6 Ways to Support Your Goddess Sisters

Our society has a long history of pitting women against each other. Of making us fear each other and compete with each other. Of creating division and separation between us.

But we can choose to end that cycle. It ends with us. It ends with us every time we choose to uplift, love, and hold the women-identifying humans in our lives.

Below are some ways to support the women in your life.

Hold space for them

Holding space isn’t just your regular conversation where we mostly just wait until it’s our turn to talk. There are a few important keys to holding space:

Give your full presence

Give your full presence with deep listening and eye contact. Your friends can tell when you’re not really there with them (and you can tell when your friends aren’t really there, too!). Put your phone to the side and really focus on what they’re saying.

Non-judgment

Offering non-judgment to others starts with doing your own work on not judging yourself. This may be part of your shadow work process—click here for 5 simple steps to help you get started with shadow work.

Asking questions without giving advice

Try not to give unsolicited advice. Asking helpful questions to deepen your friend’s understanding of her own situation is so much more helpful because it allows the answer to truly come from her—not you.

Facilitate their growth

Sometimes we get stuck in fear patterns. Sometimes we want to shrink out of our fullness, our magic, our bigness. When your sister is falling into her fear, wanting to shrink, help facilitate her growth. Help remind her of her magic. Don’t give her your permission to shrink.This is about being honest and constructive. This is about not always telling your friend what she wants to hear. They may not appreciate it at the moment, but they’ll likely appreciate your honesty in the long run.

Support their connection with their intuition

You give your community a beautiful gift when you support their connection with their intuition. Our society loves to make decisions based on logic alone, and looks down on things seen as “impractical.” But by validating your sister’s desire to listen to and make decisions based on intuition, you help shakti rise.

The Goddess Discovery Books are a great tool to use for improving your intuition and are even more fun to work through with a group of Goddesses!

Understand and respect their boundaries

Have a clear, open conversation with your sisters about their boundaries. What is an acceptable way to handle disagreements? What do they need from you to feel safe and supported in your friendship? What do you need from them to feel safe and supported in your friendship?

Strong boundaries can keep your relationships strong. Respecting each other’s boundaries can help set the expectation for strong boundaries in other, more difficult relationships as well.

Celebrate their successes

When they rise, you rise. It’s easy to feel threatened by the expansion of someone close to you but remember: it’s not a competition.The world is an abundant, infinite place and one woman having something you may want doesn’t mean you can’t have it, too. Celebrate their expansion, their growth, their wins.

Create community

Grow together. Meditate together, do moon rituals together, cast spells together, go to talks, or do courses together. Gather together and share wisdom. Gather together and connect with your intuition. Support each other by not allowing each other to stay stagnant.

Start out by implementing one of these tools each month to get used to doing it and add on from there. Before you know it your circle of supportive women will be flourishing!

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!

3 Goddesses to Call on for Samhain

Samhain pronounced So-win is considered the Wiccan New Year. It’s a powerful time of the year that is steeped in ritual and magick. During this special time, the veil between our physical world and the spirit world is the thinnest it will be all year. The thinning veil makes it the ideal time to practice magick and ritual of all kinds, it also makes it the ideal time to call in the energy of Goddesses associated with Samhain.

Most Goddesses associated with Samhain are considered dark Goddesses, they’ve been cast out, forgotten over the years, and sometimes unfairly associated with evil deeds. This “casting out” was often provoked by the patriarchy. The meaning and power behind these Goddesses have been twisted into something undesirable. Why? Because these dark Goddesses are extremely powerful women.

There are several Goddesses associated with Samhain but I’ll be focusing on three that I believe cover the greatest variety of needs. Today I’ll be sharing tips to invite the energy of Oya, Hecate, and Lilith into your Samhain rituals.

Keep reading for more information on each Goddess, what she can offer you, and techniques to invoke her energy. The cards shown here are from The Goddess Oracle by Amy Sophia Marashinsky, it’s my favorite Goddess Oracle because it contains several dark Goddesses. I recommend this deck for anyone wanting to become more acquainted with different Goddesses and their energy.

