WISE WOMAN WITCHERY - Blog

10/15/2021

My husband taught me something new...

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My husband recently taught me something new...
The acorns are thick this year. They are littered everywhere, reaching even beyond the branches of the oaks, carried by birds and winds and squirrels, stuffed into the trunks of trees and poking out of the ground, stashed as winter supplies for the critters.
My husband recently shared with me that folklore around such an abundant harvest of these nuts, suggests a rough winter ahead. The idea being that these acorns are shed to support the wildlife through the coldest darkest time of the year.

Science suggests that it is actually the conditions of the growing season that is ending that decides on the bounty from the oak.
Instead of the future being told by this marker, it is the story of the past that is littered about under these trees.

This seems fitting for this time of year. As we move closer to the final harvest I find myself in a state of reflection. This time of year as the veil between worlds thins, it is to the past where my mind wanders, and I find myself remembering.

It was 20 years ago that I found myself at a public Samhain ritual for the first time and had a deeply profound trance that anchored me on my spiritual path.

As Samhain approaches, my ancestor altar gets more abundant with photos and flowers and acorns too. And my memories create a lovely landscape of those I have loved who have made their way to whatever lies after this life in the next. I remember too the loss and challenges of the last 19 months and take pause to acknowledge and all that we as a collective have shared.

Are the acorns dropping where you are?

What storiees do you find in their harvest?

What rituals of remembrance are unfolding for you?

10/4/2020

When Women Circle

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The leaves rattle in the wind... Fierce and loud, then slower and quiet until they find stillness for a heartbeat or a breath, only to awaken again. The air blowing past my face is fresh and cool. My hair dancing among the breezes, curling and tangling. The scent of dry sweet grasses fills my body with knowing.
This is the harvest. This is the lengthening of nights and the time when the desire to move inward grows strong.

Here amongst the gusts and the scents of autumn I circle with the women I have called my family for 16 years. Our intimacy is one that transcends that of typical friendships. For not only are our friendships long and the stories of our lives etched into that which lies between us, but our energies have been interwoven, time and time again. We have cast countless circles and called upon the elements and directions so many times that there is deep ease when we do it here in this moment.

It has been months since we have gathered without a screen and miles between us. Yet even here, in our distanced circle with cloth covering our faces as we ground ourselves and cast our circle, as our energies begin the familiar weaving that is the tapestry of us, I feel the power of a shared history of magic emerge.
I feel like I have come home.
Wise Women, this moment I write about brought me to tears. Tears of gratitude to see these amazing women, and to circle together. Tears of grief for the months we have been apart. And tears that came because of the profound love I have for each of these fabulous humans.

In my time in Circle I have learned so much from both the women who have come and gone and those that have arrived and stayed with steadfastness.

There is wisdom and power in community, and within community we are offered gifts not just from others but also from ourselves. In relationship we are asked to look more closely within and explore the bright and shadowy bits that come to the surface.

In Circle we are also asked to bring our magic to the center and allow it to connect and meld with the magic of others.

I want this for all of you!
Although we can not gather in person, we can use the tools of the internet to gather virtually and create community among the neuro-networks of what we once called the world wide web.

The Wise Woman Witchery Diving Deeper Community has launched! This is a space that will foster community, offer weekly live chats and sometimes interviews with other wise witchy women, Full and New Moon ceremonies and you will get access to all online conferences hosted by Wise Woman Witchery. This monthly membership is guaranteed to bring more magic into your day to day and add a few more pages to your Book of Shadows.

Ready to step into the Circle?
Join The Wise Woman Witchery Diving Deeper community today!

8/29/2020

Fire Transform Me

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The world around me has been burning. Here in Northern California the land has come alive in flame and destruction. The lightning storm that was so full of energy last week ignited a series of wildfires across the state and here in my home county we have been surrounded by smoke. This is the third huge fire our county has experienced in the last four years and it has been both terrifying and humbling to endure.
In the midst of the fires the Mystical Creatures conference occurred during which Rosemary Lloyd Freeman gave a presentation on the medicine and power of the Phoenix. This was such poignant time to connect with this Mythical Fire Bird. The reminder that everything cycles, that even from the ash, growth is reborn. This of course applies to our life experiences as well as the literal cycle of the seasons, the moon, the tides, and even the fires.

