Why We Vigil & The Oak and Holly King
Vigil means to stay awake and keep watch in the dark. In a season dominated by darkness, the vigil invites presence. While often touted as a passive, restful season, being awake to what’s going on in the dark requires awareness; it’s also where you’ll find the richest compost.
As winter steals the sunlight, the land reacts by going silent, hibernating, and sometimes dying, reminding us to peel back hurried layers of mundane to-dos and sink deeper into the darkness. Vigil means to stay awake and keep watch in the dark. In a season dominated by darkness, the vigil invites presence. While often touted as a passive, restful season, being awake to what’s going on in the dark requires awareness; it’s also where you’ll find the richest compost.
With a candle in hand, do you see what’s ready to die within you this season, or are you prepared to sit with what’s dying in your family, community, or the world? In a primarily death-phobic society, the vigil asks us to honor the wisdom of death and dying.
A beautiful example of the need for balance in our understanding of birth and death comes through the story of the Oak King and the Holly King, two mythical land figures embodying dark and light. While no one knows the exact origins of the Oak and the Holly king, versions of their story can be found throughout Ireland, Wales, and England.
I’ll share my version of this story, adapted from several versions I’ve heard and read. I’ll also share more about vigils, their importance, and ways to reclaim this sacred practice of being awake in the face of death.
The Oak King and The Holly King
Long ago and still to this day, there were two brothers, the Oak King and the Holly King. These brothers ruled over the lands now called Ireland, Wales, and England. The Oak King brought light, warmth, growth, fertility, and abundance. He was sometimes called the green man of the forest. On the other hand, the Holly King brought darkness, cold, rest, decay, and death.
“The Oak King” and “The Holly King” by Anne Stokes
The brothers often battled, bringing light, darkness, warmth, and cold throughout the land. Over time, the people began to favor the Oak King and preferred the warm sunlight and the abundance he brought to the land and their crops. As favor grew for the Oak King, he became stronger with the help of the people, driving the Holly King farther and farther north.
Endless Summer
Eventually, the Oak King reigned throughout the land and brought what seemed like an endless summer. The people were delighted and relished the warmth and abundance of their crops. After a long time, however, they noticed their crops were not as bountiful, and the blooms of the flowers were not as bright as they once were. Not only was the land growing tired, but the people, too, were growing tired of constantly harvesting. Unsurprisingly, the Oak King himself was beginning to tire as well.
Tucked far away to the north, the Holly King noticed that his brother and the people were growing tired. He knew it was time to make his return. After over a year, on the day of the year when the sun shone the longest, the Holly King returned to the south to battle his brother. While the Oak King did battle, it was short-lived because he was so tired.
Winter Returns
The Oak King retreated into the forest to rest while the Holly King took over again. Quickly, a cold and dark winter covered the land. The land was quiet again, and the people were grateful to go into their houses around the fire to rest and tell stories. The plants were grateful to die back and return to the land to compost for another growing season.
After some months, as the nights grew longer and longer, the Oak King began to stir after his long rest. On the longest night of the year, the Oak King returned full of strength to battle his brother again. The battle took much longer, with the Oak King and the Holly King at full strength. They fought day in and day out, the days slowly getting lighter until eventually spring returned, and the Holly King began retreating north to rest again.
The Need for Balance
From then on, the brothers continued their annual battles to protect the well-being of the earth and all her creatures. The people and the brothers now understand the importance of the balance of light and dark and that both are needed to support the earth and its seasons. Still, to this day, we can celebrate the brothers at the height of their power: the Oak King on the summer solstice and the Holly King on the winter solstice, and the gifts they bring by honoring their true nature. So it is.
Why We Vigil
The story of the Oak King and the Holly King expresses the need for balance between light and dark, warmth and cold, expression and receptivity, and birth and death. None of these themes are good or bad; as the story teaches, they are all necessary to life. In our hyper-productive capitalist society, we tend to focus on the light, expression, and birth parts. So often, hiding death and dying away to focus on more, bigger, and better. The Holly King teaches us that death is necessary for life, and the holly plant that remains green-leafed throughout winter reminds us to be present with what’s dying.
With our quickly warming climate, like the people in the story, perhaps we’re also headed for an endless summer. While I don’t believe sitting vigil is the cure to human-made global warming, I do think death has much to teach us, and the best way to learn about death is to sit with it. The word vigil comes from the Latin word “awake.” Vigil goes beyond understanding that there is a need for death; it is an opportunity to honor the wisdom of death by remaining awake and aware of it.
The vigil honors the inevitability, presence, and importance of death. Sitting vigil helps us remember our seasonality, humanity, impermanence, and humility. The vigil is not the time to shame and blame based on the past or dream of the future; it calls you into the present moment. When you enter into the vigil, the time for resuscitation has ended. It is now time to surrender to the process of dying. We do not vigil to tell what’s dying how to die; we vigil to honor the death process and the magic that the Holly King brings with winter. We vigil to lean in and trust the Great Mystery together.
Similar to birthing, our bodies know how to die. Cycles of death and rebirth happen in your body every day. Cells all over your body die. We bleed, sleep, shed, and change. In these bodies, we are cyclical and ever-changing beings. Dying, just like living, is in our nature.
Welcoming the Vigil
What’s dying in your body, mind, and soul? What’s dying in your home, community, and the world? How would you live your life if you trusted death? Death carries innate wisdom, and when you avoid it, you cut yourself off from the remembered wisdom held within your blood and bones. How can you reclaim this innate wisdom? Remaining awake and present to death within and around you is one way to remember. While deciding to sit in vigil is a massive privilege, its importance remains.
Winter Solstice vigil.
Vigils need not be relegated to the dying person. Even if you don’t want to admit it, you are surrounded by death every day. Opening yourself up to the practice of the vigil opens you to death processes already occurring within and around you. All you have to do is decide to be present with them, which is a practice.
Sitting vigil was never intended to be done alone or long-term. Vigil requires a honed ability to be present with what is, even when uncomfortable. While it might appear passive, it requires self-awareness, emotional regulation, and discernment. Like birth, it is a communal act that happens in shifts. You may visit the depths for some time, but eventually, you’ll need to pass the baton to tend within, knowing others will keep watch.
Here are some simple ways to weave vigil into your practice.
Ways to vigil
Vigil with winter: Sit outside in winter amidst dying plants, perhaps a specific plant you already have a relationship with, and listen and notice for as long as you want or can. Notice what’s happening to the plant(s) in their dying process. Note physical and energetic changes.
Hold a candlelight vigil to be with what’s dying in the world: Light a candle at night, in your home, or outside, and set aside time to contemplate something dying in the world. As I said, there’s no shortage of death around us. What deaths are weighing heavy on your heart? Can you be present with them without trying to change them or apply a narrative to the death? What do you notice physically and energetically? This could be done solo or in a small group.
Hold a candlelight vigil for yourself: Light a candle at night, in your home, or outside, and set aside time to contemplate something dying within you. You are a cyclical being, constantly changing. Whether it’s your body, beliefs, or how you operate, cycles of death and rebirth are always present. Notice your personal seasons and deaths occurring within you, not to change them but to be present with them.
Attend a vigil: Communal vigils occur for all kinds of reasons. See if you can find one in your community to attend. I also hold occasional virtual vigils called Living Vigil. Click here to see if one is on the books.
Reclaiming the practice of the vigil can help you reclaim a part of your innate humanness. Like the holly plant that remains alive throughout winter, you, too, can meet death with honor and reverence. As winter works its magic, light your candles and remember there’s wisdom in the dark.
A Card Spread for the Winter Solstice
The winter solstice, or Yule, is the year's shortest day and longest night. Yule is a sabbat on the Wheel of the Year that marks midwinter, and even though it’s the darkest time of the whole year, it represents a time of death and rebirth. Here is a card spread to help identify, grieve, and release what’s ready to be shed and reborn within yourself this season.
The winter solstice, or Yule, is the shortest day and longest night of the year. Yule is a sabbat on the Wheel of the Year that marks midwinter, and even though it’s the darkest time of the whole year, it represents a sacred portal of death and rebirth. If you're new to The Wheel of the Year, you can find more about it here.
After Yule, each day begins to get a little more light and a little less dark. It’s a time to celebrate the return of the light.
Yule is associated with evergreen, holly, ivy, mistletoe, red, white, green, gold, and fire. Sounds a little bit like Christmas, right? The pagan holiday of Yule predates Christmas, and when Christianity swept through Europe, Yule's traditions were woven into the Christian holiday of Christmas.
Like many of us witches, pagans, and/or spiritual folks, you may honor both Yule and Christmas.
Keep scrolling to find a tarot or oracle card spread for this Winter Solstice and Yule and other ways you might like to honor this sabbat.
A CARD SPREAD FOR YULE
Take some time to create a ritual space before you pull your cards. Gather a few candles, light some incense or other herbs, and ground yourself before dropping in with your cards. Set an intention for your intuition, your highest self, and/or your spirit guides to communicate with you through the cards.
When you feel ready, shuffle your cards and pull one card for each of the following questions:
What themes are surfacing most prevalently, within and outside of me?
How can I tend to and grieve what wants to surface?
What's ready to pour into the cauldron of the earth this Solstice?
How can I care for myself during this tender time of shedding?
What wants to be reborn, within and outside of me?
Image copyright Cassie Uhl 2023.
Consider sitting with your cards, journaling, and meditating for a while to help you process their medicine and really move the messages through your body.
