Building Relationship with North, Earth, and Your Ancestors

On the sacred wheel, the North encompasses the realm of earth, winter, death, rebirth, and your ancestors. The North is the still and sacred portal where we're allowed to break down and shed to rebuild for a new cycle. It is the seat of deep wisdom where the ancestral knowledge from all of those who've come before you resides. The North encompasses endings, new beginnings, and the space in between.  

I've been wanting to dedicate a post to each of the four elements and decided that honoring them through the cardinal directions on our seasonal wheel throughout the year would be the most fluid and meaningful way to do so. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, we're amidst winter, so it's the ideal time to dive into the themes of the North and the element of earth. I will explore the realm of the East and the element of air at Springtime, South and the element of fire at summertime, and West and the element of water in the autumn. 

In this post, we'll explore the wisdom of the North and all that it encompasses. You'll also learn common correspondences and ways to build relationship with the North. Because this is the first in a series of posts, I'll also spend some time discussing sacred circles and wheels in various cultures and how they're used with the directions and elements. 

honoring the north and earth awen podcast

I started working with the cardinal directions in my practice regularly about five or six years ago, primarily as a way to cast a circle and create sacred space. My work with the wheel has evolved, and working with the directions and wheel has become an intrinsic part of my practice. I use the wheel as a tool to connect with the seasons, the cardinal directions, the elements, and all of the wisdom each section encompasses. Circles similar to the seasonal wheel used by many Celtic, Druidic, and Wiccan spiritual practices are sacred across many cultures and have a lot of overlap in meaning. 

If you'd like a frame of reference for the sort of wheel I'll be referring to throughout this share and series, you can find one in my book "Understanding the Wheel of the Year." The wheel I created for the book shows each season's color, direction, elemental, lunar, and zodiac alignments. If you don't have the book, I've shared an image below, and if you're listening, feel free to pause and look up this share on my blog. 

Understanding The Wheel of The Year by Cassie Uhl, shop it here.

It's a common framework used by cultures worldwide, though you will find subtle differences from practice to practice. Let's start there and look at how other cultures work with sacred wheels. 

Sacred Wheels Across Cultures

The medicine wheel or sacred hoop is a tool and symbol used by many First Nations and Indigenous cultures from the land referred to as Canada and North America. Stone structures that have been used for ceremonial purposes dating back as early as 3200 BCE have been found in Canada. Though stone structure dates back far into the past, medicine wheels and sacred hoops are still alive today with many Indigenous people and communities. They can be used for ceremony, ritual, and to connect with the four directions, elements, animals, and more. 

In Mongolian Cosmology, the ger often referred to as a yurt here in the West represents a sacred wheel. The ger is viewed as a microcosm, or a map, of the universe. Each direction has a unique significance related to who and what resides in that location and what takes place. For example, the entrance of the ger always faces North, the fire is always at the center, women sit on Eastside, and men on the West. 

In yogic practices, the directions hold significance as well. It is not uncommon to face specific directions for specific asanas and meditations. There are myths, Gods, and Goddesses associated with each direction which each share insights about the significance of each direction in yogic philosophy. I'm always intrigued by the overlap in different cultures around common spiritual tools and symbols. Here, in an article from Pandit Rajmani Tigunait of Yoga International, he shares a bit about the direction of the North in Yogic tradition, "The North is determined by the polar star, the symbol of stability; it is the fixed goal that never wavers. It represents unshakable conviction." I love this because it's similar to my understanding and relationship with the North. 

Of course, these are just little snippets of each of these sacred practices. 

There are symbols and practices throughout Europe that use sacred wheels, although, as usual, with little historical reference. The sun cross or solar wheel, a circle with a cross in the middle, is a common symbol found throughout prehistoric Europe. However, even the name that was given to this symbol, the "sun cross," is relatively new, which shows how little we truly know about its true significance. Between the sun cross and circular structures like Stonehenge and Woodhenge, it's not difficult to see that wheels were sacred to many throughout Europe. 

Today many practices like Wicca and Druidry use the wheel in different ways like connecting with the seasons, elements, cardinal directions, creating sacred space, and more. This is how I connect with the wheel in my practice and the lens through which I'll be sharing from here. 

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Before we dive into the bulk of this share, I want to give you a little bit of a reference of my process for this share and how I intend to craft future shares in this series. The North is an important topic because it encompasses many other significant issues like the element of earth, Wintertime, our ancestors, and more. My goal with this share, and the future directions, is to give you a framework to begin building a relationship with the North and its many facets. Much of what I share will be from my personal experiences building a relationship with the North. As always, remember that your experiences may differ based on your cultural background and personal gnosis. 

I've been spending a lot of time connecting with my local nature spirits and journeying about the topic for this post. This share has not come easily to me. I have a deep sense of reverence for the North and a feeling of not wanting to get it wrong. The North and the earth element are our sacred foundation and the home of our ancestors, and it feels relevant that I stress the importance and sacredness of the North.

Let's begin exploring wisdom from the North.

North Wisdom

The North is the cauldron of creation that encompasses death, birth, and the space between these two realms. It is the simultaneous end and beginning and the dark moon phase. I think our linear human minds sometimes struggle with this. We're so used to endings and beginnings that a pause between the two, or the idea that endings and beginnings live in the same space, seems somewhat foreign. But, of course, we can always find glimpses of this in nature. 

cardinal direction north in the ritual deck

Even here in the desert, I find subtle reminders of the wisdom of the North and those in-between spaces. There's an oleander plant I often notice on my walks. It seems to be always blooming. However, since around the time of the Winter Solstice, it's dropped its flower and, as of recently, has formed tiny buds. I've enjoyed noticing how long the buds have been there, waiting, as the plant rebuilds and absorbs more nutrients to bloom again. I've used it as a bit of a marker for myself as I find myself in a similar space of rebuilding. It's been a comforting reminder to pay more attention to plants in their death and "in-between" phases this winter season. People often ask how I connect with the seasons being in the desert, and I'm here to tell you that the seasons are very much alive, even in the desert, albeit on a smaller scale. 

Wintertime, the season of the North, also coincides with our shift into Capricorn season. It makes my heart sing when these seasons overlap so perfectly. Capricorn is a cardinal earth sign and corresponds with the planet of Saturn. The cardinal earthy energy signals a time to build a solid foundation upon which we can build. The Saturn correspondence invites in structure. These themes fit perfectly into the realm of the North and the element of earth. 

