden by the light.

Wisdom: Shine starlight on shadows which diminish their power to hinder progress.

7. Bounty- Mabon

Artio reminds us to balance the dark and the light in order to gather all the bounty the universe provides. And so it is at Mabon, we sees this reflected again, we must equally embrace the light and dark to grow and transform.

Welcome: Face our shadow fears, strong in the knowledge that our blessings are bountiful.

Warning: Unable to find balance and equilibrium between fear and love.

Wisdom: Gain a fuller and deeper understanding in order to make the most of bountiful blessings.

8. Pathways

Elen of the Ways is one of the shining ones who walks with me when I journey on the web of life, illuminating the old ways and showing me the paths to take.

Welcome: Follow the paths which wind down old ways to find what we have been looking for.

Warning: Don’t turn away from the paths lest the way is lost.

Wisdom: Elen lights the paths trod by the old ones, there we may find wisdom for today.

Did your card resonate? I hope it did! If not, perhaps it will stir some feelings or thoughts to expand on later. There is so much magick to behold in this moment. Trust your heart to lead you where you need to be. Trust in your own divine timing. All is flowing as it should.

Sending you blessings of hope, renewal, love and wellness for this New Moon and for 2025!

If you are interested in a more personalized reading for the new year, I am always booking Tarot Readings! You may also explore my other spiritual services here.

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Daily Rituals for Embodying Your Magick

We are spiritual beings with a physical body, and the Earth is too. Every tree, rock, and animal have a spirit and yet must contend with living an embodied life.

As humans, we find all kinds of ways to forget our body- through trying control it, deny it, or avoid it due to trauma, social conditioning, oppressive systems and more.

Our mind, heart, soul and body are all connected, so when one is out of balance, the others can be too. During stressful times, it is easy for our nervous systems to be dysregulated, which can affect our overall health.

We can choose to feed the fear, feed the numbness, or feed our body and soul with what nourishes us. This helps us to be energetically strong and present to navigate our daily life.

We can meditate, pray and connect to Spirit, but if we aren’t integrating the needs of our body (and whole self) with our spiritual work then we can’t fully come into our power as spiritual beings living in this physical world. Likewise, we can diet, exercise, take supplements and do all the ‘right’ things for our body, but if we aren’t connected to our Spirit (and whole self), we also may struggle to embody our power.

What Does it Mean to Embody our Magick?

Tree Pose

Embodying our magick means that we live, breathe and express our spiritual practice through our body and into our daily life.  It means that we bring our spiritual energy into form through how we carry ourselves and interact with the world around us. We become a physical channel of divine energy on earth.

For example, if being attuned to the element of water is a central part of your spiritual practice, then you may wish to try moving your body with more fluidity or softness, bless your glass of water before drinking it, express your emotions more freely, wear blues and greens, and spend lots of time in and around water. In a sense, you strive to embody the water itself and express its energy into the world.

Perhaps you are feeling connected to an animal ally right now. To embody that animal’s energy more in your life, you can do a bit of research- What do they eat? How do they move? What environment do they thrive in? And then you can emulate them to some degree in your life, transforming your own energy in powerful ways.

Embodying our magick is essentially a self-healing tool and practice. Some may call it shapeshifting, some may call it cultivating your inner Priestess, Witch, Mage, etc. It is essentially becoming a clearer channel for the Divine to flow through you and actively grounding that energy into your body.

What is central to your spiritual practice right now? How can you manifest that quality or energy more within your body, actions and in the world around you?

Perfection is Not the Goal

In the process of becoming a clearer channel for the Divine to flow through, we may come up against some challenges. There may be trauma, illness, injuries or chronic habits that inhibit the fullness of our spiritual power from flowing with ease through our body. This is very normal and simply part of the spiritual journey. Perfectionism itself can be a barrier to overcome.

You are not less spiritual or less powerful if you have physical or mental health challenges to contend with. In fact, integrating them and navigating through them can bring you more capacity for expressing your spiritual energy in the world, as the healing process brings deepened self-knowledge, empathy and wisdom. The body doesn’t have to be ‘perfect’ by any means for divine energy to flow through!

Nature is perfectly imperfect and fully divine in all its diversity.

Many powerful healers have met great obstacles on the mental, emotional and physical level, and that healing process enables them to hold great spiritual energy and help others more compassionately.

Our healing is never truly done, so trying to achieve some kind of embodied spiritual perfection is not the goal. Just being more integrated and self-aware is.

Depending on your needs, a therapist who is familiar with somatic work, a bodyworker or energy healer may be helpful.

Have you experienced barriers to feeling comfortable in your body? What have you learned about yourself through the process?

A Relaxed Body is a Powerful Body

Relaxation is a cat’s power

I recently became aware of a fabulous quote by embodiment facilitator Prentis Hemphill:

“One of my teachers says, ‘A relaxed body is the most powerful body that we have.’…Because when we are relaxed, we can do almost anything. I can make any kind of move from a relaxed body. I have a lot of choices from a relaxed body. From a body that is tight, tense, or protective, has taken on a protective shell, there’s only a limited number of moves we can make from that body. We’ve already foreclosed certain options.”

This is such a succinct way to put it. When we are relaxed, we have options. We can shapeshift into anything we need to, and that is powerful.

What makes you feel more relaxed?