Some other sweet ways to honor the Winter Solstice and Yule:
Light candles
Gather around a fire with loved ones
Connect with local evergreen trees
Burn pine incense
Meditate on a candle flame or fire
Honor the wisdom of darkness by spending time inside or outside with the darkness of the season.
Create a Yule altar with holly sprigs, pinecones, evergreen branches, and red, green, or white candles and crystals
Find more ideas here
How will you be honoring Yule this year? Let me know on Instagram.
Water Offering for The Autumn Equinox
The Autumn Equinox, which usually falls between September 20-23 in the Northern Hemisphere, shifts us westward on our seasonal wheel. The west corresponds to the element of water in most mystical and earth-based spiritual practices. It signals a time to start moving inward after the busyness and activity of the spring and summer months.
The Autumn Equinox, which usually falls between September 20-23 in the Northern Hemisphere, shifts us westward on our seasonal wheel. The west corresponds to the element of water in most mystical and earth-based spiritual practices. It signals a time to start moving inward after the busyness and activity of the spring and summer months.
Wheel of the Year from Understanding the Wheel of the Year by Cassie Uhl
In this short share, I’m offering you a simple ritual to honor water with an offering to the water spirits and a message from water that I received. This ritual is one way to mark the shift in seasons, welcome the element of water into your home, and give thanks for its healing gifts and life.
Water Offering Ritual
I encourage you to make this water offering ritual your own as much as possible and use these steps as a framework. The more personal you make this ritual, the more meaningful it will be. Watch my water offering ritual here.
You’ll need:
A vessel or bowl to hold some water
Enough water to fill your vessel (spring water, water from a moving creek or river, or water that you’ve structured is ideal)
Plant items from outside that have either fallen naturally or that you’ve asked permission to gather from your environment
Optional: a few drops of special water you have on hand like moon water or water from a special location
Optional: any corresponding decorations or crystals to add in or around your water vessel. For crystals, moonstone, quartz, smoky quartz, and rutilated quartz are all great options.
Steps:
Collect your items with care and intention, and have them ready and organized nearby before you begin.
Spend 3-5 minutes centering yourself, grounding, and connecting with your breath and body in a way that feels good to you.
Cleanse the space, yourself, and your items using a cleansing method of choice. Mugwort smoke is a great option for this particular ritual as it corresponds with water, but any cleansing herb will do.
Set up your water vessel and any accompanying crystals or items intuitively. You could place some crystals in your vessel if there is space.
It is time to pour your water into your vessel. Before you do so, hold your water, feel connected to your earth and your body, and infuse the water with love, respect, or anything else you feel called to add. Feel the energy flowing from your body into the water. Pour your water into your vessel, continuing to infuse it with an energy of love and respect.
Add any items on top of your water, like leaves, herbs, or flowers, with the intention of each item being a gift to water.
Now it is time to invite in the water spirits and thank them. Do this in a way that feels meaningful to you. You could keep it short and sweet by saying, “I invite in the water of the west for the Autumn Equinox and thank you for your healing,” or you could share a poem, a longer statement, or even a dance with the water. The point of this is to invite in, connect with, and thank the water spirits for this change of season.
Consider spending some time here with your water to notice any shifts or changes in your energy or environment. You could also spend some time meditating, journaling, or creating. When you feel ready to end the ritual, thank the water spirits for joining you.
You can keep your water vessel up for as long as you’d like, filling it anytime it becomes low and connecting with it often. Keep it up for a full lunar cycle or until the next full moon is a great option.
When you feel ready to deconstruct your water offering, pour it outside back into the earth while giving it thanks.
Message from Water
I dissolve, swirl, and heal. I am both forceful and passive. Feel my soft spirals erode and bring what is ready to heal to the surface. Feel my wild and raging storms returning you to the womb of the earth. I am mystery. I am healer. I am life, and I am the harbinger of death. Respect me and honor my sovereignty. In doing so, you will honor yourself.
Water element card from The Ritual Deck.
If you’d like to learn more about the Autumn Equinox and ways to celebrate the season, click here for past blog posts.
Learn more about the magic of water in this past post by Jen Isabel Friend.
Equinox blessings! Xoxo Cassie
Befriending Discomfort & Transforming with Fire of the South
Summertime shifts us towards the south and the element of fire on our sacred seasonal wheel. The fire of the south offers a time of passion, growth, culmination, action, transformation, and, less frequently talked about, discomfort.
Summertime shifts us towards the south and the element of fire on our sacred seasonal wheel. The fire of the south offers a time of passion, growth, culmination, action, transformation, and, less frequently talked about, discomfort.
In this share, you'll learn more about the element of fire, some of the wisdom it has to offer, its connection to discomfort, common correspondences for south and fire, and three ways to engage in ritual and magic alongside fire. Before we dive in, let's explore the position of the south and fire on our seasonal wheel, and what it means.
Listen to this post on the podcast, here.
The South and Summer Solstice is the full moon of the year on our wheel of seasons, and the neighboring celebrations, Beltane and Lughnasadh, are the peek of the waxing and waning energy of the seasonal year. We live amidst fiery energy until we reach the Autumn Equinox and shift fully towards the West and the element of water.
campfire, bonfire by the sea, sunset
Astrologically, the Summer Solstice moves us into Cancer season and then later into Leo. The Summer Solstice and Cancer season alignment is one that confused me for a long time. I had difficulty seeing the connection between the water sign of Cancer, the south, and the element of fire. I recently listened to the Summer Solstice episode on Tarot for the Wild Soul by Lindsay Mack. She did a good job of breaking down these overlaps, especially in relation to the Chariot card, which is the card that corresponds with Cancer.
The Chariot card offers a side of water that encourages action, movement, and being in the flow. The fire connected with this season inspires this Cancerian energy to come out of its safe and cozy crab shell and begin taking action, and tap into any wells of emotional energy you may be harboring as fuel. You can visualize the stagnant pond vs. the flowing stream as an example. It's like a marriage of water and fire. This season's fire forces us out of our comfort zone, and the water of Cancer season encourages us to be in a state of flow with all that arises and the discomfort of it all. It's a call to feel and act, act, and feel, and to not get stuck and stagnant amidst it all.
The Chariot card featured from Journey Tarot . Water card featured from The Ritual Deck.
It makes me think of the famous quote by Anais Nin quote "And the day came when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." These south-facing seasons are asking us to notice where we must come out of our shells and blossom in new ways. I don't know about you, but I have never gone through an easy or painless transformation.
Every transformation has been uncomfortable in my spirituality, business, and relationships, but they've also been necessary, inspired growth, and made me a better person. And it will be like this on a collective level, which can feel scary and uncomfortable. The deep transformations we're facing require many of us to face and look at parts of ourselves we'd rather not look at and that, in many ways, we've been trained not to look at, especially folks in white bodies like myself.
It may feel enticing to sink back into those still waters or the cozy crab shell, but the gifts of growth are calling each of us in unique ways needed to create the changes we need on an individual and collective level to create a more equitable and sustainable world. The element of fire is waiting to be called upon to assist. Because if we do not, the wildness of fire will, eventually, create the transformations that need to happen whether you're ready or not. Here’s a sweet message about the need for fire from the book, The Great Work by Tiffany Lazic.
Passion is the energy of fire that propels us toward that which activates our Spirit. In
order to create any new thing, there needs to be a spark—something that leaps across
the gap between the material and the ethereal, bringing the two together and
transforming them both in the process. Fire is the motivator, both the soft flame that
gently guides and the blinding conflagration that changes all in an instant.
The Great Work by Tiffany Lazic
How can what's dear to your heart be used as a spark to bring about transformation or change? This is a time to notice what's arising for you, your family, and your community. What is calling out for attention to be more closely examined with the light of a fire or burned up and transformed? Let's explore some of the wisdom fire has to offer us.
Wisdom of South and Fire
To understand the scope of fire, we must honor all of its faces and abilities. Like all of the elements, fire can nourish and destroy. It's easy to see the nourishment and the destruction of fire, especially in the summertime. The nourishing warmth of the sun inspires plants to grow and thrive. Fire is also the seat of the hearth and home because it offers us warmth and nourishment. Yet, we can also see the capacity for fast-acting destruction that fire holds,
The multifaceted nature of fire is reflected in its corresponding colors, red and green. Red holds the energy of passion, intensity, and the ability to destroy and transform, while green holds the energy of nourishment and growth. Like all the elements, fire offers a spectrum of wisdom. It offers both destruction and sustenance.
Having been embedded in various spiritual spaces for over two decades, especially in white spaces, I can confidently say that there's a focus on the more "positive" aspects of fire like passion, growth, and action and far less on themes like destruction and discomfort. I'll be focusing on the latter for this section. Though destruction is often lumped into the "negative" side of the spectrum, it also has a lot of important gifts to offer. Destroying or burning up is a necessary part of the transformational process. We cannot transform without letting something fall away or die. Wrapped up in this process, for some of us, is a need to be with discomfort and build a greater capacity to hold discomfort. Fire can be the spark that inspires us to continue facing our discomfort and bolsters our ability to act alongside it.
Transforming and Expanding Our Capacity for Discomfort
As we move deeper into this conversation around expanding our capacity for discomfort, I want to share a quote from a little book I often reference, "The Sacred Wheel of Our Ancestors" by Roberta Lee. She is one of my mentor's mentors.
Noon. The Summer Solstice. Heat all about us. The sun beating down upon our heads.
