How to Cast a Circle and Why You Want To

Casting a circle is a foundational, powerful practice when it comes to ritual. It creates an energetic and psychic container - a safe, protected space - for magic and healing to take place. When you cast a circle, you are said to be in a space between worlds - void space, magic space, spiral space beyond linear time.

Why would you want to cast a circle? Casting a circle has many purposes. Keep scrolling to read and watch more. 

Featured deck is The Ritual Deck

CREATE INTENTIONAL SPACE

Part of casting a circle is about mindset. It allows us to shift out of the mundane world and into the sacred. As you get used to casting a circle, it will start to signal to your body and brain that you’re entering into a ritual space, and your energy will likely begin to shift automatically.

Learn more in this video from Eryn J.

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PSYCHIC PROTECTION

When you open yourself up to working with energy, it’s important to protect yourself from unwanted energies. Working with magick and ritual, especially trance, can leave us vulnerable to unwanted energies coming in. When you cast a circle, you’re weaving a spell of protection to keep unwanted energies out. We have a whole blog post about psychic protection here if you’d like to read more about other ways to protect yourself! 

FOCUS THE ENERGY OF YOUR SPELL OR RITUAL

Casting a circle isn’t just about keeping unwanted energy out; it’s also about keeping the desired energy in. Our magick is more powerful when we can focus it in a specific direction, rather than let it scatter and diffuse. An energetic circle helps us gather and concentrate more energy to support the purpose of our magical workings!

You don’t need to cast a circle every time you meditate or do ritual. But when you feel like you need extra focus or protection, or intuitively feel like a circle would support your workings, it’s a great tool to use.

HOW TO CAST A CIRCLE

There are so many ways to cast a circle. It’s my belief that magical practice is always more powerful when it’s intuitive, so take what you’d like from what I share below and let your intuition guide you to the unique method that’s right for you.

However you choose to cast your circle, you’ll work with visualization and the four directions (which are associated with the four elements). Here is an example of how to cast a circle:

1. Center yourself with a few deep, grounding breaths.

2. Let your eyes close and start to call on the elements.

3. Starting in the East, with the element of Air, speak aloud to invite the energy of Air, of breath, of voice, of mind, to hold the circle.

4. Then turn your focus to the South, the element of Fire, and speak aloud to invite the energy of Fire, of transformation, of passion, of the sun, to hold the circle.

5. Turn your focus again to the West, the element of Water, and speak aloud to invite the energy of Water, of feeling, of surrender, of the ocean, to hold the circle with you.

6. Lastly, turn your focus to the North, to the element of Earth, and speak aloud to invite the energy of Earth, of holding, of soil, of forests, to hold the circle. 

7. Feel the shift in your body and your space as the circle forms. Visualize a golden circle of light around you, supported by the powerful energy of each of the elements, holding a sacred and safe container for you.

8. When you feel ready, say out loud: “The circle is now cast.”

OTHER WAYS TO CAST A CIRCLE

You can make casting a circle as simple or as complex as you’d like! Here are some other ways to cast a circle, remembering that the most essential thing is visualizing and feeling the energy. You can substitute the suggestions below for the beginning of the example I gave, knowing that you’ll still want to take time to feel the shift in your body and visualize the circle around you:

• Place your Ritual Deck element or direction cards around you in each of the corresponding directions.

• Place physical items representing each of the elements around in you the corresponding directions. Learn more about how to represent each of the elements here.

• Place four crystals around you in each of the corresponding directions. Hematite or snowflake obsidian work well for Earth/North, amethyst or kyanite for Air/East, citrine or pyrite for Fire/South, and moonstone or carnelian for Water/West. 

• Place four lighted candles around you in each of the corresponding directions. A black or brown candle for Earth/North, a yellow or purple candle for Air/East, a red or orange candle for Fire/South, and a blue silver candle for Water/East.

• Walk the circumference of the circle.

• Use a wand or athame (ritual knife) to draw the circle around you.

I hope this supports you in casting circles of your own.

3 Herbal Recipes to Enhance Your Intuition

With so many herbs available to enhance your intuition, I wanted to share a few quick DIY recipes so you can put them to use! This is my last post in a more extended series about the intuition if you missed any of the previous posts and want to check them out first, click here.

Our ancestors have used herbs for more than just healing; a variety of plants have been used to connect with the psychic realm and experience spiritual awakenings since the beginning of time. The herbs suggested in this post are of the gentler variety, no peyote today!

As with any herb you choose to ingest, do your research, and consider consulting your health care provider first. 

Cards are featured from The Ritual Deck

Let’s take a closer look at each of the herbs I’m going to suggest for these recipes or keep scrolling to go straight to the recipes.

• Lavender and Chamomile: Both of these plants are nervines and antispasmodics, which means they can calm both the nervous and muscular systems. You’ll be better able to access intuitive messages when your mind and body are calm.

• Blue Lotus: Blue lotus was prized by ancient Egyptians and Mayan people for its beauty and medicinal effects. Similar to lavender and chamomile, blue lotus is a nervine and antispasmodic, which will help calm you. It also contains alkaloids that have a subtle psychoactive effect, which the ancients no doubt were aware of as well! 

• Mugwort: Mugwort is associated with the Goddess Artemis (the Latin name for this plant is Artemesia Vulgaris!) and the moon. These lunar ties give mugwort a strong connection to femininity, psychic work, and all things sleep-related. Mugwort is also extremely protective, making it an ideal herb to protect you while you’re opening up to the psychic world. Mugwort is not safe for pregnant or lactating women. Learn more about mugwort here.

• Frankincense: Frankincense has long been associated with accessing meditation, focus, and cleansing negative energy. Often found in resin or essential oil, frankincense can be burned or diffused to clear your mind and your space for optimal intuitive connections. 

• Rosemary: Rosemary is one of those herbs that comes with a host of valuable benefits, including amplifying your intuition. Rosemary correlates strongly to the area of the head and will help clear out thoughts related to any worldly woes. Use rosemary to help cleanse your mind and focus on your spiritual connection. Rosemary is also helpful for clearing negative energy. 

• Peppermint: Peppermint is a common herb that can help you access your psychic gifts. Peppermint, similar to rosemary, is extremely uplifting and clearing for the mind. It can also help to bring you some inspiration. Peppermint is especially helpful if you’re feeling a little sluggish or having trouble focusing on your intuition.  

• Cedarwood: Let us not forget the necessity to stay grounded while practicing psychic work! Anytime you’re accessing higher states of consciousness or your intuition, it’s imperative to stay grounded, and cedarwood can help you do this. Cedarwood also helps to soothe and relax the third eye area. Similar to peppermint and rosemary, cedarwood will also help you clear your mind, but more soothingly because it is also antispasmodic (like lavender and chamomile). 

These recipes can be used together or separately. If you feel called to one, in particular, go with that. If you want to go for a trifecta of intuitive herbal magic, try all three! Don’t be deterred if you’re missing a specific herb, and feel free to modify. Many of the herbs suggested are powerhouses all on their own. 

Intuition Tea 

Try this tea recipe in a warm mug or your next bath. One of my favorite ways to enjoy herbs is through a tea bath. Your skin is super absorbent; placing your herbs directly into your bath is a wonderful way to soak them up. 

Anytime you’re using dried herbs for teas, you want to ensure that they’re food-grade and preferably organic. Lavender and chamomile are easy to come by at most grocery stores in tea bags, blue lotus flower, on the other hand, will likely need to be purchased online. I love everything from Anima Mundi, and they offer blue lotus flowers here. 

This tea is seriously calming! I suggest drinking a cup of it before practicing psychic or intuitive work in the evening when you don’t have to go anywhere.

To make your intuition tea you’ll need: 

• 1t. Dried Blue Lotus Flower

• 1t. Dried Lavender Buds

• 1t. Dried Chamomile flowers

1. Pour boiling water over your dried herbs. 

2. Cover the mug as it steeps (this helps to keep the benefits of these plants in your tea rather than evaporating out).

3. Steep for 3-5 minutes. 

4. Cool and enjoy!

Intuition Smoke Blend

This smoke blend can be used to help center your mind and create a protective forcefield around you while you practice your intuition. This smoke blend is to be used to waft around yourself and your environment before psychic or intuitive work. 

I like to use an abalone shell for burning herbs, but any fire-proof dish will work. Many use a shell for burning herbs because it represents the water element. With the addition of the water element, all four elements are represented in the herb burning process (smoke- air, herbs- earth, and fire- well, from the fire). Iron cauldrons are another tool that is often used for herb burning that works well too. 

Please, use caution when working with herb burning. Never leave your herbal smoke burning without supervision, always use fire-proof dishes for burning, and ensure you have proper ventilation. 

To make your herbal smoke, you’ll need: 

• About a 1t. Dried Mugwort

• About a 1t. Dried Lavender

• 5-10 pieces of Frankincense resin

• Charcoal tablet

• Sand

• Fire-proof dish

• Match or lighter

1. Place sand in your herb-burning dish; this helps to insulate the charcoal tablet and disperse the heat. 

2. Light your charcoal and place it in the sand. You’ll know it’s lit when it starts sparking, 

3. Place your dried herbs onto the charcoal tablet. This method of herb burning creates a substantial amount of smoke, so start with just a pinch of each herb. 

4. Waft the smoke around yourself and your space. 

Check out this video to see how it’s done. 

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Intuition Spray

This recipe is similar to the High Priestess Mist that Eryn shared on the blog a while ago, with a few modifications. Rosemary and peppermint are often-overlooked herbs that are quite effective at working with the third eye chakra because they help to clear the whole head area. Cedar has a similar effect but is also soothing and grounding.

I love to use this spray when I’m feeling a little lethargic or have some thoughts whirling around my mind that could impede my intuition. Spritz some of this around yourself and your space before practicing intuitive work for an uplifting and inspiring psychic aid. 

To make the intuition spray, you’ll need: 

• Glass spray bottle

• 5 drops of Rosemary essential oil

• 3 drops of Peppermint essential oil

• 5 drops of Cedarwood essential oil

• Enough witch hazel to fill ½ of your glass bottle

• Enough high vibe-water of your choice to fill the remainder of your bottle. High-vibe water could be moon water, natural spring water, vortexed water, energy-infused water, or any combination. 

• Optional, amethyst, moonstone, or quartz crystals

• Optional, dried blue lotus flower and lavender buds

1. Combine all of your liquid ingredients into your bottle. 

2. Add any optional dried herbs or crystals. 

3. Shake, spray, enjoy!

I hope you enjoy these recipes! Be sure to tag @cassieuhl if you make them; I’d love to see your creations. Learn more about honing your intuition in these past blog posts.

Unlocking the Power of your Pineal Gland // 8 Tips

If you're interested in opening your third eye chakra and expanding your psychic abilities, understanding the pineal gland is essential. Ancient cultures were well aware of the power of the pineal gland. It's referenced and depicted in a variety of texts and artwork around the world. Furthermore, a variety of breathing techniques, chants, and exercises from ancient cultures are dedicated to activating this tiny gland inside your brain.

Somewhere in our evolutionary process, we've forgotten about the power of this pea-sized intuitive aid. For many of us, our pineal gland has gone unused and become calcified. Don't worry, there's hope! Science is slowly catching on to this forgotten gland, and there are so many tools (both ancient and modern) to help you activate your mighty pineal gland. Bonus, the tips I'm sharing don't all involve eating copious amounts of seaweed and green leafy vegetables.

In this post, I will cover what the pineal gland is, how it functions in our body physically and energetically, and tips for decalcifying the pineal gland for optimal psychic sight and third eye activation. I’ve linked several studies and resources in this post to help you out along the way! Keep scrolling for a video and more tips. 

Science is slowly learning more about the pineal gland. However, many doctors and scientists still dismiss it as a useless gland after sexual maturation. New studies are starting to pique the interest of the scientific community and are shedding light on what many ancient cultures and spiritual communities already know to be true. For starters, did you know that microscopic calcite crystals were recently discovered inside of the pineal gland? I’ll dive into this a bit deeper later in the blog post. 

The study of the pineal gland from a scientific and spiritual perspective is deep and complex. I’ve covered as much as I can in this post in a digestible format. However, if you feel called to research further, I encourage you to do so because there is much, both recent and ancient, to be learned about this topic. 

What is the Pineal Gland? 

The pineal gland is a tiny cone-shaped gland in the center of your brain. It’s about the size of a grain of rice, when not fully utilized but can grow in size when used properly. Its location inside of the brain lines up with the area of the third eye chakra, in the center of the brow bone.

At a quick glance, the pineal gland is responsible for regulating melatonin, circadian rhythms, and spurring sexual maturation. It actually has light receptors in it that function much like an eye, which enables the pineal gland to keep your circadian rhythms in check. 

Recent Discoveries About the Pineal Gland

Here’s where things start to get a bit more woo-woo and compelling...

• A recent study indicates that DMT, a psychoactive, may be produced in the pineal gland. Though the jury is still out on whether or not DMT is produced in the pineal gland, the implications are intriguing. Many describe the effects of DMT as feeling like an out-of-body experience or a feeling of being connected to all things. Both of these descriptions sound quite similar to being in deep states of meditation. 

• Another recent study found tiny calcite crystals inside the pineal gland! They are tiny and can only be seen with a microscope. That said, it is one of only two places where natural crystals are found inside the human body, the other being the inner ear. The calcite crystals in your pineal gland are piezoelectric (conduct electricity) when they vibrate. Yes, you read that correctly, there are tiny crystals in your pineal gland that can create energy when they vibrate. Because these crystals are so small, it doesn’t take much to make them vibrate.

• Your pineal gland is not protected by the blood-brain barrier and unlike most of your brain and has frequent contact with your blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). In fact, the blood supply to your pineal gland is higher than almost any part of your body! Your cerebrospinal fluid is highly structured water (extremely pure and energized water), which you can learn more about in this wonderful blog post by Jen Isabel Friend here. 

These three facts indicate that the pineal gland is an incredibly important point in your brain. The fact that it aligns perfectly with several ancient descriptions of the third eye or spiritual eye is not a coincidence. 

Ancient cultures clearly understood the importance of the pineal gland, which is evident by the frequent depictions of third eyes, single eyes, and references to a singular eye in ancient texts. Many ancient pranayama techniques and chants are intended to push your cerebrospinal fluid up to your pineal gland and vibrate the tiny calcite crystals inside. If you’d like to learn more about third eye references in history, I suggest this digital short read by Manly P. Hall.

Based on these few facts, it sounds like we have an energized antennae in our brain. The more important question is, is your pineal antennae working? 

Calcification of the Pineal Gland

Now for the downside. It’s estimated that 40% of American’s pineal glands are calcified (this percentage varies from country to country). Calcification of the pineal gland has been seen at ages as young as two! To a certain extent, the calcification of the pineal gland is natural over time, many parts of our body calcify as we age. However, the extent to which our pineal glands are calcifying is likely much greater than what nature intended and certainly makes it harder for us to utilize the full potential of this gland.

Several outside factors can cause the pineal gland to calcify. The top offender is fluoride intake. Most countries add fluoride to their water, with claims of helping tooth decay. Fluoride can aid in cavity prevention, when used topically, but does not appear to add any benefit when ingested and is actually toxic. Read more about this here. Beyond fluoride consumption, processed foods and age also play a role in the calcification of the pineal gland. 

Tips for Decalcifying and Activating the Pineal Gland

You can find a host of suggestions online for decalcifying the pineal gland. Many of them may require huge lifestyle changes, which I also share here. I would also like to offer some more realistic suggestions, that, I believe, are just as valuable. 

