This is the shortest day of the year here in the Northern Hemisphere and the astronomical start to the Winter Season.
Today I invite you to step outside and look around. What do you see? What is the earth doing where you live? Here some of the trees still cling to their colorful leaves, the earth is muddy, the air cold and damp, the evergreens are sharing their rich colors with us, a reminder that even as things die away there is regeneration at work too. Ask yourself what you are shedding or have shed. Choose something to represent this or write it down on a piece of paper and then give it to the earth. Let today be a day of sitting with that liberated space inside of you. Feel into the edges of the void left when we let something go. What is the medicine here for you? Be with the darkness. Discover your curiosity about what it holds. Is it comfy here? Cozy even? Or do you find you are drawn to the light? Craving illumination? There is no wrong way to experience this time. Just information to be gained. Experience to be integrated. Gifts and Offerings I love to sing! There is something truly magical about creating vibration in your body with your voice. What if you sang to the sun today? Sing it back into the sky. Sing the days a little longer. Sing in gratitude. In grief. In joy. Whatever you are feeling let your voice carry it. Need some song ideas? A few years ago Erin LaFaive of Full Circle Herbals and I created a Winter Solstice Playlist. You can listen in here Lunar Calendar Printable Every year I create a lunar cycle calendar for you and a list of the new and full moons with their zodiac signs. This year is not different, and the Solstice seemed the perfect time to gift it to you all. You can view and download your PDF here The Winter Circle still has one spot remaining. This 6 Circle deep dive into the Winter season, creates a container to nourish yourself through the cold months, with magic and community. Come join us via Zoom where we connect in a small group to cast winter spells, play with expressive arts, feel into the Winter with embodiment practices and let ourselves discover the enchantment and support a circle can create. We will be working with the themes of Winter, Deep Rest and Self Love. Included are the community rituals for Winter Solstice (available as a recording) and Spring Equinox (live in March). Plus when you join you will be automatically registered for the Become the Seer-Prophecy 2024 workshop coming up on December 29th. Register here Blessings to you and yours on this shortest day and longest night. May you always find the light in the darkness.
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I know last week I was writing to you about Santa and Christmas.
But the thing is I celebrate both. Maybe you do too. At Winter Solstice we celebrate the rebirth of the sun. Although it is the astronomical start of Winter, it is also the time when the days begin slowly to lengthen once more. Reminding us that our of darkness light is born and that the earth although sleeping will awaken once more. There are so many ways you can celebrate Winter Solstice, but one of my favorites is storytelling. As the natural world becomes a little quieter and the nights stretch out before us, this is a wonderful time to gather together and share stories, or songs or poems. Humans have gathered around fires and told tales throughout history. It is a way to connect, to imagine. Do you have a favorite story? A fairy tale perhaps? A seasonal yarn? Or perhaps you would like to spend some time this Solstice in the darkness. If you settle yourself into the darkness and let it surround you, what do you notice? How do you feel? What images and thoughts arise? What stories do you tell yourself? Are you afraid of the dark? Light a candle and let the light return. Notice what you notice. How does this little flame shift the way you feel? What does it spark inside of you? Journal prompts- In the darkness I see… The light awakens… The spark I want to grow is… Are you joining us for the Winter Circle? This small group will be coming together 6 times through the Winter months to tend to our sacred selves by exploring the themes of Winter, Deep Rest and Self Love. Using the magic of spell work, embodiment practices, expressive arts and community we will nourish ourselves through this Season. As a bonus, Winter Circle registrants have access to the Diving Deeper Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox Rituals ( as well as their replays) and will be included in the Become the Seer-Prophecy 2024 workshop on December 29th. Our Winter Solstice Ceremony is live today at 1 pm PT. We have only one spot left in the circle. Is it yours? The Cauldron-Winter Solstice digest is available now! You can purchase the hard copy of this 40 page winter magazine here (this is available only in the US at this time) Or you can get access to the digital version here Become the Seer I’m a huge fan of cartomancy and I have an embarrassing number of tarot and oracle decks to prove it. Each year I do a card spread to look forward to 12 months ahead. The last couple of years I have been offering this as a 2 hour workshop which includes guided visualization and time for us to practice this inquiry together. This year I am offering it on December 29th at 4 pm PT. You can sign up here As always, I can’t wait to make magic with you! I looked at the calendar yesterday and realized there are less than two weeks til Christmas!