Thirst. Fire. This is the place to come face to face with ourselves for sure. Modern
society seems to be obsessed with comfort. And sacred suffering is feared and frowned
upon. We all suffer. Let us not waste it by trying to avoid it… Let us not resist the heat, the hard
times; let us embrace them and this time of year, this part of the Wheel, this part
of Life and in doing so, we notice that the pain is abated and becomes our history and
joins the other drops of water in our well of experience.
Roberta Lee, Sacred Wheel of
our Ancestors
The fire of the south does not lie. It is truth at its core. It burns away and exposes us. It makes us naked and vulnerable and brings us face to face with our truths. It can be painful when you approach fire with a desire to transform. Like the frame of a house revealed after its exterior has been burned away, fire shows you what's on the inside. Each layer that is burned away offers different stories and wisdom. Stories and wisdom that beckon you to look at and feel everything on a soul level, the good, the ugly, and everything in between. Each layer gives more wisdom and fuel to transform.
Herein lies much of the discomfort associated with fire, which is two-fold. First, we have the discomfort of being with, witnessing, and feeling the pain and the truth of what is no longer working or that you can no longer view as acceptable. The second, I'd argue, more illusive part of the discomfort brought about by fire is the discomfort of not knowing what's on the other side of a transformation. When we decide to return to ash from the fire, what happens next? What's on the other side?
I think collectively, we are sitting in a time of transformative fire, on the precipice of something new, but still unsure what it will look like and how exactly we will get there. So many of us, myself included, are feeling the intense discomfort of this time. Knowing deep down that more needs to happen, much faster to save ourselves, our more than human brothers and sisters, and the planet.
It is uncomfortable to witness the suffering and to suffer right now. It is also uncomfortable not to know what's on the other side. We are in the throws of a significant and profound transformation. However, the not knowing, the mystery of where we're headed does bring one gift—a gift of unlimited possibilities. These limitless potentialities are part of this collective transformation bringing me a sense of peace and the fire to keep going. There are so many solutions, and outcomes are yet to be discovered. The unknown is uncomfortable, yes, but there's also hope there.
Most transformations we embark upon are sparked by an unwillingness to allow a certain action or feeling to persist. As we collectively sit in the heat and discomfort of this time, I invite you to continue to sit with the discomfort while reserving space for all the unknown solutions and outcomes yet to unfold. I'd further invite you to continue working towards a more equitable and sustainable planet as that's where those unknown solutions and outcomes live. We won't know what's on the other side of this current transformation until we walk through it together.
Fire element card featured from The Ritual Deck.
It's important to note here that the discomfort of this time has not been evenly dispersed. Large groups of people have been sitting in the discomfort of this transformational time since the onset of spreading patriarchy, imperialism, white supremacy, and capitalism. White-bodied folks, like myself, have been taught to avoid this discomfort, separate ourselves from it, and seek comfort at all costs, even at the expense of other's lives and our planet. In contrast, many BIPOC communities around the world have been forced to become comfortable living in discomfort.
I want to take a moment to give credit to one of my teachers, Thérèse Cator, whom I had recently completed her course, Embodied Allyship. Comfort, discomfort, and nervous system regulation were big themes in the course. I want to credit her for how I've made many of these parallels between the element of fire and this time.
What if the constant seeking of comfort is what's keeping you small, keeping you from growing, and keeping you disconnected from your power? I want to offer that it is. Sitting in discomfort builds resiliency, a kind of resiliency that many folks with black and brown bodies have been forced to build and that myself and fellow white-bodied kin have been lulled into avoiding. I'd argue that for many of us, our proximity to comfort is what's keeping so many silent and complacent. The transformation we're in is going to happen one way or another. We can sit back and let it happen, or we can work together to ensure that when we come out the other side, we'll be more equitable and sustainable.
I'm not advocating that you should be a masochist. I'm advocating that we're in an opportunity calling us in, especially white-bodied folks, to build our capacity to hold more discomfort and bolster our resiliency. With that also comes a greater need to make space for joy and pleasure. We must become more comfortable being in discomfort and simultaneously recognize when we need to pause and step into joy and pleasure. We need to become the pendulum moving from side to side, not remaining stuck only in the comfort that keeps us small and tame.
Some questions to consider and that I've also been sitting with.
What's making you uncomfortable right now?
What areas of discomfort have you been avoiding?
What might that discomfort have to teach you?
In what ways could you lean into play and pleasure more deeply to build your resiliency and explore your discomfort more deeply?
I will share some of the fire rituals I've been leaning on to help with this in the ritual section later in this share. Let's take some time exploring common correspondences for south and fire.
South Correspondences
Correspondences are ways to honor and invite in specific energy. They're also a way to layer in specific energies to spellwork and magical practices. Understanding common correspondences, or similar energy, gives you the tools to craft your own magic and rituals with fire and the cardinal direction south.
Moon Phase: Full moon
Phase of life: Motherhood / Adulthood
Themes: Fulfillment, action, transformation, magic, confidence, strength, passion, discomfort
Color: Red, green
Element: Fire
Time of Year: Summertime
Time of day: Midday
Energy center: Solar plexus
Items and tools: fire, candles, wand, brass items, anything that personally represents fire or summertime for you
Crystals: Sunstone, yellow jasper, red jasper, rutilated quartz, sodalite
Plants: Rosemary, cinnamon, clove, ginger, sunflower, anything in bloom near you during summertime
Tarot: Suit of Wands, the Sun card, Strength card
Ogham: Hazel, Apple, Vine
Runes: Sowilo, Wunjo
Planets: Sun, Mars, Jupiter
Zodiac: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Artwork featured from Zenned Out Guide Series by Cassie Uhl with Quarto Knows.
Rituals to Connect with South
Here are some ways to work with and honor fire in your spiritual practice. These are all tools and rituals that I've personally used or plan to and have found helpful. As always, take what you like and leave the rest. I'd also like to read an important reminder from the book The Path of Druidry by Penny Billington before we embark on this section.
Each element can harm, but fire is the most mercurial of the elements; it is lightning-fast
and operates to its own rules. Treat any naked light with respect and never leave it
unattended. Fire is living. Think carefully about an appropriate way to extinguish a flame
and stick to it. Many Druids pinch out a candle flame rather than use the breath of life to
extinguish it. Choose a method, and make it a mindful action each time.
When you light fire, you are connecting to an action shared by our ancestors, often with
prayer and gratitude. Some of these ritual customs still survive in the old prayers from
the highlands and islands. Devise your own simple ritual words or phrases to be part of a
living chain of devotion.
Penny Billington, The Path of Druidry
I think that respect is something I've not discussed enough in the previous episodes on the cardinal directions and elements. It is essential for all of the elements. All of them have the power to nourish or destroy, especially fire.
Dance Meditation to Connect with Fire
When I think of the energy of fire, I think of dance. Like creating visual artworks, many of us have an idea of what "good" dance or movement is intended to look like. Allowing our bodies to move in ways that don't match what we've seen as "good" dance or movement can be uncomfortable. I love to dance, but I am not a professional or trained by any stretch of the imagination. Becoming more comfortable with my body's organic and natural movements has taken time. I say this to remind you that wherever you're at with your relationship to dance or whatever accessibility you have to move your body, there's wisdom and magic to be found.
Anytime I write these episodes for the directions and elements and hold space for guided journeys to them, I spend a long time journeying to the direction and element. When I journeyed to the south to connect with fire, it asked me to move and shake my body. I was overtaken by the energy of the fire working through my body. I let go entirely and gave myself over to the process of connecting with its power. Having a private sacred space or being surrounded by folks you love and trust to do this work can be helpful.
Something important to remember when engaging with elemental energies is that, more often than not, insight and wisdom are offered to us not through oral dictation but through states of being fully embodied and in communion with different energies. Why would fire speak to you in words? That is not the language of fire; fire flickers, dances, and moves. This is the medicine fire offers. This goes back, again, to get uncomfortable. Held in the discomfort and vulnerability of giving your body over to being with fire, you open yourself to embodying and holding new truths. If dance and movement feel like they're going to push you out of your comfort zone, I think the medicine will be even more potent!
If you feel called to connect with fire in this way, here are some simple suggestions to get started.
Carve out 20-60 minutes for yourself.
Spend about five minutes connecting with your breath and body (or any other rituals that help you root into your body) to soothe your nervous system.
Create sacred space in a way that feels good to you. This could be casting a circle or calling on guides, Gods, or Goddesses you work with.
Optional: light a candle to honor fire and assist you in connecting with it.
Go within or stare at your candle flame and state your intent to connect with fire.
Imagine yourself meeting the fire element. What does it look like, and how does it make you feel?
Take this time to connect with the fire and learn from it. Perhaps it will inspire you to move. Maybe it will not. Trust what comes through and stay with it for as long as you'd like. Your experience may be different than mine, which is normal and okay.
When you feel complete, be sure to thank the fire before leaving and ask if there's anything you can do to reciprocate your time with it and any wisdom you received.
Close your space and consider journaling about your experience. Spend some time reconnecting with the world around you and perhaps have some food and drink.
If this is something you feel you'd like support with, click here to join me in a guided journey to the south to connect with the element of fire.
Candle Magic for Transformation
If you've been hanging out around me for much time, you probably already know that I'm a big fan of using candles in my practice. Candles are a simple but powerful tool, especially when wanting to connect with the element of fire. I also think they're a great introductory tool to spellwork. You can make your candle magick as simple or complex as you want; all you need is a candle, matches, and some time.