Daily Ritual Ideas for Embodying Your Magick

simply holding a rock can help ground us

There are many ways to align body and spirit in our daily life. Here are some simple rituals to support embodying your magick in your practice. The possibilities are endless of course, so these are suggestions you can embellish or combine together to create your own:  

Morning Grounding Rituals: Yoga or any movement that expresses your devotion and supports your body; My Grounding Tree Meditation; Morning herbal tea with prayer; Mindful eating of breakfast with gratitude, Walk in nature to attune to the land; Smoke Cleanse attuning to the plant medicines.

Evening Relaxation Rituals: Essential oil/salt bath with intention stirred into the water; Slow movement or mindful breathing with devotional music; Evening Walk in nature to process the day and attune to the land spirits; Journal writing for processing as well as a tool of connection with your higher self/spirit.

Regular Check-ins: Starting and ending the day with a ritual is great, but it’s also important to check in with how we’re doing during the day as well. Take a break from work to simply ask: What do I need right now? First ask your body, then your heart, then your mind, then your spirit.

Pleasure Rituals: Many spiritual traditions eschew pleasure- however paganism recognizes pleasure as our birthright and an essential aspect of practice. Keep it simple. What scent arouses your sensuality? What sound brings you peace? What color makes you feel good when you wear it? What activity makes you giddy with joy? Surround yourself with the things that nourish your senses. Take it a step further and create a perfume for the deity you are working with, or if you enjoy singing or drawing or another art, create something that is fun as well as devotional.

Dress up: Adornment and costuming are great ways to bring a spiritual aspect of yourself into form! You can do some more subtle forms of adornment such as jewelry, or a change to your hair and makeup, or go full out with a new wardrobe to help you channel the vibes you are working with.

Communing with Nature: Visit a nearby tree in a park for a conversation; Talk to/sing/water your houseplants; Give your pet some love; Sit on the earth and merge with its wisdom; Swim or spend time near a body of water and let it cleanse your energy.  

Movement: Any type of movement that is done mindfully or with intention can become a spiritual practice. Whether it is taking a few deep breaths and stretching in your office chair; Dancing to music that helps you feel connected to all life; Moving intuitively to the sound of oceans waves; Or merging with your animal ally and dancing it into form, spirit loves to move through us when we let go of our rigid habits and move our body organically.

Music: Make a playlist of songs that evoke the energy you wish to embody more of. I create playlists for every sabbat/seasonal celebration that helps me attune to its energies. I also create playlists for deities I work with, and animal allies I work with too. Use the playlist alongside any other rituals you do or listen to it while you cook, drive, or do other daily activities.

Color Therapy: Color is energy and holds the power to transform how you feel and interact with the world. What color have you been feeling drawn to lately? How does it make you feel? How can you incorporate it into your wardrobe, jewelry, environment or daily life? You may wish to connect with crystals, flowers, herbs or environments with that color.

Crystal Therapy: Crystal beings hold powerful energies and are medicine for our body and spirit. You may have a favorite or feel drawn to one in particular at a certain time in your life. Go to a crystal shop (in person preferably) and notice which crystal draws you- it may carry an energy your spirit wants to emulate. If you take one home, spend time connecting with it. Notice how it makes you feel. You can place it on your body regularly or wear it or carry it with you.

Trees- Grounding tree meditation: I admit I am a huge tree-lover and they remain one of my favourite ways to connect with the Divine on a regular basis. You may wish to spend some time hugging or leaning against your favourite tree and listening to its wisdom. You may also wish to emulate tree energy in your practice.

I have recorded a variation of my Grounding Tree Meditation. Each time I do it it’s a bit different. This one is approximately 13 mins long, check it out here:

I hope you feel inspired to incorporate a new ritual to support embodying your Magick! If you have any other ideas you wish to share, please feel free to share in the comments below!

May your body and spirit be nourished, supported and well during these times of change,

Blessings,

Serena

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Samhain Wisdom + Oracle Reading!

Roots & Ancestors. The Soul, Death & the Otherworld. The bonds we share here and beyond the veil. Letting go and shedding old skins.

Samhain season carries some heavy themes, yet this is ultimately a season of liberation. The invitation to dance with our shadows and contemplate death serves to remind us of who we truly are and how we want to live. It helps us open to something greater than we originally imagined life could be and pushes us to release anything that holds us back from living authentically and aligned with our highest good.

This is also Scorpio season, which is reflected in Samhain’s meaning. Scorpio teaches us how to reclaim our power. Past wounds, betrayals, or triggers of powerlessness that rear their heads now are ways the universe is actually conspiring to help us heal and be free. We must feel our pain fully in order to transmute, understand and learn from it. We are called to be brave warriors of the heart here, and take our heavy armor off for a moment to simply feel what we feel. If we do this, and tend to our healing in earnest, we may not need to wear that armor ever again in the future.

Thankfully, we are not on this healing journey alone. We are gifted easy access to the insight of our beloved dead, spirit guides and healing allies, just in time for our healing. We simply need to slow down and tune in to hear their whisperings. Whether you do this through paying attention to your dreams, prayer, trance work, meditation, movement or simply walking through the forest, Spirit is waiting for you to hear its message.

Samhain means ‘summer’s end’ in Gaelic and has been traditionally a time to honor our beloved dead and ancestors. Our loved ones beyond the veil watch us and protect us from harm, and sometimes we may take this for granted. This is an opportune time to connect with our spirit kin, and show them gratitude by speaking their names, reading their stories, creating an altar in their memory, making a dish they enjoyed or passed down, or praying to them. While they may not be in the flesh, they have much wisdom to bestow on us to help us live here on this earth walk, if we choose to listen.