Understanding what tools you need to build a strong foundation requires time and introspection. I'd say there's even a thread of shadow work that weaves through this space. To create a solid foundation, you'll need to take stock of what's working and what's not working in your life, assess where you need to set different boundaries and notice where you may need to ask for help or call in reinforcements. Deep processing, shedding, and collecting happen in the North. 

Your body and physical wellbeing correspond with the North and this season as well. You are the earth of the North. We often forget that our bodies are nature itself. This space is an invitation to notice how you're tending to your body or your physical foundation. The North is where we address the physical body's needs, so you feel safe and supported during this incarnation. The earth and all its inhabitants live within the realm of the North. Everything comes from the earth and will decompose back into the earth. The earth is the foundation for all life. 

This is where your ancestors come in. You have centuries of ancestral knowledge living within your blood, bones, and DNA. Outside of your physical body, there's ancestral knowledge within the soil, stones, and water as well. Of course, not all of our ancestors have left positive influences that will be for you to parse out, work with, and hea. But there's wisdom and learning nonetheless. On a very physical level, the earth below your feet holds the wisdom of every ancestor who's come before you. When you connect with the power of the North, you connect with this wisdom and knowledge. 

We often think of connecting with those on the other side as somewhere outside of us or up in a heaven of sorts. While it may be that the spirits of our ancestors are in a different realm, their blood, bones, and all of the wisdom therein have been absorbed back into the earth. This is why we connect with the ancestors in the earth and the wisdom of the North on a very physical level. That is where their wisdom lives. 

Are you're starting to see and feel the layers of this sacred space emerge? 

Correspondences of the North

You could probably pick up on quite a few correspondences from what I shared above. Here are a few more common energetic connections for the North. A quick note before I dive in, as I shared earlier, the cardinal directions and the elements are spiritual practices that show up across cultures. It's also important to keep in mind that you may have unique connections to the directions and their correspondences. Suppose the way you connect with each direction varies from what I share here. That is normal and certainly not a reason to discount your connections or mine, whether it be from another culture or a personal connection. 

Correspondences for the North

Element: Earth

Season: Winter

Time of day: Midnight

Moon Phase: Dark moon

Tarot: Pentacles

Colors: black, brown, green, white

Animal: bear or any other earthy animal you connect to the North

Other: dirt, stones, plants, bones, clay

Working with corresponding tools is one way to help honor and connect with the energy associated with the North. Tools and symbols can draw our awareness to where we are trying to focus. I will also share ways to use these correspondences in the following section. 

3 Ways to Build Relationship with the North

Now my favorite section! You hear me say this often because it's been so true for my practice. For there to be a connection or learning to happen, there must be relationship. So before any deep work can be done within the North and its many corresponding energies, I encourage you to build a relationship with the North. 

Understanding each direction on the wheel has far less to do with what I share here and much more to do with how you experience them. 

There are so many ways to begin building a relationship with the North and the earth, and I find it is a beautiful starting point because it is a place of foundations. The North is the infrastructure for the rest of the wheel and your spiritual practice and an ever-present touchpoint you can come back to at any time to feel supported and to tap into a deep well of wisdom. That said, there are many who also like to start in the East as it is a place of new beginnings. For example, when I cast a circle, I begin with the East and end with the North. I'll leave it up to you, but in my opinion, there are no strict rules about this, especially when deciding where to begin forming a deeper relationship. 

If you are looking for more personal guidance, as I mentioned earlier in this share, I am offering my "Journey to the Ancestors," which will provide a more robust look at connecting with the North with even more tools, including journal prompts a card spread, and guided journey meditation. 

Here we'll focus on connecting with the earth and your local natural environment, tuning into your physical body, and journeying or meditating on the North. 

1. Connecting with the earth 

Because the North encompasses the element of earth, connecting with the earth is a powerful portal to experience the North and its wisdom. There are so many ways to connect with the earth, and you likely already have some beautiful practices to help you do this. For me, the most powerful way I've found to connect with the earth is through regular connection with my natural environment. I do this by going on regular walking meditations, usually 15-30 minutes 4-5 times a week. As always, I encourage you to try whatever feels like a doable and sustainable amount of time for you and your unique schedule.

When I walk, I try to focus my full attention on the environment around me. I say try because, just like sitting meditation, my mind tries to remind me of all of my to-do's and interject with other random thoughts. To help me stay present and aware, I have a process to become more engrossed in my surroundings. I do this by noticing the temperature, the speed of the wind, the warmth and location of the sun, how the ground feels beneath my feet, how the air feels in my mouth and lungs, varying sounds of the animals, and any changes in different trees and plants.

I've found that connecting with nature regularly and intentionally creates a very natural pathway to forming a deep relationship with the earth and your environment. You'll soon see patterns and cycles of death and rebirth all around you, perhaps in ways that you hadn't previously noticed. You'll begin to feel more connected to the plants, animals, and soil. These relationships can then initiate a more profound unfolding and help you to form a deeper relationship with the element of earth, your ancestors, and the realm of the North. 

2. Connecting with the physical body

Another way I enjoy connecting with the realm of the North and the element of earth is by focusing on my physical body. Your body is a deep well of wisdom. Sometimes we discount this wisdom, especially when our physical bodies do not feel or perform the way we want them to or think they should.

The North reminds us that the body is a living vessel of cyclical wisdom, just like nature. Just like the oleander plant I mentioned earlier, you are not intended to bloom at all times either, nor are you intended to be a picture of perfect health at all times. Like nature, our bodies encounter seasons of sickness, decay, and growth. There is not one stage that is more spiritual than another, and you are not less spiritual if your body or mind experiences temporary or long-term illness. Have you ever looked at a tree losing its leaves and thought, "what a stupid tree? It must not have absorbed enough of the right kind of nutrients. Otherwise, it wouldn't be losing its leaves." I gather you probably haven't, but how often have you had thoughts like this about yourself or another person? 

It might seem like an unusual concept to build a relationship with your body, the very vessel you reside in, but I think, much like the earth, it's something we often take for granted. Our bodies always give us signs and nudges about what we need and don't need, but we don't always listen. When you permit yourself to connect with the body more regularly, you create a pathway to build a relationship with it and learn from its wisdom. 