This is a topic I've covered extensively on my blog and in previous episodes, so I'm not going to go into much detail here. Check out the show notes for direct links to previous blog posts on candle magick.
If you're new to working with candles or would like a simple ritual to start. I'd invite you to select a candle color in line with your intentions, hold it while infusing it with your intention, and sit with it as it burns. As you sit with it, notice the movement of the fire and how it dances and moves. Working with candles can be helpful while practicing dance or meditating on fire.
I've been using paraffin wax chime candles for about six years, as long as I've been practicing candle magick. I usually recommend these, but after further research, I plan to switch to beeswax candles. Unfortunately, paraffin candles are a by-product of fossil fuels and are therefore harmful to the environment and unsustainable. I have quite a stockpile of paraffin candles from my store, so it's going to take me a while to work through them before I switch to beeswax.
If you are starting out, I'd recommend rolling your beeswax candles or finding a supplier for premade beeswax spell candles. I found a few lovely and affordable beeswax spell candle options on Etsy with a quick search and bought some for Lugnasadh while writing this post, haha! Beeswax candles are more expensive, but they are lovely and a sustainable and less harmful choice.
If you'd like step-by-step instructions for a candle spell, click here to check out a previous post.
Building Fire and Fire offerings
I'm wrapping two up into this section because they can be used in tandem or separately. Another obvious way to build relationship with this season and the element of fire is to spend time building fires, especially in ways our ancestors did. I have built fires in the past while camping but do not have experience building fires in ancestral ways. This is something I look forward to exploring this fall. There's a lovely article by Dana O'Driscoll of Druids Garden that you can check out here where she discusses the power of learning how to build fires in ancestral ways to connect with fire and our ancestors more deeply. Dana writes in her article,
In every way, fire reconnects us to our roots, to those ancient ancestors who gave us
such an important gift. When I look at the fire from this perspective, I realize that fire is
my most important ancestral gift, and thus, one of the best ways to honor my ancestors
is to learn and understand fire, to work with fire as they might have, to learn to start and
build fires, and honor them through this practice.
Dana O'Driscoll
If building fires isn't accessible to you, it certainly wasn't for me in my Arizona home. I'd encourage you to build this kind of ritual relationship by lighting candles or incense to connect with fire in this way. One thing I've learned from one of my teachers, Danu Forest, is to treat each flame as a unique fire spirit. Each candle I light invites in the presence of a unique fire elemental that I can learn from and connect with. Seeing each fire as an individual, living entity helps me take more time and care in engaging with fire.
Our new house has space for a fire pit, and we plan to build one before the Autumn so we can enjoy it this fall and winter. I'm looking forward to connecting with fire more deeply in this traditional way. My fire magic is about to get a serious upgrade!
Finally, and this goes for any interaction with elemental energies or spirits, finding ways to be reciprocal and give offerings is a powerful way to build relationship. Song, dance, art, chant, poems, and herbs can all be beautiful offerings to the fire. Consider asking your fire what it would like as an offering. The article I mentioned above by Dana O'Driscoll also gives some wonderful suggestions for fire offerings.
For example, my recent fire interactions prompted me to write a poem for the fire. I placed it on my altar and have read it aloud daily as a further offering and a form of connection. Building a relationship with fire through reciprocity is yet another tool for learning from fire and building our capacity for the discomfort associated with transformation.
I hope these offerings have stirred your internal embers and perhaps even sparked a fire of powerful resiliency within you! If you'd like to explore the element of fire more deeply, I encourage you to join me or purchase the replay, "Journey to the Fires of Transformation."
Tending to Your Inner Fire for Beltane
The warmth of fiery Beltane is nearly upon us, and this year (2022), with the addition of a new moon in Taurus with a solar eclipse! It's sure to be an intense and exciting Sabbat. Beltane has always been one of my favorite seasonal celebrations. I always find that its energy is palpable in the air. There's such celebratory energy to this season, which I feel like we could all use a bit more of right now. I know I certainly can!
The warmth of fiery Beltane is nearly upon us, and this year (2022), with the addition of a new moon in Taurus with a solar eclipse! It's sure to be an intense and exciting Sabbat. Beltane has always been one of my favorite seasonal celebrations. I always find that its energy is palpable in the air. There's such celebratory energy to this season, which I feel like we could all use a bit more of right now. I know I certainly can!
Beltane, also called May Day, is one of our cross-quarter celebrations between the solar celebrations of the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. For those living in the Northern Hemisphere, Beltane falls on April 30 and May 1 and on October 31 and November 1 in the Southern Hemisphere. In contrast, others may observe more traditional practices of honoring Beltane after the local Hawthorn trees flower.
Listen to this episode on my podcast, Rooting into Wholeness here.
You'll learn more about Beltane, its history, common correspondences, tips for connecting with Bel, a God associated with this season, and rituals to honor this season and tend to your inner fire.
What is Beltane
For many, Beltane is one of the most important celebrations on the Wheel of the Year. It is our crescendo of energy before the Summer Solstice. Beltane is opposite of Samhain on our seasonal wheel and therefore carries similar but unique energy. Much like Samhain, the veil between the physical and spirit worlds is thin at this time, making it an ideal time for magical workings, connecting with other realms, and energetic protection. In Celtic beliefs, Beltane welcomes the onset of Summer and the light half of the year, where the sun reigns supreme.
From an earthly perspective, Beltane ushers in a surge of growth and energy to plant life as the warmth and length of sunlight grow each day. For our ancestors, there was a special focus on pastoral animals like cattle at this time. Fire is a central theme for this season, and it was common practice to pass cattle through two large bonfires. The sacred smoke from these bonfires was thought to ensure a successful growing season for livestock. Fire and the ashes from these fires were used in various ways, both historically and to this day.
Amidst all this season has to offer, there's also a thread of pleasure, sensuality, and union that weaves throughout. Within the lore associated with Beltane, it is at this time that the Solar or Horned God, in his prime energy, unites with the Goddess of the land in her maiden phase. Together they reign over the growing season. Beyond the myths associated with this season, it's easy to see these themes of union and sexuality within the reproduction amidst wildlife and explosion of growth.
Honoring Fire and Bel
Much of this season is about honoring and cultivating energy and vitality, themes very much associated with fire. The sun and the earth are in their peak growth phase leading up to the Summer Solstice. Like all of the Sabbats, Beltane is an invitation to notice what's happening in the earth and the cosmos and to observe how those themes are showing up in our own lives and communities.
With little written history to go off of, the use of bonfires around this season is something we know has happened for a very long time. Here's an excerpt from Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials Beltane by Melanie Marquis that illustrates this.
The Beltaine fires were believed to have magical properties. Their flames, glowing embers, ashes, and smoke were all believed capable of granting health and protection. In the Isle of Man, the people invited the smoke of the bonfires to blow over themselves and their cattle, believing that this would ensure their mutual vitality. Once the fires died down, the ashes were sprinkled over the crops to increase the earth's fertility.
Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials Beltane by Melanie Marquis
The use of fire and smoke for ritual practice is something we can lean into today, and many do.
Most attribute the name Beltane to the Celtic God named Bel, Belinus, or Belenos and suggest that the name Beltane means "fires of Bel." Bel is a well-known God in the Celtic pantheon, honored throughout the British Isles and even in France and Italy. Stories and even the spelling of Bel's name vary widely, likely because he was so widespread. However, he's become synonymous with this season, and many associated him with fire and the sun.
Here's an excerpt from one of my favorite books about the Wheel of The Year, The Magical Year, by one of my teachers, Danu Forest, expressing the power of connecting with the power of fire or the God Bel during this season.
In honoring the festival of Beltane, we draw this fresh virile energy into our lives, a time when, according to Irish myth, the gods arrived in the mortal world, literally infusing physical matter with divinity. At Beltane, we can reinvigorate our lives with this divine current. We can also tune into this time of duality and sacred union to honor our hearts and the romantic and sexual energies in our lives.
The Magical Year by Danu Forest
I'll share rituals later in this post with suggestions for connecting with fire and Bel and ways to expand your vitality through pleasure, another common theme for this season.
I also want to share something I've struggled with because I suspect some of you may have struggled with this too. I don't often share about Gods here, which is something I've personally grappled with within my practice. As someone who grew up in a Christian household and has had negative experiences with Christianity and the idea of a "father God," I've struggled with connecting with different Gods in my practice.
I've started to dip my toe into this by invoking the God and Goddess as elemental energies (air and fire for the God and water and earth for the Goddess) rather than human-like forms. As I've become more comfortable with this, I've started to learn more about some of the Gods in the Celtic pantheon and have started to journey to them.
All this to say, if you don't resonate with Gods or Goddesses, it isn't a prerequisite to having a spiritual practice in line with your heritage. If connecting with the element of fire rather than the God Belinus at this time feels better, that is great. Regardless of where you land on connecting with Gods and Goddesses, I find that understanding some of the mythology associated with each season allows a more complete understanding of the Sabbats.
Let's explore common correspondences for the season of Beltane.
Beltane Correspondences
Understanding the correspondences of each season brings in so many additional layers. It also empowers you to craft your own rituals each season. As always, if there are seasonal things unique to your environment, add that to your list of correspondences for the season.
