If the weather here wasn’t already cluing me in to the shift in the seasons, my psyche is.
The last two nights since the equinox I have been dreaming of the dead (and the living too). The blending of worlds has been vivid. Are they just rememberings or messages? I’m unclear. But they left a mark and invited deeper rememberings and conversations. They spurred my hand to pen a letter to people I haven’t seen in years but who were an integral paper of my life in my twenties. In a text to my mom this morning I shared that I’d dreamed of my grandparents vividly last night and she replied that it must have been a night for dreams as she too had vivid interactions in her sleeping hours. What is it about the Autumn that brings us closer to the other world? The shortening of days and the dying back of plants and trees are a death of summer and growth and can ignite the memories of those we have lost or bring us closer to reflection on our own mortality. Throughout the world there are festivals that celebrate and honor the dead during the fall season. In North and South Korea the festival is called Chuseok and it is a time for tending to graves and honoring those that have come before. In Hindu traditions the celebration is called Pitru Paksha and spans 16 days. In Mexico and other parts of South America, El Dia De Los Muertos is a time of celebrating and leaving offerings for the beloved dead, it is a celebration of connection and some say an acknowledgement of our own mortality. In Witchcraft we celebrate Samhain. This is actually an ancient Celtic festival that was added to the Wheel of the Year celebrations by Wiccan traditions (most cross quarter holidays have their roots in Celtic origins). This is a time when the veils are said to be thinnest between this world and that of the dead. As Autumn begins so too does the thinning of this veil. In our home we have an altar up year round for our beloved dead. This is also my working altar where spells and intentions live as they are being worked. In the Autumn (usually around October 1st), I bring a little extra care to the space, dusting and reorganizing and adding flowers and decorations of the season. My dreams suggest I might want to do this today instead of next week. I think I might also pay a visit to my Dad’s grave and bring him a bouquet of some autumnal flowers. What have you been dreaming? Who is visiting you? Simple Spell for Connecting with your Beloved Dead. Drink a dream tea before bed. Chamomile on it’s own can be good for this and very gentle too Other herbs to consider are catnip, mugwort, lavender and valerian root. If you are unsure of how your body might respond to these herbs (ex: mugwort tea often gives me a headache), you can sleep with the herbs beneath your pillow or stitch them into a pouch to hang above your bed. Take a picture of your loved one and place it beneath your pillow or next to your bed. Then think about what you might like to ask your loved one, or say to them and write this on a piece of paper or the back of the photo. As you fall asleep think of your loved one and in the morning write down any dreams you may have had that you remember. Not everyone remembers their dreams and most of us do not remember ALL of our dreams so also take time to note how you feel when you awaken and if you had a question how does that live in you today vs yesterday. Sometimes our visitations and dreams change us and our perspective without our conscious mind being aware. Did you register for the Season of the Witch? If not, you can still sign up and I promise you won;’;t be disappointed that you did. We gather in just under two weeks. I will kick things off with a little preconference Ritual/Workshop, Rewild Yourself on Thursday evening October 5th. The conference will begin in earnest on Friday the 6th with two full days of classes, ritual, giveaways, community and a whole lot of magic. If you are feeling the pull to deepen into your practice, this is a fabulous way to inspire yourself to try new things and gain new perspectives. If you are new to the Craft and curious about different topics this is a great place to explore and discover what might be calling most to you at this time. I am looking forward to seeing you there! (the full line up can be found at the bottom of this email.) Register here Everyday Magic As I mentioned in an email I sent out on Friday, there was a bit of a miscommunication about the timing of the free Every Day Magci class I taught for the Parsippany library last week. As a result many people missed the livestream. This is a very foundational, beginners class, looking at a brief history of Witchcraft, modern day Witchery and its ties to natural cycles, Intention and Intuition and several practices you might bring into your day to day to make Every Day more Magical. I will be offering this one hour class LIVE one more time, this Friday, September 29th at 4 pm PT. You can sign up for this free offering here. With Love and Blessings, Emily Schedule for 4th annual Season of the Witch conference 8:30 Opening Ceremony 9-10:15-Alchemy in the Cave of the She-Wolf with Rachel S. Roberts 10:30-11:45-Dancing with the Divine Lover - Solo sexual magic for every witch with Halo Quin 12-1:15-Ancestral Death Doulaship: Ceremony, Rites & Rituals with Jess the Death Empath 1:15-2-Break 2-3:15-Dancing with Deity: Relating to the Divine with Irisanya Moon 3:30-4:45-Voodoo and African Traditional Religion with Lilith Dorsey 5-6:15-An Alliance with Elemental Dragons with Angelina Caporale 8:30-Welcome to Day 2 9-10:15-Song of the Soul: Voice as a Divine Gateway- with Jessica Fein 10:30-11:45- Create Your Magical Herbal Apothecary with Erin Lafaive 12-1:15- Longing- Energy & Manifestation Workshop with Karena Osborne 1:15-2-Break 2-3:15- Self Care for Your Sun Sign with My Tarot Lady Christine Michele 3:30-4:45-Working with Crystal Skulls with Celena Spolarich 5-6:15 pm - Creating Your Personal Relationship and Rhythm with the Moon and Lunar Cycles with Pati Diaz 6:20-Closing Ceremony Join us here
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The smells and light of Autumn abound mingling with the scent of Summer and the heat of her sun.