Are you a Witch that celebrates this holiday? I happen to love Christmas. There is a sweet magic in the holiday for me. I was a Santa Claus hold out for many years, well passed the time most kids believed, even when I knew it was my parents handwriting on those notes left by the half eaten cookies, believing in Santa was magic. Is magic. Many of you likely know some of the history of Santa. His origins are often tied to Saint Nicholas, yet many suspect his actual origins go back much further. In fact some believe he is a metamorphosis of Odin. Odin was said to ride his 8 legged horse through the skies in the Winter and children would leave snacks (carrots and hay) in their booties by the fire for the horse to eat and Odin would reward them with gifts in their booties. Sound familiar? And this is only one story. There are all sorts of folkloric elements that have woven their way into this one iconic image of our jolly red dressed friend. As with so many myths and symbols, the birth story of Santa Claus likely has several starting points and has transformed through the ages as all stories do. Like a game of telephone the oral traditions and popular culture shape and mold with the storytellers and the times. And isn’t this a kind of magic too? When we give something energy it takes on a life of its own. And certainly our friend Santa has done just that. At this holiday time, in whatever tradition you celebrate, I invite you to discover a new story, a new tradition, to get curious about the origins of the symbols and rituals you associate with you celebration and to tell the stories of beginnings. You might be surprised and perhaps delighted by what you unwrap. Seasonal Stirrings Do you like magazines? I do! I love flipping through the pages of a colorful magazine and reading the articles. Honestly they are one of my guilty pleasures. Inspired by some of the beautiful publications I’ve seen of late, I put together a 40 page magazine digest for the Winter Season. With articles about the moon, the medicine, and the energy of Winter, this publication was lovingly crafted to inspire you too! You can get your print copy here. More of a digital person? You can purchase the digital copy here The Winter Circle There are still a couple spots left in the Winter Circle! We begin our journey into Winter with our Winter Solstice ritual this coming Sunday (if you can’t make it, the replay will be available) and we follow this with 6 circles spaced throughout the Winter months and bookended by the Spring Equinox ceremony. During our time we settle into the themes of Winter, Deep Rest and Self Love, letting the container of our circle nourish us. Using spell work, embodiment practices, expressive arts and community we will ignite our magic and keep our inner hearth fires tended through the Winter Months. Plus you get access to the Become the Seer-Prophecy 2024 workshop as a bonus! Learn more and register here Holiday Gifts A couple of weeks ago I recorded a podcast with my husband about the origins of holiday gift giving. This is obviously a tradition that has continued into present day. If you are giving gifts this season why not give the gift of books? I have a complete book list of titles and links for all the authors I’ve interviewed on the Witch Next Door. You can find that list here I also asked you all some time ago what you were reading. I created a book list with links for those here You know what else makes a great gift? A 2024 Planner! The Make Everyday More Magical planner is available now! You can get a copy to for yourself or another witch in your life here This planner is loaded with monthly witch tips, astrological insights, lunar manifestation templates and offers lots of space to plan your appointments, set your goals and reflect. (if you are local to Sonoma County, I have a few more of these available and am happy to meet up with you or deliver them to save you the shipping) I also have copies of the Celebrate the Seasons guidebook and the Inner Alchemy Daily Practice Journal available for pick up or local delivery. For those of you out of the area you can use the links to get your copies. Seasonal Stirrings Do you like magazines? I do! I love flipping through the pages of a colorful magazine and reading the articles. Honestly they are one of my guilty pleasures. Inspired by some of the beautiful publications I’ve seen of late, I put together a 40 page magazine digest for the Winter Season. With articles about the moon, the medicine, and the energy of Winter, this publication was lovingly crafted to inspire you too! You can get your print copy here. More of a digital person? You can purchase the digital copy here A line.