Themes: Pleasure, fertility, expansion, growth, sensuality, action, magick, creativity
Colors: Red, orange, yellow, green
Moon phase: waxing gibbous
Herbs & Plants: hawthorn, rose, honeysuckle, lilac, angelica, any local flowers blooming in your area
Crystals: Carnelian, garnet, ruby, orange calcite, protective crystals like black tourmaline
Foods: Fresh herbs, edible flowers, dairy products, cakes (especially as fairy offerings)
Tools & items: Candles, bonfire, statues or symbols of the God and Goddess, symbols of fertility, Maypole, protective tools and symbols, fairy offerings
Elements: Fire, earth
Cardinal direction: Southeast
Runes: Berkano, Algiz, Rhaido
Ogham: Oak (Duir), Hawthorn (Huathe)
Tarot card: The Lovers, Knight of Wands, Page of Pentacles
Zodiac: Taurus
Goddess: Bel or Belinus, Green Man, Danu, any earth Goddess, any Sun God
These correspondences largely come from my book, Understanding the Wheel of the Year. If you're looking for a simple guide for each Sabbat, you can get it here.
Rituals for Beltane
Beltane is a rich season with many associations, so there are several ways to honor this powerful season. As always, I like to remind you that rituals are not necessary for any of the Sabbats and that sometimes the best ritual is to simply be outside. I encourage you to honor your capacity and do what calls to you the most. Furthermore, each Sabbat is a season! You can weave these rituals into your practice anytime between May 1 and the Summer Solstice. Here are three ways to connect with and honor the season of Beltane.
Fae Offering
It's hard not to talk about faeries for Beltane! With the thinning veil at this time, the fae, or faeries, are said to be more active during Beltane. I'm not talking about the Tinkerbell-type fairies here! Faeries in Celtic lore are a different race of beings living amidst humans in a different realm. Though often portrayed as cute and helpful, some think they are better left alone. The fae are often seen as tricksters who don't always have our highest good in mind, so it's important to be mindful of them around this time and possibly even leave an offering for them. You can learn more about the fae and how to connect with them in this last post that I shared in 2021.
It's common to give offerings to the fae during this season to connect with them or keep them happy, so they don't play tricks on you. Your offering can be unique to you. Common offerings include small cakes, cheese, a glass of milk, herbs like thyme, rosemary, yarrow, or heather, anything small and cute, or perhaps you even feel compelled to craft a little faerie garden. Place your offering on your altar, outside at a special location, or both.
Fire Ritual
As discussed, fire is an integral part of Beltane. We see this mimicked with the connection to the Celtic God, Bel, and the use of bonfires during this season. Here are some ways to work with fire for Beltane, regardless of whether or not you have access to a bonfire. You can make this as simple or ritualized as you'd like depending on the time you have to dedicate to working with this ritual suggestion.
Fire element card from The Ritual Deck
You'll need:
A source of fire, which could be a bonfire, fireplace, or a burning candle
Herbs or wood that correspond to the season or is personally significant to you
Match, lighter, or more traditional tool to light your fire
1. Prepare your items and take some time to connect inward. Notice your breath and body. If it is in your practice to cast a circle, call the quarters, or call in any protective allies, you can do that now. You may even consider calling in the God Belinus to be a part of your ritual.
2. Light your fire or your candle. At the same time, you may choose to recite an invocation that feels meaningful to you. Here is an example, "I light this fire to honor and connect with the healing and protective fires of the season" or "With this fire I call upon Bel for wisdom and vitality." Beltane fires are traditionally lit with friction. If this is accessible to you and you know how to do this, that's great. I encourage you to do so! If it is not, that is okay too.
3. Spend 5-30 minutes sitting and connecting with your fire or candle flame.
4. When you're ready to move on, add your sacred wood or herbs to the fire. If you are using a candle, you can use a cauldron to assist with burning your herbs or wood. Ask the smoke to cleanse you and bring healing.
5. Spend some more time connecting with your fire. Here are a couple of options.
If you have questions you'd like assistance with, consider asking the fire. Notice how the fire or flame responds after you ask it questions. Does it seem to flicker and dance or remain still? Does it move towards you or away from you? Try to lean into your intuition to decipher messages from the fire.
Alternatively or in addition, you can connect with the fire to cultivate more energy and virility. Visualize the intensity of the fire connecting with your solar plexus area. Ask the fire to aid you in bringing in more energy and virility. Imagine your solar plexus area expanding with each breath you take. Stay here for as long as you'd like.
6. When you feel ready to end this ritual, thank the spirit of fire and any allies you called in for connecting with you and sharing their wisdom and energy. As much as is possible, allow your fire or candle to burn out on its own. If this is not possible, you can snuff it out. Never leave your fire or a candle unattended!
7. Optional: if you burned a larger fire, consider saving these special ashes to sprinkle over your garden, in your houseplants, or for use in future rituals.
Honoring Pleasure
There's no shortage of pleasure and sensuality amidst this season. Beltane occurs during Taurus season, which offers a potent overlap of energies. Taurus, ruled by the planet of love, Venus, revels in physical luxuries and sensuality. We can see these same themes mirrored in the growing earth at this time, with flowers blooming, animals reproducing, and plants growing. Handfasting and weddings were and still are common occurrences during this season as well. Regardless of what your love life looks like, pleasure is something that can be cultivated with others or solo, and this is a great time to do so!
Rose oracle card from The Ritual Deck
In a world that often frowns upon sexual liberation, I view this season as one of reclamation for all things related to pleasure and sexuality. However, this isn't just about lust and sex, though it can be. Pleasure and sexuality are powerful creative energies that can be used for positive change. Cultivating pleasure can be just as much about feeling more embodied and alive.
How often do you let yourself feel good? Furthermore, how often do you cultivate feelings of pleasure? This season is an invitation to do just that. If feelings of shame or that you're undeserving come up, I encourage you to explore that too. Like every seasonal Sabbat, they are an opportunity to explore these themes from all angles and may stir up opportunities to explore your shadow more deeply. Here are some simple ways to honor pleasure this season. Feel free to pick and choose, try several simultaneously (my preference!), or come up with your own ideas.
Wear clothes that make you feel good
Pamper yourself with a luxurious bath
Indulge in foods that bring you joy
Place items in your house that invoke a sense of pleasure, like flowers or candles
Swap massages with a partner or give yourself a self-massage
Engage in sexual activities with a partner or yourself
Wear or use scents in your living space that invoke feelings of pleasure
Move your body in sensual ways through dance
Bring in some magic to any suggestions listed above by lighting an orange or red spell candle or incorporating seductive scents like rose or cinnamon. Notice how you feel after engaging in pleasurable activities like those listed above. Does it give you more energy? Does it inspire more creativity?
I hope you feel better able to honor this special time of year! Find card spread suggestions, rituals, journal prompts, and more for each Sabbat in my book Understanding the Wheel of the Year. You can also read past posts about Beltane by clicking here. Beltane blessings!
Opening to the Wisdom of East, Air, and Springtime
The Spring Equinox shifts our seasonal wheel to the East, the home of the element of air, inspiration, and new beginnings. In this share, you'll learn all of the delicious correspondences for this season, the significance of the season, how to deepen your connection with this season, and why you'll want to. This is a continuation of a larger series of exploring the wheel by seasons.
The Spring Equinox shifts our seasonal wheel to the East, the home of the element of air, inspiration, and new beginnings.
In this share, you'll learn all of the delicious correspondences for this season, the significance of the season, how to deepen your connection with this season, and why you'll want to. This is a continuation of a larger series of exploring the wheel by seasons.
If any of it sounds foreign or new, I encourage you to go back to read or listen to the episode about the North here, where I dive a little deeper into sacred wheels and their uses across cultures.
Listen to this episode on my podcast here.
Every seasonal shift is an invitation to see the natural world as a mirror to our own lives and a call to notice how you are reflected in the natural world because you are the natural world. No matter how separate you may sometimes feel, you are nature. You are earth. Each shift is a call to remember this truth and attune yourself to these natural rhythms.
Do you ever feel like you want a roadmap for life? Living cyclically offers a map. A map that reminds you to allow for times of expansion and growth as well as times of rest and even death and destruction. The roadmap of living cyclically with the seasons may not always be fun and exciting, but that's because life isn't always fun and exciting. Life is fucking hard sometimes, and living cyclically normalizes that truth.
The season of Springtime, governed by the cardinal direction East, begins at the Spring Equinox and spans Beltaine until we reach Midsummer or the Summer Solstice. There are so many juicy things unfolding in this season. It's a season of action, play, and expansion! Let's explore the wisdom of the East and what this season has to offer.
Wisdom of the East
On the sacred wheel, we shift East as we shift to the Spring Equinox. This shift also brings the beginning of a new zodiac year with Aries season. An immense burst of energy happens as we move into this season, and it's often easy to see in the natural world. It's getting warmer, the days are getting longer, and plants are starting to wake up. The earth is fertile for new life, and so are you.
As a collective, oh, how we need some East energy! As I prepared this episode, something that stood out to me was the word humility. Being in a space of humility is very much associated with the East. There is action here, but there is also an openness and willingness to be open and allow new wisdom to permeate your being. It's a space that encourages us to be okay with not knowing. Humility seems to be something we've been missing deeply in our divided society. There's so much time and energy claiming to be the correct person with the only correct answer. I don't say this to point fingers; I certainly get caught up in it at times as well. This season reminds each of us that no one knows everything and to be open to new ideas.
You know what I love more than anything is when someone says, "I don't know." What a breath of fresh air. This is the home of the East, the humility to continue to be open to continue to learn. We are each given this opportunity during this season to honor the not-knowingness, to sit in it, and to be open to what gifts of wisdom may want to come through.
