Wise Ones we made it through January

 All 3,256 days of it. 
I jest. 
But January did seem long didn’t it?

I want to share with you all a little bit about where I have been of late. 
Not interested? 
Skip down to the next section where I offer a practice for Witchcraft in times of upheaval. 

At the end of 2024, I started to make some moves around shifting platforms and looking at Wise Woman Witchery through a business lens. 
It felt weird. 
And kind of yucky. 
In 2020 my business picked up a little steam. With people home my online reach grew and so too did our community. 
In 2024 my reach was stunted. Whether by algorithms or a flood of Witchery options on the market I can’t be sure. 
But by the end of the year I started really looking at the future of this heart project.

I took a marketing class. 
They pushed using Chat gpt for so many things. 
Copy, messaging, describing self, creating classes. 
It all felt bad. 
Apparently it’s effective. 
But it feels bad. 

In addition to the environmental damage AI does to our earth, it also felt like it was taking my writing, my heart work, my humaness and dumbing it down. Playing psychological games with words and not even letting me show up as myself. 

So I found myself circling back to the questions “How does one bring offerings authentically into the world, but still manage to pay their bills?”
“How can I reach people when I am competing against computers that are clearly “smarter” than I am about the world of online marketing and what grabs people's attention?”

I don’t have all the answers. 
But what I do have are perhaps more compelling questions. 
“What does this community need now?”
“How can I stay true to my values and morals and truths and be in service?”
And finally “How do I do this in a sustainable way?”

I’m mulling these things over and letting them guide me. 
I’m talking to my allies, to my ancestors and to the land. 
I’m listening to the voice of my heart. 
And as the answers unfold I hope you will be here with me to discover what comes next. 

Witchcraft for Times of Upheaval
Things are pretty unsettled here in the US right now. 
Maybe you’re feeling the shaky ground we are standing on too. 
I’m going to be sending you a few tips in coming newsletters for simple practices you can use to support yourself (and others)

Today’s Witchcraft tip is all about grounding. 
How do you ground yourself? 
Where is your center? 
What are the tools you use to reconnect to the moment and to yourself. 

Here are a few of my favorites. 

1. Grounding visualization- you can watch or listen to a guided practice here. 
   
2. Walk, run, dance-move your body and let that movement and the contact with the earth help bring you back to YOU!
   
3. Deep breaths-Focus on 3-5 steady deep breaths, notice the difference this simple practice can make. 
   
4. Co-regulate-whether you lean into the energy of a friend, lover, animal ally or family member, being in physical connection ( and even just in the same room) with someone else who is regulated and grounded can help your nervous system remember what to do 
   
5. Burn some incense, spray some hydrosol, smell some herbs-scent brings us back  to our body and pleasurable scent can help you feel calm and centered
   

Why ground? 
The most simple answer is it settles your nervous system and brings you back to yourself, your center.
If we want to work with energy effectively we need to be a steady conduit for that energy. 
If we want to work magic, we need to be grounded. 
It is in this rootedness that clarity can arise, that messages have more space to not only come through but to be understood, that our magic can flow and be more effective.

Dearest Wise Ones, take good care of your sacred selves. 

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