New Moon in Libra Ritual

The new moon in Libra offers you an invitation to be open to bringing more beauty and connection into your world. 

New moons are always a time for being open to new ideas and ways of being in the world, our cosmic clean slate if you will. As a cardinal air sign, Libra energy is one of balance and initiation. The planetary rulership of this sign is Venus, bringing in the energy of love and beauty. Learn more about Libra energy here. 

The energy of Libra within a new moon calls you to explore themes of beauty, reciprocity, and connection. Here are some questions to focus on for this new moon. What areas of your life are calling out for more beauty? How can you allow in more beauty? In what ways can you be in more sacred and aligned reciprocity with yourself, those around you, and the world at large? 

Themes for this new moon: Justice, balance, beauty, love, connection, and reciprocityElements: air and water

New Moon in Libra Ritual for Sacred Connection

You’ll need: 

• 15-30 minutes of quiet and uninterrupted time

• Piece of rose quartz

• Optional: rose scent (incense, dried rose, etc.), guided meditation to connect with your guides (free for newsletter subscribers, click here to receive).

1. Ensure that you have 15-30 minutes of uninterrupted quiet time. Create a sacred space in a way that feels good to you, for example, burning incense or herbs mentioned above, calling in the four directions, or casting a circle. Root into the space by connecting with your breath and body. Notice your body and how it feels. Begin to breathe more intentionally, sending your breath deep into your low belly.

2. Bring an area of your life to your mind that you feel needs more love and beauty. Holding your rose quartz in your hands, close your eyes, and visualize that area of your life being filled with love and beauty. Continue to hold your rose quartz as you meditate.

3. Close your eyes and prepare to journey to meet one of your guides to help you bring more love and beauty into this area of your life. State aloud or in your mind, “I’m ready to receive guidance around __________ and be in sacred reciprocity with a guide, please, make yourself known to me.” Click here to be taken to a free guided meditation to connect with your guides.

4. As you meditate, focus on your breath and your body. If you can visualize a beautiful location in your mind, do this now, as this can create a space to commune with a guide.

5. Be open to guidance, suggestions, and wisdom from spirit. Trust what comes to you.

6. If a spirit guide presents itself to you and offers guidance, ask what you can do to reciprocate the information shared with you.

7. Close your meditation by thanking any guides who came through. Consider writing down anything that came through to help process and remember.

8. If your guide made a request for reciprocity, be sure to act on it. If they did not, consider creating an offering on your altar to show your gratitude for the connection and wisdom shared.

9. Leave your rose quartz out the night of the new moon to carry with you afterward as a reminder of how to bring more love and beauty into your life.

If you enjoyed this ritual, please consider sharing it with someone else who may enjoy it too. New moon blessings! 

Card Spread and Self-love Ritual for Libra Season

Libra, our cardinal air sign, invites you to focus on creating right relationships, initiating connection, finding soul fulfillment through the sign’s Venus rulership, and learning to communicate truth, love, and beauty.

In this blog post, I’ll be sharing a card spread and a ritual for Libra season. Check out our Understanding the Energy of Libra Season blog post to learn more about Libra energy and your personal birth chart’s connection to Libra

.Card Spread for Libra Season

We’ll use this card spread to explore the invitations and lessons Libra has to teach you this season. Feel free to use a tarot deck or an oracle deck (like the Journey Tarot!) for this spread - whichever resonates with you. 

I invite you to create a ritual space for you and your deck to communicate by taking a moment to ground and center yourself however feels good to you. In the spirit of Libra season and air energy, you might like to ground and center by taking a few deep breaths or shaking your whole body.

 When you feel grounded and ready, shuffle your deck and draw a card for each of the following questions:

• What is Libra season here to teach me?

• How can I move towards right relationship this season?

• What step can I take towards soul fulfillment this season?

• What possibilities are Libra season opening up for me?

After you pull your cards, sit with them. Try to take some time to journal or meditate with them to really connect with the full meaning they have to offer you. At the end of Libra season, you might like to revisit your cards and reflect on how they unfolded throughout the season. How did they show up? What did you learn about yourself and about the cards through the way they manifested this season?

Libra Season Ritual for a More Loving Relationship with Yourself 

Libra sign points us towards relationships, and one of the most important relationships we have is the one we have with ourselves. This ritual is intended to support you in creating a more loving relationship with yourself.

