Why We Vigil & The Oak and Holly King
Vigil means to stay awake and keep watch in the dark. In a season dominated by darkness, the vigil invites presence. While often touted as a passive, restful season, being awake to what’s going on in the dark requires awareness; it’s also where you’ll find the richest compost.
As winter steals the sunlight, the land reacts by going silent, hibernating, and sometimes dying, reminding us to peel back hurried layers of mundane to-dos and sink deeper into the darkness. Vigil means to stay awake and keep watch in the dark. In a season dominated by darkness, the vigil invites presence. While often touted as a passive, restful season, being awake to what’s going on in the dark requires awareness; it’s also where you’ll find the richest compost.
With a candle in hand, do you see what’s ready to die within you this season, or are you prepared to sit with what’s dying in your family, community, or the world? In a primarily death-phobic society, the vigil asks us to honor the wisdom of death and dying.
A beautiful example of the need for balance in our understanding of birth and death comes through the story of the Oak King and the Holly King, two mythical land figures embodying dark and light. While no one knows the exact origins of the Oak and the Holly king, versions of their story can be found throughout Ireland, Wales, and England.
I’ll share my version of this story, adapted from several versions I’ve heard and read. I’ll also share more about vigils, their importance, and ways to reclaim this sacred practice of being awake in the face of death.
The Oak King and The Holly King
Long ago and still to this day, there were two brothers, the Oak King and the Holly King. These brothers ruled over the lands now called Ireland, Wales, and England. The Oak King brought light, warmth, growth, fertility, and abundance. He was sometimes called the green man of the forest. On the other hand, the Holly King brought darkness, cold, rest, decay, and death.
“The Oak King” and “The Holly King” by Anne Stokes
The brothers often battled, bringing light, darkness, warmth, and cold throughout the land. Over time, the people began to favor the Oak King and preferred the warm sunlight and the abundance he brought to the land and their crops. As favor grew for the Oak King, he became stronger with the help of the people, driving the Holly King farther and farther north.
Endless Summer
Eventually, the Oak King reigned throughout the land and brought what seemed like an endless summer. The people were delighted and relished the warmth and abundance of their crops. After a long time, however, they noticed their crops were not as bountiful, and the blooms of the flowers were not as bright as they once were. Not only was the land growing tired, but the people, too, were growing tired of constantly harvesting. Unsurprisingly, the Oak King himself was beginning to tire as well.
Tucked far away to the north, the Holly King noticed that his brother and the people were growing tired. He knew it was time to make his return. After over a year, on the day of the year when the sun shone the longest, the Holly King returned to the south to battle his brother. While the Oak King did battle, it was short-lived because he was so tired.
Winter Returns
The Oak King retreated into the forest to rest while the Holly King took over again. Quickly, a cold and dark winter covered the land. The land was quiet again, and the people were grateful to go into their houses around the fire to rest and tell stories. The plants were grateful to die back and return to the land to compost for another growing season.
After some months, as the nights grew longer and longer, the Oak King began to stir after his long rest. On the longest night of the year, the Oak King returned full of strength to battle his brother again. The battle took much longer, with the Oak King and the Holly King at full strength. They fought day in and day out, the days slowly getting lighter until eventually spring returned, and the Holly King began retreating north to rest again.
The Need for Balance
From then on, the brothers continued their annual battles to protect the well-being of the earth and all her creatures. The people and the brothers now understand the importance of the balance of light and dark and that both are needed to support the earth and its seasons. Still, to this day, we can celebrate the brothers at the height of their power: the Oak King on the summer solstice and the Holly King on the winter solstice, and the gifts they bring by honoring their true nature. So it is.
Why We Vigil
The story of the Oak King and the Holly King expresses the need for balance between light and dark, warmth and cold, expression and receptivity, and birth and death. None of these themes are good or bad; as the story teaches, they are all necessary to life. In our hyper-productive capitalist society, we tend to focus on the light, expression, and birth parts. So often, hiding death and dying away to focus on more, bigger, and better. The Holly King teaches us that death is necessary for life, and the holly plant that remains green-leafed throughout winter reminds us to be present with what’s dying.
With our quickly warming climate, like the people in the story, perhaps we’re also headed for an endless summer. While I don’t believe sitting vigil is the cure to human-made global warming, I do think death has much to teach us, and the best way to learn about death is to sit with it. The word vigil comes from the Latin word “awake.” Vigil goes beyond understanding that there is a need for death; it is an opportunity to honor the wisdom of death by remaining awake and aware of it.
The vigil honors the inevitability, presence, and importance of death. Sitting vigil helps us remember our seasonality, humanity, impermanence, and humility. The vigil is not the time to shame and blame based on the past or dream of the future; it calls you into the present moment. When you enter into the vigil, the time for resuscitation has ended. It is now time to surrender to the process of dying. We do not vigil to tell what’s dying how to die; we vigil to honor the death process and the magic that the Holly King brings with winter. We vigil to lean in and trust the Great Mystery together.
Similar to birthing, our bodies know how to die. Cycles of death and rebirth happen in your body every day. Cells all over your body die. We bleed, sleep, shed, and change. In these bodies, we are cyclical and ever-changing beings. Dying, just like living, is in our nature.
Welcoming the Vigil
What’s dying in your body, mind, and soul? What’s dying in your home, community, and the world? How would you live your life if you trusted death? Death carries innate wisdom, and when you avoid it, you cut yourself off from the remembered wisdom held within your blood and bones. How can you reclaim this innate wisdom? Remaining awake and present to death within and around you is one way to remember. While deciding to sit in vigil is a massive privilege, its importance remains.
Winter Solstice vigil.
Vigils need not be relegated to the dying person. Even if you don’t want to admit it, you are surrounded by death every day. Opening yourself up to the practice of the vigil opens you to death processes already occurring within and around you. All you have to do is decide to be present with them, which is a practice.
Sitting vigil was never intended to be done alone or long-term. Vigil requires a honed ability to be present with what is, even when uncomfortable. While it might appear passive, it requires self-awareness, emotional regulation, and discernment. Like birth, it is a communal act that happens in shifts. You may visit the depths for some time, but eventually, you’ll need to pass the baton to tend within, knowing others will keep watch.
Here are some simple ways to weave vigil into your practice.
Ways to vigil
Vigil with winter: Sit outside in winter amidst dying plants, perhaps a specific plant you already have a relationship with, and listen and notice for as long as you want or can. Notice what’s happening to the plant(s) in their dying process. Note physical and energetic changes.
Hold a candlelight vigil to be with what’s dying in the world: Light a candle at night, in your home, or outside, and set aside time to contemplate something dying in the world. As I said, there’s no shortage of death around us. What deaths are weighing heavy on your heart? Can you be present with them without trying to change them or apply a narrative to the death? What do you notice physically and energetically? This could be done solo or in a small group.
Hold a candlelight vigil for yourself: Light a candle at night, in your home, or outside, and set aside time to contemplate something dying within you. You are a cyclical being, constantly changing. Whether it’s your body, beliefs, or how you operate, cycles of death and rebirth are always present. Notice your personal seasons and deaths occurring within you, not to change them but to be present with them.
Attend a vigil: Communal vigils occur for all kinds of reasons. See if you can find one in your community to attend. I also hold occasional virtual vigils called Living Vigil. Click here to see if one is on the books.
Reclaiming the practice of the vigil can help you reclaim a part of your innate humanness. Like the holly plant that remains alive throughout winter, you, too, can meet death with honor and reverence. As winter works its magic, light your candles and remember there’s wisdom in the dark.
Vervain and Slow Magic
Do you ever rush your magical practice or push for a result? Urgency, production, and instant gratification are common themes in the overculture, so naturally, they can find their way into your magical practice. These themes have certainly shown up in my practice!
Here’s a little story about how Vervain taught me the importance of slowing down to different timelines to co-create potent magic.
Hoary Vervain (Verbana Stricta). Copyright Cassie Uhl 2024
Do you ever rush your magical practice or push for a result? Urgency, production, and instant gratification are common themes in the overculture, so naturally, they can find their way into your magical practice. These themes have certainly shown up in my practice!
Here’s a little story about how Vervain taught me the importance of slowing down to different timelines to co-create potent magic.
Listen here or click below. Transcript coming soon.
Awen in the essence /|\. Copyright Cassie Uhl 2024. Find the essence here.
Journey to the Grandmothers
It can be too easy to forget that you, all of us, are supported in both seen and unseen realms. It’s so important in times such as these that we remember and have space to feel the support of our guides, allies, and ancestors who deeply desire to help support and guide you in this life. The undercurrent beckoning us to consume or produce constantly, all in the name of making money, can easily sever us from this deep truth.
In this short share, I offer you the story of how I was guided to connect with three grandmothers, the wisdom they provided, and insight from them via a chat with the tarot.