I am finding myself tired. As someone who is often described as “always in motion” and “too busy”, it is not surprising that as the light begins to wane, my body is whispering “rest, rest”. Living in sync with the seasons is an integral part of my witchery. As the days become shorter, I feel the longing in my bones to nest and craft, to harvest and bake. Yesterday I surrendered to the pull of this in between time and watched Practical Magic and took a bath and read a book and napped. When I finally settled into bed I slept 9 hours (this is unheard of for me). And I awoke today feeling clearer, more grounded and less pushy with myself. I let it be ok that there were dishes in the sink and that my clothes pile at the foot of my bed was not getting any smaller. I made delicious salad and sat outside. I pruned a tree and tidied the garage pantry. And I did it all slowly and intentionally. I so often equate my productivity with my value. Yet this only makes me so busy that I miss out on the feeling of wanting to do something, of following my desire and drive instead of forcing it. This is part of my journey as a Self employed person running two businesses. It is also part of my journey as me. I am full of fire and it creates big ideas and sometimes builds my life up bigger than I can live in it. So I’m using this in between to reflect, to slow down and to find a sweet longing and follow it. This lunar cycle we are in is a bridge between Summer and Fall. As it waxes toward Full we can ask ourselves about our own rhythms during this time of transition. Simple Practices Journal using the following prompts My Summer self is… As the seasons shift I feel… My Autumn self longs for… You might also do a little work with your Tarot or Oracle deck. The overarching question being Who am I at each lunar phase of this bridging moon? You can draw a card for the new moon that has just passed The first quarter Full Last quarter And New Spend some time journaling about what you see and equate the cards with energetically for you at these times (past and future) Are you counting down with me? The 4th Annual Season of the Witch Virtual Conference is just 3 weeks away!!! The line up this fall is truly spectacular with everything from Voodoo to Sex Magic, Working with Deity to Crystal Skulls and so so much more! (The full schedule and line up can be found here) I will be hosting a pre-conference workshop/ritual on the evening of Thursday October 5th, and then we will delve into two full days of workshops, community, giveaways and of course so much magic. This conference is guaranteed to leave you feeling inspired and ready to step more fully into your power to embrace your magic! Plus your registration includes an invitation to two live rituals. Autumn Equinox and Samhain. Grab your seat in this magical circle and I’ll see you soon! I was looking through some books today and found a few from my early days of Witchcraft exploration.
