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.
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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 This weird holiday where we tell lies about the indigenous people of North America and the pilgrims. A day where we eat copious amounts of food in celebration and gather together with friends and family (often out of obligation instead of desire).
It’s a day for football and giant balloons paraded down the streets in New York. Like I said, it's weird. The thing is I love Thanksgiving. I love how the day is quiet. How things are closed. I love the food I only eat once a year and the way this celebration is the doorway to what we call the holiday season. But mostly I like the quiet. You of course will be receiving this tomorrow. A note from my now past self. A note from the last day of my 46th year. As your eyes scan this email it is my birthday. And I’m still me. But me in the new year of myself. Another beginning. Another time to reflect (there are a lot of those aren’t there?) Another moment where crossroads loom. Who have I been? Who am I becoming? One thing is certain. The landscape of my life is always shifting and changing. My creations, my relationships, the ebb and flow of my work. What’s true is the landscape of your life is too. In the world of witchcraft, of living life in tune with the natural rhythms, there are always new beginnings. Always places we can start again. New Moons, New Seasons, New Astrology. The natural world is always inviting us to reflect, shed and renew. As the seasons turn, the leaves fall and the darkness deepens, I invite you to the sacred space of circle. Today registration opens for the Winter Circle. This honoring of ourselves in the Winter, will begin at the Solstice with a Ritual to celebrate and mark the longest night, the start of the Winter and the return of the sun. Then in the following weeks, we will meet via Zoom, 6 times (approx every other week), on Fridays at 4 pm PT for about an hour and a half. We will work with the themes of not just Winter, but Deep Rest and Self Love. Using the practices of expressive arts, embodiment, spell crafting and community we will nourish ourselves through the darkness. We will end our time together with a ritual for the Spring Equinox, welcoming the renewal and quickening of the turning wheel. There are a limited number of spots open in the Winter Circle to facilitate trust and connection. ‘ Is one of them yours? Learn more and register here It’s been raining and they are stuck to car windows and lawns and sidewalks and porches and even my boots.
Reds, and golds and oranges and yellows, migrating from branch to earth. November is my favorite month of the year. Aside from it being my birthday month, it also feels like a gateway into the darkness. This is the month when I get to really be in the night. I go to bed early. And because of that I am not out and about in the night very often. My relationship with the darkness is primarily an early morning affair. Yet now as the days become shorter and shorter and the blanket of night casts itself across the bed of my corner of earth much earlier, I get to tuck myself in under its edges. And I dream. This year November has a little less charm, with loss looming and the weight of grief lurking about the edges. But still the rhythm of the shortening days and falling leaves bring s with it the comfort and familiarity of this time. As darkness deepens I feel rest and vision calling. In this space I speak to the darkness and listen for the messages it echoes back. What do you hear in the darkness? What visions are coming to light for you? We are just over a month away from the longest night and the beginning of Winter. This year I am inviting you to join me in tending to our sacred selves in a Winter Circle. We will come together for the Winter Solstice in ritual with the Diving Deeper community as a way to kick off the season, celebrate the longest night and mark the turning of the Wheel. Following this ritual, we gather for 6 sessions, held on Fridays at 4pm PT for an hour and half, through the Winter months. Each session will offer a magical activity and exploration, with opportunity to connect and share with your Circle mates, There will be two themes cradling us through this time and these sessions. The first three will focus on deep rest and the second three will focus on self love. We will bookend our time together with a Spring Equinox ritual. Registration for this gathering will open on Friday November 24th. Keep your eye on your inbox for the link. If you want access to early registration reply to this email (if you have already told me you are interested in joining you are already on the early registration list) The benefit of registering early is to reserve your space as there are a limited number of spots available to facilitate deeper trust and connection. Did you take advantage of the 40% off sale happening over in the Cauldron school? This sale is happening through November 30th at 11:55 pm. Register for any of the courses and use code NOV40 at checkout. (this code is not valid for memberships or subscriptions) Moon Magic and December Advent If you’ve been in the community for awhile then you know by now that for the last few years I have crafted up a downloadable moon phase calendar for you all. This year is no different. It will be coming to your inbox very soon, so keep an eye out for it. I have also created an advent calendar for the month of December to help us stay connected to our magic and ourselves during this often busy time. I’ll be sending this to all of you as well. Then if you want to follow along in the community, be sure to join us in the Facebook group for daily reminders. Planner Time 2024 is coming soon! Be sure to grab your planner if you haven’t already and make everyday a little more magical. It includes monthly astrological insights and suggestions for witchery, a lunar calendar and monthly lunar cycle manifestation template plus correspondences for the planets and the days of the week. Each page holds two days so you have plenty of room for tracking your schedule and making notes and you will find a two page monthly calendar for each month to help you see the overview of your plans. These make great gifts too! Order yours today Back in August I booked a trip with my mom. Wanting to take her to see the breathtaking vastness of that landscape and take a little break before the holidays kicked in.