Samhain is opposite Beltane on the Wheel of the Year. As opposites, they share a natural bond. Beltane in the spring is the season of earthly fertility and visible growth of the plants. Samhain falls in the season of visible plant death and dormancy, yet it is a very fertile season for soul growth- as the growth happening now is in the invisible realm.

We must shift our awareness from the surface of things to the inner depths to notice all the fertility that lies beneath. Our inner garden awaits our tending.

We can ask ourselves, what seeds of healing do we wish to plant in the depths of the night? What potential lies within that simply needs some care and attention in order to flourish?

This season of darkness reminds us that there is no such thing as death. Fertile soil and blooms can come all year round if we decide to till our inner soil.

Energy never ends, it only transforms.

Ready to receive a message to help you on your Samhain season journey? Take a moment to ground and centre yourself. Take 3 deep, cleansing breaths. Then ask your guides “What do I need to know for this Samhain season?” and choose a card below:

Season of the Witch Samhain Oracle by Lorraine Anderson, Juliet Diaz
& Giada Rose

Now remember that number and scroll down to find it’s description! (Descriptions are by the deck’s authors.)

  1. Reflection- Truth, Fear

Reflection shows you the person you’ve become, for better or worse. It shows the parts of yourself you wish you could hide and the parts that are to your liking. Your reflection has no desire to hide your truth. You are being guided to acknowledge who you are at this time. Looking to the future is great and so is setting goals. But how can you make a plan for where you’re going if you haven’t come to terms with where you are now?

It can be a challenge to stand in the truth of who you are today. No one wants to say ‘I’m overweight’ or ‘I’m in debt’ or ‘I’m sabotaging my goals’. However, pretending these circumstances do not exist is like hiding under a sheet of paper in a rainstorm, it will protect you for a few moments, but eventually the water will soak through and you will be forced to face your reality. Or, in this case, your reflection.

Reflection has come to ask you to be honest with yourself. Stop hiding from the situation you are facing. You must use where you are as a starting place for any real change to occur.

2. Silence- Stillness, Nothingness, Presence

The world moves at such an alarming rate. Sitting inside a coffee shop I can hear sirens, cars, construction, people talking and moving. I find myself seeking the quiet of dawn when the Earth is still and muted.

There is a presence in the silence. There is space to fill it with the sound of your voice and the beat of your heart. This is the space where all of creation is free to roam wild. Stillness is the presence of nothing and the potential for everything.

A witch knows she must take time to find stillness. It is within nothingness that creation is born. One must be still to hear. One must be still to receive the subtle messages left for a few moments to guide you on the path.

If Silence has come, take this opportunity to be still. This card is a reminder to spend time each day to clear your mind. The answer to your question will come when you stop searching, allowing the solution to be presented to you. There is no need to rush in this situation, even though you think you must. Remove your expectations of the situation you are inquiring about. Give this up to the silence, the nothingness. Spirit will take your query and answer when the time is right.

3. Greet the Darkness- Self, Inner Truth

Darkness. You might get a sense of terror from what you can’t see. But not all hidden things are bad. There are many things that you cannot see that hold the secret to life, abundance and renewal. Like the lotus flower that blooms from the darkness of muddy waters, there is beauty in the darkness for those who know where to look with their heart.

You have pulled Greet the Darkness as a call to go deep into your dark corners. There are parts of you that are beautiful yet remain undiscovered. You must allow yourself to open to the unknown. You can so this by confronting old wounds, lost memories, feelings of shame, guilt and disappointment.

This is called shadow work, a practice that allows you to make friends with your demons rather than hide from them. What seems like a monster is really a lost part of you needing love and support. When feelings such as anger, resentment and chaos come round, it is because those feelings are trying to protect you in the only way they know how. Anger only knows anger and can only offer its support in that way. Chaos only knows chaos so that is the only way it can get your attention. These feelings are trying to help you find the beautiful gems that are waiting in the dark spaces of your being.

Confront whatever feelings you have surrounding your situation. Allow those feelings to surface and face them without fear. Greet them and ask them how you can work together. Journal your meditative conversations with your dark parts. Within their words of advice you will discover the lost or missing pieces of yourself.

4. Potions and Spells- Manifesting, Calling

Potions and spells are how a witch weaves her magic spell, calling into existence her deepest desires. Potion making and spell crafting are two rituals that, when done correctly, can bring about dozens of manifestations. Adding little pinches of this and that here and there can change your creations ever so slightly and is an art that has been passed down through hundreds of generations in as many cultures.

One of the best nights of the year to create potions and work spells is on Samhain, when the veil is at its thinnest. Weaving your magic on this night is like supercharging your magical creations and rituals. Our ancestors would work spells on Samhain to survive the winter. For a time, magic was the very bread and butter of survival, a way to protect, nourish and support through good times and bad.

Should you receive the Potions and Spells card, know that you should begin learning the art of potion making and spell crafting. The more personal a spell or potion, the better the chance of a favorable outcome.

You are capable of manifesting anything you wish. You are the director of your life, as as a witch you are better equipped to manifest exactly the life you desire and deserve. Think big! The potions and spells available to you are endless. You can have and create anything you choose. Make it your mission to craft your life.