Flipping through the pages I found notes my younger self left behind, in margins, on receipts, and slips of paper too. I said “I see you” to that girl that I was back when I was 18, and 21 and 24 too. I remembered how excited I was to have found a spiritual path that spoke to me so powerfully. I remembered how afraid I was that I was going to do it “wrong”. I remembered my firsts from that time (first spell, first ritual, first trance), and the way those firsts reminded me that they were not in fact the first times only the first times where I was doing them intentionally, when I was doing them as witchcraft. I had cast spells for ages in whispers and prayers, in lit candles and friendship bracelets. I’d done rituals with May Day baskets and good luck charms, and I’d tranced through day dreams and mesmerizing moments of stillness in nature. I’d crafted potions with plants, and spices and kitchen witched my way through folk medicine and food made with love. Being a Witch wasn’t new. But the language was. The structure was. I felt excited meeting my younger self with her already terrible handwriting, and whimsical notations. Her questions and fierce underlines reminded me of all the learning I have done. It reminded me of all the learning there is left to do. And my heart skipped a beat at the excitement of it all. Even all these years later, the evolution of my craft brings me so much joy! Where did you begin? When did your Witchy Wise Self begin their intentional journey? What were the elements that drew you in? How have you grown? How are you growing? As the Summer winds down and we move toward the darker half of the year, I invite you to remember. I invite you to rediscover the joy in growing your practice and deepening your wisdom. The Season of the Witch Virtual Conference Back at the start of the pandemic, I attended a paranormal online conference. I had such a good time I was inspired to create my own. So I gathered friends and asked them to teach on topics they knew and loved and the first Wise Woman Witchery conference “A Mystical Gathering” was born. In the last three years I have hosted a total of 8 conferences, and had the absolute pleasure of expanding the teaching team beyond my initial friend base, allowing me to meet some amazing witches in the world and experience a myriad of wisdom. The 4th Annual Season of the Witch Virtual Conference is the 9th one I’ve hosted and this year we have a combination of familiar faces as well as a few new folks coming to share their wisdoms and passions with us. These events are always a blast, bringing with them learning, community, connection, and inspiration along with experiential practices, exploration, giveaways and more! As each year has passed these conferences have gotten better and better. The content has always been amazing, but I have learned a thing or two about holding this container along the way and have worked to facilitate an event that lets you be as much a part of it as you desire. Want to ask questions and interact? Great! Want to watch quietly while you go about your day? That's ok too! Can’t make the livestreams? No problem, you have lifetime access to the recordings. Want to chat with your fellow conference goers? You’ve got a Facebook group for just that thing! We gather together October 6th and 7th. I hope to see you in the Circle! You can view the full schedule of classes and register here After several smoky days the reprieve was a deep relief.
Friday night I slept better than I had in some time. Yesterday I felt soothed all day by the clouds and breeze. I felt grounded. Slower. A quieting of my inner fire. Autumn is coming. And with it a respite. As much as I enjoy the lengthy days and warm temperatures the Summer brings. The heat and vibrancy exhaust me. By mid July I am usually longing deep in my bones for Fall. I have learned that this is my relationship to the seasons. To the shift of energy from outward to inward. From long days to long nights. From action to stillness. Yet not everyone has these same rhythms. I know many people that lament the end of Summer and the quieting of warmth and light. Learning the way you respond to these cycles is part of your own magic. When you can find ways to mindfully tend to your own body (physical and emotional), during the different seasons you discover more harmony in the way you move through the world energetically and can connect more fully and intentionally to other energies around you. ‘ Summer can make me cranky and exhausted. I temper that with drinking lots of water, spraying myself with hydrosol often and making sure to move my body the most when the sun is still low in the sky. It is then I am able to tune in more deeply to the energy of Summer’s growth and work with this energy in my own life and magic. Ask yourself the following questions What seasons fuel you? What seasons drain you? How do you ride the tides of change? How can you temper the highs and lows of these? Make a list or free write and discover your map to tending your own rhythms. Last Call! Tomorrow night , Monday September 4th at midnight, the early bird pricing for the Season of the Witch Virtual Conference ends. Join us October 6th and 7th for two full days and a total of 12 classes covering topics from Voodoo and Traditional African Religions to Working with Crystal Skulls, from Sex Magic to Creating your Own Magical Apothecary and so so much more! PlusThursday evening I am hosting a pre conference ritual workshop focused on Rewilding Yourself. These conferences are one my favorite offerings, bringing together community, wisdom from so many different backgrounds and traditions, ceremony, practice and of course magic! As a registrant you have access to all the livestreams, plus replays, community in our private Facebook group, giveaways and lots of inspiration. Use code CROW20 at checkout to get 20% off when you register before Monday at midnight. See you there! |
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Emily Morrison MA, MFTArchives
October 2024
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