Category: Uncategorized

What Are You Calling In? The Power of Everyday Magick

Living our Magick is a lifestyle. I place far more importance on daily rituals and habits than one-time spells, because they work and have more long-lasting results.

We often think of certain places and things, like our altar, special candles, statues or incense as ‘sacred’, while other places and things such as our kitchen utensils, brushing our teeth, or our office desk as ‘mundane’. But the truth is they are both one and the same, it just depends on our perspective and the energy we bring to what we do.

I believe our space and the everyday things we do carry much more magickal power than we realize, and it is worth making simple, small changes in our home space and daily rituals to create the bigger changes in our life we wish to see.

2025 was a doozy of a year, and many of us are starting to vision and call in the energy we’d like for 2026. We may be both consciously and unconsciously sending out signals about what we want into the universe. This is an excellent time in the yearly cycle to take stock of what we’re putting out there in the simplest of ways.

Start where you’re at:

A great way to start clearing the pathway forward and preparing for a new direction is to start by just noticing where we are now. It is ok to not know where exactly we are going yet, just a sense of what feels good, aligned and authentic vs what doesn’t is enough! We don’t need to rush ahead.

The coming season of Imbolc is called ‘in the belly’ for a reason. Like the pregnant ewes it refers to, this is a time to gently incubate our emerging self, to prepare and nurture our dreams gently. We can take this time to align ourselves with what is meaningful to us and cleanse what is no longer serving who we feel we are becoming. Spring is when the Earth brings us more energy necessary to make bigger, bolder moves.

So, if you are interested in getting clearer on what you are currently calling in, start close to home. Notice your own thoughts, self-talk, home and work environment. Notice the content you are consuming. Your daily habits and routines. Not with a critical, harsh or judgey gaze, nor through the lens of what you think society wants you to be, but who you feel you really are and what feels good. Be gentle and nurturing to yourself.

Begin calling in more of that energy that makes you feel good, loved, authentic, free, expansive, etc. Gradually shift out of habits that drain your energy, keep you stuck, low, small, or contracted. It doesn’t have to be with a big sweeping change. Keep the goal small, realistic and doable. Something you can repeat easily every day and don’t beat yourself up if sometimes you miss it or you fall back into old habits. Something that keeps you inspired enough and is doable enough to keep it going.  

Small changes in our daily habits and our environment make for the most powerful magick!

The Power of Place- Our Home & Work Space

Our immediate environment affects us emotionally, mentally and physically, which in turn affects how we think, feel and act. It is important to notice the little things we see and interact with during the day, starting with our bedroom, our home and work space. These send out messages to the universe, and so do we! Making these places where we work and rest feel like a safe space and sanctuary for our heart and soul can change our lives deeply and for the better.

Cleanliness of your space:

The first thing in any space to deal with is excess clutter, dust, and dirt. Clutter in our environment has shown to bring stress signals to our nervous system.  

Cleaning isn’t about sterility or having a perfectly orderly space. It’s about finding a comfortable balance that feels good for you.

Removing cluttered old papers and objects that are broken or have no significance for you can open space in your life to be filled with more aligned things.

Giving away old clothing or ritual items that no longer resonate can help you leave an old aspect of yourself in the past and open to the new version of you emerging.

Getting rid of old files or books that you don’t need can free your mind for new information.

Cleaning under your bed, your closets, drawers and cupboards can help you free up emotional space within your being so new nurturing things that support you can come in.

Because we also spend time online, it can be freeing to clear your feeds of content that no longer resonates and find new creators or connections that do.

If you have a dedicated workspace, you can maximize your peace of mind by regularly clearing old things from your desk or office and making it a sanctuary for mind, heart and soul.

Objects:

cauldron embroidery I made

What do you surround yourself with? Does that mug that belonged to your ex you see in your cupboard every morning or that dusty book from college you see on your bookshelf in your office make you feel good or like you can’t shake the past?

You can do a little Marie Kondo audit on your things and check in with how you feel. Keep what uplifts, inspires, or is sentimental in a good way, and let go of what makes you feel stuck, unwell or uninspired.

What types of objects do you really like having around? Maybe its beach rocks, crystals, animal figurines, retro items from a certain decade, or pink lip gloss. How do these objects make you feel? Reflect on what is meaningful to you or what aspect of yourself you wish to nurture and how the objects you keep align with that.

Again, it’s not about achieving some sort of perfection, leaving behind everything from the past or getting too analytical about it. Just follow what feels good for now and know you can adjust later!

Symbols:

We are surrounded by symbols and reflections of our world. Notice the shapes, textures, colors and symbols that surround you in your home. Are there a lot of straight lines, circles, triangles, stars, moons, flowers, etc.? What animals or plants do you surround yourself with? How do these affect your mood and perspective?

I have a lot of moons in my space, which I feel comfortable with, and a few solar symbols for balance. I also have a lot of owls. I’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately by the owls and their associated energies of deep wisdom, seeing the truth, and intense shadow work-I’ve been doing so much of this in 2025, so I’ve removed a few from view and been incorporating more pleasure and lightness with flowers and butterflies- representing the sensuality. beauty, joy, and freedom I’d like to call in for 2026.

If you need more order, logic or organization in your life, you may wish to have more straight lines, geometric shapes, shelves, labels, and keep things in a more practical place for use. You may wish to number code or word code things to appeal to your left brain.

If you need to loosen up a bit, or want to appeal to your right brain, go with more abstract or fluid imagery, color and texture. Let lines be more organic, flowing, imperfect, circular or nature based. Throw blankets, plants, water features, bowls or vases with flowers help.

Colors:

What’s your favorite color these days? Do you use it in your space? Sometimes we get used to a certain color in our environment even if we don’t like it or it doesn’t fit us anymore.

It can be a big deal to repaint an entire room or part of the home, so if you want to try something smaller, just incorporate a new color you are attracted to into your space with pillows, blankets, a chair covering, a piece of art or paint a piece of furniture the new color.

You may also wish to wear the color more or have it in your accessories. You can call in the energy of the color in so many ways. Notice how the colors that surround you make you feel and whether that aligns with what you wish to feel more of in the coming year.

Color exercise: Imagine a rainbow of color in front of you. Imagine walking into body-sized light stream of that color beaming down on you. How does it make you feel?  What color(s) feel the best right now? How can you bring that into your space or habits?

Sounds:

Sound is vibration. One of the most easy and powerful ways to change our vibration is to play music- whether recorded or make our own. Nature sounds such as ocean waves and birdsong are lovely in the wintertime to remind us that life still flows under the surface. Silence can also be a powerful way to hear the sound of our own internal rhythms. Silence can help us hear the sound of our own breathing, which can soothe us.

I try to always choose music that makes me feel good- whether that is calm, or uplifted, nostalgic or cathartic. Music moves us so powerfully.

Are you in an environment where the sound stresses you out? Is there a way to shift this? Perhaps with noise-cancelling headphones, creating your own music, singing, chanting or just the sound of your breath?

One of my favourite ways to call in a new energy into my life is to make a playlist for it. Currently I am working on a Celtic forest fairy vibe. I like to make playlists of lands I wish to visit or a past life energy I wish to pull upon. What is your heart calling for more of these days?

Smells:

Herbs, plants and flowers not only smell nice, they each carry their own energy medicine and purpose. When we burn herbs, we are doing so in sacred ceremony and honoring the essence of the plant and the healing it brings into our life and the space.

We can do this with dried herbs, essential oils, steam pots and cooking.

Essences of trees can help ground and clear us, as well as herbs like sage, mint or lemon.

Essences of florals can help awaken our sensuality and open the heart, such as rose, ylang-ylang, jasmine.

Essences of fruits and herbs we eat can help with digestion and appetite for life such as orange, basil, lemongrass, licorice.

Essences of Lavender, vetiver, marjoram or chamomile help with sleep and relaxation.

Food smells can affect us as well- especially sweet ones like chocolate, vanilla or berries, awakening our sensuality and desire.

What energies are you calling in with scents? What do you wish to call in?

Thoughts & Actions:

Deer reminds us to be kind and gentle with ourselves

Finally, and possibly most importantly, what are we thinking and doing throughout our day?

Notice how you talk to yourself- do you speak kindly and lovingly to yourself or harshly? Just noticing is a great way to start the shift. When you catch yourself criticizing yourself, gently shift the words to reflect self-acceptance and love. Affirmations can be a great way to train us to speak differently to ourselves.

Actions that are small, but authentic and loving such as texting a friend, expressing our needs, caring for our personal boundaries, giving thanks to a tree, cuddling a pet or loved one, or sharing a helpful message can make a big ripple effect into the universe.

If we fill our day with actions that harm ourselves, the earth or others, obviously, we aren’t going to feel very good, as we are all connected. Perhaps we do something out of habit, such as doom scroll or spend too much time worrying about something we can’t control instead of taking a shower, going for a walk or changing something that is more realistic.

Habits take time to form, and time to change. The only way to do it is to pick one and choose a new way. Over time, gradually, it gets easier and easier. Be patient with yourself. We’re all working on this in our own way.

Take notice of all the small actions you do in a day. From the first thing you do when you wake up, all the way to the end of the day.

What is an area of the day where the actions feel ‘off’ or in conflict with your best interest?

Is there one action or habit that could be shifted one day at a time?

Is there an everyday action, such as waking up, daily hygiene, cooking or eating that could be made more nurturing or enjoyable for you?

The media likes to try and keep us in a constant state of fear, guilt and shame so that we stay small, frozen and easy to manipulate.

I used start my day on my phone. But that became a stressful set up for my mind and whole day. So, upon awakening each morning, rather than reaching for my phone, I take a few moments upon awakening to offer words of love and comfort to myself and my body. I give thanks to the earth with a morning cleanse and oracle card reading. This helps set me up for more balance throughout the day. I also like to write a gratitude list every night before bed. These actions have really helped my mental health.

We can make change by turning our environment into a soul-nourishing sanctuary and our everyday routines into magickal rituals. When we take our power back into our own hands and create what we need in small ways, we can have a big effect on those around us and the world at large.

Big change starts small, and lasting change requires repetition. It takes time to change habits so be kind and patient with yourself. It’s not about being perfect every day. Just the awareness and attempt to create change gets the ball rolling.

May magick flow through you and all the seemingly small things in your day. May these seemingly small changes help your big, beautiful dreams manifest, one day at a time!

May this year bring you all the blessings that you desire, in perfect divine timing, and in beautifully sustainable ways!

Serena

Receive first dibs on events, new products & my FREE ebook by signing up for my newsletter below!

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

When the Cauldron Feels Empty-The Sacred Void

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

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

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

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

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

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

Finding our Way through the Dark

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Creative Droughts and Spaces Between

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Embracing Sacred Pause, Silence and Honing our Intuition

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Emptiness brings the Magic

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

xo

Serena

Receive first dibs on events, new products & my FREE ebook by signing up for my newsletter below!

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

Fall Equinox Wisdom & Gentle Tarot Reading!

It’s been quite a September, with Eclipse Season flowing through our lives! Integration may still take some time, but let’s celebrate that we’ve made it here, and have accomplished and been through so much. Take a moment to pat yourself on the back and give yourself some words of appreciation!

I feel that so much of the fall season is about integration. There is release and shedding of old skins which can bring grief. Some things are meant to leave us now, and some things have come to fruition and are ready to be harvested. We must allow ourselves to slow down and reflect during this season on what we wish to keep with us for the colder months ahead, and what to let go of. We must discern what we cherish most, what nourishes our body, mind and soul as well as what no longer serves our well-being.

Autumn Equinox is also a beautiful balance of dark and light, as we are on the cusp of the more Yin, darker months that serve inner work, reflection, gentleness and quiet. This is a more counter-cultural energy that harmonises with the earth and our bodies and psyches on a deep level, but we have been so conditioned to push ourselves to perform in ways that run against this natural grain.

Be kind to yourself and find ways to balance what is necessary for you to do in the structures of society while also taking care of YOU. Let go of the unnecessary and make space for practices that nourish and support your needs for comfort, rest, dreaming, receptivity and reflection as the darkness increases.