Connecting with my body in a very intentional way is something I usually do before any meditation. You can add another layer of energy to this practice by facing North for a body meditation, either lying down with your head pointing towards the North or by sitting up and facing the North. I like to start at my feet and work my way up through the body. I try to notice each area, how it feels, and what the energy of each space is bringing up. 

I'll never forget when I started doing this. It was a suggestion from my now mentor, Robin Afinowich, years ago when I saw her for energy work. I remember sitting in meditation, focusing on my body, and noticing that I had a lot of pain in my body that I was unaware of and had become completely used to. I began breathing into these spaces and found that the pain would slowly dissipate as I noticed it, allowed it, and breathed. 

My body had been trying to communicate with me through physical pain for who knows how long, and it wasn't until I sat down and really felt into my body that I even noticed it! I think a lot of us become accustomed to certain sensations so much so that we don't even notice when our body is trying to tell us it's time to pause or try something different. I'd also like to point out that I'm 100% not implying here that meditation can be a cure-all for all physical ailments. Nope, sometimes the sensations you tune into may indicate that it's time to see a doctor. But, in this instance, it helped me draw my attention back to my body to start using some tools to tend to my nervous system and body in ways that I previously hadn't been doing. 

The wisdom from the North here is that when we tune into the body, it will often tell us what it needs to feel better supported. Sometimes this looks like allowing more time for rest, eating nourishing foods, moving the body more, or reaching out for support from a doctor. Our bodies are wise beyond what our human brains can even fathom. 

If you'd like to explore a body-focused meditation, my "Meditate with the Moon" guided meditation package offers a body scan meditation for the dark moon phase that is a great way to tune into your body and connect with the North. 

3. Journeying and meditation

Another way to deepen your relationship is to journey to the North or meditate on the North. This can be a really powerful way to deepen your relationship with the North. The previous invitations can also help pave the way to connecting through meditation and journeying. This technique can be especially helpful when you want to connect with your ancestors. 

First, a bit about meditation vs. journeying, because they are different and often interchangeably, even by myself. I've mentioned journeying here in this space, but I haven't spent much time going into detail about what it is. 

There are likely others who will have a different opinion than I do, but these are my thoughts. I think of meditation as an umbrella term for training the mind to be more present and aware. However, there are many different kinds of meditation. I think of journeying as one kind of meditation. Journeying is akin to astral travel in that you focus your awareness on journeying to somewhere in the astral plane. Though it can be like an out-of-body experience, it often occurs within the mind's eye. 

This is a brief introduction to journeying, I could spend an entire post on what journeying is and different techniques, and I probably will someday. I think the best place to get started when wanting to learn how to journey is to meditate regularly and begin building your anchor point or the location within the astral realm that's your home. The better you visualize and hold the visualization, the more natural journeying will come to you over time. You can also get a taste for journeying in my free guided mediation to meet your spirit guides. That's a free offering for joining my email list, which you can find here. Or join me in my monthly journey, which this month is to your Ancestors in the North. 

If journeying is a part of your practice, I encourage you to try this method for connecting with the North. If journeying is new to you, I encourage you to try a meditation on the North. There's still deep wisdom there as well. To do a meditation to the North, I'd invite you to bring in some physical elements representing the North, like a black/brown candle or a stone, and to face the North. I'd also suggest stating aloud or in your mind that you desire to connect with the North. Then, close your eyes, connect with your breath and body and see where your mind takes you. How do you feel, what do you see in your mind's eye, and do any messages come through? This may take more than one go, and that's okay. Remember, building a relationship takes time. 

Meditating or journeying to the North can be a powerful tool when you need wisdom around matters of the North, like death, birth, the physical body, and ancestral healing. 

I hope in reading this you already feel more connected with the North and all its wisdom and that it's encouraged you to start building a deeper relationship with this "space." Getting this share out feels like a birth for me. It took me a long time to gather my thoughts around this big topic, so I hope you enjoyed it! I plan to explore the East around the equinox when our wheel shifts to the Spring. 

Sources

The Ger and the Sacred Circle: http://buryatmongol.org/a-course-in-mongolian-shamanism/mongolian-cosmology/the-ger-and-the-sacred-circle/

Four Elements, Four Directions: Is that Celtic or Druidic:

https://www.oocities.org/rainforest/canopy/2178/celtic2.html

The Significance of the four directions in practice:

https://yogainternational.com/article/view/the-significance-of-the-four-directions-in-practice

Lakota Medicine Wheel:

http://aktalakota.stjo.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8592

What is Awen?

Have you wondered what Awen is? Perhaps it's a word you're familiar with, but I also recognize that my podcast title, Awen Guided by Spirit, may have been your first acquaintance with the word. I feel like I owe you a bit of an explanation about what Awen is and why it's included in the title of my podcast. I also feel like it's important to breathe some life into Awen here in this space.

In this post, you'll learn what Awen is, where the word came from, how it's used, and my connection to it. Wrapped up in this share, I also want to begin a larger conversation about titles and how we identify ourselves in the spiritual community. 

Listen to the full episode here.

How do you identify yourself in the spiritual community?

If you're here, it's possible that, like myself, you feel unsure of what to call yourself. I find myself often simply identifying as "spiritual." Which is so non-specific that I think it has very little meaning, even though I know that the spiritual practices I adhere to are significant, real, and valid, as are yours. Maybe this isn't something you've pondered. If you don't, great, haha! However, I've personally grappled with this throughout my spiritual journey. 

Maybe, like me, you've asked yourself, "am I a witch, a pagan, a Druid, a Shamanic practitioner?" I don't fully resonate with any of these terms. In my opinion, most of these words have, to some extent, been misunderstood and misused. My unwillingness to claim these words often gives me a sense of feeling misplaced or apart from rather than a part of. Perhaps, you can relate, or maybe you feel very at home with some of these identifiers. Cultural heritage and where you live play a significant role here too.

For me, there's an energetic weight to some of these identifiers that I don't want to carry. For example, the need I feel to explain what being a witch means to me is something I don't want to untangle for people. The word witch often brings up a vast array of preconceived ideas for people. Yes, it can be empowering to identify as a witch. It can be powerful to reclaim that word. But, that word has also picked up so many correlations that do not fit who and what a witch is, believes, and does. Many people have a very fraught relationship with the word witch. 

