WISE WOMAN WITCHERY - Blog

11/19/2021

Eclipse season is here

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Eclipse season is here. This Friday November 19th the full moon in Taurus will be bringing with it the longest eclipse we’ve seen in quite some time. This eclipse will last 6 hours and will be a partial eclipse. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area we are expecting this to begin just about 10 pm PT and reach its peak at 1 am. Although not quite a full lunar eclipse, we can expect that here we will see it looking quite blanketed in shadow.

Be sure to check to see what time you might be able to catch this event in your area.

Full Moons are such a powerful time. The energy of the moon is at its peak as it shines its abundant light. It is unshadowed and unbound.
This time is one that we can align our magical workings with to amplify our intentions and spells. It is also a time we can cleanse and charge our magical tools, release and even use the energy for forgiveness. When the moon is at its pinnacle it offers us higher vibrations and just a little (or a lot) “more”.

Taurus is a fixed sign and one that likes comfort and stability. An eclipse is motion and change. So if you find yourself feeling a little unsettled or uncomfortable with this week's full moon, do not be surprised.

I like to think about eclipses in the way that they bring shadow to the forefront. They invite what has been hidden to become seen. If we equate the moon to our emotional bodies, we can ask the question, “What emotions have I been pushing down or avoiding?” or “What shadow aspects of myself have I not seen or been keeping hidden?” AND “Am I ready to unveil these things now?”

Connecting with the lunar eclipse and its cyclical process might be just the thing you need to help you bring some of these aspects to the surface and shine that unveiled full moon energy into those dark corners.

11/12/2021

Happy Dreaming...

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Lunar Samhain was this last Thursday and I have been dreaming loudly because of it. Deep and visionary dreams with visitations and prophecies I have yet to untangle the meanings of.

How have you been dreaming? What have you been remembering in those sweet in between moments, before rising from bed?

I notice when I take time for my dreams, when I give them space to be remembered, they become clearer and more frequently follow me back to the waking realm. I then begin to discover the gems of information and inspiration that live in the images and emotion that made the crossing from sleep into waking.

Are you connecting with your dreams?

Do you remember them?

Share them?

Write them down?

Our dream selves have much more access to our deeper realms, to other realms and to all the places our waking ego gets in the way of us accessing.

Have you ever tried dream divination?
Get clear and concise on the question you want to ask.
Write it down on a piece of paper.

Before you go to sleep read the paper aloud to yourself just before you shut off your light.
Tuck it beneath your pillow and see what unfolds.

Be sure to write your dream down as soon as you wake as this is when they are usually clearest.

Happy Dreaming Everyone!

11/5/2021

shadows grow deeper inviting us into our inner realms

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As we traverse this time when access to otherworlds is so much easier to make and the shadows grow deeper inviting us into our inner realms, I have been thinking a lot about the role of the psychopomp.

In mythology, this is the guide that takes us from the land of the living into the otherworld at the time of death. There are many gods and goddesses who fill this role across different pantheons.

A couple of examples of these important guides are Anubis in the Ancient Egyption pantheon, the Banshee in Irish traditions, Thanantos in Greek mythology and even our friend the Grim Reaper.

A psychopomp can also be an animal and is often seen as a bird, or a flock of birds that lead the way to the underworld/otherworld.

In Jungian Psychology a psychopomp is the mediator between the conscious and the unconscious realms. Symbolically a psychopomp might make itself known in the dream state as a wise being in human form or an animal or even an otherworldly being.

As we honor our beloved dead and make our way deeper into Self, let us offer gratitude for these beings that pass between both internal and external worlds and guide us along our paths.

10/30/2021

When I was a kid I loved the book the Candy Witch.

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It is about a Witch whose family casts good spells on people, but when the daughter of the family, Maggie, does this no one notices. So she casts mischievous spells to see if this gets her family’s attention.

This culminates in Maggie using a spell to take all the children's candy on Halloween. But when she realizes she has made them sad, she becomes sad too. It is the sadness that her parents notice and with their promises to work on noticing her good deeds more, she returns the candy by creating a candy festival in the town square.

Why did I love this book?

Well it’s about a witch (and a kid witch at that). But I also understood the feeling of wanting to be noticed and seen for the good deeds, and often not being noticed, so I’d get louder or naughtier.

I also loved it for the energy it brings of casting good spells and gifting people with things that bring joy.

Wise Woman Witchery was founded with the intention of helping women step into their power and be SEEN in this!

If you haven’t already hop over to Facebook and join the Wise Woman Witchery group. It’s always ok to lurk, but trust me when I say I’d love to have you join in or even start a conversation.
Let’s make magic!

10/27/2021

Potion making

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My mom has this great story about a time when I was three and she had pneumonia. The pneumonia part was not so great but my three year old self was pretty clever and creative if I do say so myself.

The story goes that my mom was really sick and in bed feeling miserable when she began to smell an odd scent. She couldn’t quite identify it but knew she needed to get up and see what was going on.

She found me in the kitchen with a big bowl with all the spices in the cupboard dumped into it. I was making a potion and I was very excited about it!

Of course this potion wasn’t really good for much outside of all the things it could do in my imagination and it took my mom literally years to replace the spices I had used. Clearly my mom was not the winner in this story.

Yet I love this story because it is a little moment in time where my small self stepped into the realm of connecting with plants as magic.

As an adult, plant magic is still something I connect with, in my yard, my medicine cabinet and most often in the kitchen.

The simplest way I do this is through the teas I drink every day. You can find these potions pre blended for you at the market. Traditional medicinals and Yogi tea both make great blends. You can also check out the blends at Tea and Tarot (they make fabulous tisanes and are out of Connecticut but ship in the US)

If you want to get a little more involved in the potion making process though, it can be really fun to make your own herbal tea blends. Be sure to use herbs that you know are safe to ingest. And example might be turmeric and ginger, or peppermint and lavender. You can keep it simple or get creative. The possibilities are endless!

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!