RitualCravt Journal
Tarotscopes | July 2022
TAROTSCOPES | July 2022
By Justin Taylor
Happy July everyone! As you are reading this it is most likely Cancer season, and the astrology for the rest of the month, just gets more and more Cancerian. In essence Cancer season puts an emphasis on emotions, our loved ones and how we nurture what we value. These themes will run throughout the entirety of this month as multiple planets will be entering this sign.
An astrological transit that could be felt very heavily by the collective comes on July 13th through the 14th, which is Venus square Neptune. This transit is an interesting one as it will exacerbate current mindsets or feelings. Neptune rules dreams, the subconscious and hidden emotions. As Neptune will be in Pisces at this time, it can make for a wild ride. Most comparable to a psychedelic trip, you may recognize intrusive thoughts spurring from seemingly nowhere. I would encourage all to engage in self reflection, journaling, or a creative project. When met with this perspective it can turn into something beautiful instead of a tantrum or an abrupt meltdown.
On the 23rd, Leo season begins and things become much more lighthearted and jovial. At this time both the sun and mercury will be be in Leo, making for the perfect time to start a new creative project, network, or put yourself out there. These themes will be even more heightened on the 28th for the Leo new moon.
The month ends with Jupiter stationing retrograde in the sign of Aries, and cycling all the way back into Pisces come October. Jupiter is the planet of expansion, luck and blessings; so look at the Aries portion of your chart and see where you can tailor and perfect whatever has expanded for you. Unlike other retrogrades, which can be challenging, Jupiter retrograde is more focused on refinement.
The early Summer astrology is always the most invigorating as the astrology is always about value, nurturing and most importantly expression. This July be cool, be kind, and let those close to you know how much you love them.
The card for the collective this month is The Chariot! A perfect card for the collective, as this is the card of Cancer! The Chariot speaks to being victorious through any obstacle and moving through challenges with ease. At this time a clear plan and desire are all you need to navigate any detours that may be in your way.
Aries – Seven of Wands
A very fitting card for the sign of Aries, the Seven of wands is all about defending and protecting. If you are in the process of something and feel unsure, don’t back down stand your ground. Ultimately, this card is about trust. Trust yourself enough to affirm your position no matter what others may think.
Taurus – Seven of Cups
How do we turn dreams into reality? This is what the Seven of Cups is all about, Taurus. The card of irrational ideas and childlike day dreams, can be an invitation to apply logic to make those dreams come true. At this time ruminate and list on how you’d live your dream day or experience. As an Earth sign your ability to materialize this will be fairly simple once you choose to.
Gemini – Eight of Pentacles
Focus on yourself this July Gemini. The Eight of Pentacles signals to being immersed in what you are trying to accomplish. Visualize as if you are planting the seeds now to grow what is you truly want. It is not selfish to perfect and tend to what brings you joy.
Cancer- Nine of Wands
After many challenges in the recent past you are on the precipice for success. Set backs and struggles have not delayed you but have made for an even more meaningful win. Whether it is emotional, material or financial you will succeed no matter the odds. It is YOUR season after all.
Leo – The Hermit
Very anti Leo, the Hermit card is all about navigating your own path and going it alone. After looking closely, you will see that the Hermit is carrying a small lantern, depicting that you are the provider of your light. Knowing this, remember this is true for you as well. Do things that are unique to you, let your light shine and refuse anything that makes you feel small.
Virgo –Nine of Cups
Letting the good times roll is all you have to focus on Virgo. You have worked hard and now are about to reap the rewards. One of the most joyful cards in the tarot, the Nine of Cups is about abundance. Positivity, love and wishes come true are spilling out of your near future. Whatever the success is for you personally, enjoy it to the fullest.
Libra – The Magician
July is a reminder that you can always start anywhere Libra! The magician is the first card of the tarot and the start of a new cycle. If you have been contemplating something new, jump in and start now. The magician does not wait, knowing he can create magic from nothing. The same is true for you.
Scorpio – Knight of Swords
When the Knight of Swords appears, it’s a signifier that nothing will stand in your way when fixated on a particular goal or achievement. This is a great sign if you are considering a new undertaking, but be mindful when only looking ahead that you may miss some details or necessary steps. Simply put, take extra consideration of refinement and details to make sure everything goes smoothly. You’ve got this Scorpio!
Sagittarius –The Moon
Wait for more information. The energy of the Moon Card is that of a magical darkness where everything is illusionary at best. Just as the moon brings light to the night sky, wait for clarity and details to cast out any uncertainty. If you were planning any major changes this month, make sure you know exactly what’s expected before engaging.
Capricorn –The Star
Time to shine Capricorn! This July might be a tad awkward for you as Cancer season opposes your sign, forcing you to show up in ways you are unfamiliar with. The Star card is here to make you remember that its ok to process emotions as they come up, and let yourself be seen. The depiction of the water bearer is symbolic of Aquarius who traditionally avoids emotional conflict. Especially with a full moon in your sign this month, there might be a lot of things to shine light on and bring to the surface. Let it all in and let it all go.
Aquarius -The Emperor
All or nothing this July, Aquarius. The Emperor shows up when we need to work a little bit harder on achieving a certain goal. As a fire card this is usually more actual work not just symbolism. Take real action to get what you need done, otherwise you may miss the opportunity. Keep your eye on the prize.
Pisces – Page of Cups
Open your mind to new ideas, inspiration and follow them through Pisces. The Page of Cups is all about letting inspiration and intuition guide you no matter how seemingly difficult. Already idealistic you should have no problem being guided by an invisible force urging you to create. If single, this card could also be an invitation to be open to the love someone is waiting to give you.
Tarotscopes | June 2022
TAROTSCOPES | June 2022
By Justin Taylor
Happy June everyone! After a very chaotic past two months the sky is calming down for a much more uplifting spring. The first astrological event to take note of happens early this month on June 4th, Saturn retrograding in the sign of Aquarius. Saturn is the planet of boundaries, restriction and consequences. So this retrograde will be a personal assessment of how we restrict ourselves and an invitation to rethink our own boundaries.
This event may be more apparent later on in the month when Saturn aspects Venus, making us rethink values and our relationships with budgeting and money.
On June 14th we have a beautiful full moon in the sign of Sagittarius which is uplifting and optimistic. The key word around this lunation would be optimism. As frequently mentioned full moons are all about release, so this could be a great day to assess pessimism and look for happier results.
Lastly, we have a new moon in the sign of Cancer on June 28th. This will bring great harmony to end of this month as a majority of the planets will be in their own sign. Making for a smooth and peaceful ending to the month.
The tarot card for the collective this June is The World. The World card is harmonious and signifies the end of a cycle. It is a harbinger of wholeness and community and happier times to come. After many stressful weeks that have passed us this is a beautiful card to initiate the second half of this year. I hope you all have the most beautiful month.
Aries - Four of Cups
This June Aries, take it slow. The Four of Cups is card associated with apathy and melancholic themes, but ultimately it is an invitation to slow down and listen to yourself. Take note of what currently is not bringing you joy and then find ways to change it. This card illustrates a cup being gifted from the clouds, which is symbolic of the new blessings awaiting you after you get clear on what it is you need.
Taurus -Two of Pentacles
After a heavy eclipse season in your sign you might be in your feels this month as things settle down. The Two of Pentacles is all about the balancing act. Whatever situations you are balancing, you are being called to finally prioritize one thing more than the other. This is not to say drop the ball completely, but rather redirecting yourself into the aspect that is calling for more attention.
Gemini - Justice
The Justice card is perfect for your season Gemini. Ultimately this card is about balance and fairness. Its appearance for you in the month June symbolizes an assessment of your actions. After any conflicts of disputes that have transpired in the recent past you will be rewarded for your good behavior. On the opposite end if you feel as if you might owe someone an apology take this card as a signifier to make amends.
Cancer- Queen of Cups
The Queen of Cups is already a card that screams Cancer energy. Her appearance for you this month is all about diving into your emotions and letting them empower you to help others or help yourself. Depending on the current circumstances you or a loved one might be in an emotionally heightened space where aid and support are needed. If you have somebody to love give that love today.
Leo - The Star
The Star card is a special one, it is a reminder that we are all we need in this current moment. After what might have been a tough go of things, the cards are reminding you that something to celebrate is near. Whether you want a new career, romantic partner or a new adventure take this as an invitation that all you need is your unique star power, and some courage to make it happen. All the lights are on you.
Virgo -Three of Pentacles
Teamwork and pooling support are what could make the impossible possible for you Virgo. The Three of Pentacles is a reminder that you are not facing any issue alone, but instead are surrounded by a network of support that is willing to help. As an Earth sign you are more likely not to ask for help, but not only will it make things more efficient, it will let those who care show you how much they really do!
Libra - King of Pentacles
Security and abundance are the priority for you this June, Libra. The King of Pentacles speaks to an increase in financial security and generosity. Take this as an omen that the more you have the more comfortable you are being generous with others. Whatever security either literally or financially you have achieved has put you in a position of comfort and ease this month.
Scorpio - Nine of Cups
Such a joyful card, the Nine of Cups is telling you wishes do come true. A card of success and fulfillment, take this moment to be grateful for all you have currently and all the blessings that are still on their way. After many ups and downs in your recent past be joyful that things are coming to a happy resolution.
Sagittarius -Nine of Pentacles
After a period of hard work, the rewards are starting to show up this month Sag! Nine cards in the tarot are all about rewards and success. In this case it is financial and tangible rewards due to laborious activity. So if you have a fitness or monetary goal those achievements will be given! Pat yourself on the back and celebrate all the amazing work you put into this.
Capricorn -Three of Cups
Gather your friends around this month Capricorn for there is reason to celebrate. The month of June is set to be a very social active month for you according to this card. Take this an invitation to not take things so seriously and actually enjoy life. The Three of Cups is a reminder to spend time with those we love, and to smell the roses while we do it.
Aquarius -Ace of Swords
Already a heavily cerebral sign Aquarius, you’ll find a change of perception will change your trajectory. This card is an indicator of new information coming your way making you able to act accordingly. If you have been a period of rest or not knowing what to do next, this is your break through. Keep an open mind at this time so that inspiration can make itself known.
Pisces - The Lovers
A deepening of relationships could be in store for you this month Pisces. The Lovers card is heavily layered. It can be an indicator of new romantic love, but it is also about the duality and the deeper layers of the relationships we currently have. How are you currently showing up for those you love? How are those you love showing up for you? The duality and the balance of love are called for examination with this card presentness itself.
Stop Making Sense: Dionysian Mysteries, Counterculture, and the Liberatory Power of Ecstasy
Stop Making Sense: Dionysian Mysteries, Counterculture, and the Liberatory Power of Ecstasy
By Connor Marvin
Dedicated to the memory of Wilhelm Reich, P.B. Randolph, and all those who have kept the Light of Dionysus lit through our dark age.
“We have to create culture, don’t watch TV, don’t read magazines, don’t even listen to NPR. Create your own roadshow. The nexus of space and time where you are now is the most immediate sector of your universe, and if you’re worrying about Michael Jackson or Bill Clinton or somebody else, then you are disempowered, you’re giving it all away to icons, icons which are maintained by an electronic media so that you want to dress like X or have lips like Y. This is sh*t-brained, this kind of thinking. That is all cultural diversion, and what is real is you and your friends and your associations, your highs, your orgasms, your hopes, your plans, your fears. And we are told ‘no’, we’re unimportant, we’re peripheral. ‘Get a degree, get a job, get a this, get a that.’ And then you’re a player, you don’t want to even play in that game. You want to reclaim your mind and get it out of the hands of the cultural engineers who want to turn you into a half-baked moron consuming all this trash that’s being manufactured out of the bones of a dying world” (Terence McKenna).
Since the lunar nodes have moved into the same position they were in leading up to the Summer of Love in 1967, and because of the astrological signatures of the upcoming eclipse on April 30th, I have felt it important to release a much-expanded version of this piece which was initially published before the Summer Solstice of 2021. The south node is in Scorpio, the sign of (among other things) trauma, darkness, intensity, and the shadow, while the north node is in Taurus, the sign of sensory pleasure, material abundance, fertility, luxury, and bodily joy (and, yes, sometimes stubbornness). The north node is, in older understandings of astrology, “gluttonous” – it has a head but no body, an appetite but can never be full. The north node or head of the eclipse dragon is often seen, in the birth chart, as the karmic direction towards which the soul wants to move over the course of its incarnation.
The south node, on the other hand, is ascetic – it has a body but no head, therefore cannot eat, and is seen in the birth chart as the karmic direction the soul wants to evolve out of. Collectively, nodal shifts tend to purge themes from the south node and move towards themes from the north node. Release naturally follows tension, as drawing the bow-string back is only half of archery. The amount of tension that has been built by the pandemic and (mostly intelligent) restrictions on our lives and movement for over two years, in addition to all the tension from all the other critical issues and movements in the world, cannot be overstated. This article is meant to suggest one possible direction we might point the arrow of our collective energy, perhaps a more useful direction than whatever bull’s-eyes we are given by the dominant American culture and its messaging apparatus. Let the arrow fly.
On April 30th, our first Taurus North Node eclipse will occur close to Uranus, the planet of revolutionary change. Sextile by sign (though not in direct aspect) on the same day will be the exact conjunction of Venus and Jupiter in Pisces. These are the two benefics, the planet of joy, wisdom, generosity, expansion, wisdom, and abundance meeting with the planet of love, harmony, beauty, and art, in Pisces, the sign of oceanic nondual merging. Venus is exalted in Pisces (think of the myth of her birth from the ocean foam), and Jupiter is in rulership. As this will be a solar eclipse, the moon (exalted in Taurus) will be new, and the ruler of the sign the new moon occurs in “rules” the lunar cycle until the next new moon. As Taurus is ruled by Venus, the importance and relevance of her (in one of the most auspicious placements possible at that moment) is highlighted even more. In short, this looks good. There is massive potential to reorient the collective towards love, harmony, and beauty, which is clearly lacking in our social structures, systems of governance, and economic system.
I will be discussing the historical “Hippy” movement, and I ask that you set your resentments and judgments aside for the moment. I see much of this common distain as based in misreadings of history. The incredibly visible but statistically small Hippy movement of the late ‘60s laid the groundwork for the resurgence of witchcraft and the occult we are seeing today. In fact, the explosive popularization of Tarot cards, Astrology, and various forms of meditation today are a direct parallel and result of that cultural upheaval. Countercultural movements in the 1960s produced social and political change on a scale that goes largely unacknowledged, in part because we take it for granted, in part because much of it was un-done during the Reagan era. This emergence of liberationist ideology mixed with interest in direct experience, psycho-social authenticity, and consciousness expansion was incredibly dangerous to the status-quo. Despite how new and sudden the movement in the 60s seemed, it bore marked similarities with movements and traditions throughout time and place, all of them dangerous to established power structures. It may lie dormant for decades or centuries in any given culture, but will erupt when it is needed. IO DIONYSUS IO.