I practice witchcraft, but I do not claim the title of witch more often than not. I know many of you feel very at home with this word, and that's beautiful. This is a bigger topic that I'm just scratching the surface of here. As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to email or DM me on Instagram. Perhaps, it's my Aquarius Sun, just trying to be different, haha! But, I don't doubt that some of you feel similarly. There's a lot of grey area and nuance to this topic, much of which I won't get into today.

My connection to Awen

Let's get back to the point of this share, which is to discuss Awen. Why then the slight detour? In my ever-evolving quest to find words and titles that I truly resonate with, I came to the word Awenydd in 2019 while reading a book by Elen Sentier. I often wonder if it was a deep soul whispering of a word I once knew and identified with lifetimes ago. Perhaps! Upon reading about the Awenyddion in the British Isles, I began a quest to read and learn all that I could about Awen and Awenyddion. 

For me, there's something about the word Awen that feels a little lighter, like it hasn't been subjected to the same weight that the word witch has. Instead, it feels very special, like a secret. Energetically, it feels like the essence of the unique spiritual path that I choose to walk. This is why I named this podcast Awen. I also believed that calling this podcast Awen would allow me to do what I'm doing now, to put this word and its essence on a bit of a pedestal. If it is a new word to you, too, I'll be excited to hear if its meaning rings as true for you as it did for me. Let's explore Awen. 

What is Awen?

So, what does Awen mean? Awen is a Welsh and Breton word that loosely translates as "flowing inspiration" or "poetic inspiration." Some describe it as the "holy spirit" of Celtic Spirituality and Druidry. I'll share my understanding of Awen, descriptions from others, and I'll end with a bit of historical context for this word. 

I think Awen is something we've all experienced at some point in our lives. Awen is available to everyone from any path. I think many experience Awen and simply call it a different name. Can you remember a time when you became fully consumed with an art project, playing an instrument, performing a ritual, dancing, writing, or simply being in awe of nature? Those moments of feeling wholly absorbed, present, and even experiencing a loss of time are Awen. Awen is something many of us brush up against while engaging with creative acts, but it can also be cultivated. 

As an artist and someone who started meditating at a young age, I'm quite familiar with what this sensation feels like. In art school, I remember being in awe of how I'd become fully engrossed in a painting to the point that I didn't feel like it was I who had control over the brush but something outside of myself. I would sometimes spend an entire day engrossed in a painting or drawing, and it felt like no time had passed at all. I can also remember my early meditation experiences, feeling like my body had become one with my surroundings. As I've grown older, this energy of Awen is something I've learned to tap into both through meditation, creativity, and being outside. Today, I recognize that it is through connecting with the energy of Awen I perform energy work, write my books, create my art, and more. It is not I am alone. It is me choosing to be in a relationship with the flowing energy of Awen. It is a co-creative and reciprocal relationship. 

Awen is something that anyone can tap into, it’s always here, therefore it’s for everyone. 

The word Awen can be used in many ways, it can refer to the essence of creative inspiration or spirit, but it can also be used to describe a person. Someone living in the space of connection with Awen may be referred to as an Awenydd. I'll start by sharing an excerpt from Elen Sentier's book Following The Deer Trods, where she uses the phrase Awenydd. 

Awenydd means spirit-keeper and comes from the word awen, which means spirit. 

Awenyddion (the plural of awenydd) have served the British tribes for hundreds of thousands of years, as long as there have been humans living in our land. We call this path walking the deer trods ... We still do this work now, in the 21st century, for everything that lives on the Earth and the Earth herself, the seen and unseen, the human and not-human. We journey to bring wisdom and enable healing for creatures, people, plants and the land herself. 

We awenyddion honour the spirit of the Earth and work with the spirit of the land. For me, this involves all sorts of things from growing my own veg to politics as well as spirit walking, journeying and healing. For each awenydd the form of the path is different, but the purpose is always the same … working for Mother Earth and all the life that lives and breathes and has its movement therein. 

Elen Sentier, Following The Deer Trods

One of my favorite books on the topic is The Awen Alone by Joanna Van Der Hoeven. Here's an excerpt from this book that I adore and find that she beautifully captures Awen's essence.

For awen to exist, there must be relationship. We cannot be inspired unless we are open, and we cannot be open unless we have established a relationship, whether that is with the thunder, the blackbird or a god. Awen is cyclical in nature; we open and give ourselves and in doing so we receive in a continuous cycle. Letting go, releasing ourselves into the flow of awen allows it to flow ever more freely. We find ourselves inspired not only in the fits and bursts of enlightenment or inspiration, but at all times, carrying that essence of connection and wonder with us in our everyday lives. 

But just what is awen? It is an awareness, not just on a physical and mental level, but also on a soul-deep level of the entirety of existence, of life itself. It is seeing the threads that connect us all. It is the deep well of inspiration that we drink from, to nurture our souls and our world and to give back in joy, in reverence, in a wild abandon, and in solemn ceremony. 

Joanna Van Der Hoeven, The Awen Alone

Finally, I'll share an excerpt from the book, The Path of Druidry by Penny Billington. The word Awen is often associated with Druidry. However, those working outside of Druidry also use this word, as depicted above by Elen Sentier. 

As with the walks that put Druids in the way of the magical current so becoming absorbed in the moment—whatever the activity—and engaging fully with what is happening puts us in the way of creative flow. That mysterious, elusive thread of our magical current, inspiration, is the key to creativity. Artists who experience a creative block suffer greatly—and this means all of us. We were born to be creative, and finding how to express that is our bardic challenge…

Druids have a word for this spirit of inspiration. We call it Awen. 

Penny Billington, The Path of Druidry

I love how Penny Billington refers to Awen as a "magical current" and think it rings so true to the feeling of being in flow with Awen. 

As you can see from each of these excerpts, and my offering, what Awen means to people has subtle fluctuations. Just as the literal translation Awen suggests, Awen is fluid and not something we will be able to "nail down" or define perfectly. There's a certain amount of mystery to the word, which I believe makes it more alluring.

Now for a bit of history. 

History of the word Awen

The first written use of this word comes from Historia Brittonum in approximately 828. There's also mention of Awenyddions in the Description of Wales by Gerald of Wales in 1194. He compares them to soothsayers (aka diviners) and talks about their ecstatic poetry that appears to pour forth from a trans-like state. Here's a funny little excerpt from Description of Wales by Gerald of Wales.

