WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SPIRIT AND A GHOST?
On the contrary, 'ghosts,' epitomized by the Mandarin term 'Guei,' signify spirits of the deceased, especially those in a transitional phase between the earthly plane and the ethereal realms. Once transitioned to the Otherside, they then assume a more interconnected energy, and take on the title 'spirit'. Beings described as ghosts are often entities who linger due to unresolved issues, unfulfilled desires, or a lack of acknowledgment regarding their transition from the mortal realm to the beyond-life reality. Ghostly apparitions might be rooted in unfinished business, unresolved emotions, or a reluctance to depart this 3D plane.
HOW TO PREPARE RITUAL PAPER
When I write intentions to be used in ritual or spellwork, I craft them on paper that has been especially designed to support the work. I hold the belief that the paper itself is the sacred container for these intents, and to honour these intentions, the very words’ environment should be held with respect, beauty, and reverence. While early Taoist (Daoist) sorceresses wrote their sigils (an inscribed symbol that contains meaning and power) on rice paper and through ritual, ingested the papers containing these sigils, I follow certain aspects of this ancient Chinese tradition of my ancestors of long, long ago.
Motherland
It’s hard to believe it’s been just over a year since A Tea Stronger Than Death, a collection of poems written under Tea’s guidance, entered the world. Tea, in her original form, is far more than just a beverage; the plant is a keeper of wisdom, a healing agent, a spiritual companion, and a living cultural practice. I’m currently working on MOTHER TONGUES a micro edition offering that goes beyond offering a selection of Camellia sinensis Teas from my homelands in Taiwan and China, alongside tisanes made from botanicals cultivated in my garden and responsibly foraged or otherwise sourced. My work with Tea, including the Magick of Tea gatherings, aims to honour Tea's past, engage with its present, and help shape a future steeped in taste literacy, cultural reverence, magical traditions, and re-animacy.
Guided Meditations and Writing Prompts as Fall Equinox Rituals
The Autumnal Equinox is on Sunday, September 22, 2024, 5:43 a.m. PST, and here are some creative writing prompts to meditate on
The act of contemplating the gradual return of Yin can function as a collection of Fall Equinox rituals done privately or as a group.
Fundamentally, the approaching Autumn Equinox is a time for goodbyes. We say goodbye to the warm sunsets, to the green canopy of leaves above our heads, to nectar dripping down our arms as we bite into overripe peaches. The early weeks of fall may speak of harvests, yet we know there is an inevitable slow descent into frosty days, darker skies, and eating from what we’ve stored from times of plenty.
In many ways, what’s in storage is psychosomatic. Memory has a way of revealing what is important to us, highlighting what we love, and all the stories that hold both light and shadow. And in a season where the land shows itself as increasingly darker and shaded, it’s also a natural time to sit with figurative and literal deaths, grief, and sorrow. Within Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the fall season corresponds with the Metal element and the lungs, the organ that holds grief and sadness.
THE RIGHTS OF THE DEAD
The last three rights of the dead may not be rights we consider much. Often we view the dead as immortally fixed, as if they cannot continue to learn and evolve, but in my work, I have witnessed spirits discovering information they did not know while alive, experiencing closure, and having a more macro view of existence. These often help them evolve, and can give them a deeper purpose as a spirit.
New Age Spirituality Criticism Must Also Be Extended to Science
‘Are psychics legit’ is a legit question, but we have other questions to also ask.
I’ve been a critiquing voice of low-nutrition McSpirituality, of charlatan mediums, of New Age scams and opportunism, of watered-down, co-opted traditional teachings, BUT it doesn’t mean that malpractice and extraction are exclusive to the psychic or spiritual.
Skin Scrying: TCM Face Mapping Meets Ancestral Spirit Work
Face mapping is two way communication method for channeling and divination. Skin caring has never been so witchy.
Let’s first define scrying.
Scrying is an ancient divination technique where one looks into a reflective or translucent surface, like a crystal ball, darkened glass, stone, water, fire, or smoke, to gain insights, receive messages from ancestral spirits or guides, or predict future events. This practice, rooted in various cultural traditions, is closely linked with mystical and witchcraft practices throughout history.
A Quick I Ching Reading on Hexagram 24
The I Ching (Yi Jing) is the shamanic oracle of Chinese antiquity, also called the Book of Change. A collection of 64 change archetypes, manipulations and play arrangements in schematic form, it's one of the oldest surviving forms of divination. I say divination rather than fortune-telling, as the latter tends to suggest deities or other powers that control our human fates, whereas, in my experience as an animist medium and conjurer that it's more about change unfolding according to each situation's principles, and that all things in the process of change are connected. This allows us to determine our exact position in the unfolding process, understand who or what it will impact, and proceed with confidence in our predictions. The I Ching emphasizes probability, analyzing conditions, and envisioning actions to shape desired outcomes or avert dangers. In this way, divining becomes a form of innovation, blending creativity with technical analysis.
ANIMISM: How It's Not All About Us
Animism: The Cosmos is alive and intelligent, comprised of many different sentient beings, and humans are one of the beings within it. In other words, the Universe does not exist for humanity’s exclusive pleasure, convenience, opinions, or survival.
Do We Expect Too Much from Spirit Workers and Intuitives? 5 Best Practices for Ethical Spirit Work
I’ll share 5 best practices for ethical psychic work (and examples):
NO to Mistaking Clever Marketing /Packaging, the Visual, and “Stuff” as the Real Thing.
I've noticed that some in this field often lean into theatrics and certain devices. This can include adhering to fashion stereotypes of a witch (long hair, black dress, tattoos), equating a specific aesthetic decor with credibility, or believing that possessions like crystals, jewelry, and elaborate altars define their skill. For me, I don’t have a “witch aesthetic”; I have a “Mimi aesthetic”, meaning, I wear what I like and what’s comfortable. My altars are simple and minimalistic.
WHEN AI BECOMES SELF-AWARE: EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY OF WISDOM IN AI
The exploration of the basis that "artificial intelligences" are inherently 'artificial,' contrasting with the notion of "natural intelligence" in humans, betrays more human-exclusivity and the problems tied to that perspective than mere forecasts about an imminent hostile AI takeover.
What Daoism says about getting unstuck
I am not so much of a fan of manifesting as it can suggest ableism or exceptionism. That said, we can still play in a role both through our daily decisions and how we relate with energy. Sometimes energies get stuck because the container (our bodies, our minds, our physical homes, our altars and other magickal work surfaces) becomes too full.
From a Daoist perspective, the stuckness happens because Yang has reproduced itself to the point of becoming an invasive mono crop species. The Yang aspect has fixated itself on past successes and assumes repeating what it has always done will result in more of what it desires.
On the continued discussion of how to have psychic abilities: Witchcraft and spirit work is about being intimate with what's real
The task of the witch is to collaborate on the process of shaping yourself and reality. To continuously make and remake yourself as an act of pleasure and honesty.
To be a witch makes you in essence also an artist, one who creates and re-creates, one who is aware they have the freedom to determine their own identity, to make their own image.
In this way, witchcraft creates the divine.
SKIN CARING: Eye Massage
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the Liver opens to the eyes. Liver Blood nourishes the eyes, but can be depleted by poor diet and lack of rest. Some Liver Blood deficiency signs are blurry vision, dry eyes, or impaired night vision. Stress and emotions affect Qi flow. Massaging the skin and muscles around the eyes can promote Qi flow and improve the skin around the eye. I use my Eye Serum // Frequency of Mindfulness which contains Carrot, Myrrh, Seabuckthorn Berries, Calendula and Neroli that are formulated in such a way that promotes both an energetic expansion of our life force.