5. Healer- Guide, Facilitator

We all come into the human experience with the use of energy and intuition. Among us are those who are called to be Healers. They are the wise ones who’ve made a conscious choice to devote themselves to guiding others on their paths.

Healers can be found in all religions and traditions, each with something beautiful and unique to contribute to the collective energy of the world. You may know them as shamans, medicine men and women, priestesses, wise ones, great ones, the list goes on.

If you have pulled the gift of Healer, know that you are being called to initiate yourself as one of the wise ones. You are meant to be a guide for those who are finding their way and there are many ways you can do this- as a healer for your family and neighborhood, or through building a community on social media offering wisdom. It doesn’t matter how you choose to heal. All that matters is that you do.

If you have through about becoming a healer this card is a resounding YES! Some healing practices are crystal therapist, Reiki practitioner, tarot reader, psychic, doula, death doula, herbalist and so on. You may have something you’ve practiced for years or you may feel called to learn a new skill. Trust your intuition.

You can become a facilitator of healing. Creating healing tools such as guided meditations, healing jewelry, candles and even creating your own oracle deck can provide others with a path to heal themselves. You create the path for others to walk. You are unique and have something to share with the world.

6. Protection-Safety, Hidden

Many of us have had to search out our own safety since beginning our journeys as spiritual healers, students and teachers. We’ve faced criticism for being witches, faced jealousy for being true to our own paths and had to withstand attacks from our own egos. But we rise and keep going with fearless determination. We know we have our spiritual team (our ancestors, guides and angels) to support us and keep us from harm.

You are always protected, my dearest witch, no matter how scary the world may seem or how many things go bump in the dark night of your soul. Within you is a space that cannot be harmed, penetrated or shaken. Here you can retreat to heal and find comfort. You need only step through the veil into the arms of those who love and care for you.

If you have drawn Protection know that all is well and you are safe. Your spiritual support team will protect you from harm. You are protected from hexes, evil eyes, danger, psychic attacks; you are even protected from the dangers of your Earth-based ego. Know that you can handle anything.

When you are feeling unsafe, speak to the powers that be. Ask them to guide you where you do not have eyes and to keep you safe when you are in harm’s way. They are always walking with you and are ready to provide you with additional support whenever you feel the need to ask.

7. Altar- Devotion Worship, Individuality

Your altar is a sacred space created to honor something in your practice, a space dedicated to worship and the devotion of your craft. It should not hold things that are not sacred to your energy work. It should be the place in your home where spirits of the wise gather and share their knowledge with you.

Each altar you create is a beautiful expression of who you are. It’s where you hold your connection to something in Spirit that resonates with your inner self. Some things naturally belong on an altar such as ritual candles, crystals, herbs, an athame or a chalice. Personal items are welcome too. There is no right or wrong item to put on your altar as long as it holds special meaning for you.

If you have pulled Altar it is because your guides are thrilled to see you making an effort. There needs to be an intention, a worshipping and space so that you can harness your energy without disruption. Either a physical space such as an altar or metaphorical space like opening your heart- it is even better to have both- where you can come back to your true self. Know that you have the power deep within that needs a place to land.

Your guides need a space to speak to you. They can reach you anywhere on the planet and you can call on them at any time. Worshipping at your altar gives them an open invitation. They know they are welcome and that you are ready to receive their gifts and messages in your sacred space.

8. Frog- Transformation, Serenity

Butterflies are often what comes to mind when we think of transformation. But let us not forget, frogs are also a symbol of transformation: Going from a tadpole that lives in water to a frog that adapts to land and water. For some species, this process takes a couple of weeks. For others, it can take months and even a year to transform from one thing to another.

When Frog comes croaking, know that you are transforming or the process will begin soon. This is a positive transformation, an easy-going one, so you might not even know it is happening. It’s a subtle shift that occurs in the background until one day you realize things are different. There is nothing you need to do to move this change along. Like the frog, your higher self will take over and guide you through instinct. You need only pay attention to the urges you feel and follow those urges when they strike.

Be patient and note that this transformation has come to your awareness. This is not something that can be rushed or forced. Like the frog, this transformation may take days, weeks or maybe even a year or two to transform completely. All unfolds in accordance with divine destiny.

Did your card resonate? I hope it did!

Wishing you a blessed Samhain, and all the love and support you need to navigate the journey.

xo

Serena

If you are in the Toronto area and interested in celebrating Samhain with me, there’s still a bit of space in our Samhain Circle: Blessings Beyond the Veil, if you wish to join! If you are not in this area, know that the next Hearthfire Circle will be online for Winter Solstice. I hope to see you then!

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Snake Medicine- Shedding Old Skins

Every spring and fall, I feel very connected to Snake energy. While in real life, snakes evoke a natural caution and sometimes squeamishness for me, they are actually one of my most powerful animal allies that I work with on a spiritual level for clearing and healing.

Every time Snake showed up in my life, a healing on the creative, energetic or sexual level happened shortly after and lasted for several months.

I have had many real-life encounters with snakes, mostly while walking in the woods. Once, while sitting and meditating on a rock on a beach I received an intuitive download about my life and future. Then, as soon as I got up to leave, a massive snake slithered out from under the rock I had been sitting upon. It startled me at first! But it also felt meaningful, and not that surprising, as I had been working with Snake energy in my practice to help me heal a chronic health condition.