There are certain persons in Cambria, whom you will find nowhere else, called Awenyddion, or people inspired; when consulted upon any doubtful event, they roar out violently, are rendered beside themselves,and become, as it were, possessed by a spirit. They do not deliver the answer to what is required in a connected manner; but the person who skilfully observes them, will find, after many preambles, and many nugatory and incoherent, though ornamented speeches, the desired explanation conveyed in some turn of a word: they are then roused from their ecstasy, as from a deep sleep,

Gerald of Wales, Description of Wales

There's also a beautiful reference to Awen concerning spirit and inspiration that lives in the Book of Taliesin. The Book of Taliesin debuted in the early 14th century. However, like so many things in this sphere, many of the stories with the Book of Taliesin were likely orally passed down much earlier. There's still much debate about when the stories within the Book of Taliesin were written and who wrote them. 

One of the most striking lines about Awen from the Book of Taliesin translates to,

“The three elements of inspiration (Awen) that came, splendid, out of the cauldron.” 

The book of taliesin

I love that this early written reference of Awen mentions the cauldron and the three rays, which connect with the modern-day symbol associated with Awen.

The symbol for Awen was created in the 18th century by a Welsh poet named Iolo Morganwg. Within a circle, it depicts three dots with three rays radiating outward below the three dots.

Though I found this word to resonate with me in profound ways, it is a relatively new word to me. Upon writing this, it's only been about three years, which is a tiny amount of time. If it resonates with you too, I encourage you to do your own explorations into Awen and the Awenyddion. I'm learning just as you are, and even on topics I have been studying for longer, ultimately, you are your own sounding board. Until next time, I hope you feel the flow of Awen within you, around you, and through you.

In love and gratitude, Cassie

7 Tarot Myths Debunked

In our culture, there is no shortage of myths about tarot. Many of us were raised with the perspective that tarot cards are “scary” or that they have something to do with the devil.

Misinformation is rampant, but the truth is, tarot can be a powerful tool to help you hone your intuition, connect with yourself, deepen your relationship with spirit/universe/guides, make decisions, and more. 

In this post, I’ll be debunking some major myths about the tarot so that you can feel freer to work with the tarot in a way that feels really good to you. Check them out below!

MYTH 1: YOU MUST BE GIFTED YOUR FIRST DECK

This is a super common myth! Have you ever heard that you can’t buy your own deck and you must be gifted your first deck? 

Tarot reader and author Theresa Reed told Refinery 29 that this myth is “total rubbish.” She says, “If I would have waited around for that to happen, I might not have started working with the tarot as soon as I did — if ever.” 

I feel the same way. To me, this myth is just a form of gatekeeping in the tarot community. No one is exactly sure where this myth comes from, but it may be a legacy of 19th-century closed occult societies. 

Regardless of where it comes from, there’s nothing wrong with buying a deck for yourself — tarot is a folk magic practice, and it belongs to the people, so you don’t need permission from someone else in the form of a gifted deck to start your practice. If you feel attracted to working with the cards - pick yourself up a deck! 

Give this post a listen here.

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MYTH 2: TAROT IS EVIL

Another variation of this myth is that tarot cards have something to do with the devil. I believe this myth originates from Christianity. There are various verses in the Bible about divination, “sorcery,” and mediumship that have been translated to be a condemnation of all occult, divination, and spiritual tools outside of Christianity.

This myth is also often perpetuated by the media, whose portrayals of tarot readers and cards have often been abysmal. Media is intended to be sensational, which means tarot cards are portrayed as evil or used for devil worship. Common tarot scenes show the “scary” cards with literal meanings - like the death card when someone is going to die or the devil card when something evil is going to happen.

This myth is easy to debunk when I ask myself a few questions:

• Who benefits from me believing this myth (whether it’s dogmatic religion that wants me to rely on their truth rather than find my own through a tool like the tarot or a TV show that wants to make interesting TV and get viewers)? 

• Do I really think that Barnes and Noble are selling a tool to connect with the devil? 

• What have my experiences with the tarot been like?

Like with most things, we can use tarot in helpful ways and not so helpful ways. But the cards are not inherently evil, and we can use them in ways that support ourselves and our highest good.

MYTH 3: THE DEATH CARD MEANS YOU’LL DIE

Ah, another TV myth. Like I mentioned above, this card is often portrayed as a super scary card, and when it shows up in a reading, it could mean you’re going to die. 

All tarot cards are neutral. There are no good or bad cards. Some cards may be more uncomfortable than others (and this will change depending on every person!), but no cards are in and of themselves bad. 

So no, the death card doesn’t mean you’ll die. Usually, it means a transformation of some kind. It refers to deaths of a different kind - deaths of relationships, ways of being, of selves you have been, dreams, etc. 

In the United States, we have a cultural aversion to the idea of death, and I think we disconnect from the idea of death happening all around us all the time throughout our lives. The death card breaks this fiction and reminds us that death is a natural process unfolding throughout the seasons and throughout our lives and that it clears the way for our evolution and growth. 

That can be scary, too, of course - change is often hard. But next time you pull the death card, you can lean into that kind of scary and not worry that you’re going to die literally. 

MYTH 4: TAROT IS ONLY USED TO TELL THE FUTURE

Tarot can certainly be used to predict the future. But in my belief, the future is not set. The future is always changing, and we are actively creating it with our energy and our decisions each day. 

When I pull more predictive cards, I like to remember that I have the power to change the future and make different decisions if I don’t like the outcome card in front of me. This is a way to use tarot that feels more empowering and more honest.  

But more often than not, I’m not using tarot cards to tell the future, and I think many modern readers will tell you the same. Fortune telling is one powerful way to use the tarot. Still, there are many other ways to work with the cards that can be even more powerful, in my opinion: to connect with yourself, to understand your inner world, to process feelings, to understand current energies, to make support decisions, to connect with your intuition, to heal, and more.

MYTH 5: YOU NEED TO BE PSYCHIC TO READ THE TAROT

I think this myth is rooted in the previous one: that tarot is only used for fortune-telling. When we know that tarot has many purposes, we understand that you don’t need to be psychic to read the cards. 