These suggestions work best when they’re combined. Taking a supplement and ignoring the rest of the tips may not yield the results you’re hoping for. Start small and do what you can. I’ve placed the suggestions at the top that I find to be the easiest (and most cost-effective)

.1. Hydrate with High-quality Water

Remember how I said your pineal gland is bathed in cerebrospinal fluid daily? Well, this can’t happen if you’re dehydrated, which most of us are. Try drinking naturally structured spring water or learn techniques for creating your own structured water. Structured water, among other things, does a much better job of hydrating us. Learn more about structured water from my favorite water guru, Jen Isabel Friend, here. 

2. Practice Conscious Breathing Techniques

Conscious breathing and pranayama exercises are the simplest and cheapest way to cleanse and activate your pineal gland. Breathing consciously, especially sending the breath deep into your belly, helps push CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) up your spine and up to your brain, bathing your pineal gland in highly charged and clean water. 

Three-part breath and the breath of fire are two great options to get started. If you’re not familiar with them, you can find a plethora of videos with instructions with a quick internet search. If you’d like some more advanced suggestions beginning to work with the bandhas (pranic locks) as you practice your breathwork can be helpful. Dr. Joe Dispenza also offers a variety of meditations with breathing designed to push CSF up the spine (I’ve been using the Break the Habit of Being Yourself meditations and enjoying them).

3. Meditate Regularly

Before you run off and say you don’t have time to meditate daily, I want you to know that even ten minutes a day will have a big impact. I also want to emphasize the daily aspect of this step. Regular, consistent meditation will help you access and activate the pineal gland. Learn more about how to start and stick to that meditation practice here. If guided meditations resonate with you, check out my guided meditations here. 

4. Add Some Chanting to Your Meditation Practice

Chanting can help vibrate those tiny calcite crystals inside of your pineal gland and wake them up a bit. This is best used once you’ve started the process of decalcifying your pineal gland. Once you’re in a good groove of giving your pineal gland some love, add in some chanting and see if you notice a difference. My favorite meditation to use this “AHHH” meditation by Dr. Wayne Dyer. I always feel AMAZING after completing this meditation! 

5. Reduce Fluoride Intake

I’m not saying you have to stop going to your dentist and stop brushing your teeth with fluoridated toothpaste. I am saying to be aware of how much fluoride you’re consuming. Using it topically is one thing, but ingesting it from tap water on a daily basis is something else entirely. Do your research and find out how much fluoride is being added to your local water supply. 

Here are a couple of companies that offer great fluoride filtration systems, including fluoride removing straws and water bottles. Check out PWF here for fluoride removing straws and Clearly Filtered here for a variety of fluoride filters, including fluoride removing water bottles. I’ve used PWF’s filters and can attest to their quality. Again, these aren’t sponsored, simply products I’ve used or that look helpful.

6. Eat Mindfully

As I mentioned above, processed foods are another calcifying culprit for the pineal gland. In a fast-paced world, it can be tough to limit all processed foods. I’m just as guilty of relying on easy-to-make processed foods to get me through the day. I invite you to simply become more aware of what you’re putting into your body and how it makes you feel. Opting for whole foods and less processed foods will have a cleansing effect on not only your pineal gland but your entire body. 

7. Dark and light

Try minimizing light pollution in your room at night. Your pineal gland controls your circadian rhythm. Consider dimming lights and avoiding screens after sunset, and give yourself time in total darkness before bed. Both of these things will give your pineal gland cues that it’s nighttime and help it maintain normal function.

Alternatively, some ancient practices (that are still practiced today by some) suggest sun-gazing to invigorate your pineal gland and third eye chakra. It’s advised to gaze at the less intense light of the rising or setting sun and not the bright midday sun. Of course, please do your research on this and practice caution. Some also suggest candle gazing as an alternative. 

8. Suggested Supplements and Foods

There’s a slew of supplements that can be used to help decalcify the pineal gland. Bonus, they’re also pretty great for your entire body! As with any supplement suggestion, be sure to run it by your healthcare provider and do your research before consuming any supplements. 

Here’s a list of supplements to help in combination with the other steps outlined above. Many of these will cause your body to detoxify, please take these with caution and start with just one. I don’t recommend taking all of these at once, as it could leave you feeling pretty awful. 

• Spirulina 

• Chlorella

• Green leafy vegetables

• Turmeric

• Apple cider vinegar 

• Iodine supplements and iodine-rich foods. (Iodine can significantly affect the thyroid. Please, exercise caution and discuss with your healthcare provider before taking iodine supplements.)

There are some great supplement options created by trusted natural herbalists. One product that I’ve been using and enjoy for the purpose of decalcifying my pineal gland is this blend by Anima Mundi Apothecary. This isn’t a sponsored ad, I just really love all of their products! 

As I said, doing all of these things at once could be completely overwhelming and unnecessary. Start small and be kind to yourself. Bonus, all of these suggestions are pretty great for your entire body ;) 

Want to learn more about the third eye chakra? Check out this previous blog post all about opening the third eye chakra.

Enhance Your Intuition DIY Spell Bottle

Spell bottles are a form of folk magic that can be used for many different purposes. In this post, I’ll be sharing how to make a spell bottle to deepen your connection to intuition. Keep scrolling for directions and a video.

Not sure if spellwork is for you? To me, spells are about directing energy in a specific direction. They’re about using magick, which Dion Fortune defines as “the art of changing consciousness at will,” for healing, manifestation, and connection. They can be simple, and all you really need is yourself and your energy - other items, like the ones we'll use in this spell, simply infuse some extra magick into the work. 

Keep scrolling to learn how to create an intuition spell bottle!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

For this spell, you’ll need:

• A glass bottle / jar of any size 

• Paint and brush (optional)

• A piece of paper and pen 

• Clary sage oil 

• Crystals for intuition (suggestions: amethyst, labradorite, lemurian quartz, moonstone)

• Herbs for intuition (suggestions: mugwort or yarrow)

• Any other representations of intuition for you 

THE SPELL

Like any spell, you’ll want to center and ground yourself before working the spell. You might spend a few minutes meditating or doing breathwork, or anything else that feels grounding to you.

When you feel ready, cleanse each of your items. You can use smoke, sound, salt, or another cleansing technique you align with. If you’d like, you can paint your bottle with symbols that represent intuition to you. You’ll also want to write your intention for the spell on the paper, to add into your bottle. 

After your bottle is ready, take your time to intentionally place each item inside your bottle. Raise energy as you do this, either with deep breaths or chanting. I recommend coming up with your own chant that focuses energy on connecting to your intuition and developing your intuitive abilities.

When you’re done filling your bottle, keep chanting or breathing as long as you’d like. Seal your bottle and spend time meditating on your intention. Connect with how it would feel to have clear access to your intuition, to receive and understand intuitive messages, and to have deeper intuitive abilities. Visualize yourself already having these desires, and feel this energy move through your body. 

Ground the energy after your meditation by placing your palms on the ground and returning any excess energy to the Earth. 

I recommend placing the bottle on your altar, keeping it at the forefront of your consciousness while it works its magic.

Want more spells? Check out these articles from Cassie Uhl Blog: 

• Four Candle Magick Spells [with Free Printable]

• The Only Three Love Spells You’ll Ever Need

• Three Dark Moon Rituals

5 Tips to Learn How to Trust Your Intuition

When was the last time you felt a little nudge to do something? Did you trust it immediately or question it a bit before acting? Maybe, you doubted it so much that you ended up dismissing the internal whisper. Maybe you wondered, “What if that little voice is my ego or fear, not my intuition?”. When working with your intuition, it can feel difficult to sift through fear, ego, and other people’s energy. How can you know that what you’re sensing is really your intuition?

We all want to be able to rely on our intuition more. The truth is everyone is intuitive, even psychic, yes, even you! Like anything, your intuition is a muscle, and the more you use it, the easier it will be to rely on it throughout your day. One of the biggest hurdles for working with your intuition will likely be knowing when to trust or dismiss the nudges you sense. 

I hear this so often from others, “how do I know when it’s really my intuition trying to guide me?”. This is so common and something I catch myself doing as well! Fortunately, there are several ways to identify whether or not those nudges you feel are your intuition. There are also a variety of tools available to you to dive deeper into your intuitive nudges, which can help you learn how to trust your intuition.  

As a highly sensitive empath, discerning my intuition from other people’s energy, fear, or ego, is something I’ve become quite good at. I’m going to share five of my favorite ways to learn how to trust your intuitive nudges when you receive them once and for all!

1. GET QUIET

Quieting your mind is the first and most important step for tuning into your intuitive nudges. If you receive an intuitive nudge, get quiet, close your eyes (if it’s safe), and focus on your breath. This is one of the fastest and easiest ways to ensure that your intuitive nudge is coming from your intuition, not from fear or ego. This doesn’t need to be a full-on meditation session, just take 20-30 seconds to go inward and quiet your mind. If you do this, and you’re still getting the same intuitive nudge, trust it!

2. GET INTO YOUR BODY

As an empath, I know that I can pick up the feelings of other people easily, which can interfere with my intuition. For example, if I’m around someone having a hard time, I might feel the urge to overstep my boundaries to help them out. Initially, I might think this is my intuition telling me to be kind, and sometimes it is. Other times it’s just the energy I’ve picked up from the other person. This is where going inward and tuning into my body can help. 

If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s how my intuition vs. other people’s energy feels in my body. This will be different for everyone, so this is something you will need to experiment with! For me, if I go inward, my intuition feels like a pleasant warming sensation in my heart center. If I have an intuitive nudge that is based on someone else’s need that might not be for our higher good, the energy will often reside in my stomach and feel more frantic. As I said, the way that you feel your intuition in your body may vary from mine. The next time you’re faced with a decision, get quiet and tune into your body. Notice where you feel it in your body. Start doing this every time you use your intuition so you can begin to trust your intuition based on how it feels in your body. 

3. WAIT FOR MORE

I’ve found that if I don’t listen to my intuition or am unsure of the nudges I’m receiving that the universe always makes itself known! For me, this often turns up as thinking or feeling the intuitive nudge often if I ignored it the first time. The other way this shows up for me is numeric messages. For example, I might start seeing 11:11 or 1:11 every time I look at the time. If you’re unsure about the intuitive hit you received, give it some time and see if spirit has more to say. As I said, if it’s crucial, spirit will definitely continue sending you intuitive nudges! 

4. RECRUIT PSYCHIC TOOLS

There are so many amazing tools available to work with your intuition! Oracle cards, tarot cards, pendulums, and scrying are a few of my favorites. If I have a question for my intuition that I’m feeling a little unclear about, I always recruit some psychic tools. Think of psychic tools as another way for your intuition or spirit to talk to you. If you’re seeking guidance about something that’s very painful or difficult, it might be challenging to sift through your intuitive nudges and ego. This is a great time to rely on psychic tools. I suggest trying all of the techniques mentioned above. If you try everything above, you can pull an oracle or tarot card to see if it helps clear up any questions you may have. 

Featured card from The Ritual Deck. 

5. CALL ON YOUR GUIDES

As you’re learning how to trust your intuition, you may find it helpful to ask your spirit guides or anyone you work with on the other side, to show you a sign when you’re on the right track. Asking your guides for signs along the way can make trusting your intuition feel a lot easier, and take out the guesswork. 

Anytime you’re working with your guides, you must be clear about what you want. I suggest asking for a very specific sign, so you know it’s your guides. For example, when I ask for signs, I might ask for a white feather to appear at some point in the day or a specific numeric pattern. Once you receive your sign you can trust your intuitive nudges 100% and know that you’re in an intuitive flow. Read more about working with your spirit guides here.

I hope these tips help you feel more empowered to work with and trust your intuition! Learn more about honing your intuition in this blog post about the third eye chakra.

7 Tarot Myths Debunked

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

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

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

MYTH 1: YOU MUST BE GIFTED YOUR FIRST DECK

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

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

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

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

Give this post a listen here.

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MYTH 2: TAROT IS EVIL

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

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

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

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

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

• What have my experiences with the tarot been like?

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

MYTH 3: THE DEATH CARD MEANS YOU’LL DIE

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

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

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

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

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

MYTH 4: TAROT IS ONLY USED TO TELL THE FUTURE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MYTH 7: REVERSED CARDS ARE BAD

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

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

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TAROT?

Check out some of our other tarot blog posts:

• Getting Started with Tarot

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

• How to Learn Tarot Card Meanings Quickly

• 6 Ways to Work With the Tarot Besides Divination

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

6 Tips to Learn the Tarot Card Meanings Quickly

So you got your first tarot deck, did a couple of solo readings, and then never picked it up again? Or, you work with tarot regularly but find yourself frustrated with being so reliant on the guidebook? One of the biggest hurdles people face when getting started with tarot is learning the card meanings. This kept me from diving deep into the tarot for years, too; I get it!

There are much easier techniques to learning the meanings of all of the cards besides memorizing a guidebook word for word for 78 different cards. Not only is memorizing a guidebook of 78-card meanings not very feasible, but it’s also an intuitive disservice in working with the tarot.

What if I told you that you could have a robust knowledge of all 78 cards by learning only 36 correspondences? I know 36 is nothing to sneeze at, but here’s the thing, the 36 correspondences I’ll layout in this post will not only help you understand the energy of each tarot card but will also help you in nearly all other facets of spellwork and magick.

What are correspondences?

Correspondences are simply energies that play well together or match. Each card of the tarot has at least a couple of correspondences, and when you better understand each card's correspondences, you’ll also understand the energy of each card. The correspondences associated with tarot are not unique to tarot and relate to numerology, astrology, witchcraft, and more. Plus, there’s a good chance that you’re already familiar with some of the correspondences that I’m going to outline in this post. If you are, that’s great! You’re already a step ahead. 

Before you dive in, correspondences and their meanings can be rich and deep. They can also vary somewhat from person to person. What I share here is enough to get you started to build a strong foundation, but I recommend digging deeper into the ones you’re less familiar with. 

Dive deeper into tarot correspondences in my book, Understanding Tarot. You might also find that reading an introductory book on numerology or astrology will really deepen your understanding of those specific correspondences. You can also read up on numerology and the four elements right here on the blog! Click here for more on the elements and here for more on numerology. 

Let’s dive in. Here are 6 tips to help you learn the tarot card meanings quickly. 

1. Understand your learning style! 

Before we jump into understanding the correspondences of tarot, you need to get super clear about how you learn and use that method as we dive into the correspondences. If you’re a visual learner, get a journal and start drawing and writing down what the correspondences below mean. If you’re an auditory learner, consider listening to an audiobook about the correspondences listed below. If you learn by doing, continue working with your tarot deck to weave this knowledge into your readings. Not sure how you learn best? Try a few different ways listed above and see what sticks. 

2. Understand Basic Numerological Meanings 

The largest part of a tarot deck, and for many, the trickiest cards to learn, are the numbered suit cards of the Minor Arcana (think 2 of cups and 4 of wands, etc.) Understanding the basic numerological meanings will make you feel MUCH more confident with these cards. There are ways to use numerology in the Major Arcana too, which you’ll be able to learn more about in my new book. For the minor arcana, use these numerological meanings to give you clues about what each card means.

1. New beginnings

2. Balance

3. Creativity

4. Foundations

5. Change

6. Partnership

7. Intellect 

8. Mastery

9. Endings

10. This one is kind of unique to tarot because, in traditional numerology, you always reduce down to a single-digit between 1-9. Fortunately, the meaning often in regards to the tarot is pretty obvious. It points to an end of a cycle and transitioning to a new phase. It has a slightly different feel than 9 in that it signals a willingness to move on. 

