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Maybe you are feeling it too. This destabilizing energy of the incoming administration here in the US has taken up a lot of air in the collective room.
I’ve been hearing about it from friends and clients and doing my best to stay informed and take breaks too. I’ve had moments where I have felt deeply disconnected from my Craft and unable to access my own inner spark. But then it shifts. The hum of the bees in the willow tree. The murmur of birds flying so close this morning my friend and I could hear them. The earnest and sweet storytelling of my 4 year old nephew. All of these things bring back my connection to source. But something deeper has been niggling in my belly too. Whether it is the voice of the earth or the sky, or the whispers of ancestors, I am not yet sure, but there is something brewing deep within me. And all the little places of reconnection are guiding me toward something bigger. I just don’t know what yet. What I do know is that we are guaranteed that there will always be change. That even in the darkness the light returns. And in my own moments of darkness this is a Truth that I hold onto as a guiding light. Here in the Northern Hemisphere nature is doing her thing and turning us closer to the light and the Spring. This coming Saturday is Imbolc (or Imbolg) This literally means “in the belly”. And while we certainly find ourselves in the belly of Winter to be certain but it is also the belly of fertility, as animals begin to mate and some to give birth. This celebration marks the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. It is a time for celebrating the coming Spring, for preparing homes and (where possible), garden beds and fields. Weather witching also arrives with Imbolc. Remember our friend the Groundhog? It is said that if he pokes his head out on the 2nd of February and sees his shadow, 6 more weeks of foul Winter weather are to come, while if the sky is grey, and his shadow is in hiding, then these last 6 weeks of Winter will be mild. A similar story of weather divination lies with the Winter Hag, the Callieach, who goes to gather her firewood at Imbolc and if the day is fine and fair, she finds herself able to gather lots of wood which suggests the remainder of Winter will be fierce, while if the day is dark and dreary and only a bit of wood is found, the Spring will emerge sooner. It is likely you also have heard that Imbolc is the goddess Brigid’s day. She is a goddess of fire and water, of forge and healing, of creativity and poetry. This day was a day to celebrate and honor her and ask for her blessings. Simple Practice Light a white candle Pour milk into a bowl and mix in a drizzle of honey Meditate on what the awakening of the earth feels like inside of you Ask yourself what seeds you would like to plant in your life What seeds you’d like to plant in your community (You can use Tarot or Oracle cards for deeper inquiry if desired) Spend some time journaling about these things Then whisper into the milk and honey the seeds you are preparing to plant Pour the bowl on the land where you live If you want to read a bit more about Imbolc and get some ideas for celebrating you can check out my blog from Imbolc 2020 And if you would like to meet Brigid at her sacred well, you can listen to a meditation on the Witch Next Door podcast here Sending you all so much Love, Emily PS if you are needing a little community and a space to listen and be heard, I am hosting a sharing circle on Wednesday at 4:45 PT. You can sign up to receive the link https://forms.gle/LFxcChZHUvUps5GC8 This is a circle for sharing and listening, for those of us that are feeling the negative impacts of the new administration. Please note: If you are happy about the incoming president and his plans, this is not the space for you at this time.
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How are you today?
It is inauguration day here in the United States and I know many people are feeling all the feels about this. I am too. I have my own feelings about the current state of the government and the political landscape at this time, and added to that are the voices I am hearing amongst my friends, clients, community and the cultural tapestry social media algorithms filter into my feed. There is fear and sadness and anger. There is also distraction, avoidance and escape. I know that some people are happy. I’m personally hearing very little of this joy, but that likely has A LOT to do with where I live and the communities I am a part of. I thought I was going to write a newsletter this week focused on authenticity. What it means to me. How it impacts my business, personal life and magical practice. And I know that letter will eventually make its way to your inboxes. But this morning as I read several speeches by Martin Luther King Jr, I realized I wanted to write about the importance of rest and waking. We live in a culture full of ways to “check out”. From phones, to gaming to movies and TV. We live in a world where drinking alcohol is a way to unwind. Or as the billboard down the street says “I’m getting high and feeling fine” And all of these things have their place. They can be fun and even restful. But they can also lure you away from what’s real. Including you! Using these things in excess can send us into a void state. I know when I’ve had enough of games or tv or computer time, because I get cranky, and edgy and can’t really stand to be in conversation. In those moments, I MUST GET OUTSIDE!!!! And it feels just like that. All caps and exclamation points. I have to find my way back to myself and the fastest track there is to reconnect with the natural world and move my body. Even if that is just walking around my yard or pulling a few weeds. Even if it means getting in the car and driving to the beach or the park for a walk or hike. It is always important to find ways to rest and rejuvenate. It is equally important to be awake. To be aware. When we check out our power goes dormant. We are no longer actively present in our bodies and minds. Our Magic is silent. When we tap back in, there is a reboot. These things are suddenly accessible once more. I write this today to invite you to rest. It’s ok to watch a show, or play a videogame. It’s ok to have a glass of wine (unless you’re me, then don’t do that). But please don’t distract so much that you disconnect from yourself. I invite you to rest and renew and then re-engage. The world needs you. And it needs your magic too! Simple Practice Energy Bath Rub your hands together until they are warm. Hold them about a foot apart and feel the energy between them. Imagine this energy growing. You might even imagine it has a color. Feel the vibration of this energy intensify Then using your hands, feel this energy channeling through your hands and starting at the top of your head brush it over your body Move from top to bottom If you lose the energetic connection come back to the place you started by rubbing your hands together and beginning again I leave you with this poem- Written by Loryn Brantz...g: INAUGURATION 2025 In a time of hate..... Love is an act of resistance. In a time of fear..... Faith is an act of resistance. In a time of misinformation..... Education is an act of resistance. In a time of poor leadership..... Community is an act of resistance. In a time like this....... Joy is an act of resistance. Resist........ Resist....... Resist. On New Year's morning I found myself watching the sunrise over the beautiful hills of Sonoma County.