Oya for Transformation

If you’re looking to create an internal transformation this season Oya is your Goddess. Mighty Oya, a Yoruban Goddess, controls the rain, winds, and storms. She’s mothering, powerful, and has a strong desire to help women through their struggles to transform.

Oya represents the crone phase of the Triple Goddess and is closely associated with death and rebirth, another symbol of transformation. Sometimes parts of us must die or be let go of in order to transform into something greater. Allow Oya to blow her winds of change around your life to bring about something greater.

Tips for invoking Oya

• Wear wine or purple-colored clothing to honor and connect to Oya.

• Place purple flowers in your home or on your altar.

• Place a picture of Oya on your altar or somewhere you’ll see it regularly.

• The number 9 is Oya’s sacred number. Place an offering of 9 coins to Oya on your altar or in a sacred space.

• Meditate imagining the winds of change from Oya surrounding you daily until your transformation is complete.

• Light a purple and red candle for Oya. Purple for her and red to inspire action on your part.

Hecate for Magick

Hecate is considered the mother of all witches and of witchcraft. Her energy is ideal for Samhain because she is queen when it comes to performing spells, rituals, and magick of all kinds. Hecate is also the Goddess of the crossroads and is said to be connected to the physical world, the spirit world, and the underworld. Her connection to other realms makes her ideal for magick that concerns connecting with loved ones passed on.

If you’re planning to take advantage of this special time by performing magick or spiritual connections of your own, you’ll definitely want to call on the energy of Hecate to guide and protect you. Consider her the loving grandmother figure over your magick as you work. That said, Hecate is also extremely fair and just. She will give you exactly what you need and what is best for you, which may be different then what you have in mind!

Tips for invoking Hecate

• Hecate is represented by the waning moon or crone in the Triple Goddess symbol, so the ideal time to perform spells with her guidance is during a waning moon.

• Have an image of Hecate or the waning moon placed nearby you as you do your spellwork.

• Place a cauldron on your altar or wherever you perform magic work to represent Hecate’s magickal energy.

• Before beginning any magick or when trying to connect to the other side verbally call upon Hecate to guide and watch over you as you work.

• Represent the presence of Hecate with the number 3 or a depiction of a three-headed animal.

• Burn candles, especially black candles to represent her protection over you during spellwork.

Lilith for Unleashing Your Inner Wild Woman

Get in touch with our inner wild woman through Lilith. Often branded as an evil Goddess she did not start out this way. Lilith is a Goddess not afraid to be wild, sexual, or speak her truth which quickly puts her in the category of being “bad” and “evil.” Her name quickly became synonymous with Satan and cruel and deviant acts. Lilith was blamed for anything undesirable about women and became associated with any woman not willing to conform to her wifely duties, or desiring to live an alternative lifestyle.

Lilith is not bad or evil. Lilith is the voice inside of you telling you to act when you feel you’ve been treated unfairly by the patriarchy. She is the voice that says it’s not only ok but good to enjoy sex and your sensuality. She is the voice calling for all women to stand up and fight for our power. If Samhain has inspired you to get in touch with your inner wild woman Lilith is here to let it come roaring out. Tread lightly with invoking Lilith, her energy is very powerful!

Tips for Invoking Lilith

• Place a picture or Lilith on your altar or sacred space to remind you of your ability to take your power back.

• Place symbols or replications of snakes on your altar to honor Lilith.

• Meditate on the energy of Lilith filling your being before doing anything you find scary or intimidating.

• Light a red or orange candle to honor Lilith. Light an orange candle for more sensuality or red for power and passion.

• Write down ways in which you’ve been suppressed and burn them in Lilith’s honor.

• During a full moon allow yourself time and space to call on Lilith’s energy to perform a dance or sensual act to allow her powerful energy to flow through you.

I hope you take advantage of this special time to connect with these powerful Goddess. You can find more rituals for Samhain here and meditations for the Wheel of the Year here.

Yoga for the Dark Moon

I love the dark moon.