At the time of this writing the fire closest to me is beginning to find some containment. When fires burn they usually do so exponentially at first, exploding in so many different directions driven by fuel or wind or both. But then without wind to drive them forward and most of the fuel eaten up, they burn around the perimeter inching forward until they have nothing left to consume. When the earth is left untended or prevented from her natural burn cycle, fuel sources grow and expand to unhealthy degrees, creating space for more intense destruction.
In my own magical practices I work often and deeply with all the elements. This week as I held fire in my heart I found myself discovering questions within the flames. I share these with you here, Wise Women, along with a simple fire ritual to invite you to explore the ways you might work with fire in your own life.

Journal Prompts-
What areas of your life are overgrown or out of balance?

What steps can you take to “thin” or balance these areas?

What in your life feels like it is burning down in this moment?

How do you tend to the “flames” that arise whether in relationships, foundations (like home or work), or in your emotional arousal?

Have you experienced a “burning down” or “falling apart” during your lifetime? If yes, how did things regrow?

What tools do you have to “slow the burn” when fires flare up in your life?

Fire is powerful, and when we work in tandem with it, it can be a tool for transformation.

Simple ritual- Create your intention by asking yourself the question “What in my life am I ready to transform?”
Create your sacred space in whatever way you do this.
Use a piece of paper that is natural (no dyes or metallics) and a pencil and write down what it is that you are ready to transform.

Holding this paper in your hand you can say something like “By the power of the mighty Fire I surrender this with the desire, that it will be transformed by flame, into ash to grow again.”
Using a fire safe dish (preferably outdoors), light the paper and let it burn down. When it is cool, add this ash as fertilizer for a potted plant or in your garden, completing the cycle of transformation.

If you find yourself curious about the Phoenix (and other mystical creatures), the complete conference can be found via replays in my school site under Mystical Creatures.

8/10/2020

Make Magic with the Sun

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My house smells like dehydrating apples and baking bread, the crows outside are molting, leaving their feathers about everywhere and that autumnal energy seems to be leaking into these dog days of summer.
The dog days of summer are often the hottest days and they were termed the dog days due to the morning arrival of the star Sirius. This star is one of the brightest and if you are awake at dawn you just might catch a glimpse of the glow of this star sun.

We are still in the sun sign of Leo and the fire this sign brings with it can be felt in that summer heat as well as in the desire to get out and do things that often accompanies this time of year.

We continue to move through this wild time of uncertainty (here in America especially) and I hear from people almost daily who are struggling with anxiety, depression and/or restless sleep. In this height of summer heat and sunshiny days, why not utilize the solar energy to cheer your mood and fuel your magic. When I think of the sun, I think not only of heat but of yellows and oranges and reds. I think of citrus and sunflowers.
A Simple Sun Ritual- Take a jar of water and set it outside at dawn. If you have lemons add some slices to the jar, if you don't' have lemons but have lemon essential oil (or orange essential oil) you might add a few drops. (If you have none of these things thats ok too the water will energize whether you add to it or not). Allow this water to set in the sun and absorb the brightness and energy from dawn til dusk. You might even write out an intention and set it beneath the jar. (One of my personal favorites is "Vibrant sun burning bright calm my nerves and help me sleep tonight" and no, your intention doesn't have to rhyme) Use this water to create a ritual bath or shower. Utilize red and orange and yellow crystals if you have them, setting these on the ledge of your tub or shower to surround yourself with that sunshine energy, you may want to light candles to add some of that "fire element", then if you are taking a bath include the sun water in your tub (if you have sunflower petas why not include these as well) and allow the energy to soak into your muscles. If you are showering you can use your solar water as a rinse for your body and hair, imagine the energy of the water infusing your body with its energy infusing its energy into your body as it pours over you. Some people find solar energy too invigorating for night time bathing. Keep this in mind as you choose a time to do this ritual. A Sun Altar- To tap into what the sun energy means to you, it can be helpful to create an altar honoring the sun energy. The sun is usually linked to what is considered by many as masculine energy (the moon being linked to the feminine). It is action and drive, will and directness. The sun is often considered to be about creating and doing. Your solar altar is a great place to work manifestation spells and create intentions. Items you might consider for your altar include, wand or blade, yellow, red and orange flowers, crystals in these hues, candles (never leave these unattended), images or statues of the sun, honey or honey cakes, lemons and oranges, the tarot card The Chariot, rattles and snake skins. As with any altar the possibilities are endless and the idea in the creation of this is to create a space that has meaning to YOU and your relationship with the sun.