You’ll need:

• Leaves

• A marker or pen to write on the leaves 

Once you feel grounded, centered, and open, enter into meditation. Meditate on your relationship with yourself — what feels really good in this relationship, and what feels unsupportive? What would you like to change? What’s your vision for a more loving relationship with yourself? How would you like it to feel? Notice how all of these things feel in your body, and breathe into them.

When you feel clear on what you want to release as well as intentions for your relationship with yourself, write them down on your leaves. Then, take a walk through nature and let the wind carry and scatter the leaves. Trust that as the wind and the Earth take them, your intentions for release and growth are being amplified and offered up to the Universe.

Happy Libra season! I hope you find some beautiful support in this card spread and ritual for this season. 

The Second Harvest // Honoring the Autumn Equinox with Apples

We started our triplicity of harvests with Lughnasadh, and the harvest season continues with the Autumn Equinox. The Autumn Equinox is our sacred portal into the darker half of the year. The amount of sunlight and night we experience will be in equilibrium for a moment before darkness begins to rule each day and call us more deeply inward.

In this share, we'll discuss the layered energies of the Autumn Equinox, a few ways to tune into and honor its energy, and some sacred correspondences, specifically apples. I'd also like to discuss the name Mabon often associated with this season. Listen to this post on my podcast, Rooting into Wholeness, below.

Mabon is a common name associated with this season, and though there's nothing wrong with referring to this season as Mabon, which is one of the more manufactured names on the Wheel of the Year. Names that don't quite make sense on the Wheel of the Year aren't something new and are something I discuss in my new book, Understanding The Wheel of The Year, shop it here. 

The Wheel of the Year itself, as a unified construct of seasonal celebrations, is a relatively modern compilation of celebrations from various people, not one specific culture. The name Mabon was assigned by Aiden Kelly, one of the collaborators of the modern construct of the Wheel of the Year. Mabon was a Welsh mythological figure who doesn't appear to have any real connection to the Autumn Equinox. Some believe Aiden simply wanted another short name to associate with this season and, Mabon was the best he could come up with. We may never know! That said, Mabon is a common name associated with this season by many Wiccans. If it resonates with you, use it. If it doesn't, referring to this season as the Autumn Equinox is fine too. As with all of our seasonal celebrations, this is a time to honor and connect with the earth, not quibble over names. 

A Balance of Light and Dark

There are so many beautiful energies layered into this season. This phase brings us more deeply into the waning side of the year by corresponding with the last quarter moon (a moon of equal light and dark, another visual of the balance this season brings about.) We also shift from Virgo to Libra season at this time. The sign of Libra, of course, being the scales mirroring this theme of balance again. 

Beyond the energetics, the equinoxes spur extreme physical changes as well. The sunlight no longer reigns supreme throughout our day. The plant and animal world take note, and things start to shift and change all around and within us. These physical changes can bring a heightened sense of balance and change for everyone. 

The full moon closest to the Equinox, which we experienced earlier this week, is the harvest moon. It wasn't uncommon for our ancestors to work all through the night in the fields harvesting crops in preparation for the winter ahead during the harvest moon. It's also fitting that our full harvest moon happened in the sign of Pisces (the end of the zodiac year) as we fully step into the darker half of the year. 

As with any harvest, themes of abundance and gratitude surface. What always comes up for me around these themes is the idea of equal reciprocity. Equal reciprocity is always important, but with this season being one of balance, it can be a healing theme to explore. So, as you assess the abundance in your life, can you make space also to explore equal reciprocity? If you have an abundance of food, can you find a way to give back to the earth or those who need more food? If you have an abundance of time, how could you use it to serve yourself and others best? Alternatively, if you find yourself lacking in a specific area, could you ask for more of what you need? These questions can be applied to all facets of your life. I'll touch on this more when we talk correspondences because I have a perfect tarot card for this season. 

A final theme that runs through this season is wholeness. Anytime we strive towards balance, we're moving into more wholeness. It's a time to take stock, shed what's no longer serving, and call in what you'd like to see more of in your life. We see this theme reflected perfectly in the apple, which brings me to our first ritual for this season. 

Apple Rituals for the Autumn Equinox

I will be focusing solely on apples for this ritual section! Why apples? Apples tend to ripen around this season and are a potent symbol of abundance, gratitude, and wholeness. Apples are associated with the underworld connecting them with moving into the darker part of the year. There's no shortage of myths and folklore from the Celts, Druids, and other Euro-pagans about apples, apple trees, and their spiritual significance. The island of Avalon translates to the "Island of Apples." Apples are viewed as sacred and magical fruits by many.

