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Well not here where I live. But the energy of the eclipse is certainly popping.
The New Moon today is in the sign of Aries and it brings with it a little something extra. New Moons are that time of possibility, of beginnings and inspirations. Add an eclipse and the new moon is all of these things amplified! In addition, 19 years ago in 2005, we had another solar eclipse on April 8th. This bridge of eclipses asks us to reach back to our past self and get curious about where we were in Spring of 2005. What patterns and themes were alive for you at that time that might be resurfacing now in new or familiar ways? Yesterday afternoon I hosted a New Moon Circle at my house, using the eclipse energy to fuel an unmasking. It was truly a beautiful and powerful ritual. There is such healing in ceremony and connection. So much potency in witnessing and being witnessed. If you want to explore this theme of unmasking you might ask yourself the question; What mask are you wearing? Is it so familiar and form fitting that you don’t even notice it? Or is it old and worn and cracked and uncomfortable? What does the world look like through this mask? Do you have the courage to take it off and lay it down? To see the world and be seen without this face? What might that feel like? What might the world look like? What has been seen can not be unseen. That includes the true you! Less than 3 weeks before we gather. Are you coming to the Cauldron of Wisdom Awakening Intuition Symposium? I believe with my whole self that when we listen to and follow our intuition we get to live a more authentic, more juicy life. Our intuition guides us on our path and also can divert us from danger or mishap. And we all hear the voice of our inner wisdom a little differently. And the Awakening Intuition Symposium offers you 7 experiential workshops offering you different ways to connect to your inner knowing. Learn new strategies and cement familiar ones too. Join us April 26th and 27th for this virtual gathering. Want to hang out in real life? Just a reminder that the Wise Woman Witchery Outdoor Retreat is happening June 7-9th in Sonoma County California. Converge on this beautiful land and delve into ceremony, community and magic. Make time for yourself and recharge your emotional, physical and spiritual body during our time together. Check out the details here
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I almost can’t believe we are already in the third month of this year. My timeline seems off.
Yet the energy of this land I live on is definitely giving off Spring vibes and the days are becoming noticeably more lengthy. Spring often brings me a sense of anxiety. A feeling of not being ready for things to go faster or be brighter ensues. Especially as my creativity often starts to pick up and feels out of alignment with my still Wintering body and psyche. But this year I am ready. I am craving sun on my face, and more time to connect with others outdoors. I’m enjoying the later sunsets and earlier sunrises. (I could do without the allergies though). Even as the rain and cold continues here and a late Winter storm has closed roads and parks and ski resorts in the Sierras, the transformation toward the quickening and awakening is in full swing, What does this transitional time awaken in you? What do you notice? Are ideas beginning to churn? Are you anxious to be rid of your sweaters and boots? I’ve been longing deep in my bones for ritual in person with other women. So last week I sent out an email to some friends and invited them to a new moon ritual at my house next weekend. I can hardly wait! It’s been some time since I have a part of an in person ceremony and I am so thrilled to be in circle once more. Do you practice in a circle or coven? Participate in public ceremonies? Create your own among friends? If you have been longing for this type of connection but aren’t quite sure where to start, I invite you to join me for Community Crafting for Circles and Covens. This class will give you the nuts and bolts of starting your own group. You will walk away from our time together with a template for crafting up the sacred space in community you have been longing for. We gather THIS FRIDAY March 8th at 4 pm PT Register Here As Spring rises up, so does The Cauldron-Spring Digest edition. You can get this 40 page digest full of articles on a variety of witchy topics, from working with some plant medicine to planting with the moon, cultivating a daily practice to the Welsh owl goddess. Grab your copy here Summer is coming! And so is our outdoor retreat. Come drop into ceremony with me, on the beautiful land of Sonoma County California June 7-9th. You can find all the details here One of our community members and teachers Yolanda Riley has recently become a travel agent, so if you are needing some help booking your trip and getting the best price possible on your travel arrangements feel free to reach out to her at [email protected] Magic beings get out there and sprinkle your stardust in the world! Check in: How are you feeling coming off that Full Moon and being immersed in Pisces season?