7/29/2020

Lammas 2020

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Wise Women, the wheel turns again and we find ourselves less than a week from Lammas/Lughnasadh

This is our first Harvest festival. It is a time of gratitude and celebration. (For more details and a little history on this fire festival, you can check out my blog on Lammas from last year.)
If you are new to the Wheel of Year you may not yet have traditions for this holiday. If you have been celebrating the turn of the wheel for some time, you may have your go to rituals and ways to celebrate.
For me Lammas marks the shift of movement toward the fall (my favorite season). It is the hottest time of year here in the northern hemisphere and it is also Leo season (think roaring gorgeous sunkissed lions). Summer is still with us but as she wanes the hot and languid, lazy days of this season become more precious. As with all things the more scarce the more precious.
So in celebration of Summer, our first harvest and that turn of the wheel I encourage you to plan yourself a Lammas ritual.
There are many options to choose from. This year as we find ourselves in the midst of a surging pandemic you will most likely find that your celebration will be closer to home. This is not the year for large potlucks and sharing of harvests in this way. Yet there are ways to include your community in your celebrations.

Share Fruits and Seeds- As you begin your harvest you may also find some of your early garden has bolted and turned to seed. In celebration of the harvest and to symbolize the fruits of your labors, why not have a seed exchange. You can label your seeds and mail them to friends to share. Get several friends involved and have everyone mail their favorite seeds to each other (this is a lovely thing to do in the Spring as well).
Share your surplus veggies with neighbors and friends. You may not be able to potluck with friends but you can absolutely share your extra fruit and veg. I have a neighbor who is frequently picking their surplus and leaving it in a box in front of their house with a free sign. This is a great way to share with your community.
Want to connect with the spirits of the land? Bake some bread to leave as an offering. Lammas means loaf mass and baking bread is not only a traditional way to celebrate this holiday but also a fun and nourishing activity (I have some sourdough raising as I type this). Bake up some bread for yourself and some for a gratitude offering to the earth.
If you are feeling particularly abundant right now in time, food or money, you can share this too. Right now there are many people out of work and having a challenging time making ends meet. There are also a lot of our elders who are feeling more isolated than usual.
If you are someone who has a little extra time you might volunteer to call some seniors in your area who might be isolated due to Covid. Many communities have programs like this to connect with people who are needing it. A phone call can go a long way!
Or perhaps you have a little extra money and can donate to a local cause or to a friend or family member in need.
Or maybe you are cleaning out your pantry to make way for your new harvest. Perhaps some of these items could be donated to your local food bank. Giving back is a great way to celebrate abundance, harvest and gratitude.
Corn Dolly-As I mention in my blog from last years Lammas, I make a “corn dolly” annually for blessings and protection in my home. These are traditionally made with corn husks, but I tend to gather that which is growing in my yard and make a “dolly” with these plants. This is a symbol of abundance and I imbue my creation with protective energy then find a place for her to “guard” over my home for the next year. Once I have created this I burn the one from the year before to release the work it has done and invite in the protection of the new “dolly”. This can be a really fun way to celebrate with kiddos too!
Fire-As I mentioned earlier this is Leo season and Leo is a fire sign, which, coupled with the sun energy of this time of year, can be a powerful time for transformation. Just as our gardens are transforming from growth to harvest, you may find that you have something within you that is ready to be harvested or transformed. A simple ritual with this idea at is core, might be to light a candle, and ask the question, “What have I been cultivating within that I am ready to harvest or transform?” Then pull a tarot or oracle card and spend some time journaling about how this connects for you. Follow up this fist question by asking “What action can I take right now to support this harvest or transformation?” (Remember that fire energy is not only transformative but also action oriented) You might choose to pull another card and reflect on this or just journal and let your inner wisdom take its own direction here. Close your ritual by creating a clear intention statement about what action you will take. Say it aloud and blow out your candle.

Happy Lammas everyone!