3. Understand the 4 Elements

Earth, air, water, and fire are, in my opinion, foundational in any magickal or divination practice. The elements are the energies that we’re made of and can be utilized in nearly all facets of a spiritual and magickal practice! Each of the four elements corresponds with a suit of the minor arcana, shown here.

• Cups- Water

• Pentacles- Earth

• Swords- Air

• Wands- Fire 

Now that you know more about the meanings associated with the numbered cards of the minor arcana, you can also apply the corresponding element. Now you have two things to go off of to understand the energy of each card better. Here’s a list of how the energy of the elements express themselves. 

• Water- Emotions, intuition, subconscious

• Earth- Work, money, materiality

• Air- Communication, the mind, expression

• Fire- Action, energy, momentum

There are ways to apply your understanding of the elements to both the minor arcana's court cards and the major arcana. I discuss these more in my book, but this is a great place to start! 

4. Understand Zodiac and Planetary Meanings

We’ll begin to transition more to the major arcana for this one. Each of the major arcana cards corresponds with either a planet or a zodiac sign, giving it a unique energy.

1. The Fool - Uranus

2. The Magician - Mercury

3. The High Priestess - The Moon

4. The Empress - Venus

5. The Emperor - Aries

6. The Hierophant - Taurus

7. The Lovers - Gemini

8. The Chariot - Cancer

9. Strength - Leo

10. The Hermit - Virgo

11. Wheel of Fortune - Jupiter

12. Justice - Libra

13. The Hanged One - Neptune

14. Death - Scorpio

15. Temperance - Sagittarius

16. The Devil - Capricorn

17. The Tower - Mars

18. The Star - Aquarius

19. The Moon - Pisces

20. The Sun - The Sun

21. Judgment - Pluto

22. The World - Saturn

Here are examples of how these energies express themselves. Zodiac Signs

• Aries - Leader

• Taurus - Grounded

• Gemini - Charming 

• Cancer - Feeling

• Leo - Outgoing

• Virgo - Organized

• Libra - Balanced

• Scorpio - Deep 

• Sagittarius - Growth

• Capricorn - Hardworking

• Aquarius - Eccentric

• Pisces - Intuitive

Planetary Meanings

• Sun - Ego

• Moon - Subconscious

• Mercury - Communication

• Venus - Love

• Mars - Warrior

• Jupiter - Expansion

• Saturn - Restriction

• Uranus - Revolutionary

• Neptune - Dreams

• Pluto -  Transformation

5. Learn how Astrological Energies Correspond with the Elements

I imagine correspondences as a web of intersecting energies that play off of each other. When you understand how these different energies match up or repel each other, it will take your understanding of the tarot cards' meanings to a deeper level.

Each of the zodiac signs and planets corresponds to an element. Now, with your understanding of the elements and basic astrology, you can weave these meanings together. Here’s a list of how the planets, zodiacs, and elements correspond with one another. 

• Aries - Mars - Fire

• Taurus - Venus - Earth + Water

• Gemini - Mercury - Air

• Cancer - Moon - Water

• Leo - Sun - Fire

• Virgo - Mercury - Earth + Air

• Libra - Venus - Air + Water

• Scorpio - Pluto - Water

• Sagittarius - Jupiter - Fire

• Capricorn - Saturn - Earth

• Aquarius - Uranus - Air

• Pisces - Neptune - Water

With this information combined, we can see that the Empress corresponds to Venus, the earth element, and Taurus. Therefore the Empress card relates to love, beauty, and creation from an earthly and material perspective. 

6. Pair this Knowledge with your Intuition

Think of all of this correspondence knowledge as a way to bolster your intuition. They’re not the end all be all of learning the tarot, but they go a LONG way! The more comfortable and confident you become in understanding these correspondences, the easier it will be for you to intuit the card meanings for yourself and others without a guidebook. The correspondences are better than a guidebook because they give you nudges and insights about what the cards have to tell you, rather than a definitive answer.

Learn more about building up your intuitive muscles here in this previous post. 

Now it’s time for you to put these tools into practice. Find a way to learn them that works for you, and watch your ability to understand the tarot card meanings flourish! 

Dreamwork 101 // What is Dreamwork and How to Get Started in 5 Steps

Dreamwork is the practice of tending to our relationship with our dreams. We’re dreaming every night, but many of us barely remember our dreams, or if we do, don’t spend much time thinking about them or working with them.

(How often have you dismissed a dream as, “oh, it was just a dream?”)

But dreams can have a lot to teach us and offer us when we enter into a deeper relationship with them. The dreamworld is rich with feelings, desires, needs, and possibilities. Our understanding of what the dreamworld evokes and presents can support our physical lives and our connections to ourselves. 

In this blog post, I’ll share a bit about how to start a dreamwork practice of your own.

Dreamwork Lineage

First, I’d like to share my dreamwork lineage. What I know about dreamwork comes from the work of these folks in particular, as well as my own intuition and my ancestors:

• Blanca Villalobos

• Toko-Pa

• Robert Moss

• Tara Burke

• Sanyu Estelle

These are wonderful people to go deeper into dreamwork with if you feel so called.

1. Support Dream Recall + Sleep 

The simplest of ways to begin supporting your dreaming is by supporting sleep and dream recall. It’s difficult to consciously work with our dreams if we’re not sleeping well or can’t remember our dreams when we wake up. Everyone is different, but here are some things you might like to explore to support your sleep:

• Set screen time boundaries for a certain amount of time before bed 

• Drink a tea to support your sleep, like chamomile (always do your own research and check with a professional before ingesting herbs) 

• Create your own sleep ritual that helps you shift into rest mode 

• Meditate and/or do a gentle, restorative yoga practice

• Take a few minutes to journal brain-dump style to help clear your mind. 

To support your dream recall, there are a few things I find helpful:

• Set an intention to dream and to remember your dream(s) before you go to sleep (you can write this down, say it out loud, or just tell it to yourself silently)

• Take a few minutes in bed in the morning before you get out of bed (or look at your phone) to give yourself space to remember your dream.

• Create a dream altar and meditate at it before bed to welcome your dreams to come 

• Pay attention to the dreams you do receive by tending them (more on that below!)

2. Start a Dream Journal 

This is probably the number one tip anyone you ask about dreamwork will give you, and with good reason! A dream journal creates a container for tending your dreams, helps solidify your intention to connect with your dreams, and helps you understand your dreams.

I recommend choosing a dedicated journal for your dreamwork and placing it on your dream altar when you’re not using it if you have one. As soon as you wake up (definitely before you look at any devices), put pen to paper and record your dream. Try recording your dreams in the present tense to honor its aliveness (for example, instead of "I was walking by a river,” try “I’m walking by a river). 

If it feels available to you, you might like to marinate in the dream in bed for a few minutes before actually getting up and reaching for your journal to record.

3. Explore Dream Feelings & Textures

After you record your dream, there are many ways to work with it more deeply and explore the messages it might have for you. 

I like to explore the dream textures: what are the textures, sights, smells, tastes, sounds of the dream? What do those senses mean for you and evoke for you? How do they make you feel? How does the dream, in general, make you feel?

4. Understand Dream Associations

As you work with the dream you’ve recorded, notice what stands out to you. Maybe your red dress feels particularly alive, or the hawk sparks something for you, or you feel curious about a figure in your dream. 

Whatever you feel curious about, do a bit of freewriting about it. List out: what does this thing make you think of? How does it make you feel? 

For example, some associations that come up with hawks for me:

• Hawk feather

• Maggie Smith’s poetry book Good Bones

• Mothers

• Protecting your children 

• Imagination

• Play 

Notice how I’m not so focused on the hawk itself, but I follow the threads of what each thing is associated with! Now I have something interesting to work with and can ask myself questions like, "what’s my relationship with play right now?" 

Some of the associations you make might really surprise you and can offer deeper insight into your dream. 

5. Assign Dream Correspondences 

As you continue to work with your dreams, you start to develop some personal symbols and correspondences. 

Like you saw above in my example with the hawk, I could make a section in my journal where I note that hawk led me to mothers and children and play. When I see a hawk again in my dream, I have that reference and can ask myself if/how it applies to this dream. 

Over time, you can deepen your understanding of your own personal dream symbols and correspondences. I love this practice so much because, to me, it’s not about what a certain symbol means but about what it means to you, how it feels in your body, how it resonates with your ancestry. That’s what feels potent and powerful!

Dreams Aren’t Your Personal Vending Machine 

It feels important to state that working with dreams isn’t just asking a question and receiving an answer. Generally, it’s not a simple or linear way of working. There isn’t one true or hidden meaning that we need to uncover. 

In my eyes, dreams and the dreamworld are alive. So it truly is a practice of engaging in relationship with, of exploring. You might like to ask yourself, "how can I be in equal exchange with my dreams?" How can I honor the dream world and not just extract from it?

Dreams have such potential to expand us out of binary thinking and into visionary possibilities, especially if we acknowledge that power and allow them to take us there!

Going Deeper with Your Dreams 

Another way to explore dream tending and go a bit deeper is by asking for a dream. I share how to do this in the dreamwork ritual I shared for Pisces season, which you can find here.

Feel free to contact us and share: how is your dream practice going? How is your relationship with your dreams evolving? 

Card Spread & Sigil Ritual for Aquarius Season

Welcome to Aquarius season! Our fixed air sign, Aquarius energy is about authentic expression, bringing forth the new age and the next world, and upgrading the collective to its highest expression.

To learn more about Aquarius energy, you can check out this blog post. In this post, I’ll be sharing a card spread and a sigil ritual to help you tap into the healing invitations of the Aquarius season. 

Practice these Aquarius offerings together or separately, whatever feels best for you. Scroll down to explore both of them!

Card Spread for Aquarius Season

For this card spread, you’re welcome to use a tarot deck or an oracle deck. In the spread, we’ll explore the Aquarius themes of authenticity and belonging. 

I invite you to create a ritual space for you and your deck to communicate by taking a moment to ground and center yourself; lighting some incense, herbs, or candles that help you drop into your heart space; and opening to allow messages to come through. 

When you feel centered and ready, shuffle your deck and draw a card for each of the following points:

• Where do I have a block from authentic expression?

• How can I support my authentic expression in this area?

• What's keeping me from feeling a sense of belonging? 

• How can I create deeper belonging within myself?

• Who will I be in my most authentic expression?

Take some time to journal and/or meditation on your cards to connect with the full meaning they have to offer you.

Sigil Ritual for Aquarius Season

For this ritual, we’ll be creating a sigil to help you embody your truth. As an air sign, Aquarius evokes truth. You can see this in the King of Swords, our Aquarius card in the court cards of the tarot. It invites us to speak and embody our truth, to take up space with our voice and our message, and to not shrink - even when we’re afraid. When we embody our truth and share our voices, we create more authentic belonging. Associated with group energy and friendships, this is something Aquarius energy is deeply connected to. If sigils are new to you, think of them as a powerful symbol that is completely personal to you. What you’ll need: 

• paper

• pencil

• optional: crystals, herbs, or candles that support the element of air like yellow or blue candles, mint or citrus, and amethyst or kyanite. 

Ritual Steps: 

1. As with the card spread, open your ritual by taking some time to ground and center yourself. You might like to visualize yourself sending roots down into the core of the earth, take some deep breaths, place your hands on your body, or do something else that feels grounding to you. 

2. After you ground, you might like to cast a circle to protect your ritual space and invite any well ancestors, spirit guides, or other loving beings you have relationships with to join you in ritual.

3. When you’re ready, it’s time to create your sigil. Write down some phrases and affirmations on your paper that support you in speaking your truth. Just let them flow! Some phrases to get you started: I EMBODY MY TRUTH. or I AM TRUTH.

4. After you write them down, sit with the phrase (or phrases) you wrote. If you wrote multiple phrases, speak them out loud and see which one lands in your body. Choose one that feels alive and supportive.

5. Re-write that phrase or phrases on a new page. In the next few steps, you’ll work towards simplifying and unifying this phrase into a single symbol. 

6. Re-write the phrase again, removing all of the repeating letters and vowels. 

7. Re-write this line, turning the remaining letters into simpler symbols or shapes, like this. 

8. Connect the lines together into a symbol in a way that feels intuitive and natural to you. This can be as simple or as elaborate as you’d like. As you create, breathe deeply and focus on your intention. 

Tip: If drawing isn’t natural for you, this might feel uncomfortable, and that’s okay! Focus on the intention of your statement rather than what the sigil looks like. Remember this is a symbol for you and you alone. 

Tip: Your sigil will look different than the one pictured.

9. When you’re ready, it’s time to activate your sigil. You can do this in many ways, but for this ritual, I recommend a brief meditation. 

10. Place your sigil to your heart, with your palms on top of it, and breathe deeply. Visualize light (any color that comes intuitively is great) flowing from your heart to the sigil, activating each piece of it. Spend some time here letting energy flow, and when you feel an energy shift you’ll know that your sigil has been activated. 

11. Close your ritual by placing your sigil on your altar, under your pillow, on your bedside, or somewhere else that you’ll see it regularly and be reminded of its power. 

Wishing you a nourishing Aquarius season, and please feel free to share your ritual experience with us on Instagram!

Seeing the unseen // Scrying 101

Scrying is an ancient divination practice where you connect with your intuition and work to make the unseen seen by gazing onto a reflective surface.

Scrying is a broad practice, therefore mentions of it pop up in a variety of places throughout history. Scrying is referenced in ancient Egypt, England, Greece, and Persia (to name a few.) Nostradamus reportedly relied on scrying for many of his predictions as well. 

The tools you can use for scrying are as vast as its history. You can use crystals, water, the moon, fire, smoke, a mirror, or really any reflective surface. 

Artwork copyright Cassie Uhl 2020-infinity, please credit if shared.

Though clear crystal balls work for scrying and are commonly shown as a scrying tool, it is not the only kind of crystal used for this practice. Black obsidian mirrors are commonly used for scrying, but really any crystal with a reflective surface will do. You may even decide that you'd like to use a specific crystal in alignment with your desires for a scrying session. Sphere, larger palm stones, and flat mirrors or slabs all work well for this practice. 

As varied as scrying is, the piece that remains consistent is the desire to reach an altered state to receive visions. The visions you receive from scrying could be from spirit or your subconscious. That’s for you to decide. 

I love scrying for its power and simplicity. In this post, I’ll be sharing how to scry! Keep reading for five steps to try scrying for yourself.

A note on working with the moon. The full moon and the dark moon are ideal times to try this practice. I like scrying with the full moon to help illuminate and the dark moon for going within and accessing intuition. Don’t let the phase of the moon stop you from trying this practice; these are just suggestions. 

Getting started with scrying:

1. To begin your scrying practice, create a ritual space for yourself, and gather your bowl and water. (As I walk you through scrying, I’ll be using the example of a bowl of water, but remember that there are many other ways to scry that I shared above.) 

2. You’ll want to be in a dark room with only one or two candles lit. 

3. Once your space is ready, enter a trance state through meditating, energy work, drumming, chanting, breathwork, or any other practice that helps you drop into your subconscious mind. 

4. Once you feel like you’re in an altered state of consciousness, relax your eyes and gaze into your bowl of water. Breathe deeply, let yourself soften, and ask a question silently (for example, what is holding me back in X situation? Or what do I need to know about Y?). 

5. Gaze into the bowl and let yourself see what you see. It may take time for images to come up, but if you stay focused and present, they will. Allow the images, words, and sensations to flow, rather than holding on to them tightly.