The Weird Sisters. Johann Heinrich Fussli. 1783. Public Domain Wikimedia Commons.
It can be too easy to forget that you, all of us, are supported in both seen and unseen realms. It’s so important in times such as these that we remember and have space to feel the support of our guides, allies, and ancestors who deeply desire to help support and guide you in this life. The undercurrent beckoning us to consume or produce constantly, all in the name of making money, can easily sever us from this deep truth.
I was recently guided to connect with three wise grandmothers on a spiritual journey. Their messages were clear, “Slow down, let us support you at this time. You are not meant to do this alone.”
In this short share, I offer you the story of how I was guided to connect with these three grandmothers, the wisdom they provided, and insight from them via a chat with the tarot.
Here’s our chat. Click below to listen. Transcript coming soon.
Water Offering for The Autumn Equinox
The Autumn Equinox, which usually falls between September 20-23 in the Northern Hemisphere, shifts us westward on our seasonal wheel. The west corresponds to the element of water in most mystical and earth-based spiritual practices. It signals a time to start moving inward after the busyness and activity of the spring and summer months.
The Autumn Equinox, which usually falls between September 20-23 in the Northern Hemisphere, shifts us westward on our seasonal wheel. The west corresponds to the element of water in most mystical and earth-based spiritual practices. It signals a time to start moving inward after the busyness and activity of the spring and summer months.
Wheel of the Year from Understanding the Wheel of the Year by Cassie Uhl
In this short share, I’m offering you a simple ritual to honor water with an offering to the water spirits and a message from water that I received. This ritual is one way to mark the shift in seasons, welcome the element of water into your home, and give thanks for its healing gifts and life.
Water Offering Ritual
I encourage you to make this water offering ritual your own as much as possible and use these steps as a framework. The more personal you make this ritual, the more meaningful it will be. Watch my water offering ritual here.
You’ll need:
A vessel or bowl to hold some water
Enough water to fill your vessel (spring water, water from a moving creek or river, or water that you’ve structured is ideal)
Plant items from outside that have either fallen naturally or that you’ve asked permission to gather from your environment
Optional: a few drops of special water you have on hand like moon water or water from a special location
Optional: any corresponding decorations or crystals to add in or around your water vessel. For crystals, moonstone, quartz, smoky quartz, and rutilated quartz are all great options.
Steps:
Collect your items with care and intention, and have them ready and organized nearby before you begin.
Spend 3-5 minutes centering yourself, grounding, and connecting with your breath and body in a way that feels good to you.
Cleanse the space, yourself, and your items using a cleansing method of choice. Mugwort smoke is a great option for this particular ritual as it corresponds with water, but any cleansing herb will do.
Set up your water vessel and any accompanying crystals or items intuitively. You could place some crystals in your vessel if there is space.
It is time to pour your water into your vessel. Before you do so, hold your water, feel connected to your earth and your body, and infuse the water with love, respect, or anything else you feel called to add. Feel the energy flowing from your body into the water. Pour your water into your vessel, continuing to infuse it with an energy of love and respect.
Add any items on top of your water, like leaves, herbs, or flowers, with the intention of each item being a gift to water.
Now it is time to invite in the water spirits and thank them. Do this in a way that feels meaningful to you. You could keep it short and sweet by saying, “I invite in the water of the west for the Autumn Equinox and thank you for your healing,” or you could share a poem, a longer statement, or even a dance with the water. The point of this is to invite in, connect with, and thank the water spirits for this change of season.
Consider spending some time here with your water to notice any shifts or changes in your energy or environment. You could also spend some time meditating, journaling, or creating. When you feel ready to end the ritual, thank the water spirits for joining you.
You can keep your water vessel up for as long as you’d like, filling it anytime it becomes low and connecting with it often. Keep it up for a full lunar cycle or until the next full moon is a great option.
When you feel ready to deconstruct your water offering, pour it outside back into the earth while giving it thanks.
Message from Water
I dissolve, swirl, and heal. I am both forceful and passive. Feel my soft spirals erode and bring what is ready to heal to the surface. Feel my wild and raging storms returning you to the womb of the earth. I am mystery. I am healer. I am life, and I am the harbinger of death. Respect me and honor my sovereignty. In doing so, you will honor yourself.
Water element card from The Ritual Deck.
If you’d like to learn more about the Autumn Equinox and ways to celebrate the season, click here for past blog posts.
Learn more about the magic of water in this past post by Jen Isabel Friend.
Equinox blessings! Xoxo Cassie
Befriending Discomfort & Transforming with Fire of the South
Summertime shifts us towards the south and the element of fire on our sacred seasonal wheel. The fire of the south offers a time of passion, growth, culmination, action, transformation, and, less frequently talked about, discomfort.
Summertime shifts us towards the south and the element of fire on our sacred seasonal wheel. The fire of the south offers a time of passion, growth, culmination, action, transformation, and, less frequently talked about, discomfort.
In this share, you'll learn more about the element of fire, some of the wisdom it has to offer, its connection to discomfort, common correspondences for south and fire, and three ways to engage in ritual and magic alongside fire. Before we dive in, let's explore the position of the south and fire on our seasonal wheel, and what it means.
Listen to this post on the podcast, here.
The South and Summer Solstice is the full moon of the year on our wheel of seasons, and the neighboring celebrations, Beltane and Lughnasadh, are the peek of the waxing and waning energy of the seasonal year. We live amidst fiery energy until we reach the Autumn Equinox and shift fully towards the West and the element of water.
campfire, bonfire by the sea, sunset
Astrologically, the Summer Solstice moves us into Cancer season and then later into Leo. The Summer Solstice and Cancer season alignment is one that confused me for a long time. I had difficulty seeing the connection between the water sign of Cancer, the south, and the element of fire. I recently listened to the Summer Solstice episode on Tarot for the Wild Soul by Lindsay Mack. She did a good job of breaking down these overlaps, especially in relation to the Chariot card, which is the card that corresponds with Cancer.
The Chariot card offers a side of water that encourages action, movement, and being in the flow. The fire connected with this season inspires this Cancerian energy to come out of its safe and cozy crab shell and begin taking action, and tap into any wells of emotional energy you may be harboring as fuel. You can visualize the stagnant pond vs. the flowing stream as an example. It's like a marriage of water and fire. This season's fire forces us out of our comfort zone, and the water of Cancer season encourages us to be in a state of flow with all that arises and the discomfort of it all. It's a call to feel and act, act, and feel, and to not get stuck and stagnant amidst it all.
The Chariot card featured from Journey Tarot . Water card featured from The Ritual Deck.
It makes me think of the famous quote by Anais Nin quote "And the day came when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." These south-facing seasons are asking us to notice where we must come out of our shells and blossom in new ways. I don't know about you, but I have never gone through an easy or painless transformation.
Every transformation has been uncomfortable in my spirituality, business, and relationships, but they've also been necessary, inspired growth, and made me a better person. And it will be like this on a collective level, which can feel scary and uncomfortable. The deep transformations we're facing require many of us to face and look at parts of ourselves we'd rather not look at and that, in many ways, we've been trained not to look at, especially folks in white bodies like myself.
It may feel enticing to sink back into those still waters or the cozy crab shell, but the gifts of growth are calling each of us in unique ways needed to create the changes we need on an individual and collective level to create a more equitable and sustainable world. The element of fire is waiting to be called upon to assist. Because if we do not, the wildness of fire will, eventually, create the transformations that need to happen whether you're ready or not. Here’s a sweet message about the need for fire from the book, The Great Work by Tiffany Lazic.
Passion is the energy of fire that propels us toward that which activates our Spirit. In
order to create any new thing, there needs to be a spark—something that leaps across
the gap between the material and the ethereal, bringing the two together and
transforming them both in the process. Fire is the motivator, both the soft flame that
gently guides and the blinding conflagration that changes all in an instant.
The Great Work by Tiffany Lazic
How can what's dear to your heart be used as a spark to bring about transformation or change? This is a time to notice what's arising for you, your family, and your community. What is calling out for attention to be more closely examined with the light of a fire or burned up and transformed? Let's explore some of the wisdom fire has to offer us.
Wisdom of South and Fire
To understand the scope of fire, we must honor all of its faces and abilities. Like all of the elements, fire can nourish and destroy. It's easy to see the nourishment and the destruction of fire, especially in the summertime. The nourishing warmth of the sun inspires plants to grow and thrive. Fire is also the seat of the hearth and home because it offers us warmth and nourishment. Yet, we can also see the capacity for fast-acting destruction that fire holds,
The multifaceted nature of fire is reflected in its corresponding colors, red and green. Red holds the energy of passion, intensity, and the ability to destroy and transform, while green holds the energy of nourishment and growth. Like all the elements, fire offers a spectrum of wisdom. It offers both destruction and sustenance.