The Hippie counter-cultural movement of the late 60s has been deliberately painted as unintellectual and naïve, its revolutionary potential and accomplishments reduced to juvenile aesthetic. The reality was far more interesting. The problems and downfalls of the Hippie movement are myriad, and outside the scope of this article; in short, the movement was torn apart when the community of idealistic young runaways was beset by predatory pimps and pushers on one hand and police and state counterintelligence on the other. Much has already been written on the shortcomings of the movement; instead, I wish to connect that movement, and movements like it, to ancient Pagan, mystic, and indigenous lineages and provide keys for doorways by which one might further enter into that eons-old tradition of ecstatic, transgressive liberation movements.
“A tree arose. O pure transcendence!
O Orpheus sings! O tall tree within the ear!
And all was silent. Yet in that silence
pulsed new genesis, new signaling, new change.”
(Sonnets to Orpheus I.i, Rainer Maria Rilke, translated by Edward Snow)
The Diggers of the 60s, who named themselves after a 17th century English Christian-Communist movement of reclaiming public land for agriculture and sharing food and property, were community anarchists who organized street theater, free stores, and other community projects. Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, and Jefferson Airplane played at their events. One Diggers-organized action was driving a flatbed truck full of naked belly dancers through the financial district of San Francisco, inviting the wealthy black-suited normies to climb aboard and abandon their jobs. This gives a good indication of the energy they brought. Thousands of youth flocked to San Francisco in 1967 during the “Summer of Love,” many of them runaways (the lunar nodes moved into the same position they are now earlier that same year). Flyers were posted around the city by concerned parents begging their children to call or return home. Hundreds slept in Golden Gate park that summer, fed for free by the Diggers and other groups.
Established psychedelic-left community organizations and individuals were tasked with “turning on” these young people, who were drawn as if by a magnet to the brightness and freedom of the emerging Hippie movement but who had very little experience living on their own and often no articulate sense of what they were doing. The philosophy of the Hippies was similar to that of Thelema’s “do what thou wilt will be the whole of the law” – in essence, if everybody “does their thing,” if we all embody our fullest authenticity and withhold judgment of others, we can be free. In order for this to work, people must withdraw their projections and assume that those around them (at least those in the movement) are doing their best to embody their Dharma, Tao, or True Will. With this was combined a radical compassion and love for others that more closely resembled the teachings of Christ than the dour, bigoted, joyless manifestations of various Churches that bear his name. This potent combination of devotion to both individual liberty and service to others is likely as old as humanity, visible in the artworks of prehistoric peoples clearly showing reverence for the human (as self and other) as well as the environment.
White radical Hippies asked the Black Panthers what they could do to support the movement, and were told to start a parallel organization, the White Panthers. Their demands included total abolition of private property, police and jails, and money. An excerpt of a White Panthers statement reads, “Our program of rock and roll, dope and fucking in the streets is a program of total freedom for everyone. We are totally committed to carrying out our program. We breathe revolution. We are LSD driven total maniacs of the universe. We will do anything we can to drive people crazy out of their heads and into their bodies.” The Pink Panthers were also formed, a group of queer radicals who dressed in pink and provided community defense for other queer people in an environment where violence from both police and straight society was commonplace. The Hippie movement was largely aligned with various queer, feminist, and racial liberation movements, as well as the anti-war and anti-nuclear movements (the “peace symbol” comes from the semaphore nautical flag code for “ND,” Nuclear Disarmament, within a circle).
The Hippie protest tactic of “love-ins” or “be-ins” was particularly disorienting to the establishment. Instead of ordinary protest, which police were and are more than happy to demolish with violence, Hippies would gather high out of their minds and just socialize. A loud and colorful crowd of freaks gathered in front of the courthouse giggling and laying in the grass to protest the arrest of someone for giving oral sex on a park bench in broad daylight. By using non-ordinary protest tactics, Police were forced to grapple with the reality that their ordinary antidemocratic tactics might not be suitable for the job. The Hippies were often welcomed by the mostly Black neighborhood of Haight-Ashbury – they didn’t drive up housing prices, because straight white society didn’t want to live next to Hippies. They were overwhelmingly poor, often cramming roommates into small apartments and supporting themselves by selling zines or countercultural paraphernalia on the street. The Hippies were not homogenously white, though that was the majority. Despite this, white Hippies were routinely targeted, harassed, and beaten by the police. By marginalizing themselves, they stepped towards solidarity with their Black neighbors.
The idea was to refuse to participate in or contribute in any meaningful way to mainstream society. Not in some grim, dour, cynical, nihilistic way, but ecstatically, joyfully. Attraction rather than promotion – people were drawn to the movement not by intellectual logic or appeals to a sense of shame, but because the Hippies really looked like they were having a better and freer time than mainstream American culture offered. Dropping out really meant it – abandon middle-class success culture. Spend your days sitting in the park, “doing nothing.” Get high and make art. Make love, not war. Drop acid, not bombs. Burn your draft card and risk prison. If you have some money, buy a plot of land and deny access to it to no one. Less critique, more creation. Abandon Puritanism in all its forms – sexual, moral, rational, political. Strike at the jugular of the Machine, with an ecstatic smile on your face.
“Spring has come again. The earth
is like a child who knows poems by heart;
many, so many!… For the work
of such long learning, she wins the prize.”
(Sonnets to Orpheus I.xxi, Rilke, tr. Snow)
The Dionysian Mysteries are at least 5,000 years old, and likely a continuation of an older tradition. The cult thrived in matriarchal Minoan culture, and spread across the Mediterranean. Hellenic Greece by contrast was aggressively patriarchal – there were laws in many places that dictated the types of sounds women were allowed to make in public. Local Dionysian Mystery cults, on the other hand, were often women-only or women-majority, and both the Greek and Roman state considered them a threat to stability and state control. Greek and Roman attempts at controlling or banishing the Dionysian Mysteries failed for centuries. It was only the forced Christianization of the Roman Empire that eventually led to the Mysteries falling silent – which is ironic, considering the similarities between early Christian and Dionysian rites. In the centuries after Christ, there is ample documentation of Gnostic Christian sects having orgies to celebrate the eucharist, with menstrual blood taken to be the wine and semen taken to be the bread.
The Mysteries of Dionysus were rural, egalitarian, and decentralized. People of all classes, including enslaved people, were welcomed as initiates. So serious was their dedication to egalitarianism that people were turned away if their clothing was too expensive or their hair was braided in a fashion indicating higher class. Initiates took vows of silence, so little is known of the techne (method) of ritual initiation. What is known are the effects – Greek philosophers and historians describe initiates as coming to an unwavering peace and loss of any fear of death. It was said that to die without ever experiencing the mysteries would be like never having lived at all. To experience and therefore conquer death while still in a living form was the common aim of the ancient Mysteries (mutu qabla an tamutu, “die before death,” is also the motto of the Sufis, which will be discussed later). Fearless people are always a problem to Authority. Euripides’ play The Bacchae describes the god leading his bands of Maenads (female devotees) into the hills to observe the mysteries, who would tear apart any man who stood in their way. The Maenads were feared by “straight society” in Greece, as they would go into an ecstatic frenzy during religious holidays, and Dionysus was a god of liberation, not state dogma. This was not the stoic intellectualism of the urban elite, but an anarchistic (an-archos means without rulers, not without order), orgiastic cult of rural and common people. Most scholars agree that these initiations involved drinking wine spiked with some entheogenic psychedelic from a kantharos (drinking vessel). Many myths and references also describe Dionysus’ travels through Asia, and Cannabis Indica was burned as an offering to Dionysus in areas where Greek and Indian culture mingled.
In Plato’s Phaedrus, he differentiates ordinary mania (madness) from theomania (divine madness). He delineates four types of theomania – Poetic, Telestic, Mantic, and Erotic. These gifts from the gods liberate the experiencer, as opposed to ordinary mania / madness which is psychologically destabilizing. Poetic theomania is inspired by the Muses – Plato goes so far as to explicitly say that sane people cannot write good poetry. They must be possessed, god-mad, and only then can they serve as a channel for true poetry. Mantic theomania is a prophetic state, inspired by Apollo – again, the prophesy does not come from the human but rather through them. Erotic mania, inspired by Eros or Aphrodite, is the divine madness of love. This is not ordinary infatuation, which also has the ability to induce ordinary madness, but rather a sublime, ecstatic state. Eros and Dionysus share an epithet or title – Eleutherios, “the Liberator.” Telestic theomania refers to the divine madness induced by initiation, and is specifically associated with Dionysus and his mystery cults. It was this madness that gripped the Maenads and Bacchantes and so terrified the Greek and Roman states that they spent centuries unsuccessfully trying to eradicate the Dionysian mysteries. Let us prove that their repression was a failure.
“Will transformation. O be ravenous for the fire
in which a thing boastful with change forever eludes you;
that designing Spirit which plots earth’s flourishes, –
it loves most in the figure’s energy the moment of turning.”
(Sonnets to Orpheus II.xii, Rilke, tr. Snow)
Greek historians identified Dionysus with Shiva, who was accused in the Rig Veda of teaching mystical secrets to the lowly and of leading a band of young delinquents who mocked normative society. Shaivist Tantra is the earliest organized manifestation of Tantra in India, and Tantric devotees (bhaktas – notice the similarity to Bacchantes) of Shiva walk a path just as transgressive and ecstatic as those of Dionysus. Shaivist Tantra (more commonly known as Kashmir Shaivism) is a living tradition practiced by hundreds of thousands of sadhakas today. Dionysus is also identified with the Roman Liber (the etymological root of “liberty”) as well as Osiris, another dying-and-rising god associated with beer.
In addition to various lineages of Tantric Yoga, another tradition that has clearly inherited remnants of the Dionysian current is Sufism. Pir Zia Inayat-Khan describes how in India, to this day around the urs (“wedding,” meaning anniversary of the death of a Sufi saint, the day they went to meet their Beloved) of a famous saint wild dervishes will emerge from the jungle, puffing chillums of hashish, long dreadlocks swaying in the humid heat, and make their way to the grave-shrine of the saint. For days before the urs, the Sufis will gather at the shrine, often without sleep, and go into a God-intoxicated trance of drumming, music, singing, and ecstatic dancing. After the urs, they will make their way back into the jungle. Like Plato, Sufis differentiate two forms of madness – majnun describes one who is struck with ordinary madness, while majzub describes one who is God-intoxicated, and appears drunk in their state of ecstasy and union with the divine Beloved. Traditional names for Sufis – dervish, fakir, salik, even the term Sufi itself – were originally disparaging terms meaning something like “bum” or “vagrant.” These were and are people who truly tuned in, turned on, and dropped out. As Kabir, the famous Indian poet who was likely both a Sufi and Shaivist Yogi said, “I have burned my house down. Follow me, and I will burn your house down as well.”
The politics of the Sufis also mirror those of the ancient Dionysians and modern eruptions of that ecstatic current. Chishti Indian Sufis were so committed to not going to the courts of kings (not bowing to or waiting on worldly state power) that one saint, Nizamuddin, refused to bow to the king even under threat of death. The king was away on a military campaign and sent word that when he returned to Delhi all the Sufis would be killed. Nizamuddin’s murids (students) were frightened, but every time they would suggest fleeing he would reassure them, saying, “Delhi is still a long ways off.” The night before the king would have arrived in Delhi, his tent collapsed, killing him instantly.
“Delhi is still a long ways off” is still a saying in India, a reminder not to bow to worldly power, for the true sovereignty is an awakened heart before which even powerful kings should bow. There are many stories of kings going to study with Sufi sheikhs and being turned away, because the worldly power and influence was understood to be such a corrupting force, no matter the purity of the king’s intention. The idea is that, instead of courting worldly power, we can use spiritual power to establish paradise here and now, in our own communities, instead of waiting on the state to fix the problems it created. Most Chishti darghas (grave-shrines of saints) serve food to hundreds or thousands of poor people in India every day. Anyone familiar with Rumi or Sufi poetry in general will be familiar with the use of wine and drunkenness as a central metaphor for the ecstatic state of union with the Divine, another thread connecting them to the Dionysian mysteries.
I hope you don’t take all this to be glorifying psychedelics as the path to liberation, though they do have the tendency to liberate people from conditioned patterns of thinking and acting. Consciousness expansion without a stable container and orientation towards service to others lead to all kinds of neurosis. I have over 11 years sober, and my experience with both Sufism and Tantra (within the traditional container of teacher and lineage) has proved that the incredibly powerful ecstatic states and experiences described by the saints and poets of various traditions are not always indicative of some hidden “entheogen.” This experience is not exclusive to these traditions, and is clearly evident in the historical record of European Witchcraft. Most lineage traditions of the world hold the keys to this experience, even when they are covered up by dogma or colonialism. These states are accessible to us, and they are part of the birthright of humanity.
Many traditions have initiation rituals involving things that, without a ritual container, would otherwise be traumatic (sensory deprivation, fasting, isolation, ritual burial etc.). It is my experience that ecstasy as I have spoken of it here is the opposite of trauma, and can bring a healing and transformative sacred container to those moments where we felt the sacredness of our being was demolished. From the Hippy movement to the Dionysian mysteries, people entering into a direct experience of the sacredness and interconnectedness of all being causes changes not only in how you feel and think, but how you act – instead of theory, instead of being held as a cognitive object, ecstasy is embodied belonging and connection. Various protest and liberation movements in the modern era (the environmental movement being the most visible and obvious) have arisen specifically from the ground of the ecstatic experience produced by psychedelics, ecstatic spiritual practices, or both. There are some experiences you can’t un-have. You cannot objectify a landscape into a dollar amount or resource to exploit if you have heard its voice and felt its breath. This isn’t “New-Age,” this is animism, this is the primordial tradition.
“Torn open by us again and again,
the god is the place that heals.
We’re jagged, because we want to know,
but he is scattered and serene.”
(Sonnets to Orpheus II.xvi, Rilke, tr. Snow)
I am calling on Dionysus. Pleading, wild-eyed, dancing, pounding on the gates of Paradise begging for the Waters of Life to flush the world. We are so used to playing defense, so numb to the onslaught of atrocity, that we forget what it would feel like if we were winning. Yes, the situation is grim. All life hangs in the balance, and a tide of war, authoritarianism, and biosphere collapse seems poised to snuff out this beautiful experiment of life on earth. The human species needs to evolve, and quickly. Those interested in the psycho-spiritual evolution of humanity are hopelessly outnumbered, but we are not fighting alone. The joy-denying fast-food megachurch of hate commonly masquerading as Christianity in this country makes frequent use of spiritual means to effect political and social change. If the political situation is any indication, it seems to be working for them. I suggest we try the same, but – instead of mass prayer to elect the most right-wing candidates imaginable as dictated by the hierarchy of the church and motivated by fear and hate – autonomous ecstatic ritual to bring liberation to all as dictated by the desire of the individual and motivated by love, harmony, and beauty. I see no evidence that cynicism is productive, and I see no reason to aim for anything less than wild utopia.