When you feel like you’re done, you’re done! Spend some time journaling about what you felt and saw to help you answer the questions you came to receive answers for. 

Remember, the subconscious mind works with symbolism, so don’t discount anything that you see even if you’re not quite sure what it means at first! Think of the information you receive, like the symbolism in dreams: sometimes we are left with more questions than answers. Sometimes the questions are the answers. Sometimes a thread is what you are offered, and you can choose to follow it or not. Sometimes symbols may not mean anything at first but are asking to be engaged with over time. 

Let the process unfold, and see what comes up for you! 

Spellwork and Witchcraft Ethics

When we understand how powerful witchcraft and spellwork can be, we know that there is as much potentiality for causing harm as there is for healing.

I don’t believe that ethics in this area (or any, really) are black and white or something that can be written in a post and passed right along to you. I think ethics are both nuanced and personal. 

So in this blog, I’ll be sharing a bit of my own thoughts about spellwork and witchcraft ethics, and offering some different areas of reflection for your own spellwork and witchcraft ethics.

CULTURAL APPROPRIATION + CONSUMPTION

Ijeoma Oluo, author of So You Want to Talk About Race, wrote for Medium, “Cultural appropriation is the misuse of a group’s art and culture by someone with the power to redefine that art and, in the process, divorce it from the people who originally created it.”

Cultural appropriation is rampant in the spirituality, new age, and witchcraft communities. Sacred indigenous plants are bought and sold by white folks, indigenous knowledge is whitewashed, repackaged and sold, and practices are stolen from cultures of color. 

The impacts of cultural appropriation are not just personal, they widely function to continue to funnel power towards white folks and away from Black folks, Indigenous folks, and other people of color. 

I also personally feel that working with tools and practices from our own ancestry are always going to be more powerful than working with tools and practices that are not from our own ancestry! 

Some reflection questions for your own practice around cultural appropriation:

• What tools are you using in your magical practice, and where do they come from? If they are from cultures other than your own, how are you giving back, uplifting and supporting those cultures and peoples? 

• Are they sourced in ways that feel good to you and aligned with your values (for example: are your crystals mined by children? Are trees being chopped down for your Palo Santo?)?

• What are the lineages of the practices you use? If you don’t know, do some research. 

• How were your ancestors practicing witchcraft and magic? What are their traditions? What tools were they using? What were there beliefs? (These are big questions and incredibly important ones, especially for white folks to be asking. It can be hard to find information when much of European folk magic traditions were stolen by Christianity when the religion swept over the continent, but it’s out there. To start ancestral research, I recommend checking out Sanyu Estelle’s Ancestral Altars: Europa Edition recorded class as well as Megan McGuire’s work. Cassie also loves Elen Sentier’s work on British Shamanism.)

CAUSING HARM WITH MAGICK

Just as we can do spellwork to attract love and abundance, we can also practice curses, hexes, and other kinds of spellwork to manipulate and cause harm to others.

It would be easy for me to tell you here: never use curses or hexes, never practice magic that causes harm. There are Wiccan creeds around this that you may be familiar with, the Threefold Law and the Wiccan Rede. 

The Threefold Law states that whatever energy you put out will come back to you times three. The Wiccan Rede states “An it harm none, do what ye will.” There are different ways to interpret the Wiccan Rede, but most agree that it means as long as your workings harm no one, do what you feel called to. 

I tend to agree with these ideas personally, but it’s not so black and white. Some Black magical traditions like Hoodoo have no such rules and use cursing and crossing in alignment with their own ethics. I think it’s important to stay in my own lane when it comes to passing blanket statements about what it is and isn’t okay to do with magic, when there are deeply rooted traditions that incorporate some of these practices. 

We can expand this out and ask, too — is it truly unethical to curse or hex a person who does evil in the world at a large scale?

I don’t have answers for you, but I invite you to reflect on these questions. What settles in your body and heart when it comes to causing harm with magick?

JUSTICE

This brings me to justice. Witchcraft is intrinsically linked to justice and is inherently political, no question about it. 

I invite you to ask yourself: how are my spells and magical workings contributing to justice in the world? Or are they functioning to amplify privilege and get only myself ahead?

One of my favorite practices around this was shared by Amanda Yates Garcia, the Oracle of LA. She invites us to send out any spell we do for ourselves for the collective, too. For example, a spell to attract money would also include something like, “as it is for me, as it is for all,” to ask the spell to attract money for all of us. A spell for a new home for yourself might include housing justice for all. A spell for a lover for yourself might include safe and healthy relationships for all. And so on!

CONSENT

One of the key principles in energy work is always getting consent. Energy work has real impacts, and people deserve the opportunity to be able to opt-in to receive it. 

For me, this is true regardless of our best intentions - even if we want to send healing to someone we don’t know (who can’t consent) because we think it would really help them. 

What is true for you? Ask yourself: what are my consent boundaries with others when it comes to energy?

As you can see, ethics is a murky field but an important one to consider for any witch! My advice is: Work from your own value system. If you’re not clear on what your values are, start there. Let your witchcraft practice reflect your ethos, and know that we all have different values & ideas of what is right or wrong.  

At the end of the day, we all have to be able to sleep at night from a place of knowing the truth, not from ignorance of the impacts of our actions. What do you need to change or lean into in your practice to make that so? 

3 Rituals for Letting Go

What is your relationship with letting go?

Ritual and magical practice can help us with more than manifesting, attracting, and calling in. It can also help us shed, let go, and transform ourselves and parts of our lives. The winter season invites us to incubate, release, and hibernate. It is an ideal time for release work (as well as the fall!). The phases of the moon that correspond to release are all the waning phases - the waning gibbous moon, the last quarter moon, the waning crescent moon, and the dark moon. Learn more about the phases of the moon with The Ritual Deck (pictured below.)

Before we get into the rituals, I also want to add that we can put a lot of pressure on ourselves to let go of things, and I want to honor that letting go can be really hard. Especially if what we’re letting go of has been something we have loved and cherished but is no longer a fit, feels comfortable, and/or feels safe. 

So please, be gentle with yourself, be kind to yourself, and let release happen on your own timeline. 

Keep scrolling to find a few rituals to support you in letting go.

MOON RITUAL FOR LETTING GO

Our sweet, gorgeous moon is more than just an archetype, a deity, or energy. She is a real living body just like the Earth that we can go outside and look at, connect with, and talk to. I think sometimes we forget this but this is one of my favorite practices! 

This is ideal to do when the moon is in its waning phases but still visible (so not the dark moon). 

For this ritual, what you’ll need is yourself, an offering for the moon, and clarity on what you’re releasing. Your offering could be anything - a plate of your dinner, a glass of water, a branch, a flower, a drawing, a song - let your intuition guide you and go with what feels right. 

When you have your offering, it’s ideal to go outside and sit or stand under the moon. If it’s really cold out or you don’t have space outdoors to do this, you can also sit by a window - that works just as well! 

Take some time to center and ground yourself, entering a ritual space. Turn your gaze to the moon, ask to connect with her, and share your offering with her. Spend some time gazing at her and share your offering with her in whatever way feels good to you.

When you’re ready, tell her what you’re desiring to release. Ask for her help letting go. Sit in meditation, drawing down her energy and light through your crown and your whole body, letting this energy fill you up and either help you release whatever you’re desiring to release internally (blocks, fears, internal limits, ways of talking to self, etc), or charge you with the courage and power to release externally (a relationship, a job, a situation, project, etc.). 

When you feel the energy shift, you know you’re finished! Thank the moon, ground yourself again, and spend some time journaling and processing afterward. 

TAROT OR ORACLE SPREAD FOR LETTING GO

For this ritual, you’ll need your tarot or oracle deck and journal. Take some time to create a ritual space, whatever that means to you, and ground yourself before working with your cards. Set the intention to communicate with your highest self, spirit guides, ancestors, intuition, or any other deities or beings you had a relationship with.

Once you’re fully present, shuffle your deck and pull cards for the following questions:

1. What do I need to let go of at this time?

2. Why do I need to let go?

3. What is on the other side of this release?

4. Supportive energies to connect with to help me let go.

Take your time with each card, really letting its messages move through you. I find it incredibly helpful to either meditate with my cards or journal about each card and what the spread means to me. I always get more information and a deeper understanding this way.

When you feel complete, it could be nice to add the cards to your altar - particularly the first and third cards - to support you throughout the release. 

CANDLE MAGICK FOR LETTING GO

I love working with fire in spells and rituals, so naturally, I love candle magick! Fire is such a powerful element with its ability to transform and transmute - think of how fire turn logs into ash. It helps things change shape, die, and transform. 

For this spell, you’ll need a black candle, a tarot card or oracle card representing what you’re releasing, and a safety pin to carve your candle.

Start by grounding yourself and casting your circle. Call in any supportive deities, guides, or other beings you have a connection with to join your circle and help you.

Next, you’ll want to intentionally choose the card from your deck that most represents what you’re releasing at this time. Take your time with this and really make sure you’re clear on what you’re desiring to release.

Once you have your card, it’s time to carve your candle. Carve into your candle any words and/or symbols that represent letting go to you. For example, I like to carve the glyph for Pluto into my candles when I work with releasing spells. Pluto represents change, rebirth, and transformation. Symbols and words work best when they’re personal to you, so don’t worry as much about the technical meaning and just intuitively choose what feels right to you!

Once your candle is ready, set it up with your card under it and take a few deep breaths. Speak your intention aloud as you light your candle, saying, “As I light this candle, I release X.” You might like to spend some time gazing into the candle flame as you focus on this intention.

Then, it’s time to raise energy. You can raise energy however feels good to you - you might chant, sing, dance, do breathwork, or use any other tool that feels good to you. As your candle burns, you are raising energy in order to support this release.

When you feel the energy is at its peak, direct it with your intention towards releasing whatever it is you are releasing from your body, from your life. 

When you feel complete, ground yourself again. Let the candle burn all the way down, thank any beings who joined you to help facilitate this release, and re-open your circle. Spend some time processing in your journal afterward, writing down what came up for you and what you felt.

Full Moon High Priestess Mist

The High Priestess is the archetype in the tarot’s major arcana, who reminds us that we have all the answers we need within us. Ruled by the moon and associated with the triple goddess, divine feminine, and the story of Persephone’s descent into the underworld, the High Priestess, brings us deep within to awaken our connection to our wisdom and intuition.

I love working with tarot archetypes in different ways, and one of those ways is by making mists. In this post, I’ll be sharing how to create a High Priestess mist to connect you to your intuition - a connection that is your birthright. High Priestess card from The Starchild Tarot.

High Priestess card from The Starchild Tarot.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• A spray bottle

• Small tumbled crystal chips of amethyst or another stone you intuitively connect the High Priestess to (note that some stones dissolve or lose their luster in water) 

• Water charged under the full moon

• Witch hazel 

• Essential oils of frankincense, clary sage, and/or sandalwood 

HOW TO MAKE YOUR MIST

The ingredient that may or may not take the longest to get (depending on where the moon is as you’re reading this!) is water charged under the full moon. I recommend charging your water on the night before the moon is technically full - so for example, if the moon is full at 8:30 am on Saturday, charge your water on Friday night, not Saturday night. 

All you need to do to charge your water is to place a bowl or glass of water under the full moon and leave it out overnight. Place some amethyst in your water if you'd like, but it's totally optional. You can drink your excess water or use it in rituals and spells! 

Once you have your full moon water, I recommend creating this spray on the day of the full moon. Here are your steps:

1. Fill half the bottle with witch hazel 

2. Add 25-30 drops of essential oils (if using multiple oils, split up the drops according to whatever scents you prefer!)

3. Add your crystal chips

4. Fill the rest of the bottle with the full moon charged water

5. Close the bottle and shake!

If you’d like, it can be nice to spend a little time meditating with the mist to set intentions for it to connect you with the High Priestess within you. Use the mist before doing divination work to infuse your space with High Priestess Energy, before meditation, and in ritual and spellwork around intuition.

Let your intuition inspire your use and enjoy! Click here to share your mist with us on Instagram. 

Vibrational Healing 101

What sounds are part of your daily life?

For many of us, those sounds may be things like cars honking, sirens blaring, alarms and timers beeping, and music on the radio. 

Those sounds can be incredibly harsh on our nervous systems. Think about it: how do you feel when you hear a horn honking or a siren blaring? Startled, anxious, on edge, heightened, nervous? 

Most of the sounds we hear on a daily basis aren’t soothing or healing, and many of them are also inevitable. Many of these noises simply go along with living a modern life. But that’s where sound healing comes in as an incredibly helpful tool for resetting the nervous system and realigning our energy centers.

Keep scrolling to learn more about some of the science behind sound, the benefits of sound healing, and ways to weave sound healing into your life each day.

WHAT IS VIBRATIONAL HEALING?

Vibrational healing, also called, sound healing, frequency healing, or vibrational medicine, uses the vibration of objects that resonate (such as bowls, tuning forks, gongs, and other instruments) as well as the human voice to soothe the body and mind, access a deeper state of meditation, and stimulate healing. Sound healing is definitely having a moment right now, but it’s far from new. Cultures around the world have used sound for healing for centuries.

THE SCIENCE OF SOUND

An article for the New York Times shares this:

“…Healers, sometimes called sounders, argue that sound can have physiological effects because its vibrations are not merely heard but also felt. And vibrations, they say, can lower heart rate variability, relax brain wave patterns and reduce respiratory rates.

When the heart rate is relatively steady, and breathing is deep and slow, stress hormones decrease, said Dr. Mitchell L. Gaynor, an oncologist and clinical assistant professor of medicine at Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York and the author of "The Healing Power of Sound." That is significant, he said, because stress can depress every aspect of the immune system, "including those that protect us against flu and against cancer.”

A study where participants received about 35 minutes of sound therapy (some in person, and some via an online recording) found that “Statistically significant, highly significant and extremely significant data was produced in the domains of Physical Relaxation, Imagery, Ineffability, Transcendence of Time and Space, Positive Mood, Insightfulness, Disembodiment and Unity across both live and recorded studies.”

There is also some fascinating research being done about the power of sound to help us access alpha brain waves, the brain waves associated with daydreaming, mindfulness, and meditation. Alpha waves, according to studies conducted by neuro-electric therapy engineers Dr. Margaret Patterson and Dr. Ifor Capel, boost the production of serotonin in the body.

There aren’t a ton of studies available, but as you can see research has been done and hopefully will continue to be done to explore the science behind sound healing.

THE BENEFITS OF SOUND HEALING

Some of the benefits of sound healing can include: 

• Access a deep state of meditation

• Relief of physical pain 

• Lowering stress

• Soothe anxiety 

• Decrease in mood swings

• Improved sleep

• Improved creativity

• Heightened self-awareness

Personally, I find sound healing to be incredibly relaxing and heart-opening. It helps me connect with my intuition, open my heart, and access a deeper meditative state. It definitely helps me release stress and relax as well, letting my body truly restore itself. 

HOW TO WEAVE SOUND HEALING INTO YOUR LIFE

Now that you know how amazing sound healing is for you, how can you weave sound healing into your life? Here are a few ways:

• Meditate with sound frequency meditations on Spotify - here and here are a few sound healing playlists I like 

• Buy a singing bowl and play it for yourself

• Attend a local sound healing event in your area - often called a sound bath or sound meditation

• Listen to binaural beats, music that specifically works to generate alpha waves

• Chanting OM

• Buy tuning forks and use them at home 

• Vocal toning to open your chakras (this website shares a simple vocal toning practice)

Have you tried sound healing? If you haven't, I hope you now feel inspired to give it a try!