Having been embedded in various spiritual spaces for over two decades, especially in white spaces, I can confidently say that there's a focus on the more "positive" aspects of fire like passion, growth, and action and far less on themes like destruction and discomfort. I'll be focusing on the latter for this section. Though destruction is often lumped into the "negative" side of the spectrum, it also has a lot of important gifts to offer. Destroying or burning up is a necessary part of the transformational process. We cannot transform without letting something fall away or die. Wrapped up in this process, for some of us, is a need to be with discomfort and build a greater capacity to hold discomfort. Fire can be the spark that inspires us to continue facing our discomfort and bolsters our ability to act alongside it.
Transforming and Expanding Our Capacity for Discomfort
As we move deeper into this conversation around expanding our capacity for discomfort, I want to share a quote from a little book I often reference, "The Sacred Wheel of Our Ancestors" by Roberta Lee. She is one of my mentor's mentors.
Noon. The Summer Solstice. Heat all about us. The sun beating down upon our heads.
Thirst. Fire. This is the place to come face to face with ourselves for sure. Modern
society seems to be obsessed with comfort. And sacred suffering is feared and frowned
upon. We all suffer. Let us not waste it by trying to avoid it… Let us not resist the heat, the hard
times; let us embrace them and this time of year, this part of the Wheel, this part
of Life and in doing so, we notice that the pain is abated and becomes our history and
joins the other drops of water in our well of experience.
Roberta Lee, Sacred Wheel of
our Ancestors
The fire of the south does not lie. It is truth at its core. It burns away and exposes us. It makes us naked and vulnerable and brings us face to face with our truths. It can be painful when you approach fire with a desire to transform. Like the frame of a house revealed after its exterior has been burned away, fire shows you what's on the inside. Each layer that is burned away offers different stories and wisdom. Stories and wisdom that beckon you to look at and feel everything on a soul level, the good, the ugly, and everything in between. Each layer gives more wisdom and fuel to transform.
Herein lies much of the discomfort associated with fire, which is two-fold. First, we have the discomfort of being with, witnessing, and feeling the pain and the truth of what is no longer working or that you can no longer view as acceptable. The second, I'd argue, more illusive part of the discomfort brought about by fire is the discomfort of not knowing what's on the other side of a transformation. When we decide to return to ash from the fire, what happens next? What's on the other side?
I think collectively, we are sitting in a time of transformative fire, on the precipice of something new, but still unsure what it will look like and how exactly we will get there. So many of us, myself included, are feeling the intense discomfort of this time. Knowing deep down that more needs to happen, much faster to save ourselves, our more than human brothers and sisters, and the planet.
It is uncomfortable to witness the suffering and to suffer right now. It is also uncomfortable not to know what's on the other side. We are in the throws of a significant and profound transformation. However, the not knowing, the mystery of where we're headed does bring one gift—a gift of unlimited possibilities. These limitless potentialities are part of this collective transformation bringing me a sense of peace and the fire to keep going. There are so many solutions, and outcomes are yet to be discovered. The unknown is uncomfortable, yes, but there's also hope there.
Most transformations we embark upon are sparked by an unwillingness to allow a certain action or feeling to persist. As we collectively sit in the heat and discomfort of this time, I invite you to continue to sit with the discomfort while reserving space for all the unknown solutions and outcomes yet to unfold. I'd further invite you to continue working towards a more equitable and sustainable planet as that's where those unknown solutions and outcomes live. We won't know what's on the other side of this current transformation until we walk through it together.
Fire element card featured from The Ritual Deck.
It's important to note here that the discomfort of this time has not been evenly dispersed. Large groups of people have been sitting in the discomfort of this transformational time since the onset of spreading patriarchy, imperialism, white supremacy, and capitalism. White-bodied folks, like myself, have been taught to avoid this discomfort, separate ourselves from it, and seek comfort at all costs, even at the expense of other's lives and our planet. In contrast, many BIPOC communities around the world have been forced to become comfortable living in discomfort.
I want to take a moment to give credit to one of my teachers, Thérèse Cator, whom I had recently completed her course, Embodied Allyship. Comfort, discomfort, and nervous system regulation were big themes in the course. I want to credit her for how I've made many of these parallels between the element of fire and this time.
What if the constant seeking of comfort is what's keeping you small, keeping you from growing, and keeping you disconnected from your power? I want to offer that it is. Sitting in discomfort builds resiliency, a kind of resiliency that many folks with black and brown bodies have been forced to build and that myself and fellow white-bodied kin have been lulled into avoiding. I'd argue that for many of us, our proximity to comfort is what's keeping so many silent and complacent. The transformation we're in is going to happen one way or another. We can sit back and let it happen, or we can work together to ensure that when we come out the other side, we'll be more equitable and sustainable.
I'm not advocating that you should be a masochist. I'm advocating that we're in an opportunity calling us in, especially white-bodied folks, to build our capacity to hold more discomfort and bolster our resiliency. With that also comes a greater need to make space for joy and pleasure. We must become more comfortable being in discomfort and simultaneously recognize when we need to pause and step into joy and pleasure. We need to become the pendulum moving from side to side, not remaining stuck only in the comfort that keeps us small and tame.
Some questions to consider and that I've also been sitting with.
What's making you uncomfortable right now?
What areas of discomfort have you been avoiding?
What might that discomfort have to teach you?
In what ways could you lean into play and pleasure more deeply to build your resiliency and explore your discomfort more deeply?
I will share some of the fire rituals I've been leaning on to help with this in the ritual section later in this share. Let's take some time exploring common correspondences for south and fire.
South Correspondences
Correspondences are ways to honor and invite in specific energy. They're also a way to layer in specific energies to spellwork and magical practices. Understanding common correspondences, or similar energy, gives you the tools to craft your own magic and rituals with fire and the cardinal direction south.
Moon Phase: Full moon
Phase of life: Motherhood / Adulthood
Themes: Fulfillment, action, transformation, magic, confidence, strength, passion, discomfort
Color: Red, green
Element: Fire
Time of Year: Summertime
Time of day: Midday
Energy center: Solar plexus
Items and tools: fire, candles, wand, brass items, anything that personally represents fire or summertime for you
Crystals: Sunstone, yellow jasper, red jasper, rutilated quartz, sodalite
Plants: Rosemary, cinnamon, clove, ginger, sunflower, anything in bloom near you during summertime
Tarot: Suit of Wands, the Sun card, Strength card
Ogham: Hazel, Apple, Vine
Runes: Sowilo, Wunjo
Planets: Sun, Mars, Jupiter
Zodiac: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Artwork featured from Zenned Out Guide Series by Cassie Uhl with Quarto Knows.
Rituals to Connect with South
Here are some ways to work with and honor fire in your spiritual practice. These are all tools and rituals that I've personally used or plan to and have found helpful. As always, take what you like and leave the rest. I'd also like to read an important reminder from the book The Path of Druidry by Penny Billington before we embark on this section.
Each element can harm, but fire is the most mercurial of the elements; it is lightning-fast
and operates to its own rules. Treat any naked light with respect and never leave it
unattended. Fire is living. Think carefully about an appropriate way to extinguish a flame
and stick to it. Many Druids pinch out a candle flame rather than use the breath of life to
extinguish it. Choose a method, and make it a mindful action each time.
When you light fire, you are connecting to an action shared by our ancestors, often with
prayer and gratitude. Some of these ritual customs still survive in the old prayers from
the highlands and islands. Devise your own simple ritual words or phrases to be part of a
living chain of devotion.
Penny Billington, The Path of Druidry
I think that respect is something I've not discussed enough in the previous episodes on the cardinal directions and elements. It is essential for all of the elements. All of them have the power to nourish or destroy, especially fire.
Dance Meditation to Connect with Fire
When I think of the energy of fire, I think of dance. Like creating visual artworks, many of us have an idea of what "good" dance or movement is intended to look like. Allowing our bodies to move in ways that don't match what we've seen as "good" dance or movement can be uncomfortable. I love to dance, but I am not a professional or trained by any stretch of the imagination. Becoming more comfortable with my body's organic and natural movements has taken time. I say this to remind you that wherever you're at with your relationship to dance or whatever accessibility you have to move your body, there's wisdom and magic to be found.
Anytime I write these episodes for the directions and elements and hold space for guided journeys to them, I spend a long time journeying to the direction and element. When I journeyed to the south to connect with fire, it asked me to move and shake my body. I was overtaken by the energy of the fire working through my body. I let go entirely and gave myself over to the process of connecting with its power. Having a private sacred space or being surrounded by folks you love and trust to do this work can be helpful.