When cut horizontally, the apple reveals five seeds in the shape of a star. The five seeds represent the five elements and the four directions. The circle encompassing them (the outer skin of the apple) represents the wholeness these energies create when combined in equal balance. The apple is a sacred symbol of wholeness and the path to wholeness. 

Those are just a few reasons why apples are perfect for this season! There are many ways to work apples into your ritual practice this season, which is why I'm solely focusing on apples for these rituals. However, if you're looking for some other ways to tune into this season, click here or here for some past posts all about the Autumn Equinox. 

This ritual is adapted from my book, Understanding The Wheel of the Year (order it here!). 

Apple Ritual for Wholeness

You'll need: 

• One apple

• One brown candle and fireproof dish or candle base

• A piece of paper and pen or pencil

Steps: 

1. Gather your materials and ensure that you won't be disturbed for 20-30 minutes. 

2. Take 2-3 minutes to center and ground yourself. You can do this by tuning into your body or focusing on your breathing for a couple of minutes. 

3. Once you feel ready, bring an area of your life to mind that feels out of balance. Write this situation down on a piece of paper. 

4. Cut your apple across the middle, and then cut a slice from that. Your slice should have a five-pointed star on it representing the five elements. 

5. Place your paper on the bottom in a fireproof tray, bowl, or plate. Place your apple slice on the top. 

6. Hold your brown candle in your hand and ask for guidance around finding more balance and wholeness around the situation you wrote out. 

7. Place your candle on top of the apple. You'll be using the apple here as a vessel to inspire wholeness in this spell. 

8. Light your candle and say aloud to yourself, "I am whole and perfectly balanced. So it is." or something similar. Stay with the candle as it burns. 

Note: Always use proper fire safety and care when working with candles. Never leave your candle unattended. 

1. As your candle burns, gaze at the flame and tune into your breath and body. 

2. Call in each of the five elements one at a time (Earth, air, fire, water, and spirit) to restore you to wholeness and bring balance. 

3. Stay with your candle as it burns and feels the support of the five elements around you. 

4. Be open to any ideas that come to you to find more balance and wholeness in your life. 

5. Write down any ideas that came to mind to find balance and wholeness in your life. 

6. Finally, in the vein of equal reciprocity, I suggest giving an offering to the earth for any wisdom, insights, or balancing you found throughout this ritual. 

Watch the ritual in this Instagram reel I created below.

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Here are some other simple ways to weave apples into your ritual practice.

• Eat apples or drink. 

• Bake with apples (one of my favorites!) As you do, be mindful and aware of their sacred connection to wholeness and consider cutting your apples horizontal to reveal their inner star for your final product! I love a good old-fashioned apple pie or tart for this season. 

• Adorn your altar or home with apples. 

• Go apple picking if it's in season for you.  

• Learn more about myths and folklore about apples connected with your heritage. Many cultures have legends and mythology about apples.  

• Meditate while holding an apple, and ask the apple to share its wisdom with you. 

• Plant an apple tree

• Save apple seeds to use in other spellwork. They correspond with magic, psychic abilities, protection, rebirth, and death. They're an excellent option for protection rituals. 

• If you have apple trees where you live, work with the wood of the apple tree for ritual or spellwork. 

Fall Equinox and Mabon Correspondences

Correspondences are energies that play well together or match. Working with correspondences is a great way to better amplify your rituals, spells or connect with a specific energy. Placing some correspondences for this season can help bring the energy of the Fall Equinox into your space. Here are some of my favorite correspondences for this season, all from my new book, Understanding the Wheel of The Year. 

• Moon Phase: Last Quarter Moon

• Energy center: Sacral, heart

• Element: Water

• Crystals: Carnelian, snowflake obsidian, rhodonite, malachite, moonstone, yellow topaz

• Colors: maroon, orange, brown, tan

• Tools and special objects: fall leaves, corn dolly, guards 

• Plants and Scents: yarrow, sage, cinnamon, patchouli, frankincense, anise

• Foods: Apples, grains, guards, pumpkins, nuts, seeds, berries

• Runes: Gebo, Fehu, Mannaz, Sowilo

• Goddesses: Cailleach, Persephone, Inanna, the Morrigan, Modron

• Gods: Avalloc, Dionysus, Mabon

I also wanted to touch on some tarot cards for this season. When we discuss equal reciprocity, the card that comes up for me and makes me think of the Equinox and Libra season is the 6 of cups. 6's correspond with Venus, harmony, and balance. And the cups mirror the water element that corresponds with this season. The card itself speaks to a give and take between one's self or between you and others. It's a great card to meditate with or journal about for this season. 