6/21/2020

Summer Solstice 2020

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As I crawled into bed last night it was just about 9pm and yet the sun was still shining in through my blinds making sleep a bit elusive. Summer Solstice is just about here! This pinnacle of the light, the longest day and shortest night. This marks the first day of Summer and also the descent of the sun as we begin to make our slow journey back toward the darkness.
This is a day of fire! With the sun high in the sky we are called outdoors to celebrate this moment.
The crops we planted in the early spring are beginning to fruit and often we are starting to see the first glimmers of harvest. My zucchini and squash are growing wildly into being and our plum tree is laden with fruit, it’s branches dipping earthbound as the plums turn from green to deep deep purple. The heat of the sun has turned the hillsides golden and the baby birds are everywhere.
Summer Solstice is a holy day full of movement and transformation.
This year it falls on the 20th of June (Saturday) and is followed by a new moon in Cancer on Sunday the 21st. I understand a solar eclipse will be happening on the new moon as well. Although we will not be able to see it from North America I can guarantee some of the energy of this will be felt.
Solar eclipses turn my attention to the questions “What power/skill/gift am I hiding from the world? What action have I been trying to avoid or not take?” With the new moon hanging in Cancer these questions will likely filter through some deep emotion as I explore the answers.
So even as the Sun reaches its height and we call in Summer and all the play it evokes, we are also gifted the opportunity to look inside ourselves and burst forth with the growth we may not even know has been happening within! If you have a hard time answering these questions, I invite you to use tarot, oracle or runes and ask these questions as you pull a card or rune then reflect on the answer you find there.
There are many ways to celebrate the Summer Solstice. Here are a few to help inspire you!

Greet the morning and say Goodnight to the sun. I am a morning person so getting up before the sun and welcoming the day is something I do almost everyday anyway, but on Summer and Winter Solstice I love to get outside and say hello as the Sun emerges. Some years this is cozied up with a cup of tea in hand and other years I roll out my yoga mat and welcome the day with some movement (sun salutations anyone?). Do what feels right to you as you craft this experience to fit your own relationship with the morning and the Solstice.

Where I live in Northern California there is a troop of Morris dancers that often dance the sun down out at the coast on the Solstice. I have been most fortunate to witness their dances on more than one occasion. I love the idea of dancing the sun to bed! Light a fire or (even a candle in a cauldron), and dance, drum, rattle and move as the sun sets on the longest day.

Make Summer Solstice cookies! I found this recipe and….yum!
Make some sun tea to go with your cookies. It’s simple! Add tea bags to a gallon jar of water and set out in the sun. To make this even more magical you can write an intention on a piece of paper and set it under the jar to infuse your intention into the tea along with the energy of the sun!
Practice some Fire Divination! This exercise goes well with many a celebration (but I resonate most with it at both Solstices and Beltane and Samhain). Using a fire or a candle soften your gaze and stare into the flame. Allow your mind to wander and discover what comes to you. Be sure to make a note in your journal or book of shadows.
Release! What have you been hanging onto that you are ready to let go of? We are always moving through the cycles of holding and releasing, but what better time to really let go than when the sun is at its highest point and the moon is a day away from being new?! This year perhaps you write down what you want to release and burn it in the fire then awaken the next day adn set your new moon intention for the lunar cycle. Using the energy of the solar system and cosmos gives so much more power to your intentions!

4/29/2020

Beltane 2020

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Beltane is May 1st!

Happy Beltane Wise Women!
The wheel turns and here in the Northern Hemisphere we find ourselves halfway between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. Beltane is a fire festival with a focus on fertility. It is a celebration of the coming together of masculine and feminine energies and that which is birthed from the union.

It is also a liminal time when the veil between the worlds is thin. Samhain, which sits opposite this festival on the wheel of the year mirrors this thinning veil. During Samhain we connect with our ancestors and beloved dead through this veil. It is the autumn, a time of dying away and this is when we celebrate those that have come before.

At Beltane we celebrate life. During this time it is not unusual for that thinning veil to make way for the Fae folk to be seen in our world. The May queen often found in May day celebrations is a representation of the Fairy Queen and her presence during this time.

This festival is also a celebration of the Green Man and his growing energy. He can be seen in the growing plant life all around!

This fire festival was also a time of cleansing. In days long ago, cattle were driven between two bonfires to cleanse them of pests and disease before they were sent out to pasture. Today we see this tradition manifesting in rituals as humans leaping over the fire to purify oneself.

