Category: Inner Wise Woman

Beltane Wisdom + Oracle Reading!

Welcome to the burgeoning season of Beltane (originally Bealtaine, meaning ‘Bright Fire’), the ancient Gaelic festival of fertility, protection and growth rooted in Ireland and throughout the UK.

This celebration stands opposite Samhain, the festival of the dead, where the ancestors are venerated.

At both Beltane and Samhain, the veil between this world and the Otherworld is thin, which can bring feelings of vulnerability, as change and magic swirl in the air.

At Beltane, it is said the fairies are out causing mischief, hence the many protection rituals traditionally practiced at this time, as well as leaving offerings of milk and bread out to appease them. It was also customary not to give your bounty away at Beltane, as it could signify a loss for you and a yield for others. Protection not only from fairies but from sneaky neighbors was a concern. Walking the boundaries of one’s land and performing rituals of protection at the four directions was one way of taking care of this.

It was also customary to hold celebratory bonfires for cleansing and renewal of the crops and cattle. Cattle were run between the fires, cleansed by the smoke and the bonfire ashes were strewn on the crops for blessing and protection, as well as used for divination.

These rituals are a great reminder that protection is an act of nurturing what we value and wish to grow.

May Day, celebrated in England and across Europe, holds similar celebrations and include dancing around a Maypole and decorating with flowers.

Astrologically, at Beltane the Sun is in the Earth sign Taurus, which emphasizes security, abundance, sensuality and wealth. It is a time to celebrate new growth and fertility as well as grounding into what sustains and nourishes us.

The season of Beltane may have us reflecting on questions such as:

What supports my sense of security? What is worth protecting?

What does wealth and abundance look like/feel like to me?

What nourishes my senses and helps me feel good in my body?

What do I wish to nurture and grow within myself or my life?

This season is a beautiful time to grow plants, manifest our creative visions, spend more time outside in nature, and take care of our body in tangible, loving ways. With the increasing sunlight, we are blessed with more opportunities to tap into our inner sovereignty, and creative manifesting power. The time is ripe for nurturing our passions and birthing them into the world.

Beltane Oracle Reading:

Want some insight for your Beltane season? Let’s do a little reading! We will be using the beautiful Seasons of the Witch Beltane Oracle by Lorraine Anderson & Juliet Diaz.

Take a moment to ground and center yourself. Take 3 deep relaxing breaths.

Ask the cards: What energy do I need now? You may also ask a specific question about your situation if you wish. When you feel ready, choose one of the cards below:

Remember that number! Now, scroll down to find the same number and description, which is by the deck’s authors.

  1. Goddess- Discernment: Make sure to feel it in your bones for you are what you believe.

A goddess is not available to everyone. Sure, she may receive prayers and offerings, but only a lucky few will ever have the privilege of seeing her true form. A goddess must evaluate a person’s true desires to determine whether or not they are pure of heart and will appreciate her gifts. You too, are a goddess with the ability to limit access to your energy; do not feel pressured to say ‘Yes’ to every opportunity requesting your attention. The situation you are enquiring about requires additional evaluation before you can proceed. Does this situation truly align with what you’d like to have in your life right now? Is it something you truly enjoy or are you settling out of fear or worry that you won’t get another chance like this. A goddess never settles because she knows the universe provides unlimited opportunities for her to share her gifts with the world. You too, will be blessed over an dover again. Give yourself the time and space to consider all of your options before deciding which one will be lucky enough to be a part of your life. If something slips away while you do this, trust that it wasn’t worthy of your attention to begin with.

2. Sun God- Authority: Come all, come now; expand into the skies and into the shadows below.

The Sun god is the ultimate expression of masculine energy, representing structure, authority, respect and status. This is the card of the leader and represents all of the qualities that make someone a force to be reckoned with. Your situation requires a strong hand and systemic approach. The Sun god does not allow his emotions to cloud his judgement and neither should you. Communicate with clear logic and reason, and demonstrate your mastery and intellect. Any others involved in your situation will respect you for your ability to get right down to the heart of the matter. Additionally, this card reminds you that a leader rules with a strong hand but is not a tyrant. Be mindful of arrogance and allow others their moment in the sun. The Sun god is at his best when he uses his strengths to bring out the best in others.

3. Green Man-Abundance: All that I desire comes to me easily and effortlessly. I know this to be true for I am abundant in all that I do.

Everything the green man touches turns to gold…or rather green, that is! He is the ultimate expression of abundance mindset. When the green man invites you to his earthy lair it is to infuse you with the spirit of wealth. Money will flow to you with ease, opportunities will suddenly come knocking or you will find the fulfillment of a goal is just within reach. This is also a sign that you are on the right path and what you’re doing now is working, so keep at it. This card shows that you are living life and enjoying all of the fruits of your labor. You feel more confident and sure of yourself and other people have taken notice of this and seek your advice, knowing you have much to share. The green man is also a giver and provider of wealth. Be generous with your abundance both financially and spiritually; share your knowledge and invite others to partake in your good fortune.

4. 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 in 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 the 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 very 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 at 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 are willing to bend to their desires. Stay committed to yourself and stand your ground.

5. Rowan- Protection: There is no need to fear, dear one; protected you are and protected you will always 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 around you 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 and 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. The Rowan card can also mean a new challenge is upon you if you are not currently facing any obstacles. There might be a delay in a project or an unexpected problem, or new competition may suddenly emerge.

6. 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 you do with vinegar’, which easily applies to manifestation, magick and even healing. Your soul attracts more positivity, love and compassion than 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 tahn focusing on what’s wrong or broken. Find compassion and forgiveness for those who have brought you pain. Each act of sweetness repairs the breaks in your heart, leading you on the journey towards restoration. Your abundance will be tenfold when you walk the path 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 in return to you: an increase in love, wealth, health or joy or all of the above.

7. Primal-Acceptance: There is no other way around but through the very truth that lives within you.

There is a primal force flowing through each of us. You feel it when your tummy rumbles and you feel the urge to eat, or when sexual desires overcome you while sharing a kiss with your beloved. These urges guide you to seek shelter when it rains, to cover up when you are cold and to run when you are afraid, and while these urges are seen as necessary for survival, other urges such as honoring your wild, uninhibited self and raw nature are not always welcome in modern society. However, they are equally essential to living. The Primal card is here to challenge you to let go of who you think you’re supposed to be so you can become who you really are. If you have felt confused, stagnant or lacking in motivation or have a general sense you are going nowhere it may be because you are trying to follow a path that isn’t truly meant for you. Consider whether you are living to please others, doing what is expected of you rather than what brings you joy and fulfillment. Alternatively, if you find that you are in alignment with your current goals, consider whether you have been trying to emulate others rather than expressing your true self. You may have similar goals as another person but you do not have to go about achieving them in the same ways. Trust that who you are is more than enough without having to change your core nature or adapt to fit in.

8. Indulgence- Self-worth: You are worth every desire, every dream. Demand what is yours, demand what you need.

Beltane is a natural time of indulgence when the earth offers a feast for both eyes and stomachs as spring comes alive and expands in bursts of colours and blooms. Like Mother Earth, you too will come alive when you indulge yourself. Indulgence doesn’t necessarily mean eating a box of chocolates, though sometimes this may be required. The most productive way to indulge yourself is to acknowledge your worth and needs. Demand what is yours by giving to yourself first. Do you always put others before yourself? Are you working hard to fulfill someone else’s dreams rather than your own? Do you stifle your own desires in favor of someone else’s? Your dreams, needs and desires matter just as much as anyone else’s- even more so because they are waiting patiently within your heart, waiting for you to find the time and space to bring them to life.

Did your card resonate? I hope it did.

Join our upcoming Beltane Circle!

Are you interested in celebrating Beltane with other like-minded souls? Come and join us on Zoom on Friday, May 10th at 7pm Eastern Time for our Beltane Circle: Earth Wisdom and Crystal Healing. We will discuss the themes of the season, do some grounding and relaxation practices and go on a guided meditation journey to discover a crystal ally to support you on your path. Learn more here.

Beltane blessings of growth, health and abundance to you!

XO

Serena

The Cauldron Times- Navigating Eclipses & Transitions

It’s Eclipse Season again, which is what I lovingly call a collective ‘Cauldron Time’, which is a time of transformation that impacts us deeply and can alter the course of our lives.

Spanning from the Spring Equinox until about the end of April 2024, we are in one of these times. We had a Lunar Eclipse on March 25th, we have a Solar Eclipse on April 8th and we also have Mercury retrograding from April 1st-24th. This period emphasizes the need for flexibility and inner reflection as things shift and change to bring us onto a path more aligned with who we truly are.

The Cauldron is a symbol prominent in Celtic Myth that represents transformation and rebirth. I think of ‘Cauldron Times’ as those times in life where we are neither ‘here’ anymore, nor ‘there’ yet. We are stewing and brewing in the Great Mother’s cauldron, surrendering to her plan for us, as she seeks to helps us grow into our full potential.

We can think of a Cauldron Time as a spiritual gateway, a metaphorical cocoon, a mysterious twilight, a period of being betwixt and between while we await a transformation to complete.

Cauldron times can range from uncomfortable to very challenging or even traumatic. Some examples of natural transitions I would consider to be Cauldron Times are puberty, pregnancy, becoming a parent, midlife, perimenopause/menopause, illness/healing and dying. Other common ones are marriage & divorce, moving, ending/starting a career path, business or relationship. There are many more.

Cauldron Times are anytime we are no longer who we once were and not yet who we will be. This is, in a way, the human condition itself, as we are always evolving and changing! But the Cauldron Times are characterized by a more intense period of struggle with our sense of self, identity, and feel a clear ‘before’ and ‘after’ version of who we are and our life path.

Often after a Cauldron Time we find there is no going back to who we once were. They commit us to a new level in our evolution and growth.

The Cauldron Time transforms us thoroughly enough to mark us. Sometimes we may not even be aware of how deeply an experience etched itself on our souls until many years later. Sometimes what seemed like a regular job, or relationship at the beginning turned out to be life changing, altering our sense of self or path forever.

A Cauldron Time can last days, weeks, months or years, depending on what type it is. It may begin and end abruptly, or be much more gradual.

Surrender

Many Cauldron Time experiences leave us with little to no control. Things are breaking down, dissolving or falling away in order to make way for something new. This is often painful. In most cases we must surrender and accept the change taking place and find ways to cope and evolve through it. There may be adjustments to make, new things to learn, and inner healing required to move through it. Denying or resisting this kind of change or controlling its trajectory is often futile. 

We are conditioned in school to believe that if you have good intentions and work really hard, you can achieve your goals. That if you behave and follow the rules, you’ll receive rewards. That you control your destiny. That life moves in a straight line of logical decisions and accomplishments.

But as we grow up, we find out the real world isn’t like that. Bad things happen to good people. There are folks who treat their bodies terribly who live into their 90s and young healthy athletes who die of cancer. There are kind loving couples who struggle to have a child, and abusive people who have lots of children. A global pandemic can hit anytime. You can lose everything through no fault of your own. Life isn’t fair or logical. It can be painful, nonsensical, chaotic. We are most definitely not always in the driver’s seat.

Fate can swoop in when it feels like it to wash away all your efforts. It can come out of left field and drop you on a completely different course. Oftentimes these changes teach us important lessons. Maturity comes with an awareness and respect for the larger forces at work in the universe beyond our individual human self. It comes with humility and learning how to accept, adapt, and do our best with the cards we’re given. It doesn’t mean we give up on life completely, or let go of personal responsibility. But acknowledging that devastating loss, hardship, betrayal and pain is an essential part of our evolution can help us accept, learn, and become more empathetic people.

To me, surrender is the art of learning the limits of our manifesting ability and trusting the divine to bring us where we need to be, to learn the lessons and have the experiences our soul needs.

Sometimes we need to trust divine timing and the flow of life. This is one of the biggest lessons of a Cauldron Time. In letting go of our usual habits, expectations and assumed reality, we can grow into a more expansive, strong, wise, compassionate version of ourselves.

Eclipses

Eclipses are times where the hands of fate often move us off one course and onto another. It is believed that they bring us back onto our path if we’ve strayed. It depends, of course on how the eclipse hits our unique astrological chart. Some will affect us greatly, and others we may barely notice. Not every eclipse will feel like a Cauldron Time for us, but it may for someone else.

Eclipses often conceal the fullness of a situation but also reveal something we were unaware of.  Previously concealed information, news and proclamations from others may come out of the blue. While new information may come to light, the full situation may not yet be fully clear, so it can be good to move cautiously rather than react impulsively.

Eclipses are super-charged full and new moons. Emotions are high, and everyone feels a bit more on edge. Our sense of time may alter as well, as it can feel like more time has passed than actually has, because things change more intensely in a short period.

Emotional triggers often happen around eclipses, which can reveal to us how we really feel about something or someone, or how someone really feels about us. This may change our relationship with the person permanently, for better or worse. Eclipses are very much about shadow work. They reveal what’s been in shadow and what is beneath the surface. They ask that we deal with these truths.

Eclipses help enhance our self-awareness and align us with our true self and support our growth and evolution. There is no predicting exactly how we will experience an Eclipse. But it is said that whatever transpires during an eclipse was meant to be, and it is putting us on path. It is also considered a time where we don’t need to make things happen, because life is trying to get us to flow in a particular direction, so the more flexible we are, the better.

During this time of transition, having some guidance can help.

I believe we are meant to trust our wisest selves, and not just blindly listen to the advice of others. So, keep in mind, while I will offer some advice based on my own experience, please just do you, experiment and follow what you feel works for you!

Here’s my little advice list for dealing with Eclipses:

  • Remember that some eclipses will affect you more deeply, and others may feel mild. It may not really be a Cauldron Time for you, but it may be for someone you know. You can be empathetic and supportive to them in that case. Also, the collective will likely be impacted, and so we are too, as we are all connected.

  • Leave space in your schedule for the unexpected and for processing your feelings. If you overschedule yourself, you may get stressed out, reactive or say things you regret later, because emotions tend to run high. You may also find things just don’t pan out how you hoped. Take it as an invitation to slow down, do a bit less and draw your attention inward.

  • It’s not the best time to schedule important gatherings, social events, or project launches you want to go smoothly. Eclipse energy can be chaotic, unpredictable or have unintended consequences. A launch or gathering is easier to handle once eclipse season is over, when the energies are more stable. Permission to stay home and be a hermit! However, if you do have something planned you cannot change or you feel strongly about the timing, it may be an experience you need, or part of your growth journey. It also really depends on the type of gathering, and the eclipse energies. As a highly sensitive introvert, I usually avoid large gatherings at this time (and most of the time, lol).

  • Stay grounded yet flexible. Eclipses have a way of uprooting us or making us feel a bit nervous or edgy. Keep your daily routines- regular mealtimes, meditation, exercise, spiritual practice, etc. going at a steady rhythm to keep your grounded and centered. Along with this, just be open to new ways of seeing and doing things. Be like a Willow tree- rooted yet soft.
  • Take a break from manifesting. Often folks wonder if they should do manifestation spells and rituals under an eclipse. I personally don’t because I find the energy is too intense and chaotic. Things are breaking down and shifting. The soil is being cleared and turned. The weather is stormy. If you plant seeds, they may take if you’re lucky, but why not wait until conditions are favorable? I apply this for both the solar and lunar eclipse, and the whole eclipse season. I don’t charge my crystals under them for the same reason. But I do continue with work I’ve already begun and I brainstorm new things as well. Again, feel free to experiment for yourself.

  • It’s a great time for grounding and processing rituals, such as journaling, reflection, a craft, yoga, movement, nature walks, Tarot, anything that helps you be present with yourself and how you feel, and anything that encourages self-awareness or healing is wonderful. It’s also ok to do nothing in particular and just go with the flow!

  • It is a great time to get support- from a healer, therapist, or a friend to help you navigate your feelings and thoughts. You don’t have to completely hole up and avoid life during eclipses. Healing, support and care are available. I do tend to be a Hermit during Eclipse season, with the exception of my work and things that serve my wellbeing.

Any of the above list can apply to another Cauldron Time you may be experiencing. Be kind to yourself. Be patient with the process. It’s ok to be a work in progress. It’s ok to be neither here nor there, betwixt and between!

Being in Transition is Counter-Cultural

I think one of the hardest things about being in a state of transition or change is that it is frowned upon by our dominant culture. Our mechanized world loves clear definition, boxes and hitting goals.

What if our goals change? What if we aren’t who we thought we were? What if we have a goal, but it’s a winding road there, and the messy, ugly in-between part lasts a long time?

You are allowed to be a mess. For life to be a mess. To not know the next step. To feel confused, overwhelmed or tired. You’re allowed to neither be here nor there. We’re all a work in progress. Letting go of our need to have it all figured out and fit into a neat box is the first step.

Trust that in time, things will come together, how and when they are meant to. I fully believe in Divine Timing. While it can be challenging, I am learning the importance of surrender in making transitions empowering, healing experiences rather than scary ones.

Aries Energy

Mercury goes retrograde on April 1st in fire sign Aries, adding even more emphasis on our need for flexibility and self-awareness. Our ‘spring forward’ momentum may feel slowed down. On April 8th, we have the Solar Eclipse in Aries.

Aries energy helps us to home in on what our most authentic desires are. The next few weeks can help us identify the ways in which we want to nurture our personal needs, passions and independence, trailblaze or start something new. It can also help us find ways to live more in alignment with our inner flame. It may help us heal some wounds around who we truly are, help us shed fears and live more bravely and authentically.