Snake awakens our intuitive, creative and vital energies, and help us to transmute our pain into power. They help us heal the past and restore energy harmony within our bodies.

The Healing Gifts of Snake Energy

Snake slithers along the ground, attuned to the vibrations, trusting them to guide her to places of warmth, rest, food and companionship. She flicks out her tongue to smell the air and follows the scent that draws her. She glides sinuously along each bump, crack and curve of the land. She is deeply connected to the earth and subtle energy currents.

Snake is equally feared as revered. Some can kill us with their bite. Most are harmless and simply mind their own business, yet send us humans into full panic mode. We evolved to fear snakes for survival reasons. Yet, on the spiritual level, they actually take care of us and have been a symbol of healing for centuries.

Snakes have been revered since ancient times in many cultures. They are often associated with wisdom, healing, longevity and transformation. They are the shamanic visionaries, the mystic healers, the Kundalini itself rising from the base of our spine.

Caduceus Image by Freepik

The Caduceus is an ancient symbol derived from Yoga, the two snakes representing the Ida and Pingala, or intertwining solar and lunar energies around the central column, the Shushumna- the Kundalini energy column that dwells in our spine, bridging the Earth and the Divine. When Ida and Pingala (inner Yin and Yang energies) dance in harmony, Kundalini awakens and rises.

This symbol has also been historically connected to the Greek God Hermes and a similar version of it with one snake called the Rod of Asclepius, (belonging to the Greek God of Healing Aesculapius), is a prominent symbol in the medical profession.

So, in both eastern and western medicine, snakes are associated with healing.

When Snake shows up for us, it is probably because we are amidst a healing process or about to be. We may feel trepidation at first, but Snake cares for us deeply and only wants our liberation from what no longer serves our growth or potential. She wants us to thrive and embody our power.

Following Our Instincts

Snake teaches us to trust our instincts.

They don’t have the best sight or hearing, so they rely on vibration and smell. Snake reminds us attune to the vibrations we feel and what we smell in any situation, rather than what is seen and heard on the surface level.

You know that feeling you get in your gut that something just feels off? The vibes you feel underneath the words? That’s your snakey-sense kicking in. Follow the scent of truth and you will find your way forward.

One thing I love about Snakes is that they don’t tend to move in straight lines, but in sinuous waves and curls. This inspires us to let go of the idea that our path in life needs to be a linear one. Those of us who attune to the deeper vibrations within and around us may move in a different pattern, such as curves or spirals, following a different vibration than those around us.

Forward movement is sometimes better accomplished in waves, spirals or through our senses rather than thought. Our travels can be smoother when we follow the waves of our emotions, the rhythms of the earth and our sensual instincts, rather than trying to follow a straight or rigid path in life.

As walkers between worlds, Snakes bring us the gift of cultivating our life-force energy. They do this by helping us trust our instincts to lead us to places and experiences that enhance our vitality, and by thrusting us through the necessary shedding that must be done in order to continue growing. They keep our life force alive, by helping us move and flow!

Shedding Old Skins, Awakening to Rebirth

Snakeskin Photo by geekfight on Freeimages.com

Snakes grow their entire life, so they continuously need to shed their skin to accommodate their new size. Many shed their skin twice a year, before the winter and then again after emerging in spring.

When their skin is about to shed, they become less active, eat less and their eyes turn a cloudy white. They may get more anxious, irritable or aggressive as the skin-shedding process can be uncomfortable. They understandably feel vulnerable during this process. Their energies are focused on releasing the old skin, as there is a new skin growing underneath.

Skin-shedding is a death and rebirth process, not unlike ones we experience as humans. There are times when we are in a personal transition, and we too feel vulnerable or irritable as we change.

We may need to withdraw from our usual activities, social engagements and take time to follow the call inward. This is a potent time for dreaming and receiving messages from Spirit.

This liminal shedding experience is echoed during menstruation time. As the uterine lining sheds, we shed energy from the month past that is no longer conducive to our growth cycle. We may feel irritable and uncomfortable (or in a lot of pain, depending on our cycles), and not have the energy for the outside world we normally do, because of all that is going on in our body. Our energy is pulled into the dream state more easily and the body requires rest for this spiritual and energetic shift.

The Fall season, as well as the waning moon are also common times for us to feel this call to shed old baggage and prioritize rest, healing and inner work. These are times when we may withdraw some of our energy from the external world to focus on the process of inner change.  One foot is here on Earth and the other is in the Otherworld or Spirit world.

Feeling Misunderstood

For some of us highly sensitive folks on a spiritual healing path, or those working with a Snake ally, dwelling between this world and the Spirit world is a lifestyle. It may appear from the outside looking in that we are reclusive, anti-social, introverted (gasp!), or even aloof, snobbish, escapist, detached, moody or intimidating. These are typical misunderstandings or self-judgements we encounter when we are called to walk a Snake path in life or enter a spiritual time of transformation and rebirth.

In the capitalistic, material world it can seem like those on a spiritual path are doing nothing of value. However, personal healing and rebirth require a ton of energy, courage and strength. Self-healing affects our lineage and the collective at large.  It radiates to others around us. It stays with us when we leave this world. It may be the most valuable thing we can do.

Like the Snake, we may seek privacy and seclusion for our times of skin-shedding and to help contain the sacred unfolding of our rebirth. Alternatively, we may let only a trusted few  into our sanctuary during these times. If others are used to having access to your energy all the time, it can be challenging but also very energizing to place boundaries around your tender transitions to let things unfold in a sacred space of your own making.