I’m curious Wise Women, what images do the words May Day evoke for you? As a child did you celebrate with paper cone creations loaded with flowers and left as offerings? Did you make daisy chains, or flower crowns? Or was Beltane/May Day an unknown in the world you traversed as a child?

In my own childhood, I created flower baskets and hung them on my neighbors doorknobs. I did not know the reason for this, only that May Day was the day to leave baskets of flowers for folks.

This was a practice that apparently was quite common in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Often baskets were made of paper (I fancied a cone made of construction paper) and filled with flowers and treats then left on doors for neighbors and townsfolk. This tradition also held a romantic twist for some. When a basket was left, the receiver was to chase after the giver of the gift and bestow on them a kiss!

It is no wonder this tradition was associated with this day. Beltane is, as I mentioned, a celebration of fertility. It is a celebration of the sacred union of the God and Goddess and has been celebrated ritually through sex (in some traditions this was between a High Priestess and High Priest). It is not unusual to hear of folks coupling off at Beltane and making their way off to have some “alone” time. Just as many animals and the earth begin their reproductive rites in spring, honoring this can take the same form for humans.

Beltane is also a lovely time for a wedding or handfasting ceremony as it is the time of joining.

Most of us are familiar with the Maypole. The ultimate phallic symbol, this pole is driven into the earth to represent the masculine energy force or the God. It is often adorned with a wreath of flowers and foliage at the top to represent the female energies or the Goddess. The weaving of ribbons about the pole represents the joining of the two energies.

The dancing of the maypole is such a playful and joyous experience, an embodiment of this time of year. The cheerful and youthful energy that often accompanies spring abounds as the dancers move in and out weaving a spell of fertility and abundance onto the pole with ribbons.

In my circle we often host a Beltane ritual for our community. We have a pole with years of ribbons woven upon one another, and the energy it holds is powerful and lively, loaded with color, and alternating beautiful woven patterns with messy chaotic ones. It is a lovey symbol of life itself, colorful, perfect and imperfect all wrapped into one!

With our current Pandemic, there will probably be fewer Maypoles and no public rituals, but there are many ways you can celebrate Beltane at home.

If you live with people (especially kids) you can still make a maypole. (My sister and I did this with our tetherball pole as kids). If you have a pole or large staff you can put this in the ground and tie ribbons to the top to weave . You can also use a tree trunk (You will want to remove the ribbons at the end of your festivities as trees usually don’t like to stay bound for long). There are a variety of different maypole dances (I only know one). This is a resource that offers some options though http://maypoledance.com/maypoledance.html
You can also dance the maypole without ribbons. According to the above source, ribbonless Maypoles were adorned with plants and flowers and people would dance around them. The symbols are still present.

This leads to dance as ritual or celebration. Why not step outside and find the dance that lives inside of you? Feel your feet on the earth. Beat a drum or shake a rattle and allow your body to discover the rhythm it wants to bring forth.

Perhaps you would like to create a spell this Beltane. What about making a spell jar? You might use the intention of bringing prosperity, or health, or abundant crops (if you are a gardener). Using the energy of this time of fertility choose your intention for your spell and write it on a piece of paper. Put this into your spell jar along with other items that feel connected to your intention. Maybe there is a crystal or stone that resonates for you and is in alignment with your intention, perhaps a plant or herb calls to you, include these items in your jar. Seeds, soil, feathers,ash, and incense are just a few of the things you might include. The possibilities are endless really. There are many books and websites that can give you a step by step process for creating such a jar, but I tend to believe that the best spells are the ones you create from your heart. I like to speak to each item as I add it saying what it represents or what I want it to call in. When I feel I’ve added all my items, I close the jar and charge it up either by singing, chanting, toning or dancing to or around the jar. You may choose to leave the jar on your altar for a period of time and then empty the contents and bury them in the earth or you may choose to bury the jar itself. Protection spells are often buried at the threshold to your home.

Make a fire. You can do this in several ways. Perhaps you light candles or if you are crafty, perhaps you make candles and infuse them with this fertile abundance of Beltane. Or if you have a fire pit, create a fire. This Beltane I will be burning a fire of dried herbs from my trimmed lavender and rosemary bushes. Because of the thinning veils this is an amazing time to do some fire scrying. Soften your gaze and stare in the flame. Notice what images and thoughts come to you and make a note. There is wisdom in the flames!