This month’s Full Moon is the smallest moon of the year as it is currently the farthest from the earth. Also known as the Snow moon, this moon reminds us that Winter is still here (even in the places where the sun is shining and temps are rising). Yet the solar Pisces energy is feeling expansive. It’s an interesting combo. So I ask again, How are you feeling? What are you noticing? I made a point this weekend to be outside with the welcome sunshine and hiked and ran local trails and did a bit of tidying in the yard (it still needs so much more tending). I noticed yesterday that I couldn’t even bring myself to turn on my computer and I barely touched my phone. My connection to the natural world felt so much more at the forefront and I’m walking into this week the better for it. When was the last time you took a break from your devices? The idea of disconnecting sounds amazing in theory. Yet when your phone has become your course for music, your camera and your map, turning it off can be a challenge (at least for me). This weekend I was reminded that when I’m really present I don’t always feel like I need to document everything (some things sure, but not everything), that the sounds of nature are preferable to a podcast or music (for me), and that even with a map you can still get lost (true story). So step outside, discover something new (or familiar) and find your wild. Community This moon and Pisces and time outdoors gave me some time for being, and dreaming. It also opened me to the deeper longing I’ve been feeling for in person ceremony. This magick has been greatly missing from my life for quite some time. So Friday I started a plan to host a new moon ceremony with a few friends and I’m grateful that it is coming together even if the date is a couple weeks off. Without the container of a coven it can be difficult to cultivate regular ritual in community. And without some structure and planning of the container, it can also lose its form over time. In 20 years of creating magick within a group I learned a lot of things. Including knowing when to hold on tight and when something has ended. As Veronica pointed out to me when we were reflecting about our history of working in a group together, there is always more to learn. Community Crafting for Covens and Circles, is a collection of the things I have learned (and am learning) about being in a magical group. In this hour and a half class, we will discuss the nuts and bolts of starting a coven or circle, as well as some considerations and common pitfalls. Join me March 8th and prepare to craft your own community. Learn more and register here I am tired.
Are you tired too? As Winter wears on and the rains continue I feel the pull (a need) to rest. Yet to be honest I’m not great at resting. I am full of the sense of responsibility and the need to “show up”. So even though I know and understand the sacred value of rest, I am not fully dropping in and letting myself have it. Even as I encourage clients, friends and all of you, to allow yourselves the gift of quiet and repose, I keep pushing forward. (“It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me”) Some of it is circumstantial (dealing with my mother in laws estate and the deadlines there, an unexpected vet visit or two), and some of it is self imposed (over-scheduling, trying to do just one more thing), some if it is because of a desire to do things (I want to teach that class or see that friend, or go for that hike). Yet when normal daily tasks start to feel like they take a herculean effort to complete, I begin to recognize the burn out I have been suppressing making its way back into the limelight. (Just keeping it real here, I too am just humaning through this life perfectly imperfect) It is in these periods of burn out that I feel the farthest from my magic and yet somehow(almost paradoxically) that little spark is making itself known through the simplest of things. The crow that I am suddenly having a conversation with on the street, the little tit mouse that seems to be chatting it up with my cat through the window, the most incredible breathtaking sunrise, the sound of the wind both alone and with the accompaniment of rain. Deep vivid dreams, prophetic visions, intuitive knowings loud as the sound of a voice in my ear. Messages from the dead popping in through symbol and sound and story. All of these energies have been swirling in tandem with my tired. . And I’m listening and feeling my way through the information. Rest will come. Of this I’m certain. But for now I’m letting the magic hold me and buoy me as I intentionally make a space for it to grow. A Book Recommendation Back in December a friend shared a book with me. I began listening to it at the time. I was taken by its beauty and wisdom and the story telling within. I was mesmerized. Then somehow halfway through I got distracted. This last week I’ve been listening again and am almost done (will likely finish it today on my rainy morning run). The book is called “Take Back the Magic-conversations with the unseen world by Perdita Finn” It weaves our connection with the dead into the day to day in a truly beautiful and inspiring way. Collective Comfort This week on Tuesday my new circle was gathering and I was exhausted. I was to lead the night and had my plan in hand (literally typed up and printed so I didn’t forget anything). We hadn’t been together for a time after some canceled groups and to be honest I didn’t want to go. (Because tired). But I did, I showed up and I am so happy that I was there. Being in community is such a powerful healing experience. Even after my last circle dissolved after 19 years, I knew I wouldn’t go long without finding a new one for this reason. I hear from women all the time who are looking for a group, a circle, a coven Women who are longing for connection. There are lots of groups and programs you can join online to find this, but I also think it’s really important to know how to make this for yourself. In my 20 years of working magic within a group, I have learned A LOT! I created ”Community Crafting for Covens and Circles” to share this knowledge with you, I’ll be teaching this hour and a half class on March 8th and you are invited to join me, and receive the tools to bring your vision of a circle or coven into being. You can learn more and register here Spring Circle This Winter I tried something new and offered a 6 session Circle to carry us through the coldest and darkest months. It has honestly been a delightful and really nourishing process offering participants magical practices and community. I’ll be continuing this connection with the Spring Circle. This, like the Winter Circle, will offer 6 circles plus invitations to two seasonal rituals. You can register here And finally, the Summer Retreat awaits. Come weave spells beneath the stars and the limbs of the Oak and Bay. Gather Witches around the fire and discover the messages of the land, the power of your voice and the wisdom of your inner knowing. June 7-9th (plus for those of you arriving in town early, I’ll be camping the 6th as well if you’d like to join me). More information can be found here The moon hung as a heavy crescent in the sky this morning. A large vessel suspended and holding the stars and planets and cosmos in her curve.