When you stand there the joy and love of the relationship flourishes and the loss feeling like the hole it is, seems to be both full and empty all at once. The void exists but the love fills it. Or maybe more accurately it flows through it. And in that moment, in that space, there is this heartfullness even in the midst of the sadness. This last Monday on December 4th, I lost two people in a 1 hour span. My mother in law and one of my dearest friends both left their bodies for whatever comes in the after. Both had cancer. Both fought different battles. And both left behind their own wake of sorrow. In the aftermath, I’ve had my own process. And much of that has included supporting my husband through the details of death. The dismantling of a life and the bureaucratic shenanigans that come with it. But this morning I had my own time. I went for a walk in the cold. I came home and did a mindful exercise class that included yelling and dancing and crying too. And I felt myself straddle that line between grief and joy. And I wanted to tell you about it. As I moved my body my heart swelled with the profound gratitude I have for the time I did have with my friend (Her name is Sarah). For the laughter and tears. The adventures. The lessons. The way she could manifest things and believed so whole heartedly in her goals she continued forward even when it was hard or seemed impossible. The way she was so damn pragmatic and yet used that way of being to fuel her adventures with meticulous plans. The way we were able to talk about her sickness, her fears, her impending death. In our last conversation on the morning she died, she said “Who knew it would be so delightful to have everyone here”, referring to her loved ones in the house with her, and something about that just felt so Sarah. This woman who I called my friend for 18 years is no longer here, and yet she is too. She is here in the phrases I’ve stolen from her over the years, in the way I’m careful not to nod my head too much when I’m listening (we had to watch tapes of ourselves doing therapy in grad school lol), in the strength of my sobriety (she was a steadfast support for me in the early years), in the contact paper she so lovingly installed in my pantry when we bought our house, in the amazing humans she birthed and raised who are now bringing their gifts into the world and in thousands of tiny other ways too. Sarah will always be here with me. And as sad as I am to not be able to pick up the phone and call her, or send her one of our many texts, I can also feel the way she is woven into who I am. If you have lost someone you love. If you are here at this holiday season, in the cold and dark time of year, and feeling that loss and absence, my wish for you, is that you discover that line. That you can step into that space between joy and grief and let the energy of that joy funnel through your tender heart. We are miraculous creatures. We can smile and cry at the same time. Your grief does not need to blot out your joy. It will sometimes. But it too flows. Winding in and out in the dance of love. pulling cards for 2024.
I watched as the themes emerged; the number 6, wands and swords, concepts around opportunity to change old patterns, to lay things down. It’s a surprising thing sometimes to pull cards in this way. To see the way one idea can so seamlessly flow into the next. A story of a year to come. A story of possibility. Of fate and destiny. Is this a practice you have put into play? This unwinding of the possible story ahead? We do after all have free will. And although the cards can point us in a direction or offer us a guide, they too can change. We can ask ourselves, “Is this truly the story I want to tell?” Or “How can I work with these themes in a transformative way?” You are invited to join me for the 2 hour workshop “Become the Seer-Prophecy 2024” on Friday December 29th at 4 pm PT. We will use guided visualization, our year cards and a 12 month card spread to engage with the Fates and discover what might lie ahead. Registration is Open Have you started your Winter decorating yet? I dried orange slices and adorned my skinny little tree with them. The lights are hung as beacons in the darkness. The simmer pots have been varied but are bringing the most lovely of scents into my home. I am feeling the pull of the hibernation, of cozy more intimate connections over cups of tea and candlelight. I want to sit with you in circle. I want to explore the themes of Winter, Deep Rest and Self Love. To nourish and nurture the way these live inside of us. To share these unique experiences with each other. The Winter Circle starts in earnest January 5th and we will meet every other week, through the Winter months to make magic in our sacred space. We will let our unconscious realms open through our work with expressive arts, embodiment practices, spell crafting and connection. We begin our Wintering at our Winter Solstice Ritual on December 17th at 1 pm PT and we will close our time together in the Spring with our Equinox Ceremony. As a participant in this circle, you are also registered for the Becoming the Seer workshop on December 29th. This is a closed circle and only a couple of spots remain. Is one of them yours? we are stepping ever closer to Winter and ever closer to the new calendar year.