You might also create altars and/or offerings for the Fae folk. Using natural found items, craft an altar outdoors and leave some milk (or cream) and cake (or bread) for the Fae. You might even spend some time meditating at this altar and asking for wisdom or guidance from these beings. Beware of any fairy folk luring you away into green space. The veils are thin and we can cross into their world as easily as they cross into ours. ;-)

Make Bannocks or Beltane cakes. Create dishes that celebrate spring. Think asparagus, sprouts and greens. The recipes for such things are boundless. Follow your tastebuds and celebrate with a feast (outdoor picnic style if possible)!

And during this time of social distancing and stay at home orders, why not resurrect the may basket. Create cones from colored paper (or decorate computer paper). Staple a strip of paper to the top of the cone creating a “basket”, add flowers and/or treats and leave these on the doors or porches of neighbors and loved ones.

Another option to share this playful time of year with those around you, might be to create some chalk art on your sidewalk. Using colorful chalk draw pictures and write well wishes to those that might literally cross your path. This is a beautiful way to bestow May Day blessings even though we can’t physically connect.

For a few more ideas you can check out my blog on Beltane from last year.

Whatever you decide to do Wise Women, I wish you a blessed and joyful holiday. Enjoy the earth, the union of the God and Goddess, the heat of the fire which promises summer is just around the corner, and the mystery and playful (trickster) energy the Fae folk bring.

With Love and Bright Beltane Blessings,
Emily

3/18/2020

Spring Equinox 2020

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The Spring Equinox has arrived. The Wheel turns and we pause in the moment before we shift completely to the lighter time of year here in the Northern Hemisphere. Like Autumn Equinox this is a time of balance, when light and dark hold equal amounts of time during this day. In the Autumn we are preparing to go into the darkness of the year and we often find ourselves beginning to slow down and turn our attention inward. In the Spring we are preparing to move into the light, feel ourselves awaken, quicken and ready to begin to move outward into the world.
Spring belongs to the Maiden to dawn and to new beginnings. The Maiden is youth, playfulness, promise of fertility, and creativity. This is the time when the goddess Persephone ascends from her place in the underworld and the earth responds to her return by awakening. Growth and greenery making its way across the land, the rebirth and new life coming into being.
The Spring Equinox is the first day of Spring. This day is also celebrated as Ostara (or Oestara, or Eostra) who is the Germanic Goddess of the fertility of the earth.

There are many ways you can celebrate this holiday or create simple traditions that you can come back to year after year.

Spring Cleaning!
Although we discussed possibly getting started with this at Brigid, now is the time! Clear the clutter, open the windows clean behind the furniture and under the bed! Take your broom and sweep (literally and energetically) the stale energy of Winter out the doors and windows and make way for the newness of Spring! Clear the space further with the use of smoke from incense or dried herbs, or sprinkle salt water around the perimeter inside and out.
This is also a lovely time to “plant” blessings and protection throughout your home. A simple way to do this is to take rocks or crystals of your choice and hold them while saying a prayer or blessing for your home and those that reside there. When your house feels clear and clean place these near entrances and on windowsills.

Create a Spring Altar
Think blossoms, and rabbits and eggs and bright Spring colors. This is a space to honor all that is new and growing and all you would like to welcome in as new and growing. Eggs are a powerful symbol of Spring. As the days lengthen Chickens begin to lay again and birds begin their mating rituals ready to lay their own eggs. In addition the yolk of the egg can represent the sun while the white can be seen as a symbol of the maiden. Rabbits are excellent at reproduction and in this way have become symbols of the fertility that spring holds. As the earth awakens and bulbs and blossoms burst forth we see an array of color dotting the landscape. Invite these colors (and blooms too) into your space by including them on your altar.

Create
What have you been feeling a pull to create? Perhaps its art, music, poetry or prose. Or perhaps you have been contemplating rearranging furniture or redecorating a room, or even building something (a couple years ago I built a compost box out of old fence boards, pallets and nails as my equinox project). Make some space to create! And remember this is about the process not the outcome.

Plant!
You can do this as a ritual, planting literal seeds in pots, giving each seed the intention of what it is you want to grow and cultivate in your own life. This can be particularly fun with kiddos. You can use paint to color and adorn the pots before planting and share about things you want to “grow” then reiterate these as you plant the seeds. Tending these seeds can be a family affair.