As you can see, this is a rich and powerful season. Remember, each sabbat is a season, not a day. You can tune into its energy and honor it anytime until Samhain. 

If you enjoyed this share, please consider sharing it with someone who may enjoy it too—wishing you a beautiful second harvest season. Love & Shadow xoxo, Cassie

Full Moon in Pisces Ritual

Our September full moon in Pisces offers an opportunity to explore our dreams, both here in physical and in more liminal spaces. The sign of Pisces calls you to explore your spirituality, dreams, subconscious, and your imagination.

If you enjoy this ritual, I invite you to share it with someone else who might benefit from it as well. 

Themes for this full moon: Exploring your subconscious and imagination, connecting with your dreams, and feeling into your spiritual practices.

Element: Water

The ideal time to perform this ritual: Sunday the 19th through Tuesday the 21st. You can work with the energy of the full moon anytime over a three-day period. However, the moon is in the sign of Pisces on Sunday through Tuesday morning. 

You’ll need: 

• 15-30 minutes of quiet and uninterrupted time

• 1 large jar of water 

• Pen or pencil and paper

• Optional: aquamarine or moonstone

1. Before you begin, ensure that your jar of water is close enough that you can pick it up. Optional: hold or place a piece of aquamarine or moonstone on your body as you begin to tune into this space.

2. Create a sacred space by grounding yourself into the present moment and connecting with your breath and body. Sit, and begin connecting with your breath. Allow your breath to flow in a way that feels natural and good to you.

3 As you tune in, ask your higher-self, guides, or Goddesses or Gods you work with aloud or in your mind, “Please, take me on a journey through my subconscious to explore my spiritual path.” (or anything similar that feels in alignment with your path.)

4. Be open and allow the moon’s energy to help deepen this journey. If nothing comes, continue to focus on your breath and how your body feels. Journey and breathe through this liminal space for as long as you’d like.

5. Pick up your jar of water. While holding it in your hands, infuse it with anything that came up for you during your meditation journey, including any feelings, visuals, words, or messages. Tip: The realm of your subconscious often speaks in imagery and illusions. It’s okay if what you experienced doesn’t make sense yet.

6. Take a drink of your water, feeling your experience permeate your body on a deeper level.

7. On your paper, write or draw anything meaningful that came to you. If nothing came to you, write or draw your personal dreams and spiritual desires on your paper.

8. Place the paper and your crystal, if you’re working with one, in your jar of water to leave out for one night under the moonlight. The moon has a special relationship with water and will help to expand your dreams.

9. As you come to a close with your ritual, be sure to thank any guides, Goddesses, Gods, or ancestors who came through to offer guidance.

10. Ritual follow-up suggestions: If you worked with a crystal, place it on your nightstand or under your pillow to help open you up to your dream world. Pour the water into a natural body of water or the earth, thanking it for its wisdom and power. Your paper can be placed on an altar as a reminder or buried in the ground to disperse its energy.

Optional ritual modification: If you have an active dream life, this ritual could be easily modified to occur over the course of the night in your dreams.This full moon ritual can be adapted or used for any full moon in Pisces. As always, take what you like and leave the rest. If you enjoyed this ritual, consider sharing it with someone else. Love & Shadow, Cassie

New Moon in Virgo Ritual

The new moon in Virgo brings you an opportunity to connect with your heart space and find clarity around how you would like to be of service in this world. 

New moons are always a time for being open to new ideas and ways of being in the world, our cosmic clean slate, if you will. The energy of Virgo season is unique because it’s a beautiful blend of earth energy, as an earth sign, and air energy from its planetary rulership of Mercury. 

When earth and air combine, it yearns for a balance of spirit and physical in the heart space. 

Virgo energy brings a grounded approach to being of service and strives to be in flow with the current needs of the world. This energy also invites sensuous acts of devotion to both the world and the divine. Wrap all this up with the fresh energy of the new moon, and you have a delicious opportunity to gain insight into how best to devote yourself to being of service to yourself, the world, and all of its inhabitants. 