We may feel frustrated at times, since linear progress may not happen how we want or as fast as we want this month, as Aries loves to push forward. But we are making progress here. As we re-align with who we truly are and what we truly want, we make progress. As we re-kindle our inner flame of passion and energy, we make progress. As we release the insecurities, masks and heavy expectations we no longer need, we make progress! Inner work is the foundation of making our dreams happen in the physical world.

The Eclipses and Mercury retrograde come to make sure we are moving forward in the right direction instead of the wrong one. There is method to the universe’s madness!

Here are some reflection questions you can work with over the next few weeks. Feel free to apply them to a specific situation you are struggling with.

  •  What do I feel ‘done’ with?
  • What is no longer working for me?
  • Where could I afford to be a bit more honest? A bit more vulnerable? A bit braver?
  • What persistent desire keeps bubbling up to be felt, no matter how often I try to push it down?
  • What lights me up inside?
  • What habits or actions do I do regularly that drain my energy?
  • What habits or actions help to fuel my energy?
  • What parts of myself do I feel insecure about?
  • What parts of myself am I proud of?
  • What part of myself do I feel needs more space to exist and express itself in my life?
  • What part of myself or desire have I been neglecting or pushing away?

I hope this was a bit of a helpful guiding light for your path as we navigate the transitions of April, and beyond. Note that you can apply much of this to any transitional time you are navigating, like a big life change, whether it is short term or long term.

If you’d like some support and guidance for your journey at this time, I offer Tarot Readings to shed light on your situation and bring balance to your mind, body and spirit! I also offer 1 on 1 Reclaim Your Magick Sessions to help resource you for stressful times.

Blessings,

Serena

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Healing Perfectionism- You Do Not Have To Be Good

Nature is perfect in her own way- and you are too.

Like each tree, plant and flower, you belong here and carry your unique medicine and gifts. You have an important part to play in the universal story and believe it or not, your existence is enough. All of your flaws, vulnerabilities, wounds and insecurities- they are part of your medicine. You are perfect in this moment, right here and now.

Our Environmental Stresses

Our culture is steeped in image-obsession and perfectionism. It seems every day there is a new level of pressure to adhere to impossible standards- not only of beauty and youth, but parenting, career, social media behaviour, in every aspect of life.

I am a recovering perfectionist. Like most women, I grew up in a culture that expects girls to always behave like a young lady, please others and put others’ needs first. As I became a teen and young woman, I realised how impossible it was becoming to meet the expectations placed on me by society. It always felt I was ‘too’ something or not enough of something. My goodness wasn’t inherent. It was to be earned.

Some of us may have had childhoods where being ‘good’ was internalised as a matter of survival, and later as adults, it manifests as the need to please our bosses, clients, partners and the public at large. Rather than feeling good, we feel we must act or look a certain way to be considered good.

We all have an internalised authority figure- an inner judge or critic, or some almighty spiritual being or God that we feel is watching our every move. We may serve this judge on a daily basis and not even realise it. Guilt and shame are used in our society to control us and have been for a long time.

We may have idealised in our mind about what our ‘perfect’ self looks like, acts like and strive to meet that. This may be part of a spiritual ideal, or a social ideal. We may succumb to social media’s pressure to romanticise or glamorise our lives, to perform activism or do whatever is necessary to look good and be good in the eyes of the inner judge.

Social media makes it so we no longer have privacy. Our words, photos and videos are available for the masses to consume and criticise, so we curate them appropriately. The widespread use of Zoom forced us to see ourselves on video far more than we normally would, inviting excessive self-consciousness and self-criticism.

I know I sound old, but I miss the days of simply BEing ourselves, in 3D, finding friends and sharing our interests without the unnecessary public scrutiny.

The religious underpinnings of our society mixed with capitalism create an environment where our desire to be loved and accepted is constantly used and manipulated with guilt, shame and image-consciousness to keep us buying things and doing things that are not authentic to our true, whole selves.

Beauty Standards

My 15 yr old daughter is really into makeup and loves Sephora. I recently read an article about ‘Sephora Kids’, who are often age 10 or younger, insisting they use products designed for middle-aged women lest they wither and lose their youthful glow. But they haven’t even been hit by teen acne yet. These girls are inundated with Tik Tok influencers selling anti-aging products they don’t need, which can actually be harmful to young skin. It is becoming more normalised than ever for teen girls and young women to get botox and cosmetic surgery as well.

Thankfully, my daughter has enough sense to do her research and see the BS behind a lot of social media pressures, but she is not immune to it and neither am I. I think today’s youth have it harder than I did at that age. Sure, they have better makeup and acne products, more access to information on anything, and can text their friends instead of writing notes. But they’ve got way more pressure to look good and act a certain way. More ways to be bullied and publicly shamed on a larger scale. More risk of internalising beauty standards that are completely unrealistic.

As I embrace middle age and walk with my daughter through her teen years, I see how deeply we’ve both been conditioned to dwell on our appearance, our behaviour, our need to be ‘good’ as girls and women. How our bodies will never fit into the box and neither will our spirits. I hope my own process of liberation supports hers, and we can embrace the wholeness of who we are as we grow older.

We are Spiritual Beings Having a Human Experience

So, how do we live authentically, without falling into these traps of idealisation, perfectionism, guilt and ‘not-enoughness’?

How do we invite our wounded, flawed, wrinkled, imperfect selves into a dance of wholeness with all that noise in the background?

How do we embrace the limitations of our earthly existence- the body, our survival needs, our desire to simply be loved and belong- amidst the pressures to constantly prove our worthiness?

Perhaps the most healing poem I’ve ever come across that acts as a balm to my perfectionism is Wild Geese by Mary Oliver:

Wild Geese by Mary Oliver

Let the Soft Animal of Your Body Love What it Loves

I was introduced to this poem over 20 years ago when I first became a Yoga instructor. It has been a great support to my embodiment practice over the years. When I find myself getting rigid about my diet or body image, I often have to remind myself to simply ‘let the soft animal of my body love what it loves’. Every day I do an authentic/free movement practice to help me ground into the sensations, pleasures, and limitations of the body. This helps me reclaim my body as my own, as an organic process, as a living being- rather than an object for others to look at.

Having lived with a painful chronic disease, I have had to overcome a lot of inner perfectionism and embrace new levels of acceptance. Daily, I must come to terms with this body and its form, its limits and embrace what is, in the moment.

Unlike choreographed dance forms, authentic movement (and ecstatic dance) help me to embody and feel my beauty, rather than just try to see it. When I feel the satisfaction of a deep stretch, the powerful pulse of my heartbeat, the shivers of excitement when I shake my hair out- I am whole. I am happy. I am ecstatic.  I feel beautiful, and this helps me see that in the mirror.

Through movement, I shapeshift into many forms. My body mirrors the movements of animals, birds, trees, fish and otherworldly creatures of all kinds.

When I put on music, I am transported to the sky realms, the sea, the mountains. I travel and flow with it, with my body, letting it move however it wants to. Some days, I just want to lie still. Others, I want to shake, jump or sway. I don’t have to look good while moving. I also activate my voice with sounding, which doesn’t have to sound good.

Movement helps me remember that my body is a channel of energy, that it is part of everything, that it is both finite and connected to the infinite universe at the same time. Movement is magick.

Free, authentic movement is a balm to our wounds of body objectification and separation from our animal instincts. By being fully in our body, the sensations coming from within it, we can transcend it at the same time, and feel the wholeness of our Spirit.

How do you let the soft animal of your body love what it loves?

Tell Me About Your Despair, Yours, And I Will Tell You Mine. Meanwhile, the World Goes On

Our journey through this life eventually etches itself on our body, and in our psyche. We become a collection of experiences- of love, pain, anguish, grief and joy.

I am ok with my laugh lines and crow’s feet. But the furrowed stress lines between my eyebrows, less so.

It’s easier to embrace the good parts of life, harder to embrace the pain. I don’t want to remember painful parts of my past. But embracing and remembering doesn’t mean I have to dwell in it.

The poem Wild Geese reminds us that while our pain is real and must be felt and processed, it is a small part of the big picture. For every moment of pain and sorrow there is a multitude of joyful moments to join in on, if we choose to.

No matter what dramas befall us, the natural world keeps going. The instinct of animals is to keep living their life as best as they can. They don’t waste time trying to fit into anyone’s expectations or worrying about the past. They remind us to live fully in the here and now. They continue to generate life, no matter what else is dying or falling away.

The sun always rises again the next day. We’re given another chance to begin again. To breathe new life into ourselves.

Nature asks us to merge with her rhythms and trust they will bring us into a new place all on their own.

When I’m in emotional overwhelm, I go for a walk in the ravine, cuddle my cat or tend my houseplants. Other times I just stare at the moon outside my window. All I know is that these small acts immediately bring me into a deeper calm when I’m frazzled or caught up in life’s dramas. I know I’m held and supported, that there’s a bigger rhythm and cycle I’m part of. These cycles are a reminder that we cannot control everything. That there is a divine wisdom unfolding in its own timing.

What rituals do you have that help you feel part of nature and its cycles?

Announcing Your Place in The Family of Things

We have a collective wound around belonging. This creates a deep insecurity within ourselves, that can rear its head and make us feel we have to ‘earn our keep’ or prove our worthiness to exist here. But we all belong here.

You belong here. Right here on earth, right where you are now. You’re part of the Earth family. You are exactly where you’re meant to be. Imperfections and all. You are deeply loved and supported by all your kin- your fellow humans, trees, animals, ancestors, the little flowers on that windowsill, and the big beautiful full moon in the sky.

The human experience can feel super lonely. Even though I have a strong animistic spiritual practice, I still feel loneliness sometimes. I have often become overwhelmed by this world and felt like I must be from some other place. While perhaps our spirit may be from another dimension or the stars, we were born on this earth, for a reason and purpose. We are meant to be here, and we belong here now.

My animistic practice is what has healed the deeper loneliness I used to feel, and it is what I turn to whenever loneliness comes up, because it heals me every time.

Animism is the belief that everything has a spirit. No matter what form we are in, we all have a spirit, and maybe that spirit is from here and maybe it isn’t, but we’re all here nonetheless. We’re all spirit in a physical form on Earth.

When I hear the croak of my neighbourhood raven, or touch the trunk of a nearby tree, I feel their kinship. When I sit on the beach, I listen to the waters and speak my pain to them. When I pick up a rock I listen to its wisdom. Everything has a soul, an intelligence. This is what I believe, and how I live. It takes away the loneliness.

I know that while I have human family, my family extends far beyond that. I have the nature beings, ancestors and spirit guides. This is my family and my home. It is yours too.

Do you have a favourite spot in nature that helps you feel at home? What helps you feel a sense of belonging on this earth?

As I recover from my own perfectionism, I hope to share these little nuggets of healing, in the hopes that we all feel a little better in our bodies, on this planet, just as we are.

Do you struggle with perfectionism? What helps you heal and feel whole?

May any perfectionism you struggle with soften into a deep knowing of your innate worthiness. Your existence is enough. You belong here. You do not have to be good.

Xo

Serena

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An Imbolc Oracle Reading For You!

Imbolc Blessings! We have come upon the beautiful season of Imbolc, which means ‘in the belly’- Referring to lactating ewes. This season honors the process of incubation and nurturing new life- whether it is a dream for the future or creative projects. It is a time for preparation and planning, and clearing our path so we can more easily manifest our desires.

We still have more hours of darkness than light, so it is an ideal time for healing and integrating our shadow, doing our inner work and clearing debris from our past. The light is increasing, bringing hope, inspiration and new resources to help us release what weighs us down and support our personal healing.

The Goddess Brigid is venerated this time of year, lady of fertility, healing, creativity and new life. May she bring us the clarity and inspiration we need to move forward and help us to manifest our dreams!

Imbolc is also a season of divination. Traditions of weather divination continue today as we observe the behaviour of groundhogs, badgers, snakes to fortell how many weeks of winter remain.

Of course, any time is a great time for divination in my books, so let’s see what’s ahead for us this Imbolc season, shall we?

I am very excited to have just received the newly released deck- Seasons of the Witch Imbolc Oracle!

This is part of the Seasons of the Witch series by Lorraine Anderson and Juliet Diaz- they created a deck for each of the 8 seasonal festivals. I am slowly collecting them all! The artwork is beautiful, the writing impactful and I just love having a deck devoted to the energies of each season on the wheel. They are going to become a staple in each of my Hearthfire Circles from now on!

The Imbolc deck focuses on self-care and self-healing through the season, helping us to overcome obstacles on our path.

Let’s get started. Take a moment now to ground and centre yourself. Take a few deep relaxing breaths and quiet your mind. When you feel calm and present, you may wish to ask yourself ‘What do I need to know for Imbolc season?’ Open your eyes and gaze at the cards below and choose your card…

Seasons of the Witch Imbolc Oracle
by Lorraine Anderson & Juliet Diaz. Illustrated by Tijana Lukovic

Once you’ve chosen your card scroll down to find it’s meaning below. Meanings are from the deck’s authors.

  1. Amethyst– Intuition, spiritual connection, stress relief

“Go where your spirit dwells, where your sight is clear and your breath is liberated.”

You may be experiencing a very emotional or stressful time when you receive the Amethyst card: perhaps a situation has gotten out of hand and you aren’t sure how you’re going to resolve the matter. Amethyst is considered to be both a stone of spiritual connection and helpful in seeking sobriety, which suggests the answer to your question is likely a balance between spiritual and practical means. Taking time to clear your mind in meditative practice could help in seeking a solution or provide info for your next steps. It is up to you to put the guidance you have received into practice.

Connecting with cosmic intelligence has no useful power if you are unwilling or unmotivated to act upon this gift of wisdom. Trust that your intuition is correct and will guide you to the right outcome. Additionally, this card encourages you to find productive ways to manage stress and warns of the destructive habit of playing the victim. Perhaps you feel powerless against your impulses, but giving in to temptation can lead to further heartache. While it may not be easy, there is a way out of your circumstances because deep down you know what to do even if you don’t want to do it.

2. Bathing Ritual– Healing, washing away negativity or what does not belong, preparing for success

“With you, water spirit, I wash away what no longer serves me and drink in spells that call for healing.”

Receiving this card is a good omen that a new beginning is very close at hand. However, there is still a little healing to do before you can welcome a fresh phase. There are remnants of a past experience that are still negatively influencing your choices and what you’re calling into existence. You may not even be consciously aware of just how much emotional or spiritual weight you are still carrying. You may wish to consider reaching out to a professional if you feel called to help you access those areas of your life that are in need of healing so you can safely process and move forward.

Each time you confront the challenges of your past you open up a little more space, which allows you to fill your life with more joy, abundance and love. Pulling this card is a sign that now is not quite the right time to move forward with your plans, although you are not very far away from the light at the end of the tunnel. Skipping over this critical healing step could derail any future success you might have. Instead, invest in this act of self-care, washing away what no longer serves the person you are becoming.

3. Coming of Spring- Preparing for rebirth, reaching for the light, renewal, surge of hope

“Beneath my feet stir the waking, spiraling surges of warmth that tell of life ready to birth.”

Imbolc marks the beginning of the end of winter, letting you know it’s time to begin your ascent out of the darkness. This card often finds you after a challenging situation or an emotional or spiritual crisis. You may have recently experienced a great shedding of what no longer serves you through the dissolution of a relationship or a dramatic end to a chapter in your life story. You are about to enter the stage of rebuilding from the ashes and can begin to allow hope and faith to enter your spirit again. This is a positive sign if you’re looking for new love or a new job.

This card indicates there are many prospects waiting for you when you’re ready to put yourself out there again. Perhaps the most important meaning of this card is that you have a wide open lane to fill your life with anything you choose. The possibilities for where you go next are endless, and you should entertain all opportunities that come your way because any of them are likely to yield positive results.

4. Casserole- Alignment, bringing things together in a harmonious way

“Trust in the flavors that led you here, an unexpected alignment. Let it move you in ways that capture your soul.”

This card will appear when lifetime or long-term connections are being formed. Receiving it suggests the presence of a soulmate, angel investor, or business partner and potentially a new addition to your family such as a child or fur baby. It could also represent finding your life calling or settling in a place that feels like home. Much like a casserole, this new connection indicates a feeling of warmth, familiarity and comfort. You can expect this relationship to be harmonious, for there to be a feeling of belonging together like mac and cheese.

Don’t allow doubt to spoil things when this feeling appears in your life. The attachment you have or are building is very likely to be reliable and fits into the moving parts of your life with ease. If you’re inquiring about bringing things together such as a group of friends or blending a family, this card is confirmation that everyone involved will find joy with one another.

For questions related to finances, this card suggests financial stability and comfort. You may experience financial windfalls or be blessed with an opportunity to create long-term wealth.

5. Garlic- Defensiveness, protection, managing negativity

“It is unwise to walk beyond the boundaries you have yet to expand on. Protection among all else.”

Pulling the Garlic card suggests there are people who are working against you, or perhaps that is your perception of the situation. There is likely resistance from others but it may not be as bad as you think. Whatever you are facing, receiving this card means you are more than capable of defending yourself against any attack you may face. You have what you have because of your hard work and dedication, and there is no one in your current orbit who has the power to take that from you. Any negativity you are experiencing is the result of someone whose own emotional traumas are being triggered, which is all about them, and not you. It may be unfortunate for them, but you are not required to entertain such behavior when it is hurtful to you.