Something important to remember when engaging with elemental energies is that, more often than not, insight and wisdom are offered to us not through oral dictation but through states of being fully embodied and in communion with different energies. Why would fire speak to you in words? That is not the language of fire; fire flickers, dances, and moves. This is the medicine fire offers. This goes back, again, to get uncomfortable. Held in the discomfort and vulnerability of giving your body over to being with fire, you open yourself to embodying and holding new truths. If dance and movement feel like they're going to push you out of your comfort zone, I think the medicine will be even more potent!
If you feel called to connect with fire in this way, here are some simple suggestions to get started.
Carve out 20-60 minutes for yourself.
Spend about five minutes connecting with your breath and body (or any other rituals that help you root into your body) to soothe your nervous system.
Create sacred space in a way that feels good to you. This could be casting a circle or calling on guides, Gods, or Goddesses you work with.
Optional: light a candle to honor fire and assist you in connecting with it.
Go within or stare at your candle flame and state your intent to connect with fire.
Imagine yourself meeting the fire element. What does it look like, and how does it make you feel?
Take this time to connect with the fire and learn from it. Perhaps it will inspire you to move. Maybe it will not. Trust what comes through and stay with it for as long as you'd like. Your experience may be different than mine, which is normal and okay.
When you feel complete, be sure to thank the fire before leaving and ask if there's anything you can do to reciprocate your time with it and any wisdom you received.
Close your space and consider journaling about your experience. Spend some time reconnecting with the world around you and perhaps have some food and drink.
If this is something you feel you'd like support with, click here to join me in a guided journey to the south to connect with the element of fire.
Candle Magic for Transformation
If you've been hanging out around me for much time, you probably already know that I'm a big fan of using candles in my practice. Candles are a simple but powerful tool, especially when wanting to connect with the element of fire. I also think they're a great introductory tool to spellwork. You can make your candle magick as simple or complex as you want; all you need is a candle, matches, and some time.
This is a topic I've covered extensively on my blog and in previous episodes, so I'm not going to go into much detail here. Check out the show notes for direct links to previous blog posts on candle magick.
If you're new to working with candles or would like a simple ritual to start. I'd invite you to select a candle color in line with your intentions, hold it while infusing it with your intention, and sit with it as it burns. As you sit with it, notice the movement of the fire and how it dances and moves. Working with candles can be helpful while practicing dance or meditating on fire.
I've been using paraffin wax chime candles for about six years, as long as I've been practicing candle magick. I usually recommend these, but after further research, I plan to switch to beeswax candles. Unfortunately, paraffin candles are a by-product of fossil fuels and are therefore harmful to the environment and unsustainable. I have quite a stockpile of paraffin candles from my store, so it's going to take me a while to work through them before I switch to beeswax.
If you are starting out, I'd recommend rolling your beeswax candles or finding a supplier for premade beeswax spell candles. I found a few lovely and affordable beeswax spell candle options on Etsy with a quick search and bought some for Lugnasadh while writing this post, haha! Beeswax candles are more expensive, but they are lovely and a sustainable and less harmful choice.
If you'd like step-by-step instructions for a candle spell, click here to check out a previous post.
Building Fire and Fire offerings
I'm wrapping two up into this section because they can be used in tandem or separately. Another obvious way to build relationship with this season and the element of fire is to spend time building fires, especially in ways our ancestors did. I have built fires in the past while camping but do not have experience building fires in ancestral ways. This is something I look forward to exploring this fall. There's a lovely article by Dana O'Driscoll of Druids Garden that you can check out here where she discusses the power of learning how to build fires in ancestral ways to connect with fire and our ancestors more deeply. Dana writes in her article,
In every way, fire reconnects us to our roots, to those ancient ancestors who gave us
such an important gift. When I look at the fire from this perspective, I realize that fire is
my most important ancestral gift, and thus, one of the best ways to honor my ancestors
is to learn and understand fire, to work with fire as they might have, to learn to start and
build fires, and honor them through this practice.
Dana O'Driscoll
If building fires isn't accessible to you, it certainly wasn't for me in my Arizona home. I'd encourage you to build this kind of ritual relationship by lighting candles or incense to connect with fire in this way. One thing I've learned from one of my teachers, Danu Forest, is to treat each flame as a unique fire spirit. Each candle I light invites in the presence of a unique fire elemental that I can learn from and connect with. Seeing each fire as an individual, living entity helps me take more time and care in engaging with fire.
Our new house has space for a fire pit, and we plan to build one before the Autumn so we can enjoy it this fall and winter. I'm looking forward to connecting with fire more deeply in this traditional way. My fire magic is about to get a serious upgrade!
Finally, and this goes for any interaction with elemental energies or spirits, finding ways to be reciprocal and give offerings is a powerful way to build relationship. Song, dance, art, chant, poems, and herbs can all be beautiful offerings to the fire. Consider asking your fire what it would like as an offering. The article I mentioned above by Dana O'Driscoll also gives some wonderful suggestions for fire offerings.
For example, my recent fire interactions prompted me to write a poem for the fire. I placed it on my altar and have read it aloud daily as a further offering and a form of connection. Building a relationship with fire through reciprocity is yet another tool for learning from fire and building our capacity for the discomfort associated with transformation.
I hope these offerings have stirred your internal embers and perhaps even sparked a fire of powerful resiliency within you! If you'd like to explore the element of fire more deeply, I encourage you to join me or purchase the replay, "Journey to the Fires of Transformation."
Honoring Imbolc and Brigid
Imbolc is our collective season of hope and renewal. I liken it to the star card after the tower. We've been deep in the cauldron throughout Samhain and Yule, and with the arrival of Imbolc, we can start to see the slightest stirrings of life and an increase in sunlight. Imbolc brings a palpable sense of renewed energy in the air.
Imbolc is our collective season of hope and renewal. I liken it to the star card after the tower. We've been deep in the cauldron throughout Samhain and Yule, and with the arrival of Imbolc, we can start to see the slightest stirrings of life and an increase in sunlight. Imbolc brings a palpable sense of renewed energy in the air.
In this share, you'll learn more about Imbolc, common correspondences, and ways to connect with the Goddess Brigid through rituals for the season.
What is Imbolc?
On the wheel of the year, Imbolc is the midway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. It occurs on February 1st and 2nd in the Northern Hemisphere and August 1st and 2nd in the Southern Hemisphere. Imbolc translates to "in the belly," which refers to a couple of things for this season. This season is often called "the quickening," which relates to the time in utero when the mother first begins to feel movement from her baby. The earth is starting to show signs of first stirrings as well. The second reference is that ewes often gave birth during this season, which was of utmost importance to our ancestors as it provided nutrient-rich milk to those in the community.
Imbolc is a time to tend to your hearth, home, and physical well-being on a personal and energetic level. It's also a time to tune into feelings of hope and renewal. Imbolc energy aligns with the early stages of a freshly waxing moon. It's a time to explore what's inspiring you and cultivate more of that inspiration. If you have specific goals or intentions in mind for the year ahead, this season is the time to form a solid plan and begin taking action. Like all seasonal celebrations, there's also a theme of community that weaves through Imbolc, which I find is often overlooked but important.
Listen to this post on my podcast, AwenGuided by Spirit, here.
The Goddess Brigid, who we'll discuss in more detail, is strongly tied to this season. She is a Goddess of healing, fire, and the hearth. She brings inspiration and a renewed sense of hope like the season itself.
I encourage you to honor these shifts when you feel called. There are no hard rules for honoring the wheel and the seasons. Trust your intuition. Your connection with nature is the most important part of working with the wheel. Each season is unique to you and your climate.
I live in Arizona, and people often ask how I connect with the seasons here when it's just sunny all day, every day. Especially for seasons like Imbolc, when my ancestors were likely dealing with bitter cold and snowfall. The short answer is that I can assure you that if you're spending regular time outside, you will see shifts and changes for every season on the wheel.
For example, not all trees lose their leaves here, but many do, and it is around Imbolc that those trees begin sprouting new growth. Another way I notice the shifts in each season, which has nothing to do with the temperature outside, is the length and orientation of the sun. No matter where you live, the sun begins to shine a little longer each day. In my house, I can see the sunrise from our kitchen window, and for a couple of hours every morning, we have to close our blinds a bit because the sunlight comes in so brightly. It's a physical reminder that the season of Brigid is coming. If you live in a climate that differs from Northern Europe, I invite you to begin noticing subtle changes, like where the sunlight comes into your windows at different times of the year.
Now, let's take some time to explore the Goddess Brigid and her role in this season.
Who is Brigid
Imbolc belongs to the Goddess Brigid, the Goddess of home, healing, fire, and smithcraft (among many other things.) Brigid is one of the Celtic pantheon's most well-loved and recognized Goddesses. So much so that she survived the test of time and Christianity, she even was adopted into Christianity as St. Brigid. She goes by many names, and you'll likely hear other pronunciations, including Brigid, Brighid, Brigantia, and so many others. All of them are options. I'll be referring to her as Brigid here today.