Themes for this new moon: Devotion, service, organization, groundedness, the heart space, balance between spirit and physical. 

Elements: earth and air

New Moon in Virgo Ritual

You’ll need: 

• 15-30 minutes of quiet and uninterrupted time

• Pen or pencil and paper

• Found pieces of plants or minerals like twigs, stones, leaves, or flowers (about 10-15 pieces.)

1. Take a few moments to prepare your items in front of you. Create a sacred space, ground into the moment by connecting with your breath and body. If your body allows for sitting, sit either in a chair or on the ground with a straight spine. Otherwise, lying down works fine too.

2. Tune into your breath, lengthening each of your inhales and exhales to be in equal balance. Visualize a golden cord coming up from the earth and connecting to the base of your spine, then visualize a golden cord coming down from the sky connecting to the crown of your head. 

3. Visualize these two golden cords slowing moving towards your heart space and eventually meeting in the heart space to form a brilliant ball of golden light. Imagine that with each inhale, this ball of light grows bigger and brighter until it eventually encompasses your entire body and fills the space of the room. 

4. In this space, ask aloud or in your mind, “What does my heart desire most for the lunar cycle ahead?” Continue to breathe and allow this question to marinate in your energy field. Notice if anything comes to mind. Next, ask yourself aloud or in your mind, “How can I move into greater alignment with my heart’s desires?” Continue to breathe, giving space and time for suggestions to come to mind. 

5. Stay in this space of golden light, continuing to focus on your breath for as long as you’d like. When you feel prepared to come back, slowly open your eyes. 

6. With the objects in front of you, take 5-10 devotional minutes to arrange your items from outside into a design or mandala. Focus on your gratitude for the earth, your body, and any ideas that came to you about being better aligned with your heart. 

7. When you complete your design, take a few moments to write down any messages or ideas you received about being in better alignment with your heart’s desires. 

8. Close your ritual by thanking any guides or ancestors who came through to offer guidance. 

9. Place your paper with any ideas somewhere you’ll see it daily for the next couple of weeks. Leave your devotional plant design out until the full moon. When you decide to disassemble it, dispose of it in a way that feels aligned to you. Some options are to burn, bury, or release it into a body of water. 

If you enjoyed this ritual, please consider sharing it with someone else who may as well. New moon blessings, Cassie. 

Card Spread and Devotion Ritual for Virgo Season

Virgo, our mutable Earth sign, invites you to consider what you are in service to, to pour your gifts out for the world, to unite your body and mind, and to analyze, discern, and purify. It's a season to find clarity around what you feel called to devote yourself to. We'll be exploring themes of both nature and devotion throughout the following card spread and ritual.

In this blog post, I’ll be sharing a card spread and a ritual for Virgo season. Check out our Understanding the Energy of Virgo Season blog post to learn more about Virgo energy and your personal birth chart’s connection to Virgo.

Card Spread for Virgo Season

We’ll use this card spread to explore the invitations and lessons Virgo has to teach you this season. Feel free to use a tarot deck or an oracle deck for this spread - whichever resonates with you. 

I invite you to create a ritual space for you and your deck to communicate by taking a moment to ground and center yourself however feels good to you. In the spirit of Leo season and Earth energy, you might like to explore dropping a grounding cord into the earth or meditating with a plant.

When you feel grounded and ready, shuffle your deck and draw a card for each of the following questions:

• What is Virgo season here to teach me?

• What am I being called to devote myself to this season?

• What is no longer needed & can be released this season?

• What possibilities are Virgo season is opening up for me?

After you pull your cards, sit with them. Try to take some time to journal or meditate with them to really connect with the full meaning they have to offer you. At the end of Virgo season, you might like to revisit your cards and reflect on how they unfolded throughout the season. How did they show up? What did you learn about yourself and the cards through the way they manifested this season?

Virgo Season Ritual for Devotion 

For me, Virgo evokes a lush, nature-based beauty, so feel free to make your space beautiful for this ritual in whatever ways feel good to you and perhaps align with what you’re devoting yourself to. For example, if you’re devoting yourself to love, it could feel good to sprinkle yourself with jasmine oil and surround yourself with rose quartz and rose petals.