Water - The Living Liquid Crystal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Three Dark Moon Rituals

The dark moon is one of my personal favorite times of the cycle. It’s the last few days of the waning time of the cycle, when the moon continues to shrink and eventually disappears from the sky.

Different traditions honor the dark moon at different times. Personally, I honor the dark moon when you can’t see the moon at all in the sky--which is technically the new moon. Others honor the dark moon the last few days before the new moon. I recommend using your intuition and noticing how you feel during these days to understand when to honor the dark moon versus new moon.

So what is the dark moon all about?

The dark moon is our time for radical rest, for deep clearing and releasing, and turning within. This is the time to cancel plans, to do shadow work, to go to sleep early and wake up late, and to pull tarot or oracle cards to tune in to your inner voice.

Keep scrolling for a few rituals to consider working with at this time.

WATER SPELL FOR CLEARING

One of my favorite spells to work during the dark moon is this simple water spell. Water is a helpful element for cleansing and purification, and this spell works especially well when the dark moon is in a water sign--Pisces, Cancer, or Scorpio. You’ll need:

• A large glass of water

• A piece of paper and pen

To start, choose what you’re focusing on releasing. Maybe there are blocks to self-expression, fear of being rejected, shame around your path, or blocks to abundance. Once you’ve decided what you’re ready to release (you’re welcome to spend some time journaling on this to get clear), start making a list of all the limiting beliefs and stories that you hold associated with this block.For example, let’s say you’re working with clearing blocks to abundance. Your list might hold beliefs like:

• I can’t make money doing what I love

• People with money are jerks

• It’s wrong to have money when other people have so little, etc.

Keep letting the beliefs flow! I tend to fill up a whole page when I do this spell.

Once you have your list, it’s time to work the spell. Ground yourself, cast your circle, and pick up your list. You’re going to say the first belief out loud, starting with “I clear the belief that ________ from my body” and then taking a big sip of water. Pause and notice, feeling and visualizing the water moving through your body, cleansing this belief from your system on every level.

Repeat this for each belief on your list, taking your time and really feeling the beliefs move out of your body.

Card featured from The Ritual Deck

When you’re done, use the energy of your palms to charge your last sip of water with what you do want - abundance, healthy self-expression, creativity, etc. - and feel your whole body being charged with this intention by the power of the element of water.

Give thanks to water and the Universe for their help, ground yourself again and open your circle.

CANDLE MAGICK FOR RELEASING

For this spell, you’ll need:

• Black taper candle

• Carving tool like a sharp point crystal, toothpick, or athame

• Black tourmaline, smoky quartz, or petrified wood

• A simple oil like grapeseed or bergamot essential oil

• Rosemary

Start by cleansing all of your items for the spell. This can be done by wafting rosemary smoke over them or visualizing light cleansing them.

For this spell, you’ll be carving what you’re releasing into your candle as well as the glyph for Pluto, the planet that helps things die and be transformed. For your words, keep them simple and powerful by carving the basics of what you’re releasing like “fear” or “self-doubt.”

Anoint your candle with your oil and roll it in your dried rosemary. As you carve and anoint your candle, visualize your all of whatever you’re releasing - your fear or your self-doubt as in the example above - pouring into the candle.

Place your crystal(s) and candle on your altar, light your candle, and start meditating on the flame. Continue to visualize all that you’re releasing pouring into the candle, and watch as it burns and turns to smoke. Stay with this meditation until you feel a shift in your energy - until you really feel a release.

Let the candle burn out if you can or snuff out the candle and continue the same spell each night until the candle has burned completely.

SHADOW WORK TAROT OR ORACLE SPREAD

The dark moon is a deep invitation into shadow work.

What is shadow work?

Simply put, it’s an intentional exploration of our shadow side - the parts of ourselves that we reject, that we’re ashamed of, that we stuff down and hide. Click here to learn more about shadow work if you’re new to it!

For this ritual, you’ll want to create a ritual space - whatever that means to you. For me, it usually means cleansing my space with smoke beforehand, lighting incense, and lighting candles. Maybe you also like to take an essential oil bath beforehand, or sprinkle herbs in a circle around you.

All you’ll need for this ritual is:

• A journal and pen

• Your tarot or oracle cards

Spend a few moments grounding yourself, then shuffle your cards and pull a card for each of these questions:

• What part of my shadow is rising to the surface to be worked with?

• How has rejecting this part of myself manifested in my life?

• How can I show this part of myself more love and integrate it into my whole self?

Give yourself the gift of sitting with your cards after you pull them. Spend time meditating on your cards, journaling about them, or even painting with them to process and understand what their messages are for you.

NEW MOON CARD SPREAD

Every new moon, we get a beautiful opportunity for a fresh start. The new moon is the time of the lunar cycle where we get to dream, vision, and set intentions for what we would like to heal, manifest, and create for the new cycle.

Cards, whether oracle or tarot (learn all about the difference between oracle & tarot cards and how to choose here), can be a powerful way to help us gain clarity and understand how to work with the whole cycle holistically. 

Keep scrolling for your new moon card spread and to learn how to work with the cards throughout the whole moon cycle!

Cards featured from The Ritual Deck.

CARD SPREAD FOR THE NEW MOON

This is a card spread designed to help you work with the moon cycle holistically- through all of the major moon phases of the cycle including the new moon, first quarter moon, full moon, last quarter moon, and dark moon.

To ritualize drawing cards, you might like to take some time before getting started to light incense or burn other herbs, ground yourself (click here for suggestions on how to get grounded), and/or do a practice that helps you open your channels such as breathwork, a movement practice, or a visualization meditation.

When you feel ready, you can start pulling cards:

1. What cycle is opening up for me?

2. What wants to emerge, grow, be tended this cycle?

3. What blocks are coming up around this? (Draw one to three cards - let your intuition guide you!)

4. Why this block is here/the shadow underneath the block (draw one card for each blockage card)

5. Advice for healing these blocks (draw one card for each blockage card)

6. Advice for working with these energies to come back to myself

This card spread can offer some beautiful guidance for working with the phases of the moon holistically. I’m going to cover the 5 major phases of the moon below - the new moon, waxing moon, full moon, waning moon, and dark moon.

THE NEW MOON

The new moon is a time of dreaming and feeling into what you want to grow during the cycle. So during the new moon time, you’ll want to focus on cards one and two. I recommend creating an altar based around the themes of these cards.

For example, if the cards showed that in this cycle, spirit is inviting you to work with your creativity, then you could create an altar representing your creative energy blossoming. This might include lush flowers, the tarot cards you drew, anything that represents your creativity to you, and sacral chakra crystals like carnelian, peach selenite, or tiger’s eye.  

Seeds are always a great addition to a new moon altar as well, a symbol of what you’re planting this cycle.

WAXING MOON

The waxing moon is the time for action. It’s an opportune time for taking the steps needed to bring your dream, your desire, into reality. During the waxing moon, you’ll want to focus on the steps that need to be taken to help card number 2 emerge and grow.

This could be internal or external! Often, I find, it’s a combination of both. 

For example, say that your cards showed that this cycle is all about growing your business. During the waxing moon phase, this could be a time where you take more external steps to grow your business (like sending your newsletter, making a content calendar for Instagram and sticking to it, etc.) as well as doing an abundance ritual. 

[Looking for abundance rituals to work with? Find four abundance rituals on the blog here.]

Remember to work with the sixth card, advice for working with the energies this cycle to come back to yourself, to support you through every phase.

FULL MOON

The full moon can feel like “everything all at once,” as one of my teachers says. The water in our bodies is heightened- emotions, intuition, fertility, psychic abilities. This is the last big push in the growth phase of the cycle so it’s the perfect time to do a manifestation ritual around your first and second cards, what it is you’re cultivating this cycle.

Notice any feelings or downloads you receive at this time and take note - you’ll weave them into your work through the waning part of the cycle.

WANING MOON

The waning moon is a time for shadow work, for releasing, for turning inward. It’s our invitation to work with cards three through five of the spread above: the blocks around your dream or desire, the shadow underneath the block, and the advice for healing these blocks.

This is a great time to explore the roots of these blocks and do practices like tapping (EFT) or breathwork to deprogram the stories and patterns that make up those blocks. If any of those blocks feel ready to be released, this is also the time to release them!

DARK MOON

The dark moon is the time of the cycle when the moon disappears from the sky. It’s a deeply internal time for rest, shadow work, banishing work, and cord-cutting.

If you feel ready at this time to release the blocks and work with the fifth card, the advice for healing those blocks, this is the time. A cord-cutting ceremony or banishing ritual would be ideal to help you wrap up the cycle and release these blocks once and for all.

You can return to this new moon card spread with every new moon to help guide your cycle. Want more rituals for the new moon? Click here!

Rituals to Help You Thrive During Mercury Retrograde

Every Mercury retrograde, it feels like the whole internet goes crazy (including Instagram crashing, the technology breakdowns with Mercury retrograde are real!) for a while with memes blaming a whole slew of problems on Mercury retrograde.

But the fact is, Mercury goes retrograde a few times a year every year, and it can be an incredibly potent time for your growth and transformation if you treat it as such. I really believe that all cosmic events happen for us, not to us, and we can let them have power over us or we can view them as empowering invitations to help us on our journeys in specific ways.

In this blog, I’ll be sharing some rituals for Mercury retrograde to help you tap into the magic of this time. But first, what is Mercury retrograde?

WHAT IS MERCURY RETROGRADE

Mercury retrograde occurs when it appears from planet Earth that Mercury has slowed down, stopped, and moved backwards.

Mercury doesn’t actually move backwards--this is just a function of the orbits of Mercury and Earth.

HOW TO USE MERCURY RETROGRADE

Mercury is the planet of communication, of the voice, of how we receive, process, and share information and wisdom.

So Mercury retrograde always highlights these themes for us, asking us to look at our challenges, blocks, and wounds around communication, the voice, and how we exchange with other people.

It’s a beautiful time for turning inward, slowing down, connecting with our intuition, and reflecting on our own process. Use the rituals below to help you make the most of this time!

TAROT OR ORACLE SPREAD FOR MERCURY RETROGRADE

Mercury Retrograde can be a time of incredibly deep listening--listening that we’re able to drop into because we’re slowing down, turning inward, and turning off the external “noise.” Cards, whether you prefer tarot or oracle cards, are a great tool to assist you with this. Use this simple tarot spread to help you understand how to use Mercury retrograde to deepen your understanding of yourself and your journey.

To ritualize drawing cards, you might like to take some time before getting started to light incense or burn other herbs, ground yourself (click here for suggestions on how to get grounded), and/or do a practice that helps you open your channels such as breathwork, a movement practice, or a visualization meditation.

When you feel ready, you can start pulling cards:

1. What inner work am I being invited into this Mercury Retrograde?

2. What in my life needs re-evaluating during this Mercury Retrograde?

3. How can I care for and give to myself during this phase?

4. Where is this Mercury Retrograde leading me?

SPELL BAG FOR CLEAR COMMUNICATION

Spell bags are one of my favorite ways to work with spells. They’re simple, effective, and you can work with the same bag for a while. My favorite kind of spell! Here’s what you’ll need to create a spell bag for clear communication:

• A small cloth bag

• Marshmallow, rosemary, or thyme herbs

• A drop or two of lavender, grapefruit, rosemary, or time essential oils (optional)

• The King of Swords tarot card (you can put the actual card in, or make a photocopy of it and put the photocopy in)

• Sodalite, lapis lazuli, blue topaz, and/or blue lace agate

• A relevant mantra, phrase, or sigil (learn how to create your own basic sigil here) on a piece of paper. Here are some suggestions, but feel free to use your own:

  • I express myself authentically and clearly

  • Sat nam, a Kundalini mantra meaning “truth is my identity”

  • Ham, the bija or seed mantra for the throat chakra

  • I always communicate clearly and my words are received as I intended them

As you place each item in your bag, visualize healing blue light flowing into your body, filling you up with this fresh energy of clear communication and truth-speaking.

Place your bag on your altar and leave it there for a full moon cycle!

RADICAL REST

In a culture that prioritizes the yang, the active, the solar--rest is radical. I recommend blocking off an evening, a weekend day, whatever time period you’re able to and creating an intentional, luxurious time of rest.

Here’s what that might look like:

• Take a bath with your favorite herbs, oils, crystals, and candles (click here for some herbal bath recipes to inspire you!)

• Wear your favorite clothes with soft, sensual fabrics and eat chocolate (or whatever other sweet treats you love--chocolate for me!)

• Bring a blanket to the park and nothing else (no phone, no book, no distractions) and just lay down and watch the clouds move, or the stars and moon if it’s nighttime.

• Turn off your phone, cancel your plans, and stay in to read inspiring books or watch a documentary.

• Turn radical rest into a ritual by bringing intentionality to it and creating a ritual space, whatever that means to you.

• That could mean lighting candles, having your crystals in a circle around you as you lay under the stars, meditating in the bath, or breathing deeply as you eat.

The options are endless! Give yourself full permission to rest in whatever way feels best to you.

Remember, Mercury Retrograde is here to help us. The things we associate with Mercury Retrograde, like communication breakdowns and technology glitches, can certainly happen. But the invitations we receive through that--turning inward, slowing down, acceptance, re-evaluation--can be beautiful if we choose to say yes and sit with our discomfort.

The Akashic Field

If you’re reading this blog, there’s a good chance that you’ve accessed the Akashic field already and didn’t even realize it. Read through the questions below to see if you have.

• Have you ever been somewhere for the first time and had a sense that you’ve been there before?

• Have you ever given a talk or presentation and felt like the words flowed through you from outside of yourself?

• Have you ever had a hunch about something that later came true?

• Have you lost your sense of self and time while working on a creative project?

• Have you had dreams or visions about yourself in a different life?

• Have you ever felt destined for a specific career or life path?

• Have you ever known the answer to something without knowing where the information came from?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you’ve likely accessed the Akashic field. Keep reading to learn what this field is and why you might want to access it more often!Card featured from The Ritual Deck.

Card featured from The Ritual Deck.

What is The Akashic Field

You may have heard the term “Akashic Records” and have an image in your mind of a big bright library with angels and spirits buzzing around. The true meaning of Akasha is bigger than anything our human minds can truly comprehend, including a sparkling library.

Akasha is a Sanskrit word that translates to ether. I know, you’re probably thinking, “great, what the heck is ether?”. Ether, or Akasha, encompasses all things and thoughts; past, present, and all future probabilities. It’s where the universe was born and where it resides still. I like to think of Akasha as the brain of the Universe or God.

Everything about your current life, past lives, and future life probabilities are stored in the Akashic field. Something as all-inclusive as this is difficult for our human brains to understand and that is why the term “records” is often used. I feel that the name “Akashic field” is more accurate because it is not something outside of us that we go and visit, it is something all around us and inside of us that we can tune into.

If you prefer the term Akashic records, that’s ok! I only explain the differences so you can have a more complete understanding of the Akashic field without limiting its scope.

Let’s recap. Here’s a short list of what the Akashic field is:

• Where every thought that was ever thought, word that was ever spoken, and action that was ever taken is stored.

• Information on past lives, present lives, and all future probabilities are stored.

• A frequency or vibration that can be tuned into to access.

• Accessible to anyone

Why Access The Akashic Field?