One way to deepen your connection with Brigid is to connect with her in a guided journey. Get a pre-recorded exploration of Brigid and a guided journey to connect with her here.
There are two translations associated with Brigid. One is "exalted one," and the other is "fiery arrow" as you'll see, she lives up to both of these names. She was said to have been born with light radiating out from around her and fed milk from a sacred cow as a baby. Both milk and light are sacred to Imbolc and Brigid. She is a Goddess of birth and fertility and is often called upon during childbirth as a protective aid. Healing is another strong theme for Brigid. There are sacred fires and healing springs dedicated to Brigid throughout the British isles.
Here's an excerpt from the book Brigid by Courtney Weber that beautifully captures Brigid's robust and contrasting energy.
This is the Goddess of the forge and the anvil, of poets, painters, and prophets. She is a Goddess of healing as well as battle, of fire but also water, love and death. She blesses small animals, guards orphaned children, and challenges authority. She has crossed the chasm of regional land Goddess to Christian saint and back again to contemporary Goddess of global scope. Distinct as the multitude of tongues that speak her name, and deeply rooted in creation, destruction, regeneration, and sometimes contradiction - this is Brigid.
Courtney Weber, Brigid
Brigid essentially took a "demotion" to continue to live on as St. Brigid as Christianity spread throughout Europe. Perhaps she knew she'd be reborn again in her full sovereignty in the hearts and minds of people across the globe. Another interesting point about Brigid is her connection to the sun and fire, which are often associated with Gods and masculine energy. She offers us a reminder not to become so rigid in the masculine vs. feminine energy binary or perhaps to let it go completely. We all contain these elemental energies regardless of how we identify ourselves. The forceful and action-oriented energies associated with fire can and should be owned by all. Brigid holds the power of fire, the inspiration of air, the healing powers of water, and the regenerative power of earth. She uses these elements from a seat of power and wisdom and invites us to do so.
Copyright Cassie Uhl 2022, please credit when sharing.
We'll discuss more ways to connect with Brigid through ritual this season but first, let's explore common correspondences because they will very much come into play for the rituals.
Correspondences for Imbolc
Understanding the correspondences of each season brings in so many additional layers. It also empowers you to craft your own rituals each season. In this section, I will share some common correspondences for the season and dive a little deeper into the overlaps between Imbolc, tarot, and astrology.
Think of this list as a buffet of options to choose from to help you build personal meaning around the season of Imbolc. As always, if there are seasonal things unique to your environment, add that to your list of correspondences for the season. For example, here in the desert where I live, all of the citrus trees are fruiting and ripening at this time. Citrus fruits are certainly not a standard correspondence for this season, but they are for me.
Themes: Renewal, new beginnings, hearth, home, cleansing, health, inspiration
Colors: White, green, yellow
Moon phase: waxing crescent
Herbs & Plants: rosemary, basil, bay leaf, angelica
Crystals: moss agate, quartz, green aventurine, kyanite, citrine, green opal
Foods: Milk, cheese, butter
Tools & items: Brigid's cross, white cloth, candles, fire, besom
Elements: Fire, earth, air
Cardinal direction: North East
Runes: Uruz, Kenaz
Ogham: Birch, Rowan, Ash
Tarot card: The Star
Zodiac: Aquarius
Goddess: Brigid
Most of these come from my book, Understanding the Wheel of the Year. Grab it here if you'd like a handy physical guide of the correspondences for each season.
Bringing in physical objects, like the ones I mention, in your altar or even as decorations in your home is a way to invite in the energy of the season. Working with altars in this way is a powerful way to build relationships with each season.
There are ways to work with these correspondences on an energetic level. At the beginning of this share, I brought up how Imbolc is much like the start card in the tarot. I find that Imbolc carries the same energy as the star card. Imbolc also falls within Aquarius season, the astrological correspondence for the star card. In the tarot, the light increases after the tower card. We start with the star, the moon, and then the sun. If we compare this to our seasons, we have the sun's increasing light with Imbolc, the Spring Equinox, and Beltane.
I find that this season, and the coming seasons, are a potent time to explore themes surrounding the increasing light after the tower card in the tarot. There are a lot of layers to explore, and I think exploring the star card more deeply through meditation, journaling, or reading, can be a great place to start. I know that was a bit of a departure from the rest of this share, but I wanted to bring it up.
Let's talk rituals for this season because there are so many! You can already find a few Imbolc rituals on past blog posts. Here are some favorites.
Rituals for Imbolc
In this section, you'll learn a few ways to connect with the energy of this season through ritual. We'll discuss candle magic, a ritual to connect with the Goddess Brigid, and some suggestions for cleansing yourself and your space in preparation for this season.
Candle Magick for Imbolc
Imbolc has a strong theme of fire and inspiration, which makes candle magick a powerful option for this season. The sun's light is finally increasing at this time, it's a season of inspiration and taking action, and the Goddess Brigid embodies the energy of fire.
One of the simplest and most powerful ways to connect with the energy of this season and Brigid is through candle magic. Something as simple as lighting a candle with intention can help you call in inspiration, honor Brigid, and honor the sun. Last year, I shared a full blog post and reel with steps to perform an inspiration ritual to call on Brigid for inspiration. Find the past blog post here and the reel here. If you're feeling uninspired, don't know what direction to go, or are experiencing a creative block, I encourage you to explore themes of inspiration through working with candles.
Watch a reel of this candle ritual here.
Here's an excerpt from The Magical Year by Danu Forest about working with candles of this season.
To call in inspiration is to begin to see our life infused with spirit, to discover a new or renewed vision for greater creativity on all levels. To call in healing is to resolve the things that hold us back or limit our potential. We all have parts of our lives and bodies that need healing, and to give this aspect of ourselves a boost at this time of the year sets us up for a more empowered and happier future. To call in the blessings of the hearth or the forge at this time summons greater positive energy for our families, friends, and communities, with all our relationships, strengthened and blessed.
Danu Forest, The Magical Year
Who doesn't need a little bit of that right now? This is one of the reasons I love candlework so much. Candles are such a powerful way to foster inspiration. Working with candles for ritual can also be so creative. You can keep it simple, or you can anoint your candles with oil, dress them with herbs, or add crystals on it or around it. There's a lot of room for play and experimentation with candles. If working with candles is new to you, I have some great past posts on the blog to get you started. Click here to check them out.
Brigid Healing Ritual
As we discussed above, Brigid is also a Goddess of healing. One of the many reasons she was associated with the Imbolc season was that it was a very challenging time for our ancestors living in Northern Europe. It is still quite cold for many people at this time of year. Our ancestor's food may have been in short supply at this point of the year, and disease may have been spreading as well. Imbolc is a season of hope because nature shows its first signs of waking up. Our ancestors would warmly welcome a celebration dedicated to the healing powers of Brigid at this time.
A common ritual at Imbolc is to place a white cloth outside on the eve of Imbolc. Brigid is said to bless and infuse these white cloths with her healing energy. The cloths may then be used as comfort, healing, and a reminder of Brigid. Try this for yourself by placing a white cloth outside on the eve of Imbolc for Brigid to bless. You could use the white cloth as part of your altar spread, sleep with it, hold onto it to clean wounds or give it to someone sick.
Renewal Bath
The final ritual I'd like to share with you is a renewal bath. I love using baths as a form of ritual and energy clearing, and this is a beautiful season to use baths for this purpose. It's common to cleanse your space and yourself for the arrival of Brigid at Imbolc. This is one way to offer yourself a profoundly nourishing and cleaning experience, both physically and spiritually.
This ritual is adapted from a "Lustral Bath" recipe in "The Magical Year" by Danu Forest, which I highly recommend! I made some additions to my version. Don't sweat it if you don't have everything you need. Use what you have. A bath with some table salt, a candle, and an intention to be renewed can be just as powerful.
Watch a reel of the bath ritual here.
Renewal bath recipe
1. Fill a cloth bag with cleansing herbs of choice. About a 1/4 c. will do. I used lavender, sage, and mint. Let the bag soak in the tub as you fill it or hang it from the faucet to let the water run over it.
2. Light some candles to call upon the healing powers of the Goddess Brigid or to honor the increasing light of the sun. White, green, or yellow candles are great options. I adore the beeswax candles by Lit Rituals.
3. Add about 2 cups of dried milk powder. Use coconut milk powder to make it vegan. Give it a good stir. Milk is strongly associated with Brigid and Imbolc. It will also make your skin super soft!
4. Add some fresh spring water, structured water, or charged water. Just a little will do. Water talks to water. By adding it to the bath, it will have a positive influence on all of the water in your bath.
5. Add 1-3 cups of Epsom salt or any salt you have available. Plain or a scented blend works. I love the bath salt blends by Herbonyx.