Garlic Protection Spell:

This spell was learned by the author by an elderly Cuban woman. Carry it with you for a trip or flight or party or wherever you feel you want a little extra protection. You will need 1 garlic clove; 1/2 tsp of honey; a pinch of salt and aluminum foil.

Peel the garlic clove and make a slit in it that’s slightly smaller than its length. Cover the slit with honey and salt, making sure the salt sticks to the honey. While you are preparing this, focus your mind on your intention of protection. Wrap the clove in a small piece of foil so it won’t dirty your clothes or whatever you decide to carry it in.

6. Black Bear- Transcendence, the battle is easily won, personal power

“Your existence is the resistance, All you must do is accept the power awaiting your arrival.”

Bears are considered to be the top of the animal food chain, having no real threat from predators. Pulling the Black Bear card means you have done the work needed to find your authentic self. You have transcended to a higher level of consciousness but with the light comes shadow, and those who still dwell in the darkness will seek to take the light you’re now embodying.

This is not a bad card to receive, as it suggests you’re operating from a healthy level of self awareness. Protect yourself from any threat but remember to have compassion for those who have not yet battles their personal demons. Low-vibrational people are operating from a place of fear, and the lower the vibration the bigger their effort will be to lower yours. However, for you it’s no real fight at all and you are more than capable of handling anything that’s coming your way as long as you stand in your power. Authentic, mindful people stay at the top of the food chain.

7. Greenhouse- Sowing seeds, preparation, planning, setting things in motion, clear path

“May it be clear the intentions I sow in preparation for the path ahead.”

Greenhouse is one of the most positive cards in the deck, and pulling it means you are about to welcome a joyous new start. Unlike with other cards in the deck this fresh beginning is something you’ve chosen for yourself and are excited about. You have all of the potential to create something momentous; however, this card also warns you not to expect miracles. There will still be a lot of hard work, dedication and even some failures along the way, but the overall result will likely be very successful.

If you’re feeling stagnant or are in a challenging situation, this card encourages you to begin planting the seeds and preparing for a new idea or opportunity to drop into your lap. Dress for the job you wish to have, start researching things you’d do if you had the money or time or get together a plan of action for a goal even if you don’t have all the resources to make it happen. Receiving this card means the pathway is clear and you are covered by the safety of your cosmic greenhouse. You don’t need to wait until external conditions are right to move forward with your plans.

Did your message resonate? Let me know!

If you’d like to celebrate Imbolc in a warm and friendly space, please join us for our Online Imbolc Circle: Tending the Inner Hearth on Friday, Feb 9th, 2024 7pm-9pm EST! We will be discussing the themes of the season, awaken our inner hearth of inspiration, creativity and renewal with a guided journey and candle ritual.

I’d love to see you there!

Imbolc Blessings,

xo

Serena

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Winter Solstice Wisdom + Oracle Reading!

Winter Solstice is a point of peak darkness. The longest night whispers to us to draw deep within, to go quiet so we can hear the call of our soul song.

The hushed blanket of night reminds us that in the dark there is much we cannot see or understand with our conscious mind- But we can feel, sense and ‘know’ what we need to, by tapping into our wise instincts and intuition.

Seeing in the dark requires different faculties than in the daylight. Instead of relying on surface appearances, logic and analysis, we must awaken to the wisdom of our body, heart and intuition to help us navigate the moment. We must honour and integrate our inner needs into our decisions about the future.

With Mercury retrograde, the end of a challenging year and Pluto nearing its end of a 15-year cycle in Capricorn, we are in a place of deep transition and reflection over these next few weeks. We are closing a chapter in preparation for a new cycle.

The past may now rear its head in many ways, reminding us of lessons we’ve already learned, things we’ve accomplished, what worked and what didn’t. Unfinished business may come up to be tended and released. Some things may naturally dissove or end, clearing space for a new chapter. The events of this time may serve to remind us of who we really are and how we’ve changed over time.

Acceptance is a word that keeps coming to my mind. This is a season for accepting the choices we’ve made, learning from the mistakes and painful experiences. We are urged to take responsibility for our lives and create the one we want to live, one small step at a time.

We’re in Crone/Elder season, and the Wise Old Ones remind us to be patient with ourselves as we process all of this. Take it slow, no need to rush, they say. Your healing and renewal are a necessary step towards growth. Sometimes we need to stop moving and simply be still or even take a detour to the past in order to move forward again.  

Crones from the Wisdom of the Cailleach Oracle by Jane Brideson

The Old Ones may gaze sternly into our eyes, reminding us of our potential and urge us to stop habits that are holding us back- whether it’s letting negative self-talk, fears, old trauma or boundary issues control us.

They may gaze at us with lightheartedness and childlike joy, reminding us of the simple pleasures we may take for granted in our busy lives.

The Old Ones see deeply into our soul- our pain, longings, fears and insecurities. They take our hand in theirs and remind us that we are never alone. We are loved, and we too are Wise Old Ones in the making.

They ask us: How is this moment helping you to become wiser? What has this past year taught you?

If you wish for some inspiration/support to help you integrate the year’s lessons, read on for some oracle guidance…

Winter Solstice Oracle Reading:

In the spirit of the Old Ones, and Wise Crone energy, I’d like to offer you a reading from the ‘Wisdom of the Cailleach’ Oracle by Jane Brideson.

The Cailleach, also known as An Cailleach, An Cailleach Beara or Beira, is the Irish and Scottish Hag of Winter and Old Woman who shapes the land. She is responsible for storms and nasty weather, making mountains and preventing thaw. Her name means ‘veiled one’. She is associated with the cold, barren months of the year, while the goddess Brigid or Brìghde, is associated with the fertile, warm months.

Cailleach’s energy is strong this time of year, so let’s take heed of her wisdom.

Choose one card as your message of inspiration for this season…

You may wish to take a moment to ground and centre yourself first and ask “What do I need to embrace this Solstice?” Then Choose.

Wisdom of the Cailleach Oracle by Jane Brideson

Once you’ve chosen a card, remember its number and then see below for the description! Descriptions in italic are from the author, Jane Brideson, followed by my own words.

  1. Fire Pit: Passion-Sacrifice-Creativity
  • Passion, anger or strong emotions
  • A sacrifice or an opportunity to release the past
  • The spark of creativity, increase in enthusiasm and vigour.
  • A time of power and intensity

Imagine you are sitting outside at a sacred fire pit on a cold winter’s night. As the flames dance and sparks fly, what do you feel? What ignites your own sacred flames within? The fire calls us to be brave, courageous, authentic. There’s no more denying how you really feel, or who you really are. It’s time to express yourself and channel your energy into productive, yet authentic actions. Time to do things that feed your passions and your physical energy. Feel yourself warming up from the inside out, your inner flame burning away false pretense and old selves. It is time to rise, to transform, to create anew!

2. Possibilities: Trust-Hope-Potential

  • Hopes, dreams and plans for the future.
  • Trust that all will be well in this moment.
  • An opportunity to explore your potential.
  • Time of optimism and freedom.

Imagine yourself bundled up nice and warm, standing in a peaceful forest under a starry winter sky. Gaze up at the beautiful vastness above you and allow yourself to feel the wonder and awe of a child. This is a big, wild universe, and sometimes we forget how much we have yet to experience and explore! Ask yourself ‘what if-?’ and let your imagination wander. It is easy to get stuck in limited thinking patterns as we grow older .This card asks you to open up to more. Let the perceived limitations fall for a moment and seek new possibilities for growth and expansion! What does your curious self wish to explore? Where can you expand your view of the world?

3. Ancestors: Origins-Forgiveness-The Past

  • Your roots, your ancestors, your heritage.
  • Lessons learned, time to move on.
  • Understanding and forgiving your former self.
  • Time to leave behind your past, old patterns and beliefs.

You come from a long lineage, which has brought you here today. What sings in the memory held in your blood and bones? We carry both trauma and gifts from our ancestors. Sometimes it can feel like a heavy weight, as we carry the past into the present. What inherited patterns are not serving you in this lifetime? What is it time to transmute and heal? What gifts have you been given that are asking to be expressed more in your life? Perhaps a little journey into the past is called for in order to move into your bright future. You hold the power to change the story and make a brighter path forward for your descendants and the generations to come. What legacy do you wish to leave behind? Your ancestors surround you in love and support you now on your path.

4. Harvest Hag

I am rowan berries on a thread, fleet footed hare beneath the moon, the keen-eyed, reaping blade.

I am the seed, sickle and the sheaf, ebb and flow of land and sun, life’s waxing and decrease.

I am your call to roam across the land, to fill your arms with grain and fruit, to reap your golden harvest, laughter, love and tears.

Gaze into the wise eyes of the Harvest Hag and be reminded of your own resourcefulness and abundance. You hold all that you need to create the life you desire. The sickle represents discernment and respect for that which you are reaping. Only take what is needed, and leave the rest to flourish on the Earth Mother’s body. Life is cyclical, and there are times to reap and times to sow. What abundance exists in your life? What bounty do you hold but have not yet put to use? What latent talents or abilities can you cultivate to help you move forward? Like the hare, you are fertile and can create abundance wherever you put your energy. Harvest your gifts and weave new magic!

5. Tribe: Community-Celebration-Support

  • Family, chosen family or community
  • The mutual support, comfort and help of friends
  • Undertaking responsibility and assisting others.
  • Time to celebrate and share with others.

You are not alone in how you are feeling. There are others who share your struggles and longings, who resonate with your energy, and await you in their circle. It may be time to let go of certain beliefs about yourself that hold you back from connecting with others. Perhaps you are afraid of an old pattern repeating or a wound re-opening. Perhaps you don’t feel you have anything to offer. Put these ideas to rest and remember your worthiness. It is safe to take the first step in re-connecting with your soul family. Join a class, a community event, or reach out to a friend for a phone call or cup of coffee. Join an online community if there is nothing local. Find others who share your values. We are stronger together!

6. Sun: Joy-Energy-Prosperity

  • Happiness, warmth and good health.
  • Good luck, success, a positive outcome
  • A time to enjoy sunlit days, a holiday.
  • Time for pleasure, fun and play.

Has life gotten to heavy or serious lately? While there will always be some heaviness in life, it doesn’t mean you need to carry it all the time. This card wants you to lighten up and create space for more light-heartedness and joy! If the lack of sunlight is affecting your mood, try using a full-spectrum lightbulb or visiting an indoor garden. Light candles, string up some extra holiday lights or add some fresh colours into your home. Perhaps it’s time for a sunny getaway or some more leisure time to do what nourishes you. Pleasure is our birthright and a certain amount is necessary in order to help you reach your long-term or serious goals. Time to release the burdens you no longer need to carry and make space for fun, lightness and laughter! Your body, heart and mind will thank you.

7. Mound: Solitude-Withdrawl-Inner Focus

  • Need for solitude and privacy
  • Meditation, an inner journey.
  • Withdrawl into your inner world.
  • Time for contemplation and assessment.

The sacred journey inward beckons. You have given your energy to the outside world plenty, and now it’s time to focus on your inner self and your spiritual path. There are times in life where we cannot go forward or grow until we stop and take the time to do our own healing. Most spiritual practices involve a time of withdrawl or solitude away from the bustle of the outside world in order to hear the inner voice and come to a greater self-understanding. It is in these journeys that we can process our past, accept our present and contemplate the future, gaining a fresh perspective on life itself. The wise know when to turn inward to find the satisfaction they may have been seeking outside themselves. Create a sanctuary for your soul, protect your boundaries and delve into the mysteries of your inner world.

Wisdom of the Cailleach Oracle by Jane Brideson

May you be held in the loving embrace of the Elders and Wise Ones this Solstice.

May you find comfort, hope and peace as the longest night births the light again.

May your inner wisdom grow!

xo

Serena

The Fertile Darkness- Dwelling in the Dark Womb

The Fertile Darkness- Dwelling in the Dark Womb

We live in a world obsessed with growth, light and productivity. Capitalist conditioning runs deep within our bones, urging us to behave like a machine rather than a fleshy, sensitive human that requires rest in mind, heart, body and soul.

There is rarely an allowance for receiving, waiting, or incubating. There isn’t much room for uncertainty or mystery. We must always be ‘on’ rather than flow with our creative cycles, which have dormant periods and transitional spaces.

Nature teaches us that growth is a cyclical process with distinctly different phases.  While I’ve been facilitating circles and centering my work around these teachings for years, the phase I feel is most important to focus on is the dark season, which we are in now.

The dark season is here to show us how darkness is a source of massive creative potential, healing, and inspiration.

The dark time of year, specifically this time nearing Solstice, the seemingly fallow ‘death’ phase of late autumn/winter, corresponds to the dark moon, old age, the Crone archetype, and the Dark Goddess. In addition to it being an earthly season, it is also an inner season that we may experience for varying lengths of time, during periods of personal transformation, loss, creative dry spells, natural aging or moving from one phase of life to another.

This is the aspect of life I feel we most need to collectively reclaim, and explore in our personal lives, as we typically resist it. It is not inherently negative; we have just been conditioned to think of it as such.

Darkness dwells in us all, and the Dark Goddess teaches us that this is a place of fertility, magick, beauty and mystery within us. It is where our potency and power lie. But we must be willing to do the work of unraveling our conditioning to access its gifts.

Rather than running or numbing out the discomfort of difficult emotions or being in a fallow phase, it is much more empowering to embrace it.

Our darkness may show up when we’re triggered emotionally, when we meet with shadow aspects of ourselves, through life changes or loss. These times can trigger fear, anxiety, ‘fight, flight or freeze’ responses in us.

Perhaps something has ended, and we just want to rush into the next thing- like a rebound relationship, job, or activity. Or perhaps we simply feel stuck or frozen in the status quo as we resist acknowledging it.  

We may reach for our favourite numbing agent or try to escape by traveling or distraction. This is fine and human. But the feelings will likely just come back again in the future, as things are cyclic, so we might as well use the opportunity to grow.

If we practice embracing the darkness, the uncertainty, the grief or the fear and shame- if we feel the feelings, sit with the discomfort rather than running or numbing, we actually evolve, learn and heal.

Embracing the darkness begets growth.

Nature’s Teachings on Dormancy

Currently, the weather is getting colder, the sky darker, and it seems as though everything is dying around us or going to sleep. But this is a crucial stage of growth and magick happening behind the scenes.

Many seeds require several months of dark, cold dormancy for them to take root. This is why we plant tulip bulbs in autumn, as they need the dormant period first, to grow in spring. Some seeds take weeks, months or even as long as 50 years of dormancy before sprouting!

Dormancy is not death. It is a waiting period of transformation and uncertainty. This ‘not-knowing’ makes us uncomfortable, as we are conditioned to always have a sense of clarity on where we are going, but the reality is, much of the time life just doesn’t go how we imagine it would or how we want it to.

The dark dormancy period may last a short while or a very long time. It is a mysterious, magickal, fertile stage. It’s where one could say life truly begins. It is where energetic potential and physical potential slowly merge and mingle, doing the actual work that begets visible growth. This is where the roots grow, drawing nourishment into the seed that will one day sprout and grow into a beautiful plant.  Even if it seems not much is happening, a lot is. New foundations are forming.

Tending to our Roots

Roots are the most important part of a plant, but grow downwards, not upwards. They’re not always visible to the outside world, but they are essential. We humans are like plants, and tending our roots is a tender, sacred, vulnerable act.

Like plants, so much that is essential for our own well-being and growth goes on beneath the surface and lies within our roots. Our roots are connected to our foundations in life- childhood, home life, family and ancestry, our spiritual beliefs, values, and of course in our physical body. They are found in the basic building blocks of who we are.

When we get triggered, or feel low or in pain, it can be wise to follow the feeling down to its roots. We can follow it into our body, into our childhoods, beliefs or even our ancestral inheritance.

Once we find the root of something, we can bring a tender loving energy towards it and then the pain it holds will lessen. The pattern shifts. This inner work is transformative, healing and has impact not only on us but all those connected to us. It is one of the gifts the darkness brings us- Stronger, healthier roots, which help us personally and collectively thrive in the future.

The Importance of Rest and Retreat

We all began in the darkness of the womb. Our instincts know on a deep level that darkness and retreat are required for living life. As humans, we spend about one third of our lives sleeping! This is our daily dose of resting in the dark womb.

During the dark season we require more sleep, more solitude, more time in the dark womb.

In the dark times of our lives, we often feel this pull by our soul. Just like our body gets exhausted at the end of the day, our soul gets weary over time and longs to come home. Our soul requires rest and renewal too.  

When we feel we are going through a dark or fallow period in our life, it is often because an old part of ourselves is changing and a new part of ourselves is taking root. This requires a lot of energy and can make us feel weary and tired.

We may feel disoriented, confused, like everything around us is dissolving. We don’t know what to do next, or how to manage or control the situation. A relationship, project or dream dear to us dissolves. Things end, and we may be carrying grief, confusion, frustration or give up hope as we descend into what seems like a dark chasm, meeting a void of nothingness, as we cannot see ahead or even understand where we are now.

But in these times, we are in the Dark Womb of the Great Mother, or The Dark Goddess. We are held by Her warmth, and by the grace of Her Mystery. We are beneath the soil, letting go of our previous form, to become something new and beautiful.

Like the tulip bulb, our growth can only happen if we are willing to surrender and rest in the darkness for as long as is necessary. We must trust in the process, let go of our need to control it, and have the courage to be present to the magick unfolding, as quiet or subtle as it seems.

The Art of Surrender

While the process of transformation often requires surrender, I don’t think of surrender as passive or powerless. Surrender, I am discovering is quite an art. It requires our active participation and presence. It may require extrapolating our perception of surrender from powerlessness, which for some of us go hand in hand.