You can also use this time to plan (and depending on where you live) begin to plant your garden.

Remember that a seed will remain dormant until planted in the earth. Awaken!

Meditate with Water
This element is often making an appearance during this time of year and is both nourishing and cleansing. Take some time to meditate either in the bath or shower, or by body of water. See what messages about what you might nourish and grow in your own life come as you take this intentional time to connect with the energies of this element.

Egg Divination
You can also use the energy of this time and the symbol of an actual egg to guide you. Hard boil an egg and draw lines from top to bottom effectively dividing the egg into 4 sections. In each section write down something you might be wanting to manifest, or have a question about (for example if you are trying to decide about starting a new career perhaps you write the options on each side.) If you have a grassy knoll or hill available roll this down it and see which side it lands on for your answer. You can also do this indoors by creating a slight ramp with blankets and pillow or a board from chair or couch to floor with a pillow for the egg to land on. This is a fun one for kids too!

Cook
Use Fresh spring veggies to create a seasonal feast. Roasted asparagus, spring veggie soup and a salad made of sprouts are just a few things you can make. Use your imagination. What food items speak to you of Spring?
Bake A CakeVernal Equinox Cake
Spring tides are rising high
Life cycles turning
Bursts of energy make magic fly
Rebirth is the learning.
Spring and moon magic and the mad March hare, mating and matching, birthing and hatching and all of the energy is there. This cake is the richness of spring, of the vernal equinox brought forth from the rich darkness of winter. It is a light cake of eggs and rises high in its tin, it's whiteness echoes the whiteness of the first blossoms of the thorn in the spring and the reflected light from the moon. It is best decorated simply with a light white icing dressed with blossom petals of primrose and cowslip.

You need:
4 eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 tablespoons cold water
12 oz - caster sugar - 375gms
smidgen under 1/4 pint - boiling water - 125mls
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
8 oz - sieved plain flour - 450gms
few drops vanilla essence
the grated rind of 1/2 a lemon
Grease and line a DEEP 8 inch cake tin and importantly preheat the oven to gas mark two, 300F/150C.

To start beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until they are stiff and then put them to one side.

In your cauldron, or large bowl, beat the egg yolks and cold water for at least five minutes.
Think and talk of all the things that Spring and the Vernal Equinox mean to you, gradually beat in the sugar and then the boiling water, your yolks should be getting whiter and whiter.
Now beat in the salt, baking powder and flour beating and concentrating all the time, stir in the lemon and vanilla and gradually slow down until you are able to gently fold in the egg whites and turn the mixture directly into its tin.
Bake the cake for one and a half hours; do not peek for at least 45 minutes.
This cake rises high in its tin and should be very light and white, a breath of fresh spring air.
Recipe donated by M Saille from her wonderful book The Kitchen Cauldron.
(I got this cake recipe from this site https://www.goddessandgreenman.co.uk/ostara/)

May you find comfort in the rhythm of nature and joy in celebrating and tuning in to Springs return.

2/16/2020

Endings are Beginnings are Endings again

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This last week has been sunny and warm. It’s as if Winter forgot that she was supposed to be working and Summer decided to fill in for her shift.
This happens in February around here.Winter takes a break and summer steps in for a week or two. It’s a false start to Spring. But one that is often welcome after cold nights and damp days.

This year I am being taken back to a time two years ago when the weather made this shift and I was holding vigil while grandmother was dying. First the days and nights were in the hospital then a care home. I sat and I knitted and moistened her mouth and sang her songs and told her stories, and held her hand and kissed her head and swore at the hospital bed for not having enough room for me to crawl in next to her but trying anyway.

For three weeks my mom and uncle and I took turns by her bedside leaving her alone for very short periods of time and trying to comfort her the best we could. This false Spring takes me right back to those moments that were sweet and painful and beautiful and devastating in their darkness.

Today is the anniversary of her death. That night the call came just after 10pm. I drove to the care home she was at and opened her window to the cold night and bathed her body with warm water and rubbed lavender salve into her cooling skin. I cut a piece of her beautiful salt and pepper hair and whispered my love in her now deaf ears. But I knew she was listening.

There was a time when we as culture spent more time with death. Where we helped the dying to cross to the next realm and held those vigils collectively as a community. They still exist. In some cultures and some families this does in fact occur. But as a culture we have moved farther away from this experience. We fight each day against aging and dying. Avoiding our own mortality and thus avoiding everyone elses as well.