For this Virgo season ritual for devotion, you’ll need:

• A candle 

• Paper and pen 

• Any oils and/or herbs you’d like to roll your candle in 

• Something to carve your candle with, like a safety pin 

• Anything to make your space feel beautiful 

• A small bowl of water 

As always, follow your intuition! That’s what makes ritual the most powerful. Here are my suggested steps for this Virgo ritual.

1. Once your space is set in a way that feels good, take a moment to ground yourself and reflect on what you’d like to devote yourself to this season. 

2. If you did the tarot spread above, you could take that card that answered the question about devotion and meditate with it. Or, you might simply like to journal to the question: what do I desire to devote myself to this season? 

3. When you feel clear, gather your candle and any oils and herbs that go along with that intention. I wrote a whole blog post on oil and herb correspondences for candle magic that you can check out here!

4. Dress your candle by carving your intention into it, rolling it in oil, and rolling it in herbs.

5. Light your candle and take out your pen and paper. Take your time to write a poem, a letter, or any words that feel good to whatever it is you’re devoting yourself to: love, courage, trust, mystery, whatever it is for you. What do you want to say? What do you want to send out into the universe? What are the words and desires in your heart? Write them down! 

6. When you feel complete, read your words out loud to your candle as many times as you’d like. Let them wash over you, let them sink in, let the smoke from your candle carry them into the clouds. 

7. Then, take your water and anoint yourself with it by sprinkling it over your head, on your pulse points, or anywhere else that feels good. As you sprinkle it and let it soak into your skin, know that you are committing to this devotion and asking to co-create with this energy. 

8. Close your ritual by letting your candle burn down and returning the rest of the water to the Earth. 

Happy Virgo season! I hope this card spread and ritual support you this season. 

Full Moon in Aquarius Ritual

Our August full moon in Aquarius offers an opportunity to work magic for the good of the collective and all of Earth’s creatures. The sign of Aquarius calls you to explore humanitarian themes in new and radical ways, inviting each of us to create a more just and whole world. Learn more about the energy of Aquarius here.

If you enjoy this ritual, I invite you to share it with someone else who might benefit from it as well. Please, always properly credit when sharing. All artwork and text is original work by me, Cassie Uhl. All drawings are from my Understanding book series. Shop them here.

Themes for this full moon: The good of the collective, radical transformations, rebelliousness, digital expression, and honoring one’s truth.

Element: Air

The ideal times to perform this ritual: Saturday the 21st or Sunday the 22nd. You can work with the energy of the full moon anytime over a three-day period. However, the moon is in the sign of Aquarius on Saturday and Sunday.

You’ll need:

• 15-30 minutes of quiet and uninterrupted time

• Pen, pencil, markers, or paint and paper

• Optional items: incense or herbs to burn and a piece of clear quartz. 

1. Create a sacred space. Connect with your breath and body. Root into the moment.

2. Optional: light incense or burn herbs to connect with the element of air through the smoke. Any scent you feel called to use will do, but light and floral scents match this moon best.

3. Sit and begin connecting with your breath. Elongate each inhale and exhale and try to make them equal in length.

4. Ask yourself (aloud or in your mind), “What would the world look and feel like if all life forms and resources were respected and cared for equally?”

5. After visualizing this version of our world, ask yourself (aloud or in your mind), “What actions can I take to help bring this version of the world forward?”

6. Continue to focus on your breath for another 5-10 minutes and allow any messages, sensations, or guidance to come to you.

7. Optional: Pull a tarot or oracle card for guidance around this question. Asking again, “What actions can I take to help bring this version of the world forward?”

8. Take some time to write, draw, or paint any visualizations about this world vision and actions you’re committed to taking to help it come to fruition.

9. Place your drawing/writing on an altar or a window sill under the full moon. Optional: place a piece of clear quartz on top of it to amplify its intention.

10. Take some time to return to your body and physical space. Thank any guides or ancestors that came through to offer guidance.

Ritual follow-up: Carve out time to take action on the list you created. Moving into the waning moon phase, seek acceptance around outcomes and people you cannot control regarding your actions. Trust that with your action and energy, the wheels are in motion for progress.

This full moon ritual can be adapted or used for any full moon or any full moon in Aquarius. As always, take what you like and leave the rest. 

How to Dress a Candle for Spellwork

Candles are included in spellwork, and there’s a reason why. Fire magic is powerful — it can help transform energy, focus your desires, send intentions into the universe, burn away what you want to release, and more.