6. Optional, make it extra decadent by adding some fresh flowers. Whatever is in season or you can find is great.
7. Set an intention to be cleansed and renewed. Enjoy!
8. Add some cleansing smoke if you feel called. I used a renewal wand you can find in our shop here.
9. When you're done, collect the herbs and flowers, thank them, and consider using them as an earth offering or compost.
There are so many ways to honor this season and Brigid. I hope you're feeling as excited about this shift as I am and empowered to bring it to life with ritual. I wish you a bright and hopeful Imbolc.
Understanding the Element of Earth
On the sacred wheel, the North encompasses the realm of earth, winter, death, rebirth, and your ancestors. The North is the still and sacred portal where we're allowed to break down and shed to rebuild for a new cycle. It is the seat of deep wisdom where the ancestral knowledge from all of those who've come before you resides. The North encompasses endings, new beginnings, and the space in between.
On the sacred wheel, the North encompasses the element of earth, winter, death, rebirth, and your ancestors. The North is the still and sacred portal where we can break down and shed to rebuild for a new cycle. It is the seat of deep wisdom where the ancestral knowledge from all those who've come before you resides. The North encompasses endings, new beginnings, and the space in between.
In this post, you’ll be able to explore the wisdom of the earth element and the North. You'll also learn common correspondences and ways to build relationship with the North. Because this is the first in a series of posts, I'll also spend some time discussing sacred circles and wheels in various cultures and how they're used with the directions and elements.
Listen to this on my podcast here.
I started working with the cardinal directions in my practice years ago, initially to cast a circle and create sacred space. My work with the wheel has evolved, and working with the directions and wheel has become an intrinsic part of my practice. I use the wheel as a tool to connect with the seasons, the cardinal directions, the elements, and all of the wisdom each section encompasses. Circles similar to the seasonal wheel used by many Celtic, Druidic, and Wiccan spiritual practices are sacred across many cultures and have a lot of overlap in meaning.
If you'd like a frame of reference for the sort of wheel I'll be referring to throughout this share and series, you can find one in my book "Understanding the Wheel of the Year." The wheel I created for the book shows each season's color, direction, elemental, lunar, and zodiac alignments. If you don't have the book, I've shared an image below, and if you're listening, feel free to pause and look up this share on my blog.
It's a common framework used by cultures worldwide, though you will find subtle differences from practice to practice. Let's start there and look at how other cultures work with sacred wheels.
Sacred Wheels Across Cultures
The medicine wheel or sacred hoop is a tool and symbol used by many First Nations and Indigenous cultures from the land referred to as Canada and North America. Stone structures that have been used for ceremonial purposes dating back as early as 3200 BCE have been found in Canada. Though stone structure dates back far into the past, medicine wheels and sacred hoops are still alive today with many Indigenous people and communities. They can be used for ceremony, ritual, and to connect with the four directions, elements, animals, and more.
In Mongolian Cosmology, the ger often referred to as a yurt here in the West represents a sacred wheel. The ger is viewed as a microcosm, or a map, of the universe. Each direction has a unique significance related to who and what resides in that location and what takes place. For example, the entrance of the ger always faces North, the fire is always at the center, women sit on Eastside, and men on the West.
In yogic practices, the directions hold significance as well. It is not uncommon to face specific directions for specific asanas and meditations. There are myths, Gods, and Goddesses associated with each direction which each share insights about the significance of each direction in yogic philosophy. I'm always intrigued by the overlap in different cultures around common spiritual tools and symbols. Here, in an article from Pandit Rajmani Tigunait of Yoga International, he shares a bit about the direction of the North in Yogic tradition, "The North is determined by the polar star, the symbol of stability; it is the fixed goal that never wavers. It represents unshakable conviction." I love this because it's similar to my understanding and relationship with the North.
Of course, these are just little snippets of each of these sacred practices.
There are symbols and practices throughout Europe that use sacred wheels, although, as usual, with little historical reference. The sun cross or solar wheel, a circle with a cross in the middle, is a common symbol found throughout prehistoric Europe. However, even the name that was given to this symbol, the "sun cross," is relatively new, which shows how little we truly know about its true significance. Between the sun cross and circular structures like Stonehenge and Woodhenge, it's not difficult to see that wheels were sacred to many throughout Europe.
Today many practices like Wicca and Druidry use the wheel in different ways like connecting with the seasons, elements, cardinal directions, creating sacred space, and more. This is how I connect with the wheel in my practice and the lens through which I'll be sharing from here.
Before we dive into the bulk of this share, I want to give you a little bit of a reference of my process for this share and how I intend to craft future shares in this series. The North is an important topic because it encompasses many other significant issues like the element of earth, Wintertime, our ancestors, and more. My goal with this share and the future directions is to give you a framework to begin building a relationship with the North and its many facets. Much of what I share will be from my personal experiences building a relationship with the North. As always, remember that your experiences may differ based on your cultural background and personal gnosis.
I've been spending a lot of time connecting with my local nature spirits and journeying about the topic for this post. This share has not come easily to me. I have a deep reverence for the North and a feeling of not wanting to get it wrong. The North and the earth element are our sacred foundation and the home of our ancestors, and it feels relevant that I stress the importance and sacredness of the North.
Let's begin exploring the wisdom of the element of earth and the cardinal direction, North.
The Wisdom of Earth & North
Earth and North are the cauldron of creation encompassing death, birth, and the space between these realms. It is the simultaneous end and beginning of the dark moon phase. I think our linear human minds sometimes struggle with this. We're so used to endings and beginnings that a pause between the two, or the idea that endings and beginnings live in the same space, seems somewhat foreign. But, of course, we can always find glimpses of this in nature.
cardinal direction north in the ritual deck
Even here in the desert, I find subtle reminders of the wisdom of the North and those in-between spaces. There's an oleander plant I often notice on my walks. It seems to be always blooming. However, since around the time of the Winter Solstice, it's dropped its flower and, as of recently, has formed tiny buds. I've enjoyed noticing how long the buds have been there, waiting, as the plant rebuilds and absorbs more nutrients to bloom again. I've used it as a bit of a marker for myself as I find myself in a similar space of rebuilding. It's been a comforting reminder to pay more attention to plants in their death and "in-between" phases this winter season. People often ask how I connect with the seasons being in the desert, and I'm here to tell you that the seasons are very much alive, even in the desert, albeit on a smaller scale.
Wintertime, the season of the North, also coincides with our shift into Capricorn season. It makes my heart sing when these seasons overlap so perfectly. Capricorn is a cardinal earth sign and corresponds with the planet of Saturn. The cardinal earthy energy signals a time to build a solid foundation upon which we can build. The Saturn correspondence invites in structure. These themes fit perfectly into the realm of the North and the element of earth.
Understanding what tools you need to build a strong foundation requires time and introspection. I'd say there's even a thread of shadow work that weaves through this space. To create a solid foundation, you'll need to take stock of what's working and what's not working in your life, assess where you need to set different boundaries and notice where you may need to ask for help or call in reinforcements. Deep processing, shedding, and collecting happen in the North.
Your body and physical wellbeing correspond with the North and this season as well. You are the earth of the North. We often forget that our bodies are nature itself. This space is an invitation to notice how you're tending to your body or your physical foundation. The North is where we address the physical body's needs, so you feel safe and supported during this incarnation. The earth and all its inhabitants live within the realm of the North. Everything comes from the earth and will decompose back into the earth. The earth is the foundation for all life.
This is where your ancestors come in. You have centuries of ancestral knowledge living within your blood, bones, and DNA. Outside of your physical body, there's ancestral knowledge within the soil, stones, and water as well. Of course, not all of our ancestors have left positive influences that will be for you to parse out, work with, and hea. But there's wisdom and learning nonetheless. On a very physical level, the earth below your feet holds the wisdom of every ancestor who's come before you. When you connect with the power of the North, you connect with this wisdom and knowledge.
We often think of connecting with those on the other side as somewhere outside of us or up in a heaven of sorts. While it may be that the spirits of our ancestors are in a different realm, their blood, bones, and all of the wisdom therein have been absorbed back into the earth. This is why we connect with the ancestors in the earth and the wisdom of the North on a very physical level. That is where their wisdom lives.
Are you're starting to see and feel the layers of this sacred space emerge?
Correspondences for Earth & North
You could probably pick up on several correspondences from what I shared above. Here are a few more common energetic connections for the North. A quick note before I dive in: as I shared earlier, the cardinal directions and the elements are spiritual practices that show up across cultures. It's also important to remember that you may have unique connections to the directions and their correspondences. Suppose the way you connect with each direction varies from what I share here. That is normal and certainly not a reason to discount your connections or mine, whether it be from another culture or a personal connection.
