How Do Autumn Rituals Help Us?
In harmony with the rhythm of Autumn, a season of release, harvest, and gathering essential resources, the Metal element of Daoism (also known as Taoism) and TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) guides us to let go of what no longer serves us. Associated with the lungs and its paired organ, the large intestine, Metal helps release perfectionism and grief, and excess and waste through breath, tears, and the skin.
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.
Why Am I Seeing Spirits?
I've been receiving many emails and DMs from the community, asking if I've (or anyone else) have had a lot of experiences lately where I see spirits and spirit activity out of the corner of my eye.
My short response is yes, and perhaps a deeper question is, why?
What’s been revealed is the urgent need for the world to return to an animist worldview. It’s not just about “believing in” animism; as this notion of “believing” is synonymous with faith or a need to be convinced. What the spirits seem to be pointing to, and reminding us is to recognize reality as being fuller, mysterious and uncontainable. We’re approaching a point where we must collectively face everything that isn’t working—everything that causes suffering and injustice— and the natural rebalancing of things that may be very inconvenient to the System and its participants who require suffering for their comfort to continue.
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.
Under A Watching Moon
Poems for Witches
It’s all over the place, every opportunity an upsell.
Things a guise for safety.
Though objects are but placebos,
and we wish someone knows us under a watching moon.
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.
HERBAL RECIPES FOR IMMUNE SUPPORT
Here are some some recipes of what I've been doing at home with the family to build IMMUNITY. I discuss the two different types of immunity HERE.
SKIN FOOD: CHICKEN SOUP WITH TRADITIONAL CHINESE HERBS
I’ll also be sharing a list of my favourite, most effective skin foods that promote elasticity, clarity, moisture, and radiance. Until then, below is a recipe to my skin food ‘secret’: Taiwanese-style herbal chicken soup. It provides necessary nutrients, but also considers core TCM elements that look beyond the physiology of the skin and into the spirit. Everyone in my household drinks at least a bowl (often more) a day, regardless of time of the year. I may adjust the herbs, but the recipe below is an evergreen one. It functions as a stand alone or a versatile base, such as adding some cooked noodles or veggies to a bowl of the soup.
CARING FOR YOUR END-OF-SUMMER SKIN
Summers in the westcoast, from Vancouver to Los Angeles, and everywhere in between and beyond have been increasingly hotter and drier. My skin has experienced dusty winds, icy air conditioning, salty waters, prickly fluctuations, general neglect, and like the fallen fruit that lays on the ground end of summer, I am reminded that while my skin is resilient, she also is craving sweetness and holding not from blush or bb creams, but from care, attention, and time to be. Our skin is precious, and for those who are intuitive or walk the medial path, our skin is the organ that is especially attuned to subtle perceptions and relationality. In other words, our skin from a psychic context provides information on whether we want to be open or to remain closed. I think sometimes we forget this.
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.
What is a Morphic Field? Why Are They Important in Magic and the Occult?
I shared in earlier this year that a morphic field is an energy field that is created by those aligned through a shared focus; they can be physically together or geographically apart, and the resonance built by the participants can act as a channel of communication and of shared blessings. Morphic fields are also reinforced by successive generations. The term was formed by biologist Rupert Sheldrake in his work, Hypothesis of Formative Causation, though in esoteric terms, a field is not bound to biology alone. For the purpose of discussion, I am also further expanding on this notion in this update blog post.
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.
Animist Thoughts While Drinking Tea
I find myself asking these questions, or perhaps hearing these questions as I drink my daily Tea.
Today, I am reminded that the unknown, adventure, chaos and transcendence are romanticized, as they are often frightening, destabilizing, violent even.
Much like Tea. A plant of grace and medicine, but also filled with heartache and betrayal (referencing the Opium Wars here).
Why is it that human taking human, human taking land, human taking minerals, human taking anything seems to be the only constant?
Maybe Tea represents the persistence of life, how despite life becoming something you don’t understand, humans doing things you don’t understand.
Maybe Tea is soil, blood, sweat, wind, rain, where this plant will always be more than a crop that is packaged and then diluted.
HOW ANCESTORS COMMUNICATE: ANCESTOR ALTAR BEST PRACTICES
Ancestors are widely acknowledged as highly responsive spirits; some attribute this to the fact that without descendants, ancestors cease to fulfill their ancestral roles, while others view the transition from 3D life to spirit form as a means for ancestors to continue offering nourishment, safety, and comfort in a way that spans wider and more impactfully than during their earthly form. A simple yet potent way to cultivate a connection with departed ancestors is by creating an ancestor altar. These altars, whether dedicated to specific individuals (a grandmother, for instance) or a group of ancestors (grandparents and great grandparents), serve as sacred spaces—be it a shelf, table, or another surface—reserved for spirit communication, offering sites, or energetic communion.
Qualities of McSpirituality, Its Bullshit and Its Dangers
McSpirituality justifies and even spiritualizes self-obsession, prioritizing one’s own emotions and individuality over the needs and realities of a group. McSpirituality misuses psychology terms like ‘trauma’, ‘trigger’, and ‘narcissist’ to describe ordinary discomfort and someone who holds a difference of opinion. McSpirituality confuses spiritual terms for the spiritual practice. McSpirituality confuses spiritual tools for the spiritual practice. McSpirituality looks to complex, intricate spiritual teachings, reduces them to decontextualized clear cut “truths”, and then sells them as tidy “answers” to complex, intricate life problems.