Have you been following along with our magical countdown to the new year? If you haven’t yet, you can get your free calendar here. As we settle into the season, I’ve had several inquiries about the Become the Seer class I’ve offered the last two years. This two hour class invites you to dip into your inner wisdom through a guided visualization and lay a path for yourself for the coming year with your Tarot and/or Oracle deck as your guide. I will be offering this Friday December 29th at 4 pm PT (a replay will be available if you can not join live). Registration is open! (please note, if you are Diving Deeper Member, this is included in your membership there is no need to sign up, and if you are registered for the Winter Circle, this is a bonus for you as well.) Winter Circle… Yes that’s right the become the Seer-Prophecy 2024 class is included in the Winter Circle registration. This 6 circle series includes both the Winter Solstice Ceremony and Spring Equinox Ceremony as well as the Prophecy class. We come together for Winter Solstice on December 17th and then gather in our small group via Zoom, for 6 Fridays spread out through the Winter months ending our time together at the Spring Equinox. In the Winter we are called inward to rejuvenate and recharge and this circle is designed to support this. We will use magic in the forms of Spell Work, Embodiment practices, Connection and Expressive Arts to explore the themes and Winter, Deep Rest and Self Love. This is a closed circle with limited spots and there are still a few available. You can register here Have you wondered about the origins of giving gifts at this time of year?
(Nope, not the three wise men). This week on the Witch Next Door Podcast my husband joins me to talk about gift giving at the holidays and the origins of this practice. Listen in Happy December 1st! Are you joining us in the magical countdown to the new calendar year? Each year I offer a calendar with a suggested practice each day of December and invite you to join us in the Facebook Group 11/27/23 The moon is full today and for this moment she is shining her abundant light before beginning her descent into darkness. She is a bringer of lessons. A reminder that we must often retreat within, tuck ourselves away, to rejuvenate before we can shine once more. Winter teaches that same lesson. We can let the old fall away, we can sink deeper into our bodies and our homes, we can rest. Winter reminds us that we can tend to ourselves. As the vestiges of Autumn begin to give way to frost here, and raking becomes a daily practice, I ask myself what I am releasing. Like the squirrels and birds stashing their nuts for the cold months ahead, I am stashing what I need to prepare for the coming cold. What are you doing to prepare for Winter? What are you lettign go of? Calling in? Do you emrace the Winter? Or find yourself dreading the darkness? Longing instead for the heat of Summer or the quickening of Spring? When we live in the flow of seasons we can absorb their lessons and gifts much easier. After all, the Winter is coming with or without our permission. One of the things that supports me through the darkness is a regular relationship with my Craft. I am inviting you to join me in counting down to the end of the caelndar year by spending a little time each day in December intetnionally doing one small act of magic. Each year I come back to this practice and share it with you all. This year is not different. Here is the downloadable calendar If you want to share your journey, I’ll be posting reminders in the Facebook Group every day of the month with invitations for you to share photos or comments about your practices. Want to go a little deeper? Gift yourself a place in the Winter Circle. 2 Rituals and 6 Circles carry us through the Winter months in communtiy and magic. This is a closed circle with a limited number of spots to help support connection and faciliate trust. Using embodiment practices, expressive arts, spell work and the themes of Winter, Deep Rest and Self Love we will nourish ourselves through the darkness. We begin Decmeber 17th Register here |
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Emily Morrison MA, MFTArchives
February 2025
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