This is a great time to just notice where we may feel out of balance in our lives and take steps change that.

As this is the harvest season, we may find that seeds we planted many moons ago have bloomed and results are forthcoming. What have you been working on this year? Where has your energy gone? What fruitful changes are showing up? What awareness, skill, or accomplishments are beginning to make themselves known? Celebrate your beautiful self, all the challenges that brought you here, stronger, wiser, deeper, more resilient! Allow yourself to receive abundance, be open to the universe pouring its love into your cup. Just hold it out, ready to receive and trust that what you need will come to you.

One thing capitalistic culture does is constantly makes us believe we aren’t worthy of abundance. That our right to it must be earned through struggle, strife and denial of our own needs. However, the universe works on a different principle. Abundance is ever-flowing and often we simply need to notice this and open to receiving it. Recognise how abundance is already flowing through our lives with gratitude for all the little things.

This can take time to really embody, as trauma and social conditioning take their toll on our belief systems. But ultimately, we can receive all that we need, we just need to believe we are worthy of it, one step at a time.

Sometimes our harvest comes in a different form than we thought it would, or it comes in a different timing than we think it should have. Nature is full of surprises. If things haven’t gone how you hoped they would, notice what you have harvested and how this could serve you in the future.  Perhaps your harvest was even more than you thought? Take your time to integrate and decide how you want to use what you’ve harvested and what to let go of.

Tis the season of gratitude! Really, every season is one of gratitude but this time of year we can really soak up the beauty of the earth mother and take stock of all we’ve been through, all the help we received, all we’ve learned and just take some time to savor it all! This is a wonderful time to simply savor and enjoy being alive, reflecting on all the beauty and nourishment that surrounds us.

It’s Libra Season!

Libra is the sign of balance, beauty, and relationships. It’s a wonderful time for creative projects, cultivating relationships and just noticing and expressing beauty in the world.

This is also a wonderful season for shadow work and reflecting on our relationship needs.

Is there someone you haven’t seen in a while you’d like to reconnect with? How can you show some love and appreciation to the people in your life?

If we are experiencing relationship challenges, we can ask- ‘What is this person reflecting back to me about myself?’ Each person that comes into our life has something to teach us or help us integrate a part of ourselves we may not be very comfortable with. What is looking for some attention and integration within yourself right now? Likewise, what we are attracted to in another is often untapped potential within ourselves.

Fall Equinox Reflection Questions:

What is nourishing for you now?

What is serving your health and wellbeing? What isn’t?

Where do you feel out of balance? What changes do you feel will bring you a sense of balance?

What are you harvesting? Take your time to list what you’ve learned and accomplished this year. This includes internal work and shifts that others may not see or notice!

What are you grateful for?

What are your relationships teaching you?

How can you notice or cultivate more beauty in your life?

Ways to celebrate the Equinox:

Ritual for Integrating your light and dark: Light a white candle and a black candle. Take a long piece of yarn or string and weave it in a figure 8 pattern between the candles and say ‘Like the balance of light and dark at the Equinox, I now balance and integrate the light and dark within me. I am whole.’ Take some time to journal and reflect on what you associate with your ‘light’ and your ‘dark’. Reflect on your relationships and how they may reflect this. Invite acceptance and love to the part(s) of you that have been in darkness. Know that all of you is acceptable and beautiful. Light and dark dance together through our lives. Each hold the seed of the other within it.

Hold a potluck gathering of loved ones and/or friends to celebrate in gratitude the abundance of the Earth Mother. Express all that you are grateful for as your share food, stories and laughter!

Press fallen leaves: Go for a walk in the woods and admire the beauty of the changing leaves. Take a few of them home and press them between the pages of some thick heavy books. After a week or two, they may be dry enough to take out and place in your fall décor or altar! You may also do this with flowers you find in your garden or in a park!

Start a daily practice of gratitude journaling. Note even the tiniest things. Notice how much abundance you actually have in your life!

Have a ‘feel good’ day– Give yourself a day of self care, slowness, turning off your phone and just doing what comforts you. Perhaps make a nourishing, comforting meal for yourself or order in some comforting take-out, take note of your accomplishments, name what you feel is beautiful in yourself and your life. Watch a comforting movie, take a bath, wrap up in a cozy blanket, whatever your well-being is asking for!

Try a new recipe & Earth offering: Is there a recipe you’ve been wanting to try? Perhaps something with pumpkin, apples, other seasonal fruits/veggies or warm spices? Or something with herbs you’ve dried over the season? Make something and then give some to the Earth Mother as an offering of thanks for her gifts of abundance during the growing season.

Now let’s see what the Gentle Tarot has in store for us this season. The Gentle Tarot is the deck I use for all my Tarot Readings with clients. It was created by Indigenous artist Mariza Ryce Aparicio-Tovar.

Fall Equinox Tarot Reading:

Take a moment and breathe 3 slow, deep breaths, deep into your belly. Let go of any tension or stress you are holding in this moment. Then connect with your heart and ask ‘what do I need to know right now?’ and then choose a card.

The Gentle Tarot by Mariza Ryce Aparicio-Tovar

Remember that number! Scroll down for its meaning. Words in italics are by the deck’s author.

  1. Wheel of Fortune:

The fates are at work now. You don’t need to push the river, nor should you resist the waves. Go with the flow and trust you are exactly where you need to be, when you need to be. This is an important turning point in your journey! You have been through so much and now have reached a moment of clarity, change, renewal and redirection. There is a beautiful momentum and freedom here, as you surrender to the divine’s plan and timing. Trust your heart and soul as you move towards a new dream, a new path, a new way of being. What lies before you is meant for you, your destiny awaits. Can you feel a tingling of excitement? Or perhaps some trepidation? Know that you have all that it takes to walk this path, you are ready. Simply step forward and know the universe is unfolding its gifts for you. Open to receive its gifts!

Events that seem like accidents are actually part of a larger story. Seen from a wider perspective, you can acknowledge the trail of seeds that life is leaving for you. This is a potent time. You are inside the wheel, it is turning, and the possibilities are monumental.

2. The Tower

Sometimes the universe shakes us to wake us. Have your foundations been rumbling? Has the stability and rhythm of your life or expectations taken an unsettling turn or change? Change can be really hard. Be kind to yourself as things shift. Chaos is a natural part of life, even if unpleasant. You are undergoing a wake up call, to become more present in your life. Notice things maybe you didn’t notice before, to see things in a new way. There is a call here to release outworn habits- ways of thinking and being that are no longer serving you. Something has run its course, and while the fallout can be upsetting, its purpose is to uncover your own hidden strength, light, talent and authenticity. What is crumbling was not supporting you anymore. You are ready to operate on a stronger, more supportive foundation, one that sings to your soul, one that nourishes you from the inside out. Seek the help you need to navigate this change. Trust that the universe has your best interest at heart and soon the dust will settle and you will be on terra firma again. Find the still, peaceful centre within you that holds steady while things shifts around you. Become the calm eye at the centre of the storm.

Amidst the chaos, there is a deep knowing, humility and trust in their facial expression. The figure here is androgenous, all labels and boundaries aside. Burn old ideas and allow the True to emerge. Start fresh. Allow restrictive ideas, unhealthy relationships and toxicity (personally and professionally) to be stripped away. Embrace change and trust the opportunity it brings!

3. Two of Stones

Does it feel like there’s a lot to balance right now in your life? Perhaps its the balance of work and family demands, or personal needs and relationship, or any other two things that make you feel like you can’t seem to get either aspect right or to your satisfaction. Don’t worry, you’re doing great! Just take a pause to evaluate how you could lighten your load a bit. Maybe becoming a bit more flexible and adaptable to the situation? Or delegating something? What would help you feel like the woman in the card here, light on her feet with a smile on her face as she holds these two stones? You might need to come up with a creative way to balance these aspects of life, but you definitely have what it takes!

When life becomes too rigid, bend! When we adapt, we cultivate more freedom to move through obstacles and can visualize possibilities rather than setbacks. When we surrender control, we gain opportunity.

4. Judgement

The Judgement card doesn’t ask that we judge ourselves, but that we accept ourselves fully- our past, our blind spots, the illusions we carried, the behaviors and habits that didn’t/don’t serve us- we are imperfectly perfect, human and whole. We don’t need to be fixed. But we do need to be honest with ourselves at this time. See all of who we have been, who we are now and accept it. Only then can we move on and evolve into who we’re meant to be and make our dreams come true. Like a snake shedding its skin, it may be time to let something old go. An old identity, way of being or doing things. Something has outlived it’s purpose and while it can be uncomfortable to make changes, to let go of an old self, it has come time to do so. Trust that the new skin underneath is ready to touch the earth and relish in new freedom!

It is time to dig deep into those hidden, dusty corners and coax the frightened little one out into the light. Love them. Embrace without judgement whatever shame or guilt has been stored away. The good, healthy experiences, along with the rough, hurtful ones- each experience makes us who we are.

Can you see and feel that strength? How strong the limbs that have carried you through, scars and all! You are beautiful!

5. Three of Wands

This is a wonderful time to gain some perspective and envision your future. What creative seeds have been stirring within? Perhaps you have already sown them and are planning where to go from here. The sun shines and fertile soil is there to support you, as you go about making something manifest in the world. What creative ventures are calling? Or perhaps travel to a new place? The world is your oyster, where do you wish to go from here? Take your time and trust you are in a good place to make your next move. Connect with the Earth Mother, envision your wish and ask the Earth what your next step might be.

This card can also remind us that consciously removing ourselves from a situation to gain a better vantage point can be key in resolving pressing issues. Rise up and see far. When you step back, you can see the bigger picture. Assess your route and don’t shy away from taking care fo yourself first. We can’t help others before helping ourselves.

6. Eight of Cups

You’ve invested in something for quite some time- a relationship, a creative project, a career or work situation or a passion. You’ve given it your heart and soul, and yet, it hasn’t yielded the fulfillment you hoped, or it has become something too harmful for you to stay in, or it has simply lots its luster. Maybe you’re burned out. Sometimes we grow out of things. Sometimes we realize we are worthy of more. It’s ok to let go, no matter how much we’ve put in. Self-preservation is necessary, and change is life. We grow when we let go, and new horizons present themselves once we take that step out. The path behind her is already burned to ask, it is done. There is no more here to nourish her soul. She is taking the very last drop, and moving on to new ventures. Maybe it’s time for you to do the same? Is there something you’re reluctant to leave behind because you’ve invested so much time and energy? Is there simply a change you need to make to revive your energy? Know that it wasn’t a waste. It has helped you get to where you are now. Wiser, stronger, and ready for more. Is there something more, deeper, more fulfilling, nourishing or inspiring call you towards it? Step out and see…

Follow your spirit as it leads you to higher places of self-worth and power! We will never be stripped of our resilience, even if we feel weak and incapable, drink that sip of sacred water and walk.

7. Ten of Wands

You’re overburdened, and it’s time to let go. You don’t need to carry all that, most of it isn’t even yours! Yes, you may be capable, responsible, energetic and strong like superwoman or superman, and perhaps yes, others may seem to need you, but I guarantee they’ll be ok if you drop some of this. You aren’t meant to take on what isn’t yours. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. In fact, let go of ‘should’ altogether. Soften into the remembering that you are enough, and don’t need to prove yourself to anyone or anything. You don’t need to hold the world up on your own, or sacrifice your wellbeing for others or for some ideal you hold. Let others share the load, delegate and drop what isn’t necessary. Your health and well-being are priority. You cannot help others until you have replenished your energy.

You have carried your load with love and now it is time to love yourself. Release that heavy flame, no fear, the same fire has always been inside of you- sparking your footsteps towards inner harmony and freedom!