What Are You Ready to Shed?

Snake in a tree

This time of year is conducive to our own personal skin shedding. We may wish to finally let go of old selves, habitual ways of thinking, relationships, or material things we’ve accumulated that are no longer serving our highest good.

It is important to remember that it is perfectly normal to feel vulnerable or anxious when things in our life or aspects of ourselves seem to be falling away. When life brings change, we may immediately feel like something must be wrong. It is partly a survival instinct, but it also can be a trauma response and social conditioning to maintain a ‘safe’ status quo that can eventually stifle our life force.  

We need to be gentle with ourselves and remember that change and loss come because new life is emerging from within. Like the Snake shedding their old skin because a new one is forming underneath, loss is a natural outcome of new growth, and like Snake we are meant to continuously grow.

The new will be revealed in time. During the in-between transition, honor this sacred time of being closer than ever to Spirit.

I am shedding a bunch of things right now. Old timelines and goals I had carried that have now proven unrealistic and misaligned with my spiritual values. I’ve been gradually shedding old fitness routines and re-training how I breathe, move, eat and treat my body in its middle age. I am shedding habitual ways of relating and repeating childhood traumas and feeding old fears. I am shedding social expectations I internalized about what I should have accomplished by now and simply let my journey be an authentic expression of who I am rather than trying to fit into boxes.

What do you feel is changing or healing in your life?

We may wish to reflect on the following questions:

What Old Skin is shedding? What no longer feels relevant to who you are now and where you’re headed?

What is the New Skin emerging? What new energy, desires or dreams are rising up from within?

How do you use your vital energies in daily life? Do these activities or relationships nourish, energize or drain you?

How can you use your energy in more revitalizing and empowering ways?

Connect with Snake to help you follow the flow of energies calling you forward and help you to leave behind that which isn’t serving your highest good.

How to connect with Snake?

My Snake tattoo (belly/ribs), she is always with me
  1. You can start by closing your eyes and taking a few relaxing breaths.
  2. Bring one hand to your heart and the other to your lower belly and feel the energy awaken in these areas.  
  3. Then simply call Snake spirit. Open your heart to receiving their wisdom. Sense the energy in your pelvic region, as this area is attuned to the Snake creative impulse. You may wish to look at an inspiring photo of a snake to help you connect.
  4. Ask them- “Dear Snake Spirit, I am open to receiving your wisdom. Do you wish to connect with me today?” If yes, take a moment to let the energy build and ask, “What guidance do you have for me today?” and listen for their answer.
  5. You can create a little Snake altar in your home if you wish, with an offering, a photo, or representation of them and a candle and connect on a regular basis.

Another great way to connect with Snake is to dance! Put on some sensual music and let your instincts guide your movements. Imagine a golden Snake energy flowing through your belly and limbs as you move, clearing out stagnant energy and bringing in health, vitality and power.

You may also find you naturally feel Snake energy when you practice Yoga, vigorous exercise, dance or have sex. Notice the ways in which Snake may already be present in your life, as they are our kin.

Do you have any experience with Snake as a spiritual ally? Or a real-life encounter that moved you? Please feel free to share in the comments!

Wishing you ease and flow through this ‘shedding season’ of change,

xo

Serena

Interested in nourishing your spirit through animal ally connection and more? You may wish to check out my 6-week program: Nourish Your Spirit- Healing Allies Program, available online or in-person.

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Staying Grounded Through Eclipses & Times of Chaos

There are times in life when our feet barely touch the earth. Where we just don’t feel centered or like ourselves. Our consciousness may be immersed in the future or past, or so preoccupied with a situation or person that we can’t see the forest for the trees. We may feel unsettled, anxious, spacey, depressed or simply outside of our body and the present moment.

These challenging feelings can come with any big transition, change, chronic stress or traumatic event.

These feelings are common during Eclipse Season- the duration of approximately one month that spans the Solar and Lunar Eclipse cycle. Its energies reverberate through the next six months, as we integrate and embody its lessons. If you are a highly sensitive person, then you may feel eclipse seasons with greater intensity as you are attuned to the collective emotions as well as your own, which can be triggered at this time.

We are still in eclipse season now, as we are experiencing a Solar Eclipse in Libra, after the Lunar Eclipse in Pisces a couple weeks ago. This eclipse is about reclaiming our inner sovereignty and creating a healthier balance in our life. Themes of give and take, relating, justice, peace and harmony reign.

We may notice how people-pleasing or giving our power away to others no longer serves us. How trusting ourselves and caring for our own needs first is necessary if we are to dance in harmony with another in a healthy way. It is a great time to ground into what brings us true peace and inner strength. It is an opportunity to take our energy back, patch up leaks and drains, and move forward in a more sustainable way.

Eclipses are not to be feared, but to be respected. They are a great time for inner work, healing and transformation. They are not a time to assume the smooth hum of everyday life will be our status quo. Eclipses aren’t ‘bad’, but they are chaotic and can be stressful, because they are meant to unsettle us. This is to help us evolve, heal and grow. They bring an opportunity for us to walk into the future in a new, more liberated way. Eclipses gift us with new perspective, inner awareness and alignment with who we currently are and where we need to go.