Air Element Card from The Ritual Deck
Just as the plants begin to form buds and burst forth with life, your inner world is fertile for new growth. On a personal level, this season encourages you to open yourself up to new paths and to begin taking action. Feelings of uncertainty are a natural part of taking steps towards building something new; the East reminds us of this, that part of beginning a new path requires a certain amount of trust.
You don't wake up knowing everything that will transpire throughout your day; there are always certain unknown or out-of-control elements. The East invites you to honor this and embark on your day regardless. The tree doesn't know that it won't be struck down by lightning or some other unforeseen force as new buds and leaves grow, but it grows anyway. The tree does not sit wondering how I will grow these leaves, even amidst all the pain in the world. Rather it tends to its needs, supports life around itself, and continues to grow. We can apply this same thinking to new endeavors. Even when the path ahead is scary and unknown, you can move forward with what you do have and trust that you will know how to address situations as they arise.
Here's a snippet from a book by one of my mentor's mentors called "Sacred Wheel of Our Ancestors" by Roberta Lee. I don't think it's in print anymore, and it's more like a pamphlet than a book, but you may be able to do some digging to find a used copy. In the chapter about the East, she says.
"It is in the East that we can call out and beg to know our paths. For this is the first step of many on this journey. However, be aware that while you search for your path, you're probably on it. If you cannot see it, it is likely that it is because you walk it. If you do see it, perhaps you are not there as yet. So take that step.
This is the place of surrender, of abandonment to the Great Mystery, of life itself. It is a commitment; certainly, a sense of risk accompanies us as we face the East. Dare to look into that sunrise, sense the warmth and healing of the sun as it begins its daily journey across our sky."
Sacred Wheel of Our Ancestors by Roberta Lee
East Correspondences
There are so many beautiful ways to connect with the energy of the east. Springtime itself is something that so many look forward to, so it's the ideal season to simply enjoy nature. If it doesn't yet feel like spring where you are, or you'd like to get in touch with the energy of the East in a different season, here are some ways to honor this season through corresponding energies or energies that match each other.
Moon Phase: Waxing crescent
Phase of life: Childhood / the Maiden
Themes: Play, joy, curiosity, fertility, growth, expansion
Color: Yellow
Element: Air
Time of Year: Springtime
Time of day: Dawn
Items and tools: Flowers, eggs, herbal smoke, feathers, fresh herbs, rabbits, and hares
Crystals: Kyanite, citrine, quartz
Tarot: Suit of swords
Ogham: Nuin/Ash and Huathe/Hawthorne
Air and East oracle cards from The Ritual Deck
Rituals to Connect with East
1. Honoring your inner child with play
Opening ourselves up to new ideas and wisdom can be hard. As we grow older, we tend to get more and more set in our ways for most of us. On a physiological level, our brains are less able to learn new things. It takes more of a conscious effort to open yourself up to learn new things. One of the secrets to being able to do this is allowing yourself to be open and receptive, and play is a powerful way to get into this receptive state of being.
We already know that young children learn through play. Why is that? Play forces us to be in the moment, which opens us to new ideas and ways of being. It allows us to temporarily let go of all of the things we feel we need to carry as an adult—the money, job, responsibilities, and so on. Play is an opportunity to distance ourselves from all of these storylines and be present in a different way. Play is unpredictable and therefore fosters experiences of new insights. It cracks us open in a way.
I'm fortunate to have two 3-year-olds in my life, so I'm frequently given opportunities to engage in play. Even with my two little busybodies, I still have to remind myself to let go of all the weights and stories I'm carrying and just be with them. Like everything, play can take some practice too.
The way you decide to engage with play, children or not, will be unique to you. I encourage you to take some quiet moments to reflect inward and ask yourself what would feel like a playful and freeing activity to engage in. It may be on your own, with your kids, or with a partner. Consider thinking about what your favorite playful activities were when you were young. There's no wrong way to do this and no desired outcomes. Your only goal is to allow yourself to be in the energy of play, whatever that looks like for you.
Here are some soft suggestions if you feel stuck.
Draw, paint, or color with no desired outcome
Cook or bake a new dish that excites you
Turn on some fun music and move your body
Make something with recycled materials
Learn a new song and sing it to a friend or some plants
Play a game solo, with family or friends
Explore a new area of your city
Draw, paint, or color with no desired outcome
Cook or bake a new dish that excites you
Turn on some fun music and move your body
Make something with recycled materials
Learn a new song and sing it to a friend or some plants
Play a game solo, with family or friends
Explore a new area of your city
Another way to honor your inner child is to bring healing to your inner child. So many of us carry wounds related to trauma that happened to us as young children. There are several ways to approach inner child healing, one way is therapy, but there’s also a lot you can do on your own. Personally, I found a lot of healing through EMDR therapy, but I’ve also approached my inner child healing from a spiritual perspective as well by journeying to parts of my childhood that needed healing.
If this is an approach you’d like to try I held a group guided journey for this that’s now available in the shop. Of course, you can do this on your own as well, but if you’d like some support there’s a workbook and recording to help guide you through it. Click here to explore it.
2. Connecting with the maiden of the Triple Goddess
We have the maiden, mother, and crone in our triplicity of Goddess archetypes. Each phase carries its own unique energies with both negative and positive attributes. The maiden aligns with the waxing crescent moon, steeped in exploratory and expansive energy. The maiden honors seek to expand, learn and grow in new ways. They do not shirk away from pleasure and rather lean into it.
You do not need to be a particular age to lean into this energy; it can be called upon at any time in your life regardless of age and gender. This season is an opportunity to notice your relationship with the maiden and lean into it. How do you feel when in the presence of someone who feels safe and empowered in their sexuality and pleasure? Does it make you feel uncomfortable, angry, or do you celebrate them? The way you respond or feel when presented with the energy of the maiden can be a big indication of what your relationship is like with yourself in this area.
Aphrodite card from The Goddess Oracle
There are many ways you can connect with the maiden energy. One way is to connect with maiden Goddesses. Every culture has maiden Goddesses, and I encourage you to explore Goddesses in line with your heritage. Here are some of my favorites that I often work with at this time.
Eostre is a Germanic and Norse Goddess of the Springtime. The first written history of Eostre did not come about until a Christian monk named Bede wrote about her in 725 AD. This doesn't mean she wasn't around before this, but we don't have any evidence that she was. Eostre embodies the energy of fertility and growth. She's strongly associated with eggs and hares, both symbols of fertility.
Freya and Frigg, a Norse Goddess (who some separate as two separate Goddesses) associated with pleasure, sexuality, and magic. Freya simply means lady, while Frigg comes from a root word for "beloved." We can even see Freya's connection with love and pleasure even today on our weekdays. Friday, the day of the week corresponding with love and romance, comes from the "day of Frigg."
Aphrodite and Ishtar are also associated with love and pleasure, which can be powerful to connect with or learn about at this time. Aphrodite is a Greek Goddess who many believe was modeled from the Middle Eastern Goddess of love, sexuality, and battle.
There are so many ways to connect with and honor different Goddesses at this time. Consider meditating or journeying to connect with them. You could set up an altar to honor and celebrate them or learn about them. If you're feeling overwhelmed with which Goddess to connect with, I encourage you to go within and open yourself up to connecting with a maiden Goddess to see who and what comes through. We all have connections to different deities through our heritage, and sometimes the best way to connect is by honoring your inherent wisdom.
If connecting with deities isn't in your practice, consider meditating during the waxing moon phase, exploring your sexuality, or working with magical tools that invoke a sense of pleasure and fertility to connect with the energy of the maiden.
3. Connecting with the element of air
The element associated with this season is air, so honoring and connecting with this element is a potent way to feel into this season. Air is such a unique element. Unlike the other elements, we can't see air. We can see its effects as it swirls about, but we cannot see air itself. This truth brings a unique energy to this element and how we connect with it.
The air element is an active and outward-facing force that sets things in motion. It is also clearing but not the same healing way that water is. Rather, it brushes aside things so that we may be permeated more deeply. Air aims to mix and swirl about our perceived realities so we can see things from a new perspective.
I think it's important to note that as we shift into Springtime and East on the wheel, we simultaneously move into the fire sign of Aries. We all know what happens with fire gets some extra air; it grows, it gets bigger. I see it as another beautiful expression of the power of this season.
When out of balance, air can push us towards overthinking, anxiety, and lack of focus. Air can be overwhelming. We can see this quite easily in the suit of swords in the tarot, which corresponds with the element of air. In many ways, the suit of swords is one of the more feared suits. There's so much pain and mental anguish present on the cards.
It's as powerful as a sword when you learn to engage with air in a more controlled way. Wielding the force of air allows you to cut through perceived realities and see new pathways. Air is the gracious idea bringer, and your job is to discern what's for you and what isn't. Air gives you the voice to say what needs to be said with truth and compassion. Air, though invisible, has the power to knock over buildings or subtle enough to blow out a candle.
A powerful exercise to cozy up with the element of air and the tarot is to spend some time with the queen and king of swords. Notice how they appear so sovereign in their ability to control their chosen tool. This tool goes for any of the elements. The Kings and Queens of the suits show us what each element looks and feels like in its most exalted form.