You don’t need to be psychic to connect with your intuition, which is the most important piece of reading cards, in my opinion. Intuition can sometimes require some uncovering and trust work (click here for 3 daily actions to improve your intuition and here for 5 tips to learn how to trust your intuition), but it is innate and available to us all. 

Reading the cards with your intuition could look like noticing how you feel about certain cards, paying attention to memories or images that come up around cards when you pull them (even if they don’t match with the traditional meaning of the cards), or meditating with cards to receive messages from them. 

But regardless, tarot cards have meanings. You can study those meanings from different books and teachers and develop a rich and fulfilling tarot practice this way! As you learn to trust your intuition a bit more, weaving that practice into your work with your cards can add another meaningful layer.

MYTH 6: YOU CAN NEVER LET ANYONE ELSE TOUCH YOUR TAROT CARDS

This myth is rooted in the idea that the cards themselves contain magic or are magical. In my opinion, the cards themselves are a neutral tool and conduit. They don’t contain their own magic; youare the magic. So it doesn’t matter if other people touch them because they can’t take anything away from them. 

If you don’t like other people touching your cards, that’s totally fine! But there’s no need to keep others from touching your cards out of fear that it will take away the deck’s magic or shift the cards' energy irreversibly. 

In fact, many readers (myself included) like to have the querent shuffle the cards to infuse their energy and intention into the deck for a more powerful reading. If you feel the same, a regular cleansing process with your deck (click here to learn how to cleanse your cards) is all you need to keep your deck’s energy clear. 

MYTH 7: REVERSED CARDS ARE BAD

When a card is reversed, that simply means it came out of your deck upside-down. Reading reversed cards in the first place is a matter of preference: some readers read them, and some will just flip the cards right side up and go with that meaning. As with most things tarot and intuition, there’s no right or wrong answer. Just do what works for you!

But whether you choose to read reversals or not, reversed cards are not inherently bad. They bring a different energy, certainly, and can add a layer of clarity to a reading, but they’re nothing to be afraid of. Reversed cards can mean blocked energy, more introspective energy, a softer meaning of the card, or maybe some fear around that card’s theme. 

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TAROT?

Check out some of our other tarot blog posts:

• Getting Started with Tarot

• Tarot Vs. Oracle: What’s the Difference and How to Choose

• How to Learn Tarot Card Meanings Quickly

• 6 Ways to Work With the Tarot Besides Divination

• The Ultimate Guide to Caring for Your Tarot & Oracle Cards

Water - The Living Liquid Crystal

In every culture throughout history, water has been worshipped and revered. Water plays a starring role in creation stories and ritual customs from every indigenous tribe and even features in ceremonial practices from every organized religion as well. She plays a vital role in every aspect of spiritual life from birth to death.

And throughout all these many practices in all these many cultures throughout the ages, we see a similar theme echoed: People treated water as an intermediary between the human and the Divine. Whether sending prayers upon her, using her to cleanse their spirits, or asking her for wisdom through water divination (aka hydromancy), there’s always an understanding that water acts as a go-between for this world and the heavenly realms.

So here’s the question… did ancients use the messenger (liquid water) to represent the unseen sender of the message (The Divine)?

This concept of water as a mediator is as old as time. But how would it work?

To answer this, we can look to both ancient myths and modern science.

For the Kogi people of Colombia, for example, water is the origin of reality. For them, the structure of the world is sustained by water - every river, runoff, and raindrop maintains the world. Kogi know that within water is the metaphysical blueprint of existence, it holds the map of reality. All “worlds” of reality, from dreams to the structures of daily life, to psychic visions in medicine journeys, all are maintained by water.

This makes a lot of sense when you consider that water is actually holographic in nature. The internal arrangement of her molecules can imprint, store, and transmit information faster than the speed of light. Encoded in every cluster of water molecules is a record of everything that water has experienced. In fact, water is like a sensory organ of Mother Earth - she feels and remembers everything.

“A drop of water, if it could write out its own history, would explain the universe to us.”– Lucy Larcom

The Maori word for water is Wai which also means remembrance. Water stores the memory of all that has ever been or will be. They say water remembers its journeys through space and time, among the stars, and into the many places in earth's body. And they consider the Ocean to be a planetary scale crystal.

And in fact, much like a quartz crystal, water molecules join together in hexagonally structured matrices. But unlike quartz, the matrix is flexible and moves independently, as it’s not glued together by protons. And just like a crystal, structured water can store and amplify electromagnetic frequencies. But not all water has structure. In fact, most water we encounter is incredibly chaotic and unstructured. In fact, the difference between bulk vs. crystalline water is so extreme, that even though they both appear to be clear liquid, they are considered two different phases of water! As molecularly different as ice and vapor. But to the naked eye, they are identical.

Dr. Rustam Roy, one of the world’s foremost water experts, explained it like this: Molecular structure is like the alphabet of water.  Molecules are like letters. When water is unstructured, aka “bulk” water, it’s a nonsensical jumble of letters, and the hydrogen bonds form and break apart billions of times per second! So there’s no time for them to snuggle up and talk to each other. But if the water is structured, the letters fit together. And depending on how they're arranged (just like with the alphabet) they can carry an infinite amount of information. So is water’s structure, the alphabet for communicating to and from etheric realms?

Each water molecule has 440,000 panels on it that each sense, store and transmit information. So when molecules form a crystalline pattern, water transforms from a random liquid into a sentient and sensitive Being.

It’s sensitive to even the most subtle visual and auditory stimuli, electromagnetic frequencies, even astronomical events. In fact, besides being wet, maybe the most recognizable quality of water is its ability to transmit waves. Sound travels four times faster in water than in air. And water can communicate across vast distances, faster than the speed of light, it’s called Quantum Coherence. When it's structured, the hydrogen bonds form long tunnels that channel protons through, it's called jump conduction and it literally allows water to communicate, just as the ancients all agreed.Interestingly, Russian researchers have found that the MOST influential factor in shaping water’s structure is human emotion. While water does respond to sights and sounds, it will respond to human emotion more quickly and powerfully than anything else.

Consider the experience of thoughts and emotions - they are a cascade of electrical signals, neurochemical hormones and neurotransmitters with electromagnetic signatures. As Dr. Joe Dispenza says, thoughts are electrical and emotions are magnetic. And every one of these electromagnetic signals resonates with your body waters. Water is a powerful conductor of vibration, and your body water is constantly conducting the energy of your Being. It is resonating to the frequency of YOU, and you are patterning the crystalline structures of your body water with every thought, word, and emotion.