But these gifts don’t necessarily come easily. Oftentimes, eclipse season brings unexpected things out of the blue. Things that were hidden from us come into the light, while the full truth of a situation may still be obscured. Old wounds and deeper issues get triggered by a conversation, an unexpected event or reminder of the past.

Doors may suddenly close, while unexpected windows open. Endings and beginnings take place. This process can take the few weeks surrounding the eclipses. It can be confusing, like a fog has set in around us. Once it clears, reality looks different.

Eclipses require extra space and time to process- as we are processing much more information, emotions, memories, feelings than normal through our body, mind and heart.

If we choose to pay attention to the deeper energies at work, we may notice how they are teaching us how to navigate uncertainty and strengthen our intuitive muscles. Like driving through fog, we need to slow down, get present, and begin using some of our under-used resources.  

Navigating uncertainty is one of my least favourite things to do, so that must be why I find myself doing it a lot. It’s a life lesson I can’t seem to run away from. I have anxiety and there are times it gets the better of me, this eclipse season being no exception. I feel the collective anxiety is very high right now.

So, I thought today I’d share a few simple things that helped me manage anxiety and stay grounded through this eclipse season, so we can experience not only its challenges but its gifts!

Faith:  The Calm Eye in the Middle of the Storm

Times of change can put our spiritual practice and faith to the test.

In this soup of collective fear and anxiety, it can be hard to hear the loving voice of our inner wisdom speaking. It is easy to get caught up in the flurries of fear and the many distractions thrown at us.

But our Spirit is bright, calm and clear, all the time. We can tap into this light any time we need a reminder of who we really are, like the calm eye in the middle of the storm. Our Spirit can see how this moment is an important part of our whole journey, in ways we could never see.

There is a call to have faith in the process here, to be willing to trust the unseen forces- our spirit guides, deity, our higher self, ancestors, etc. and trust they have our back! When life looks like a mess of obstacles, mistakes, fears and challenges to us, Spirit sees a sparkling pathway we cannot see, one made just for us to collect the gifts and experiences we need to move forward on our path in a better, stronger way. We are loved and cared for, always, especially during our darkest times.

It can be hard to have faith, especially when there is so much suffering. But faith in something is what helps us put one foot in front of the other. It keeps us grounded. Faith doesn’t need to be blind, conventional, nor unwavering. It only needs to feel true to you, a beacon of light in the darkness, something that fuels hope and peace for you in this moment.

Whether you access your faith through prayer, joining with others in spiritual community, sitting at your altar or going for a walk in the woods- The important thing is that you connect with Spirit regularly to strengthen your bond.

What strengthens your Spirit? How does your faith support you in challenging times? What is one way you can tap into your faith right now? How can you grow your faith each day?

Grounding: Trees, Water, Food and Plant Medicines for Support

For those of us on the earth-based path, grounding is not only steadying for our body and mind, but an essential part of our spiritual practice. Earth and Spirit are on the same continuum.

A tree is not just a tree but a wise elder with deep roots here that can help guide and strengthen us when we feel lost.

Walking in nature and connecting with the Tree Beings can be very helpful for anxiety.

Each Tree has its own special medicine and personality. I highly recommend getting to know the Tree Beings around you and find even just one to visit on a regular basis to lean up against, relax with, and listen to for its advice. Ask if they are interested in starting a new friendship, and give an offering of appreciation, such as cleaning up any garbage, giving it water, or putting down herbs or animal safe food at its roots.

Once you establish a connection with your Tree, just be present and receptive to them. Get a sense of their energy. Feel free to ask them a question about your life or situation.

The Oak trees have been giving me very specific advice about my health and my movement practice. They also encourage me to strengthen some boundaries and be more ruthless in keeping my mind out of harmful thought patterns.

The Willows I visited have been helpful in softening areas of tension in my body and energy field. They encouraged me to breathe and release trapped emotions, as well as reminded me to be much kinder to myself.

A nearby Spruce helped me understand how my energy was influenced by the collective energy and gave me information about timelines, cycles and protection.

Is there a Tree you’d like to connect with in your area?

Another grounding activity I love is sitting on the beach. Being where land, water and sky connect is a sacred place of liminality. It helps us connect with the divine and the earth in balance. I often get my most powerful healing messages when sitting by water.

Wading in Lake Ontario, I let the waves gently cleanse away old ways of being that are no longer serving me. The waves remind me that this is simply part of a cycle and ‘this too shall pass.’

When at the beach, I hold the local rocks in my hands and place them on my body where I needed grounding. When I do this, I feel immediately safe. I have a few at home to do this anytime I need.

Grounding foods are another great way to stay rooted through chaotic times.

Drinking tea made of roots such as ginger and turmeric, and warm spices ease digestion and help us stay rooted.

Eating root vegetables, hearty grains, nuts and seeds can be helpful.  if you eat meat, then increasing your intake of unprocessed, lean meat can be very grounding and restorative.

Adaptogens such as Reishi mushroom and Holy Basil have been helpful at keeping me in balance during stressful times.

Getting enough rest is paramount. If you have insomnia, or have trouble sleeping during eclipses like I do, there are many things you can do. In general, activities that relax you before bed such a yoga or meditation, exercising earlier during the day, and avoiding screens before bed may help. Sleep inducing herbs and teas may also help. Weighted blankets, blackout curtains, eye pillows can also help. Everyone is different however with sleep needs.

What activities or foods ground you? Do you have a special place in nature you can go to feel safe and supported? Are you getting enough rest and sleep?