Candles are powerful on their own, but dressing a candle for spellwork can help amplify and intensify your spell. In this blog post, I’ll be breaking down how to dress a candle for spellwork. To get more of an intro to candle magick, check out this blog post.

WHY DRESS A CANDLE FOR SPELLWORK?

Dressing a candle spellwork can mean rubbing a candle in oil and/or rolling a candle in herbs. Using herbs and oils that support the intention you’re working with can help you amplify your spell, making it more powerful. 

Below, I share some correspondences for oils and herbs to help you decide how to dress your candles most effectively. 

HOW TO DRESS A CANDLE FOR SPELLWORK

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Here are some loose guidelines for dressing your candles for spellwork:

1. Cleanse your candle. You can cleanse your candle with salt, smoke, sound, or any other cleansing tool that feels good to you.

2. Rub your candle in oil. As you do, focus on the intention of your spell.

3. Roll your oiled candle in herbs if you’re using them. Again, direct your energy towards your spell’s intention as you roll your candle. Stay present, breathe, and focus on connecting your intention to your candle.

OILS, HERBS & CORRESPONDENCES FOR CANDLE MAGICK

Before I get into correspondences, a note about oils: you can feel free to use neutral oils like sunflower seed oil or coconut oil. When you work these oils, they act more as a vehicle for your herbs than an intention amplifier on their own.

If you want to use an oil that brings its own amplifying qualities, you’ll be using essential oils. If you decide to use essential oils, I invite you to be really intentional with them, buy small amounts only, and research as much as you can to find companies that are making them in the most sustainable and ethical ways possible. The same goes for herbs - do your research and make sure you’re gathering any herbs you use ethically. 

Featured deck is The Ritual Deck. 

For pleasure spells - Use red or orange candle colors. Use clary sage, lavender, or sandalwood oil with rose petals or other flower petals, ginger, or calendula. 

For abundance spells - Use green, brown, or gold candle colors. Use basil, cinnamon, or frankincense oil with cinnamon, basil, or ginger.

For creativity spells - Use orange, yellow, blue, or purple candle colors. Use tangerine or peppermint oil with verbena, bay leaves, or angelica. 

For intuition spells - Use blue, purple, or silver candle colors. Use myrrh, or clary sage oil with mugwort, chamomile, or rose petals.

For protection spells - Use brown, black, or blue candle colors. Use clove, cypress, or juniper oil with mugwort, mullen, or comfrey. 

For releasing spells - Use yellow, orange, or black candle colors. Use bergamot or geranium oil with cloves or rosemary. 

For love spells - Use red, orange, or pink candle colors. Use cardamom, jasmine or ylang-ylang oil with yarrow, oregano, or fennel. 

Want more on spellwork? Check out these blogs:

• Getting Started with Candle Magick

• Four Candle Magick Spells + Free Printable

• Spellwork and Witchcraft Ethics

• Your Spell’s Over, Now What? 3 Ways to Release or Repurpose Your Ritual Items

New Moon in Leo Ritual

The sign of Leo calls for full self-expression, play, creativity, and showing your full and true self to the world. Every new moon is a time to be open to spirit for new opportunities, guidance, and growth.

This new moon is an invitation to tune into spirit around how you can step more fully into expressing yourself in a way that feels joyful and aligned. Read on for a ritual I crafted for you to enjoy anytime during the new moon. The ideal time to practice this ritual will be August 8th or 9th, as the moon will be in the sign of Leo on those days. However, you can still connect with the new moon energy beyond the 9th and enjoy this ritual anytime during the week of the 9th.

Additional resources:

• Learn more about the energy of Leo season here.

• Find more new moon rituals here.

1. Create a sacred space. Sit, close your eyes, connect with your breath and body. Root into the moment. 

2. Optional: Light a red, yellow, orange, or white candle. Hold it in your hands, infusing it with the intention of being open to spirit for guidance in the lunar cycle ahead. 

Additional resources:

• Learn more about candle magick here.

3. Ask yourself the following question, "How can I express myself more fully?"

4. Meditate for 10 minutes or more with the intention of being open to spirit for guidance.

Additional resources:

• Learn more about meditation here.

• Purchase my guided meditations for each moon phase here.

5. Using your favorite tarot or oracle card deck, ask the following questions: 

1. How am I being called to express myself? 

2. What’s blocking me from expressing myself more fully? 

3. How can I move past what’s blocking me from fuller self-expression?

4. How will me living more authentically change my life and the lives of others?

Additional resources:

• Learn more about tarot here and oracle cards here.