You are a body of water. Not just any water, but highly structured crystalline water. Your body contains vortices that spiral and structure the water within you. We’ve all heard that we’re 70% water, and that’s true by volume. But molecularly, you are 99% water molecules!

So what does this mean, biologically and spiritually? If crystalline water is the mediator between heaven and earth, between etheric and physical, then what does that imply about the greater purpose of your perfect and divine-human form?Your cerebrospinal fluid is some of the most structured water in your body, and it spirals along your spine from your crown to your root once every 12 hours. Along the way, the pattern of the molecules become imprinted by the electromagnetic frequencies of your 7 main nerve plexuses, located right where the ancient yogic texts describe chakras of coiled energy. Perhaps this is why Paramahansa Yogananda said that the spine is the highway to the infinite because your cerebrospinal fluid is a conduit to divinity. This rhythmic pulse of crystalline body water culminates in the center of your brain, bathing your pineal gland in a concentrated broth of electrically conductivity, resonating with all the vibrational information it gathered along its journey through your energy centers. Your pineal gland is the seat of intuition and clairvoyance, often considered the third eye. It even contains light receptors, just like your eyeballs do, so when it’s well hydrated it can perceive realms beyond what we typically see. So the health of your cerebrospinal waters are crucial for etheric connection and spiritual perception.

And your DNA is like a tightly wrapped electrical coil which is wound in upon itself in concentric vortexes just like an antenna. Each DNA coil is surrounded by a pocket of extremely structured water, with enormously strong hydrogen bonds. This water and, in turn, your DNA, receives vibrational patterning for your continued evolution when the surrounding water is healthy. A drop in your level of dehydration can even cause a shift in the integrity of the DNA helix spine. You want to stay hydrated with the highest quality water so your helixes can stay tightly twisted, keeping your genes young!

So if, as so many ancient cultures believed, water is a mediator between etheric and worldly realms and your body is 99% water, then your body is actually a portal between heaven and Earth! And it seems, from the latest research, that vibration moves in both directions, from water to ether, and also from ether to water. In other words, water mediates the vibrational transfer of energy between seen and unseen realities, carrying messages from the physical to the nonphysical and from the nonphysical to the physical. In this way, water is the key medium of manifestation. It’s how the Divine Blueprint becomes manifest into earthly life. And when we understand this process, we can become more powerful creators in our own rights, by working with the creative capacities of water in manifesting our reality. Water is the driving force behind the Law of Attraction and the Biology of Belief. It is the dwelling place of consciousness, as well as the tool with which consciousness acts upon the world.

“Water occupies A median position between the earth and the universe and is the port of entry through which cosmic peripheral forces pass into the earthly realm. Is it not this wisdom itself that has created the element of water, a tool for its own activity? The laws of the Etheric world are mirrored in the world of water and they carry on a constant creative dialogue“~ Theodor Schwenk

But not all water can mediate or communicate in this way. Because water is a living body, she can be healthy or sick, alive or dead. In many ancient traditions, living water was distinguished an extra-ordinary form of the liquid that imparts life, not just “ordinary“ water that sustains life.

The Mandaeans, for example, a gnostic sect indigenous to southern Iraq, say that Living water is the link between earth and what they call the world of “light“. They say only one 9th of water on the planet is living. The other 8/9ths they call black water and, while fine for mundane use, it can’t mediate between the two worlds. Only when black water is infused with living water can communication occur. Which aligns with modern research showing that adding a little structured water to bulk water will structure it, a property known as “epitaxy".

Harnessing its mysterious movements and crystalline properties can turn ordinary water into pure medicine. When we drink living, crystalline water, we not only get hydrated, we also become more resonant channels of vibration. We also nourish our pineal glands and keep our DNA young. Water may seem like the most simple and ubiquitous substance, but the truth is that she is the most complex and mysterious substance in the Universe! Inherent within the physics of water are the answers to the mystery of the mind/body/spirit connection, the laws of Karma, and the potential for enlightenment. Our ancestors knew this, and they passed along clues and stories as to the vast wisdom inherent in water. By following this trail of breadcrumbs, we can reclaim our birthright to thrive as bodies of water, living on a body of water. Learn more about my vision at waterislife.love.

5 Steps to Access the Akashic Field

Accessing the Akashic field, often referred to as “Akashic records,” can come off as an elite and secretive practice. Maybe you’ve read or heard that you need a specific prayer or guide to access the information held within the Akashic field. Prayer and guides may indeed help, but they’re simply not necessary. Again, I’m not knocking these tools, but I don’t want you to cut yourself off from a spiritual experience because you’ve been told you need something special to access this field of energy.If you’re unfamiliar with the term “Akashic field,” it’s the same thing as the Akashic records.

If you’re unfamiliar with both terms or want to learn more about why some prefer the term “field” click here to read a previous post.

Here are my five suggestions for accessing the Akashic field.

Access the Akashic field in 5 steps

These steps are intended to be an ongoing practice. You can practice them all before sitting down to access the Akashic field or do them separately spread out over days. Each step will help you gain access to the Akashic field regardless of when they’re performed.

Raise your vibrational frequency

You’ve probably seen this term used in memes and on t-shirts more than anything else but it’s an important step when trying to access anything in the spirit realm. A slow vibration is closely linked to the physical realm, whereas a higher vibration is linked to spirit. Raising your vibration means you’re operating from a place of love and gratitude which is going to make this work come more naturally. Learn more about raising your vibrational frequency in this guest post from Reiki master, Deborah Arconti.

There are a variety of ways to raise your vibration including meditation, pranayama, some forms of yoga, prayer, mantra work, and creative activities. Keep reading, step two is a powerful tool for raising your vibrational frequency too.

Focus on your crown and soul star chakras

Your soul star chakra, located above the crown chakra, is the gateway to the Akashic field and where many believe your “records” are stored. Your crown chakra, a ball of energy located at the top of your head, must be healthy to access your soul star chakra. Focusing on your crown and soul star chakra are also powerful tools for raising your vibrational frequency. Win, win! Learn more about the crown chakra here and the soul star chakra here. These articles share tips to help you energize both of these chakras. If you feel that your crown chakra is strong and healthy skip ahead to the post about the soul star chakra.