8. The Star

Everything’s gonna be alright. You are magic. You are made of land, sea and sky, connected to the ancestors, the spirits and the flow of the universe. This card comes as a beacon of hope, renewal and inspiration for you- you are not alone and all is well. Trust that beautiful things are on the horizon for you. Hold faith in your heart and open your hand to the blessings the universe wants to give you now. Your harvest is coming, if it isn’t already here. Trust that the magic you feel is real. Your intuition is strong. You have one foot in this world, and one in the otherworld, in balance and serenity. Open to the inspiration that is trying to find you now- open that book, try that class, meet that person. Or just pause to notice the beauty of the changing leaves, the stars at night, the hum of the land, the waves of water on the shore. You are one with the universe. Feel your belonging. Trust in your bones that you are meant to be here, in this time and place, exactly as you are. Open your hands to the sky and let the unseen realms shower you with its wisdom and love.

Surrounded by starlight, enveloped in love, you are home. Through hard experiences, you deepened your hope and faith, and now you gently work towards healing the broken parts and you find an abundance of love and nourishment. The Star card brings us back to a safe place within ourselves. It lets you know that you are taken care of, you are supported and held. Your desires are blessed by Star energy!

Did your card resonate? I hope it did!

Wishing you a beautifully abundant and nourishing Fall Equinox and harvest season!


If you’d like a more personalised Tarot Reading, book one with me here!

xo

Serena

Receive first dibs on events, new products & my FREE ebook by signing up for my newsletter below!

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

How to Honor the New Moon & Waxing Moon

How to Honor the New Moon & Waxing Moon

In my last blog post, I spoke about honoring the Full and Waning Moon phases, so in this one, let’s explore the New & Waxing Moons!

When working with moon phases, we are called to pay attention to our feelings and emotions, the tug of our hearts, wombs, bodies and soul. Lunar energy has its own rhythm, which is not honored in our capitalist, patriarchal systems.

Like the Moon, we too are meant to ebb and flow, to rest and renew, to allow changes in our energy levels and productivity, our social habits and our perception. We can be multi-faceted. We can be moody, change our minds and hearts. We can have varying levels of energy. Yet we live in a world that often demands constant productivity, consistency, extraverted energy and sociability.

The New to Waxing Moon happens over a 2-week period before the Full Moon arrives in its bright beauty. This phase is one of planting, building, creating, and increase. This is a preferred energy by our social standards, making it often an easier energy to surf than the waning moon. However the New Moon itself can be challenging, or a mixed bag as the Full Moon often is. 

The New Moon is a when the slate is wiped clean and a new cycle begins. The last cycle has ended and we have cleared some space for something new to be planted, or have a gem of wisdom to take with us into this next new cycle.

Sometimes the New Moon feels heavy, empty or challenging emotionally, as we may still be releasing the end of the last cycle and clearing space for the new. We may feel low energy, and people tend to hermit a bit still during this phase. This is all well and good, as it is important to honor your body and psyche’s needs at this time. Often we need some empty space in our schedule to process, and to allow ourselves to dream, and receive the new spark or seed to be planted into our new cycle.

There is often enthusiastic anticipation of this new beginning energy, and folks can’t wait to jump on manifesting their desires for this phase! I find it valuable however to allow for some pause around the New Moon for at least the first day or two to actually tune into your deepest self and needs, to allow the next cycle’s seeds of inspiration to rise up into awareness from within.

Planting seeds of intention may take several days or up to a week. It can take a while to feel a clear sense of what you desire and want to cultivate and grow. So, no need to rush into manifesting on the exact New Moon! Take your time to feel into what wants to come into being and build it gradually as the light increases.

New Moon Vibes

Keywords for the New Moon:

Rest

Dream

Renew

Begin

Open

Possibility

Receive

Inspiration

Hope

Excitement

Intention

Plant

Plan

Brainstorm

Experiment

Try

Seek

The New Moon is the transition between the archetype of an Elder and a Newborn, so in a sense it is like we can see the world with fresh eyes again around the New Moon. We can welcome a shift in perspective, one that holds both the wisdom of the last cycle and new hope and inspiration for the next.

This is the time to try something new, experiment, and be open to possibilities. Not everything we desire or plan at this time will be worth cultivating or make it to the Full Moon. However, at the New Moon, we can entertain possibilities and enjoy exploring and experimenting, so that at the 1st Quarter phase, one week later, we can narrow our focus and take action on something more specific, or in a specific way.


We may wish to plant a variety of seeds and see what takes until we can home in on what feels best or seems to be working. This is the time to experiment and be open!

Sometime around the New Moon, even if I’m not feeling particularly energetic, I find it helpful to get out for a walk, spend time in nature or somehow expose myself to inspiration, new ideas, and energies. If I just go out in public anywhere in the city, I often come across something- whether its hearing live music playing, having an interesting conversation with a store clerk, seeing a beautiful mural or a tree in the park, there’s always something that acts as a catalyst for my new intentions.

To honor the New Moon, I would suggest opening yourself to possibilities! Once the hermit phase is over, just get out and open to receive new inspiration. You can also do this through reading a book, or taking in media or entertainment of some kind. A seed will find its way to take root.

Ways to honor the New Moon:

Rest and pause so you can sense and feel what new energy is emerging

Putter, do simple daily tasks that allow your mind to wander and dream

Allow yourself to receive- take in nourishment for mind, body, heart and soul

Explore a subject you’re interested in online

Seek entertainment- ie) scroll on social media, see a play, watch a new show or movie

Get out for a walk

Have a conversation with a friend or a stranger

Seek out art, beauty, new scenery

Spend time in Nature

Practice openness and curiosity

Seek a shift in perspective

Write down desires and dreams- no matter how unrealistic or fantastical they seem

Envision your dream- create a vision board, begin to gather inspo, seek out resources

Brainstorm

Make a loose plan- know it can be refined and modified later

Write positive affirmations for yourself

Write down inspiring quotes

Seek out people who are doing what you want to be doing

Explore your options and don’t be afraid to experiment or try something new

Waxing Moon Energy- Build, nourish, prepare, create!

The Waxing Moon includes the Crescent Moon, First Quarter Moon and Gibbous Moon phases, which flow from one to the other up until the Full Moon, the peak of energy.

The waxing phases are about building, preparation and creation. They involve planting a seed of intention and nurturing that seed with actions and tending to see the result 2 weeks later at the Full Moon.

These phases are suitable for increasing, growth, and building something up, rather than releasing, letting go or breaking something down. Both energies can take place at once, as nature isn’t all or nothing! Often both things are happening at the same time, but the focus is on the building and growing aspect, as energies are rising to support growth, like in spring.

The Crescent Moon phase comes a few days after the New Moon, where we explored potential and dreamed. We may feel very vulnerable or hesitant during this phase, as we step out into the unknown (think the Fool card in Tarot), but we have to start somewhere. There is room to experiment here and focus on inspiration and positive potential as we embark on our journey forward. This phase asks us to summon our courage, take a little step out of our comfort zone. It can also be a gathering phase, in which we build up our resources in order to reach a goal.

The First Quarter Moon comes next, and here is a ‘crisis point’ similar to the 3rd Quarter Waning Moon, but it is more about how our external reality bumps up against our goals and hopes. We often need to take a bolder action of some kind. We may need to contend with an obstacle, internal or external, and adjust our course forward a bit. We may need to shift our expectations or take a different approach than we originally thought. It’s normal here to make a change, take a concrete action or meet an obstacle that actually helps us forward.

Finally, the Gibbous Moon phase leads us into the Full Moon. Here, the energy tide is high and building up to a crescendo. We may feel some pressure building up, to perfect our creation or reach our goal. This can be a busy time, as we prepare, focus and perfect what we are doing. There is also a bit of surrender needed here, as there is a lot of energy pushing us forward without us having to paddle the boat too much, as we’re already engaged and building something. The energy will find its way, we just may want to adjust the channel for its release into the best form we can.

What we plant, nurture, tend and manifest in the Waxing cycle may be something simple like trying a new class, implementing a new health routine, creating an altar, learning a new subject, nurturing a friendship or relationship, or it could be a career move, house or apartment hunt, or creative endeavor. It can also be about our inner work and healing, where we implement a new thinking habit, self-perception, healing modality, medicine or embrace a new attitude towards our life.

As we reach the Full Moon phase, it doesn’t mean the whole thing has to be done and figured out! Some manifestations take many moon cycles to manifest. Each one is a step along the way.

Once we come to the Full Moon, we can assess the peak culmination and the journey we took to get there. We then go on to integrate, process and release what we no longer need as the Moon wanes. What is meant to stay will stay, to be worked on some more in the next cycle, and what’s meant to leave will leave, if it proved not to support our purpose or goal. Read more about the Full and Waning Moons here.

What are you planting, nurturing, or building right now? A new sense of self? A creative project? A career goal or domestic goal?

Eclipses:

Currently we are building towards a Lunar Eclipse- thus what we are building or working towards is likely nothing entirely new, but an outgrowth of the challenges and turning points of March 2025, and September 2024. It may be feeling intense, as it is an extra powerful moon cycle. Lunar Eclipses are like extra powerful Full Moons that bring more long-lasting culminations, endings, accomplishments and changes than regular Full Moons. You can read more about eclipses and how to navigate them here and here.

How do you honor the New & Waxing Moon phases?

Share in the comments!

Receive first dibs on events, new products & my FREE ebook by signing up for my newsletter below!

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

Summer Solstice Wisdom & Oracle Reading!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ways to celebrate the Summer Solstice:

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

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

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

Summer Solstice Oracle Reading:

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

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

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

  1. White- Lighten Up!

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

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

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

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

2. Cyan- Build Your Confidence

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

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

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

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

3. Coral- Allow synchronicity and flow into your life

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

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

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

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

4 . Purple- Develop mental clarity

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

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

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

5. Black- Find richness from the dark night

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

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

6. Azure- Protect Yourself

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

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

7. Rose- Attract a relationship

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

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

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

8. Pearl- Connect to the Divine

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

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

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

xo

Serena

Receive first dibs on events, new products & my FREE ebook by signing up for my newsletter below!

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

Beltane Wisdom & Oracle Reading!

Welcome to the season of Beltane!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your Beltane Oracle Card Reading:

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

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

Remember that number! Scroll down to find your card…

  1. Orgasm: Release

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

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

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

2. Boundaries: Self-Respect

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

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

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

3. Phoenix: Rebirth

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

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

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

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

4. Growth: Expansion

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

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

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

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

5. Sacred Waters: Healing

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

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

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

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

6. Rowan: Protection

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

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

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

7. Ribbons: Awareness

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

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

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

8. Honey: Sweetness

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

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

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

Did your card resonate? I hope it did!

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

xo

Serena

Receive first dibs on events, new products & my FREE ebook by signing up for my newsletter below!

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

Coming Home to Ourselves- Hearth Craft & Belonging

So much of my spiritual path is entwined with coming home to myself and cultivating a sense of belonging within and in the world.

Many years ago, I became interested in hearth craft, which was a way to integrate my witchcraft into my largely home-centered life working from home and as a mom.

On the surface, some might think hearth craft to be a bit mundane or repressively domestic. But this is not the case, and over the years I discovered just how deep and fulfilling this path was, with immense healing potential on both a personal and collective level.

Hearth Craft is the practice of weaving magic into your home and daily life. It embraces being present with mundane tasks, gratitude & simplicity, and creating spiritual sanctuary in the home. The home is seen as a reflection of the self- and caring for it physically and energetically is just as important as caring for yourself. It honors the home as a sacred container for our nourishment and becoming.

(You can learn more about hearth craft in this blog post)

Being a hearth witch is also more than making home-keeping rituals a sacred practice or creating a sanctuary in your physical space. While these are deeply meaningful practices of hearth craft, I feel there is very little discussed about some of the larger spiritual themes of this path, which can be a part of any spiritual practice.

This brings me to the question- what is ‘home’, anyway?

My sense of ‘home’ is not only contained within the walls of my house, or a geographical location, but exists on other planes. It includes my spiritual sense of connection with all of life while also feeling rooted on this earth in my body and in my emotional wholeness- the light and dark within myself. 

I feel that my original home is spiritual. It is the feeling of being at one with everything.

The separation from our spiritual connection with all that is, is a separation from our first home.