Beyond the tarot, I love experiencing the element of the air outside. Notice how the air feels against your skin, what it stirs within you, and how it makes you feel. I start so many days looking outside and noticing how the trees are moving from the air. I use it as a form of divination, a little nudge to be more still or to get busy. I've received so many messages from my "tree friends" by way of how the air moves them. I love visualizing the air clearing away blocks and stuck energy so that I may see and know more clearly.
With spring upon us, I hope you can find time to be outside amidst the air, to feel it blow through your hair and over your body. I hope you can allow it to push aside any stories you need a break from so you can see things from new and playful perspectives. I hope you can honor your inner child and the maiden within you, calling out for play and pleasure.
Connecting With the Archetype of Death for Samhain
Samhain ushers in the third and final harvest and shifts us into the darker half of the year. Samhain is situated in between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice. This season is our annual invitation to explore and honor not only the need for death and decay but acceptance of death and decay.
Samhain ushers in the third and final harvest and shifts us into the darker half of the year. Samhain is situated in between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice. This season is our annual invitation to explore and honor not only the need for death and decay but acceptance of death and decay.
As we embark on the season of the dead, the crone, and returning to the cauldron to be transformed, we're faced with the fact that no person, animal, or plant can depart from the inevitability of the death and rebirth cycle. We see the flow of this cycle in the seasons and nature, yet so often, our human minds recoil when we think about the death phase of the cycle of life.
In this post, we'll be exploring the archetype of death in relation to the witch's new year, also known as Samhain. I'll offer some insights around why Samhain is considered the witch's new year, the importance of honoring the dead and death this season, and some ways to tune into this season through ritual and common correspondences.
Content warning, I will be discussing death and themes of death within this post, so if you are actively grieving or recently lost someone, this is a gentle notice to proceed with caution.
Listen to this article on my podcast, Rooting into Wholeness, here.
Why is Samhain the Witch's New Year?
Early in my practice working with the Wheel of the year and the seasons, It confused me that Samhain was considered the new year. Here in the states and many other places around the world, there's a hyper-focus on the new year being a time of celebration and newness. Why then does Samhain, our descent into darkness, mark the new year for those honoring nature-based spiritual practices?
Samhain is the ever-important gestational period before the return of the light. It is the part that's so often overlooked in the patriarchal and linear-driven society we currently live in, just like as the fetus transforms in the womb, the natural world retreats into decay and death during this time. We are also given the same opportunity to withdraw, allow parts to fall away, and alchemize from within.
Nature-based spiritual practices are rooted in neverending cycles, not starting points and finish lines. The witch, and anyone living alongside the seasons, not only understands but welcomes the need for decay and death. At the time of Samhain, the season calls us inward to begin this process of rest, death, and alchemy.
One of the greatest gifts of this season is the opportunity to face and learn from our relationship with death and decay, which is what we'll explore here.
Connecting with the Archetype of Death for Samhain
How do you feel in your body when you hear the words death and decay? Do you embrace these words, do they roll off of you with ease, or does something within you want to disassociate with these words?
It's easy to see how disconnected we are from death, especially in the West. We see celebrities that refuse to age, food with signs of decay thrown out, and many of our wise elders placed in homes outside of the family unit. Samhain is an opportunity to feel into all of this and become more comfortable accepting death and decay. It's an opportunity to heal our wounds around death to be more accepting of it when faced with it, whether in your own life or the life of a loved one.
If you're willing to meet this season where it is, in decay and death, it has so much to teach you, so much to teach all of us. Learning how to be in this world with more acceptance around death and even aging are some of the most freeing and empowering feelings we can cultivate. Here are common ways our ancestors connected to death and a few ways I like to connect with the archetype of death during this season.
1. Honoring loved ones and ancestors in spirit.
One of the most common themes of this season is honoring loved ones who've crossed into the spirit realm. Samhain is a time in which the veil between the physical and spirit realm is thin. If you've lost loved ones, it's an ideal time to honor and connect with them. It's also a time to connect with your ancestors. We do this at Samhain to acknowledge the lives our loved ones lived, and continue to live in spirit. Honoring deceased loved ones and ancestors can also help you tune into the archetype of death within yourself.
As someone who's lost a lot of family members, I've found that fear of death can make it challenging to connect with loved ones who've crossed over. Facing the fact that loved ones are no longer here, in physical form, brings forth an undeniable recognition of death, which can be hard.
It's important to note that everyone's grief process is unique and that denial is a natural part of grieving. I went through a long phase where I could not even look at pictures of my father and grandmother early in my grief process. If you have experienced deaths in your life, what I'm encouraging here is a curiosity around your relationship with honoring loved ones who've crossed over. How does it feel when you take time to sit and think about the people in your life who've died? Perhaps you're not ready to do that, and that's okay, but maybe it's something you are ready to do, but the fear of facing death has prevented you from such activities. If you've experienced deaths in your life, I invite you to be open and curious about where you are with this.
Some common ways to honor loved ones who've transitioned into spirit are to create an altar for them with pictures, offerings of foods and treats, and items they loved. Doing this creates a sacred portal of honor, remembrance, and connection with your loved ones in spirit. A silent or dumb supper is another way to connect with loved ones in spirit. On the night of Samhain, consider creating a meal in honor of deceased loved ones, then create place settings for them to honor them and invite them in for this season. Lastly, and especially if you dabble in psychic work, Samhain is a great time to connect with your loved ones in spirit. You could do this through any number of ways that could include tuning in psychically, tarot or oracle cards, scrying, pendulums, or any other divination tool you prefer.
Of course, this work can go far beyond that of deceased friends or immediate familial connections and can extend to your ancestors as well. If information about your cultural heritage and ancestral past is available to you, consider placing some items on your altar in honor of them as well. There's also a great past blog post from Eryn Johnson on my blog with suggestions for a guided meditation to help you connect with your ancestors for Samhain here.
2. Connecting with symbols and imagery of Death
Samhain is an opportunity to cultivate more acceptance and reverence for death. Here are some different ways to connect with the archetype of death in this way. This can be deep work. Trust that whatever suggestions you do feel called to are perfect for you at this moment.
Explore the death card in the tarot. Dig deep into the symbology and imagery of this card. Any deck you feel called to or have handy will do. Read different interpretations of the death card. Consider journaling on the card, notice what comes up naturally, how it makes you feel, etc.?
Connect with items or symbols associated with death and decay. Some options are crystal skulls, animal bones, snake sheds, or animals often associated with death like owls, crows, moths, etc. There are so many ways to connect with these items and their inherent connection to death and decay. You could simply place any of them on your altar and notice how you feel as you engage with them regularly. You could also consider meditating with them, or if journeying is a part of your practice, you could journey to them in spirit to learn from them.
Lastly, I invite you to be more open and curious about death and decay. When you interact with an elder or see an elderly person in public, what comes up for you, and how do they make you feel? When you come across fruits or vegetables in the grocery store with signs of decay, how does it make you feel, and do you pass over it for an item that appears more pristine? What comes up for you when you think about your death and the deaths of your loved ones?
Though these can be difficult questions to grapple with, they each hold seeds of wisdom and ultimately growth. If you feel the call to explore death more deeply, this is an ideal season to do so.
3. Explore and Reclaim your relationship with the dark
Even our modern interpretations of Samhain with Halloween have held onto cozying up to the dark. However, it wasn't until our early departure from Goddess-based and cyclical practices that we started to attach negative associations to darkness and death. The dark and death have not always been feared and associated with evil. It was the influx of linear patriarchal thinking, God-based religions, and white supremacy that have each deeply affected our relationship with the dark and death in harmful ways. Demetra George talks about this in her book Mysteries of the Dark Moon, which I highly recommend.
The Wheel of the Year itself is broken into a dark and light half. The dark half of the year and Winter begins with Samhain, and the light half and Summer begins with Beltaine. Even though the Wheel itself is a relatively modern interpretation of how our ancestors celebrated, we can see in the Coligny calendar of the Celts that there was deep and equal reverence for both the light and the dark.
I encourage you to notice what feelings arise when you think about the dark, whether it be the literal absence of light or black objects. You might even find it helpful to spend more time in the dark, outside or inside, simply to notice how it makes you feel and what it brings up within you. Once you start digging, it's hard to unsee all of the ways we've been trained to associate the dark with negativity. I don't offer these invitations to say that the light is bad, but it's our often dysfunctional relationship with the dark that cuts us off from the wisdom of death.
Shadow work can be a great place to start when exploring your relationship with the dark, and this season is a great time to dig into some shadow work! I've got a few past blog posts all about shadow work that you can check out here.
Common correspondences for Samhain
Here are some of my favorite common correspondences for Samhain. Most of these come from my new book, Understanding the Wheel of the Year
Themes: Ancestral connections, releasing, cleansing, death, divination, protection, the underworld
Moon Phase: Waning Crescent Crystals: Amethyst, labradorite, obsidian, onyx, hematite
Colors: Purple, black, silver, orange
Tools: Besom (broom), cauldron, skulls shapes, bones, any items that remind you of death, salt, divination tools (pendulums, tarot cards, scrying mirrors, etc.)