Ever feel paralyzed by not knowing how to move forward in your life? Wouldn’t it be nice to know that you were on the right path? Accessing the Akashic field can give you a sense of peace and inner knowing that you’re on a path that is in alignment with your highest potential.As I said before, the Akashic field has all future probabilities, not all future answers. That’s because you have full autonomy over your life. You always have options, and there is no “wrong” answer, just different learning experiences.For example, if you’re deciding between living a life of eating Hot Pockets on your couch and watching Netflix 24/7 or pursuing your passion for becoming a nurse (with occasional Hot Pockets and Netflixing), you’ll likely gain more from the latter. Not to say that the Hot Pocket and Netflix situation wouldn’t be a learning experience, but, you’ll probably be happier, and undoubtedly be of service in a more fulfilling way as a nurse. By accessing the field, you could have an inner knowing that being a nurse would give you a more fulfilling life. This is a pretty extreme example, but I think you get the idea!Here’s a list of other reasons why you might like to access the Akashic field.

• Learn from past life experiences.

• Heal traumas from past life experiences that may be affecting you during this life.

• Move through the world with more confidence and less doubt.

• Understand what you’re here to learn or overcome.

• Live life to your fullest potential.

• Strengthen your intuition.

• Connect with your higher self.

• Feel more connected to other humans.

This information is accessible to anyone, and it doesn’t require a special prayer or chant to do so. You can find more about how to access the Akashic Field here.

Using the Cardinal Directions in Ritual

The cardinal directions, North, South, East, and West, can help you with more than navigation. Each direction holds a meaning of its own and corresponds to one of the four elements. There are both simple and complex ways of using the cardinal directions in ritual.

A variety of cultures honor the cardinal directions. This article is looking at them from a Pagan and Wiccan perspective. The four directions are often used by Native Americans on the medicine wheel. Neither way is wrong or right, just different, and for different purposes.

Read on for meanings and three ways to start using the cardinal directions in your magickal practices.

Connection to the Four Elements

Each direction corresponds to one of the four elements; understanding these connections can help you better understand the energy of each direction.

• North corresponds to Earth

• East corresponds to Air

• South corresponds to Fire

• West corresponds to Water

A quick note about these correspondences. The elemental correspondences can vary depending on your location, cultural background, or intuition. Catherine Beyer explains this in her article The Five Element Symbols of Fire, Water, Air, Earth, and Spirit.

The Golden Dawn originated in England, and the directional/elemental correspondences reflect a European perspective. To the south are the warmer climates, and thus is associated with fire. The Atlantic Ocean lies to the west. The north is cold and formidable, a land of the earth but sometimes not a lot else.

If these correspondences don’t feel right to you, that’s ok! For example, if you live in the Southern Hemisphere, you may find that the correspondences feel off. You can reassign the elements in a way that feels natural to you or is in better alignment with your cultural background.

Direction meanings

Here’s a more in-depth look at some meanings and correspondences of each direction.

North

• Physical body

• Health

• Chakra: Root

• Element: Earth

• Color: Green

East

• New beginnings

• Change

• Transmission of information

• Chakra: Third Eye and Throat

• Element: Air

• Color: Yellow

South

• Hardships

• Challenges

• Willpower

• Chakra: Solar Plexus

• Element: Fire

• Color: Red

West

• Emotions

• Endings

• Self-worth

• Chakra: Heart and Sacral

• Element: Water

• Color: Blue

Three ways to use the cardinal directions in ritual

1. Add a layer of meaning to your ritual

The easiest way to start implementing the cardinal directions into your magickal practice is by facing the direction that makes the most sense for what you’re doing. This idea can be applied to oracle and tarot card readings, candle magick, ritual, spellwork, meditation, or working with the moon.

Here are a few examples:

• Face North if you’re doing a meditation focused on your health.

• Face East if you’re performing a card reading for the new moon because the new moon represents new beginnings.

• Face South if you’re asking your guides about how to overcome a problem.

• Face West if you’re doing a ritual to help you let go of something.

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2. Calling the quarters for protection

The next time you’re practicing a ritual or psychic work start by calling on the four directions, this is also referred to as “calling the quarters.” Calling the quarters will bring you protection and the energy of all of the elements during your practice. It’s also said to create a sacred space that is connected to the spirit realm.

There’s more than one way to call the quarters. A quick google search will offer you a variety of options, but here’s one way:

Imagine each direction as a wind that you’re invoking into your space. You can even imagine a specific Goddess or God for each direction. As you call in each direction, stand facing the direction you’re calling in and ask it to join you for your ritual practice. Many like to start by calling in the North winds first because it will keep your ritual grounded. Rotate in a circle, going through each direction, asking it to join you. When you’re done performing your ritual work, release the winds, and thank them for their assistance and protection.

3. Altar placement

Whether you’re creating a new altar or updating your current altar, the direction it’s facing will have an effect on it. Try to place your altar in a direction that matches the season of life you’re in or want to be in.

Has your altar or sacred space been in the same location for a long time? It might be a time to rearrange and face your altar in a direction that’s in better alignment with your life. Check the meanings for the directions above and note which one feels like where you’re at or want to be right now.

How to Create Oracle Card Spreads For Any Purpose

Wherever you’re seeking guidance, your oracle cards can help! Oracle cards are an intuitive tool that can help you gain daily wisdom or insights on significant life challenges. Though I’m partial to my oracle card deck, The Ritual Deck, you can apply this to any oracle card deck you’d like or, your favorite tarot cards.

Hint: Learn more about the difference between tarot and oracle cards here.

If you’re new to the world of oracle cards no need to be intimidated, you’re in the right place to learn how to perform oracle card readings for any issue.If you’re a seasoned oracle card reader, let’s breathe some new life into your card reading practice!

Bonus: Keep reading for links to download a free oracle card cheat sheet for love and a new moon.

Asking The Right Kinds of Questions

As is the case with most intuitive tools, oracle cards included, they will rarely give you a simple black and white answer. Your guides and higher self can help lead you but don’t expect definitive answers. Your life is your life, and you lead the way.

For example, if you’re trying to find a romantic partner. Instead of asking your cards, “When will I find love,” think about the different aspects involved with finding a partner and what you could focus on to manifest more love in your life.

Here are some possible questions to ask your oracle cards when looking for love:

Love 5-Card Spread

• How can I love myself more?

• What areas of my life should I focus on to find love?

• What should I look for in a partner?

• What is holding me back from receiving love?

• What is holding me back from finding a romantic partner?

Click here to receive a printable card layout for the 5-card love spread.

Sample Questions

Here are some open-ended sample questions that work well for oracle card readings.

• How can I invite more ____________ into my life?

• How can I overcome my fear of _____________ ?

• Am I going in the right direction with _____________ ?

• How can I let go of ____________ ?

• What should I focus on today?

• What should I focus on during this moon cycle?

• Where can I find more __________ in my life?

• What is blocking me from ____________ ?

• What is preventing me from manifesting ______________ ?

• In what ways am I holding myself back?

• How can I be in better alignment with my purpose?

How Many Cards Should I Pull?

You can pull one card or twenty cards. Your card readings can be as in-depth as you need them to be. It can be helpful to have an idea of what questions you’d like to ask before starting so you know about how many cards you’ll want to pull. That said, selecting multiple cards may lead to more questions! If more questions pop up, pull away, sister.

Designs & Cardinal Directions

Laying your cards out in a specific design isn’t necessary but can impart an added layer of meaning to your card reading. A simple design suggestion is to arrange your cards in an upward or downward-facing triangle. An upward- facing triangle will add masculine energy to your reading, and a downward-facing triangle will add feminine energy to your reading.

Click here to download the new moon card reading guide pictured above.

The four cardinal directions are another way to add meaning to your reading. Face yourself and your cards in a specific direction to add more meaning in this way. Here’s a quick description of how each direction can affect your reading.

• North: Issues related to the physical body

• East: Issues related to new beginnings

• South: Issues related to challenges or blocks

• West: Issues related to emotions

Let’s recap! Here are seven simple steps for creating oracle card spreads.

Steps to Perform an Oracle Card Reading

1. In what areas of your life are you seeking guidance? It’s always helpful to go into a reading with a plan. Without an idea of what you need guidance on your message may be unclear.

2. What question(s) could you ask that might shed light on this issue? Write them down beforehand to help stay on topic as you perform your reading.

3. Get quiet, breathe deep, and call on your guides and higher self to help you select cards.

4. Optional: Lay cards in a specific pattern that is meaningful to your topic.

5. Optional: Face a specific direction as you perform your card reading.

6. Pull your cards. Try not to judge the cards and what they might mean for you until you’re finished and can take in the entire reading.

7. Decipher your reading with an open mind using your intuition and any guidebooks for the deck(s) you’re using. Welcome nudges from your higher self and guides and be open to signs as you move about your day that may be related to your message.

What If My Message Didn’t Make Sense?

Didn’t receive the message you were hoping for or expecting? Before you doubt the cards, wait a few days, and look for signs. Often, you’ll find that the message you received was exactly what you needed and it will usually make itself apparent. If you wait a few days and the message is still unclear, try clearing your mind with a short meditation and asking your higher self or guides to make the message more clear and do another card pull.

I hope you feel empowered to perform meaningful card readings for yourself and others!

The Birthplace of Sacred Geometry // What is the Vesica Piscis?

The Vesica Piscis symbol is comprised of two overlapping circles that form an almond shape in the center, also called a “mandorla.” Though the coming together of these circles may look simple, and possibly remind you of fun times in middle school filling out Venn diagrams, its meaning is profoundly powerful.

Vesica Piscis translates to “bladder of the fish” in Latin, this not so flattering or mystical name was given to it due to its similar appearance to a fish bladder. The Italian phrase “mandorla,” or almond, refers to the shape created in the center.

Mathematically speaking, this simple shape is the starting place of very complex geometry. The circles have the same radius and intersect in such a way that the perimeter of each circle touches the center of the other. The almond shape created by the overlapping circles contains two equilateral triangles. For more on the mathematics of this shape, exciting as it may be, you’ll need to do your own research! From here on out I’ll be focusing on the significance, meaning, and uses of this sacred symbol.

Let’s dig into the significance of this symbol and even more important, how you can put it to use in your spiritual practice.

Where did it come from?

The Vesica Piscis was formed first in nature, but when it was first identified by humans as a significant shape is still up for debate. Beyond nature, this shape can be found in paintings of Christ and Buddha, modern-day logos like Coco Chanel, crop circles, and ancient and contemporary architecture. It is also the starting place of the Seed of Life and the Flower of Life. If you missed my blog on these two basic sacred geometry symbols, you could learn more about them here.

Like most sacred geometry, there’s a lot of speculation about the origin(s) and meaning(s) of the Vesica Piscis. Because this symbol is found in so many places, it’s hard to pinpoint where it originated. Many, myself included, believe this simple symbol found all throughout history and nature has a divine source.

What does it mean?

Because the Vesica Piscis symbol shows up so often in nature and human history there are varying meanings associated with it. One thing most people can agree on is that it is a significant symbol.

Some view the Vesica Piscis as a Christian symbol due to its similarities to the “Jesus fish.” It also mimics the shape of the female vagina and is therefore viewed as a symbol of femininity, birth, and sexuality.

From a spiritual viewpoint, if we recognize the circle on its own as Source Energy (God or Goddess, whichever you prefer), the Vesica Piscis represents creation or the “womb of The Universe.” Think of a single circle as a Source of Energy, adding a second circle represents the spark of creation when the universe is born. This idea is enforced by its similarities to the shape of the vagina, the starting place of birth on a human level. It is enforced again by the fact that it is the starting place of most sacred geometry.

This is why for many, the Vesica Piscis symbol is considered very sacred. On a spiritual level, it represents creation, birth, and the joining of spiritual and physical. Take this a step further, and without the Vesica Piscis, sacred geometry would not exist, and we would not exist.

How can you use this symbol?

Here are a few ways to bring this cosmic symbol into your practice and honor its sacred meaning.

Represent Goddess Energy

The almond shape of the Vesica Piscis mirrors the form of the female yoni. If you’re trying to call in more feminine energy or connect to Goddess energy place an image of or create the shape of the Vesica Piscis on your altar. Placing this symbol in an area you use often can uplift the space and bring in more feminine energy. Try enhancing the shape by adorning your space with other symbols and objects that represent femininity like a cowrie shell, carnelian, rose quartz, or roses.

Crystal Grid for Manifesting & Birth

Fortunately, the Vesica Piscis is a simple shape that lends itself to easy crystal gridding! Due to its simplicity, you may not need a diagram, but if you’d like one try drawing the shape or printing one online. I used a Seed of Life grid and formed the grid on one of the Vesica Piscis shapes within it, shown in the image below. Otherwise, arrange your crystals in an almond shape and add any crystal embellishments you desire.

Crystal grids that focus on new beginnings, birthing new projects, physical birth, or manifesting new things into existence are ideal, but not limited to, for the Vesica Piscis. Here’s a list of stones you could use for grids of this nature. Use the ones that best suit your needs and feel free to add more of your own!

• Citrine for manifesting

• Amethyst for connecting to Source Energy

• Pyrite or tiger eye for luck

• Green aventurine for abundance

• Carnelian for femininity and physical birth

• Clear quartz for amplifying

Connecting with Source Energy

Many believe that the two circles in the Vesica Piscis represent the physical world and the spiritual world, thus creating a portal from one to the other when they overlap to form the Vesica Piscis. If you’re trying to connect to the energy of the spirit world to become more enlightened or to improve your intuition, try meditating on this symbol as you work.

I hope you feel more connected to this powerful symbol and sacred geometry as a whole! Learn more about sacred geometry and find tools to create your own crystal grids in The Goddess Discovery Book.

Four Abundance Rituals

Do you want to call in more abundance? You’re in the right place! Abundance can come in so many forms and means many different things to different people. Abundance could be time, money, freedom, or anything else that makes you personally feel abundant!

In this blog post, I’ll be sharing four rituals to help you connect with the abundance that’s always available to you. Keep scrolling to read them!

ABUNDANCE CRYSTAL GRID

Crystal grids are a beautiful tool for manifesting more abundance in your life! The ideal time to set up your abundance grid is at the new moon, and you can leave it up until the full moon.

Start by gathering your stones and cleansing them. Your abundance besties in the crystal kingdom are aventurine, citrine, quartz, moss agate, tiger eye, and kyanite! Try one of each stone, although if you have more than one, that’s great, too.

You’ll place your citrine stone in the center and arrange your other stones radiating out around the citrine in a way that feels good to use. Use the crystal grid in the Goddess Discovery Book or place your stones on a cloth or table.

As you place each stone, keep an image in your mind’s eye of what you’re trying to attract. Ask yourself how you’ll feel when you receive the abundance you’re requesting.

After all your stones are in place, trace your crystals with a pointed quartz. Imagine the quartz connecting your crystals and unifying their energy. Try to connect with your grid daily until the full moon!

ABUNDANCE SPELL BAG

Spell bags, known in Voodoo as “gris-gris,” or to Native Americans as “medicine bags,” are one of my favorite ways to make magick. The waxing moon is the best time to do any abundance spell work, so try to do each of these rituals then if you can!Here’s what you’ll need to make a spell bag for abundance:

• Basil or a sprinkle of cinnamon

• 10 of Pentacles tarot card (or a copy of this tarot card if you don’t want to put the actual card in the bag!)

• A knob of ginger

• Honey calcite, pyrite, citrine, or green aventurine

• Anything else that represents abundance to you. For example, if you work for yourself you might include a printout of an email where a client booked a session with you.

Spend some time with your spell bag to infuse your energy into it. Hold it in your hands as you meditate on abundance, and breathe into it before you pull it closed!