Coming back to that spiritual sense of home and belonging is not something our modern society makes very accessible.  

I would say we as a species are in a crisis of belonging. Due to the industrial machine we live in, we all have a wound around this. Modern life encourages separation from each other, from the earth, and from our spiritual nature.

For me, the hearth witch path is about cultivating the feeling of spiritual oneness within myself and manifesting it in the world around me. I concentrate my magic not only to the physical home, but into becoming a hearth of spiritual remembering for self and others.  

Along this path, I’ve been cultivating the art of coming home to myself- to my body, my roots, my ancestors, my spirit, and the land I walk on.

I invite you to explore these 5 spiritual themes of my hearth craft path to help you feel a greater sense of home and belonging:

  1. Remembering our spiritual home
  2. Coming home to our body & the energetic hearth within
  3. Reconnecting with our kin in nature: the elements, plants, animals and other allies.
  4. Ancestral healing & reconnection to our roots
  5. Reclaiming the value of home & hearth keeping from patriarchy
  1. Remembering our spiritual home:
Lake Ontario

Like many people, I always wished to feel I truly ‘belonged’ somewhere. My instinct has often been to look outside of myself- to groups and communities, to geographical locations, to workplaces, to movements and causes, to even other times and worlds- you name it, I’ve looked for belonging there. Yet, in this seeking, I often missed the real feeling of belonging, because I felt I couldn’t fully be my authentic self in any place. I knew I needed to find belonging within myself first and foremost.

It’s often through taking some time with a nearby tree, or sitting silently by the lake, or reconnecting to one of my spirit allies, that I remember Spirit flows through me every day, and everywhere I go. I am home all the time, wherever I am, it just takes a moment of remembering. We often simply need reminders that our sense of home is not necessarily a place in the external world- our home lives within us.  

We all come from the mystical source of life, however you call it- the Universe, the Great Mother, God, Creator- this is our first home, which holds the feeling of oneness with all life that we long to return to. We are just visiting here on earth, and we long for that home our spirit remembers.

This Earth, I feel is meant to be a reflection of our spiritual home. It currently isn’t in great shape, however, because so many have forgotten our original home and have abused this reflection of it. It needs our care and still offers itself to our memory, to help us come back to being in good relationship with it.

Our longing can eventually become our belonging, if we remember where we come from and strive to keep coming home to that memory within us. Then we can weave that memory into the land, into our relationships, work and creations as best as we can, and let it serve as a beacon of remembering and coming home for others.

Questions for reflection:

What if our desire to belong comes from spiritual home sickness?

What if we are meant to re-create that spiritual sense of home here on earth in our own unique way?

What helps you come home in a spiritual sense?

2. Coming home to our body and the energetic hearth within:

The Hearth Within

The word ‘hearth’ is very special to me and warms me up inside. It contains both the words ‘heart’ and ‘earth’, depicting the sacred connection between both. I feel the hearth is where our heart meets the earth, where our love manifests in physical form to nourish and support us.

I also feel energetically the hearth holds a womb-like quality, reflecting our first physical home in our mother’s womb.

The sacral chakra, which is the energy centre that also houses the physical womb, has often been referred to as our lower heart. It is the heart’s sensual, earthly counterpart. In Sanskrit, the sacral chakra is named Svadisthana, which means ‘in one’s own abode.’

My inner hearth is a warm, loving, nurturing energy and tends to feel strong in the sacral chakra and in my heart chakra as well as the crown chakra. Others may feel it quite differently, which is all good and well.  

Often, to feel our inner hearth, we can think about what ‘lights us up inside’, and notice where we feel that in our body.

What awakens love, warmth and that feeling of spiritual home within your body? Sometimes visiting a certain place in nature, cuddling a pet, hearing a song or type of music or doing something nourishing helps us kindle the flames within.

It took me a long time to feel a sense of being at home in my body. There are so many factors, especially trauma, which can make this challenging. It can take time investing in a mind-body practice or healing support. It may also spontaneously arise when in the right frame of mind or situation.

Another aspect of cultivating the hearth within is to pay attention to our need for boundaries and self-protection. I take on others’ emotions very readily and have had to learn how to cleanse and protect my own energy field. This is something I practice daily as well and recommend as part of cultivating one’s energetic hearth.

Questions for reflection:

What lights you up inside?

Do you feel a place of warmth and love in your body physically or energetically?

What does ‘being at home’ feel like in your body?

3. Reconnecting with our kin in nature- seasonal cycles, plants & animals, the elements & other allies:

Me and a tree friend

Coming to this earth from our spiritual home can be disorienting. Essentially, we ‘forget’ where we come from to some degree and are not given a clear set of instructions, schedule or map.

We are left to find the breadcrumbs ourselves, to hopefully connect with our kin here in earthly form- our soul family- and allow our memories to resurface.

Our soul family may include other humans, as well as animals, plants, trees, rocks, bodies of water, places on the land itself, and other spirit helpers all serving as reminders of home. We all come from the same place, after all. Our soul family can rekindle our inner hearth-flames of remembering, and help us become a beacon of remembering for others.

There have been many places and beings in nature that have helped me greatly over the years. For example, since I was a child, I always felt most at home when I was near or in a body of water. I always felt the sacredness of the water element. Whenever I am near a lake, ocean or river, I remember that I am part of everything.

Swimming- especially in lakes- is one way that I can instantly feel a sense of belonging again. To a lesser extent, during the winter months, I rekindle that feeling by taking baths. Perhaps it’s the memory of living in surrounded by water in the womb. Or maybe it’s a deeper, more ancient connection to coming from the ocean. Either way, connecting with the water element is a very easy, quick way for me to regain a sense of belonging when I feel alone.

Living in a big city with millions of people, I have had to be quite intentional about seeking out allies in nature to rekindle my sense of belonging. Thankfully, Toronto has lots of trails, parks, critters and sits on the edge of beautiful Lake Ontario. We always have a reminder of home nearby.

Also, the energy of all the humans in the city, while overwhelming at times, can also increase our chance of finding other humans in our soul family. Even if we haven’t met them yet, there are likely others a lot like you who have found their way here.

Questions for reflection:

Is there a place in nature that helps you remember your belonging to this earth?

Is there an animal you’re drawn to or have a strong relationship with? A tree that helps you feel at home?

Who in your life feels like soul family?

4. Ancestral healing & Reconnection to our roots

Returning to our roots

Learning the stories of my ancestors has greatly strengthened my sense of belonging and feeling at home on this planet. So many of us have been removed from our roots and our elders, displaced for many different reasons. This is one of the reasons I feel we are in a crisis of belonging.

I wasn’t really interested in my ancestors much until around the age of 30. Then, thanks to the internet and a keen aunt, uncle and other relatives who loved genealogy, I was able to find lots of information about my relatives with ease.

Slowly over time, I collected photos, stories, names, and scrapbooks. I am still learning more every day about my ancestors. There are definitely things that have been passed down to me that I feel proud of. And some things, like inherited wounds, I am working on.

For the most part though, getting to know my ancestors not only on paper, but spiritually- through prayer, talking with them, going to their lands, speaking their language and honouring them in my daily life has been a balm to my soul.

Not only has my relationship with my ancestors helped me– by showing me just how loved and protected I am, reminding me of my gifts and helping me feel more rooted with purpose here on the planet- I feel it has helped them, too.  I feel their joy and relief when I connect with them. I feel like they’ve been with me my whole life, just waiting for me to hear, listen, pay attention to them. When I do, they get positively giddy, and that warms my heart so much.

I feel hearth craft is essentially an ancestral-reclaiming practice, because in a very short span of time-maybe only a generation or two for some of us- daily life went from cooking over an open fire, hunting and fishing off the land, farming, sewing and washing by hand, to modern technology doing most of our chores for us and food sourcing shifted to large corporations. Hearth craft embraces a reclaiming of the old ways, reconnecting our lives to the land and to the crafts and wisdom of our foremothers.

Many of my ancestors on my mother’s side were homesteading pros. Voyageurs, Metis and French Settlers who lived across Quebec, the Great Lakes and the prairies, they knew how to build a home and community from the ground up in various landscapes. They lived off the land, and some even formed a village, St.Leon in Manitoba.

Some of my ancestors/relatives from St.Leon, MB

Some of my foremothers bore up to 16 children all the while working hard to survive the harsh prairie winters. Some spoke French, English, Cree or Michif. They had tough lives, a strong faith, a good sense of humor and took great joy in playing the fiddle and spoons, writing, singing and dancing. They put me to shame with my modern convenient life, but inspire me deeply with their joy, resilience and strength.

When I feel lost or lonely, or like this world is too much, I can rest assured I carry their gifts within my blood and bones. They overwhelm me with gratitude.

Questions for reflection:

Do you feel a connection with your ancestors or the lands they walked?

What gifts and strengths were passed down to you?

How do your ancestors help you feel a sense of belonging and home in this world?

5. Reclaiming the value of home & hearth-keeping from patriarchy

me & my daughter in 2009, Manitoba

While much has changed since our foremother’s times, women are still under immense pressure. We’re expected to ‘do it all’ and somehow do it perfectly and happily, which is humanly impossible.

I sometimes feel the hardship, pain and lost dreams of my foremothers, as they had to make many sacrifices to ensure survival of their families. Having been raised in the 1980s and 90s, I absorbed a lot of mixed messaging around what a woman’s role should or shouldn’t be- as independent woman, mother, wife. Basically, whatever we do, society won’t find it acceptable, and there is always a sacrifice of some kind.

We are always subject to criticism, whatever our choice or circumstances are in regard to having a family, career and value in this world. Patriarchy still has a hold on us, and this requires some unpacking and healing.

Deciding to embrace hearth-keeping as a sacred calling in my life brought up insecurity and wounding. Internalized social conditioning had me belittling the ways I weaved magic into my home and family life. I felt I was not doing enough to save this very messed up world. While I always worked or volunteered in some way serving the community at large, I always felt like what I was doing for my home and family wasn’t considered valuable work and I should somehow be doing more, even though I was exhausted.

Tending the home and hearth was held sacred through much of history in many cultures. While patriarchy designated this area of life to women and devalued this work to keep control over us, the home has never ceased to be a foundation upon which everything else stands.

Our early experiences with home, nourishment and love from our early caregivers deeply influence who we grow up to be. While we and many of our foremothers have known this, having all the burdens of emotional, physical and mental labor placed on women is unacceptable. Social systems are still deeply lacking in support for parents, elders, those in caring professions and caregivers in many ways. These roles are part of the hearth-tending needed in society at large.

Sacrifices have always been part of the package. While sacrifice is noble and sometimes necessary, martyrdom is not. I’ve had to unpack this inheritance from my own lineage and conditioning quite a bit.

My hearth

I wish to invite us back to an expanded view on what the hearth is. It is very much a feeling of being home and belonging- an energetic quality, which is not limited to the walls of our dwelling. It is an energy we can cultivate within ourselves, and in our interactions with the world at large. We can create a hearth energy in our workplace. We can cultivate a hearth in our intimate relationships, communities and those we care for in various ways.

Whether you bring your love, magic and nurturing energy to your house plants, pets, home, partner, friends, children, co-workers, clients, customers, a cause, passion, art form or a special place on the land, you are feeding the hearth fires that keep us all going!

It’s really about your intention and the energy you bring to what you are doing.

Also, remember that in order to be the hearth for others, your own inner hearth needs stoking first.

Reclaiming the value of home and hearth keeping is about finding out what it means to you, rather than what society or culture thinks. We can experiment. We can use it as an opportunity to heal broken lineages, childhood wounds, start new habits and transform our relationship to it.

How do you feel about home keeping and domestic work? What perspectives did you inherit or absorb from society/culture about it?

How does the idea of hearth-keeping as a sacred act of care for self and others sit with you?

How does hearth-keeping show up in different areas of your life?

As I mentioned before, for me, the hearth witch path is about cultivating the feeling of home within myself and manifesting it in the world around me. I strive to concentrate my magic not only to the physical home, but into becoming a hearth of spiritual remembering for self and others.  