The dark moon is all about resting (think four of swords in the tarot), taking care of yourself, and shedding anything that still needs to be released this cycle.

The name of the game at the dark moon is soft, slow, and gentle. There’s no need to push yourself. What would make you feel good at this time? What would nurture your body, mind, and soul?

A yin yoga practice is so lovely at this time of the month. The practice below focuses on gentle opening and a little twisting to help you sink into your body and breath. You’ll want to hold each of the poses for 3-5 minutes and let yourself really relax into them.

Grab your own moon phase ritual cards including the dark moon card featured above by clicking here.

I invite you to use a mantra or affirmation that speaks to you during this practice: a simple and beautiful one is Soham, or “I am.” This affirmation brings you right into the present moment and allows you to be still with what is.

Get into something comfy, and grab your blocks, a blanket, a pillow, essential oils, and whatever else would make this practice really nourishing for you. Turn on your favorite yoga playlist, light some candles, and roll out your mat.

Cobbler’s pose

Sit up on a block or blanket, and bring the soles of your feet together. Bring your hands to your feet, and give yourself a little foot massage. Rub your feet, your ankles, your calves, and if you feel like getting wild you can make your way up to your neck and shoulders, too! If you’re using essential oils, you can incorporate them here. A simple warming sesame oil would also work.

Shoulder opener

Laying on your belly, stretch your left arm out to your side and roll onto your left cheek. Bring your right palm under your right shoulder and roll onto your left hip. You can stay here, or you might like to go a little deeper by bending your right leg and planting your right foot behind you, and wrapping your right arm around your back.

Stay here with your breath for 3-5 minutes. Then come back to center and repeat on your right side.

Half frog

On your belly, stretch your arms out to a T and roll onto your left cheek. Open your right knee out to your side, stretching it out even with your hip if you can. If your knee is sensitive, slide your blanket under it. Allow yourself to be supported in this pose, and remind yourself that it is safe to relax completely.

After 3-5 minutes, shift back to center and over to the other side.

Cat cow

As you breathe through each movement of flexing and rounding your spine, visualize your breath flowing up and down your spine all the way from your tailbone to the crown of your head. Make this dynamic pose your own by taking circles or figure eights with your hips, stretching through your side body, coming onto your fingertips to get deeper into your back, or coming back for a child’s pose. What is your body craving here? Let your breath take you there.

Child’s pose

Try bringing your big toes together and knees wide, and roll a blanket or place a pillow between your legs. Release your chest and forehead onto your makeshift bolster. If you need to, feel free to turn your head to one side. Just make sure you turn it to the other side after a few minutes!

Heart Bench

Set up your blocks at two different heights at the top of your mat: the low and medium setting, or the medium and high setting. The second block should be vertical (long like your mat) and the first block at the very top of your mat should be horizontal.

Lower your back onto your blocks, first setting the second block up to run along your spine and end under your shoulder blades. The first block will come to the base of your skull, supporting your head and neck.

Bring the soles of your feet together and knees wide, and both palms to your belly. Breathe deeply into your belly, noticing how it feels to really expand in this area where we so often try to shrink and contract.

Let your awareness melt away after a few moments, and completely relax into this pose.

Supine Twist

Hug your knees to your chest and guide both knees over to one side, stretching out your opposite arm and turning your head in that direction. If there is a gap between your knees, it could feel good to slide a block between them. After 3-5 minutes, switch to the other side.

In this twist, bring your awareness to anything you’d still like to shed or release this cycle. With each exhale, visualize it leaving your body, mind, and soul.

Savasana

Even if you’re tempted, don’t skip savasana! This is the most important part of any yoga practice, especially with the dark moon. Get cozy here with any combination of pillows and blankets that feels good to you. You might like to put a pillow under your head, a rolled blanket under your knees, or even take a grounding crone savasana on your belly with each shoulder resting on a block. Stay here for 5 minutes or longer, allowing yourself to really rest. If you have plenty of time, find a yoga Nidra meditation to play.

After you finish your practice, you might like to take out your journal and write about anything that came up for you here.