THE OFFERING ARRIVED
Qing Ming Jie, a dedicated day in early spring for traditional Chinese peoples to visit loved ones who have passed on at their graves and pay respects, was on a Wednesday this year, the day of Mercury. By custom, with the tombs freshly swept by the living, and the debris removed, the spaces consecrated as doorways to connect with the living dead were renewed at a minimum of each year. Even portals need cleaning.
EARTH DAY AND THE FEELING OF FUTILITY
Oh, loved ones. Reading my friend, Carmen Spagnola's post on Earth Day, resurrected so much within me. I remember the once held feelings of naive might-- the one individual can take on the ugly world of big corporations, the machines of government, the systems of isms. I can do this, using the stronger, faster, smarter, louder, harder mindset, and wouldn't you know, it burned me to a crisp.
NATURAL LAWS FOR INTUITION
1. Intuition require spaciousness and an unrushed pace to be the most authentic and reliable.
2. Rest and play fuel and sustain intuition.
3. Curiosity, receptivity and non-judgment to associations, signs, symbols (dreams, omens, synchronicities, correspondences) develop fluency.
DO SPIRITS CHANGE?
This morning, during my visit to the Inner Spirit Temple (an inner, spirit space where members of the Homing Coven can seek solace, meditate, and do group work), I was met by a few spirit beings I learn from and work with closely. One of the beings, Fire, along with a few plant allies, said to me, 'We change, too, you know."
DOES INTUITION CHANGE AS WE AGE?
Even the most seasoned intuitive, psychic, witch, healer, or spirit worker experience plateaus or deep winter seasons from time to time. The idea here is not to force our work into perpetual springs, as every phase of a cycle can be opportunities for engagement with the Seen and Unseen, to deepen our spiritual practice, to return to foundational lessons and skills, to renew our sense of humility and commitment to our craft.
MIST IN DAOISM
In Daoism (Taoism), mist (and fog) is often used as a metaphor for the Unknown, the Hidden, or Mystery. Mist as a symbol of the hidden forces of nature, the secrets of life, and the elusive nature of the Dao (Tao) itself.
WORKING WITH YOUR PAST AND YOUR FUTURE IN MAGICK
The power of recalling the past or envisioning the future in magick are such that for most humans our memories, desires, anxieties and expectations are not AS real, but are actually MORE real than reality.
COVEN VALUES
The HOMING COVEN launched earlier this month. The flow has felt natural, tender, and the momentum is very real. We chat and choose as a circle; during the live-stream, the boards to ensure folks tuning in via the recordings are still very much considered and held; the various channels that are developing on Homing Coven's Discord have also been both lighthearted and practical, giving glimpses of the power of co-resourcing.
THE END AND THE BEGINNING MET US
On the first Wednesday morning of the Year of the Rabbit, I received news that my Puo Puo (maternal grandmother) had a massive stroke the night before. The stroke left her brain and body irreparable. My mother and her siblings who live in the metro Vancouver area, as well as Puo Puo's grandchildren and great grandchildren were fortunate enough to gather with her throughout the Lunar New Year celebrations the weekend prior. Puo Puo, in her 90s, had been frail for quite some time, and she, who must have sensed a forthcoming transference of energy, asked her children to gather around her again Tuesday evening, and within minutes of their arrival to her home, the stroke occurred.
BY THE BEDSIDE OF SPLENDOUR
When our darkest beauties and darkest repulsions,
When our history and present moments, Aspirations and negotiations,
When all of these open fully and empty into the hungry earth and absorbing skies—
YEAR OF THE WATER RABBIT FORECASTS (2023)
Sooner or later, as we grow older, we eventually come to appreciate that no news is good news. As we near the end of the Water Tiger year, and prepare to welcome (with relief) the Water Rabbit, we can finally find a quiet spot in the corner, experience reprieve, and reimagine what life can be like.
JANUARY 2023: AN EXIT OF THE TIGER AND THE ENTRANCE OF THE RABBIT
The beauty of the new year is defiant against the harsh realities, and for now, may the beauty swallows us whole.
WINTER: BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH
Winter - a season where just about everything is reduced and barren, bitten down to the bone. Belonging to the Crone, the season’s energy speaks with ruthless honesty; the once flattering light of Summer no longer seduces, the excuses we make due to being too comfortable no longer hold up. Much like Jupiter is Spring/Summer because we say “yes” freely, indiscriminately, Fall/Winter is Saturn embodied, as we learn the fruits of unchecked expenditures.
THE SPIRITS OF THE SEASON
The scents have returned, bringing with them the same dreams and symbols. We do not wish to be understood as a form of conquest, they tell me. The magick is that you smell us at all; the awareness that you sense our presence is what we seek.
ANIMISM IS NOT POETRY
Language was not invented by humans. Humans' capacity to communicate and speak comes directly from the Land herself.
HOW I DEFINE SPIRITUALITY
How I define spirituality:Inner transformation AND outer change.
WAYS TO INVITE HARMONY WITH THE FORCES OF CHANGE
While I'll be sharing loads of wisdom on befriending Change, including hands-on practices with Tea on September 17 - Befriending Change (Part of the Magick of Tea series), here are a few doable practices to help get you started.
AN ANIMIST’S FORECAST: 2 KEY THEMES FOR THE REST OF 2022
August was a midpoint for the lunar new year, igniting a major portal for the remaining months chaperoned by the Water Tiger. In many ways, the first 6 months of this lunar year was like a washing machine, where energies, circumstances, intentions, and reference points are jumbled, chaotic, and unclear.