May your your inner hearth fires be nourished and burn brightly!

xo

Serena

Receive first dibs on events, new products & my FREE ebook by signing up for my newsletter below!

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

Flowing Gently into 2025 + Oracle Reading!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Capricorn New Moon Reflection Questions:

What am I currently committing my energy to?

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

Do my commitments align with my values and my ideals?

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

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

2025 – A year of change and rebirth

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oracle Reading- Themes for Contemplation

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

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

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

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

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

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

Warning: Disappointment, lack of reward for efforts made.

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

2. The Cauldron

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

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

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

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

3. Community

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

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

Warning: Unable to ask for community support.

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

4. Sacred Journey

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

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

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

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

5. Journey’s End

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

Welcome: Steadfast, stable, quiet strength.

Warning: Feeling unsupported and unstable.

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

6. Illuminate

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

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

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

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

7. Bounty- Mabon

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

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

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

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

8. Pathways

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Receive first dibs on events, new products & my FREE ebook by signing up for my newsletter below!

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

Winter Solstice Wisdom + Oracle Reading!

“The beauty of the Cailleach reflected the beauty of winter. The lines on her face all told stories. She did not have the wrinkle-free smoothness of a young girl, but rather the wisdom of age and experience. Her eyes spoke of death, wonder and determination, all of which were found in the harsh snows which blanketed the land and reminded people of their own mortality. “

–From the book ‘Visions of the Cailleach’ by Sorita d’este & David Rankine

We have nearly arrived to the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. As the darkness cloaks us in its deep mystery, and the land here in the northern hemisphere tucks itself in for a long nap, we too feel called to rest and allow the wisdom that can only be found in silence and stillness to reveal itself.

The Wheel of the Year and the seasons of nature all correspond to aspects of ourselves, and stages of life. Here, at the Winter Solstice, we are at the Elder stage.

No matter what our age, we all have an inner Crone, Elder or Wise One within us. This part of us may be as ancient as time, our wise soul that has lived through many lifetimes. It is the part of us that has learned to love and let go, to make mistakes and grow, and gather wisdom from experience. As we nurture our inner Elder, we find valuable gems of wisdom to take with us beyond this lifetime, and share with others while we’re here.

The Winter Solstice invites us to embrace the darkness- the Great Mystery, the dark womb of potential, the void from which all dreams are born. This is a potent season for rest and dreaming.

Melatonin- also known as ‘the hormone of darkness’ is released by the pineal gland in response to the sky’s natural darkening. This helps us sleep and regulate our wake-sleep cycles. This is nature’s way of saying ‘It’s time to rest, time to dream, time to recharge’.

Unfortunately, due to modern schedules and light sources, especially the blue light from our screens, melatonin production is inhibited, making it harder for us to get the refueling sleep and dreamtime we need. Lowering the light in our homes, and putting away screens after dark or before bed are ways we can allow our natural melatonin production to form and get more satisfying sleep. I enjoy using candles, crystal lamps, dim lighting and try to limit time on my phone during the evenings of these darker months.

The land is also taking its time to rest now, a necessary dormancy period that is a vital part of the fertility cycle. Dormancy gives bulbs and seeds the energy they will need to sprout in the warmer months. Without a dormancy period, many plants will not sprout. Some plants require more dormancy than others, anywhere from weeks, up to many years before being able to germinate.

Like seeds, us humans require quiet, non-active periods of rest, especially during this time of year. Letting the busy-ness and stress of our culture’s version of the holiday season burn us out can prevent the germination of new life in spring. If possible, take some time this winter to slow down, simplify and try an earlier bedtime. Embrace stillness, silence, reflection and receptivity. Create fertile soil for your dreams to germinate. Your body, spirit and psyche will thank you!

Winter Solstice is also a celebration of the return of the light. While this increase in light is often not very noticeable until Imbolc season in early February, we can open our minds and hearts to hope and know that new life is on its way! We however must be patient and let new energies incubate and reveal themselves in their proper timing. Surrender and faith are qualities we are invited to cultivate during this time.

As we slow down and allow ourselves to enter a receptive state, we can begin to form new visions for the coming year. Winter is a great time to tend our inner soil, our inner foundations and strengthen our roots and bones.

While January begins the calendar new year, it is not necessarily the best time to jump into starting a whole new paradigm, or expect immediate results on anything. Radical diets and big changes often fade out by February because of the energy-conserving, slow-moving nature of this time. Changes can be made, but with patience and small, realistic steps forward. It is more conducive to integration and inner alignment- a time to open to possibilities and let our intuition and inner wisdom guide us forward.

The Cailleach

by Jane Brideson

It is at this time of year that I often feel the wise, strong and powerful presence of the Cailleach- the ancient, giant, primordial Old Woman that predates the gods, venerated in Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man and all over Britain. She has roots in Spain and beyond as well. Her presence expresses itself through the harsh cold of the season, creating storms, snow and darkness. She also is known as a shaper of the land, creating hills, stones, cairns and lakes.

Through Her connection to the land, the Cailleach is also a goddess of Sovereignty, able to grant kingship. She also rules over herds of deer and tends the animals. Her myths and stories can be traced as far back as two thousand years ago. She is truly an ancient, wise presence to behold, and Her energy serves to awaken our own inner strength, sovereignty, power and ability to move through challenges.

Some see the Cailleach as the dark mirror of Brighid- the goddess of fertility, spring, the hearth and the light, who is celebrated at Imbolc. Their relationship is a dance between the forces of life and death, or light and darkness, which are energies that seek balance within ourselves.

My favourite depictions of the Cailleach and Crone imagery lie in the Wisdom of the Cailleach oracle by Jane Brideson. I love seeing powerful, inspiring imagery of women as elders- a lacking depiction in our culture. This beautiful deck is my go-to every Winter to tap into the powerful energies the Cailleach holds.

Curious to see what the Cailleach and your Solstice season has in store for you?

Take a moment to ground and centre yourself. Take 3 mindful, deep breaths. Then, when you’re ready, gaze at the cards below and ask ‘What do I need to know for this Winter Solstice Season?’ Then, choose your card…

From Wisdom of the Cailleach Oracle by Jane Brideson

Remember that number! Now scroll down for your message. Messages from the deck creator, Jane Brideson, and then my own words in italics.

  1. Moon– Intuition, Dreams, Illusion
  • Imagination, inner vision, creativity.
  • Recognition of your body’s cycle and energy levels.
  • Heightened awareness, insight, and understanding.
  • A time to use your intuition and follow your dreams.

The moon offers us the wisdom of cycles and flow. We don’t have to remain the same forever, or follow the same routine rigidly. We can change, shapeshift and move as we feel called to. It’s ok to be moody, and to follow your feelings. It’s ok to change your mind or grow out of something. Give yourself permission to be multi-faceted, to go through phases, to be a changeable human being. Lunar consciousness is counter-cultural, but oh so needed to bring us into balance. What phase are you in right now? What do you feel called to explore or express? Where can you invite more flow or wildness into your life? What are your dreams showing you? This can be a great time to track the moon cycle and notice how its energies interplay with your own.

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.

Do you allow yourself to dream big? Remember the wonder and awe you felt as a child? Take some time to sky-gaze and envision possibilities for yourself in the future. Sometimes we get caught up in old stories from the past and believe in a more limited future than is possible for us. We also forget to look up at the night sky and remember just how big the universe is, and how much we have yet to explore and discover. Perhaps you are feeling called to expand your world a bit with travel, a new course of study, an inspiring experience or trying something new. This card encourages you to go for it! Even a small change in activity can create new neural pathways in our brain, transforming the way we see the world and keep us young. What do you feel curious about? What thoughts create a feeling of expansion and liberation in your heart and soul? It’s time to open up to more. Believe in your potential!

3. Old Woman

I am

gnarled hands that knot the past into the present.

Preserving myths, keeping ancestors alive.

I am

Your heritage, your hard lessons, the kindnesses, old conflicts, the good blood and the bad.

My crooked fingers unravel knots, free tethered thoughts, release the ties that bind.

I am

the parting and the letting go, which heals your broken thread.

What experiences, challenges and triumphs have etched themselves upon your soul in this life? Our life brings us love, loss and so much more, changing us deeply and making us wiser. This is a time to reflect, to gather all the yarn and weavings of your life, all your key experiences and appreciate all that brought you here- the good and the bad, as they have strengthened you. You are sacred, blessed and a deeply important contributor to this world, with so much wisdom to share. Are there aspects of your past or your ancestral inheritance that can be preserved for future generations? Are there aspects of your past that are weighing you down and can be let go of? As you continue to weave the tapestry of your life, what beauty, inspiration or wisdom would you like to keep, pass down or share with others?

4. Wise Woman

I am

softening skin creased by a million smiles.

furrowed brow planted with seeds of hope, slow uncurling of inner vision.

I am

The arrow that flies to the heart, spiral path that snakes across the land, the whitethorn by a sacred well.

I whisper charms as breathing slows in rest, then tip-toe to your side. Our arms entwined, our bodies light, we dance into the Many Coloured Land.

The darkness is what shows us the light. As we age, we feel more gratitude for the simple things, the small moments that make up daily life. We realise just how precious life is. What moments bring you that deep joy and gratitude for life itself? What small acts in your daily life can become moments of mindfulness or gentle ritual? If you have been feeling heavy with the complexity of human existence, come back to simplicity. Make a list of 5 things in everyday life that touch you deeply or that you feel grateful for, such as the smell of coffee, the sound of the wind in the trees, or seeing a loved one smile. Open to the sacredness found in each and every aspect of your everyday life. Also, take note of your nightly dreams and any wisdom or inspiration that can be gleaned from them.

5. 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.

Our ancestral inheritance comes with many gifts as well as challenges. Oftentimes, we unconsciously carry beliefs that were instilled in us at such a young age that we don’t think much of them operating in the background of our life- through our self-talk, the decisions we make, the obligations and fears we carry. Is there something you’ve been carrying, perhaps not only you, but your family has carried for generations- that is holding you back from being your whole self? Or from manifesting your dreams? Traumas can repeat themselves in our life until we heal. Is there a pattern from your past keep that keeps repeating itself? Seek out support and guidance if need be to help you untangle any roots that are not conducive to your growth. If you’ve already been doing this work, acknowledge how far you’ve come. Also, tap into the many gifts that you’ve inherited. Take the good and leave the bad behind.

6. 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.

Who’s in your circle? It’s not the size of it that matters, but the quality. When we vibrate at our own authentic frequency, we attract others who align with it. You may be in a transition in your community circles, where some friends or groups are falling away, or no longer in your best interest. Perhaps you’re experiencing a dry spell or have been a hermit for a long time. As you come closer to your authentic self, you will start attracting people who resonate with you that you can have a more supportive and nourishing connection with. This is a great time to nurture your aligned connections by offering support or reaching out, as well as taking the time time to honor where you’re at and envision what type of circles you wish to be part of in the future. Or perhaps, you feel called to start your own community?

7. 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!

It’s too easy to get bogged down in the seriousness and heaviness of life these days. We cannot bring our dreams into the world or help others unless we allow joy and light in! Thankfully, this card is an indication that your own energy, vitality and strength are increasing and will flourish. Keep up the positive things you are doing for yourself and others. Nourish joy in your life. Surround yourself with candles, invigorating colors, music and imagery that keeps your heart light and inspired. Get creative, nurture your passion or let your inner child out to play! The world needs this energy more than ever. Allow it to exist in you!

8. Well- Healing, Nurturing, Self-care.

  • Health, physical and emotional tranquility.
  • Nurturing self or others.
  • Connection to nature, ritual, meditation.
  • Take time out for refreshment, reflection and healing.

Wells are sacred sites for healing and prayers to healing spirits. The well calls you now to draw your healing energies towards yourself. Perhaps you’ve been at the beck and call of others for too long or come through a period of intensity or hard work. It is time to regroup, gather your energies, process and nurture yourself. This could be a great time for a retreat- whether through travel or simply by giving yourself some time out at home to replenish. Your soul is calling you for some attention. Reflect on your deepest needs, desires and wishes. Journal, meditate or take a walk in nature to reconnect to your inner self. What is your body telling you it needs at this time? What does your heart long for? What brings your mind some peace? What does your spirit crave? Allow yourself to receive the healing energies the earth is offering you.