ABUNDANCE CANDLE MAGICK

You can work with the magic of fire to help you call more abundance into your life! If you’ve never done candle magick before, read this blog to learn how to get started.For this spell, you’ll need:

• Green candle

• Carving tool like a sharp point crystal, toothpick, or athame.

• Tiger eye, citrine, and green aventurine

• Patchouli or frankincense oil

• Coins or money

Start by cleansing all of your items for the spell. This can be done by wafting herbal smoke over them or visualizing white light cleansing them.

For this spell, you’ll be carving the Fehu Rune into your candle. Fehu is a powerful symbol of abundance. If you’d prefer to carve a specific dollar amount or item you’re hoping to attain you could carve this into the candle too.

Anoint your candle with the oil of your choice. As you carve and anoint your candle, visualize your abundance goal.

Arrange your crystals, money, and candle in a place where you can leave it up for a few nights. Light your candle and meditate on the flame. Visualize your abundance goal clearly, imagine yourself reaching your goal and what it would feel like to attain it.

You can continue this until the entire candle burns or snuff out the candle and continue the same ritual each night until the candle has burned completely.

Bonus! You can get this spell as a free printable spell card (along with spells for love, letting go, and connecting with your intuition) here.

ABUNDANCE TAROT or ORACLE CARD SPREAD

Turn to tarot or oracle to understand your blocks to abundance and what you can do to connect to more abundance. You can create a ritual space by grounding yourself first, lighting candles, burning herbs or incense, or doing anything else that feels right to you.

Cards from the Journey Tarot Kit

When you feel grounded and centered, shuffle your cards while holding the intention to connect with the wisdom of your highest self. Draw cards for each of the following questions:

• What belief system or patterns blocks me from the abundance I desire?

• How to release this belief system or pattern

• How to open myself up to greater abundance

• My mantra for calling in abundance

Spend some time journaling with your cards and meditating on your mantra card. If you’d like, you can place your mantra card on your altar!

How to Tap Into Your Resiliency (And Why You Should)

Resiliency is about your comeback rate.

It’s not about never getting knocked down, or dropping into fear, or letting your ego drive the car. It’s about how fast you can come back: to joy, to love, to trust, to who you really are.

Because we’re all humans, and life can be really messy. Sometimes things happen to us, sometimes we hurt people, and sometimes we forget our divine nature.

That’s where resiliency comes in. Resiliency is here to bring you back to trust when bad situations happen, to bring you back to love when fear starts to take over—even stronger and wiser than before, with an even deeper and more meaningful connection with yourself.

You may have heard before that you can only go into joy and pleasure as deep as you’ve gone into your pain. This is a necessary part of living and an important part of your spiritual practice. But that doesn’t mean you have to or even can live there.

Think of the moment you connect with your resiliency and come back to joy as the Temperance card in the tarot. You’ve been through death, but you’ve come through it into the magic of rebirth, of stillness, of calm. There are still more challenges ahead (the Devil card is next) but you can know that and still be in a place of Temperance.

Scroll down to get some tips to help you tap into your own resiliency and strengthen that connection.

Lean on your community.

You don’t have to do it alone. Who are the people you trust to tell it like it is, lifts you up, and not judge you? Whether it’s your mom, a close friend, or your sister, don’t be afraid to call on that person or those people to help you when you need it.

Look for the lesson or greater meaning.

You don’t have to believe that everything happens for a reason. But look for the greater meaning or lesson in whatever it is you’re going through— and if you can’t see it yourself, ask your community to help you find it.

I find that the tarot is an incredible tool for this. Each card of the Major Arcana is a step on the journey to the World, a card of wholeness and joy.

Try laying out each of the Major Arcana cards in front of you and asking yourself which card you’re in.

Are you dealing with a shedding of your former self, of parts of your life? Maybe you’re in Death.

Are past hurts keeping you in fear? Maybe you’re in the Fool reversed.

Each card can help you realize which lesson you’re learning right now. Once you pick your card, look at its place in the journey. See the greater context of where you’re heading—to the vibrant energy of the Sun, to the wild juicy feminine of the Moon, to the wholeness of the World.

Why do you do what you do in the world?

Whatever your greater purpose is, connect with that and remember that you are on this planet for a reason. You are here to bring forth what only you can bring forth, and the world needs.

So rest, feel your feelings, go through what you’re going through, and know that ultimately you will get through it because you are here to fulfill your greater purpose.

Connect with your intuition.

Is this ever not the answer? Connecting with your intuition can help you see the greater meaning in what you’re going through. It can help you know when you need to reach out for support and who to reach out to. It can help you know the best path to take forward.

If you’re feeling blocked, one simple thing you might like to do is ask your oracle or tarot cards, “What message does my intuition have for me right now?”

Get more tips to connect with your intuition in this post.

Find what makes you feel good.

When you feel stressed, upset, or you’re going through a difficult time, what are some simple things that help you feel better? Think about what they are for you (use the list below to spark your creativity) and write them down on a piece of paper that you can return to when things aren’t easy. Some ideas are:

• Dancing

• Doing yoga

• Rubbing your feet with oils

• FaceTiming that friend or family member who always knows what to say

• Reading your favorite book

• Spending more time alone

• Spending more time with people you care about

• Taking a walk

• Playing a singing bowl

• Listening to an inspiring podcast

• Eating your favorite meal

• Being held

• Drinking a cup of tea

• Receiving energy healing

• Meditating

• Journaling

This is going to be super unique for everyone, so think about what it is for you!

Move your body.

You’ve probably heard a yoga teacher talk about how what you do on your mat is a mirror for life: what you do when it gets hard, how you talk to yourself, how you move through transitions.

It turns out, even science knows that’s true. The researchers who wrote the book Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life's Greatest Challenges actually found that the most resilient people in their studies had exercised regularly.

It turns out, that the stress of exercise helps us adapt to the stress of life challenges. So however you like to move, whether it’s yoga, running, weightlifting, dancing, jumping rope, or something else, try to make it a regular part of your life. It will actually help you be more resilient!

10 Ways to Increase Your Shakti Energy

How is a society that’s stuck in the patriarchy able to find balance? The answer lies in you. The answer lies in one person at a time increasing their Shakti energy.

I’m sure you’ve heard the term “Shakti” before but do you know how to tap into this creative life force that is the personification of feminine energy? I’m going to share what this term means with you, but more importantly, how you can increase your own Shakti to help our world find balance. First, let’s dive a little deeper into what and who Shakti is.

What is Shakti

Shakti is life, death, rebirth, destruction, and creation. Shakti energy is the divine feminine force coursing through the cosmos and all aspects of our reality. She is the ultimate Goddess and the creative energy behind all Goddesses. Even though Shakti is a divine feminine force, it is present in all life forms, male and female, though it may be repressed in some. The balancing force to Shakti is Shiva or masculine energy.

Who is Shakti

Shakti is referred to as the “Mother Goddess” in Hinduism. She is the Goddess that guides all other Goddesses. Shakti is represented in the Hindu Goddesses Durga, Parvati, and Kali. Each Goddess utilizes Shakti energy differently and can be called upon for different purposes.

Kundalini Shakti

If you’re familiar with Kundalini energy, then you have probably heard the term Shakti used here as well. Kundalini Shakti refers to the idea that every being has Shakti energy coiled up at the base of their spine, waiting to be awakened. You may have already had a Kundalini awakening and not even known about it! That’s another blog post for a different day though!

Here are ten simple ways to increase your Shakti. Warning! Shakti energy is INTENSE. Be mindful of this as you practice the following suggestions. Build in some time to ground yourself after practicing any of these exercises and if it feels like too much, take a break for a few days.

10 Ways to Increase Your Shakti Energy

1. Activate your sacral chakra

Your sacral chakra is your hub of creativity and feminine energy. This chakra is located below your belly button and above your pubic bone. Imagine it glowing orange with each inhale and exhale to awaken it. Learn more about activating your sacral chakra in this blog post.

2. Tap into the water element

The water element represents femininity, so it’s the element to focus on to increase your Shakti energy. Let the water element wash over you, literally, by taking a soothing bath. Learn more about yoga poses for the water element here and ways to represent the water element here.

3. Meditate, meditate, meditate

Meditation in and of itself will help increase your Shakti energy (check out guided meditations here) but here’s a technique to give it an extra boost. Visualize your Shakti energy coiled up like a snake at the base of your spine. With each breath visualize this snake-like energy uncoiling and traveling through each chakra, lighting it up and cleansing it along its path. Continue until you reach the crown chakra. This meditation can be very intense and energizing, allow ample time to calm and ground yourself afterward.

4. Call on Kali, Durga, or Parvati

Remember the three Hindu Goddesses I mentioned above? Kali, Durga, and Parvati represent Shakti in Hinduism, calling on any of them can bring some extra Shakti into your life. Each Goddess will bring a different kind of energy. Parvati is a Goddess of love, Durga is a warrior Goddess, and Kali is the destroyer who ultimately brings balance. Learn more about connecting with Kali here. Goddess cards are from The Goddess Oracle.

Goddess cards are from The Goddess Oracle.

5. Follow the Moon

The moon has long been associated with divine Goddess energy due to its correlation with our menstrual cycles and the Triple Goddess. Try charting your cycle or journaling with the moon to connect to this moon energy. Learn more about the Triple Goddess symbol here and more about rituals for every moon phase here.

6. Grab some moonstone

Moonstone carries the energy of the moon and can serve as a potent reminder of her Goddess energy. Wear it, carry it with you, or place some moonstone on your altar as a glowing reminder of the moon and Shakti energy.

7. Get in touch with your shadow side

The imbalance of Shakti in our society is a direct reflection of our own imbalances. We so often focus only on our light, while directly under the surface our shadow side is seething. Take time to explore your light and dark to find balance within yourself. Learn more about shadow work here.

8. Practice the Shakti mudra

Guess what? There’s a mudra dedicated to Shakti! Try using this mudra during meditation or your yoga practice to increase your Shakti. Breathe deeply and focus on Shakti rising from the base of your spine.

9. Yoga asana practice

Let’s jump straight to the obvious here, Goddess pose. Remember when I said Kundalini aka Shakti energy is coiled at the base of your spine? Any pose that helps activate the base of your spine can help get your Shakti flowing, and Goddess pose certainly does this! Try to work different variations of this pose into your yoga practice or any postures that activate the sacral and root chakra.

10. Breathe Deep

Prana, your breath or life force, is Shakti. Any focused breathing can help increase your prana and therefore your Shakti energy. If you’re not familiar with any pranayama techniques, start with a three-part breath. Inhale, filling your lower belly with air first, then your middle section, and last your chest. Exhale in the reverse order. Practice this three-part breath 5-10 times and notice how you feel after you’re done. If you’re familiar with different pranayama techniques, try adding one into your practice daily. You can learn more about breathwork here.

You might find that you’re already practicing some of these things regularly. If you’re not, don’t stress! No need to start implementing all of them right away, in fact, I wouldn’t recommend it. Start small and start with the tips that sound most appealing to you. Learn more about your chakras system, the moon phases, and more in The Goddess Discovery Book.

When’s The Best Day For Your Ritual? // Days of The Week & Magick

You know all about the moon phases and the best phases for specific rituals and spells (if you don’t learn more here) but did you know that the days of the week also play a part in the energy of your rituals? Each day of the week has an energy of its own that will affect any rituals or spellwork you’re doing.

Of course, it can be easy to become overwhelmed with all of these magickal “rules” but rest assured your spellwork won’t be ruined if you miss the perfect day. Think of using the energy of the days of the week as an added layer of energy. Just like a specific stone won’t make or break your ritual, the day of the week won’t either, but it can help push your intentions in the direction you desire most.

Each day of the week carries the energy of a planet, an element, and masculine or feminine energy. These factors give each weekday its magickal energy. Here’s a rundown of the energy each day of the week carries.

Want to adorn your space with a beautiful reminder of the energy of each day of the week? Click here to receive the printable featured below! 

Sunday

• Planet: Sun

• Element: Fire

• Energy: Masculine

• Key Words: Growth, personal power, goals

Get excited! Sunday is your day to plan big and expect to conquer all of your goals. This is the perfect day to set the wheels in motion for anything you’d like to accomplish in the week ahead. Set up your special altar, start your candle spell, or place your crystal grid on Sunday to get the energy of your intentions set in the right direction.

Monday

• Planet: Moon

• Element: Water

• Energy: Feminine

• Key Words: Intuitive work, increased psychic abilities, emotion

Want to hone your intuitive abilities or connect with spirit on a deeper level? Monday is your day. If you’re planning to do a ritual with the moon, try to implement it on a Monday for an extra boost of moon vibes. Save your special oracle or tarot card readings for Monday to connect with the special intuitive energy it brings.

Tuesday

• Planet: Mars

• Element: Fire

• Energy: Masculine

• Key Words: Strength, courage, leadership

Invoke your inner warrior on Tuesday because this day is all about fire and intensity. Feeling stuck or need some inspiration? Try a ritual or spell to light your internal fire on this day. Maybe you just need an extra boost of energy, try lighting an orange candle on a Tuesday. The strong fire energy of the day can help give you the boost you need.

Wednesday

• Planet: Mercury

• Element: Air

• Energy: Masculine

• Key Words: Creativity, change, communication

This is your day to express yourself. Let your words, needs, and desires flow freely from you. Have you been holding back with someone, not letting them know how you really feel? Try to schedule your hardest convos on Wednesdays. Have a spell or ritual based around making a big change that requires you to speak up? Wednesday is your day.

Thursday

• Planet: Jupiter

• Element: Earth

• Energy: Masculine

• Key Words: Abundance, wealth, success

Smile, Thursdays are all about happiness and harvesting your desires. Save all of your abundance rituals for this day to take advantage of Thursday vibes. Whether it’s money, a new house, or an abundance of friends you’re looking for if you’re looking to multiply something in your life this is the day you’ll want to plan your magick work for.

Friday

• Planet: Venus

• Element: Water

• Energy: Feminine

• Key Words: Love, romance, fertility

Friday is the perfect time to slow down and offer some love to yourself or another. Try drawing a luxurious bath for yourself and lighting a pink candle to invite more love into your life. If you desire to have a baby, Fridays are the ideal time to set an intention to be open to new life dwelling within you.

Saturday

• Planet: Saturn

• Element: Earth and Fire

• Energy: Feminine

• Key Words: Protection, cleansing, endings

Saturdays are the ideal time to cleanse your space. Invoke both the Earth and the Fire element by burning herbs to cleanse yourself or your home. If you intend to perform a ritual for protection Saturday is the ideal time to do this. Any kind of cord-cutting or detachment ritual could be performed at this time too.

Again, don’t stress too much over the day you perform your rituals. It’s certainly better to devote some quiet reflection time to ritual any day rather than not at all! Your timing will sync up perfectly at times, sometimes it won’t, and that’s OK. Perhaps you’ll even be inspired by this list to plan some rituals for specific days.

4 Ways to Honor the Winter Solstice

The winter solstice marks the longest night of the year, and so we traditionally associate it with darkness.

But it’s also the beginning of the waxing phase of the year, as the days start to get longer and nights start to get shorter. We are reminded that light always follows dark. The balance begins to shift, the wheel of the year turns back again.

This sabbat, also known as Yule, is a time for us to connect with our darkness and alchemize it into lessons, into medicine, for the year to come.

Below are some ways to honor this sacred holiday.

Journaling prompts

Create a quiet, safe space (candles are recommended!) and let yourself free write to the questions below with no editing. No one’s going to read your answers but you!

• Write a love letter to your darkness.

• What am I most ashamed of? How can I transmute this shame into a source of power and love?