I’m not going to lie, we both needed that break. But life throws curveballs and unexpected things happen. So instead I’m typing this to you from my living room. In my pjs, with my hound girl next to me and a mediocre cup of coffee steaming nearby. My eyes are tired. My brain is functioning in slow motion and time is doing the thing time does when you linger too long in the in between. My Mother in Law is dying. Transitioning from this world to the next is such a process. One that has no clear timeline. Like birth, death happens in its own time and its own way. So we wait. And the waiting is hard. What does one do while they hold vigil? And what does that vigil look like? Out of respect and privacy for my husband and his family I won’t give details here. But I will say that dying, like birthing is messy and full of lots of feelings and unknowns. In the midst of this process one of my dearest friends has shared her decision to begin hospice. My heart is broken. And also full. Because there is something really beautiful about making that choice for yourself. Needless to say this week of “vacation” is a lot. And in that “a lotness” I have these moments where I have felt completely devoid of magic. I feel empty. I know it is grief. And sometimes in the grief, the motivation to do the things that help me connect disappears. So instead of hikes, I’ve been dancing in my living room or walking though my neighborhood in little spurts. Instead of sitting in nature, I’ve been laying on the floor with my animals and staring out the window at the trees dropping their leaves. And sometimes it helps. And sometimes it doesn’t. This time is a not so gentle reminder that grief is the other side of love. And as with all things and feelings I know this moment will change. But for now, I’m just hanging here. In this liminal space. Gaze soft, looking for some twinkle of magic in the mundane. The Witch Next Door is off this week. However if you are looking for something to listen to, I was a guest on Your Average Witch Podcast, and the episode was released this week. You can find it here or tune in on your favorite streaming platform. I have more to share in the coming weeks, but for now, I’ve got some staring out the window and cuddling dogs and cats to do. The veils are thin.
The calendar date of Samhain on the 31st of October/ 1st of November hold a collective energy, as so many people use these dates as the marker for this celebration. However, astronomically Samhain is actually on November 7th. This is the true cross quarter day. Maybe you are feeling a deepening into the in between. Maybe you are noticing that the energy as we move deeper into this month has brought you deeper into connection with other worlds. Here in my corner of the world we are navigating an anticipatory loss of a loved one and I have been talking to our beloved dead often. Asking for guidance, and support. For assistance and care for our loved one and for those with breaking hearts. It can be difficult, here in the in between. There are many truths and realities that coexist that seem paradoxical. We can grieve and laugh, feel sad and angry, find beauty and horror all at once. In truth this is what it means to be human. Yet in this in between all of it is amplified. Time speeds up and slows down all at once. It’s a strange liminal space. If you have been here or are here now, I see you. Whatever experience you are having right now you might take this time, this moment between the Equinox and Solstice to explore what is dying away with the lengthening nights of Autumn. You might even pull a few cards or journal with the following prompts.
What is true my friends is that even here in the in between there are pockets of joy to be found… November is my personal birthday month and one I spend a great deal of time practicing gratitude during. I am so grateful for all of you. For this community that allows me to share witchery and wisdom and from whom I in turn learn so much from. As a thank you, I have put up several past classes that had been archived (these are recordings of live classes with all the written curriculum as applicable) and I am offering you 40% off on them. In fact all the classes in The Cauldron can be accessed for 40% off (membership circle and upcoming Winter Circle excluded). These classes include, The Restory your Life series, Honoring Our Sacred Grief, Witch Crafting , The Gift of the Labyrinth, Playing with Pendulums, and my ebook, Ground Yo’Self Use code NOV40 at checkout to take advantage of this offer until November 30th. Some of you may recall that I mentioned an upcoming seasonal circle. Starting at Winter Solstice and ending at Spring Equinox, I am hosting a 6 session and two ritual circle to hold and nourish participants through the Winter season. We begin with your invitation to the Diving Deeper Winter Solstice ceremony and then meet 6 times for an hour and a half through the Winter months, ending with a Spring Equinox ceremony. We will be using ritual, creative arts, embodiment practices, spell work and connection in this group working with the themes of Deep Rest for our first three sessions and Self Love for the last three. If you think you might be interested in joining us please reply to this email and let me know and you will be the first to be notified when registration opens. This is a closed group with limited spots to help facilitate a deeper connection and trust. How is the season settling in your bones?