I hope your card resonated!

If you’d like to delve deeper into your own inner wisdom, the Cailleach and the magic of Winter Solstice, I’d love for you to join me online on Friday, Dec 20th @7pm EST for Winter Solstice Circle- Honoring Our Inner Wisdom. We keep it small, cozy and intimate for ease of sharing. All genders, paths and experience levels welcome. I’d love to see you there!

Winter Solstice Blessings to you,

Serena

Receive first dibs on events, new products & my FREE ebook by signing up for my newsletter below!

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

Daily Rituals for Embodying Your Magick

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

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

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

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

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

What Does it Mean to Embody our Magick?

Tree Pose

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

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

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

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

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

Perfection is Not the Goal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Relaxed Body is a Powerful Body

Relaxation is a cat’s power

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

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

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

What makes you feel more relaxed?

Daily Ritual Ideas for Embodying Your Magick

simply holding a rock can help ground us

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blessings,

Serena

Receive first dibs on events, new products & my FREE ebook by signing up for my newsletter below!

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

Staying Grounded Through Eclipses & Times of Chaos

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Faith:  The Calm Eye in the Middle of the Storm

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Being Present: Right Now is the Only Thing That Exists

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sharing and Connecting: We are never alone

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My lovely friend Jazzie and I playing with veils

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

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

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

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

Sending love and stability for these chaotic times,

xo

Serena

Receive first dibs on events, new products & my FREE ebook by signing up for my newsletter below!

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

Fall Equinox Wisdom + Oracle Reading!

Ahh, the Fall Equinox. Introverts rejoice, as we begin to naturally follow the Earth Mother’s lead and draw our energy inwards. Time to cozy up with some tea and our favourite book, movie or do some journaling!

As the trees drop their leaves and the earth energy flows down to nourish its roots, we too must release any excess burdens or energy drains. Our energy also draws downwards to our roots- Our internal, emotional foundations, our ancestral inheritance, as well as our spiritual needs.

We often associate Fall and Winter with barrenness. However, much life is continuing beneath the earth, even if unseen. Likewise, Fall reminds us of the fertility that lies in the rich soil of our inner lives, which will be the garden we tend over the colder months ahead. Our attention turns to the life that is stirring in the invisible and intangible realms.

Our spirit has so much to say to us now- we simply need to slow down and tune into its whispers. Take a walk in the woods, clear your mind with meditation or movement, soak in a warm bath or engage in your favourite hobby to let your deepest thoughts and feelings bubble up to be felt, seen, heard and noticed.

As the sun energy wanes, we enter a point of balance between light and dark, before the darkness reigns. This point of balance is something very special that only happens twice a year at each Equinox. I find the Equinoxes to be very powerful times that show us where we are out of balance and how to correct it. We are given the gift of a balanced perspective that takes both outer realities and inner needs equal consideration, which is ideal for decision-making, implementing better habits, and making plans and goals for the future.

This is also a ripe season for shadow work and healing. We may feel waves of grief as some things naturally end or are released, and we may feel desires or emotions we’ve repressed coming up to be felt or expressed. It is a time of transformation, as we compost the old and make space for the new. It is a wonderful time to allow parts of ourselves we may have pushed away to come into our awareness for integration.

It is also a season of awakening to our inner magic and connecting with our inner Witch. Whether you identify as a Witch, Priestess, Pagan, Mage, Druid, or other earth-based or alternative practitioner, this is a time where we can notice and heal any areas of shame or fear of this part of ourself, any conditioning we had growing up or simply from being in a society that has for centuries demonized earth-based spiritual traditions.

Many of us carry a ‘Witch Wound’, which is a collective wound rooted in our ancestral memory and DNA from persecution and death related to the burning times in Europe, colonisation, patriarchy, capitalism and religious extremism, which for many is still carrying a traumatic charge. This can make it challenging for us to fully embody our power and nourish our spiritual life.

Healing this wound is layered and takes time, patience and gentle reconnection and reclaiming of our magic and power. This wounding can manifest in many ways, namely in fearing our own power, intuition and voice. If you wish to explore this more, and begin the process of reclaiming your magic, you can join us at our online Fall Equinox Circle: Season of the Witch on Sept 20th!

Perhaps this autumn will be a ripe time to explore your magical self in new ways or begin a path of inner healing? May this season bring you a harvest of abundance for all that you’ve been giving and doing, and initiate a rewarding inner journey for the months to come.

Fall Equinox Oracle Reading:

Now, let’s see what this season has in store for you!

Take a moment to ground and centre yourself. Take 3 deep relaxing breaths. Then ask: “What do I need to know for the season ahead?“

You also may wish to ask a specific question, such as “How should I approach _____?“

Then gaze at the image below and choose your card:

Seasons of the Witch Mabon Oracle by Anderson, Diaz & Lukovic

Remember that number! Now scroll down to find your card. Descriptions are by the deck’s authors.

  1. Scarecrow: Guardian, You have help, Support

Remember that you are not alone. Move with confidence as you are guided. Your higher self chose this card because you need to be reminded that you are looked after, cared for and protected. You may feel as though there are many dangers lurking about, and while they may be near they will have little impact on your life as a whole. You can move forward with your plans knowing a favorable outcome is in your near future.

You may feel the presence of your spiritual guardians through a sudden feeling of warmth spreading through your body, a tingling on the back of your neck or a sense of peace, as though suddenly all your troubles have been washed away. These and similar sensations are your guides sending you support and confirmation that you have cosmic help working on your behalf.

Trust in the cosmic forces and know that the timing may not be what you’re expecting, but it will always be right on time. Scarecrow may also present itself to you when you have been facing a particularly difficult situation that seems too great to face on your own. Receiving this card is your confirmation that physical help is on the way and you won’t have to struggle for much longer. You may receive an unexpected windfall, a call from someone offering support, a chance encounter or a life-changing opportunity.

2. Cranberries: Ancestral Roots, Connections, Power, Claiming or Reclaiming

Devour the truth and let it sink into the depths of all that came before and all that will come after. Your higher self chose this card because your ancestors are waiting for you. The red color of cranberries instantly brings to mind the blood connection of ancestral healing, and it is through your ancestors that intuitive wisdom is passed down. They wait patiently for you to connect with them so they can offer the wisdom, strength and power that is available to you by right via the blood within your veins.

You don’t need a connection with your living relatives to establish a bond with your ancestors. They are available to you even if you don’t know their names, faces or the details of your family tree. You will recognize them through a feeling of comfort and familiarity, offer up your troubles and ask for your ancestors’ support. They will clear away blocks, push away dark clouds looming over your life and open the floodgates of abundance.

To establish this bond with your ancestors, simply close your eyes and offer up your prayers. Ask that only benevolent, loving ancestors seek you out, then speak with them as you would any other guide, the universe, god or god-like figure.

3. Crow: Something’s Coming, Messages, Pay Attention

Pay close attention to the winds; there’s a message making its way. Your higher self chose this card because a message is coming your way and is warning you to keep an eye our for important signs and clues of what’s to come. Nothing truly manifests without some warning; the signs might be subtle but they have been prompting you your entire life.

You might feel a sensation such as a tingle in your neck or perhaps a decision gives you a sense of dread. You might have an idea that instantly lifts your spirits or feel some electricity when you meet someone new. All of these sensations are clues that attempt to steer you towards a rewarding life.

Pulling the Crow card is a sign to trust in your intuition, especially in the coming days. You may be quick to dismiss your feelings as being silly, and perhaps they are in many societies. However, you’re connected to the spirit realm, where all things are possible and the only right answer is the one that gives you a feeling of peace, joy and success. Trust in your ability to read the messages of the universe and know there is always a pathway to safety for those who know where to look.

4. Peppers: Breakthrough, Protection, Respect, Allies

Be fierce about the ways in which you protect yourself. Allies await. Your higher self chose this card because not everyone can handle the sting of hot peppers and will go out of their way to avoid them at all costs. The heat is too overwhelming and feels like too much of an effort in pursuit of a great meal. In a strange way, boundaries are a lot like peppers: Some people will try to step on you and take advantage of you, and are only willing to be in your personal orbit as long as you agree with them. However, the moment you begin to demand respect, you might find that many people simply cannot handle it when you serve them a little heat.

The Peppers card is here to confirm that anyone or anything you lose by establishing boundaries will be replaced with people who can stand your heat. You will go on to find people who understand your need for respect and won’t try to take advantage of you, and will listen in earnest without dismissing your opinions because they don’t align with theirs. Establishing boundaries also helps build confidence. The more you practice saying ‘No’ the more you take back your power from those who seek to steal or stamp it out.

Some believe when eating very hot peppers it’s better to keep going than to stop, because stopping makes the heat more intense whereas continuing allows you to slowly desensitize. Habits are no different. They are difficult at first, but with time you’ll begin to expect respect and will make no time for those who don’t offer it.

5. Apothecary Cabinet: Tools, Need to Develop Skills, Hard Work

Without practice, without befriending them, they are strangers on your path. Your higher self chose this card because your journey is just beginnings, even if it feels as though you have walked this road for ages.

There are skills, resources or tools you need before you can begin the work of calling in those big dreams. For example, when attempting to manifest more wealth, consider whether you need to overcome limited financial stories or destructive money habits that are sabotaging your efforts. Receiving a loving partner may be blocked to you until you do inner work on loving yourself. Experiencing supportive friendships may require you to eliminate friendships that are toxic and draining. Taking the time to do this inner work now will save you many days, months or even years of starting over.

Your soul has selected this card to gently encourage you to be honest about where you are in your journey and what’s realistically needed to begin to see results. All transformation begins with awareness, and starting where you are is the first step towards a radical shift in your situation. Your life could be completely different six months from now with the right tools at your disposal and a willingness to do the work.

6. Grieving: Grief, Mourning, Deep Sorrow, Heartbreak

The chambers of your mourning are surrounded by nothingness, emptiness waiting to be seen. Your higher self chose this card because grief isn’t just about the death of a loved one. Mourning is defined as ‘feeling regret or sadness about the loss or disappearance of something’. You can grieve the end of a career, a move from one place to another, letting go of a dream, or seeing your children leave the nest.

While grief isn’t pleasant, it’s important to acknowledge the loss of something or someone that was important to you. Doing so doesn’t reduce the love you had for what you’ve lost but it does give you a way to let go an move on. To ignore your sadness is to deny a meaningful part of your life story.

Pulling Grieving is an opportunity to embrace the heavy emotions you have been carrying. Express the fullness of your heartache as a tribute to what once was, and then once you have cried, screamed, gotten angry or sad, your spirit will be free. It’s only when you deny your grief that it becomes baggage. Will you be sad from time to time? Of course. Memories have a way of creeping in even with a healthy grief process, but it won’t be a constant thorn in your soul.

7. Queen of the Dead: Embracing Your Dark Side, Naughtiness, Using Darkness for Good

Fear not the rage of fire living within, for it is the power of your fierceness waiting to taste you fully. Your higher self chose this card because you need to learn to be unafraid of your soul’s darker, naughtier side. There is a deep power within you that you may feel would be scary or too much to handle if you unleashed it.

Perhaps you fear what you might become if you were seduced by your shadowy aspects. Would you become too ambitious or power hungry or sacrifice your beliefs in pursuit of fame and fortune? Would you hurt people or forget your roots? Would you succumb to anger and find yourself difficult to get along with? These are all noteworthy fears but they shouldn’t prevent you from integrating both sides of your spiritual being.

Queen of the Dead is tempting you to explore and use darkness for good. Rage, ambition, jealousy and manipulation can be channeled for a good cause. Rather than viewing them as being bad, see them as opportunities for evolution and growth. These energies can be useful, and your willingness to work with rather than against your demons is key for showing them the way to the light.