• What part of me do I want to feed and grow?

Tarot or oracle spread

Pull out your tarot or oracle deck and set the intention for your highest self tospeak to you through the cards. Give them a shuffle, and pull a card for each of the questions below. I recommend writing down the spread and the cards you pull, as well as your interpretations of them.

• What shadow wants to work with me?

• How does it want to be worked with?

• Advice for moving through shadow

• What wants to be born from my darkness?

• Advice for birthing whatever needs to come through

• Message from my inner child at this time

Lay out the cards in two rows of three like so. The deck featured here is The Ritual Deck.

Create an altar

Creating an altar is a beautiful way to honor any sabbat. Let this be an intuitive, creative process and place anything there that feels good to you! Some ideas to spark your creativity are:

• Your Death and Temperance tarot cards

• A Yule log or branch

• Holly or mistletoe

• An evergreen wreath to symbolize the wheel of the year

• Any red, green, or white crystals that you’d like (I love carnelian for red, selenite for white, and moss agate or malachite for green)

• Ash, frankincense, and any other sun herbs you like

• Pine cones

• White and silver candles

• A representation of something in your shadow that you’d like to honor and alchemize this year

Painting

One of my favorite ways to work with my subconscious these days is intuitive painting. Get out your paints, paper, and allow whatever wants to come through you as you focus on the winter solstice and what it means to you. Try not to focus on how it looks— no one needs to see it but you!

After you finish, you could place it on your altar.

Below is an infographic with a visual representation of rituals for Yule

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A post shared by Cassie Uhl (@cassieuhl)

Want to learn more about the different sabbats on the wheel of the year? Click here to learn more about the wheel of the year and download your free wheel of the year printable.

What crystals, symbols, and scents do you need most?

It can be overwhelming to know what crystals, symbols, scents, and other tools to rely on for different purposes. Here’s a quick guide for a variety of situations you may be seeking support for or, perhaps, you have a friend who needs support in a specific area?

Happiness

Who doesn’t want to be happier? Scroll through the tools below for symbols, crystals, scents, and herbs that can help you cultivate more happiness in your life.

Symbols & tools

Wunjo Rune is the rune of joy, pleasure, and harmony. Get The Ritual Deck to get your Wunjo Rune oracle card, a great reminder of joy to place on your altar or carry with you throughout the day.

Crystals

Citrine, a crystal of happiness, emits positive energy and can help you stay positive, attract your desires, and be more present in your life. That’s where the joy really comes from after all, right?

Scents & herbs

Brahmi, an ancient Ayurvedic herb, can help promote feelings of well-being. Try burning it in the morning as you do a gratitude meditation.

Grounding & Protection

There are so many reasons grounding and protection are important. For those of us who do energy work and psychic work, grounding can help us bring our energy back into our body, back into the lower chakras. Protection can help protect you from absorbing the energy of others, either in spiritual work or just in general as you go about your life (especially for anyone who lives in the city!).

Regardless of your work with magick, grounding and protection help bring you back into your body, feeling safe, supported, and cared for.

Get more tips for psychic protection here.

Symbols & tools

There are many symbols of grounding and protection in the magical world. Some of my favorites are:

• Algiz Rune, the shield rune for protection

• Salt, a tool that has been used as protection for centuries

• Root chakra, your energetic center of safety and grounding

• Dark moon, an invitation to ground into your body and shed negative energy

The Ritual Deck includes representations of each of these symbols, which can act as energetic stand-ins in rituals or on your altar.

Crystals

Use snowflake obsidian, a stone of cleansing negative energy and releasing blockages, or smoky quartz, the ultimate stone for grounding and balancing.

Scents & herbs

Clove is your go-to for protection. Spruce will help you ground, bringing you deeply into the present moment.

Anxiety Relief & Peace

Many of us struggle with anxiety in the modern world. It’s so easy to get caught up in what has happened and what might happen or could happen. The tools below help you relieve anxiety and connect with a sense of inner peace.

Symbols & tools

Blue is a soothing color that can help restore tranquility and peace. Try lighting a blue candle or working with the blue candle card in The Ritual Deck.

Crystals

The crystal kingdom has an abundance of stones to help soothe your anxiety and restore your inner peace. We love blue lace agate for its calming vibrations, labradorite to keep you from absorbing too much of other people’s energy, and howlite to help relieve stress and get better sleep.

Scents & herbs

Lavender can be used as aromatherapy to soothe mild anxiety, and chamomile has long been used to reduce stress and anxiety.

Abundance & Wealth

Who doesn’t want to call in more abundance and wealth? The tools below will help you connect with the abundance you desire to manifest in your physical reality.

Symbols & tools

The color green is associated with abundance, wealth, good fortune, and success. Light a green candle on your altar or work with the green candle card in The Ritual Deck.Fehu Rune is your Rune for bringing abundance of all kinds into your life, whether it be financial or other. Fehu can also be used as a useful tool to tap into the abundance already surrounding you. If you’re having a difficult time tapping into gratitude for all of the gifts you already have, Fehu can help fill your heart with gratitude. Check out a ritual to work with Fehu in this blog.

Crystals

Citrine is also known as the success stone. It’s associated with the solar plexus chakra and can be a powerful aid in manifesting wealth and abundance.Green aventurine is another stone well-known for attracting abundance, success, and luck. It’s also associated with the heart chakra, helping you to open to receive the abundance that is on its way to you.

Scents & herbs

Cinnamon has its roots in many cultures as a powerful plant for attracting abundance as well as success and healing. Try adding it to your coffee, blending it in your smoothie, and sprinkling it over a banana or your favorite dessert!

Love & Compassion

Turn to these tools when your heart chakra needs some healing. They’ll help you cultivate unconditional love and compassion for yourself and others. Find rituals to cultivate self-love here.

Symbols & tools

Use a pink candle when you’re working with self-love and compassion, or a red candle when you’re working with passionate love involving someone else.

Crystals

Rose quartz is your crystal ally for unconditional love and compassion. It’s a gentle healer for your heart chakra, a space where we can store so much fear and doubt.Carnelian is another beautiful stone of love, as well as faith and devotion. Use carnelian when you want to devote yourself to a healing practice or when you need to deepen your faith and trust in yourself.

Scents & herbs

There are many scents and herbs that help promote love and compassion! Try hawthorn, rose petals, lotus petals, or motherwort. Mixing a few herbs together into a tea or a bath can be lovely.

Cleansing Negative Energy

Sometimes, we’re not able to protect ourselves from negative energy. Life is life, and negative energy is sometimes inevitable. Use the tools below to cleanse yourself and your space of negative energy, especially after a difficult conversation, a break-up, or a stressful day.

Symbols & tools

Salt is an amazing natural tool to absorb negative energy. Use a representation of salt from The Ritual Deck, take a salt bath, use a salt lamp, or place a bowl of salt in your space.

Crystals

Black tourmaline, a dark stone for protecting and cleansing, is your go-to for cleansing negative energy. Try meditating with black tourmaline, visualizing all of the negative energy being absorbed into the stone.All-purpose quartz, the ultimate balancer, is another great crystal to have on hand for cleansing negative energy. Learn more about the magical properties and benefits of clear quartz here. Labradorite is also available to help you cleanse your aura. If your aura is weak, has tears, or holes in it labradorite can help. Keep your aura squeaky clean by meditating with a piece of labradorite or going around your entire body with a piece of it in your hand.

Scents & herbs

Rosemary and cedar can all help you cleanse negative energy. Burn them over yourself or in your space to cleanse, purify, and release.

Intuition & Psychic Abilities

These tools will help you open your third eye chakra, to connect with your psychic abilities and center of intuition. (We have a whole slew of blog posts to help you in these areas as well -- check out 5 Quick Tips to Improve Your Intuition,You Are Psychic! How to Determine What Psychic Gift You Have, and 3 Daily Actions to Improve your Intuition to get started.)

Symbols & tools

Your third eye chakra is the center of your intuition. It’s associated with the color purple, so try burning purple candles or connecting with the color in other ways like wearing it or including it in your space.

Crystals

Amethyst is a classic stone for your third eye chakra. It’s like a cool bath for your intuitive center, gently opening and awakening it to deepen your connection.Labradorite connects strongly to your third eye, making it ideal for honing your intuitive abilities. It can also help you connect with spirit guides and angels, and open the doors to the other side by helping you with astral travel. A multi-purpose stone for your intuition and psychic abilities, indeed!

Scents & herbs

Experiment with mugwort, lavender, juniper, and bilberry to open your center of intuition.

Connecting to the Moon

Symbols & tools

Work with representations of the moon in all her phases to connect with the lunar, divine feminine energy of the moon. The Triple Goddess is also here to connect you with the moon and its cycles, as well as the mother/maiden/crone cycle of life. Download your Triple Goddess free printable here.

Crystals

Moonstone, just like the name implies, is your crystal ally for connecting with the moon. It’s a dreamy goddess stone that channels the energy of mama moon into your energy field.Selenite received its name from the Greek goddess of the moon, Selene. Selenite offers the water element, connecting you to emotions, intuition, your highest self, and of course, the moon.

Scents & herbs

Mugwort is your go-to to harness the intuitive and psychic power of the moon. Burn it in your space to connect with the moon’s energy and your own inner Selene.

Femininity

Symbols & tools

The Earth element, represented as an upside-down triangle with a line across the bottom, and the Water element, represented as an upside-down triangle with no line, are both beautiful representations of the divine feminine, womb healing, and receiving. Work with the representations of these elements in The Ritual Deck.

The triple goddess symbol that I mentioned above, shown by two crescent moons with one full moon between them, is another beautiful symbol of the divine feminine. Besides the phases of the moon, it also represents the phases of womanhood we cycle through: maiden, mother, and crone.

Crystals

Rainbow moonstone is here to connect you to your inner goddess and divine feminine energy.

Strawberry quartz can also connect you to feminine energy as a gentle, loving stone here to fill you with the healing energy of love and open your heart center to give and receive love unconditionally.

Scents & herbs

Hibiscus, the flower associated with the Hawaiian goddess Pele, connects you with Pele’s fiery, passionate, and yet nurturing energy.

The lotus, whose petals represent the yoni, can connect you with your feminine energy and feminine center, the space of creation within you.

I hope you find this guide helpful for quickly finding tools to help you!

5 Powerful Rune Meanings & Rituals

Runes are symbols that each carry unique universal energy. These special symbols were used by Nordic and Germanic cultures in Northern Europe as forms of language, for religious purposes, and as tools of magick and divination.

Runes an extremely versatile spiritual tool. You can use Runes together as a set, like an oracle card deck, learn more about using Runes in this way here. You can also hone in on the energy of specific Runes for specific purposes, that’s what I’ll be covering here.

Most Rune sets are comprised of 24 Rune characters, though this can vary some depending on the set used. I’ll be referencing five of the most frequently used Elder Futhark Runes here.

The cards shown in the images and rituals are from The Ritual Deck®, an oracle card deck I created based around rituals.

The Runes I’ll discuss today are Algiz, Fehu, Berkano, Wunjo, and Tiwaz. Keep scrolling for ways to tap into the energy of each one.

Algiz for Protection

Think of Algiz as a spirit guide or connection to your Higher Self always watching over you. This Rune is not only a symbol of protection but goes much deeper and wants to offer you guidance on your journey. Tap into the power of this Rune anytime you’re feeling lost, scared, or like you need additional protection.

Algiz Ritual

Create an Algiz wall hanging to protect you and to remind you of your connection to your Higher Self. This activity is ideally performed on the night of the dark moon, but it can be done during any moon phase. You’ll need one long stick (this will be used as the center of the Algiz symbol, so any size you’d like will do), two shorter sticks that are the same size (about half the size of the longer stick), and string. Place the two shorter sticks in a “V” shape at the center of your longer stick. The wall hanging should look similar to the Algiz symbol on the card. Wrap your string or twine around the three areas where the sticks meet until they’re stable, and then tie a knot. You can hang this symbol on your wall or place it on your altar.

If you are interested in creating another wall hanging for protection, check out this past blog post.

Fehu for Abundance

Fehu is here to shower you with abundance! This is your Rune for bringing abundance of all kinds into your life, whether it be financial or other. Fehu can also be used as a useful tool to tap into the abundance already surrounding you. If you’re having a difficult time tapping into gratitude for all of the gifts you already have Fehu can help fill your heart with gratitude for all of the abundance you already have.

Fehu Ritual

During the next waxing crescent, or any growth phase of the moon, create a Fehu carved candle. You’ll need a green candle, a toothpick, and a lighter. Using the toothpick, carve the Fehu symbol into your candle. As you carve the symbol, imagine yourself being showered with wealth, provisions and blessings. If your well is already full, think about your gratitude for all of your blessings as you carve the candle. Light your candle and gaze at it for short while, inviting the energy of Fehu into your space. Extinguish your candle when you’re done. Light this candle as often as you’d like throughout the waxing moon phase until the full moon.

Berkano for Manifesting

Bring your gifts and goals to life with the help of Berkano. This Rune is all about birthing new things into the world, this could quite literally mean birthing a child into the world or a new project. Whatever it is you’re trying to bring to fruition, Berkano is here to help bring it to light.

Berkano Ritual

To connect with the energy of Berkano, create your own Berkano charm during the next full moon. You’ll need a medallion of wood or a small stone, and paint or a permanent marker. Visualize the goal or desire you’d like to fulfill as you draw or paint the Berkano symbol on your wood medallion or stone. Once you’re done, take a few quiet moments to visualize what you’ll feel like when your goal is manifested. Place your Berkano charm somewhere you’ll see it regularly, or carry it with you.If you would like to learn more about manifesting with runes, click here to read a past post.

Wunjo for Happiness

Need more reasons to smile? The Wunjo Rune is here to help you make the decision to live in joy. This is a great Rune to use if you’re feeling down or anxious because it will help you see the good in things around you even if you’re going through a hard time.

Wunjo Ritual

Create an altar or sacred space for Wunjo as a reminder to find the joy in each day. You might find that Wunjo’s jubilant energy starts to bring more optimism into your daily thinking. This is a great ritual to perform on the day or night of the full moon. Use the Wunjo card from The Ritual Deck® or draw it on a card to place on your altar. Collect objects that bring you joy, such as pictures of happy memories, joyful flowers, or trinkets that make you happy. Other items to consider are green aventurine and a yellow candle. Get creative and have fun with this! Your Wunjo altar should make you smile anytime you gaze at it. Keep this altar up for as long as you’d like and try to make contact with it daily for one complete moon cycle.

Tiwaz for Strength

If you’re going through a challenge with another person or have a difficult decision on the horizon, Tiwaz is here to help you through it. Consider this Rune the warrior Rune. The energy of Tiwaz wants to help you find truth and justice, which is not always easy. Rely on the strength of Tiwaz for help during disagreements, legal battles, or making difficult decisions.

Tiwaz Ritual

Create a Tiwaz candle for any disagreements, difficult decisions, or legal encounters you have coming up. If you need a fresh look at the situation a white candle will serve you well. If you need momentum to help you make a difficult decision a red candle will serve you well. During the next first quarter moon or any waxing moon phase, gather your candle, a toothpick, and a match or lighter. The addition of a sodalite stone will help for speaking your truth and a tiger eye stone for energizing your solar plexus chakra. Carve the Tiwaz symbol into your candle and light the candle. Invite the just energy of Tiwaz into your situation. Sit with the lit candle as long as you like, and once you’re finished extinguish the candle. Continue to sit with the candle daily until the moon grows full, you’ve reached a decision, or your issue is resolved.