We had camped overnight to avoid any neighborhood ruckus and awoken to a beautiful dawn. We went for a walk and I reveled in nature. As we wandered along paths, I thought about how important it is for me to get out to the expansive spaces more often and about how much I want to spend more time in the natural world this year. That morning as we packed up camp I felt a sense of calm and happiness. My husband was hitching up the trailer and I was standing quietly with the dogs nearby when Bam! I was on the ground. And then I was being dragged on my back, one arm behind me, one above me and my huge dogs lunging toward dogs that had come near our campsite. It all happened in one second. I wasn't prepared, I was holding leashes too loosely and wrapped around my hands. My husband grabbed the leashes, I got up and the pain in my body was so intense I was sure I had broken many things but the worst of all was my hand. And so my friends this message comes to you via voice dictation. What I am learning is that writing with my voice is so different than writing with my hand that the way my brain forms sentences changes when I put them into my mouth instead of just channeling them through my fingers. If my narrative sounds slightly different that's why. I'm not too broken (thankfully) just one finger but it's amazing how many things you use your fingers for! That being said, I feel like a broken finger is just one more way the universe keeps telling me to go slow. To pay attention. And so that is my intention this year, slow down, pay attention. My word is Pause. I have so much that I want to share with you all about the things I've been thinking about and discovering over the last few weeks. I know I've been pretty quiet. I've been Hermiting. And yes it is a verb. Maybe you've been Hermiting too. I'm getting done what needs to get done. I'm sleeping more. Taking lots of baths. Listening to music. Reading. My body is telling me this is not the time for a resolution to go harder or faster, try something new or get more done. My body is telling me this season is quiet, this season is one for rest and dreaming and visioning. When you lean into Winter what does your body tell you? Simple Practice: Find an image of the Hermit, this might be from your Tarot deck or other deck searched online. Be with this card. Examine the details, the colors. Take 5 and write about what you see, feel, believe about the energy of this image. Then take another 5 minutes and journal about how these energies are showing up in your life right now how is the hermit an ally? (If the Hermit doesn't speak to you pick a Winter Goddess or God and do the same.) over the holidays I cleaned out my garage. well a corner of it anyway. and as I was going through bins and boxes I discovered all sorts of bread crumbs left by my past self. there amongst all the papers that I was saving I discovered outlines for workshops and circles that I had written over 15 years ago. Only one of these was ever put into play at that time. the others never filled when I advertise them and instead they found themselves left as just papers unrealized. yet as I went through those papers those outlines the things my past self wanted to do and create I realized I had done and created many of those things in wise woman Witchery. that these dreams my 15 years ago self wanted to manifest had come into being. that some of the things that I thought were new ideas had been percolating inside of me for ages. it's always surprising to me the way my past present and future selves dance. it's like they have a packed that my conscious mind is unaware of. maybe it's because I'm always on the go and my brain is always feeling like it's 12 steps ahead or maybe it's because sometimes I'm so in the moment once the moment is past everything in that moment is gone too. I don't know. but I do know it's exciting to see dreams come into being to watch as ideas become reality and as my past self gets to shine in the present. what what was your past self dreaming of? how might that come into the future? or the now? it's okay if you don't remember. I have a trick for that. Simple Practice: you will need a mirror a candle and darkness. set the mirror up so that the candle is reflected in it and nothing else turn off the lights steady your breath and let your gays soften into the mirror Focus your intention on listening to any messages your past self might have for you as you do notice what comes Into your mind. this simple practice is crying does not always show you actual visuals, but it does open a portal into your inner site, and this site can speak to you through thoughts ideas feelings and Sensations. |
Emily Morrison MA, MFTArchives
February 2025
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