Feel the ecstatic potential of this cultural moment. Widespread political and social repression, disconnection from body, community and nature, the bow has pulled back, the tension increasing by the day. Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of Peace. Paradise is our birthright, and damned be any who stand in the way of Love. There are so many books on magic and so few of them contain anything directed towards collective liberation, and even fewer that mention the ecstatic experience or how to get there. How many long for the sublime touch of bodily presence, thirsty for one drop, one moment of actually being here on purpose and loving it? How much of the animal, the explosive ecstatic surging life-force within us, is straining at the bit as the reigns begin to fray? What titanic copulations are waiting to be unleashed? As we move deeper into spring and eclipse season, may the receding tide of paranoia, alienation, and restriction be swallowed by an even greater wave of Love, reveling, and liberation. I imagine naked poetry readings howling at the moon from the rooftops; I imagine trauma survivors gathering to collectively invoke pleasure, safety, and rest, marinating our nervous systems in the ambrosia of what we thought was taken from us; I imagine a Summer of Love less naïve, more informed by grounded political and psychological theory than that of 1967. The masculine-colonial cult of rationalism has had its time and failed, we must put Ecstasy back on the throne. DIONYSUS ELEUTHERIOS, may all beings be free.
“Quiet friend who has come so far,
feel how your breathing makes more space around you.
Let this darkness be a bell tower
and you the bell. As you ring,
what batters you becomes your strength.
Move back and forth into the change.
What is it like, such intensity of pain?
If the drink is bitter, turn yourself to wine.
In this uncontainable night,
be the mystery at the crossroads of your senses,
the meaning discovered there.
And if the world has ceased to hear you,
say to the silent earth: I flow.
To the rushing water, speak: I am.”
(Sonnets to Orpheus II.xxix Rainer Maria Rilke, tr. Joanna Macy)
Partial Bibliography –
Mystai by Peter Mark Adams
Dionysus: Exciter to Ecstasy by Vikki Bramshaw
Tree of Lights: The Chishti Lineage of Hazrat Inayat Khan by Pir Zia Inayat-Khan
In the Teahouse of Experience by Pir Netanel Miles-Yepez
Gods of Love and Ecstasy by Alain Danielou
The Immortality Key: The Secret History of the Religion with No Name by Brian C. Muraresku
Revolution (1967), a documentary filmed at the height of the (first) Summer of Love in the heart of Height-Ashbury, San Francisco, available for free on YouTube.
Tarotscopes | May 2022
TAROTSCOPES | May 2022
By Justin Taylor
May 2022 is definitely packed full of interesting astrological transits, to say the least. We essentially start this month off with the lunar eclipse in Scorpio on April 30th. The two signs of Taurus and Scorpio are the main characters for the next few months with eclipse season taking place here. Regardless if you have any planets in either of these signs, these eclipses will be felt by the collective. Both of these signs relate to possession and obsession, and these themes will be on full display again come the second Scorpio eclipse on May 15th.
Lunar eclipses in essence are super charged full moons, where we are asked to release what is no longer serving us. During this time look closely as to what you have been fixated by and ask yourself if there is a better way to actualize it. There is a way to obtain your goals without becoming obsessed or consumed by it.
On May 10th, Mercury will be retrograde in the sign of Gemini until June 2nd. Notorious for all the mishaps and inconveniences, this retrograde shouldn’t be too awful. For those with Gemini or Virgo placements it will be felt more intensely. As always, don’t get caught up in all the disempowering pop-astrology and remember a retrograde is simply a time to rethink and redo. Annoying for sure, but not the end of the world.
There is also great potential for growth around individuality and personal power this month. Aries, the sign of the individual and self assurance will have both Venus and Jupiter in its domain. The impact this will have on the collective will be largely felt. The ability to be confident in our actions and most importantly ourselves will be at the forefront. The only downside to this may be a tendency for impulsive reactions and decisions that create negative backlash.
The tarot card for the collective this month is The High Priestess! With all that is transpiring in the cosmos for the month of May, this card is a great reminder to turn inward. When the High Priestess appears, it is a message to listen and honor your intuition. Look beyond what the conscious mind is telling you and listen to the small inner voice. There is a saying in some esoteric circles, that the ego mind speaks first and speaks loudest. Fight the instinct to go off of that alone and make sure your actions align with your true intent.
Aries - Queen of Pentacles
This May feel open to self care and the pursuit of activities that provide pleasure. As Venus will be in your sign this month, this is extremely aligned for you. This can always be seen as an invention to assess what is you value. The Queen of Pentacles wants you embrace all of these themes and make sure that your needs are being met.
Taurus -Eight of Cups
Traditionally the card of apathy, the Eight of Cups can also be very enlightening Taurus. As previously mentioned you are center stage this eclipse season. Some questions to be asking yourself this month may be “What do I need to let go of to feel more fulfilled?” “In what ways am I holding myself back from being completely satisfied with my life.” Certainly heavier dialogue, but much needed. The stars are quite literally aligning to urge you forward into a space where things never felt as beautiful. Surrender all the past habits that have created any malaise you have with life, and embrace what is to come.
Gemini -The Magician
A great omen to get this May, Gemini! The Magician is the reminder that we have all we need to succeed. Take this month to draft your game plan and get going. Whatever it is you have your eye set on, it is more than achievable. The Magician is our ability to create magic at any point. All you need is in front of you, go for it.
Cancer- The Fool
A new adventure is unfolding in front of you Cancer. Unlike anything from your past, the fools journey is taking you somewhere unexpected. Even if you have no major plans to change things up, they will change regardless. No need to worry, unlike Death or The Tower, the Fool’s energy is playful and enjoyable. New love, new job, new depths whatever transpires will be something worthwhile.
Leo - The Lovers
Relationships are at the focus for you this month Leo. Single or partnered, the lovers card is about the duality we have within all our interpersonal relationships. Can this card be seen as an omen for new love, absolutely! But at its core it speaks much more for how we show up in our existing relationships. Anything lacking in these relationships is most likely something you are refusing to give. Forgiveness, understanding, intimacy the list goes on. Pay close attention to how you want to show up for those at this time.
Virgo -Two of Swords
As a mercurial sign Virgo, it is time to tap into you keen sense of detail to power through this month. The Two of Swords is about inability to make a choice, to feel conflicted mentally. As mercury will be retrograde for the duration of the month this makes sense. Give yourself grace, and allow yourself to process things slower than usual.
Libra - The Chariot
Literal movement or progression seems to be likely for you this month Libra. The Chariot is the card of transportation. It is a signifier of things needing to move in order to progress. So if you are not literally in the process of a big move, it can also be seen as something needing to progress. If you have been idle these past months get going on something you are passionate about.
Scorpio - Seven of Pentacles
Like your opposing sign Taurus you have a lot in the stars for this month Scorpio. Themes of what you value may already be presenting themselves to you. The Seven of Pentacles is all about reaping the rewards of your investments. After what may haver been a challenging few months, or years even, your hard work has paid off. If not at that stage yet, take this as an indicator of the results that will come from the work you are putting in now.
Sagittarius -Knight of Pentacles
You may have the inclination to devote yourself to something around education, work or career this month Sagittarius. The Knight is about the pursuit, but in a steady way that will allow for maximum reward. So if you feel inclined to engage in a task with more effort than you would usually apply than proceed forward. Being in the suit of pentacles know it is about slow and steady wins the race.
Capricorn -The Moon
The Moon is one of the most complex cards in the entirety of the tarot. Thematically it can be described as the subconscious mind; dark, complex and confusing. The duality here is that the moon is what lights the night sky. When this card appears it is ok to step back and evaluate your inner workings. Situations might arise or secrets about those close to you will come forward only to aid in your understanding. During this time try any activity that can get you more in touch with yourself. Art, journaling and meditation are all beautiful outlets for this form of energy.
Aquarius -Three of Pentacles
Teamwork makes the dream work for you this month Aquarius. The Three of Pentacles is here to remind you of the support already available to you, able to aid you in whatever goal you are seeking. Take inventory of those already in your network that may be able to help your pursuits. Naturally independent, this may be out of your comfort zone, but will surely get the job done in a more efficient way.
Pisces -Judgement
Reckoning with the past is what the Judgement card is all about Pisces. Finalizing one cycle and starting new. When this card shows up take it as an indicator for self evaluation. It is an awakening of all things that are possible through analyzing what has come before, and how you can change your future. With the information you uncover use it as a tool to create a new cycle that’s even more beautiful than the one before.
Tarotscopes | April 2022
TAROTSCOPES | April 2022
By Justin Taylor
Happy April everyone! After what seemed like a tidal wave of stagnate emotion and a very watery Pisces season, fire is back in the sky. The astrological new year has taken place and we find ourselves in Aries’ domain. The incendiary cardinal sign, Aries is all about rushing in not waiting for permission; this will be the theme for the month.
This energy will be very clear on the first of the month during the Aries new moon. This new moon will be the starting point for many of us, where we decide to stop standing idly by and take action in a real way. As new moons typically represent new beginnings in a certain area of life, use this energy to jump start your plans and burn away indecision.
The Aries new moon isn’t the only lunation with this energy, we will experience something similar again on April 16th with a libra full moon. Unlike the new moon, it is less about launching yourself into something new, but more about releasing fear.
Libra notoriously has a reputation for indecision and uncertainty. When met with Aries we will be shown the situations in our life where we need to decide. Let go of the fear and realize a “bad” decision might serve us better than total inaction.
On April 4th Venus enters Pisces! To help balance out all the aggressive tendencies fire signs can stir up in the collective I love to see this transit. Venus is exalted in Pisces, acting its best. This means ease while engaging with interpersonal relations, and flow in all things travel and money.
Towards the end of the month eclipse season begins in the sign of Taurus. On Sunday, April 30th we will have a solar eclipse in Taurus. A supercharged new beginning, which we will see the effects of over the following six months. In the sign of Taurus it will most likely involve finances, possessions and tangible goods. Personally, I think this speaks more for the world at large more so than on an individual level.
The Tarot card for the collective is Judgement! Beyond fitting for this month Judgement brings about a sense of renewal. As we start over the astrological year, reckoning with the past is essential. Let this Aries season allow you to burn away any and all elements that have kept you stuck in your past cycles. The judgement card invites you to look at things for what they are, apply kind eyes to what you see and let it go.
Aries - Page of Wands
As wands are the suit of fire, this card is perfect for you this season, Aries. The Page of Wands wants to take action and initiate something new, but at times may be too impulsive. There is a tendency to not know exactly what outcome it is you are aiming for when this card appears. Evaluate where you can take the initiative but plan ahead for the best outcome.
Taurus - Death
Don’t fear the reaper! The death card is nothing to fear Taurus. Be open to new possibilities as you venture through this April. What do you need to let go of? What changes have you been avoiding? Ask yourself these questions and surrender what is no longer working in your life. The death card only severs when we avoid the change instead of leaning into it. Accustomed to routine I know it may be difficult, but the reward is worth it.
Gemini - The Emperor
Proceed forward this month Gemini. The Emperor is the card most associated with Aries, so seeing it here is quite auspicious. Take this as an invitation to use this Aries season to not hold back and to take action. With your mercurial mind it might be easy to talk yourself out of doing something, but not this month. Allow yourself to act without overthinking.
Cancer- The Hierophant
The Hierophant is here for you this month, Cancer. Symbolizing the embrace for tradition and following suit of what has been done before, you may feel safe here. It might be time to just continue with life as it is when this card appears, but can also be an omen of creating ceremony around daily life. Take full presence into the moment Cancer. Whatever passing thought you have a tendency to worry about, will only rob you of what is happening now.
Leo - Four of Cups
The Four of Cups is not the norm for you Leo. Neither good or bad the Four of Cups speaks to apathy and discontentment. This is a sign you should check in with yourself and see where you have lost vision of what could be. Start a quick list of how you would spend your ideal day and if possible either make it happen, or let it remind you of how you’d like to feel. Things are not always exciting, but your flare will light you up once again.
Virgo - King of Pentacles
The King of Pentacles is the provider, just like you Virgo. When this presents itself it is time to evaluate how to provide for yourself and those around you. What do you want to cement for yourself? What long term goals do you have in place to create what it is you want? Questions like these might be on your mind this month. Allow the Aries fire to light the way as to how.
Libra - Five of Wands
This Aries season might highlight conflicts for you Libra. Known for your passive nature this probably isn’t the news you’d like to hear. The Five of Wands means conflicting interests, these can be either external or internal conflicts. Whichever they may be, know conflict and upset is sometimes necessary to meet the ideal outcome.
Scorpio - Ten of Pentacles
After what seems like an upward battle you will have a win Scorpio! The Ten of pentacles is the card of success. Success is personal and doesn’t always look the same for everyone, but as you read this take note of all victories both big and small you encounter this month. The more we practice gratitude in this way, we expand our belief of what is possible and allow for bigger wins in the future.
Sagittarius - Seven of Pentacles
The Seven of Pentacles is here to strengthen your trust muscle Sagittarius. Naturally optimistic, you know how to look for joyous outcomes. This card is all about putting the work in and not losing faith even if you can’t see the rewards quite yet. Whatever you are currently working toward or looking for is also looking for Sag, don’t lose hope. This card means it’ll happen soon enough.
Capricorn - Six of Cups
A beautiful card to receive, the Six of Cups invites a sense of nostalgia and bliss into your current orbit Capricorn. Take this card as a reminder to connect with something you have been reminiscing about and enjoy it. Phone a friend you havant seen in a while, go to lunch at a restaurant you haven’t frequented in a moment. Reconnect with an old passion or hobby. Take your favorite elements of the past and incorporate them into your current life.
Aquarius - Two of Wands
You are taking advantage of this Aries season Aquarius! The two of wands speaks to planning ahead before fully taking action. Feeling inspired to create change on some level, you are evaluating all your options before making an impulsive choice the way Aries energy invites us to. Know you will be rewarded for this when the actionable step approaches.
Pisces - Nine of Wands
Don’t give up! Pisces this card is here for you as a reminder that success is on the horizon. Times might feel like they are getting tough but your dream is almost a reality. The Nine of Wands is encouragement that not all is lost even when we feel off balance or as if things aren’t working in our favor.
Tarotscopes | March 2022
TAROTSCOPES | March 2022
By Justin Taylor
Happy March everyone! The stars this month are working in our favor to promote growth on both the spiritual and material planes. March starts off strong with Venus and Mars conjunct in the sign of Capricorn. This transit is as if both these planets are holding hands and deciding to do their jobs together. Inspiring us to put our hard work and values to the test to get the results we want. Occurring in the etherial season such as Pisces, it is bringing a grounding element to such a dream like time.
On March 2, 2022 we should all be taking advantage of the New Moon in Pisces. This new moon is such a beautiful and benefic one as Jupiter the planet of luck, blessings and expansion will also be involved. This lunation will be magnifying and intensifying any wishes for self improvement. If you are wanting to up level your health, finances, relationships this is your time to get started. As we know a new moon is a new beginning, but with the amplification of Jupiter its as if we can erase and start fresh in a major way.
Toward the end of this month we have Venus conjunct Saturn on March 28th. This transit is not as encouraging as Venus conjunct Mars. Whenever Saturnian influence is in play expect delayed gratification and a need for self reflection. With Venus, we can assume a reality check around what is we are passionate about and why. Be open to getting realistic around current dreams and goals you have.
Lastly we will also be having a Full Moon in the sign of Virgo on March 18th. This full moon represents an ending and a cutting away of details we may be caught up in. If you have found yourself to be caught up in the minutia of an issue and not seeing the big picture, this is your wake up call. This full moon is asking you to let the small petty things go and collectively look at the ways you want to better yourself.
The tarot card for the collective this month is the Four of Wands! Echoing back to the astrology this month this card is all about harmony and creating balance. The Four of Wands is the card building the framework for our manifestation to come through. It signifies celebrations and collaborations ahead to make your dream a reality. This March shift your awareness back to where you want to grow on a personal level.