Correspondences for the North
Element: Earth
Season: Winter
Time of day: Midnight
Moon Phase: Dark moon
Tarot: Pentacles
Colors: black, brown, green, white
Animal: bear or any other earthy animal you connect to the North
Other: dirt, stones, plants, bones, clay
Working with corresponding tools is one way to help honor and connect with the energy associated with the North. Tools and symbols can draw our awareness to where we are trying to focus. I will also share ways to use these correspondences in the following section.
Three Ways to Connect with the Earth Element
Now my favorite section! You hear me say this often because it's been so true for my practice. For there to be a connection or learning to happen, there must be relationship. So before any deep work can be done within the North and its many corresponding energies, I encourage you to build a relationship with the North.
Understanding each direction on the wheel has far less to do with what I share here and much more to do with how you experience them.
There are so many ways to begin building a relationship with the North and the earth, and I find it is a beautiful starting point because it is a place of foundations. The North is the infrastructure for the rest of the wheel and your spiritual practice and an ever-present touchpoint you can come back to at any time to feel supported and to tap into a deep well of wisdom. That said, there are many who also like to start in the East as it is a place of new beginnings. For example, when I cast a circle, I begin with the East and end with the North. I'll leave it up to you, but in my opinion, there are no strict rules about this, especially when deciding where to begin forming a deeper relationship.
If you are looking for more personal guidance, as I mentioned earlier in this share, I am offering my "Journey to the Ancestors," which will provide a more robust look at connecting with the North with even more tools, including journal prompts a card spread, and guided journey meditation.
Here we'll focus on connecting with the earth and your local natural environment, tuning into your physical body, and journeying or meditating on the North.
1. Connecting with the earth
Because the North encompasses the element of earth, connecting with the earth is a powerful portal to experience the North and its wisdom. There are so many ways to connect with the earth, and you likely already have some beautiful practices to help you do this. For me, the most powerful way I've found to connect with the earth is through regular connection with my natural environment. I do this by going on regular walking meditations, usually 15-30 minutes 4-5 times a week. As always, I encourage you to try whatever feels like a doable and sustainable amount of time for you and your unique schedule.
When I walk, I try to focus my full attention on the environment around me. I say try because, just like sitting meditation, my mind tries to remind me of all of my to-do's and interject with other random thoughts. To help me stay present and aware, I have a process to become more engrossed in my surroundings. I do this by noticing the temperature, the speed of the wind, the warmth and location of the sun, how the ground feels beneath my feet, how the air feels in my mouth and lungs, varying sounds of the animals, and any changes in different trees and plants.
I've found that connecting with nature regularly and intentionally creates a very natural pathway to forming a deep relationship with the earth and your environment. You'll soon see patterns and cycles of death and rebirth all around you, perhaps in ways that you hadn't previously noticed. You'll begin to feel more connected to the plants, animals, and soil. These relationships can then initiate a more profound unfolding and help you to form a deeper relationship with the element of earth, your ancestors, and the realm of the North.
2. Connecting with the physical body
Another way I enjoy connecting with the realm of the North and the element of earth is by focusing on my physical body. Your body is a deep well of wisdom. Sometimes we discount this wisdom, especially when our physical bodies do not feel or perform the way we want them to or think they should.
The North reminds us that the body is a living vessel of cyclical wisdom, just like nature. Just like the oleander plant I mentioned earlier, you are not intended to bloom at all times either, nor are you intended to be a picture of perfect health at all times. Like nature, our bodies encounter seasons of sickness, decay, and growth. There is not one stage that is more spiritual than another, and you are not less spiritual if your body or mind experiences temporary or long-term illness. Have you ever looked at a tree losing its leaves and thought, "what a stupid tree? It must not have absorbed enough of the right kind of nutrients. Otherwise, it wouldn't be losing its leaves." I gather you probably haven't, but how often have you had thoughts like this about yourself or another person?
It might seem like an unusual concept to build a relationship with your body, the very vessel you reside in, but I think, much like the earth, it's something we often take for granted. Our bodies always give us signs and nudges about what we need and don't need, but we don't always listen. When you permit yourself to connect with the body more regularly, you create a pathway to build a relationship with it and learn from its wisdom.
Connecting with my body in a very intentional way is something I usually do before any meditation. You can add another layer of energy to this practice by facing North for a body meditation, either lying down with your head pointing towards the North or by sitting up and facing the North. I like to start at my feet and work my way up through the body. I try to notice each area, how it feels, and what the energy of each space is bringing up.
I think a lot of us become accustomed to certain sensations so much so that we don't even notice when our body is trying to tell us it's time to pause or try something different. I'd also like to point out that I'm 100% not implying here that meditation can be a cure-all for all physical ailments. Nope, sometimes the sensations you tune into may indicate that it's time to see a doctor. But, in this instance, it helped me draw my attention back to my body to start using some tools to tend to my nervous system and body in ways that I previously hadn't been doing.
The wisdom from the North here is that when we tune into the body, it will often tell us what it needs to feel better supported. Sometimes this looks like allowing more time for rest, eating nourishing foods, moving the body more, or reaching out for support from a doctor. Our bodies are wise beyond what our human brains can even fathom.
If you'd like to explore a body-focused meditation, my "Meditate with the Moon" guided meditation package offers a body scan meditation for the dark moon phase that is a great way to tune into your body and connect with the North.
3. Journeying and meditation
Another way to deepen your relationship is to journey to the North or meditate on the North. This can be a really powerful way to deepen your relationship with the North. The previous invitations can also help pave the way to connecting through meditation and journeying. This technique can be especially helpful when you want to connect with your ancestors.
First, a bit about meditation vs. journeying, because they are different and often interchangeably, even by myself. I've mentioned journeying here in this space, but I haven't spent much time going into detail about what it is.
There are likely others who will have a different opinion than I do, but these are my thoughts. I think of meditation as an umbrella term for training the mind to be more present and aware. However, there are many different kinds of meditation. I think of journeying as one kind of meditation. Journeying is akin to astral travel in that you focus your awareness on journeying to somewhere in the astral plane. Though it can be like an out-of-body experience, it often occurs within the mind's eye.
This is a brief introduction to journeying, I could spend an entire post on what journeying is and different techniques, and I probably will someday. I think the best place to get started when wanting to learn how to journey is to meditate regularly and begin building your anchor point or the location within the astral realm that's your home. The better you visualize and hold the visualization, the more natural journeying will come to you over time. You can also get a taste for journeying in my free guided mediation to meet your spirit guides. That's a free offering for joining my email list, which you can find here. Or join me in my monthly journey, which this month is to your Ancestors in the North.
If journeying is a part of your practice, I encourage you to try this method for connecting with the North. If journeying is new to you, I encourage you to try a meditation on the North. There's still deep wisdom there as well. To do a meditation to the North, I'd invite you to bring in some physical elements representing the North, like a black/brown candle or a stone, and to face the North. I'd also suggest stating aloud or in your mind that you desire to connect with the North. Then, close your eyes, connect with your breath and body and see where your mind takes you. How do you feel, what do you see in your mind's eye, and do any messages come through? This may take more than one go, and that's okay. Remember, building a relationship takes time.
Meditating or journeying to the North can be a powerful tool when you need wisdom around matters of the North, like death, birth, the physical body, and ancestral healing.
I hope in reading this you already feel more connected with the North and all its wisdom and that it's encouraged you to start building a deeper relationship with this "space." Getting this share out feels like a birth for me. It took me a long time to gather my thoughts around this big topic, so I hope you enjoyed it! I plan to explore the East around the equinox when our wheel shifts to the Spring.
Sources
The Ger and the Sacred Circle: http://buryatmongol.org/a-course-in-mongolian-shamanism/mongolian-cosmology/the-ger-and-the-sacred-circle/
Four Elements, Four Directions: Is that Celtic or Druidic:
https://www.oocities.org/rainforest/canopy/2178/celtic2.html
The Significance of the four directions in practice:
https://yogainternational.com/article/view/the-significance-of-the-four-directions-in-practice
Lakota Medicine Wheel:
http://aktalakota.stjo.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8592
Connecting With the Archetype of Death for Samhain
Samhain ushers in the third and final harvest and shifts us into the darker half of the year. Samhain is situated in between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice. This season is our annual invitation to explore and honor not only the need for death and decay but acceptance of death and decay.
Samhain ushers in the third and final harvest and shifts us into the darker half of the year. Samhain is situated in between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice. This season is our annual invitation to explore and honor not only the need for death and decay but acceptance of death and decay.
As we embark on the season of the dead, the crone, and returning to the cauldron to be transformed, we're faced with the fact that no person, animal, or plant can depart from the inevitability of the death and rebirth cycle. We see the flow of this cycle in the seasons and nature, yet so often, our human minds recoil when we think about the death phase of the cycle of life.