Being Present: Right Now is the Only Thing That Exists

We live in a very distracting world. Our senses are constantly bombarded with stimuli, especially here in Toronto, and it can be very overwhelming to our system on every level.

But even aside from noise, traffic, people, screens, computers and phones, we can distract ourselves with work, relationships, addictions, or constant ruminating and destructive thoughts about the past or future.

The less things we are doing at once, the more we can be present and access the steady, eternal calm beneath the moment. Like the ‘eye in the middle of the storm’ I mentioned. No matter what is happening externally- in the environment, in our emotional body or our mind, there is a still lake of deep peace and eternal serenity we can attune to.

Meditation has been around for thousands of years for a reason. Most of our stress originates in our minds. The mind itself is but a movie screen of our thoughts, not a true reflection of reality. Learning to watch our thoughts come and go, and attuning to the eternal oneness that is underneath it all can be a powerful grounding and centering practice.

Mindful Breathing is another great way to get present. When feeling anxious, inhale for 4 counts, pause with full lungs for 4 counts, then exhale for 4 counts. Repeat a few times, gradually extending the length of the exhale so that it is longer than your inhale. This helps to engage the parasympathetic nervous system to calm your nerves.

For some folks, becoming still, focusing on the breath or noticing thoughts can be an overwhelming, anxiety-inducing activity. In this case, staying engaged in a daily task or physical movement is a more accessible way to be present.

Focusing on physical tasks in daily life– such as cleaning, vacuuming, preparing food, cuddling pets or brushing their fur, folding laundry or exercising can become sacred rituals to help us focus on the here and now, on what is in front of us. This can help pull us out of the projections of our mind into the future and the past and remind us of the peace inherent in our everyday existence.  

Naming 3 things you see, smell, hear, or feel is another great way to ground into the moment, and helps a panic or anxiety attack. This can be practiced daily. For instance, on your break at work, you can just take a moment to notice and name 3 sensations you feel- ie) The cool breeze on your cheek, your shirt caressing your lower back, tension in your shoulders. Then notice how that changed your demeanor. You can add complexity to it as well, such as ‘name 3 things you can see that are red’. This helps you to bring your awareness back into the reality in front of you, rather than the mind’s projected fears.

Mindful eating can help you stay in the moment. Instead of eating while talking to others, listening to a podcast or thinking about your to-do list, try immersing your attention on the act of chewing the food, the sensations in your mouth and body, the full experience of the act of eating.

What activities help ground you into the present moment? What thoughts or distractions pull you out of it? What is one way you could become more present to this moment right now?

Sharing and Connecting: We are never alone

My husband and I on the Friends set reproduction a couple years ago

As someone conditioned to be low-maintenance and highly attuned to others, it can be hard for me to open about my struggles and reach out for support. I tend to reserve my venting and vulnerability for my partner or professional healers. I always find though, that whatever I am struggling with, there are always others going through the same thing. Often it is part of a larger, collective struggle as well. We are all connected and we experience things like eclipses altogether. Many of us are likely experiencing the same themes and feelings in our lives, just in slightly different situations.

Every time I hold my circles and we share what’s been going on for us, we discover that others in the room are feeling the same. We all learn from each other and support each other.

Guaranteed, you are not alone in whatever you are going through right now. If you have even just one person in your life that you trust, that is a willing, caring listener, connect with them and share.

One thing I am slowly learning is that sharing our struggles with others doesn’t necessarily mean we are burdening them. When we share our problems with others, it can also heal them too, as they may have felt the same in the past or right now in the present, too.

Now, this isn’t to say that you should use your friends or loved ones as a dumping ground or get in the habit of sharing and not return the favor of listening. If you are someone always on the listening end, maybe try sharing. If you are someone always on the sharing end, maybe ask how others are feeling and listen.

If you don’t have any humans right now in your life that you feel comfortable connecting with, what about a pet? A spirit helper, tree, plant, or body of water? Are there any folks you follow on social media who inspire you or share your struggle? Any communities or support groups you feel drawn to connecting with online or in-person?

I often like to speak with my ancestors and spirit guides as well. They are always listening and happy when we connect! Even writing in my journal is a therapeutic form of expression when I don’t feel I can talk to anyone.

Who in your life do you feel comfortable sharing your feelings with? What communities, friends, family or professionals do you have in your life to inspire or support you? How do you support others? Is there a balance?

Play: Leisure, fun and play are essential aspects of life

My lovely friend Jazzie and I playing with veils

Last but not least, during heavy or transformational times, we need to remember how to play. This may look like trying out a new exciting recipe for dinner, playing a game with your child or pet, playing a board game or card game with a friend, creating art just for fun, coloring, exploring a new part of your neighborhood, traveling, watching a movie or dancing to one of your favorite songs. Whatever gets you out of your funk and reminds you what it feels like to have fun again!

What do you do for fun? What would happen if you did that a little more often? Is there something new you’d love to try?

I hope that you are navigating this eclipse fog with some support. We are getting through this together, and flowing forward into a more liberated and aligned future. Remember that you are not alone and the Earth Mother holds you, always. May we come out the other side empowered and renewed!

If you would like some guidance or support, such as a Tarot Reading, Spiritual Coaching or Earth-Based Healing, please check out my services which are offered online and in-person.

Sending love and stability for these chaotic times,

xo

Serena

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