Aries - Seven of Cups
Typically quite decisive and straight forward, you may feel out of sorts this month Aries. The Seven of Cups presents a sense of daydream and whimsy into your world, which Pisces season may very well be exacerbating. Try to gain focus back on what it is you are actually wanting and don’t get too lost in the clouds of what could be. It is worth mentioning to allow yourself to dream, but don’t forget your strength is taking action.
Taurus - King of Cups
This March is bringing you into a very emotional space Taurus. The King of Cups wants you to think with the heart and project what you are feeling into your physical world. Allow all emotions both pleasant and unpleasant to wash over you. Classically grounded and pragmatic, loosen up and tap into your inner voice. This is a time to feel.
Gemini - Wheel of Fortune
The Wheel of Fortune is turning in your favor Gemini. What feels expansive to you? What areas of life do you wish felt more abundant? Whatever comes up for you when thinking about these questions is a good starting point. When this card shows up know luck is on your side. Either take your luck into your own hands and pursue what you want, or simply see what comes through. Something big is on the horizon.
Cancer- The Hanged Man
Stagnation and confusion might be the norm for you right now Cancer. The Hanged Man is a very neutral card, it presents a stuck point. While facing this be patient with yourself. It may be time to start a list of pros and cons of whatever life event is halting you. Knowing what you want is at least a starting point to create momentum.
Leo - Page of Swords
The mercurial nature of this card is one to behold Leo. The Page of Swords invites in a need to have your voice heard. Seeking collaboration with others, weighing out ideas and even debate could be themes for you. Allow your curiosity to flow freely and mingle. Take what you learn and apply it to your life in a meaningful way.
Virgo - Ace of Wands
Take action! The Ace of wands is the spark to get you started Virgo. You might feel the pings of wanting change or to start something new growing stronger. Trust yourself, don’t sit back on the sidelines, get in the game! Instead of analyzing in what could go wrong, motivate yourself by thinking of what can go right.
Libra - Ace of Pentacles
Getting serious about your financial or material circumstances could be a theme for you this month Libra. The Ace of Pentacles is an opportunity in this area of life to achieve something new. You may even find yourself entering into a new job or receiving a bonus. In whatever way growth around physical possessions enters your life, have gratitude for what is now to make space for its arrival.
Scorpio - King of Pentacles
You might be entering a state of realizing your long term goals Scorpio. The King of Pentacles is very much the archetype of the father, the business man. When this presents itself it is time to evaluate how to provide for yourself and those around you. What do you want to cement for yourself? What legacy do you wish to leave behind? Ponder this and get serious about how you can work toward it.
Sagittarius - Page of Cups
Your love of learning and self expansion are leading you to a more heart centered approach Sag. The Page is an invitation to feel inspired and open with how you are feeling. If artistically inclined, you might feel the muses dancing around you at this time, urging you to create. If this doesn’t resonate remember we all have the ability to create. Some create art, others create a myriad of outlets that allow for authentic expression.
How do you pour out your heart?
Capricorn - The High Priestess
Nurturing those close to you, or a quieting of the mind to fully immerse yourself may be ideal outlets Capricorn. The High Priestess is a very loaded card, but generally speaking its about caretaking. Maybe after a prolonged period of maintaining busy schedules and poor work life balance you are being called back into interpersonal relationships. Are there any people who you may need to check up on, reconnect with or nurture with your time? Spend time with those you love.
Aquarius - Temperance
When the angel of Temperance appears it is time to be still. Aquarius, this March enjoy the stillness of the moment. Sometimes the beauty of the present moment can be lost in your idealistic view of the future. Practice patience with all things. Restore balance in your month by not rushing or moving sporadically.
Pisces - Nine of Pentacles
What a great card to receive in your season Pisces! The Nine of Pentacles is the card of achievement and security. As this card is in the suit of pentacles it is speaking to success in material forms. After a lofty upward battle to achieve some type of success you will be rewarded. If looking for a new place to live or a new job opportunity this card could point to a very happy ending.
Tarotscopes | February 2022
TAROTSCOPES | February 2022
By Justin Taylor
It is February and the unique cosmic weirdness that is both Aquarius and Pisces season is upon us. A time to project out from our myopic world view and get things done from a new perspective. This month is all about breaking down current structures and learning to get things done in a more innovative way.
Starting on the first of this month we have a new moon in Aquarius. This lunation is here to push us into actually creating a sustainable and efficient way to achieve what we want for the rest of the year, more so than any new moon this year. I say this because as of Thursday, February Third, all planets will be direct in the sky. This intentional, retrograde free energy will be with us until late April. It is officially go-time.
Whatever goals or visions we seek to create can be more easily achieved with this concentration of energy, so use it wisely. I don’t even see a reason to list other astrological transit for this is as good as it gets.
Aside from such great news, we do have a Leo full moon on February 16th. A time to celebrate and allow ourselves to be seen. Ending a cycle of doubts around our plans and creating more optimistic feelings around pursuing them. Around this time we will have Mercury, the planet of communication entering Aquarius as well. Making for more open minded dialogue and harmonious discussions.
Venus also being direct in the sign of Capricorn allows us to feel more free around spending both time and money on things that bring us pleasure. Adornment, events and expressing yourself might seem more worthwhile and appealing than before. This is also because for the majority of this month Mars will be conjoined with Venus as well which will heighten this pursuit of pleasure. This could make for either destructive or empowering means depending on how you wield it.
The tarot card for the collective this month is the Ace of Cups! I am beyond excited to share this as it is my personal favorite card in the tarot. The Ace of Cup speaks to an abundance of joy, love and blessings overflowing in your life. It is also a great reminder that when our cup is full it is easier to offer to fill up someone else’s. With all the planets being direct for the majority of the month I can already feel this magic at work. Send love to everyone you know, and those who you haven’t even met yet. The cup is flowing over.
Aries - Eight of Cups
The Eight of Cups showing up for you this month is something to take notice of Aries. This card is a symbol to let it go, and to walk away. Whatever stagnate situation you’re struggling with is not yours to fix anymore. Make peace with it and move on.
Taurus - The World
An exciting omen for you this February Taurus. The World card is all about the ending of a cycle, a new beginning. Especially after what might have been challenging past months they are over now. You’ve learned what you need to do now to make for a better future.
Gemini - King of Wands
February makes for a very action oriented month for you Gemini. The King of Wands is about taking the inspiration and doing the work toward whatever goals you currently have. If you find yourself staying idle and planning, take action instead and refine the details later.
Cancer- Ten of Wands
What is overwhelming you at this time? That is the question to ponder currently Cancer. The Ten of Wands is about burdens and having too much going on. What can you eliminate from your to do list to make space for a healthier mind space? Whether the problems are yours or someone else’s only take on those which are of upmost importance.
Leo - The Fool
The Fool is here to tell you to tap into your curiosity this February. Naturally creative and insightful Leo, use these abilities to feel free with life. Put yourself out there, take that class, go to that restaurant. This month challenge yourself to do new things because you never know what it could lead to.
Virgo - Three of Pentacles
Two minds are better than one sometimes Virgo. The Three of Pentacles is the card of teamwork. Collaborate with friends or coworkers to achieve whatever the goal may be. Asking for help is not something to avoid, but to encourage when this energy presents itself. Delegating tasks can bring more downtime and less stress into your daily life.
Libra - Ace of Swords
Inspiration, clear thinking and decision making are things to aspire for Libra. Stereotypically, your ability to make decisions is not always your strong suit, challenge this. Keep your desired outcome of any situation present and act effectively towards it. The Ace of Swords is all about forward movement, and cutting the rest away.
Scorpio - Ten of Cups
A conclusion that is emotionally enriching and kismet is here for you this month Scorpio. The Ten of Cups makes for heart filling success to things you currently desire. Watch your relationships both romantic and otherwise flourish. Enjoy yourself by spending time with those you love. Celebrate all the love existing in your life and know it is abundant.
Sagittarius - Strength
When the Strength card appears it is a reminder of how we can tame any situation and bend it to our will. This February you might have to remind yourself of your power Sagittarius. Whatever is bringing you doubt can easily be remedied by remembering all the hardships of your past, and how you overcame them. What is making you doubt this ability now? Ruled by Jupiter, luck is always on your side. You got this.
Capricorn - The Chariot
Naturally striving to achieve your goals, this card is a reminder to keep your momentum Capricorn. The Chariot is the card of forward movement. With any current undertaking keep a progressive and determined approach. You will be rewarded when you don’t let yourself stray from your current course of direction.
Aquarius - Justice
When Justice makes an appearance it is usually when we have doubt surrounding the outcome of a situation. Trust the process of divine compensation this month Aquarius. Justice will make sure the scales balance back out to something that is fair for all. Trust the truth, and get back in tune with the balance of cause and effect.
Pisces - Six of Wands
Seemingly elusive Pisces, it is time to stand in the spotlight. The Six of Wands is the card of acclaim and audience. Look around to see those who support and cheer for you this February. Accept the warmth of others who want to remind you of all the good you are doing. With all the validation you receive from other, remember to do the same for yourself.
Tarotscopes | January 2022
TAROTSCOPES | January 2022
By Justin Taylor
The new year is officially here, and the astrology for the month of January is aiding us on our journey for self improvement. This month’s theme is a tug of war between pragmatic realism and exuberant optimism.
We start this month off with Jupiter stationing direct in Pisces. This brings an optimistic day dreaming quality for the collective for the next few months. If there are any spiritual or artistic endeavors, now is the time to engage in them more fully.
Oddly enough the Capricorn new moon on January 2nd also amplifies this desire to set a clear intention with ourselves and chase it. Capricorn is go-getter energy that wants to accomplish the mission in the most direct and effective way. This accompanied with Jupiter’s benefic placement set the framework to really set and achieve any new years goals you may have.
Towards the end of the month we have Mercury retrograde conjunct Pluto. This transit is a tad sinister to say the least. Mercury controls the mental faculties and communication, and Pluto is intensity and transformation. Paired together, these planets at best, are inviting us to deep self-evaluation.
Lastly, on January 29th Venus stations direct, having been retrograding for almost the entirety of last two months. This Venus transit will bring harmony to any relationships or financial struggles we might have faced in the recent past.
The card for the collective this month is the Six of Cups! The Six of Cups is the card of naive happiness and blissfulness. In some cases, this card can be a reimagining or a return to the past. Familiar places and faces may appear this month, or you might reconnect with an old passion or hobby. Nostalgia is running high this month.
Aries - Knight of Swords
This Knight of Swords is the fastest to take action in the tarot. It signifies rushing into something the moment you feel called to do so. This month Aries, your ability to act fast will serve you well. Make sure your actions are not too impulsive, but also know going after what you want will be rewarded.
Taurus - Queen of Pentacles
The month of January is taking you back to your skill of harnessing and creating beauty Taurus. The Queen of Pentacles is the card of self care, and comfort. Return back to the self this month, treat yourself to something that brings you joy. If the arts or decoration are something you feel called to participate in, incorporate them into your life at this time.
Gemini - The Empress
The Empress is the card of maternal instinct and nurture. What in your life needs to be nurtured at this time Gemini? Where can you slow down and apply more care in your life? Whether it is a person, a relationship or yourself, bring something into fruition.
Cancer- The Fool
A new beginning is right before you this month Cancer. The New year might have you even more inspired to start a new than usual. The Fool is all about starting from zero, and not knowing what is next. If feeling stuck or unaware of what to search for, inspiration will come when you do something out of your routine. Venture out alone, and see what happens next. Your new beginning can start at any moment.
Leo - Temperance
Balance is key for the month of January Leo. Temperance appears when the scales are off, and something needs to be centered. Whatever comes to mind in your life when you think of the term “off balance” is what you should adjust first. Naturally a fan of excess, this might be challenging to tone some aspect of your life down to a happy medium.
Virgo - Knight of Pentacles
This is the perfect card for you Virgo. Effortlessly meticulous by nature, this card is bringing out your ability to steadily perfect whatever it is you are undertaking. The Knight of Pentacles is all about reliability. This month don’t strain yourself by taking on too much at once, a slow and steady approach will serve you best.
Libra - Queen of Swords
Logical decision making is the muscle to build this month, Libra. The Queen of Swords is a reminder that not everything should call for emotional investment. If there are any large decisions you face this month do what truly serves you best and avoid any tendency to people- please. It is not selfish to take care of yourself for a change.
Scorpio - Three of Cups
A seemingly social month is present for you Scorpio. The Three of Cups is the card of celebration and gathering with close friends. The times we are currently living in may not call for large gatherings, but find away to nurture interpersonal relationships at this time. The comfort of a friend might be a pleasant distraction at this time.
Sagittarius - Page of Cups
If you are currently interested in any new artistic endeavors this should be your sign to go for it. The Page of Cups is all about following any intuitive or creative pings that may arise at this time. Keeping an open mind is key for you this month Sagittarius, say yes to anything that will make for new opportunity.
Capricorn - Two of Swords
A sense of feeling stagnant or stuck in a particular situation is forcing you to make a new choice Capricorn. When the Two of Swords presents itself it is a call for change. What ever part of your life currently has you feeling stuck or unsure know that there is a way out. Weigh out your options and trust you are making the right choice.
Aquarius - Ace of Swords
The Ace of Swords is a call for inspiration and a new way of thinking. This new year might spring forth new ideas or changes in your life Aquarius. What cycle are you ready to break and start new? This is an indicator that it is time to cut ties with something to let a new path emerge. You can’t take old ways of thinking into your new life.
Pisces - The High Priestess
Spiritual work is paramount for you this month Pisces. Meditation, prayer, a new practice anything to tap into you innate spiritual gifts. The High Priestess appears when we have to search inward for the answers. As she is the archetype for the divine feminine, when she appears it is to know that it is time to quiet the conscious mind and dig deep.
The Scented Zodiac
The Scented Zodiac
By Janine Hagal
Exploring the mysteries of plants on an astrological level can help deepen our relationship with the whole of the cosmos. Our universe is encapsulated in the natural microcosm all around us; one should only have to step outside and observe the nearest so-called weeds to begin. The connections unfold when we start to take note of botanical signatures by sight, herbal actions, and most notably in my practice, smell.
Scent is arguably our most primal sense, and studies have shown it is closely intertwined with memory and emotion in the brain. This is perhaps why it is woven into almost every culture’s magical practice, from incense to anointing oils. Astrology is no exception, and from older celestial texts such as the Picatrix, to Agrippa’s writings on planetary fumigations, scented plant and animal materia have been given cosmic correlations for at least a millennium.
Perfumery has evolved hundredfold since the 11th century, as have our fragrant associations, but many of the same materials are still used today. Focusing only on an modern roster of natural oils and absolutes can definitely help the mage or novice olfactor or find their bearings in an overwhelming world. Working with purely plant materials one is already familiar with can also add dimensions to understanding the green kingdom. A personal and even fulfilling place to start sleuthing fragrances can be your own Zodiac sign! I’ve compiled a list of a few aromatic associations for the 12 signs…
Aries - Pink Peppercorn
A piquant top note associated with Mars, the ruler of this sign and the planet corresponding with fiery quickness in spellwork. Herbes of Mars tend to be hot, spicy, dry, sanguine, and even sensual. Unrelated to Black pepper, the characteristics of a fresh pink pepper essential oil are less dark, more flirty, and at times smell like their rosy coloring. It can be as martially pungent as it is diffusive, so use in moderation.