Plants and Scents: Mugwort, cinnamon, clove, patchouli, mullein, garlic
Foods: Apples, pomegranate, pumpkins, squash, nuts, seeds, meat
Runes: Algiz (protection, especially in the psychic realm), Ansuz (receiving wisdom), Perthro (hidden secrets and mystery), Othalo (ancestry), Isa (halt or freeze action)
Zodiac: Scorpio
Goddesses: Cailleach, Cerridwen, Hecate, Lilith, Persephone
Tarot card: Death, Wheel of Fortune
If you're looking for some less grim rituals than what I've offered here, haha, I have you covered too! This is indeed a season to celebrate, even if it centers around death. One of my favorite activities at Samhain is to do a thorough house cleansing and to add some extra protective layers to my space. I have an in-depth past blog post all about this that you can check out here. It's also a great time to perform psychic work of all kinds, which I touched on with connecting with your ancestors, but any kind of psychic work for any purpose can be incredibly potent during this season. Find more rituals for Samhain here.
Wishing you a magical and blessed Samhain! xoxo Cassie
The Second Harvest // Honoring the Autumn Equinox with Apples
We started our triplicity of harvests with Lughnasadh, and the harvest season continues with the Autumn Equinox. The Autumn Equinox is our sacred portal into the darker half of the year. The amount of sunlight and night we experience will be in equilibrium for a moment before darkness begins to rule each day and call us more deeply inward.In this share, we'll discuss the layered energies of the Autumn Equinox, a few ways to tune into and honor its energy, and some sacred correspondences, specifically apples.
We started our triplicity of harvests with Lughnasadh, and the harvest season continues with the Autumn Equinox. The Autumn Equinox is our sacred portal into the darker half of the year. The amount of sunlight and night we experience will be in equilibrium for a moment before darkness begins to rule each day and call us more deeply inward.
In this share, we'll discuss the layered energies of the Autumn Equinox, a few ways to tune into and honor its energy, and some sacred correspondences, specifically apples. I'd also like to discuss the name Mabon often associated with this season. Listen to this post on my podcast, Rooting into Wholeness, below.
Mabon is a common name associated with this season, and though there's nothing wrong with referring to this season as Mabon, which is one of the more manufactured names on the Wheel of the Year. Names that don't quite make sense on the Wheel of the Year aren't something new and are something I discuss in my new book, Understanding The Wheel of The Year, shop it here.
The Wheel of the Year itself, as a unified construct of seasonal celebrations, is a relatively modern compilation of celebrations from various people, not one specific culture. The name Mabon was assigned by Aiden Kelly, one of the collaborators of the modern construct of the Wheel of the Year. Mabon was a Welsh mythological figure who doesn't appear to have any real connection to the Autumn Equinox. Some believe Aiden simply wanted another short name to associate with this season and, Mabon was the best he could come up with. We may never know! That said, Mabon is a common name associated with this season by many Wiccans. If it resonates with you, use it. If it doesn't, referring to this season as the Autumn Equinox is fine too. As with all of our seasonal celebrations, this is a time to honor and connect with the earth, not quibble over names.
A Balance of Light and Dark
There are so many beautiful energies layered into this season. This phase brings us more deeply into the waning side of the year by corresponding with the last quarter moon (a moon of equal light and dark, another visual of the balance this season brings about.) We also shift from Virgo to Libra season at this time. The sign of Libra, of course, being the scales mirroring this theme of balance again.
Beyond the energetics, the equinoxes spur extreme physical changes as well. The sunlight no longer reigns supreme throughout our day. The plant and animal world take note, and things start to shift and change all around and within us. These physical changes can bring a heightened sense of balance and change for everyone.
The full moon closest to the Equinox, which we experienced earlier this week, is the harvest moon. It wasn't uncommon for our ancestors to work all through the night in the fields harvesting crops in preparation for the winter ahead during the harvest moon. It's also fitting that our full harvest moon happened in the sign of Pisces (the end of the zodiac year) as we fully step into the darker half of the year.
As with any harvest, themes of abundance and gratitude surface. What always comes up for me around these themes is the idea of equal reciprocity. Equal reciprocity is always important, but with this season being one of balance, it can be a healing theme to explore. So, as you assess the abundance in your life, can you make space also to explore equal reciprocity? If you have an abundance of food, can you find a way to give back to the earth or those who need more food? If you have an abundance of time, how could you use it to serve yourself and others best? Alternatively, if you find yourself lacking in a specific area, could you ask for more of what you need? These questions can be applied to all facets of your life. I'll touch on this more when we talk correspondences because I have a perfect tarot card for this season.
A final theme that runs through this season is wholeness. Anytime we strive towards balance, we're moving into more wholeness. It's a time to take stock, shed what's no longer serving, and call in what you'd like to see more of in your life. We see this theme reflected perfectly in the apple, which brings me to our first ritual for this season.
Apple Rituals for the Autumn Equinox
I will be focusing solely on apples for this ritual section! Why apples? Apples tend to ripen around this season and are a potent symbol of abundance, gratitude, and wholeness. Apples are associated with the underworld connecting them with moving into the darker part of the year. There's no shortage of myths and folklore from the Celts, Druids, and other Euro-pagans about apples, apple trees, and their spiritual significance. The island of Avalon translates to the "Island of Apples." Apples are viewed as sacred and magical fruits by many.
When cut horizontally, the apple reveals five seeds in the shape of a star. The five seeds represent the five elements and the four directions. The circle encompassing them (the outer skin of the apple) represents the wholeness these energies create when combined in equal balance. The apple is a sacred symbol of wholeness and the path to wholeness.
Those are just a few reasons why apples are perfect for this season! There are many ways to work apples into your ritual practice this season, which is why I'm solely focusing on apples for these rituals. However, if you're looking for some other ways to tune into this season, click here or here for some past posts all about the Autumn Equinox.
This ritual is adapted from my book, Understanding The Wheel of the Year (order it here!).
Apple Ritual for Wholeness
You'll need:
One apple
One brown candle and fireproof dish or candle base
A piece of paper and pen or pencil
Steps:
Gather your materials and ensure that you won't be disturbed for 20-30 minutes.
Take 2-3 minutes to center and ground yourself. You can do this by tuning into your body or focusing on your breathing for a couple of minutes.
Once you feel ready, bring an area of your life to mind that feels out of balance. Write this situation down on a piece of paper.
Cut your apple across the middle, and then cut a slice from that. Your slice should have a five-pointed star on it representing the five elements.
Place your paper on the bottom in a fireproof tray, bowl, or plate. Place your apple slice on the top.
Hold your brown candle in your hand and ask for guidance around finding more balance and wholeness around the situation you wrote out.
Place your candle on top of the apple. You'll be using the apple here as a vessel to inspire wholeness in this spell.
Light your candle and say aloud to yourself, "I am whole and perfectly balanced. So it is." or something similar. Stay with the candle as it burns.
Note: Always use proper fire safety and care when working with candles. Never leave your candle unattended.
As your candle burns, gaze at the flame and tune into your breath and body.
Call in each of the five elements one at a time (Earth, air, fire, water, and spirit) to restore you to wholeness and bring balance.
Stay with your candle as it burns and feels the support of the five elements around you.
Be open to any ideas that come to you to find more balance and wholeness in your life.
Write down any ideas that came to mind to find balance and wholeness in your life.
Finally, in the vein of equal reciprocity, I suggest giving an offering to the earth for any wisdom, insights, or balancing you found throughout this ritual.
Watch the ritual in this Instagram reel I created below.
Here are some other simple ways to weave apples into your ritual practice.
Eat apples or drink.
Bake with apples (one of my favorites!) As you do, be mindful and aware of their sacred connection to wholeness and consider cutting your apples horizontal to reveal their inner star for your final product! I love a good old-fashioned apple pie or tart for this season.
Adorn your altar or home with apples.
Go apple picking if it's in season for you.
Learn more about myths and folklore about apples connected with your heritage. Many cultures have legends and mythology about apples.
Meditate while holding an apple, and ask the apple to share its wisdom with you.
Plant an apple tree
Save apple seeds to use in other spellwork. They correspond with magic, psychic abilities, protection, rebirth, and death. They're an excellent option for protection rituals.
If you have apple trees where you live, work with the wood of the apple tree for ritual or spellwork.
Fall Equinox and Mabon Correspondences
Correspondences are energies that play well together or match. Working with correspondences is a great way to better amplify your rituals, spells or connect with a specific energy. Placing some correspondences for this season can help bring the energy of the Fall Equinox into your space. Here are some of my favorite correspondences for this season, all from my new book, Understanding the Wheel of The Year.
Moon Phase: Last Quarter Moon
Energy center: Sacral, heart
Element: Water
Crystals: Carnelian, snowflake obsidian, rhodonite, malachite, moonstone, yellow topaz
Colors: maroon, orange, brown, tan
Tools and special objects: fall leaves, corn dolly, guards
Plants and Scents: yarrow, sage, cinnamon, patchouli, frankincense, anise
Foods: Apples, grains, guards, pumpkins, nuts, seeds, berries
Runes: Gebo, Fehu, Mannaz, Sowilo
Goddesses: Cailleach, Persephone, Inanna, the Morrigan, Modron
Gods: Avalloc, Dionysus, Mabon
I also wanted to touch on some tarot cards for this season. When we discuss equal reciprocity, the card that comes up for me and makes me think of the Equinox and Libra season is the 6 of cups. 6's correspond with Venus, harmony, and balance. And the cups mirror the water element that corresponds with this season. The card itself speaks to a give and take between one's self or between you and others. It's a great card to meditate with or journal about for this season.
As you can see, this is a rich and powerful season. Remember, each sabbat is a season, not a day. You can tune into its energy and honor it anytime until Samhain.
If you enjoyed this share, please consider sharing it with someone who may enjoy it too—wishing you a beautiful second harvest season.
Love & Shadow xoxo, Cassie