When in a process of change, we are meant to surrender by letting go of certain conditioned habits, stories about ourselves or ways of doing things that are holding us back. Often the resistance to change is more painful than the change itself.

Surrendering doesn’t mean we do absolutely nothing, give our power away or self-victimize. It means we consciously soften into a new way of being that our soul is longing for. When we choose to soften into our soul’s longing, stay present with all that are feeling, and accept all that we are experiencing, we are practicing the art of surrender. This is a courageous act.

In times of darkness, it often means we are simply taking root. We are incubating a new birth. We are meant to trust the process, and trust that we will know when it’s time to come up into the light of day again.

How to Embrace the Darkness as Your Ally

If you feel called to work with the darkness this season or anytime in your life you feel in a dark period, here are some practices to work with:

-Turn the lights off completely or light a single candle as you just sit in the darkness as a nightly ritual. You may wish to do this while you relax in the bath, or at your altar, or sitting up in bed before going to sleep. Rather than reaching for your phone or another activity to ‘unwind’, try just letting the darkness enfold you, and imagine it holding you like a mother. Feel its peace.

What feelings come up for you when you sit in the dark?

-Go for a nighttime walk. Perhaps you already walk in the dark with your dog in the evening or just coming home after work, but instead of it being routine, let it be an intentional, sacred walk for your heart and soul. Look up at the stars and moon. Feel the energy of the trees whispering in the night, notice the night creatures- raccoons, cats, possums, bats and the nightlife that surrounds you.

What feels different when you walk at night vs in the daytime?

-Get to know a Dark Goddess and work with Her. What makes a goddess ‘dark’? She may be associated with harsh weather such as winter, storms, wind or cold. She may also be associated with war, strife, or death. She may be associated with transformation, nighttime, old age, wisdom, or healing. Dark goddesses’ myths may depict them in frightening ways; however, they are often the strongest, most protective and healing goddesses that come to help us when we are going through the most difficult times in our lives.  Some examples are: Hecate, Persephone, Medusa, Nyx, Kali, Sekhmet, Nepthys, Nut, Ereshkigal, Lillith, Hel, Pele, Baba Yaga, Cerridwen, The Morrigan, An Cailleach.  

Is there a Dark Goddess you are drawn to? How might her story or personality reflect your own?

-Go to bed earlier and pay attention to your dreams. The longer we sleep the better chance we will have more dreams to remember! Often our dreams communicate to us the truth about how we are feeling, and deeper wisdom coming from our Spirit and Guides about our life. Keep a dream journal. Notice how you feel when you awaken.

What emotions or symbols come up in your dreams? How do you feel when you get more sleep?

-Practice acceptance and the art of surrender. What part of your life is asking you to soften and change? Is there something that you need to accept but are resisting? Perhaps there are signs in your life that something has come to an end or needs to shift for greater well-being. What isn’t worth fighting anymore? One way to embody surrender is to move your body. Put on some music you enjoy and move in whatever way feels good. This can help prevent us from getting stuck or rigid and open to ways of being.

Where in your body can you invite in some more softness, gentleness or acceptance?

May your journey through this dark season be rich with healing, rest and the love and protection of the Dark Womb and the Dark Goddess.

Xo

Serena

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Heeding the Call Inward at Equinox

Autumn calls us inward, urging us to release that which we no longer need, and gather what sustains and nourishes us for winter.  Autumn is not only a season outside of us, but an inner season as well- one that favors deep spiritual renewal and growth.

As we descend from the lighter half of the year into the darker half, we are invited to tend to aspects of ourselves we may have neglected over the summer months. We can integrate shadow parts that may have cropped up into our awareness, as well as discover hidden seeds of wisdom and new creative beginnings within our soul.

Like the acorns that fall from the oak to the ground now, creative ‘seeds’ are planted in our energetic womb for incubation, growth and birth in the light half of the year.

This is where it’s important to slow down so we can hear our inner voice, sense the deep longings of our soul, and allow for these seeds to find fertile ground within.

What has been whispering for your attention lately?  Is there a part of you that perhaps has been neglected, forgotten, or simply not given a voice?

As we prepare for the inner journey, we must pack light.  We don’t want to carry any burdensome energy drains with us into winter. This is the season to lighten our load, simplify and release. Let our emotions bubble up and into our consciousness to be transformed. Let any excess be composted into the soil. Create space.

What are you carrying on with that is draining your energy? What can you let go of to lighten your load? Can you simply sit and be with your feelings?

We are invited to be open, embrace change, cry, grieve, to feel it all and let it move through us; To enter the realm of mystery, shadow, longing, and hidden gems of passion that we’ve forgotten.

A cool breeze can awaken new inspiration or a jolt of clarity on your daily walk. The falling leaves may bring up an old grief or a reminder of the fleeting nature of life.

Rather than trying to cling onto the familiar or hold rigid to ideals and old habits, autumn teaches us to simply allow things to shift and flow into their new form.

Surrender is our superpower. Gratitude is our anchor.  

Gratitude & Grief- They Go Hand in Hand

Autumn Equinox is also called ‘Witches’ Thanksgiving’, as it is the harvest season. It is a time of gratitude for the abundance of the Earth Mother, for the support we have in our lives, for all the good things, big and small.

The harvest season can be a time where we reap what we have sown in our own lives- projects, relationships, personal growth etc. We can reflect on our efforts of the last several months, notice what has bloomed and produced, as well as what didn’t.

We may have grief to process, and an awareness of what we need to accept or let go of, existing alongside gratitude for what we have lost, as well as what we still have. While seemingly odd bedfellows, grief and gratitude go hand in hand.

Gratitude often helps us flow through grief. Gratitude can act as an anchor for us during times of change, reminding us that we are taken care of and loved even when things feel chaotic or challenging.

After a very hot, chaotic summer, I am even more grateful than usual to be at this point in the Seasonal Wheel. It’s been a busy time of obstacles and setbacks in most areas of my life- work, home, relationships and personally. It’s been a year of disappointments, frustrations and waves of burnout for me, accompanied by lots of shadow work. To be honest, I’m pretty exhausted. Yet, each day, taking time to feel gratitude is helping my energy come back. Focusing on the love and abundance in my life shifts me out of negative thinking patterns around what didn’t work out and what is naturally ending.

I’ve been making a point of walking more and simply taking in the beauty around me. The cooler air has been a harbinger of clarity and renewal. A reminder that new seeds are awaiting, and my spirit is calling me on an inner journey.

What do you feel grateful for?

The Power of Pause

Over the summer, I was keenly aware of my need for darkness, coolness and quiet. As is typical for me in summer, I slept terribly, didn’t have much alone time, and operated mostly in survival mode, as I don’t do well in hot weather and excessive sunlight. (I’m more of a night plant or winter-bloomer!)

I knew I needed to have that quiet space to hear my spirit speaking. But as I often do, I let life’s busy-ness override that need. I kept putting it on the backburner- knowing I’d have more time later.

Now that it is later, I have the time, but I’ve really had to coax myself to slow down and allow for the necessary pause. It’s been a practice working on letting go of the need to fill free moments and instead hold space for my spiritual renewal.  

Energy seeks to fill empty space, so it is important to open to receiving what you need, while having an intention. In my case, I wanted to hear what my spiritual life was asking of me. So, I opened to that, and almost immediately, my spirit whispered to me my next steps, which was to take an upcoming course on Welsh Goddesses and to continue learning on my path of Welsh Witchcraft.

What has your soul been calling for? What can you shift in your daily life to honor that?

Nurturing Boundaries for Energetic Health & Integrity

Over the last two years with The Cauldron Goddess, I have found it challenging to balance creating spiritual content and offerings while also tending to my own spiritual needs.

My spiritual path is very personal and dear to me, and there is pressure these days to share everything all the time, with the public, constantly, which I feel is unnatural and invasive. Also, as an introvert, I don’t get the dopamine hits extroverts do off social media. I find it exhaustingly inauthentic, and irritatingly manipulative of people’s desires for validation and attention.

Leading an online existence is draining for me. So, I have paused posting online and drastically lowered my social media scrolling for several weeks now and I am much better for it! Reclaiming my spiritual need for privacy, living in the moment and experiencing life in 3D has been a positive shift. These boundaries have helped me feel more nourished by my spiritual practice, and more relaxed in general.

I will still post online and share in my blog, but only on my own terms, rather than in service of an algorithm or social pressure to be a content-machine. I will decide what and when to post based on how authentic it feels to me.

Are there boundaries you’d like to create to support your energy or personal integrity at this time?

Letting our Harvest Ripen in its Natural Timing

When it comes to spirituality, I like to take my time, years in fact, to fully digest what I learn and experience before sharing it with others, especially if it’s in any type of ‘teaching’ capacity.

Over the last few years, I have been learning Welsh, studying The Mabinogi and learning from Welsh Witches, Druids and scholars in the ways accessible to me. I went on pilgrimage to Wales, am learning about Celtic history and have been keeping a consistent practice in devotion to the Goddess Cerridwen. There has been a lot of inner growth and change related to this, however, I rarely share my experiences in these matters publicly, despite the name of my blog and social media pages!

This is because my sense of spiritual integrity demands time for integration and ripening. Boundaries and privacy are necessary to allow that ripening of creativity and wisdom. Sharing unripe fruit with others not only tastes bad but can cause indigestion.

I’ll only share something when it’s ripe and ready. Everything I share is something I have been working with for some time already, (years), and feel confident about.

My recent reflections have made it clear that I need to focus more on my own path for a bit so I can bring new insight and offerings to The Cauldron Goddess. If you hear from me a bit less, that is why. But I encourage you to stay tuned, as I will bring any ripe fruit to the table from my harvest!

In the meantime, I continue to trust in life’s natural cycles, and urge you to do the same, even when in a difficult season or phase. The wheel only keeps turning and each turn brings us new experiences, wisdom and inspiration. Every plant has its own timing in which it flowers or bears fruit. Some plants bloom only at night, and some only produce colourful berries in winter.

There is no such thing as a barren season. Every phase has its fruit- whether on an inner level or an outer one. You only need to tune into your unique cycles.

What is ripening in your life? What still needs some time before harvesting? What is going to seed? Can you patiently embrace this phase for what it is?

I wish you much love, healing and gratitude during this harvest season. May whatever phase you find yourself in bring you into deeper wisdom and inner sovereignty. May you enjoy your unique bounty to its fullest!

*If you’d like to read my post from last year’s Fall Equinox on Dancing with Our Shadow in Relationships, please read it here: https://thecauldrongoddess.ca/2022/09/30/dancing-with-our-shadow-in-relationships/

Thankyou for reading,

Xo

Serena

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As a Witch who makes her home and practice in Tkaronto (Toronto) Ontario, I deeply thank the original stewards of this land: The Mississaugas of the Credit, Mississaugas of Scugog, Alderville, Hiawatha & Curve Lake; The Chippewas of Beausoleil, Rama & Georgina island, the Haudenosaunee and Wendat nations. I acknowledge the resilience of the First Nation, Inuit and Metis people who live and work here in the present, in a system of inequity and oppression. I am working on uncolonising my own practice, amplifying Indigenous voices and supporting Indigenous communities in whatever way I can.

Being Present & Embracing our Inner Seasons

I talk alot about cycles- seasonal cycles, astrological cycles, moon cycles, and the menstrual cycle.

I’ve always found it fascinating how our own psyches and bodies are mirrored through these cycles around us. Knowing that whatever we are struggling with is temporary and part of a natural cycle, is deeply comforting. Understanding the nature of the energy we are dealing with and how to work with it rather than against it can be so empowering.

Aligning with the cycles of nature can be a healing act of resistance, too. When we remember we are nature, we tap into a power that our capitalistic cultural conditioning seeks to suppress.

But, we are complex beings. Sometimes how we feel doesn’t match the season or phase we are in.  Just because it is summertime outside doesn’t necessarily mean we are feeling happy, expressive and social and aren’t experiencing grief, loss, or death (so-called ‘winter’ feelings). Just because it is the waxing moon doesn’t necessarily mean we feel energised and creative. We can have our bleeding time at any moon phase, even if bleeding resonates with the dark/new moon. We can experience a relatively chill and relaxing Mercury Retrograde or chaos and delays when it is direct!

This is partly because there are several cycles happening within us and around us at the same time- for instance, we could be going through a long Saturn transit (planet of restriction & loss) that goes on for years, and it overlaps with a season of abundance, or a transit of benevolent Jupiter.

It’s also partly because we are not meant to always look for explanations and answers outside of us- in theories, systems and patterns. Sometimes, we’re just meant to experience life in the moment and not overthink it! Sometimes, we just need to embrace whatever our current feelings and needs are and listen to them, and trust they are part of our growth.

Embracing our Inner Seasons and Cycles

None of these cyclical systems- astrology, the seasons, or the moon- is a perfect template for our life, nor is our understanding of them meant to be rigid, or fully understood so we can control our lives and make them foolproof.

After studying and living with this awareness for so long I feel that it is impossible to fully understand how cycles overlap and play into our lives. Leaving life to the Great Mystery is part of the fun, as well as a key spiritual ingredient to our growth and wisdom.

Increasingly, I’ve been feeling our human analysis of ‘how this cycle is supposed to go’ can be a trap that prevents us from flowing through our own phases more organically, in a more honest, authentic way.

Oftentimes in life, simply knowing ‘this is a temporary phase’ is enough. Remembering that death and rebirth happen simultaneously, and that energy is always changing is enough.

It’s ok to be in whatever phase you are in, for however long you need to be. It’s ok to flow back and forth between phases. There is no right way or wrong way. It doesn’t have to match up with anything outside of yourself. Your experience may resonate with a seasonal or lunar energy, or it may not, and it can happen any time, and its all good. It’s part of your path. You are not doing life wrong or misaligned somehow if your plans don’t match up with the moon or you’re not feeling the effects of Mercury retrograde!

Information vs Wisdom Gained from Experience

I’ve been thinking about this whole thing more lately because there’s been a huge increase in astrologers, psychics and witches- and all kinds of random people without any astrological knowledge or study behind them- talking about astrology, the moon and sharing information online. Some of it is parroted info, lacking in any substance or actual knowledge of its complexity or delineation.

I see lots of superficial cookbook associations such as ‘Venus retrograde means it’s the season of the ex!’ ‘Leo season means it’s time to sparkle!’, ‘Plant your intentions, it’s a fabulous new moon!’ (even if it’s under conflicting aspects). I know that friendly bite-size bits of info are all folks want to consume these days, so I get why this is a trend. However, it bothers me that this is where it usually stops.

I started studying astrology formally with a mentor with the Canadian Association for Astrological Education in 2001. Social Media wasn’t a thing back then. We were fringe-y weirdos into hidden knowledge. Ever since, I have been continuing to learn and live the knowledge, which gives a more nuanced perspective than when you simply read an article and parrot things other astrologers say for your own online content. When you study the cycles in-depth, you realise you have to actually live the knowledge and experience it yourself before you can say you know it or understand it. And even then, you still can’t truly know the secrets of the universe or even fully ever understand any of it.

The more I live it, the more I realise I don’t know. I also realise how spiritual systems of understanding are quite limited and can hinder our spiritual growth by encouraging us to continually measure our experience with external patterns, or gaze towards the future instead of fully being in the present. Especially since so much of our existence is online now, I feel it is more important than ever to instead gaze within and live more in the present 3D moment.

Being Present & Leaving Space for the Mystery

What makes life what it is, is its mystery. We’re not always meant to understand it or feel we can control it.

In witchcraft and astrological communities online, I repeatedly see the message that when the season is ripe, we should grab the bull by the horns and go for it! Every new moon, we are reminded to plant those seeds of intention. Every full moon, we’re told to release, let go, or watch what we say to avoid drama. I’ve repeated this narrative too, of course.

But, my practice has been shifting away from harnessing energy to create a desired outcome and instead just flowing with the energy and experiencing it within myself with no agenda.

This idea that we need to harness the energy around us at all times- do something with it, create with it, use it, feels kinda capitalist and colonial to me. I get that it can also be empowering sometimes, so I don’t mean to diminish that, but the messaging often feels steeped in our cultural shortcomings- The fear of being rather than doing, the fear of resting and not producing- and perhaps our biggest fear- being fully present within ourselves.

I feel it is too easy in today’s witchcraft to fall into this trap of needing to be in control, to overly focus on manifesting, to keep ‘using’ nature’s cycles to get what you want, and to spend more time creating online witchy content than living your actual witchy life.

What if we live fully in the moment? Without analysing, or striving to understand its context or place in the whole. What if we spend less time doing and more time being? What if we stop looking outside for validation and listen to the whisperings within?

My practice has steadily been shifting away from manifestation towards surrender over the years. It’s more about connecting with myself and my environment more deeply, rather than spellwork or ‘harnessing the energy’ all the time. I’ve been spending less time online in favor of staying present within my body and self.

I have been outgrowing practices I used to do and making shifts to honour where I am at now.

Midlife Weirdness and my Inner Fall-Winter

I feel I have been in a ‘fall-winter’ phase within for the last few years. My creative and social drive is low, my sensitivity, introversion and spiritual antennae is high.

My solace is the cave of the Dark Goddess, merging with the fertile darkness of Her womb, where all life begins. Cerridwen has been my companion through this. I have been in a process of simplifying, clearing and turning inwards.

I am in a particularly challenging phase of parenting, as my daughter nears her 15th birthday. I have hit middle age, and my role as mother, as partner, as healer and all the things I identified with is changing.