Even as the sun rose and the broken clouds became pale pink around their edges, she hung there, a reminder perhaps, that letting go, that releasing, makes space for the universe to inside to shine even brighter. It is not yet Spring. There are 6 more weeks more to go before the Equinox arrives, yet all around I feel a the quickening below the surface. Part of me wants to leap forward to dive into the possibility that Spring brings, but another part, a stronger part, wants to continue to rest into the gently warming Winter sun, the intermittent rains and winds and retreat into the still quiet of myself. I want to dream. Today as I ran through the mud and hopped over broken branches and toppled trees (not as graceful as it sounds) I felt that dreaming self inside. She imagined all sorts of things, snippets of story and song birthed into the incubator of body, ready to be acknowledged but not yet seen, spoken or shared. Today I spoke with the squirrels and woodpeckers, the hawks and vultures, and even to the random swan and they whispered back, reminding me that rest can come in so many ways and that being cradled in the arms of the wild is one of them. What are you dreaming beneath the waning moon Wise One? What are you feeling as the earth begins to stir? What possibilities are drifting in, perhaps not ready to be shared, but making themselves known? What is the vessel that is you holding through this second half of the Winter? In my muddy adventures this morning I ran through the campground we will be gathering at for our Summer Retreat. I could vision the space as it will be then, tents pitched, fire cracking, altar spread out and growing with each day. I could hear us singing together and eating together. I could imagine the rituals unfolding and the alchemy of our gathering shifting the very vibration of the air. The retreat is scheduled for June 7-9th here in Sonoma county California. I have also reserved the space for the 6th, so if you come early, you are welcome to camp the extra night with us. Learn more and register here There is so much growing now behind the scenes and waiting to be seen in the sun. Stay tuned. Those were the words that came to me as I drove through the wet misty morning on my way to the park yesterday.
This is how we heal. The echo of those words followed me through a muddy 3 mile run, up a rocky narrow tract and back down again. This is how we heal. My voice. That place of inner knowing sang these words even in the moments where I felt grief tighten my diaphragm and choke the air from me. Breathe Just Breath Thank you Earth Thank you Rocks Thank you Water Thank you Mud Thank you Body This is how we heal It’s a process moving through grief It is not a date on the calendar when a certain amount of time has passed and suddenly the pain of the loss is “over”. This last couple months have been really challenging. Two deaths in one day from very different circles of my life (but both very close ones) was a lot. Continues to be a lot. And I’ve had moments where I have felt completely disconnected from Source. Not in an angry “How could you let this happen” kind of way, but in a numb, can’t access the spark of magic kind of way. But coming back to the dirt and rocks and roots, coming back to my body, my breath. Even in my moments of fear or doubt or sadness, there is a deep balm in the presence of nature. I can feel the magic again. And it is everywhere. Yesterday I ran all the way down the hill, splashing in puddles, hopping over rocks, trying not to slip for a mile and half. And I chanted my thank yous to the land, I made sounds that cleared that constriction of grief in my diaphragm and I let myself be present. This is how we heal. If you happen to be swimming in the river of grief too, and find some anchor points might be helpful along the way, I am offering my self paced class “Honoring Your Sacred Grief” for $6.75 to the first 100 people who are feeling the need for this. You can sign up for this here If the discount doesn’t appear, use code GRIEF75 at check out. The Moon is Waxing. What are you brewing up beneath this growing energy? Join me this coming Friday January 26th at 4 pm PT for the free Moon Magic class. We will discuss ways of working with the energies of the lunar cycle, the ways the zodiac contributes to these energies and the seasonal vibrations of the moon as well. Register here Share this with anyone you think might be interested in a little moon magic! (the replay will be available after the class ends) I love the Winter Yet sometimes, when I am cold or the rainy days seem to go on and on, I dream of Summer. Of the smell of warm dried grasses and bay trees. Of cool foggy mornings and warm sunny afternoons. This Summer we gather for the Wise Woman Witchery Outdoor retreat. There will be magic making beneath the oaks and bay trees. Divination, co-created sacred space, connection with the land and ourselves and so much more! Learn more here In December of 2010 I made a commitment to run a half marathon.