Taurus - Vanilla
A gourmand note for the gormandizer of the zodiac. The creamy and soothing familiarity of Vanilla absolute is under the dominion of the Moon and Venus, which are respectively in its exaltation and domicile in Taurus. Paired with the aphrodisiac qualities from this Venusian vanilla bean, this fixative absolute is a perfect fit for the fixed sign. It doesn’t hurt the Taurean cause that true vanilla is also quite expensive- roughly $20/mL.
Gemini - Lavender Absolute
Culpeper states this flower is “owned by Mercury”, primarily for its actions on the nerves. Here, Gemini can correlate to the Mercurial actions of the mind, and Virgo to the body, (though with all things Mercury, this is constantly in flux.) Lavender will soothe the racing Gemini brain, which can tire from holding its mental luggage. In absolute form, this adds a jammy depth and functions as a “heart note” rather than the essential oil which dissipates quicker.
Cancer - Jasmine Grandiflorum
The lush, narcotic night blooms of this species of Jasmine are cultivated widely for their sweet and indisputably lunar aroma. Its smoothness rounds out a blend, and can even be used to “fix” a scent gone wrong. Used for all manner of dream magic, such as promoting astral travel or preventing nightmares. Much like the moon, its role in a perfume harmonizes the overall synastry of influences. One should only need to take a whiff to understand its Cancerian traits.
Leo - Saffron
A golden solar spice once used to dye the garb of royalty. A regal, leathery, and unique fragrance from the stamen of crocuses. Resembling a lion’s mane or the rays of the sun, its looks are on par with its Leonine association. It is incredibly labor intensive to harvest and with a low yield, so it is priced at about $5000 a pound in raw materials… a king’s ransom. If such a thing is possible, it even smells opulent.
Virgo - Bergamot
Clean, citrusy, and green. Bergamot is a Mercurial Digestif popularized in Earl grey tea, that also lends a touch of class and freshness to Parfum and Eau De Cologne style blends alike. Just like Virgo, Bergamot is (practically) always right. Even a hint of this essential oil can make for a sophisticated top note that fits almost anywhere.
Libra - Rose De Mai
Also referred to as “Cabbage Rose”, this absolute is a softer and more cost effective alternative to Rose Otto for those who want to capture the nectar of a fresh bud about to bloom. Libra not only correlates to the aesthetic beauty of this classical symbol, but the scent itself (under the dominion of Venus).
Scorpio - Cypress
The tree of death traditionally tends to fall in the jurisdiction of Saturn, but this was also before Pluto was discovered, which co-rules funerary herbes. Scorpio has many iterations of the self focusing on death, regeneration, and rebirth that can be represented by different facets of scent. This graveyard plant is very coniferous and almost martial, but with a shadow to it that other evergreens lack.
Sagittarius - Fir Absolute
Wild and fecund, the jellied fruit notes correspond to the expansive Jovian nature of this sign. When you’re looking to create a true evergreen blend, this is what you want at the heart, intertwined with essential oils of fir, spruce, or pine, to name a few. Not many scents pique wanderlust for the wilderness quite like this.
Capricorn - Labdanum
Traditionally collected by goats, using special leather straps that combed their fur for the resin, this tenacious fixative is in the dominion of the Mer-Goat and its ruler Saturn. Although it is no longer processed in this manner, hirsine notes may still linger in the imagination when smelling this balsamic, and almost animalic base note. Also sometimes referred to as Amber in perfumery, notably when mixed with other warm scents like Vanilla.
Aquarius - Coffee Bean
This stimulating scent culturally symbolizes awakening, figuratively and literally. Moving into the astrological “Age of Aquarius”, I cannot think of a better analogy, especially considering the shared experience of coffee. On its own, it’s a weirdo scent, with no real scent family to fit into, except for gourmand, (which is a strange place for a bitter bean).
Pisces - Lotus
Marine, meditative, and deep. True Lotus lacks the synthetic floral notes you may be expecting to find, thanks to the abundance of imitations on the market. Like many plants with a mutable roundness to them, that give the impression of juiciness, there tends to be a water connection. In the case of Pisces, traditionally governed by Jupiter (who holds dominion over fruits), and contemporarily by Neptune (ruler of illusion) the situation of a “fruit scent with no fruit” is too on the nose. But, for many already taking note of the astrological synchronicities, we see how much of what we used to think of as coincidence is something more cosmic indeed.
https://blackearthbotanica.bigcartel.com/ | @blackearthbotanica
What is Paranormal Awareness?
What is Paranormal Awareness?
By Kaedrich Olsen
Paranormal awareness is the ability to sense and perceive subtle energy and spiritual beings in the space around you.
It comes with the knowing that we live in a reality that intersects with various levels of existence and different types of energetic beings that live there.
This can include, but is not limited to, the spiritual realms of the afterlife. This is what we most commonly think of as a paranormal reality.
But there are many other layers to subtle reality that include the realms of nature spirits, ascended beings, interdimensional realities, and a plethora of creatures that defy categorization.
From birth we are all gifted with the ability to connect and interact with these subtle layers of existence. But through our upbringing, many of us were taught to suppress, ignore, and shun any sort of connections we made with subtle beings.
We carry this through our lives, gaining only small snippets of extradimensional contact. Only to shrug it off and admonish the silly notion that there is anything beyond our material plane of existence.
But perhaps you know differently. Perhaps you have seen little snippets of the beyond, even acknowledged that there is something more to our lives. And maybe, with that acknowledgment comes the curiosity to explore even further.
To help take you down this road of exploration we need to challenge the widely accepted notion that we are spiritual beings having a physical experience. The more you delve into the complex reality of your being, the more you will find this simply is not true. The truth is far more complex.
We are spiritual and physical beings having a dynamic experience. The spirit and the flesh create each other through the experience of it. The more you experience your spiritual existence, the more you create it. What happens to one side of your existence affects the other.
Your spirituality and physicality are mutually connected.
With that understanding, we can begin to develop and hone your skills in paranormal awareness.
How do you know if you have paranormal awareness? Well, ask yourself these questions.
Have you ever sensed the presence of someone in the room with you? It can feel like someone is staring at you. Maybe it felt like someone was in the room next to you. Even feeling a touch or something moving your hair. But you cannot see anyone in the room with you.
Maybe you had a dream of a loved one who recently died. The experience felt so real, and the things they told you were comforting and gave you hope for their existence beyond the death of the body.
Was there a time you smelled something strange? Like the perfume of someone you once knew. The sudden burst of the smell of flowers, especially roses. Or even an awful smell. Accompanying the smell was a particular emotion or a memory.
How about catching the glimpse of a human-shaped form, only for it to disappear the moment you looked directly at it.
Identifying your Subtle Senses
All of these are examples of your clair-senses detecting subtle energy and conveying that information to your awareness.
Clair-senses include-
Clairsentience – the feeling of energy around you, like someone is nearby by, looking at you
Clairtangency – the feeling that someone touching you
Clairaudience – hearing subtle energy, like a sound or vibration
Clairalience – picking up the subtle smells around you, with a memory associated to it
Clairempathy – feeling the emotions of energy or beings
Claircognizance – receiving subtle communication, like telepathy or just “knowing”
Just as you have eyes to see, ears to hear, skin to feel, and a nose to smell, you have the subtle energy equivalent as a normal and natural part of your existence.
As a child, these senses may have been just as active as your physical senses. But over the years, you have learned that it is safer and easier not to acknowledge the reception of information from your subtle senses.
Believing is Seeing
Reactivating and developing your subtle senses is actually easier than you may think. But it does have its pitfalls.
There is a cycle of believing and seeing. If you at first can believe a little. That there is a paranormal reality around you, and that you have the capacity to perceive it. Then, you open your abilities, just a little.
The moment you perceive something, no matter how slight or subtle, acknowledge it for what it is. If you discount it and push it away, you may close your senses again. Just accept, for now that maybe you really did have a paranormal experience.
This acknowledgment and acceptance open your abilities, just a little bit more. So that the next time, you are even more aware of the paranormal experience. That opens your belief a bit more, enabling you to perceive even more.
The more you engage this cycle, the more you exercise your subtle abilities, and the stronger they get.
What happens next?
If at any time you feel fear, think that you are connecting to something dangerous, or have old fear-beliefs coming up about the scariness of the paranormal, I invite you to do a few little shifts.
If there is an entity you are connecting with. Instead of “OMG what are you going to do to me!!?”, think and feel, “Oh, I know you are there. Is there something I can do to help you?” Feeling this compassion changes the energy of your being and the nature of the connection you are forming. Of course, never agree to do anything you are uncomfortable with.
If your opening perceptions give you confirmation that there is indeed a subtle being in your presence, the moment you feel fear, shift it to awe and wonder. Let yourself express gratitude for perceiving this being. Then turn that into the notion of, “Oh wow! You are real! That is really cool! And I know you are there!”
These shifts in emotional energy will change the energy state around you, circumventing any potential negative interaction, and promoting positive perceptions of the paranormal reality around you.
Of course, you can always reach out to higher guidance, ascended beings, and protective entities to help assist in positive experiences with developing your paranormal awareness. They are always there to help you. All you have to do is ask in earnest.
No matter what, have fun with this process and happy exploring!
Connect with Kaedrich on instagram @kaedrich_olsen
Seasonal Support & Embodiment With the 4 of Cups
Seasonal Support & Embodiment With the 4 of Cups
By Davidia Turner
Spring is in full force and feelings of anticipation, excitement, regeneration and “opening up” are abound. After a year of social and physical distance, this Spring also brings with it the hope of reconnecting like never before. Sitting with folks in readings, having conversations with students and close friends, and during my own self reflections, a recurring theme has presented itself this season. “How do I honor and process the experience and events of the past year (personal & collective), while making way for the new?” Realizing the toll the pandemic has taken on a personal and collective level is just as important as cultivating new projects, fresh ideas and renewing our faith. And holding these two opposing spaces at once can feel daunting. After a major disruption of the routines and status quo, the prospect of finding sustainability and stability, both qualities of the number four, are on the horizon.
We can look to the energy of the 4 of Cups for emotional support and guidance as to how we can hold the past, the present and the future. The 4 of cups is an invitation to process, digest and evaluate previous experiences and actions, before taking on potential new opportunities and next steps. This is taking the time to choose wisely. It’s a chance to step back, step in and notice emotions, the body and the mind. This is about facilitating embodied connectivity to the choices and decisions we might be making at this time.
If the past year has activated your survival instincts, disconnected you from your body, or activated certain negative mental conditioning, the 4 of Cups can be a reminder to reconnect to self trust and your intuition. Intuitive listening allows us to honor our own timing, a view of this card I learned from my teacher Lindsay Mack. It asks us to make sure we aren’t pushing or persuading mind and body to leap into something we might not be fully ready for, or even really want. It can also show us how to address discontent, acknowledging outdated paradigms and inspiring us to build something new in its place. How have your priorities shifted this past year?
What matters most to you?
Have you taken time to steady yourself?
Name one thing that you are Excited to Begin and one thing You’re excited to Move on from; how are they connected?
Spring is an opportune time to implement supportive self-care practices that remind you to ground, center and reconnect before pushing ahead. Like the person sitting against the tree, taking in fully the three cups (emotional experiences) before them, while also contemplating what’s next (the cup presented by the disembodied hand), we can reflect on the past experiences we have had, and how they are disrupting or supporting any new habits and behaviors we wish to create.
The beauty of Spring is seeing the world wake up again. And many of us feel more than ready to get outside of ourselves, experience community and connectivity. The Four of Cups reminds us how important digesting and disseminating all that we have been through is to this process of re-emergence.
Simple Ways to Embody the 4 of Cups:
Give Yourself a Belly Massage
Sit/Lay or Place Feet on the Earth
Make a Cup of Ginger Tea
Connect with Davidia at https://www.davidiaturner.com/ or on Instagram @davidia.turner
Death, The Great Teacher
Death, The Great Teacher
By Kathryn Solie
When I wrote my previous Ritual Cravt article on the topic of death, I had no idea that by the time it came around to write my next, my beloved dog would have passed on.
While I’m probably more comfortable with death than many in our society, all of my trainings paled in comparison to the actual experience of his loss. I both was and wasn’t surprised by how bowled over I was by the experience. And although I know that pets are family members whose deaths are societally undervalued as impactful life events, I also know that when the time comes to lose my parents, or my partner, or my closest friends, the grief will likely be much greater. The power of this grief further cemented my belief in the importance of recognizing, contemplating, and doing processing work around death & dying - before, during, and after the experience of loss. One of the greatest gifts we can give to ourselves and our loved ones is taking steps towards accepting and embodying this universal experience of death/change that truly awaits us all. It’s clear to me this is a lifelong practice and much more than an ideological crutch of “death optimism”.
The following are some thoughts I wrote down while in the midst of my recent period of grief.
Death is the greatest of all teachers. None can escape its impact. We can hide from it or open to it.
Death invites us to move slowly - so much more slowly than we’re accustomed to.
Deaths invites us to act from integrity and presence.
Death invites us to speak the truth.
Death invites us to listen to the soft song of the moment. That moment that tells us everything we need to hear.
Death invites us to acknowledge the preciousness of life. The beauty of it all.
Each hair on our beloveds head, every rain drop, every inhalation & exhalation - life becomes the temple.
The white noise of the refrigerator, the sound of cars driving by our window, even those never ending beeps from our devices become the mantra, the icaros, the sacred choir.
The depth in each moment becomes glaringly, gloriously obvious. How could we have ignored it all this time?
The more we resist the unwanted feelings death triggers in us, the more we long to hold onto the world we’ve known, the more we push away what wants to naturally occur - the more we inevitably suffer and miss opportunities to embody an emotionally transformative process.
These processes make way for true contemplation of death.
The sooner we begin to contemplate death, the sooner we can contemplate life. For what is it to live without the knowledge that this life will someday end?
We could in truth say that each moment is like a little practice death. Each and every point in time is fleeting. As Heraclitus said, “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.”
The more we acknowledge death while we live, the more prepared we’ll be when the time comes for our loved ones and our own selves. And what is this preparation but opening to life?