In this post, we'll be exploring the archetype of death in relation to the witch's new year, also known as Samhain. I'll offer some insights around why Samhain is considered the witch's new year, the importance of honoring the dead and death this season, and some ways to tune into this season through ritual and common correspondences.
Content warning, I will be discussing death and themes of death within this post, so if you are actively grieving or recently lost someone, this is a gentle notice to proceed with caution.
Listen to this article on my podcast, Rooting into Wholeness, here.
Why is Samhain the Witch's New Year?
Early in my practice working with the Wheel of the year and the seasons, It confused me that Samhain was considered the new year. Here in the states and many other places around the world, there's a hyper-focus on the new year being a time of celebration and newness. Why then does Samhain, our descent into darkness, mark the new year for those honoring nature-based spiritual practices?
Samhain is the ever-important gestational period before the return of the light. It is the part that's so often overlooked in the patriarchal and linear-driven society we currently live in, just like as the fetus transforms in the womb, the natural world retreats into decay and death during this time. We are also given the same opportunity to withdraw, allow parts to fall away, and alchemize from within.
Nature-based spiritual practices are rooted in neverending cycles, not starting points and finish lines. The witch, and anyone living alongside the seasons, not only understands but welcomes the need for decay and death. At the time of Samhain, the season calls us inward to begin this process of rest, death, and alchemy.
One of the greatest gifts of this season is the opportunity to face and learn from our relationship with death and decay, which is what we'll explore here.
Connecting with the Archetype of Death for Samhain
How do you feel in your body when you hear the words death and decay? Do you embrace these words, do they roll off of you with ease, or does something within you want to disassociate with these words?
It's easy to see how disconnected we are from death, especially in the West. We see celebrities that refuse to age, food with signs of decay thrown out, and many of our wise elders placed in homes outside of the family unit. Samhain is an opportunity to feel into all of this and become more comfortable accepting death and decay. It's an opportunity to heal our wounds around death to be more accepting of it when faced with it, whether in your own life or the life of a loved one.
If you're willing to meet this season where it is, in decay and death, it has so much to teach you, so much to teach all of us. Learning how to be in this world with more acceptance around death and even aging are some of the most freeing and empowering feelings we can cultivate. Here are common ways our ancestors connected to death and a few ways I like to connect with the archetype of death during this season.
1. Honoring loved ones and ancestors in spirit.
One of the most common themes of this season is honoring loved ones who've crossed into the spirit realm. Samhain is a time in which the veil between the physical and spirit realm is thin. If you've lost loved ones, it's an ideal time to honor and connect with them. It's also a time to connect with your ancestors. We do this at Samhain to acknowledge the lives our loved ones lived, and continue to live in spirit. Honoring deceased loved ones and ancestors can also help you tune into the archetype of death within yourself.
As someone who's lost a lot of family members, I've found that fear of death can make it challenging to connect with loved ones who've crossed over. Facing the fact that loved ones are no longer here, in physical form, brings forth an undeniable recognition of death, which can be hard.
It's important to note that everyone's grief process is unique and that denial is a natural part of grieving. I went through a long phase where I could not even look at pictures of my father and grandmother early in my grief process. If you have experienced deaths in your life, what I'm encouraging here is a curiosity around your relationship with honoring loved ones who've crossed over. How does it feel when you take time to sit and think about the people in your life who've died? Perhaps you're not ready to do that, and that's okay, but maybe it's something you are ready to do, but the fear of facing death has prevented you from such activities. If you've experienced deaths in your life, I invite you to be open and curious about where you are with this.
Some common ways to honor loved ones who've transitioned into spirit are to create an altar for them with pictures, offerings of foods and treats, and items they loved. Doing this creates a sacred portal of honor, remembrance, and connection with your loved ones in spirit. A silent or dumb supper is another way to connect with loved ones in spirit. On the night of Samhain, consider creating a meal in honor of deceased loved ones, then create place settings for them to honor them and invite them in for this season. Lastly, and especially if you dabble in psychic work, Samhain is a great time to connect with your loved ones in spirit. You could do this through any number of ways that could include tuning in psychically, tarot or oracle cards, scrying, pendulums, or any other divination tool you prefer.
Of course, this work can go far beyond that of deceased friends or immediate familial connections and can extend to your ancestors as well. If information about your cultural heritage and ancestral past is available to you, consider placing some items on your altar in honor of them as well. There's also a great past blog post from Eryn Johnson on my blog with suggestions for a guided meditation to help you connect with your ancestors for Samhain here.
2. Connecting with symbols and imagery of Death
Samhain is an opportunity to cultivate more acceptance and reverence for death. Here are some different ways to connect with the archetype of death in this way. This can be deep work. Trust that whatever suggestions you do feel called to are perfect for you at this moment.
Explore the death card in the tarot. Dig deep into the symbology and imagery of this card. Any deck you feel called to or have handy will do. Read different interpretations of the death card. Consider journaling on the card, notice what comes up naturally, how it makes you feel, etc.?
Connect with items or symbols associated with death and decay. Some options are crystal skulls, animal bones, snake sheds, or animals often associated with death like owls, crows, moths, etc. There are so many ways to connect with these items and their inherent connection to death and decay. You could simply place any of them on your altar and notice how you feel as you engage with them regularly. You could also consider meditating with them, or if journeying is a part of your practice, you could journey to them in spirit to learn from them.
Lastly, I invite you to be more open and curious about death and decay. When you interact with an elder or see an elderly person in public, what comes up for you, and how do they make you feel? When you come across fruits or vegetables in the grocery store with signs of decay, how does it make you feel, and do you pass over it for an item that appears more pristine? What comes up for you when you think about your death and the deaths of your loved ones?
Though these can be difficult questions to grapple with, they each hold seeds of wisdom and ultimately growth. If you feel the call to explore death more deeply, this is an ideal season to do so.
3. Explore and Reclaim your relationship with the dark
Even our modern interpretations of Samhain with Halloween have held onto cozying up to the dark. However, it wasn't until our early departure from Goddess-based and cyclical practices that we started to attach negative associations to darkness and death. The dark and death have not always been feared and associated with evil. It was the influx of linear patriarchal thinking, God-based religions, and white supremacy that have each deeply affected our relationship with the dark and death in harmful ways. Demetra George talks about this in her book Mysteries of the Dark Moon, which I highly recommend.
The Wheel of the Year itself is broken into a dark and light half. The dark half of the year and Winter begins with Samhain, and the light half and Summer begins with Beltaine. Even though the Wheel itself is a relatively modern interpretation of how our ancestors celebrated, we can see in the Coligny calendar of the Celts that there was deep and equal reverence for both the light and the dark.
I encourage you to notice what feelings arise when you think about the dark, whether it be the literal absence of light or black objects. You might even find it helpful to spend more time in the dark, outside or inside, simply to notice how it makes you feel and what it brings up within you. Once you start digging, it's hard to unsee all of the ways we've been trained to associate the dark with negativity. I don't offer these invitations to say that the light is bad, but it's our often dysfunctional relationship with the dark that cuts us off from the wisdom of death.
Shadow work can be a great place to start when exploring your relationship with the dark, and this season is a great time to dig into some shadow work! I've got a few past blog posts all about shadow work that you can check out here.
Common correspondences for Samhain
Here are some of my favorite common correspondences for Samhain. Most of these come from my new book, Understanding the Wheel of the Year
Themes: Ancestral connections, releasing, cleansing, death, divination, protection, the underworld
Moon Phase: Waning Crescent Crystals: Amethyst, labradorite, obsidian, onyx, hematite
Colors: Purple, black, silver, orange
Tools: Besom (broom), cauldron, skulls shapes, bones, any items that remind you of death, salt, divination tools (pendulums, tarot cards, scrying mirrors, etc.)
Plants and Scents: Mugwort, cinnamon, clove, patchouli, mullein, garlic
Foods: Apples, pomegranate, pumpkins, squash, nuts, seeds, meat
Runes: Algiz (protection, especially in the psychic realm), Ansuz (receiving wisdom), Perthro (hidden secrets and mystery), Othalo (ancestry), Isa (halt or freeze action)
Zodiac: Scorpio
Goddesses: Cailleach, Cerridwen, Hecate, Lilith, Persephone
Tarot card: Death, Wheel of Fortune
If you're looking for some less grim rituals than what I've offered here, haha, I have you covered too! This is indeed a season to celebrate, even if it centers around death. One of my favorite activities at Samhain is to do a thorough house cleansing and to add some extra protective layers to my space. I have an in-depth past blog post all about this that you can check out here. It's also a great time to perform psychic work of all kinds, which I touched on with connecting with your ancestors, but any kind of psychic work for any purpose can be incredibly potent during this season. Find more rituals for Samhain here.
Wishing you a magical and blessed Samhain! xoxo Cassie