I had flirted with running in the past, but never more than a few miles max and much of it on a treadmill. But as 2011 began I signed up for a training group and started weekly runs in Annadel State park here in town. And I ran and walked my way through several months of training, discovering new ways of being with the land and making some new friends along the way. The thing about running on trails is you must pay attention to your body and its relationship to the earth. To the rocks, to the roots, to the incline and decline or a trail, to how you cross streams and to the very texture of the soil (mud vs hard pack, shale vs dirt). During this time, I listened to my breath, my footfalls, the turkeys and rain and trees, the coyotes and the streams. I learned to listen to my body more intentionally. (I also learned some new tricks to ignore it lol). In 2011 I ran a half marathon, I ran through the joy of my wedding that year and the grief of my Dad’s death. I ran into 2012, and more races, and losses and stressors and I learned that running gave me a home for these big feelings. I cried and screamed and laughed and rejoiced on those trails. And then somewhere around 2018, I stopped running. I think it was an injury. I can’t remember now. I still visited those trails, and I found other ways to move my body (some which I adore and continue still). I played with running a little, on cement, around the neighborhood. It felt good. But nothing like those early days. Yesterday I started running the trails again. And I remembered the sacredness of that relationship between my body and the earth. Between my feet and the roots and the rocks and soil. I’m slow. And steady. And my body remembers just what to do. I have a hard time being still. And so often in hiking I’m with people and talking and sharing and I see what is around me, but I don’t see it in the same way I do when I run a trail. When my senses are so heightened. What do you do to connect with nature, Wise One? Like really connect. When do you truly hear the earth? And your body? And the relationship between the two. As I age there are so many things I “used” to do often that supported this relationship. Camping at least once a month, reading beneath trees, watching clouds on my work break. I am realizing how many spaces have been filled with to do lists and responsibilities (some created some out of my control). On that trail yesterday I felt like I picked something up that my past self dropped. And now I want to hang onto it tightly and never let it go. Come explore the outdoors with me! The Wise Woman Witchery Outdoor Retreat brings us together in Sonoma County California June 7th-9th. You can discover the details and registration info here Moon Magic Did you register for the moon magic class yet? This free one hour class is happening on the 26th at 4 pm PT (a replay will be available for those that can’t make the livestream). We will spend an hour together diving into the energies of the moon and ways we can work with her in our magical practices. Register Here we have crossed the threshold of the new calendar year.
This is a time when resolutions are made. Gyms are full. Many people are vowing to be better. Do better. Create new habits. New year, new me. But wait up. Hold the phone. I like you. I don’t want you to be someone different. What if you are amazing just the way you are? Here’s the thing about being human. There is ALWAYS growth. We are always changing and shifting. In fact the only thing we are guaranteed (besides death and taxes) is change. When I was running this morning (and let’s be real, my running is more like a walk and a jog combined. We might call it wogging), I was thinking about all the ways I sabotage myself. The way I set goals that feel like they should be realistic, but aren’t Because they require massive change. And massive change is hard to maintain. I’ve set goals in the past and done hard things, sure. I imagine you have too. Those goals were either achieved and then ditched because the goal was complete, or they were reached through small steps (often with some accountability) and the habits that formed and had staying power stuck around because not only did they become habits, but I liked the results and they were often fun. So I started thinking about the tools I have already. The foundations I have created for myself over the years and the way these have supported smaller changes that have built on each other over time. The last few years I have been choosing a word each year. A touchstone of sorts. Instead of a resolution or a goal I let this word be the thing that helps guide me. A guide that helps me make small choices that build that foundation to the bigger and more sustainable things. When faced with a crossroads I ask myself which choices outcome is most connected to my word. This year I invite you to do the same. Add a word to your toolbox. And let it guide you. Ask yourselves what tools and habits you already have that you might add onto, or use to build toward your goals with. Don’t be a new you, be an evolving you. Is one of the things you want to cultivate more of this year magic? I have a really simple (and sustainable) way to bring more magic into your everyday life. Moon Magic! I’m offering a Moon Magic Class Friday January 26th at 4 pm PT. It’s totally free and you can sign up here. The Winter Circle begins on Friday!!!! There is still room if you’d like to join us. Come nourish and tend to your sacred self through the Winter months in community. We gather for 6 circles exploring the themes of Winter, Deep Rest, and Self Love, using the magic of embodiment practices, expressive arts, spell work and community. Learn more and register here 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. 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! |
Emily Morrison MA, MFTArchives
December 2024
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