Learn more about Kathryn at https://www.kathrynsolie.com or IG @persephonespath
A Tarot Practice For Moving On
A Tarot Practice For Moving On
By Sterling Moon
How much energy do we waste stuck in time in our heads while the proverbial grass continues to grow under our feet? When a situation has exhaled its death rattle, it's time to get going. As we’re headed into the winter and the start of a new calendar year, it’s important that we figure out how to keep moving forward. Most of us ruminate over arguments long past or try to force old relationships into working better than they are designed to. Then there is the special type of liminal space that 2020 has brought us, which is unlike anything any of us have experienced in this lifetime. Usually when I write these pieces for Ritualcravt, I try to offer something that will be applicable no matter when the reader finds it. This month, that goal doesn’t feel authentic. What a year 2020 has been. We’re almost through an entire solar cycle of living with a pandemic. So many people have lost family members, had their source of income stripped from them, and face challenges to both their physical and mental health as a result. There is more collective awareness of racism and systemic oppression than ever before in the United States, where I live. There is also monumental work ahead and the question of whether most folks, particularly my own pale brethren, are up to the challenge of creating lasting change. We’ve just gone through a rather traumatic presidential election that yielded some great things at the state and local levels and drove record voter turnout, but also also highlighted some pretty gross truths about the value systems of many people in this country. To anyone who is reading this from outside the US, I am truly sorry you are all subjected to our news cycle. Please feel free to turn your attention elsewhere while we try to clean up this mess. Add to that the devastation of wildfires and catastrophic weather events related to climate change, the atrocities being committed in immigration detention centers, and military force being used against our own people...just this year alone! Did all of that make your chest seize up a bit? Me, too. It’s no wonder many of us are struggling. It is glaringly obvious that we have a lot of collective work to do, on top of the daily struggles we face, yet many of us are frozen with anxiety, fatigue, or just not knowing where to start. Never forget that we’re in this together, my friends. If you are here reading this, I believe that you are not someone who is afraid to do hard things. We’ve lived through a hell of a year and we are still here. That said, it’s time to turn the page to a new chapter because we have work to do.
This simple practice is meant to help you move past situations where there is nothing left to do or say; to reduce your attachment to the past; and provide some insight on how you can begin moving forward in the best possible way.
Tarot Practice for Moving On
Allow yourself 10-15 uninterrupted minutes to complete this practice. This was created with tarot or oracle cards in mind, but feel free to adapt to whatever divination tool works best for you. You may also want to have a journal and something to write with.
Notice yourself. Take a big breath and mentally scan your body from head to toe, noting how you feel. Observe the quality of air and light in the room. Take notice of your mood and thoughts.
Tune into the situation you want to move past. What does bringing your awareness to this particular issue do to the quality of your breathing or the sensations in your body? How does it impact your mood or thoughts?
Use the breath to let it go. Take a big, four-count breath. Hold at the top for two to four counts. Exhale for four to six counts and hold at the bottom for two-four counts. As you exhale, imagine that the situation you want to release begins misting away, disintegrating the impact on you and carrying it far, far away. Repeat this four times, envisioning that the situation gets smaller with each round until there is nothing left to exhale away. Check in with your body, mind, mood, and thoughts. If you have not experienced a release, repeat until you do.
Time to divine. Hold your tarot deck as you close your eyes and take one or two more gentle breaths to ground you. Envision that you are surrounded by a perfect circle of light, any color that comes to mind. Ask out loud for your guides, ancestors, and highest self to bring you guidance. Thank them in advance for their assistance. When you feel settled, shuffle your cards and begin. Lay the cards out however you wish.
Card 1: What can I learn from this experience?
Card 2: What do I need to let go?
Card 3: What is the next right step as I move forward?
Card 4: May I have one final card to represent what is needed for the highest good? (Note - this may be for you personally, but may also represent something needed in the collective.)
Sit with it. Allow your mind to be quiet as you reflect on your cards. Remember that spirit speaks through your tools. Take note of any additional messages, visions, or insight you receive. If any of the cards trigger a negative reaction, don’t discount it. This could offer insight into a potential silver lining, a suggestion of things to avoid, or an area that you need to switch your thought patterns.
Give thanks and move on. Check back in with the circle of light you created at the beginning. See it gently fall away. Thank your guides, ancestors, and highest self for their guidance. Take a big breath, stretch, and wiggle your body. Put your tools away and get going!
Seeing Persephone’s Face
Seeing Persephone’s Face
By Kathryn Solie
Most of us don’t begin to contemplate death until it’s right in front of us. When death does seep into our minds, it may show up as a distant thought laced with fear, avoidance, and apprehension; mentally relegated to a theoretical possibility requiring minimal to no contemplation.
Yet the truth is that death will one day greet us all, and there’s no guarantee it won’t be today.
An unfortunate side effect of our current cultural climate is that so many will view the previous sentiment as a depressing nod to the “inherent meaninglessness” of biological life. As if one of the most shared and profound of human experiences, death, is a morose concept and accursed truth. Perhaps many of our society’s ills have their roots in our inability to acknowledge the feelings of grief and dread which rise with the thought of our own impermanence.
Not all cultures, historically and today, feel this way about death. Likewise not all who accept death are merely hiding in culturally inherited fantasies about an afterlife; some are given the means to look beyond the material world and decide for themselves.
The Eleusinian Mysteries were an Ancient Greek rite tied to the story of Persephone and Demeter. These Mysteries were so well guarded that we have very little understanding of what happened there. What we do know, is that the mysteries were performed every year (except one) for at least 1,992 years, before being outlawed by the Roman emperor Theodosius as part of the campaign against “pagans”.
It is theorized participants drank of a sacrament derived, in part, from grain grown ergot that can elicit effects similar to LSD.
It was said that those who experienced the rites at Eleusis no longer feared death. Sophocles said, “Thrice happy are those of mortals, who having seen those rites depart for Hades; for to them alone is granted to have a true life there. For the rest, all there is evil.”
I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to live in a time where the likes of Plato, Socrates, Heracles, and Marcus Aurelius would partake in these rituals alongside a wide range of people, regardless of class or gender. What would it be like to live in a society where a sizable portion of the population shared a spiritual experience that had the potential of bringing them to the realization that death was no longer a fate to fear? Of course, the Greeks were not perfect and their failings were plenty, but their openness to exploring the mysteries of life and death was surely amongst their greatest virtues.
Now more than ever our culture is in need of a new, rationally apprehended paradigm shift around death, for if we do not we are doomed to fear based survival behaviors, preached to us by the corporately influenced arbitrators of material reductionist “science”.
But even those of us who have yet to see Persephone’s proverbial face, can begin to change our relationship with death. We need only open to the mystery.
Further Resources:
The Road to Eleusis by R. Gordon Wasson, Albert Hofman, and Carl A.P. Ruck
The Immortality Key by Brian C. Muraresku
Being with Dying by Joan Halifax
The American Book of the Dead by E.J. Gold
Awakening Osiris by Normandi Ellis
Learn more about Kathryn at https://www.kathrynsolie.com or IG @persephonespath
Simple Spirit Communication
Simple Spirit Communication
By Sterling Moon
One of the hardest aspects of “coming out of the broom closet” for me was to begin publicly acknowledging that I am a medium or seer. You never know how someone will react when you tell them you talk to dead people, not to mention nature spirits, angels, and other entities. At a certain point, it became harder to keep this aspect of my life and spirituality shoved into the background, so I decided to not only own it, but improve and refine what I can do by seeking out ongoing mentorship and learning experiences. Now it’s just a part of everyday life.
Recently, I’ve had a number of people tell me how fearful they become when they sense the presence of spirits and ask how they can become more comfortable. I believe that everyone has the ability to engage with the spirit world. When we sense something otherworldly and shut it down out of fear, we may be slamming the door on our ancestors who are trying to protect us, spirits that need help, or our guardians. Also, just because you get good at ignoring something, doesn’t mean that it ain’t there. A spirit that really wants your attention will increase their efforts to catch your eye, I promise.
So where does one start with all of this? My suggestion is to begin by building relationships with familiar spirits. The following is a practice you can use to start connecting with spirits that are close to you in some way.
Decide who you want to talk to. Trust me when I say that you can land yourself in some deep shit if you just open yourself wide up to “the spirit world.” Just like there are bad people in this world who will take advantage of your vulnerabilities, there are bad spirits that will feed on you and can truly mess up your life. Start with someone that feels safe. A relative or friend who has moved on or an ancestor that you have researched are some good starting points. Choose someone that you have a picture of and even something that they owned in life.
Set your space. Tidy up a bit and wipe down the surface you’ll be using. I know a lot of us like salt for cleansing, but it drives away spirits. Don’t use it here. Have a candle, glass of water, and a small offering of food along with the picture and/or personal items. Many spirits also like coffee and alcohol. Just a little will do. Spirits of the dead like the same things they enjoyed in life and it’s polite to offer someone a drink or snack when they come to your home, right? The water acts as both a conduit and refreshment and the candle helps light their way. Have a pad of paper and something to write with nearby and if you practice any kind of divination like tarot, cartomancy, scrying, or bone throwing, have those tools handy as well.
Notice yourself. Take a big breath and mentally scan your body from head to toe, noting how you feel. Observe the quality of air and light. Check in with your mood and thoughts. Being aware of how you are feeling and your surroundings will allow you to better discern when the spirit comes through.
Call in the spirit and pay attention. I wish I could say that I had some fancy incantation for y’all, but I don’t. I usually just focus on the picture/personal items, say the full name, and if I know it, the birthday of the spirit I wish to speak with. Ask them to come close to you and enjoy the refreshments you have offered them. You may have to ask a couple of times. Be patient and listen. Observe the subtle differences. Does the air and light in your space feel different? Does your head, mind, or body feel different? When a spirit comes through, I often get a flushed feeling in my face, my head feels swirly like I’ve had a couple of drinks, and my stomach gets that “in a moving elevator” feeling. You will notice when a spirit comes in, but it likely won’t be a Hollywood-worthy experience. You will most likely feel and see the person in your mind, not with your eyes.
The role of skepticism. There’s a weird balance here. It’s very healthy to maintain some skepticism, but it can also offend spirits greatly if they catch you thinking they might be a figment of your imagination. A skeptic will say that this could all just be your subconscious or an active imagination. This is true, but I promise that spirits will unequivocally demonstrate their presence the more your work with them and believe in them.
Test them. I always recommend that you test any spirits you come in contact with who claim to be familiar to you. The simplest way is to ask them what your name is. You’ll be surprised how that can trip a faker up. You can also ask them about memories you share or quiz them a bit on family history. You don’t need to turn this into an interrogation; you’ll know after a question or two. If you are someone who has a particularly clear mind’s eye, you can walk around the spirit to see if they are authentic or wearing the mask of the one you called in. If you get any indication that the spirit in your presence isn’t the one you invited, tell them directly that they must leave and that you claim the space as your own. Keep repeating until you feel them leave. Cleanse yourself as described below or however you see fit and try another day.
Enjoy the conversation. If the spirit in your presence is the one you called in, talk to them and take the time to listen. This isn’t fancy, but conversing with someone who doesn’t have a body does take a little practice. Take notes on what you experience. If you are struggling to get clear messages and you have divination tools handy, ask the spirit to speak to you through your cards, etc. For example, you can ask them a question and pull a card to help divine the answer. Remember that spirits don’t, or can’t, always speak with words. You may get images in your mind, smells, flashes of emotions that don’t feel like your own, etc. Go with it. If you get overwhelmed, tell the spirit to pull back a bit. I used to allow these encounters to totally flood my senses, thinking I needed to take in as much information as I possibly could. It caused me more harm than it was worth. Find the balance that works for you.
When you feel done talking or the spirit seems tired or like they are pulling pack from you, end the conversation. Thank them for their visit and tell them they can return to where they came from. Wait until you can feel that they have left, then snuff out the candle and place the offerings of food, water, and other drinks outside somewhere outside, like under a tree or bush.
You can also leave this up as an altar if that feels right. Just replenish the water and bring the food and drinks outside once they are no longer fresh. Maintaining the space will definitely help if you want to build an ongoing relationship with that particular spirit.
Cleanse yourself and your space. I am partial to cleansing visualizations. The simplest is envisioning bright light flooding through your body, washing away any spiritual gunk. I usually follow up with a few spritzes of Florida water in my space and on my person. If that isn’t enough, I’ll prepare a salt scrub and use it in the shower or take a simple cleansing bath with salt and herbs that feel appropriate. Do whatever works for you, just don’t neglect your spiritual hygiene.
Practice. Building relationships with spirits can enrich your life immensely. It takes patience, mutual respect, and willingness to keep learning. Enjoy the journey!
Connect with Sterling Moon through her website, sterlingmoontarot.com or her Instagram @Sterlingmoontarot .
A Prayer to Santa Muerte
A Prayer to Santa Muerte
By Loretta Ledesma
The number of times I’ve written out an opening sentence for this entry, gone back and deleted it, are now more than I can count. It’s 12:19 Friday morning, during a global pandemic and Santa Muerte is perched in Her sacred space next to me. And I still can’t find the words to describe devotion. Perhaps because She is ancient and at the same time brand new. Perhaps because after 25 years I still at times have a hard time speaking Her name, choosing to say “Her” instead. Perhaps because I don’t want to betray any oaths or initiations I have taken.
The truth about this devotion is that it goes both ways. She is as devoted to us as we are to Her. The truth about Her is that we have chosen to sensationalize, colonize, demonize and gentrify Her and yet She still meets us with mercy. The literature about Her origins is hard to find and the stories are held close to the breast of the elders. After all, we have to keep something for ourselves, don’t we? But I feel the challenge from Her that She is needed now more than ever and this is why the awareness of Her is rising.
I want to start this dive by stating clearly that I do not claim to be an expert nor am I a scholar. What I do own is that I know death very well. I have looked death in the face many times. I have faced death with loved ones and I have faced my own. I have also had the great honor of having a beautiful teacher who took me under her wings and showed me a path that saved my life. She taught me how to set up a space for La Santa Muerte, to keep always above waist high so we never look down on death. She taught me how to call Her in, with rattles and marigolds, as the rattle is ancient and reminds Her of the old temples and even the dead can smell marigolds. She taught me how to feed Her tobacco, wine, blood and bone. Bone calls to bone. She taught me how to only ask for what I was willing to give up to my descendants when it was my time. The gifts, objects and protections we are granted in this life should not be so coveted that our souls become attached to this world. When it’s time to go with Her, we must leave our physical belongings with the living.
My teacher taught me how to bathe Her statues when we first brought them home. A mixture of cool water, Florida Water and tobacco cologne. Cool water to quench the thirst of the dead and moisten the throat so that She can speak to us openly and clearly. Florida Water because it contains spiritual cleansers and offerings to the ancestors. Tobacco cologne because the spirit of tobacco is so sacred, we have a hard time handling the potency of this plant so we should only consume it in ceremony.
She showed me the post colonial three robes. Red for all earthly desires and needs of the blood. White for purification, protection and ease. Black for all things that dwell in the underworld or that we truly need to remain hidden. She then taught me that the rainbow of Santisima statues were born from the sharing of information and spirituality with the African Traditional Religions. The Orisha met La Santa and the multitude of Her colors was born.
My teacher spoke to me about why Nina Blanca carries the scales for us to help insure the balance of life and death as they are one and the same. All the weight of the world in one skeletal hand. She taught me to honor the Owls and the secrets they carry with them. My teacher shared with me the ways She comes in so that I would not be afraid, Her messages are loud. She is not a deity that hides in the shadows or sends mixed messages. She screams in the wind and gathers matter in order to make Herself known.
She taught me that there is no death, not in the way we think of it in the west. She taught me the roots. She taught me that no matter what agenda any person in power tries to push, there is no such thing as a “narco saint,” only the saints of the people and unfortunately the war on drugs was a made up war for governmental profit. A war that targeted the people. She taught me that the colonizing voices have no place in calling the spirituality of the people demonic, as the devil is an ideal that belongs to them, not us. She taught me to look deep. Deep into the Mexica stories, into the caves now covered in waters, into the temples that defy all reason, into the eyes of the descendants of the keepers of the magic. It is in those places I would find Her true roots.