8. Foraging: Authenticity, Hidden Talents, Acting Upon Your Uniqueness, Effort

There is no better feeling than having gone after what you desire. Your higher self chose this card because sometimes you need to go out looking for food even though the grocery store is just down the road. Although the store is convenient, your life dish may require an ingredient the store can’t offer, or perhaps your soul is seeking a more authentic flavor experience that is unique to you.

The Foraging card has found you because it’s time to get up, go out into the world and discover all that is waiting for you to pick up and put inside your basket. It’s tempting to take the easier road, but that path is crowded with hoards of people attempting to do the same. They look the same, do the same things, and are ultimately lost in a sea of conformity and ordinariness: nothing that stands out from the crowd. By taking the road less traveled you could stumble upon an undiscovered patch of greatness. What makes you unconventional, strange or completely different? You may not think being eccentric is a strength, but your quirks are what set you apart from everyone else.

Receiving this card is an opportunity to discover and embrace your hidden talents and act on them. Perhaps you feel like you have nothing special to offer, but you most certainly do. Truffles are one of the most coveted and expensive foods yet they are notoriously difficult to find. They are always at the base of a tree, and generally buried below the soil, hidden from the naked eye. What makes you unique is just the same, and you may need to dig deeper. It may require significant effort, but what you’ll discover will be worth its weight in gold.

Did your card resonate? I hope it did.

If you’d like to receive a more personalized reading, join us for our online circle on Friday Sept 20th, 2024 at 7pm EST for Fall Equinox Circle: Season of the Witch! We will discuss the themes of the season, talk about the Witch Wound, go on a guided meditation journey and each participant receives an oracle card reading and $15 off a Tarot Reading or Spiritual Coaching session with me! Hope to see you there.

Fall Equinox Blessings to you,

xo

Serena

Receive first dibs on events, new products & my FREE ebook by signing up for my newsletter below!

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

Letting Go of Spiritual Boxes & Embracing Your Unique Path

Life is full of ideals and expectations about who we should be- and this also goes for who we should be as a Witch, a spiritual person, or a follower of a certain tradition. Sometimes these come from the current culture and trends, other times they are passed down through generations or through long-held traditions. Often we internalize them.

While sometimes ideals and expectations help us grow, other times they hold us back and become a stifling box that we struggle to fit into or get stuck in over time.

Social media floods us with specific ideas about what being a Pagan, Witch or having a spiritual practice should look like or be like. These days there are pressures to fit your spirituality into an existing aesthetic, to create an entire brand around it and spend many hours a day making inspirational yet illusory content to gain followers which now includes a lot of AI generated stuff.

This isn’t to say that everyone making spiritual content is expressing something inauthentic, fake, or is stuck in a box (myself included here!) just that this is an expectation that social media puts puts on us. This can lead to some unrealistic ideals as to what a witchy life really is and what it actually looks like. It really is time consuming as well, and I’d rather be doing my spiritual practice than trying to fit it into social media’s tiny boxes for consumption.

Glamour and Illusions

Seven of Cups- Not all is as it seems, choose wisely

Most of the images we see in media can be deeply inspiring but not necessarily a reflection of our daily reality. Images of women in hooded shawls meditating with ancient standing stones, dancing in white dresses in misty forests, or drawing handmade Tarot cards by candlelight are beautiful and inspiring, but can set an impossible ideal of the ‘magical life’ that folks may feel they need to attain to be a ‘real witch’.

While my own practice includes rituals of card-pulling, nature walks, yoga , meditation, chanting or journeying, it’s not necessarily aesthetically pretty, upholding an ideal nor something I feel is meant to be shared.

Sometimes my practice looks like lying in my pj’s journaling a disturbing dream, ugly-crying through old emotional pain the shower or breathing a quick and desperate prayer on my way to sleep after a stressful day.

My practice also looks like vacuuming, washing dishes or cooking a meal with intention. Sometimes it’s just doing nothing, taking a nap or cuddling my cats. It’s also asking existential questions while I look blankly into my fridge for the answers, or tuning in to my inner wisdom while standing in line at the grocery store or sitting on the subway.

I hope to remind us all, whether a newbie or experienced on the path- that magic is everywhere, all the time, including within us.

Your spiritual or witchy practice can be anything you do that brings meaning into your daily life. Mindfulness and intention are what can make a seemingly routine or mundane action, like eating breakfast, magickal.

For example, you can eat your breakfast with gratitude to the Earth Mother and connect with your food’s origins. As you eat, you can give thanks to your body and appreciate it. You can recite a daily affirmation, receiving the positive energy of the words as nourishment with your food.

Living a spiritual life can be as simple as integrating meaning and perspective into your daily existence.

Magickal practice is called such because it is like working a muscle, a repeated remembering of our wholeness and power, which can be called upon in times of stress or suffering.

It’s also about being true to you and honest with yourself. Your practice may fit into an existing tradition or current trend just fine. Until maybe it doesn’t. Then it’s ok to step out of the box!

Some examples of trying to fit into a spiritual box:

Eight of Swords- Free your mind, free yourself
  • Portraying your spirituality on social media to please an algorithm, gain popularity or fit into an aesthetic: You don’t need to conform to these expectations or share everything. Some spiritual experiences are meant just for you and not others.

  • Conforming within a spiritual group or tradition that conflicts with your true values: Perhaps you’re attracted to something within this group or path but there are things that make you feel uneasy or like you have to put away or hide an important part of yourself or your beliefs/values to follow it. This will eventually make it really hard to stay or move forward.

  • Sticking to a ritual, practice, tradition or path because you feel you should, even if it isn’t resonating with you anymore: Perhaps you’ve always done something one way and it used to support you but now it feels meaningless or like you’ve outgrown it. It’s ok to evolve out of something! Commitment and repetition can be strengthening and supportive, until it’s not and you need to change it up somehow.

  • Following spiritual trends to be trendy: Is this helping you grow spiritually or is it stemming out of ego, or a need to belong and be accepted? Or, is it just not truly resonating with you?

  • Following a teacher that isn’t really helping you grow: Maybe this teacher is highly recommended, or popular with others. But if they don’t resonate with you, your values, or they raise red flags- you don’t need to stick with them.  

  •  Engaging in a spiritual practice because it helps you avoid reality: Spiritual bypassing is a common trap on the path. It may feel good at first, but ultimately asks you to not love or accept your whole self- light and shadow. While we all need some time out from the heaviness and negativity of this world, I feel the purpose of spiritual practice is to help us live our earthly life with more presence, meaning, and faith, rather than avoidance.

One thing I have learned over the years is that I need my spiritual path to allow me to be who I already am, as well as who I want to be. In my light and my darkness. In my bliss and in my daily responsibilities.

It does however, take some time and experimentation to figure things out. So, don’t feel bad or beat yourself up if you’re stuck in a box. These lessons are part of the path! They make us wiser.

Following Traditions vs Forging Your Own Path

Eight of Cups: It’s ok to leave it behind and follow the call to a new horizon

I’ve often felt like something was wrong with me for not feeling 100% devoted to one path, one tradition, one deity or pantheon in my life. I wondered, was I too weak, lazy or not committed enough to keep going in that one direction? Why was I failing? Why did I always feel I was hitting a wall and unable to keep going? Why couldn’t I just find ‘the one’ path for me?

My Spirit would only lead me so far down an existing path before guiding me elsewhere. My mind would get confused by this. I didn’t want to be someone who just dabbled, or took spirituality lightly. Truthfully I wasn’t someone like that. But what my Spirit was showing me, was that I didn’t need to be more committed to an existing path, I needed to learn to commit to my own unique path and my own intuition, rather than the path I was immersed in at the time.

I often spend years immersed in one tradition before I move onto another one and do the same, like a serial monogamist. But these days, different aspects of my many paths (which are all under the Pagan umbrella) come and go as needed into my daily practice, and they’ve kind of formed their own beautiful tapestry where I can easily access an entire thread if need be.

I appreciate and respect wisdom traditions, teachers and the roots of spiritual practices. I respect those who’ve forged paths before me. But I am here to forge my own path. I let my intuition guide me, which comes in the form of a strong internal pull coupled with signs in my life pointing in that direction.

As we get older, I think most of us understand that life is too short to waste our precious time and energy squishing into stifling boxes, or pretending to be someone we are not. We also learn to embrace the limits of our energy and the curveballs thrown into our path.

Spiritual growth is never linear for me, and so my commitment is to my own process of becoming wiser rather than to a fixed set of beliefs or teachings.

Quieting the Inner Critic & Letting Go of Control

The Hanged Man: New perspective is gained from surrender and letting go

As August brings with it a reflective vibe (and Mercury retrograde), I have been assessing my ‘progress’ on my dreams and goals I made at Imbolc and have been hard on myself for where I’ve fallen short.

I started scolding myself for not having met a creative goal I made at Imbolc. In fact, I haven’t even started the project. Instead, my body and soul called for some deep healing, cleansing and rest. I’ve learned to listen to this call when it comes.

So, I spent the last month focusing on healing with a liver and diet cleanse, as well as some shamanic and energy healing with my healers, which brought up some past life pain and emotions. I am just coming out of this process and am a bit exhausted, but also much lighter and freer, energetically.

Another Imbolc goal I had was to gain more herbal knowledge, but instead of intentional study, I have been spending hours with my indoor plants dealing with bug infestations and out in my garden trying to save my Mugwort and other plants from hungry rabbits.

I learned through months of trial and error that nemetodes are a decent remedy for fungus gnats, and rabbits are very sneaky. I suppose this has furthered my knowledge in a certain way, just not in the way I’d intended!

At Lughnasadh/Lammas, I didn’t do any traditional baking of bread, nor did I hold a circle, because I needed a break. I celebrated Lammas in a more internal, reflective way this year, but criticized myself for ‘not doing enough’ anyway.

Conditioning runs deep!

Just because we have a tradition of baking bread at Lammas doesn’t mean we have to do that. Just because we had a beautiful plan or goal, doesn’t mean circumstances and timing support it. We may like to think we can manifest things we want, but sometimes the universe has another (better) plan.

Many folks are drawn to witchcraft because they want to feel more in control of life or circumstances. They want to have the power to manifest their desires. Yet, I’ve learned all we can really control is ourselves and how we respond to what life puts in front of us. Our inner work is really where it’s at.

Over the years, my practice has moved away from manifestation and spell work and towards my inner work- healing and shadow work, as well as surrender, and embracing the Mystery. This is where my path has taken me and it has helped me grow.

It doesn’t mean we are any less of a witch or spiritual person if we do things differently than someone else or how culture dictates it to us. You don’t need to do spells, grow herbs, chant, worship deity or wear shawls at dusk in the forest, to be a ‘real’ witch. Witches come in all forms, and magick does too.

A Full Moon Calling for Freedom

The Star: Aquarius, pouring the waters of inspiration on Earth.

I am writing this as we head into a Full Moon in Aquarius on August 19th- the sign of liberation from outmoded boxes, traditions and expectations. This full moon is brimming with the energy of freedom, inspiring a change in perspective and the release of chains that we may have wrapped around ourselves or boxes we are ready to climb out of-mentally, emotionally, physically or spiritually.

It may feel tense or unsettling, like we are being pushed out of our comfort zone and there may be some resistance. Know that we don’t need to overthrow our whole life, of course. Even a small adjustment to an existing container can have profound effects.

This is a great Full Moon for bringing our awareness to where we can release some tension or stagnancy- a massage would be great, or softening some mental knots and listening to the unique song that is only ours within our heart.

It can be helpful to journal, move, exercise, dance or process your feelings in expressive ways. Listen to your inner voice and remember that you are the creator/creatrix of your own life. Release any chains or old stories that hold you back.

Reflection questions: These can apply on the mental, emotional, spiritual or physical level.

Where might I need to loosen up a bit?

Where am I forcing myself into a box that just doesn’t fit?

Am I clinging to any outmoded ideas about myself, my life or my spiritual practice that are no longer serving me?

What structures or containers are supporting my growth and which are not?