I am aware of my current astrological, hormonal and life cycles. However, this awareness hasn’t really helped me navigate the path as much as I would expect. My mind wants to analyse and understand but it is being quieted by my heart and soul who just want to experience. I am making space for this transition and doing my best to simply be present rather than grasp at activities that distract me away from it.

I can’t see more than this very moment in time right now, so I am embracing this call inward, this call to self, to letting what needs to fall away go.

I am letting go of my need to know and trusting the mystery before me no matter how strange and uncomfortable it is.

I trust that this process will help me on the next step of my journey.

Being called to the Cauldron of Change and Rebirth

There are times when the metaphorical cauldron calls me to deepen my spiritual lessons. I envision this cauldron as much larger than me, sitting in the earth, tended by Cerridwen.  I sit on the edge and dangle my feet in for a while, testing the waters. I may stay there for days, weeks or months, just slowly dipping in, one part at a time, like entering cold water, gathering the courage to let go of the rim and drop all in. Cerridwen is patient with me, most of the time.

I try to go voluntarily or else I know I may just get pushed in. I currently feel I’m headed in for another journey. I’m already quite immersed, I just need to let go of the rim. I don’t know how long it will be, or where it will take me, of course. Not knowing is key to its purpose.

Letting go is a practice. It takes practice to really tune into our internal creative rhythms and listen to the call of our soul- especially if it doesn’t align with our idea of where we ‘should be’ or with our environment.

Change is the only thing we can rely on. This is always a bit uncomfortable for me to accept.

What season are you in?

The seasonal energy I feel within is on the dark side- it resonates with the Last Quarter Moon, the Fall, Midlife, The Enchantress and the planet Pluto. Yet, it is none of those, exactly. This is my own unique experience, my own personal ‘season’- the spiritual phase I embody, as I type this under the high noon July sun and waxing moon. My season is my own.

I am on a journey of renewing my creative energies. Composting the past and incubating new seeds of growth for the future.

Following our creative rhythms takes courage, as it can go against well-worn patterns we’ve become stuck in, or the outside world’s demands- to constantly and consistenly produce and share all the time.

But as a creative soul, I know the importance of doing what is necessary to renew my energy, to keep my creative waters flowing without stagnating. To regain inspiration and motivation requires change and many journeys inward and down to the deep.

Is there a particular aspect of your life, where you feel in a reflective winter phase? A blooming summer phase? A change-filled spring or release of fall?

How do you feel when the focus of your energies is quite different from the energy around you?

What spiritual practices ground you into this moment?

If you are interested in learning practices for renewing your creative energy, as well as celebrating the season of First Harvest, please join me for my online circle on Tuesday, August 1st for First Harvest Circle- The Cauldron of Creativity! This will be my last seasonal circle before I take a pause to renew my creative energies. More on my journey to come, I recommend you sign up for my newsletter below for details.

Wishing you acceptance and love as you move through whatever phase you are in!

Xo Serena

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As a Witch who makes her home and practice in Tkaronto (Toronto) Ontario, I deeply thank the original stewards of this land: The Mississaugas of the Credit, Mississaugas of Scugog, Alderville, Hiawatha & Curve Lake; The Chippewas of Beausoleil, Rama & Georgina island, the Haudenosaunee and Wendat nations. I acknowledge the resilience of the First Nation, Inuit and Metis people who live and work here in the present, in a system of inequity and oppression. I am working on uncolonising my own practice, amplifying Indigenous voices and supporting Indigenous communities in whatever way I can.

Healing the Witch Wound

What is the Witch Wound?

Healing the Witch Wound is a bit of a hot topic these days, which I feel is a good thing, because it means folks are waking up to a call deep within to heal ancestral pain and reclaim their power.

The Witch Wound is a layered, collective wound rooted in our ancestral memory and our DNA from persecution and death related to colonisation, the burning times, patriarchy, capitalism and religious extremism. It is a deep and collective ancestral wound we all may carry to varying degrees, and for many, it is still carrying a traumatic charge.

The Witch Wound can manifest in our current life as several fears, including fears of:

  • Speaking up or speaking our truth
  • Persecution
  • Being different or an outcast
  • Standing in our own power
  • Success or being in the limelight
  • Trusting our intuition
  • Our body and it’s natural functions
  • Being feminine, female or gender non-conforming
  • The wild/nature
  • The unseen and spirit world
  • Pursuing a spiritual or alternative lifestyle or profession
  • Calling yourself a Witch, Pagan, Priestess, or other similar identification publicly

As a result of these fears, we may resort to excessive people pleasing, dismissing our intuition, dissociating from the body or present moment, distrust of the body or fear nature, and more. There are many avenues and layers to the healing process, and I feel that each generation and everyone is drawn to their own way of healing it for themselves.

Having some of those listed fears may not be connected to the Witch Wound specifically. Many traumas can create these. However, having a lot of that list activated in your life along with a sense of being persecuted for your spiritual gifts in the past (a past life or ancestrally) may mean you carry the Witch Wound. You do not need to have literally been persecuted for Witchcraft in a past life to feel the Witch Wound active within you.

One interesting exercise is to simply notice what thoughts and feelings come to you when you hear the word ‘witch’?

Witch!

What comes to mind?

A warty, ugly hag with a crooked hat riding a broom?

A powerful, sexual, but immoral or ‘evil’ woman?

A woman speaking her mind bluntly or exerting her will?

A strange healer or non-conformist who lives in the woods, mumbling to plants?

Our negative associations with the word Witch are often rooted in the Witch Wound. For hundreds of years those that lived on the fringe, had spiritual abilities, utilised plant medicine, were women or gender non-conforming, or who held Indigenous perspectives and traditions, have been ostracized, oppressed or targeted through violence or even genocide.

Witch is a charged word, one that I choose to identify myself with, because I feel it is an act of reclaiming of its power to do so. It’s a way of bringing the word back into it’s true meaning of a Wise Woman, Healer and Magickal Person. Calling myself a Witch means I’m someone who lives in tune with the spirits of nature, lives by their intuition, who creates and transforms at will- and proud of it.

Even to this day, however, I sometimes struggle in being openly a Witch. While there is much more acceptance than a generation or two ago, it’s still sometimes scary to identify.

Even if you would never identify as a Witch, you still may carry the Witch Wound, which would show up in the list of fears above.

Persecution & Practical Magic

Practical Magic- My fave witchy movie with Sandra Bullock & Nicole Kidman

One of my most recurring fears is that of persecution. I feel a familiarity with the scene in my favorite witch movie, Practical Magic where the mob of children yell at the young Owens sisters ‘Witch, Witch, you’re a Bitch!” repeatedly, pointing their accusing fingers at them. Even at a tender young age, the girls were tormented for being descendants of Witches, making them immediate outcasts who had to find their magic within to empower themselves.

The girls’ Witch ancestor, Maria Owens was persecuted and set to be executed in the Salem Witch Trials. She used her magic to escape, but eventually died of a broken heart, and cursed her entire line of descendants that any man who falls in love with an Owens woman will die.

This, of course, sets the plot around the adult Owens sisters, Sally and Gilly, who are struggling with their love lives, losing the men they love. They attempt use magic to fix things, only to make them messier.

My favourite part of the movie is at the end, when Sally and Gilly need a full coven of 13 women to complete a ritual to de-possess Gilly from her abusive dead ex-boyfriend. They are forced to call upon the local, judgy townswomen to come over to help. The women could empathise with wanting to banish an ex, so they managed to put aside their supposed differences, and reconnected with their own power in a circle to heal Gilly. The women found and accessed their own Witch-Power within, through sisterhood and empathy- and made some magick happen! From then on, the Owens family could walk through town being themselves, torment-free, perhaps for the first time in generations.

Circle of women banishing the ex

I love this movie so much because it illustrates how we carry biases, curses and shame for generations, and how it only takes one person making a new, bold decision to end the chain of suffering. Sometimes the only action we need to take is to be ourselves, authentically and openly.  It also illustrates how we all have a little ‘witch’ within us, and when we become more comfortable with that part of ourselves, we can love it in others too.

“There’s a little witch in all of us”

Aunt Jet Owens

I feel the ancestors are smiling upon those who dare come out of the broom closet, who dare be themselves and live a magical life in this very uncertain world. To all those who are doing this work, take a deep breath, and remember that you are very brave.

The Healing Spiral

Healing the Witch Wound is a lifelong process. I naively thought a few times that I had healed this wound within myself over the years as I started getting more comfortable with who I am, committing to this path and moving away from conditioning. However, it’s been more like a healing spiral that comes around again and again for new layers of deeper work to do. I have come a long way but am nowhere near ‘completely healed’ if that’s a thing.

I still fear persecution. I still feel insecure in myself. I still make myself small, so others feel safer. The world keeps changing and it’s sometimes hard to know when to stand my ground and when to adapt. When to be visible and when to be invisible. When to share my spiritual gifts and when to have boundaries. Like Sally Owens from Practical Magic, I sometimes just long to feel normal and fit in. But life often teaches me that I’m not meant to fit in, and that’s ok!

“My darling girl, when are you going to realize that being normal is not necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage!” 

Aunt Frances Owens

When we are doing this work reclaiming our authenticity, being bold and brave and ‘out’- I feel we still need to be discerning and it’s ok to have boundaries that keep us safe. What feels safe for me here in Toronto, may not feel safe for a Witch living in a small town in the US Bible Belt. The cost of being oneself is different for every individual.

While it takes courage, bravery and a willingness to start a fire here and there, it can be wise to remember that ‘You don’t need set yourself on fire just to keep others warm’. Self-sacrifice isn’t necessarily the way to help or create change. Courage to be yourself in the capacity that you can handle is a powerful act. In being yourself, you give others permission to do the same. While we may not always fit in, we are never as alone as we think we are.

Gentle Reconnection with your Inner Witch

The first step of healing the Witch Wound is connecting to your Inner Witch. Your Inner Witch may have many facets, and it’s ok if you’re not ready to explore them all yet. She may have been persecuted, exploited, oppressed, or hidden for survival over generations, and you carry that memory in your nervous system and DNA. Some parts may feel more comfortable to connect with than others. For instance, connecting with plants more intimately may feel safer than ritual, spells or doing shadow work.

I am a fan of gentle reconnection to one’s Inner Witch. This is a tender, yet very powerful part of yourself that cannot be rushed or forced out. And even when the Witch IS out, it may be a long journey of fully accepting and embracing her.

If you are interested in healing your Inner Witch, here are a few suggestions that have helped me:

  • Intentionally commune with nature as often as you can. Whether it is tending an indoor plant, spending more time outside, or talking to a neighbourhood tree, remember that you ARE nature, and it is YOU. You don’t need to have a green thumb or extensive herbal knowledge to be a Witch. You don’t necessarily need an intermediary to teach you. You have a right to a relationship with the earth. Cultivate your own connection with nature. Choose a tree to have a relationship with. When the sun shines on your face or when you dip your toes into water, acknowledge the elements as beings in their own right, that offer themselves to you and wish to get to know you in return. Even if you are sitting in a fluorescent-lit office in a downtown high rise, you can take a deep breath, close your eyes and connect with your favourite place outdoors in your mind. Surround yourself with reminders of the natural world on your desk or whenever you can’t be outside.
  • Practice Gratitude. As cliché as it may sound, taking a few minutes every morning and evening to connect with what you are grateful for opens you to the abundance that supports you, and this is essential when doing brave work of healing. It reminds you that you are loved and supported, you are not alone. It may be interesting to note who you are giving thanks to. What higher power do you believe in? When you cultivate gratitude, you grow your spiritual support system and strengthen your trust in yourself, in others and in the unseen, which is a trust that the Witch Wound often erodes.
  • Tap into your intuition. It’s easy to bypass this wisdom as we are conditioned to dismiss intuition for logic in every situation. Take some time to regularly practice re-connecting to your innate knowing. You may feel intuition as a flash of insight, a gut instinct or a tug in your body somewhere. Next time you need to make a decision, even as small as deciding what to eat or where to park you car, check in with your sixth sense. Discerning intuition from other parts of ourselves may be tricky at times. To navigate this process, you may wish to read my blog ‘Is it my intuition? 5 Ways to Tell.’
  • Explore different beliefs and paths. There are many different Pagan paths, so it can take some time and experimentation to find what resonates with you. If your chosen path deviates from how you were raised or the dominant belief system in your environment, this can be where the Witch Wound fears show up. Know that you are not alone. We often rely on the trailblazing of others, so seek out elders who have paved the path before you. Perhaps YOU are the Trailblazer of your generation, making it easier for the younger generations to be themselves, OR you may be a Bridge-Maker who facilitates movement between different belief systems and ways of thinking.
  • Explore your fears. When you are more comfortable with the above suggestions, you may wish to look at the list of Witch Wound fears from the top of this blog and choose one to work on. Perhaps the one that stands out strongly or comes up most regularly for you. Take some time to reflect on where this fear stems from. Childhood memories or trauma? Social conditioning growing up? A deep memory in your bones, in your DNA, or a past life? It may be something worth exploring through journaling, reflection or a therapist.
  • Connect with community. The digital age has made it much easier for Witches to find each other! Whether it is through social media, a local gathering, or just emailing a Witch blogger like me to say hello or ask a question- connecting with like-minded souls is very healing! I know how intimidating it can be to reach out or meet new people. You are welcome to email me any time with your questions or comments!

Your Inner Witch is beautiful, wise and powerful. Your journey is unique and sacred. May you thrive and grow as you break generational curses and stand tall in your power!

If you are looking for witchy community, you may with to check out my Hearthfire Circles– which are both online and in-person.

Xo

Serena

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As a Witch who makes her home and practice in Tkaronto (Toronto) Ontario, I deeply thank the original stewards of this land: The Mississaugas of the Credit, Mississaugas of Scugog, Alderville, Hiawatha & Curve Lake; The Chippewas of Beausoleil, Rama & Georgina island, the Haudenosaunee and Wendat nations. I acknowledge the resilience of the First Nation, Inuit and Metis people who live and work here in the present, in a system of inequity and oppression. I am working on uncolonising my own practice, amplifying Indigenous voices and supporting Indigenous communities in whatever way I can.

Healing Allies for Transitions, Grief & Sensitive Souls

I am one of those people who feels grief in the spring, like many do in the fall. My introverted, sensitive soul likes her winter cave of darkness, reflection and inner work. The call of spring to sprout, grow, move upward and outward sometimes blares overwhelmingly like a morning alarm clock, bringing up resistance, grief and also hope within me, all blending into an overwhelmingly emotional breakfast smoothie.

This year’s 28 C weather in mid April (normal high 10 C), has been a tad jarring, thrusting us from a thundering snow storm into full-on summer mode. The city heat came in pounding with traffic, noise and chaos whilst new leaves bud on the trees and birds sang their sweet praises to the awakening Earth. The city has been a cacophony of new life in both lovely and stressful forms.

Although we are soon to get cold weather again, the process of changing seasons can be volatile and challenging to our body and mind.

On the first hot day, I instinctively went for a walk in the nearby cemetery to soothe my dark witchy soul amongst all the new light, heat and noise. I traded my black boots for light walking shoes and went out to greet the sun in one of the only reliable anchors of peace in an urban landscape.

Cemeteries are those rare places reserved for sanctuary, reflection and rest.  A place where we can tap into the inward season of Samhain any time of year, giving space to our grief for what’s passing away while new life begins.

Growth and grief always flow together, and yet our patriarchal, capitalistic culture only values the ‘growth’ aspect of life.

The spring season sometimes triggers the feminine wound within me, around the cultural binary that associates growth, light, extroversion, productivity, logic, masculine and yang energy as preferable and superior; Whilst release, darkness, introversion, rest, receptivity, feminine, intuitive and yin energy are considered bad or inferior. Yet one always lies within the other, and beauty is found within both.

I tend to lean towards the Dark Goddess as a Witch, as I work with Cerridwen and resonate with Crone/Wise Woman energy. I was born in deep winter during a waning moon, and a heavy dose of Scorpio energy in my astrology chart. We carry the energies of the moon phase and season we were born in. For me, transformation, release, and darkness feel like home, even though they can also be difficult and painful.

While transition and loss are painful, when I speak of darkness, it is not equated with evil in my mind. To me, darkness is equated with the Great Mystery, the Sacred Womb, the Source of Life. It is peace, surrender, the quiet void of death and the nascent beginning of life. It is the metaphorical Cauldron that holds us safe as we shed old skins and grow into new ways of being. It holds great beauty, power and solace. It’s essence, to me, is the Dark Goddess. The unknowable void of darkness brings up fear, which is why we don’t like it. But it’s only through moving through our fears that we grow. Like spring seeds sprouting through the ground to greet the sun for the first time, our growth processes may have us feeling tender, exposed and vulnerable.

Even if the old reality we are letting go of was toxic, stunting our growth, or holding us back from our potential- it likely still comes with grief- which is simply a reflection of our capacity to love and live with passion.  So this dance we feel during seasons of transition can be emotional and complex, as growth and grief dance together.

As anyone who’s had a baby knows, you can feel intense loss and overwhelm along with the excitement new life. You may also feel a sense of pride, excitement and intense grief as they grow up and become adults.

It’s ok to grieve as you sprout, or sprout as you grieve!

As we are now entering eclipse season, it may feel we are crossing a threshold. Emotions may be close to the surface as we feel something is ending as something else begins. We are in a ‘Cauldron Time’, as I call it, a crucible of death and rebirth.