What did you learn under the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse on Saturday? What stories are being woven through your life in this season of release and letting go? At this time when the veils are thin, do you feel the whispers of those that have come before? What connections are you making with other realms? In what ways are you honoring your beloved dead? I hope you enjoyed the emails I sent last week with suggestions for connecting with your ancestors. In this time of powerful portals and you may find yourself immersed in communications and rememberings. Or you might not. And if not, this does not make you any less of a Witch. It does not mean you are not magical. It simply refl;ects where you are at in your own journey this year at this time. You may be beginning to notice that some years feel differently than others. That sometimes Samhain brings potent messages from other realms, and sometimes you just eat halloween candy and zone out watching a spooky movie (or a totally non spooky movie). Part of Witchcraft is working with the natural rhythms of the world around you, But an even bigger part is following the rhythms inside of you. And what’s true, is that sometimes these don’t sync up with the natural world. (And that’s ok). Be with you. Whatever this looks and feels like, And honor yourself exactly where you are at. If you are feeling the pull for celebrating Samhain here are a few more ideas, Share stories of remembrance Do you have a loved one who has passed? Share your favorite story about them with a friend or family member. Write a letter to a loved one on the other side, then bury or burn it to transport the message to them. Practice divination Ask a question and let this time of thin veils and communication offer you a response from the other side. You can use cards, automatic writing, a pendulum…or any other divination tool you feel drawn to. Want to journey to the Isle of Apples? Summerland. The place where souls reside between lives? I hosted a Samhain ceremony yesterday and although it was for Diving Deeper Members and those that attended the Season of the Witch Conference, I feel called to share the replay with you all. You can watch it here Magazine Submissions As I mentioned before, I am putting together a Winter Magazine. This is a publication focused on the magic and witchery of the season and should be available in December. I had put a call out for article, craft and recipe submissions due on November 8th. This is an opportunity to share some of your wisdom, and a little note about who you are and what you do. The 8th is coming up quick so if you wanted to get something in to be considered for this edition you can email it to me before then. New Offering I’ve been feeling into the edges of what lights me up lately. And as you likely recall, I love bringing people together in circle and making space for folks to be witnessed in their experience. The Priestess Path is one way I offer this and I bring elements of this into the rituals and classes I host for Diving Deeper. A new experience presented itself to me recently and I am bringing it to life through the Winter Season. This circle will gather between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox, beginning and ending with community rituals for these seasonal markers. In between we will meet for 6 sessions. The first three will focus on Deep Rest as our theme and the last three will focus on Self Love and Care. We will use a combination of embodiment, creative arts, trance, spell work, divination and the connection of this group to work with the energy of the Winter and support and nourish ourselves through it, If this sounds like something you would be interested in, reply to this email and I’ll add you to the waitlist. Daily Planner Did you get your planner yet? The 2024 Make Everyday More Magical Daily Planner is available here. In addition to supporting your own craft, these make great gifts! If you are local to Sonoma County and want to purchase one, I have a few copies I would be happy to deliver to you so you can skip the shipping fee. (I also have copies of the Celebrate the Seasons Workbook and the Inner Alchemy Journal). You can reply to this email to order directly from me (local peeps only). Blessed Samhain. I intentionally set some things aside these past couple of weeks.
No new podcasts. (Don’t worry they will return super soon). Minimal social media posts (I’ll get back to it I swear). Taking longer to reply to emails. Leaving my computer off for an entire day. Burn out is real my friends. And I have an on again off again relationship it. Mostly we flirt with each other, but every so often we have a crazy love affair that leaves me broken and limping along ready to collapse. And so that’s where I’ve been. Nursing my post break up wounds. Trying to find spaces to enjoy my favorite season. To remember who I am when I’m not working or doing all the “have to’s” Writing down my “big ideas” instead of bringing them to life. Wearing sequins and seeing the Taylor Swift movie. Lingering in Target a little too long to look at glittery clothes I have no need for but trying them on anyway. Watching spooky shows. Drinking insane amounts of tea. Dancing, running and crying too. I started Wise Woman Witchery because coming together to make magic in community is empowering AF. Because I believe the magic we have inside of each of us is a place of power. Because I wanted to hold up a mirror for you and say “Look at that amazing Witch! Do you see your gifts?” But the truth is, I am more of a Priestess than a sales person and sometimes the marketing and hustle of it all kicks my ass. After all I’m only one person, running two businesses, one of which is at the mercy of algorithms. So in this in between I’m letting new ideas form and saving them, because there are some new ways of being that are starting to show themselves to me. There are echoes from my past and future selves offering up the Wheel of Fortune. Possibility. Stay tuned for some changes and new offerings. But for now. Stay present my friends. Enjoy the season. Wear sequins. Dance. Remember. Who you are. Who you’ve been. And who you are becoming. Book Fair As most of you know I have several books available to help you support your practice. I am including links here to all three. If you’re a local Witch (Sonoma County) and would like to purchase one of these, I have copies available and can meet up with you so you can avoid shipping costs. Reply to this email to request one (or more). These make great gifts! Magazine I’m crafting up a mini magazine for this Winter and looking for a couple more articles to add to the mix. If you have something Witchy you’d like to write about (think Winter themed), reply to this email and tell me about it. Submissions are due by November 8th. Connecting with the Ancestors Keep your eyes on your inbox for the three email series coming your way starting this Wednesday and offering you some invitations for activities and ritual to connect with your ancestors. |
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Emily Morrison MA, MFTArchives
March 2024
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