What small adjustment can I make now to allow more space to be myself, to move, flow or grow?

I hope that whatever path or practices you embrace, they nourish you deeply and give you the spaciousness, support and freedom you desire.

Can you think of a time you felt stuck in a box- a spiritual or mental expectation or ideal that was holding you back? How did you free yourself? Please feel free to share in the comments!

xo

Serena

Receive first dibs on events, new products & my FREE ebook by signing up for my newsletter below!

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

First Harvest Wisdom + Tarot Reading!

Blessed First Harvest! This season is also celebrated as Lammas, Lughnasadh and Gwyl Awst, which each have their regional variations but are very similar. I call it First Harvest for simplicity, as it is the first of three harvest festivals. This is the harvest of grain, followed by the harvest of fruits and vegetables at Autumn Equinox and then the harvest of the hunt at Samhain.

At First Harvest, traditions celebrate the harvesting of grains such as oats, wheat and barley, which are baked into bread. It honors skills and crafts, the God Lugh, and coming together in community to share our bounty, creations and wares.

As we enter this extended harvest period, the universe calls us to begin a process of integration, learning, and gathering wisdom from our toils since the beginning of the year. We can think back to Imbolc season (approx. February 1st-March 21st) and see how our visions and goals for the year have manifested. Some themes from that time may come back into our life for review now.

For those living agricultural lifestyles, this is a busy time of much labor and hard work. Farmers, gardeners and those who work with the earth are aware of the need to process and organise the harvest into something sustainable for the future, such as separating the wheat from the chaff, drying, storing, canning, preserving, etc. Cooking and creating medicines from our harvest is another wonderful way to strengthen our bond with Mother Earth and nourish the soul.

Even if we are not gardeners or farmers, we may be processing the results of our work over the last six months and organising this into something that can be shared with others or that will sustain us in the future. We can honor the abundance of the Earth at this time through supporting local farmers at markets, eating seasonal foods, crafting something in honor of the earth, or supporting local artisans.

Our ‘harvest’ can come in many forms- tangible and intangible. While materialistic values reign in this world, this does not lessen the value and importance of our inner work. We can honor the accomplishment of any personal healing that we’ve been working on, brave steps we’ve taken, small goals we’ve achieved, any growth in our mental or emotional wellness, spiritual life, friendship, family, emotional satisfaction, inspiration, or other ways goodness has flourished in our lives.

Take some time to acknowledge all your efforts and allow gratitude to swell within your heart this season. Gratitude opens us up to even more abundance.

In an area of life where our harvest is low, we may need to be more discerning and creative with our resources. We can focus on investing limited resources where they are needed most. Where our harvest is more bountiful, we can share, give and support others. It is a time to tune into the flow of reciprocation in our lives- giving and receiving, expressing and listening, and adjusting the flow to be more sustainable and beneficial to ourselves and others.

During this year’s First Harvest season, we have a Mercury Retrograde period from August 5th-27th, which adds a twist of the unexpected and an even more reflective quality to this season, as pieces of the past come up to be processed and integrated. As we remember the past, we can see how far we’ve come and let go of what we no longer need to hold onto.

Embrace slow medicine and give yourself some extra time and space to become deeply present in mind, body, heart and soul. This is a wonderful opportunity to gain a new perspective on something you’ve been doing a certain way for a while, which may need to shift. Be open to twists and turns that will take you where you really need to be, rather than where you thought you’d be. Relax into the moment and go with the flow. Trust that all is supporting our highest good.

Now let’s get on to the Tarot Reading! (If you’d like to learn more about First Harvest and how to celebrate, please read my post: Why Lammas is Important and How to Celebrate.)

Take 3 deep breaths to clear your energy and relax. Once you are grounded and centered, ask:

“What do I need to know for this First Harvest season?”

Then, choose a card from the photo below. Scroll down to reveal each card and its meaning.

First Harvest Reading with The Gentle Tarot by Mariza Ryce Aparicio-Tovar

Remember that number! Now scroll down to find it. Descriptions are my own words except those in italics, which are of the deck’s author.

  1. The Moon- Delve into your depths to find the treasure

There’s a lot going on under the surface right now. Like a deep lake, you can see more clearly when the waters are still. Take this as an invitation to slow down and find stillness. Your heart may be telling a different story than your mind, and so you have to get off the hamster wheel to hear your inner truth. It is likely that your inner truth is spilling over into your nighttime dreams, so if you can, record your dreams and take time to process and learn from them. Harvest the wisdom that lies deep within, and separate it from any illusions you’ve ascribed to. This takes some time and effort, and a willingness to let go of the typical mundane grind. What helps you ease into an intuitive, peaceful frame of mind? Music? Movement? Meditation? Find your pathway opener. Then allow the treasures of your inner truth to bubble up into your awareness. All will fall into place once you make space for your inner wisdom.

What has your intuition been saying lately? Is there a calling that you have buried? What does your wild side have to say about the present life you live?

2. Judgement- Rise up and claim your power

This card is not so much about judgement, as it is about acceptance. Once we’ve accepted all that we are, all that we’ve been through, flaws, shadow, imperfections and all- can we feel truly empowered. This is a time of reckoning, of meeting your wholeness and an invitation to claim all of it. Be all of it. You are the fullness of your life experiences, and these have created the beautiful work of art that is you in this moment. We are always changing, shedding skins and evolving. Honour the unique and challenging path that brought you here. You are enough. You are beautiful, just as you are. Rise up from the ashes and stand in your power. The world needs your unique perspective and energy to make it a better place. What aspects of yourself do you feel ashamed of? Can you bring some tender loving care to those parts of yourself right now? Perhaps journaling this part of yourself or speaking to a loved one or therapist may be helpful at this time. This is an invitation to level-up, reclaim your power and begin anew with the wisdom of your experience.

Like this snake has freshly shed her skin, rise up to meet your higher self. Fulfill the promise you made to yourself upon arrival to this Earth, follow your true vocation.

3. The Emperor- Embrace your inner authority

You are the boss of your own life. Does it feel like you are? If not, perhaps bringing in a more supportive routine, structure or boundaries would be helpful at this time. Your energy is precious and it may be leaking out in certain aspects of your life. It is easy to get caught up in the needs of others, distractions, or scattering our energy in many directions. What this card calls for is a remembering of your inner authority, and a call to take yourself a bit more seriously. You are majestic and powerful. Does your life reflect this belief?

Re-assess your priorities. Re-connect with your personal goals. Create a schedule that honors these priorities and goals. Set boundaries with people who have too much access to your energy or who pull you off track. You may be grappling with issues with an authority figure in your life or even inside of you. There may be a perpetual habit of keeping yourself small because it feels safe. Or perhaps you’re being too hard on yourself. This can take time to heal. You can start small by reminding yourself that you are the boss of your own life. You are responsible first and foremost to yourself. You decide how to use your own energy. Claim your inner Sea Lion and show the world you’re worth it and you mean business!

4. Two of Stones- Stay grounded yet flexible!

Circumstances may have you balancing several things at once, which may be causing some overwhelm. You must stay grounded, yet flexible. If there is too much on your plate, delegate. Let go of what is unnecessary. You must find the balance that is sustainable for you. Even with adjustments, you may find you need to be a bit more flexible and adaptable than usual, but this will help you achieve what you’re aiming for and increase your skills. Mercury is retrograde, so things may come up out of left field forcing you to pivot or make changes to your plans. Don’t fret, as this experience is helping to move you in a better direction. Be light on your feet, go with the flow, and be open to doing things a different way. Be patient with the process and trust all is moving in the right direction, even if it seems a bit chaotic at times. You are strong, wise, and capable. Move with the grace and lightness of the woman in the card. You’ve got this!

When we surrender control, we gain opportunity. Embrace your courage and your strength.

5. Five of Thunder- Know when to surrender and let go

There are times in life where we must work and grind, push up against impossible odds, or fight for what we believe in. And then there are times where fighting is futile, and the more effort we put forth, the worse things get. As we grow wiser, we recognise that we must choose our battles and use our energy in ways that are most productive and life-affirming. This card in an invitation to put down your sword and let go. You’ve reached a limit. Perhaps you’ve been pushing in a direction that is not yielding results or is causing more harm than good to your well-being or that of others. Permission to pause, surrender and restore your energy. Ask for the help you need. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve lost, it just may mean you must find a new way to go forward. Take the time you need to rest and reflect on the situation. Process your feelings through journaling, art, physical activity or talking to a trusted friend. There is also an invitation of acceptance here- accept of the reality of this present moment, the truth of a situation, and the limitations of others or your own. It’s time to make inner peace a priority right now.

No need to climb to the tippity-top of this mountain, maybe you are just fine where you are and your path has other plans for you, another destination.

6. Root of Thunder- Be clear with your mission, and express with precision

You feel confident and ready to move forward on something. But before you jump full speed ahead, remember Mercury is going retrograde, meaning that some thoughtfulness and caution may be necessary first. You may find this time is helpful for clarifying your mission, plans, or intentions, or refine how you wish to express yourself. The details do matter, and if you slow down, you might find that the extra time spent will create a better outcome. Sometimes we run a hundred miles in the wrong direction. Keep your confidence, keep your faith, but take some time to refine your mission and execution. Get clear on your intentions and goals. Then maybe do a bit more research- do you know exactly where you’re headed? Is this the best path forward? Perhaps some extra preparation could go a long way? Is there another way to achieve what you desire? How might this land on others? Getting clear and precise with your energy will ensure you hit your mark. Patience is your ally. What is meant for you won’t pass you by.

Are you expressing and living your whole truth? Are you being compassionate and considerate to others? It is ok to take up space, but balance is essential.

7. The Fool- Open up to something new!

Nothing ventured, nothing gained! This is an invitation to trust your instincts. You may be venturing into new territory, wanting to try something for the first time or stepping out of your comfort zone. An air of innocence permeates your situation, and with it attracts the benevolence of the universe. Sure, there will be challenges ahead and perhaps some detours along the way, but you need to start somewhere, and listen to that little voice inside you coaxing you towards a new adventure. What is your heart pulling you towards? What are you feeling curious about? With Mercury Retrograde, you may wish to seek out guidance from those who’ve traveled there before or do a bit of research first, so you don’t get in over your head. Give yourself permission to experiment, make mistakes and have a beginner’s mind. Hold your vulnerability sacred. This may be the first small step towards a dream that is resurfacing from the past, or one you’ve held for some time. Be open to new experiences and ways of doing things. Wandering and meandering about can be great ways to get inspired.

Now is the time to be in the moment, to be fearless, to change paths, to be spontaneous, to trust. Uninhibited, you follow your heart’s desires. The entire universe supports your every move.

8. Temperance- Balance and moderation in all things

Sometimes life around us is divided and full of extremes. You may have felt pressured to ramp up your intensity or volume and strain to be heard and seen, or to take a big risk to get what you need. You may have overdone or over-indulged in something. Now is the time to come back into balance. Gentleness and moderation are called for. Where in your life are things out of balance? What has been taking its toll on your body, mind or spirit? Or all three?

Where you feel weakness, invite strength and confidence. Where you feel stress, invite ease and peace. Where you feel burdened, invite lightness and freedom. Your health and well-being depend on balance. What is your body asking for now? Spending time in nature can help restore harmony within, reminding you of your connection to the innate balance of the universe. Now is the time to invite balance into your diet, your exercise routine, your emotional connections, your work life and your mind.

Balance is key to having clear thoughts and clear ears for listening to your heart’s pull.

I hope your card resonated! I wish you an abundant First Harvest season and a beautiful rest of summer. If you are interested in going deeper with a more personalised Tarot Reading, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Blessings,

Serena

Receive first dibs on events, new products & my FREE ebook by signing up for my newsletter below!

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

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? The conditions are favorable for inner work, however. Connecting with our own emotions, shadow work, healing and transformation are what eclipses encourage. I apply this for both the solar and lunar eclipse, and the whole eclipse season. 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

Receive first dibs on events, new products & my FREE ebook by signing up for my newsletter below!

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.