Perhaps some new beginnings are emerging in your life that ask for you to let go of an old way of being in order to grow. Are you ready to take the plunge? Or are you overwhelmed and paralysed with fear? A bit of both?

We can navigate these times of transition without losing our soul in the process. We can nourish our resilience and support our sensitivity, too. In times like these, we call upon the healing allies in the natural world- trees, elements, herbs and crystals that can help. Simply by being with them in nature, connecting with them through medicines we can move through change with greater ease.

Here are some healing allies I have worked with over the years that can help us navigate times of change, vulnerability and loss. Let me know your experiences with them or feel free to share some of your own!

Trees: Black Willow, Weeping Willow, Pine, Cedar

Trees are beings dear to my heart. I think of each and every one of them as a friend, with their unique personality and energy. You can connect with a tree ally by visiting one in person and giving it an offering, such as an herb, animal-safe food, cleaning up any garbage around it, or simply your loving words and energy. Ask it for permission to be with it, sit against it or lean against it. Become open and receptive to its energy. Ask it for it’s advice.

  • Willows are my favourite allies for helping us to feel our emotions. Ruled by the moon and most often growing near water, the Willow reminds us that it’s ok to feel what we feel. They hold us in a gentle embrace of unconditional acceptance and love.
  • Weeping willow is an especially tender ally that can bring tears out to release what we’ve been holding back in our hearts, bringing lightness and clarity. They comfort us in their embrace and soften the rough edges that developed from holding our armor on too tight for too long.
  • Black Willow looks a bit different- they have very textured, darker bark, more gnarly branches and they do not droop quite like the Weeping variety. They hold more of a Crone/Grandmother energy that offers us a soft shoulder to cry on, along with a bit of extra strength, honesty and down to earth wisdom to keep us grounded. These are native to this land and I hold a special place in my heart for this wise ally.
  • Pine is thankfully abundant and native here as well, offering us a strong yet soft, cleansing energy to support us through dark times. The refreshing smell of Pine sap offers a new perspective and breath of fresh air. Burning Pine needles is a powerful smoke cleanser. Leaning against a Pine tree and asking it to help transmute heavy energies we are carrying can bring strength and help us to clear old baggage. The Bach Flower Remedy Pine is helpful for releasing guilt, which can come with loss.
  • Cedar is of course native to this land as well and is one of the 4 sacred medicines of Indigenous communities. Cedar to me, feels like ‘home’, more than any other tree. Perhaps, because this is where I call home. It also harkens to my ancestors who relied on this tree for medicine and shelter. When we are feeling uprooted, out of touch with our body, or our sense of home, this can be a helpful ally. It also has strong protective and cleansing properties. Cedar tea is supportive to the immune system, and its leaves are very protective. Cedar wood is extremely resilient and repels bugs. Sitting, leaning against or hugging a Cedar can bring grounding and protection to the sensitive soul.

Bach Flower Remedies: Walnut, Olive, Rescue Remedy, Olive, Rock Water, Water Violet

I am a huge fan of the Bach Flower Remedies! These are excellent for sensitive souls. They are vibrational medicines created from plants in the tradition of Dr Edward Bach, a British physician and homeopath who developed them in the 1930s.

Each remedy carries the energy of the plant it is made with, which is associated with healing a specific emotional state. They are designed to bring us into balance. I’ve been using them for about 15 years and took a Bach Flower course to understand them better. They are available at many herbal shops and health food stores.

  • Walnut is my number 1 go-to for sensitive souls in times of transition, such as moving, pregnancy, menopause, relationship breakups, seasonal changes, new job or lifestyle situation. It brings a protective shield of safety when we are feeling vulnerable, when we are sensitive to the energies in the environment and opinions of other people.
  • Rescue Remedy is a combo of remedies that supports us through trauma and shock. This is a remedy for when the change is too much for our nervous system to process and we are struggling to cope. It is great for sudden accidents, illness/diagnosis of serious illness, sudden loss, coping with changes that have us rattled and shaken, or any situation that has us stressed or anxious. It brings comfort and stability.
  • Olive is for exhaustion. Whether we’ve been caregiving for others or ill ourself, this is the remedy for the weary soul who can’t seem to get the rest and restoration needed to bring one’s energy level back up. Olive feels energising and protective, bringing more resilience.
  • Rock Water is made from water flowing over rocks. It is a remedy for those of us who deal with stress by getting overly rigid and perfectionistic. Rock Water helps us to soften our need for a certain state of perfection and embrace the messy processes of life. It smooths our rough, idealistic edges, and lets us relax into the flow.
  • Water Violet is one of the remedies that help those who get very withdrawn and pull away from other people. It helps to open us up to connecting with others and allows grief to process.
  • Willow helps when we are feeling vicitmised by our circumstances, having suffered bad luck or problems, making us feel bitter or resentful. It helps us to forgive ourselves and others, and take responsibility for what is ours.

Crystals: Black Tourmaline, Jet, Smokey Quartz, Selenite

Crystals hold powerful vibrations that can help transform and/or protect our energy when placed on the body, worn, placed under our pillow or in our environment.

  • Black Tourmaline is a strong grounding and protective black crystal, excellent for empaths and spongy-sensitive types who pick up other’s emotions and environmental energies. It’s a good one to wear on one’s person if you are out and about a lot or in contact with people regularly.
  • Jet is also a black crystal but with a very different energy. It is a type of coal, derived from wood that was changed under extreme pressure. It is soft and can easily absorb excess negative energies such as anger, grief, sadness or fear. It was historically worn as jewelry to funerals. I have often used it to help alleviate physical pain such as headaches and menstrual cramps as well. It requires regular cleansing because of its absorbant nature- you can bury it in the earth, run it under water or smoke cleanse it.
  • Smokey Quartz is one of my favourite protectors for sensitive souls! Like clear quartz, but a smokey grey-black colour, it helps us to focus and organise our thoughts while warding off negativity beautifully. It is great to wear on your person or carry or have in the environment, like in windowsills or other places you wish to ward off outside vibes.
  • Selenite is a type of gypsum. It is soft, white and looks like moonlight, named after the Greek moon goddess, Selene. Selenite is one of those crystals that cleanses other crystals that are near it. Unlike Jet, it doesn’t hold onto the energy, but helps it flow, like a stream of cleansing moonlight.  When your life or energy feels stagnant, stuck or heavy, place a piece of Selenite on your heart centre, under your pillow or beside your bed. I find it helps protect against heavy and negative energies by transmuting them.

The Elements: Water, Earth, Fire and Air

The beautiful thing about the elements is that they are always around us! All we need to do is pay attention and connect! Whether we take a moment in our busy day to just lean against a tree, splash water on our face, or breathe the air more consciously, the gifts of the Earth Mother are here for us, waiting to connect. Once we begin a relationship with an element, we start to notice it everywhere. Like with trees, you can give thanks by leaving an offering of your energy and gratitude, an herbal offering or animal safe food.

Water helps our emotions to flow and release. Drinking more water, taking baths/showers or simply stepping into a stream or lake can help us flow through the changes upon us with great ease and acceptance.

Earth grounds us and calms the nervous system, helping us to feel safe while things are changing. Anxiety pulls our energy upward, which requires a downward flow for balance. Walking barefoot, massaging our feet or holding a squatting position helps to pull energy downward again. You may also find increasing your protein and iron intake helpful as well.

Fire warms and energises. If the changes we’ve been undergoing have depleted our hope, our spirit or lust for life, the simple act of lighting a candle and receiving its light into your heart can bring a shift in how you feel.

Air brings lightness and can help clear our mind. Using a bird feather to sweep away the negative thoughts or herbal smoke to cleanse your energy and space can bring some peace when chaos is swirling around you.

What remedies or healing allies do you find support you during times of transition? Please share in the comments!

The Earth Mother offers Her healing abundance to us as we navigate stressful times. We simply need to take the first step and connect, remembering we are worthy of support, and that acts of self-care are not selfish, but necessary.

Thank-you for reading,

Xo

Serena

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As a Witch who makes her home and practice in Tkaronto (Toronto) Ontario, I deeply thank the original stewards of this land: The Mississaugas of the Credit, Mississaugas of Scugog, Alderville, Hiawatha & Curve Lake; The Chippewas of Beausoleil, Rama & Georgina island, the Haudenosaunee and Wendat nations. I acknowledge the resilience of the First Nation, Inuit and Metis people who live and work here in the present, in a system of inequity and oppression. I am working on uncolonising my own practice, amplifying Indigenous voices and supporting Indigenous communities in whatever way I can.

Tending Our Sacred Flame at Imbolc

Imbolc is a welcome, hopeful vibe amidst an otherwise challenging season. While it is a pagan celebration rooted in the milder climate of the UK & Ireland, here in Canada, we can still enjoy the increase in light even if much of the country is entering its coldest, snowiest stage of winter. We can look to the lighter skies and have faith that the first stirrings of rebirth begin now and will eventually become tangible in spring.

Imbolc originates in Celtic traditions, especially in Ireland and Scotland. The goddess Brigid is the deity venerated at this time. She is the pre-Christian goddess of fire, healing, smithcraft, the hearth, the flame of life and creative spark that resides within us, as well as protection and fertility. She eventually became the Christian St. Brigid. Her light shines brightly in the hearts of many and lives on through regional folk customs and traditions inspired from these all over the globe today.

Brigid from the Goddess Power Oracle

Many of the traditions of Imbolc involve children and youth, symbolizing the energy of renewal of the season. Girls would go door to door with their Brigid dolls wearing white, while boys go door to door singing and dancing, and they would collect money. Homes were cleansed and prepared for new life- as Brigid was invited into the home to bless and protect it. Sometimes the youngest in the house was tasked with finding rushes with which to make the St Brigid’s Cross- a protective symbol for the home. Many folks are keeping these traditions alive today.

Weather divination is also popular at this time- involving snakes, badgers, or in in North America- groundhogs-who foretell an early spring or a longer winter.

The Return of the Light & Spiritual Faith

Modern themes of this season include hope, visioning and spiritual renewal, which correspond to the increase of light which is now noticeable. Some celebrate the return of the light at Winter Solstice, as it is the time from which light increases each day, however I find that it is around Imbolc that the light is noticeable enough to affect our psyches.

Increased light and longer days affect us in many ways, namely bringing a sense of increased hope, optimism and energy. Light is also associated with faith, spirit, and our inner flame of conviction. When I speak of our inner flame- I mean that which lights you up and inspires you forward in life.  For some, this corresponds to their spiritual faith. It may also correspond to one’s creative spark.

Some Pagans use this time to renew their dedication to their deities, or to dedicate to a new deity. It is also a popular time for coven initiations, which initiates one’s commitment to their spiritual community.

I resonate with the desire to refresh and re-dedicate myself to my path and spiritual practice this time of year. I tend to clean all of my altars, or completely re-do them. My relationships with deities are forged or strengthened with rituals and prayers. It’s like hitting the spiritual ‘reset’ button. I let go of what isn’t working and experiment with new ways of strengthening my practice.

I allow inspiration and my intuition to lead me to what feels right. I focus on the practices and rituals that expand my inner flame of strength and love; My feeling of being spiritually protected and enlivened and my ability to express my best self.

Winter is tough, and for many, spiritual faith is what carries us through the tough times. So, February can be the perfect month to revamp or up-level our spiritual practice!

Resonance with the Crescent Moon and Childhood

In the lunar cycle, the energy of the New Moon resonates with the Winter Solstice and the Crescent Moon resonates with Imbolc. This is where we can see the first slice of light in the sky. This brings with it hope, innocence and creative intention after coming out of the darkness.

In the life cycle, the Winter Solstice resonates with the Elder energy, whilst Imbolc resonates with the Child energy. There are moments during this season where we may straddle both worlds- There can be a bit of struggle between the old and the new- the darkness and the light- or between fear and hope. We may know what we want but fear to step forward. Or, we take one step forward and two steps back. This is part of our birthing process, like contractions- where we are slowly exiting one reality and preparing for another.

This energy may cause us to go back and forth with decisions, as we may fear taking risks or need to pause and reflect before making plans. This is all well and good, because we are meant to be gentle with ourselves and protect this nascent new life we carry and wish to grow into the new year with.

There is no need to rush into anything, and it is healthy to conserve our energy in the winter. However, we are invited to make a shift to our comfort zone now and open to new avenues, even just within our own mind and heart. A new perspective is the first step forward.

The Astrology of Imbolc, Creativity & The Inner Child

Inspiration from the Liminal Spirits Oracle

Since astrology is a big part of my path, I feel it important to discuss the significance of the Aquarius-Leo axis, which is the axis of creativity activated around Imbolc.

Traditionally, Imbolc is celebrated when the Sun is at 15 degrees Aquarius, as this is the exact midpoint between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. (However, I personally feel you can celebrate it anytime you start to feel the energy of it).

Aquarius is an interesting sign, because it it both ruled by conservative, structured Saturn and rebellious, free-spirited Uranus. Like those labour contractions I mentioned before, the push and pull of these two parts of us may be a point of stress this season. It may bring into question what traditions we follow or boxes we’re stuck in that may be holding us back. We may discover a new perspective which prompts us to re-invent, eschew or let go of certain traditions, change the shape of our box or completely free ourself from one altogether! The key energy of this time is change in perspective.

Every sign carries an opposite- and they both have much in common because they are opposite sides of the same coin. When it is Aquarius season, inevitably the energy of Leo gets brought into the mix as a balancer. At the full moon this balance is highlighted.

The Aquarius-Leo axis is about creativity. It also has a resonance with the Inner Child, which is reflected in the Imbolc traditions involving children.

Aquarius is the element of air- the open, curious childlike mind. It is about seeing things from a fresh perspective and asking ‘why?’. Aquarius helps us question the status quo and invent new ways of doing things.

Leo is the element of fire- the playful, childlike heart. It is about self-expression and showing the world our talents. Leo helps us stay true to ourselves and live with passion.

Both signs are also brave, independent, and despise being told what to do! They thrive on the creative impulse, which often doesn’t fit well into boxes. Aquarius follows this impulse on the hedges, edges and outskirts of the mainstream- in order to gain a creative perspective. Leo follows this impulse from within, on centre stage, in order to radiate the creative energy outward.

Both energies exist in all of us, and one cannot exist without the other. They both come into focus this time of year, showing up in the Leo full moon, which happens very close to Imbolc this year, on Feb 5th.

What does this mean?

It means this is a great time for exploring new ideas, to question the status quo, to see our life from a fresh perspective. We can let go of any rigid conditioning and embrace the part of us that is innocent and open to change. We can discover ways of living by our ideals and hopes for the future, while also honoring our creative impulses. We can give ourselves permission to follow the light of inspiration and magic in our hearts.

If this is very challenging for us, it is a wonderful time to do our own inner child healing- with a therapist, through an art form, or spending time with children.

Experiment, try something new, play and create, make new art, or new pathways for your energy to manifest itself in the world.

Brigid from the Mystic Sisters Oracle

The bright radiance of Brigid lies within us. The young ones singing and dancing in Her honor, the warm flame lit in the hearth, they live within us too!

The beautiful energy of Imbolc is about re-igniting our inner flame- the passion and creativity within us, the childlike enthusiasm, the wonder and inspiration that prompts us to wish upon stars, believe in faeries and talk to trees.

All of this can be re-awakened now, to nourish and feed our inner flame.

Ways we can tend to our inner flame at Imbolc:

  • Do something you find fun! Go out with friends, dance, knit, paint, go bowling, play with your cats- whatever it is, let it be something that makes you laugh, or at least smile!
  • Take some time to really connect with your heart. What expands your love  and inner light? How can you manifest  and share more of that in your life, even in small ways?
  • Tune into your womb space or creative centre in the pelvic bowl. What desires are stirring within? Write them down.
  • Clear a pathway for your desires to manifest. Re-arrange your schedule, change your habits, cleanse your space, your body and mind of toxic energy that is holding you back.
  • Envision your desire manifested. See it in detail. Are there are small steps you can take now towards it?
  • Connect with the goddess Brigid- Learn about Her and the traditions She is rooted in and make a Brigid’s Cross.
  • Reflect on your spiritual faith and practice. Does it energise and inspire you? Make changes, commit or re-dedicate yourself to your path.
  • Care for your home and tend to your sense of being at home within yourself. You can read my blog about this topic from Imbolc last year here.
Imbolc altar from 2019

What do you feel called to do at Imbolc this year? How are you tending your sacred flame of inspiration, creativity and spirit for the year ahead?

If you’d like to celebrate this magickal season, you’re invited to join my online Imbolc Circle on Fri Feb 3rd @7pm EST! You can learn all the info and register here.

May your inner flame burn bright and your wishes come to pass.

In light and warmth,

Serena

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As a Witch who makes her home and practice in Tkaronto (Toronto) Ontario, I deeply thank the original stewards of this land: The Mississaugas of the Credit, Mississaugas of Scugog, Alderville, Hiawatha & Curve Lake; The Chippewas of Beausoleil, Rama & Georgina island, the Haudenosaunee and Wendat nations. I acknowledge the resilience of the First Nation, Inuit and Metis people who live and work here in the present, in a system of inequity and oppression. I am working on uncolonising my own practice, amplifying Indigenous voices and supporting Indigenous communities in whatever way I can.

A Winter Solstice Reading for You!

Happy Winter Solstice!