Ask

An overlooked tool in any new practice is to ask for what you want. If you’ve practiced a soul star chakra meditation and are feeling in tune with spirit, the next step is to ask clearly what you’d like to experience from the Akashic field. Here are some suggestions.

• What lessons am I here to learn?

• Who was I in my most recent past life?

• What lessons did I learn from my most recent past life?

• What are some traumas I experienced in past lives? (Please, be cautious when asking to experience past life traumas. I recommend experiencing past life traumas with a professional in past life regressions. However, if you feel that this is something you are prepared to handle or need to process, it can be a powerful healing too.)

• How can I live this life to my highest potential?

• Where are some places I’ve lived in past lives?

• What people in my life have I interacted within past lives?

• Is __________ the best choice for me in this life?

Trust

You raised your frequency with a meditation, asked to experience a past life, felt a sensation that you were near an ocean, but it didn’t seem like a strong enough sensation so you completely wrote it off. Sound familiar?

In the beginning, it can be easy to question or completely negate your spiritual experiences. Doing deep spiritual work like this is not something that’s often brought up at dinner while growing up. Your natural instinct might be to dismiss your sensations! Maybe you’ve lived two or three decades of being told that the spirit realm doesn’t exist, or that it’s bad to try to access it. If this isn’t your story, that’s great! Trusting your experiences may come naturally to you. Otherwise, be nice to yourself and if you get a sensation, even a faint one, trust it 100%.

Practice

If you don’t feel like much happened the first time you tried accessing the Akashic field, keep at it. The more time you spend raising your vibration and getting comfortable with the sensations you receive from doing this kind of work (which will be experienced differently by everyone) the easier it will be and the more information you’ll receive.

Just like there’s more than one way to meditate, there’s more than one way to access the Akashic field. I encourage you to try these five steps, but if they don’t work for you it doesn’t mean you’re unable to access the Akashic field, you might need to try a different approach and that’s OK.

How to Create a Crystal Grid in 7 Steps

Whether you’re trying to manifest more self-love, a vacation, or a new job, crystal grids can help! Crystal grids can be as simple or complex as you make them and a simple grid can be just as powerful at helping you manifest your goals as a complex one. Think of a crystal grid as your manifesting ally! It may not be the only tool you use to manifest your desires, but it can certainly help.

There are just a few necessary steps you need to follow to create a crystal grid. First, let’s briefly discuss why crystal grids work.

Why Crystal Grids Work

Crystals are formed from perfect geometric patterns and this is one reason why crystals are such a powerful healing tool! The perfect geometry within crystals makes them an ideal energy conduit and easily programmable. By placing several crystals in a repeating grid format, you will amplify their power. Using sacred geometry as a grid template for your crystals adds another layer of perfect geometric patterns to help better communicate your intentions.

If those reasons seem a little too out there for you, view crystal grids as a beautiful reminder of your intention. The most important part of manifesting your desires is visualizing what you want daily, and your crystal grid will serve as a reminder to do just that.

7 Steps to Create a Crystal Grid

1. Set an intention

Your intention for your grid is your starting place and will lay the foundation for everything else you choose for your grid. Get quiet and breathe for a few minutes so you can gain complete clarity about what it is you want. Don’t play small; you deserve everything you desire! Once you’ve set an intention for your grid, you can start selecting your grid format and crystals.

2. Select your grid format

Sacred geometry is an ideal format for crystal grids because it is symmetrical and each symbol carries unique energy that will help amplify your intention. To learn more about sacred geometry click here. Several different sacred geometry symbols can be used, here’s a list of the most common ones and the categories they’re best suited for:

• Vesica Piscis: Birth, femininity, sexuality, new beginnings, new projects

• Seed of Life: Inspiration, potential, chakras, creativity, growth

• Flower of Life: Community, connection, love, communication, partnerships, intuition

• Metatron’s Cube: Cleansing, clearing, balancing, energy, chakras, healing

• Sri Yantra: Balance, male energy, feminine energy, meditation, connection to Source Energy

3. Select your crystals

Now, the fun part! Let’s select your crystals. A pointed crystal will work well for the center stone, and tumbled crystals work well for the secondary crystals that will radiate around the center stone. You don’t need 50 crystals to have a grid that works. Even if you have one center stone and a handful of quartz, you can make an effective crystal grid. Clear quartz is your crystal grid bestie because it is ideal for all intentions, easily programmable, and super amplifying. I suggest using three different stones to strengthen your intention with the addition of five or more pieces of clear quartz.

A quick google search of “crystals to help with ________” will go a long way! However, here are some common crystals and the purposes they’re best suited for:

• Amethyst: Intuition, calm, peace

• Citrine: Abundance, joy, happiness

• Sodalite: Creativity, expression, communication

• Quartz: Balance, health, cleansing

• Rose Quartz: Self-love, compassion, friendship

• Carnelian: Sex, creativity, birth

• Green Aventurine: New beginnings, wealth, growth

4. Cleanse your tools and space

Cleanse your crystals, any other tools you’ll be using, and the space you’re creating your grid in. You don’t want any lingering bad juju playing a role in your manifesting! Cleanse with an herbal smoke of your choice, cleanse under the light of the full moon, or envision a bright white light cleansing your space and tools.

5. Set your grid up

You’ll want to place your center stone first. You can base your center stone selection on a few things, like a stone that best matches your intentions, the largest stone, or a crystal you have a personal affinity for. Next, place your other stones radiating out around the center stone in a balanced format. As you place each stone visualize your end goal of what you’d like to manifest.

6. Activate your grid

Think of activating your grid as turning on the lights. You’ve set everything up, and now it’s showtime! There’s more than one way to activate your grid. The simplest method is to close your eyes and imagine the energy of all of your crystals connecting and communicating your desires to the universe. To see more techniques and detailed information on activating your crystal grid click here.

7. Be present with your grid daily

Don’t just set it and forget it! Make sure to take a few quiet moments every day to connect with your grid. Connecting with your grid daily will allow you to visualize your desires and goals.Leave your grid up for a complete moon cycle, or longer if you’d like. If it does start to attract dust give it a light clean to prevent the energy from stagnating. Find a free printable crystal grid template here.