While it’s not my place to speak Her original name to you here, I do encourage you to seek the answers in antiquity. Recognize that those who speak catholic prayers in Her name do so in acts of resilience. Look past the church and the assumption that the veil is only thin in Autumn. Look past the mass produced calavera and the confusion between the Bony Lady and the grim reaper, and when the timing is right go to the places. See the altars in the streets. Experience the homes that have been open to the public and turned into sacred dwellings in the name of the unofficial Saint of Mexico. Come to the many shops that have areas carved out and devoted to Her. Speak your prayers and leave Her pennies, chocolate and Her favorite two dollar bills. Maybe we will cross paths in our journeys. Maybe we already have.
I will leave you with the two most important lessons I learned.
One, to work with Her is to honor Her descendants. Today this brings to mind the way some choose to ignore Her children locked in cages while asking for Her protections. Make no mistake that She chooses to usher Her people in peril before She aids us in conquests of love or finance.
Two, She will meet us all, as we all must die. The reintroduction around death and dying that we see now is of course bringing more awareness around the spirits that have always lived in these realms. Holy Death is queen in this realm and holds us all in Her powerful embrace as we face these final moments. She also is known to intervene on behalf of those who find themselves in situations before their time. In this meeting She shows us mercy and brings an easeful death* or holds death at bay to ensure the balance.
*Nod to sweet Jess for conjuring the power behind the words Easeful Death.
For D.M. La Bruja
Connect with Loretta on instagram @thedeathwitch
Introduction to Communicating with Plant Consciousness
Introduction to Communicating with Plant Consciousness
By Kathryn Solie
Despite what our material reductionist schooling and social conditioning have led us to believe, plants are beings with their own interior experience of reality. This interior is something our ancestors perceived and related to in unique ways. Absent modern scientific instruments, how else do we think people would have learned of the vastly complex, and in many ways superior systems, such as Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda? Could trial and error alone have brought about the sophistication and effectiveness of these systems? Seems highly unlikely.
Plants are speaking. Not in the way that I’m speaking to you now, but in a wholly unique kind of language. A language our ancestors were listening for. This language hasn’t been forgotten or lost by humanity, all that has been lost is our willingness and cultural permission to open to it. Through patience, openness, and humble practice you too can rediscover this ancient tongue.
One of the things that I love most about plant “spirit” medicine is that it’s available to anyone, anytime, anywhere. You don’t need to pay someone to do it. You don’t need to have physical plant medicine like a flower essence, tea, or tincture. You even don’t need to have the plant in front of you, nor have ever met the particular plant you wish to communicate with before doing this practice (though these certainly help). You can practice plant spirit communication in a jail cell, in the deep woods, sitting on a couch in your apartment, in the bathroom during a break at work, on a boat in the middle of the ocean. It’s truly a line of communication accessible to all.
There are many ways to practice plant spirit communication but I’m going to outline what works for me below.
Plant Spirit Meditation:
- Close your eyes
- Take in a few deep, full breaths
- Welcome in the plant that you are wanting to connect with
- If you’re connecting with rose, you can say something in your mind like “welcome rose” or “I am open to what rose has to share with me” or you can just hold the knowledge that you are now open to the consciousness of rose
- Notice what arises
- There is no wrong way to experience plant communication. You may see dreamlike images, hear words, experience body sensations, see colors or patterns, have a gut feeling, or hear a song.
- The way you experience plant consciousness may change from plant to plant or from day to day.
- During communication, you don’t have to hold onto anything in the moment. What you need to remember, you will remember.
- Sometimes nothing will happen, or we’re not clear on what’s happening, and that’s ok too.
- This is a practice, a life long practice. It’s not something you achieve one time and master.
- Keep in mind that just as we can so easily project our own desires, fears, and stories onto other people, we can do the same with plants. Therefore, the more you do your own work, the more that you heal and deepen within yourself, the more you’ll be able to hear what the plants have to say.
- Once you feel like you’ve received the medicine you needed, you can ask the plant if there’s anything you can offer to them. You can say something in your mind like “how can I be of service to you?” Take note of what they say & carry out their requests to the best of your abilities
- Thank the plant for their medicine and wisdom
- Take in a deep breath and open the eyes
You can do this practice with plant medicine like tea, essences, tinctures, or salves OR you can do it without any physical medicine.
If you’re sitting with a physical plant, I always ask the plant for consent before making contact.
I like to ask for consent for three main reasons:
- The subtle energies of any living being (electromagnetic or otherwise) can constrict or open, depending largely on what that being is perceiving - friend or threat. The clearest communication comes through the energetic bond of friendship.
- To further cultivate the understanding that plants are complex feeling beings intimately woven into the wellbeing of all life on this planet.
- Lastly, what if that plant you want to talk with is poison ivy and you don’t recognize them - their lack of consent may save you from getting a nasty rash!
Try to have a beginner’s open mind with every plant communication. Just because you’ve heard someone else’s perspective on a plant’s “personality” doesn’t mean that’s how the plant will present themselves to you. Anyone who tells you that a plant has one exclusive message is offering a pretty limited perspective. We all have different understandings and life experiences that color the way the way we hear the plants. There’s not one correct message from a plant. Stay open to variance.
That said, refined consensus has its place in the development of new integrative systems of medicine and human-plant interaction.
Plants seek to harmonize with their environment and we are now a foundational piece of that environment. Will we let them guide us (humanity) to that harmonization, and all it has to offer human life? Will we take our place as biospheric stewards? I don’t know, but the more that we learn to listen, the greater chance that future will come to pass.
Wishing you the best on your plant journeys.
If you’d like to learn more about plant spirit communication, you can visit my Patreon or take a class with me.
Ancestral Herbalism
Ancestral Herbalism
Almost immediately after arriving in Portland, Oregon (indigenous land of the Chinookan people) a heavy blanket of sorrow was draped over my shoulders. Its weight was unbearable and I could feel a dampness weighing on every thought. I knew about some of the atrocities that black and indigenous people experienced in Portland’s history and thought that may have triggered something with in me. I don’t consider the sudden sorrow to be negative but I also wanted to understand the cord that was struck within me and change the tone.
To help lift the weight I tuned to rosemary and cedar. I wanted to work with plant medicines that held wisdom and memories of the land I was on, that were also abundant. I gave thanks and collected enough of each for a facial steam and spirit bath.
After my steam and bath, I laid down and rubbed my mugwort and pedicularis (a plant that can help release personal and ancestral trauma from the muscles) oil on my womb space and pulse points. A few minutes later in a post herbal bath relaxed state, I heard a child singing. I saw the child being carried on the back of it’s mother in what seemed to be a tropical jungle. I remember the markings on the mothers face and the sensory experience of deep connection with her. She was scared, that was not a feeling the child had never experienced up until that point. She told the child to stop singing. She was speaking to me and told me to be quiet. She heard the sounds of foreigners and her fear brought me to tears. Then I saw the pain of losing our indigenous language that was full of tones and sounds that expressed our connections to each other, the earth, and the unseen.
That vision brought clarity and lifted the blanket allowing me to see a path towards healing. I had no idea that memory was living within me but in my years of ancestor work, I’ve learned so much about restoring my voice. That vision was another point in history when our voices were silenced. Following that trip, I began working with herbs for the throat and received wisdom around working with song and music for healing.
That vision wasn’t an isolated incident. In my healing process, I’ve found that common herbs can help us access powerful visions and memories of traditions and magic. Herbs have been like keys for me, unlocking ancestral memories. The practices and traditions I thought were lost to colonialism, have been restored through daily work with plant medicines from imphepho to mint. Reactivation and restoration of magical and healing practices can come from working with herbs in ritual or to to help with healing.
While any herb can help us access the wisdom we carry, I’ve found that aromatic herbs like rosemary, spilanthes, or sage can help trigger the release of ancient knowledge stored in the body. I often turn to rosemary and mugwort to help bring forgotten wisdom to the surface. These herbs lay the foundation for any other herb I may be working with at the time. The herbs you choose may be different.
I work with a rosemary and mugwort herbal oil as a base for any other herbs I may work with. Rosemary is known as the herb of remembrance and I have experienced that truth. Physically, rosemary can help support brain health and cognition. As a visionary, rosemary has helped me restore entire stories from my lineages and childhood.
As a dreamer, I work with mugwort often. While I turn to rosemary for daytime visions, mugwort (not for use in pregnancy) is my ally for dream visions. It helps with dream recall, clarity, lucidity, and protection in the dream space. Rosemary and mugwort together make an amazing base for any other herbs I wish to learn from.
For a few days in a row I work with the visionary oil placing a few drops on my pulse points, womb space, inner ankles, or temples. I like to apply the oil both before bed and in the morning. I then consume the empress herb (the main herb I am looking to learn from) I am working with in tea, flower essence, or tincture form. Your empress herb can be one that is helping support your health in some way or an herb you feel a particularly strong connection to.
As with any other practice, an intention for this ritual can help with navigating the information that surfaces. When working with an herb my ancestors may have used, I ask for clarity on how my ancestors may have connected with and used that plant. Always give thanks to the plants for their medicine and guidance. Keep a journal on hand for the information you receive. Pay attention to shifts in your mood, energy levels, thoughts, feelings, dreams, and the situations you find yourself in. Insight comes in so many forms and each herb can help us connect with the information we seek in a way that is in alignment with the actions of that particular plant.
There are so many ways to heal and restore the practices of our lineages. This ancestral herbal practice is one way to open the door to many other practices that are waiting to be restored. As the descendant of African, South American, Caribbean, and European peoples, ancestral herbal practices have helped ground the healing work I do.
Visionary Oil
1 part rosemary
1 part mugwort
A glass jar with a lid
The oil of your choice ( I typically use olive or coconut for better shelf life)
Add your herbs to the jar, filling it 3/4 of the way. Pour the oil over your herbs making sure it’s covered with about a 1/4 of oil floating over the herbs. This is a good time to connect with your herbs, express gratitude, and speak your intention. I like to leave my oils under the moon for a night before storing them in a warm dark place. You want the jar to be somewhere you’ll see it so you can give it a shake every few days or whenever you walk by it. Wait at least 2 weeks (or a moon cycle) before straining your oil into a glass bottle for use. Work with your oil as often as you’d like and try to use it all within a year.
Raven Rose
Menstrual health herbalist and Kambo Practitioner
www.moonmedicine.co
The Power of Story: Cards XVI - XXI of the Major Arcana
The Power of Story: Cards XVI - XXI of the Major Arcana
By Sterling Moon
The importance of stories transcends all cultures and timelines. They offer a way to derive meaning from tragedy, to teach, and to escape. I’ve found I can relate any situation back to a tarot card, particularly when life gets complicated. Tarot didn’t “click” for me until I learned the story of the Major Arcana, which is a classic tale of the human path to enlightenment. Card 0, The Fool, is the protagonist and an archetype for all of us. The Fool’s journey is our journey. Each card tells a piece of The Fool’s story - the people they meet, the lessons they learn, and new methods of spiritually leveling up.
The first ten cards contain fairly simple lessons on a practical and mental level. After that, the lessons intensify. Much like in our owns lives, when circumstances unexpectedly change (Wheel of Fortune X), our lives are upended either by choice or happenstance (Hanged Man XII), and endings are inevitable (Death XIII), we have an opportunity to either introspectively meet our challenges and find a new way forward (Temperance XIV) or we can mask our fears with excess and self-oppression (The Devil XV). In either case, any falsehoods in our lives are operating on borrowed time. The Tower XVI is next in line and it is here that we pick up the story. I offer this to you as a way to reflect on the current state of our world, ways we might build a better one, and your own personal role in doing so.
The Fool has recently confronted their own inner demons and the ways they have allowed excess, toxic ideas and relationships, substances, materialism, and empty connections to dominate their lives. The Fool has begun to realize how these were just covering up old fears and traumas. Lost in thoughts of how much work they have left to do as thunder rumbles above, The Fool lifts their head and sees a majestic castle tower up ahead. A bubble of hope emerges in their chest. Perhaps the nobles that live within can offer comfort and assistance? They must have knowledge that isn’t available to the rest of us, The Fool thinks.
The hope quickly turns to horror as a bolt of lightning hits The Tower. It crumbles immediately, taking down everything and everyone within. The Fool comes to the site where The Tower stood and realized that while it looked strong, it was unstable. Barely containing their grief and shock, The Fool sits. After a time, they realize that this will eventually offer a chance to build something on a stronger foundation. Even though The Fool is able to see how The Tower’s fall could eventually lead to something good, it is too soon to rejoice.
Feeling hollow, The Fool walks until nightfall. They reach a pool of water and come to rest, lost in the reflection of stars on the surface. One seems to be growing brighter and bigger. The Fool looks up. A beautiful sphere of light with a figure within descends down to greet them. The being sends messages to The Fool's mind that brings them to tears. The being reminds The Fool that help, hope, inspiration, and joy will come when they most need it. The Star (XVII) reminds The Fool that they never walk alone and that their guides, ancestors, and even their own highest self are available to support them at any time. Comforted, The Fool sleeps and does not wake until the following night.
Refreshed and determined, The Fool continues on. The Moon (XVIII) is full and wolves howl in the distance. The Fool is pulled like the lunar tides to the edge of a dense forest with a river running through it. They do not want to enter, but know they have no choice. On the bank of the river, The Fool finds a small boat and knows that they must navigate the waters to the other side in order to complete this phase of their journey. As The Fool travels, they understand they could go mad here, yet it is also strangely beautiful and invigorating. The moonlight plays tricks with the shadows and The Fool struggles to identify what is real and what is not. The Fool is confronted with the shadow of their own soul and the darkness they typically tamp down. The Fool screams, laughs, and revels in the freedom the darkness offers. Time has no meaning here, but eventually, The Fool sees that The Moon is setting and they have reached the end of the forest. Exhausted and elated, The Fool understands that the darkness is a part of them and that to ignore it is to ignore a part of themself. The Fool leaves the boat by the water’s edge and bids The Moon goodnight.
The Fool begins walking towards the first light of morning. After the depths of The Moon, The Sun (XIX) feels like a warm balm for their soul. As the sunlight intensifies, The Fool finds themself in a glorious field of flowers where berries and edible plants are in full season. Fresh water is abundant and the trees offer shade and comfort. The Fool weeps. While their pockets are empty of the trappings of wealth they once sought, they feel like the richest person that ever lived. The feeling of abundance and prosperity that lies here is like none they have ever known and this forever changes The Fool.
After basking in the final rays of The Sun, The Fool looks to the sky in amazement as it literally cracks open. Angels begin trumpeting from the heavens and the ground begins to shake and split. The Fool is stunned to see caskets rising from the earth. The Fool finds that they are staring back at the corpses of their former selves and is overcome with feelings of regret and shame for things they’ve said and done. The time of Judgement (XX) has come. The angels benignly say that The Fool is at the end of their journey, but there is no future when one is trying to drag along the past. The Fool bravely visits each casket, accepting the lessons that each past self taught them and finally saying goodbye. The angels retreat and the caskets sink back into the ground.
The Fool finds they are at the end of their story...and the beginning of the next. The Fool knows who they are and is strong in their values and priorities. The World (XXI) has revolved on its axis and it is time to begin again, having synthesized the lessons of past journeys.