I thought I’d share with you this beautiful deck I got last year called ‘Wisdom of the Cailleach Oracle’ by Jane Brideson. The Cailleach, also known as An Cailleach, An Cailleach Beara or Beira, is the Irish and Scottish Hag of Winter and Old Woman who shapes the land. She is responsible for storms and nasty weather, making mountains and preventing thaw. Her name means ‘veiled one’. She is associated with the cold, barren months of the year, while the goddess Brigid or Brìghde, is associated with the fertile, warm months.

Cailleach’s energy is strong this time of year, so let’s take heed of her wisdom.

This deck beautifully illustrates facets of the wise old Cailleach and I hope it inspires you as much as it inspires me!

Below is a Solstice Star of 5 cards. Choose one card as your message of inspiration for this season…

You may wish to take a moment to ground and centre yourself first, and ask “What do I need to embrace this season?” or ask a question. Then Choose.

Once you’ve chosen a card, remember its number and then see below for the description! Descriptions in italic are from the author, Jane Brideson, followed by words and reflection questions by me.

Below are the descriptions of each card…

  1. Shapes the Land
Wisdom of the Cailleach Oracle by Jane Brideson

“I am

the force of nature

raw, raging, unrestrained.

I am clarity, daring and grace,

bleak truth that sweeps away pretence.

Dissolving convention.

I leave you naked in your skin.

I am

first snowfall of the waning year,

white strands amongst the grey,

stark, slumbering nature.

Your surrender to winter and wisdom’s embrace.”

Feel the raw potentiality of this moment. The creative spirit never ends, it simply transforms. We all carry the power of the Cailleach, the ability to create and transform ourselves and the world around us. What primal urges within you are awakening? In what ways do you shape and impact the world around you? Open to new ways of using your creative energy- destroy the old and outworn, create new shapes of beauty in the world. If your creativity seems dormant, it may simply be in a stage of incubating new works. Trust the process. Your creative spirit is in motion.

2. The Veiled One:

Wisdom of the Cailleach Oracle by Jane Brideson

“I am

ancient mountains,

velvet valleys,

black blanket of fertile sod.

My wrinkled hands,

smoothed sediments,

heaped cairns,

hollowed out the hills.

Once my kiss made kings.

Later, aged face reviled,

body deemed intolerable,

I was hidden beneath the veil,

a mystery to unfold in time.

Now I stand before you.

Ancient, ageless.

Your truth,

Your fear,

Your shadow,

Your final liberation

As you lift the veil.”

Deep power lies within the shadows, waiting to be recognised and brought into the light. Where there is pain there is power. What experiences have left you with pain waiting to be fully healed? What wisdom from the experience is ready to be fully uncovered? What parts of yourself have been relegated to the shadows that now wish to be seen? Begin the process of retrieving the gifts and power you lost in the past and integrate the dark beauty of your shadow. It is no longer time to hide or gloss over it, it is time to face the truth and empower yourself. You are ready to up-level yourself spiritually and claim your wholeness.

3. Ancestors:

Wisdom of the Cailleach Oracle by Jane Brideson

Origins-Forgiveness-The Past

  • Your roots, your ancestors, your heritage.
  • Lessons learned, time to move on.
  • Understanding and forgiving your former self.
  • Time to leave behind your past, old patterns & beliefs.

You do not exist in a vacuum. You are part of a long line, a tree with roots deep upon this planet. Our ancestors made it possible for us to be here. They also might have left us some work to do. Do you acknowledge the ancestors, the gifts and wounds of your lineage? Sometimes we may carry things with us that may not be fully ours to carry. What can you release and let go of? What gifts do you carry that may have been passed down to you? How can you share those gifts with others and be a good ancestor for the coming generations? Your ancestors are cheering you on.

4. Sun:

Wisdom of the Cailleach Oracle by Jane Brideson

Joy-Energy-Prosperity

  • Happiness, warmth and good health
  • Good luck, success, a positive outcome
  • A time to enjoy sunlit days, a holiday.
  • Time for pleasure, fun and play.

The Winter Solstice celebrates the rebirth of the light. What lights you up inside? If things have been feeling heavy, dark or burdensome, this is a promise of your load lightening soon. Can you make a bit more time to play, take a vacation or treat yourself? Be optimistic, as there will be a cause for celebration and pleasure in the near future! Connect with the activities and people that make you laugh, that lighten your outlook and encourage fun! Invite the light in. Then shine it out for others to bask in!

5. Tribe:

Wisdom of the Cailleach Oracle by Jane Brideson

Community- Celebration-Support

  • Family, chosen family or community.
  • The mutual support, comfort and help of friends.
  • Undertaking responsibility and assisting others.
  • Time to celebrate and share with others.

The past couple of years have been an invitation to re-assess our communities, family and friends and how they align with our own values. We may have left a community behind, felt alone or like an outsider much of the time. We may have had to take some time by ourselves to understand who we truly are. The time has come now to gently open to and co-create supportive, nourishing community for yourself. Is there a hobby group, club or event you’d like to attend? Check it out! Which of your friends or loved ones have stuck with you through the tough times? Nourish that relationship. Be discerning, but be open to attracting others of like-mind, like-heart and like-soul.

I hope you continue to receive the inspiration, healing and grounding you need this season. May the Crone/Elder/Hag of Winter bless and protect you this Solstice and through the season.

If you are looking for a more detailed, personal reading, I am now booking Tarot Readings for January 2023! I would love to connect with you.

xo

Serena

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As a Witch who makes her home and practice in Tkaronto (Toronto) Ontario, I deeply thank the original stewards of this land: The Mississaugas of the Credit, Mississaugas of Scugog, Alderville, Hiawatha & Curve Lake; The Chippewas of Beausoleil, Rama & Georgina island, the Haudenosaunee and Wendat nations. I acknowledge the resilience of the First Nation, Inuit and Metis people who live and work here in the present, in a system of inequity and oppression. I am working on uncolonising my own practice, amplifying Indigenous voices and supporting Indigenous communities in whatever way I can.

Giving Ourselves Permission to Rest, Let Go & Dream

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to give ourselves permission. Permission to rest. To do the bare minimum. To keep it simple. To not be at our best all the time. To care for ourselves first.

We have arrived at the most stressful time of year. Constant pressure to spend money, socialise, be productive, cope with family dynamics along with increasing darkness and cold- these create the perfect recipe for burnout.

Often, we just kind of push through it and forget it happened by January. Sometimes our body forces us to hit the pause button. But what would happen if this year we did something different?

What would happen if we slowed down enough to feel our deepest feelings and desires?      

What would happen if we put our self-care ahead of our holiday shopping?

What if instead of resentfully going through the motions this year, we set boundaries that felt good for us?

We won’t likely get the permission we need from outside of us, so we need to give it to ourselves.

The Universe Wants Us to Slow Down

If you are like me and have a hard time giving yourself permission to do less, then take it from the authority of the Cosmos and the Planets- they want us all to slow down right now, too.

Currently, Mars- the planet of our energy drive and passion- is retrograde and has been since Oct 30th. Since then, you may have noticed your energy has shifted- you may have lost motivation for something you were full steam ahead on. You may feel more tired, frustrated or just lacking in momentum or drive. Things have slowed down, or obstacles have come up for you to deal with.

Traditionally, Mars retrograde is not a good time to initiate anything new or make strides forward in our lives, because our will may not be in alignment with our deepest desires. It asks instead that we turn our awareness inwards to better understand our true motivations and uncover what we really want.  Mars also rules the body and sexuality. What is our body truly needing right now? Where does our energy naturally want to go when left to its own devices? Are their energy leaks? Is energy pent up or stifled somehow? Are there more satisfying ways in which we can channel our energy? This reflection process continues into mid-January.

Mars Retrograde is overlapped by Mercury Retrograde from Dec 28th – Jan 18th. This is another invitation from the universe to slow down and reflect. Mercury is the planet of communication, ideas and planning. During this time, it is best to be flexible and set nothing in stone. We often need to process memories from the past that come up for review. New information can come to light during this time that changes our plans and goals. While it encourages reflection and slows down progress on goals, doing things that begin with ‘re’ are favoured- such as renew, revise, reflect, research or redo. It is not ideal to sign any contracts or making permanent commitments, as we are likely to change our minds later- and remember, others are re-thinking things too, which adds to the mix.

With all of this happening, we may as well surrender to the process of inner awareness and renewal. As annoying as they can be, retrogrades are very helpful and have our best interest at heart. They ensure we are in alignment with ourselves. They prevent us from going full steam ahead in the wrong direction. They want us to make decisions based on our most authentic self and full awareness of the situation. We will not go forward blindly once we come out of this cave. We will be assured of ourselves and better equipped.

So, take heart, and remember the internal work is the most valuable work we can do. It is what stays with us on our deathbeds. Our outer accomplishments mean nothing if they aren’t rooted in our authenticity.

The Darkness Beckons

Wisdom of the Cailleach Oracle by Jane Brideson

It is completely natural to fear the darkness. We are hardwired to survive, and darkness puts us on edge. We can’t see what surrounds us, what’s ahead of us, we are ultimately afraid of what we don’t know and cannot see. Darkness means nighttime, and nighttime means cold, predators and vulnerability.

It is also natural to feel at home and at peace in the darkness. We begin our very lives in the darkness of the womb. The comfy, warm darkness in which we have everything we need. We like to go to sleep in the darkness, temporarily letting go of our mortal coil to dream and process all we’ve experienced in the day.

The darkness goes hand in hand with vulnerability and surrender to something greater than ourselves. This surrender is actually necessary to our body and psyche. We are hardwired to rest, recuperate and dream in the dark.

The darkness is a womb of potential and possibility, like the night sky shimmering with stars off in the distance.

What dreams, visions or new pathways can we make space for now?

What would happen if we embraced the darkness as a blanket of quiet comfort and potential?

Darkness offers us the opportunity to process our life experiences, and to dream- both consciously while we’re awake, as well as when we sleep.

Taking Our Dreams Seriously

Wisdom of the Cailleach Oracle by Jane Brideson

Our society as a whole has trouble sleeping, which isn’t a surprise. We’ve moved away from nature’s cycles in favor of keeping lightness and productivity constant. Embracing the darkness is something outside of dominant culture, yet something deeply important to our survival.

Dreaming allows us to process all the emotions and undercurrents of our day, gifting us with deep self-awareness if we remember them. It is important to write down our dreams or tell them to someone in order to decipher their symbols.

Dreams are taken very seriously in many cultures. They are a reflection of our subconscious as well as a channel of communication from our Spirit. To be honest, most of my life’s biggest decisions were made based on dreams I’ve had. I know that sounds kind of impractical, but I put a lot of stock in my dreams and they have never let me down yet. Whenever I’ve been in a time of transition, on a wrong path, indecisive about something- my dreams come to the rescue by giving me big clarity and putting me back on path.

My only regret is when I didn’t listen to them. I eventually learned the lessons I needed to, but they came at a price- a ton of wasted time and energy going down the wrong path. So, I’ve learned to value my sleep and dreaming time, to write down as many dreams as I can remember, as soon as possible after having them. I have enjoyed working with dream books that give exercises on how to go more deeply into the dream and decipher its messages. I have also worked on some of them with my therapist over the years. I avoid dream symbol books and websites because dreams are so much more complex and personal than those general interpretations.

What are ways we can maximise our sleeping and dreaming potential?

  • We can spend less time on our phones, especially at bedtime. Try a dim light, or even candlelight in your bedroom before bed. Take some time to meditate, journal your feelings, read a book, or simply reflect on your day before going to sleep.
  • Some recommend drinking water before bed so that your bladder wakes you up in the night, helping you to catch a dream.
  • Placing a few drop of lavender oil on a Kleenex beside the bed can be helpful for relaxation.
  • You can also create a dream pillow by filling a pouch with herbs such as chamomile, mugwort, lavender or sweet gale.
  • Drink a relaxing tea before bed, such as chamomile, lavender, mugwort or sweet gale. One of my favourite bedtime teas is ‘Lucid Dream Tea’ by Algonquin Tea company, made with sweet gale.

For those who can’t sleep or remember their dreams for a variety of reasons, you can give your psyche more processing time, by placing more importance on ‘being’ rather than ‘doing’. This can be challenging at times, but so helpful in raising our self-awareness and regulating our nervous systems. Sometimes I just like to putter mindlessly around the house or take a nice long stare out the window to allow for internal processing.

I try to take inspiration from my cats who relax, sleep or daydream at least 15 hours of the day. Cats are masters of the art of doing nothing!

Elder Wisdom

Wisdom of the Cailleach Oracle by Jane Brideson

Winter holds Wise Elder energy.

In the life-death-rebirth cycle of the seasons, we celebrate the trailblazing energy of youth in spring, the manifesting energy of adulthood in summer, the harvesting energy of midlife in fall and the wisdom of elderhood and death in Winter. The Elder energies are present in many mythological characters and deities globally, as well as in our ancestors.

I connect with the Elder in several forms, such as the Crone Goddess and specifically the Goddess Cerridwen. Working with a Crone Goddess or deities that carry wise elder energy, ancestors, or a living elder can support us with their wisdom and integrity.

The Elder is about wisdom gleaned from experience. Community and family elders are the ones who give the wise, sage advice to the young. There are some things that can only be learned through experience, and when passed on by elders, they help strengthen the younger generations.

Nowadays, it can be hard to decipher true wisdom from fake wisdom. One basically just needs to know how to make a pretty website and be social media savvy to position themselves as an ‘expert’ on anything they wish! This favors younger folks, of course and makes it easy for people to be fooled by appearances.

Unfortunately, too many older people who have decades of knowledge and experience in their field who don’t possess the same level of tech-savvy-ness can fall off the map. Meanwhile, the younger folks who haven’t even studied in the field, have minimal knowledge or experience on a subject take the recognition, clients and opportunities that they do not really deserve. I’ve seen this in the Astrology and Tarot world too frequently. Plagiarism, lack of knowledge and misinformation abound.

It is also true that being in one’s elder years doesn’t automatically endow wisdom or authority. There are plenty of younger folks who’ve done the work, who carry knowledge and integrity, and older folks who behave childishly, selfishly or get stuck in their ways. The dark side of elderhood is resistance to change.

On a symbolic level, I choose to see the archetypal Elder energy as free from toxic human behaviour, but still relatable, like a loving, wise grandmother or grandfather. We all have our unique relationship to this aspect of ourselves, to the elders in our lives, and this is something to reflect on.

Embracing the power of quiet, slow and simple

Tis the season for slowing down and simplifying. Here are some questions you can journal with or reflect on:

Where can you give yourself some permission to move slower or more mindfully this season?

Are there extra demands on your energy that you could shift or let go of? How can you simplify?

What brings you comfort? Can you give yourself permission to comfort yourself in whatever way you need without guilt?

How can you better prioritise rest and dreaming in your life at this time? Can you give yourself permission to take a nap or go to bed earlier?

If you have trouble giving yourself permission- take it from the Elders, the Ancestors, the Crone, the Spirit of Winter and the Cosmos:

You have permission. You have permission to rest, slow down and do less. You may simply be. You are enough.

May your Solstice/Yule/Holiday be restful, supportive and soulful,

xo

Serena

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As a Witch who makes her home and practice in Tkaronto (Toronto) Ontario, I deeply thank the original stewards of this land: The Mississaugas of the Credit, Mississaugas of Scugog, Alderville, Hiawatha & Curve Lake; The Chippewas of Beausoleil, Rama & Georgina island, the Haudenosaunee and Wendat nations. I acknowledge the resilience of the First Nation, Inuit and Metis people who live and work here in the present, in a system of inequity and oppression. I am working on uncolonising my own practice, amplifying Indigenous voices and supporting Indigenous communities in whatever way I can.

The Cauldron- Sacred Symbol & Tool of the Witch

What comes to mind when you see a cauldron? Witches casting spells, a bubbling potion, or perhaps a hearty stew cooking over a fire? The cauldron is historically both a very mundane and mystical object that continues to be a powerful symbol of many things. It is one of my favourite tools as a Witch and a representation of my practice and path.

In celebration of The Cauldron Goddess’ birthday month (we are one year old!), I thought I’d share a bit about my own reflections and experiences with the cauldron- as a symbol and sacred tool of the Witch.

The Hearth & Cooking

At its most mundane, the cauldron is a cooking pot. A staple of our ancestors far and wide, this portable and durable vessel has served humanity for generations, providing nourishment, and sustaining life.

The pot cooking over the fire conjures deep memories of comfort, warmth, family, and home. It is for this reason that the cauldron is a strong symbol of the hearth. For nomadic peoples, I imagine the cauldron felt like an anchor of home while on the move. For those rooted to place, the cauldron held a central position to the home and served as faithful provider of nourishment and comfort.

The cauldron is the container where raw, unintegrated ingredients come together to create something delicious and sustaining for our work and growth. Cooking may seem very mundane yet cooking always involves a transformation of energy and materials. There is creative energy and magick weaved into the process.

Cooking has historically been deemed ‘women’s work’ because of its nurturing and domestic properties. Patriarchy has devalued these qualities and therefore the healing or magickal aspects of cooking are less valued than its artistic or competitive forms. There are currently so many competitive cooking shows taking centre stage, that it almost seems that for this ‘woman’s work’ to be valued, it must fit into the capitalistic/patriarchal paradigm, along with other art forms that have become more about competition than soul-nourishment and love.

There’s nothing wrong with refining one’s skills, of course. But, I suppose I think of cooking as something soulful, as our original magick, the mother of all rituals and witchcraft. It is where one thing becomes another and serves to heal and nourish us. We can add intentions, prayers, healing herbs and energy medicine into our culinary creations. There is power in the cauldron. It is here where we can connect the cauldron to the Witch.