There is something beautiful and precious in these moments of goodbye. Don’t get me wrong, it is also painful and heartbreaking. Yet honoring the leaving of the world as we honor being birthed into the world completes the circle, the cycle that is our journey in this body. This is the same cycle that moves through the seasons and all beings on this planet.

The ending of something is after all, just as important as the beginning.

Losing my grandmother was devastating, being with her in the process of her death was painful but also sacred and I was honored to share that time in between worlds with her.

Today I light a candle for my Grandma, and read some of the stories she wrote about her life and most of all I remember. For what is remembered is not lost.

This experience brings me back to the questions “How am I honoring endings in my life?” and “How am I honoring those that have come before?” . Wise Women, I invite you to ask yourself the same.

2/12/2020

That Full Moon Magic (or Mania)

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2/9/2020
My inner rebel is on a rampage! I'm having one of those weeks where I have been fighting myself on everything. I am vacillating between being a toddler having a temper tantrum and an unruly AF teenager. This is usually an indication that either I am not having enough fun in my life, or I am burnt out. Or perhaps both. (Not to mention that big and powerful Full Moon energy that has been building).

So yesterday I played with this a bit. I watched a movie instead of cleaning my house. I painted my nails with grey and glitter even though I know they will be chipped by the end of today and I put on makeup and had a dance party in my living room. Then I purposefully didn't respond to emails , left the dishes in the sink and made sure to howl at that full moon.
I feel a little less rebellious today, (although the black eyeliner is still whispering to me from my bathroom drawer.) But I am left with the reminder that all work and no play makes Emily a very cranky girl, and that hitting pause on a few things does not mean that the world will crumble. I share this with you, as I'm pretty certain each of you has had your own moment of rebelliousness at some point and likely will again. Consider this your PSA, get the music bumpin and let that wild woman have a little freedom!
Morning Magic!
This morning I woke to my alarm cat (5 am every day!) and let him outside. A little later, after tea and toast I went to let him back in. But instead of letting him in and starting the laundry, I grabbed a spell bundle from a ritual we did in my women's circle a few weeks back along with clippers, a lighter and a mini cauldron. Then I went out into the very windy morning and stood in my pjs and slippers under the glow of the full moon. I burned my spell to release it, I harvested some white sage and then stood beneath the massive moon to the west with dawn beginning to leak into the sky in the east, and felt the wind and listened to the air in the branches and the wind chimes.

That moment was purely magical and awoke a different kind of energy in me, part rebellious, part priestess, all wild. The one who wants to put her naked feet on the earth and allow that howling wind to tangle her hair and carry her voice to the corners of the world. The wise woman that shrugs off the mundane responsibilities to meld with the powerful elementals, bathing in the smoke from the fire of a lunar cast spell, harvesting garden herbs and listening to a story unfolding all around echoing through the setting moon and rising sun.

I know you have these moments too.

I know between moments of working your muggle job, cleaning, and cooking, shopping, child and/or pet tending and socializing, you have moments where your inner priestess awakens and for a moment or maybe an hour, you feel transformed, standing powerfully in the world, connected to the elements, connected to Source and connected fully to yourself.
My intention here at Wise Women Witchery is to help all of us connect to that part of ourselves more often, and more powerfully.
Registration for the Priestess Path is open. This 13 moon, 12 month journey is an experiential invitation to delve more deeply into foundational magical practices and deepen your connection to Source through accessing and listening to your own inner wisdom.
You can read more Here. We begin March 8th, 2020
Working with the Lunar CycleAs we move into the Waning phase of this moon cycle, I encourage you to consider what it is you would like to let go of and shed as we move closer to the start of Spring. What is no longer serving you Wise Woman? Write it down, maybe choose a natural item to represent this and find a place on your altar to let this sit during this waning phase. Then just before the dark moon, release this, burn it, bury it, give it to the water. In whatever way feels right to you, let this go, so that you can cross the threshold into spring feeling lighter and ready to grow.

New Podcast! Full Snow Moon in Leo!
Last night was the Full Moon for this month and it was pretty spectacular! This moon was the inspiration for this weeks The Witch Next Door podcast. Where my friend Veronica and I talk a little science and a little moon magic! Take a listen. And be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode. Next week we are talking divination!