At this juncture, gentle reader, we turn the story over to you. You are The Fool, as am I. Can you see yourself and your own circumstances reflected in this tale? How will you approach each of these challenges? Are you ready to put the past to rest? To redefine wealth and allow outdated structures to crumble? To embrace your darkness along with your light? Tell me, what kind of World are you ready to create next?
Connect with Sterling on instagram
or on her website at
https://www.sterlingmoontarot.com/
Johannes Gårdbäck: An Interview with a Trollkunnig
Johannes Gårdbäck, An Interview With a Trollkunnig
by Missy Rhysing
As a spiritual shop owner, I often get asked by customers about where to begin when it comes to witchcraft and spiritual traditions. After many moons of personally exploring and trying different paths, my answer now is usually to begin with our ancestry and exploring the spiritual paths of our ancestors. Through researching my own Scandinavian bloodlines, I was led to Johannes Björn Gårdbäck’s book Trolldom: Spells and Methods of the Norse Folk Magic Tradition a few years back, and to an apprenticeship with him beginning just over a year ago. The benefits for me have been profound.
Today I caught up with my mentor to discuss what trolldom is and what it is not, how these methods apply to us today, and what it can mean for us to connect with our blood ancestry and the homelands of our ancestors.
MISSY RHYSING: Hello! Thank you so much for talking with me today! I wanted to start with the basics: What is trolldom? And how does it differ from Norse paganism or spiritual practices such as Asatru or Heathenry?
JOHANNES GÅRDBÄCK: Trolldom is first and foremost what we mostly call folk magic. And what folk magic basically means is things that are used in your everyday life, things that work. Simple stuff. It’s not so much about esoteric teachings, pantheons, theory building and so on. It’s more about getting tools to do the work, so to speak. Trolldom itself is a very old word in Swedish and other Scandinavian languages, which had different connotations over the years of course. For some time during the 1600’s it meant to kill someone using magic or seriously harm them. Before that, it was used in another way, and so on and so forth. But basically it is folk magic, things that people do to get a result. So how does it differ from Asatru? Well, Asatru and Heathenry are more inclined towards religion and trolldom is not. We do things for health, for love, for economy and so on. A trolldom practitioner does not so much use deities so to speak, it’s more interaction with the beings that surround you, that neighbor you, your farm or your house, things that you come into contact with without having to seek it out. And there are other elements that are synonymous like seidr, which most people know about. Today that’s more towards the shamanic versions of practice. But in the old days it was synonymous to trolldom. So trolldom is Scandinavian folk magic. Actually the word today just means magic, but we also use it to mark own cultural heritage and methods.
MR: How long have you been a spiritual worker or trollkunnig as it is called in the tradition, and what kinds of work do you do with clients?
JG: I have been working for 27 years, maybe about 25 of those professionally. Over the years, quite a long time, I guess I’ve done everything. In the beginning I wanted to do everything because I wanted to have experience of everything, and I took on every single case basically. So like money work, love work, people who are unemployed, people who want to pass a test, people who have problems with their kids being bullied, women being bullied by stalkers or their boyfriend or ex-husband, kidnapping cases… the whole shebang. Nowadays I mostly do just cleansings- removal of nasty stuff others put on them, cleanse people from spirits, and I teach. But yes I have done most kinds of work. I started out with healing work, and from then it took off in all kinds of directions. But now I prefer mostly cleansings. People come with curses or nasty spirits or things like that- there’s the odd interesting case I take on nowadays. But court cases, I’ve done it all! Cursing of course, helping people die, helping at birth, all kinds of stuff.
MR: When I describe what I know of trolldom to people, often people think it sounds similar to some traditions like conjure or hoodoo- do you feel that is true?
JG: I do! It’s true- the differences are mostly in needs, cultural needs. If I am a farmer in Sweden I have specific circumstances, I need my crops to grow, my cows to give birth every year, milk to come and so on and so forth. But if I’m in an urban environment working in a big city, I haven’t got those needs, but I have similar needs. And all these techniques are basically all mimicking nature in one way or another. So of course they are similar, we are observing the same kind of nature. And this is true for most folk traditions’ practical work. It’s when we start involving cultural specific deities, cultural specific spirits, and of course a lot of esoteric teachings specific to various traditions, it is then that we find these big differences. But still differences are also differences on the surface, because they are all also based upon observing nature in one way or another, and using the same basic human machine to create things and make things happen. So yeah I think the African American folk magic traditions, for example hoodoo, is extremely much like trolldom. It differs because hoodoo went more into commercial products whilst we kind of stopped caring so much about trolldom- we got urbanized and modernized, all the folk dancing and costumes was bad and went out of fashion. Whilst in America you still had a wide spread among the working classes of the techniques. I guess that’s where they went apart a little bit.
MR: What do you believe is the value of learning a traditional folk magic practice like trolldom, especially if you have Norse ancestry?
JG: Well, first of all, you have to connect with the dead, because that is pretty fundamental in trolldom- which means you get closer to your ancestors. But you also get everything connected to the ancestors: a connection with land, connection with root, especially in specific land. And I think for many people that’s super important today. To feel grounded because that takes away so many other unnecessary needs and efforts to get that very same thing, that core spiritual connection with family, feeling of belonging and being at home somewhere. That feeling goes through the ancestral line and through the earth. So I think the value of doing trolldom- first of all connecting with the dead, but also connecting with what they did and how they lived in a sense. Because anyone who read my book has realized that this is old country folk stuff, right? And most people who live in a big city can’t go out, fish up a pike, piss in it’s mouth, or anything like that, that doesn’t work! But for someone that’s fishing alot, like farmers here, that’s not unusual, a pike is not an uncommon thing. So it’s also a way of connecting with what surrounded them, what kind of tools they had at that point. And they will recognize that, they will recognize your interest in these things and maybe draw closer. And of course all kinds of magical work and experiences opens you up. If you are taught correctly, the first thing you are taught to learn about is yourself alot. So anyone with Scandinavian heritage, most that I’ve come in contact with, especially in America, will feel that touch of homey-ness, that kind of root to the ground where you feel this is real, there is something responding in me when I do these things. It has a great value that way, for some maybe the greatest value because you might do magic as an effort to connect to spirit and so on, but what you really looking for is that sense of home, that groundedness. That will allow life and energy to go through you and run through you again, make you feel connected to the planet and with a purpose. That’s what I think is the benefit, apart from being able to do a lot of interesting things with magic.
MR: Yeah, I have definitely found that to be true, and I feel like we really haven’t even gotten quite into the actual trolldom techniques yet, which I was really surprised by! When I started working with you I had no idea that I would be doing what we’ve been doing for the last year! It’s been a lot of personal work and now I see why, I’ve never felt as rooted and connected as I do now.
JG: When I teach magic, as you have noticed, I don’t teach the spells and the trolldom cultural stuff right away because I have noticed that people don’t understand the concept and the meaning behind it. It’s like we take ourselves out of the equation- it’s supernatural. And that’s not the way to connect. We need to connect first, then do magic. If you try to do magic without connection it gets in all kinds of strange directions and you don’t get the spiritual thing. You just get entertainment and story and other things. So I feel that it’s very important to go back to the very basic things that will make this work. Which is the individual, the individual’s own mind. Take that out of the equation and people don’t understand. It’s in the plant alone, or it’s in the technique alone, there’s a special rune- if I only understand this rune it will open me up to some Odinistic magic or something. It won’t- unless you understand where will this show within, what is your relationship to this formula, what is your input in this work.
MR: Your book Trolldom is a treasure. I believe it is the only book written specifically on trolldom in the English language, correct?
JG: Yes. Well we have two parts in trolldom- the oral tradition and the black book tradition. The oral tradition has never been presented in English. Pieces of the black book tradition have been presented for example by Fredrik Eytzinger and Thomas K. Johnson, a Seattle-based guy who wrote a fantastic dissertation on a compilation of all kinds of Swedish black books. So those are out there too. But what I’ve tried to do is take the core techniques known by folks here on the countryside, the old folks used throughout history, and this is the main streams where all these techniques can be found and varied in various ways. No one has done that, not even in Swedish. If you ask a Swede why is there no books on trolldom in Swedish, it’s because here that is a loaded word. People don’t do magic here. We outgrew that! If you ask guys on the countryside, they’ll say yeah I do steeping… Is that trolldom? No no, that’s not trolldom! I asked my grandmother before she died if she did any trolldom, and she did like this *spits over his shoulder* no, no I don’t do trolldom! She knew a lot of different techniques, but she didn’t want to connect that to trolldom or magic. It’s loaded! I’ve met two 90+ year olds who cried when they met me because they have not been able to talk about these things for 70 or so years. So that’s really heart touching when that happens because of the social stigma.
MR: How do these old spells and methods apply to us in a modern world?
JG: Well if you understand them, you’ll understand the principle used. Why are they doing this and saying these words- once you understand that and the process, you can so easily apply it to all kinds of things. All kinds of materials regardless of where you are. That’s the red thread throughout my book, it’s not a recipe book per se, it is a principle book. It teaches you to look through how are they building this, what kind of steps are they taking to build this spell. Then you will find the real treasure, rather than this odd collection of spells that many of which you cannot perform. Like in the black books- so much is assumed and not written out. You have a spell that just covers one line- how are you supposed to use that? Yes if you’re a chef you understand what that means, but if you’re not then you have no idea. So if you look at how the spells are built, what kind of ideas are they using rather than a pike? The pike itself is not what is really magic, but you understand if you have ever fished a pike- and you have that in your experience, you’ll know what that feels like. When the fish comes up and you take it out, there is a lot of energy going on. And that energy put into motion, put into action, channeled by direction and all of these kinds of things, will most likely produce a good result.
MR: Well, thankfully you take students! How do you select students and what does an apprenticeship with you look like?
JG: How do I select students? Well, I have two kinds- apprentices and a course. Apprentices are one-on-one teachings. I used to do only face-to-face because I thought that was the only way to teach. Because then you can really feel where is the other person, you can see all their stuff going on, where is their consciousness now, move it here, see that spirit, now come closer, all of these kinds of things. And I thought that won’t work on video link. But after having tried for two years with a student it works excellently. Then after having had a lot of one-on-ones over video link, I decided to try with a group so I made an online course. Now of course with big groups you cannot put the students all to great tests all the time. You can’t put a spell on them and say ok I put a spell on you, what is it? You can do that one-on-one, and really get that experience, but you can’t do it with a whole group, it’s impossible. With a whole group you don’t see everyone, 5 don’t have video on, 10 watch it later, and so on. You can’t follow them like you can follow with an apprentice. You can still learn a lot from the course! The principles and all these things. It’s the experience piece, the one-on-one experience that belongs to the apprenticeship.
MR: Yeah they are both very beneficial! Going back and watching the video classes now, of some of the work we have already done in the apprenticeship has been great for me! It’s a different way of teaching, but still I have gotten so much out of watching them.
JG: Yeah. I would also like to say that since we are talking about folk magic, we are talking about really basic actions. Really basic situations, everyday life. So I always try to keep that. And when it comes to explaining spirits or inner stuff I have kept that- I don’t go to esoteric teachings and supernatural hierarchies and things like that. Because I found that these simple interactions that we have everyday works much better to describe an accurate way of approaching spirits, things that we already know. The whole procedure is about showing the student that they already know these things, they just apply it here and see what happens.
MR: Yeah. I’ve benefitted greatly from that, even from the lesson we did recently on the tomte, your house spirit. It’s something that seems so simple but until you really work with it and interact… Now I’m hearing her talking to me while I was painting my fireplace mantle! She was chatting with me the whole time about how she loved what I was doing even though it’s a little more modern for her taste, etc… Just working with something as simple as a house spirit has changed the climate of my house and how my house feels. It’s done more for me than running around my house with herbs and doing cleansings in my house. It’s really changed the overall feeling in my home.
I know besides the courses and mentorships there are other ways to learn from you in 2020, do you want to talk about that?
JG: Yes! Me and a colleague from Maine and some others put together something called Swedish Magic Tours. Which holds basically two things: opportunities to come here and learn over a week or so, immerse in trolldom on location on the countryside so that you can really feel that connection to the ground. You can really do what they did- the ancestors, and what these people in my book did. So you get to do that and I will teach one-on-one. And we will also go to the slightly more historically and legendary interesting places to meet with the spirits of the land, dating back to not only the iron age and Viking era, but all the way 5000 years back, so it’s very old. I discovered that really does something to people- especially when you have not felt that ancestral connection. You will get that, and get that very strongly interacting at these locations. And of course if you’re interested in the sagas and so on, it’ll be twice as yummy because we are going to these places mentioned in the sagas. It might sound odd but for us it’s not a big deal! This farm where I’m at now for example is mentioned in the Heimskringla, where one of the Norwegian kings hid when his brother was hunting him. It takes place here, it’s not odd! But we will see with Covid-19, we have a plan for the whole year. We will see what happens with August but October, for those who want that witchier kind of feeling, when the nature is more of a grimmer touch to it with the mists and fogs and moss and darkness and drippier things. October is really something else. Going to these mounds in October is really nice. August is still open at the moment we will see, but October and beginning of December is one too.
MR: Do you have any other upcoming projects that you are working on that you’d like to talk about?
JG: Well yes and no. I’m working on the second book. I promised that I would write a trolldom materia magica book too, it’s started! It’s coming along but it’ll take a few years before it’s ready. It’ll be something different, it’ll be much more easy to practice from the book so to speak. Besides getting to know all these materials that people have used here over the centuries. It’ll be interesting!
MR: Can’t wait for that! Well, lastly, as you know the world is a bit chaotic right now and many people are struggling. How are your spiritual practices helping you to stay grounded and sane through this pandemic?
JG: Well, I’m sane by default because if you are connected to spiritual practices then you are connected to nature if you do them correctly. If you’re connected to nature you’re connected to home, and that keeps you sane. And if you’re connected to ancestors- well for them this is a sneeze! I mean the Spanish disease, the plague, starvation- this is another day, not even a sneeze. And that’s a comforting thing. I had a discussion with another student the other day, I said we are going to start with trolldom divination… And the most prominent question in trolldom divination, old style, is who is going to die this year? Then question number two is who is going to be my partner, my husband, my wife. That tells you a lot about the old culture! It is also comforting because when you are connected to nature, when you are grounded, that is not so far away, right? It’s when you are standing so far up and you can’t feel the ground, it’s then that everything falls as soon as death’s little scythe comes running like this. We live, we die, yes. That’s the way it is right? In nature and in us. So when you’re connected to it, of course you’re scared but you’re also home. If it comes, it comes. And now that spring is here, the flowers are out, the butterflies are playing around, the birds are singing like crazy- if death comes now, it ain’t too bad.
?
Johannes Björn Gårdbäck is an internationally respected healer, teacher and spiritual worker of Swedish folk-magic. A practitioner of hoodoo and conjure, he is also a founding member of AIRR, the Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers. He brings solid, firsthand knowledge of Norse, Scandinavian, and African-American folklore to his practice. He currently lives in Göteborg, Sweden with his wife, two daughters and a dog named Bob.
MAIN WEBSITE: http://therootdoctor.se
COURSE SITE: http://www.nordic-magic.com
TOURS SITE: https://www.swedishmagictours.com