The Witch

The Witch is the one who nourishes and sustains life, who heals and transforms, who makes magick and serves their family and community.

Healing and Witchcraft are deeply intertwined. Through history, the village Wise Woman was the healer and midwife everyone would call on when ill or in labor. With the influence of patriarchy, colonization and modern medicine, folks who followed the old ways, the Wise Woman ways were punished, ostracized or even killed. They twisted the healing, life sustaining Wise Woman into something evil, a repulsive and fearful death-bringer or spirit of chaos- a ‘Witch’ in the negative sense of the word. Yet the Witch is and always was simply a Healer. The word Witch is connected to ‘wit’ and wisdom, implying that witches were also sacred knowledge keepers.

Women’s power as healers and community leaders has been diminished over centuries and we are still in the process of reclaiming this power within ourselves. For me, using the cauldron is one way that I reclaim my power as Witch and Healer.

The cauldron remains a powerful symbol of healing and witchcraft to the modern psyche. Since we don’t use cauldrons much anymore, it also represents something ancient and mysterious from the past. We associate it with spells, potions, witches and some other mysterious things related to the sacred feminine…

The Womb & Creativity

The cauldron can be seen as representing the Mother energy. It contains, nourishes, sustains, and protects the creation within it. The pagan chant ‘one thing becomes another, in the mother, in the mother’ is one of my favourites to chant over my cauldron as I make a brew or do a spell. The cauldron is resonant with the womb, as a vessel of nourishment and protection of new life.

Within our womb space, in our pelvic bowl lies the energy of creation. Our sensual, sexual energy and our creative ‘flow’ stem from here, whether or not we have a physical womb. Those of us with wombs can also physically carry life here.

The pelvic bowl is very much like our own physical cauldron which holds our creative power.

An Embodied Cauldron Practice

In the Irish bardic poem, ‘The Cauldron of Poesy’, three internal cauldrons found within the body are referenced. The Cauldron of Warming, the Cauldron of Motion, and the Cauldron of Wisdom. I created my own personal grounding practice with these 3 cauldrons, even before I had heard of this poem, so I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered it.

The Cauldron of Warming sits within our pelvic bowl, where our creative ‘fuel’ resides. I like to think of this cauldron sitting within my pelvic bowl with its 3 legs energetically reaching to the earth like roots from my sitz bones and coccyx. I meditate on this cauldron, imagining its contents as fluid creative energies within me. I notice if they are stagnant, clouded, toxic or flowing, vibrant and well. I feel my connection the Earth Mother and imagine that healing energy flowing through my cauldron. I chant ‘oooohhh’ here, while connecting to the energies of the land. Chanting helps to transmute any negative energies.

The Cauldron of Motion sits in the heart centre. Here, we experience what ‘moves’ us, such as art, poetry, music, love, relationships, sorrow, and grief. I imagine this cauldron’s legs energetically connected to the cauldron below it, and its contents fluid again. Ideally, the energies flow clearly and vibrate with love. Chanting helps to transmute the energy. I chant ‘eeeeee’ here while connecting to the energies of water and sea. The combination of ‘ooohhh’, ‘eeee’ and ‘oooo’ sounds are one way to connect with the Awen- the Divine inspiration that flows through all life.

The Cauldron of Wisdom sits within or atop the head, and I imagine it open, facing upward to the skies above as a direct link to Spirit and the Awen- the divine inspiration that flows through all life. I imagine it receiving inspiration from above and its contents are the energy of flowing light. I imagine my thoughts cleared and stagnant energy released. Through this meditation I become a channel for the Awen, for divine inspiration, for the healing energy of the goddess Cerridwen- my matron goddess to come through. I chant ‘oooo’ here to transmute the energies.

Doing this practice helps me to become a channel for creative energies on the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels.

Cerridwen- The Cauldron Goddess Herself

Cerridwen is one of the main goddesses I work with, and she is the classic Witch from Welsh myth. I share her story and some of my thoughts on it here. Cerridwen is famous for her cauldron in which she brews a potion of Awen- divine inspiration and knowledge for her ugly son, Afagddu, for whom she wants a better life. The potion takes a year and a day to complete. After all this hard work it accidentally ends up going to a servant boy, Gwion, who through a process of initiation and transformation becomes the most inspirational of bards, Taliesin.

Cerridwen’s cauldron is important because her role is that of Wise Woman, Witch, Healer and Mother. Her cauldron is like an extension of herself.

When her potion went to the wrong boy, Cerridwen was quite angry her spell went awry. The cauldron cracked and broke, turning the potion to poison. Its breaking could symbolise Cerridwen’s emotions, or a forced breaking of her old self and initiation to a new level of spiritual growth. It could represent the laws of magick being broken, or the appearance of fate taking over.

Cerridwen is also an initiatrix of change and transformation. Not only does she push Gwyion to become more than he ever thought he could be, but she too, is transformed in the process.

There is much symbolism in Cerridwen’s story- about power, fate, the wise use of magick and the emotional intensity of motherhood. The cauldron can represent any of this as well.

Transformation & Rebirth

I think of the cauldron as symbolic of the transformational events in our lives. Those challenging times where we must change or be changed. Those times where we must surrender to a power greater than us to carry us forward. When we must let go of who we are to become who we are meant to be. The cauldron is like a crucible- an agent of change, transformation and rebirth. What goes in comes out as something new.

Can you think of a time in your life where you underwent deep internal changes that left you feeling like you died and were reborn? That’s a cauldron experience. I think these can also be felt as smaller and less dramatic as well, like when we are pushed out of our comfort zone and make changes to adapt.

I feel like I am undergoing some kind cauldron experience most of the time, in at least one area of my life. Some cauldron experiences are slow boiling and take time, like Cerridwen’s brew, for a year or several. Others are more fast-acting and short term.

Some cauldron life experience examples are: Undergoing an intense course or learning program where you learn new skills and change as a person; Becoming a mother or a parent; Losing a loved one and your sense of self being changed from the loss; Divorce or separation; Becoming ill; Healing from illness; Being in a relationship that tests you; Moving to a new place; Changing Careers, etc.

One thing about the cauldron is that what goes in comes out differently, in a new form. Our transformational experiences remake us anew. We are not meant to stagnate or stay the same forever.

The cauldron is the mother that pushes us to grow and become who we have the potential to be. She is also that safe container who enables us to be vulnerable while the change is happening.

I explore the relationship between the cauldron and holding safe space for healing & transformation in this post.

How to use the Cauldron as a Witch’s tool

The cauldron may not be used in everyday cooking anymore, but we can use it as a magickal tool to enhance our own personal healing and transformation. Cauldrons come in every size, from large dinner-size cauldrons to tiny purse-size cauldrons. I love them all. Here are a few ways I like to use them:

Smoke cleansing: The cauldron makes an excellent holder for herbs and resins. You can place a piece of charcoal within it and burns your smoke cleansing herbs on it or, you can place the herbs directly into the cauldron and light them. The smaller cauldrons are great for this.

Grounding practice: The cauldron is usually made of iron and therefore an excellent grounding tool. You can use it like I do in the above grounding ritual or make up your own!

Burning spells: The cauldron is a safe container to burn pieces of paper with words written on it or other objects that are part of your spells.

Scrying: The black cauldron is a perfect backdrop for scrying. Fill the cauldron with water and take your time to ground and centre before gazing into the cauldron to see visions. This works best with a medium to large cauldron.

Potions & Cooking: Use a larger cauldron to hold your potions or healing soups, the old-fashioned way. I purchased a couple of beautiful large cauldrons from Bristow Iron Works, including the stand and hooks for this purpose.

An altar in itself: The cauldron can make a wonderful keeper of sacred energy. A large cauldron can be filled with crystals, herbs, beautiful images, and objects to anchor the sacred into your space. A small cauldron makes a great travel altar- fill it with herbs and crystals to uplift your energy while away.

Salt Bowl or Centrepiece: I have used a cauldron as a salt bowl and centrepiece for my dining room table. I filled it with salt to absorb negative energies, and with herbs and crystals to help bring harmony to my dinner table.

Symbol: You can use the cauldron as a symbol on your altar, your desk or bedside table for anything we discussed in this blog- symbol of your inner Witch or Wise Woman, the womb, the sacred feminine or Mother energy, transformation & rebirth, etc. Keep it as a reminder of your magick!

Dining Table Centrepiece Cauldron

If you are interested in the symbolism of the cauldron and its connections to myths, I highly recommend the book The Witch’s Cauldron, by Laura Tempest Zakroff.

What does the cauldron symbolise for you? Do you use one in your practice?

May the cauldron bring you the warmth and soul-nourishment you need in these transformational times.

xo

Serena

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As a Witch who makes her home and practice in Tkaronto (Toronto) Ontario, I deeply thank the original stewards of this land: The Mississaugas of the Credit, Mississaugas of Scugog, Alderville, Hiawatha & Curve Lake; The Chippewas of Beausoleil, Rama & Georgina island, the Haudenosaunee and Wendat nations. I acknowledge the resilience of the First Nation, Inuit and Metis people who live and work here in the present, in a system of inequity and oppression. I am working on uncolonising my own practice, amplifying Indigenous voices and supporting Indigenous communities in whatever way I can.

Healing Our Lineage, Healing Ourselves

It took a lot for us to be here. Our existence is due to the choices and sacrifices of those who came before us. Those who birthed us, nurtured us, taught us- however imperfectly- are the reason we are here.

Ancestry and lineage healing are hot topics these days, often frought with mixed feelings. Ancestors are often idealised or demonised. Family is complicated. We may have adopted family, step-family, blood family or soul family. Ways that our roots entangle with others can take many shapes and forms. They can be sources of comfort, love, deep pain or longing.

Something that we can probably agree on, is that tending our roots is deep inner work and part of feeling nourished and secure on this planet. It is also a major part of being a good ancestor for the generations to come. Whether or not you have biological children, we are all future ancestors of this planet. By living here, we make a mark.   

Making a connection with our Ancestors

Card from Wisdom of the Cailleach Oracle by Jane Brideson

Beliefs about our ancestors and the dead vary in different cultures and belief systems. Many believe that our ancestors watch over us, guide us and have hopes and wishes for us in our lifetime.  Ancestor reverence is common in many cultures, often including an altar with photos, candles and offerings to show respect. Some believe in reincarnation, some don’t. Some believe they will be reunited in death with their loved ones. Some believe that this life is all we’ve got and wish to leave the world a better place for future generations.

Since I can’t speak to the experience of being dead (that I can remember, anyway!) I am open to the variety of ways of looking at death, the afterlife and ancestors. I feel like I want to be a good ancestor for my descendants and future generations. I would also love the job of helping others on earth as a spirit guide one day. I have always been comfortable with the idea of reincarnation too, but with the way humanity is going, I am not sure if I want to back again anytime soon.

I have always felt very spiritually connected to my ancestors. I didn’t grow up with spiritual traditions of ancestor reverence, but I always had this feeling that I was being watched over and protected by ‘family’ beyond the veil. Especially when I was outside, I felt like my ancestors were with me, giving me a deep sense of home and belonging. I truly felt that my family extended beyond my living relatives and were very much in the unseen world. I still feel this today.

I also have been lucky to have access to my family tree and history, which is very well documented and recorded, on both sides. Thanks to the thorough recordkeeping of the Catholic Church and many living relatives on my mom’s side who had a lot of babies to keep track of, I have access to family trees, books and albums that go back hundreds of years. Thanks to the internet, the painstaking efforts of genealogists and genealogically-inclined relatives, I’ve found a lot with little effort and connected with family I haven’t met in person and have lots of info on both sides of my family.

Having access to all this information has made me feel that it is my duty in a way, to remember my ancestors, to read their names and wonder about their lives. To imagine their hardships and what the times they lived in demanded of them.

I know not everyone has access to this info. It can be hard to obtain records, especially if you are adopted or are far away from your birthplace. But I feel you don’t really need documented information to connect with your ancestors or to heal your lineage. Essentially, you ARE the record. Your ancestors live and breathe through you. You carry their gifts and wounds as you live your earthly life, walking the path they gave you.

Being a Good Ancestor

My paternal great-grandparents, Charles Oakley & Sarah McGillivray. Sarah was a descendant of Scottish highlanders who came to Glengarry, ON during the highland clearances. She died of the Spanish flu in 1918, a young mother leaving behind her 2 boys, who were then sent to an orphanage.

In doing my own healing and researching my ancestors, I thought I would feel a greater sense of belonging, but it has actually given me more of a sense of responsibility. A responsibility to use the freedom I have that my ancestors didn’t. To live a good life, to enjoy what I have and to let myself be happy. To be a good parent to my daughter and to be a good ancestor for the future. 

For me, ancestral healing is about identifying patterns that were passed down to me- ways of thinking, behaving, wounds and gifts- and create new patterns that are healthier and more life-affirming for my descendants and the next generation.

Some believe that by healing ourselves, we heal not only those who come after us, but those who came before us as well. I like to believe this too.

Whatever healing work you do on yourself– going to therapy, healing and caring for your body, shifting unhealthy inherited patterns of thinking or behaving that your parents modeled- are all ways of healing your lineage. You break the chain and give new freedom to your descendants.

Those of us who are parents often don’t realise we are repeating a pattern until we finally hear ourselves and see the effects we have on our kids. I am mostly proud of myself as a mom for being conscious of my patterns and trying not to repeat them. However, I’m nowhere near perfect and know that my daughter will still have her share of lineage stuff to work through. We all make our own little contribution to the path and hope that it provides more opportunity for those to come.

Healing my Lineage- In my Bones and Blood

Collage of some of my family

My experience living with endometriosis felt like a direct energetic line to my foremothers. I felt that I held all their grief and pain from lost babies, lost dreams and hardship in my own uterus. I can’t prove such a connection, but I feel deep in my bones and blood, that this was true and that I carry a lot of ancestral patterns in my body and energy field. I believe that healing myself is healing my line- before me and after me.

My mother’s lineage holds a strong faith, an ability to be humble and believe in magic and the Divine. We are a lineage of spiritual, hard-working, nurturing mothers and healers. These are gifts passed down to us. But with the gifts, come wounds. Hard-working humility and over-reliance on faith can also become toxic. We can get into a pattern of putting ourselves last, a pattern of feeling guilty or sinful, a pattern of martyrdom that weakens our own creative power and agency. Part of my work is to notice this in myself and shift into new ways.

Learning From the Past, Looking to the Future

Creating new pathways forward

Another part of my lineage healing is to take back my own creative power and co-create with the Divine, rather than being subservient to a religion or church. Being a Witch is a major part of this for me. While I respect the beliefs of my ancestors and family members, I feel my healing work comes from breaking away from that institution and following a path that is authentic and free.

I realised at a young age that I didn’t like the formalities of religion and just wanted to be outside where I could hear the whispers of the spirits of nature. I know many of my ancestors resonated with this, too.

My mother eventually broke the mold and veered off her Catholic path to find her authentic way forward, which made it easier for me to go my own way too. At thirteen, I refused my Confirmation and got into Tarot, astrology, Yoga, energy healing, Paganism and never looked back. Sometimes, I feel as though my ancestors are applauding me for this, (maybe not all of them, but some of them, haha) as I am living out their subconscious desires.  My older ancestors from times before they were Christianised whisper me encouragement in reviving the old ways.

As a Witch, I reclaim the inner Wild Woman, Creatrix and Wise Woman that my foremothers could not- because of the limitations of the times they lived in. I am still a hard-working, nurturing mother, just one who is trying to balance that with self-care, magick and engaging her creative power.

When the voice of guilt and shame comes up, I gently remind her that by taking care of myself and doing what I love, I am healing my lineage. By following my own path and trusting the Divine as it flows through me, I am healing my lineage.

What gifts and wounds does your lineage carry?

Oaks at Llyn Tegid, Wales

We all have baggage and skeletons in our family closets. We all have victims and perpetrators in our families. We all have those archetypes within us as well. Idealising and demonising doesn’t really do us any good. It is important to remember that no matter who our ancestors were, or who we are, they were human, we are human, and we decide what aspects of ourselves we nurture and which we discontinue.

If you wish, take a moment to reflect on your own family:

What natural gifts or strengths do your parents or grandparents possess?

How are you like them? How are you different?

Do you know the stories of your ancestors?

If you believe your ancestors are watching over you now, what do you think they would say about you? What would they wish for you in this life?

What wounds or challenges run through your family? What did you inherit?

Are you consciously or unconsciously trying to heal this wound?

How are you changing the patterns passed down to you to make a better world for the next generation?

As we enter the time of Samhain, the veil between the worlds is thin, and we can connect more easily to those on the other side. It is a ripe time for ancestral connection and lineage healing. I’d like to invite you to join me for our upcoming Online Samhain Circle on Friday Nov 4th, 2022! We will do a guided meditation journey to connect with our ancestors, discover more about our inherited wounds, gifts and how to get the healing process going. First timers are free! Hope to see you there.

Xo

Serena

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As a Witch who makes her home and practice in Tkaronto (Toronto) Ontario, I deeply thank the original stewards of this land: The Mississaugas of the Credit, Mississaugas of Scugog, Alderville, Hiawatha & Curve Lake; The Chippewas of Beausoleil, Rama & Georgina island, the Haudenosaunee and Wendat nations. I acknowledge the resilience of the First Nation, Inuit and Metis people who live and work here in the present, in a system of inequity and oppression. I am working on uncolonising my own practice, amplifying Indigenous voices and supporting Indigenous communities in whatever way I can.