• Shop the Journey Tarot here.

6. Close your ritual by connecting with your breath and body again. Thank any guides or ancestors that came through to offer guidance. Consider journaling to process any.

If you enjoy this ritual, consider sharing it with someone who might also enjoy it. This ritual will be shared via my Instagram page as we near close to the new moon for easy sharing. As always, please properly credit when sharing or reposting. All artwork is by me, Cassie Uhl, and is from my "Understanding" book series with Quarto. New moon blessings! 

Harvest Season Begins // How to Honor Lughnasadh and Your Gifts

Lughnasadh is the first harvest and the first celebration to honor the waning phase of the year. Just like the waning gibbous, this season is a time to reflect, harvest, gather, reap, and allow yourself to come to fruition. The flurry of growth has happened. The peak of summer has come and gone. Though it may still be hot where you are, some “crops” are ready to be harvested, both physically and metaphorically. So, what does this season mean for you, and what does it call you to explore and reflect upon?

This post will discuss the intersection of the first harvest season, Leo season, and Lughnasadh. We’ll explore a bit of history about the Celtic God Lugh and how he fits into all of this. Lastly, I’ll offer a few ways to honor and work with the energy of this season. 

Listen to this blog post on my podcast, Rooting into Wholeness below.

What is Lughnasadh, and is it the same as Lammas?

On the wheel of the year, Lughnasadh is traditionally celebrated on August 1st or the first harvest. It is the midway point between the Summer Solstice and the Fall Equinox. As always, I encourage you to celebrate at a time that’s meaningful for you. For example, if you do gardening or farming, it’s fine to wait until you’re actually ready to harvest. Alternatively, if you want to celebrate on the 1st, that’s fine too. 

I feel that the Sabbat of Lughnasadh (loo-nah-sah), also called Lammas, is one of the more undervalued seasonal celebrations. I prefer to stick with the name Lughnasadh as it is more in line with my spiritual beliefs and paths (I think its spelling puts many off, but it’s really a quite beautiful name.) The name Lammas comes from the phrase “loaf mass” and is the Christianized version of the original celebration to honor the God Lugh and the first harvest. This is truly one of my favorite times of the year. 

Who's Lugh?

The name Lughnasadh comes from the well-documented Celtic warrior and sun God, Lugh. His name actually translates to “light.” Lugh was a skilled craftsman who bore many talents. He created Lughnasadh as a celebration of the first harvest and to honor his foster mother.

Lugh is deeply intertwined with the harvest season because, according to lore, he brought the knowledge of growing and harvesting crops to hunter-gatherer tribes after winning a battle with an old King. Of course, knowing how to grow and harvest crops was life-changing for our ancestors from Northern and Western Europe. This is another reason I prefer to refer to this celebration as Lughnasadh. It honors the triumphs of our ancestors. Our ancestors did not always grow their own crops, but when we did, it changed everything. Thus the first harvest is of incredible importance and something to thank our ancestors for to this day.  

On an energetic level, Lugh is a reminder to continue to refine our crafts, learn new skills, and honor our talents both on an individual and collective level. This is a highly celebratory season and, pride is a big theme of Lugh and Lughnasadh.

Leo Season and Lughnasadh

This naturally brings me to Leo season! For Tropical astrology (what I use), Leo season begins on July 23rd and aligns beautifully with Lughnasadh. Leo is ruled by the Sun (we can see another overlap here with the God Lugh.) This is indeed a very sunny time of the year, physically and metaphorically speaking. Now I won’t dive too deep into the astrology of Leo because it's been covered on this blog more extensively here, but here are a few things to note. Leo, a fixed fire sign, calls each of us to find the inner strength to share our gifts and true selves with the world boldly. Leo connects with strength and the sun in the tarot, again mirroring a need to share your gifts boldly with the world and again connecting Lugh to this season through the sun card.

I’m sure you can now see and perhaps even feel the immense power, strength, and celebratory energy associated with this season and its many components! Not all of our seasonal and zodiac energies align this beautifully, but this one does so beautifully. 

Rituals Suggestions for Lughnasadh

How can you harness this potent energy offered by Lughnasadh and Leo season? Here are some coming dates and four considerations for connecting with and honoring the energy of this season. I’ll focus on the themes we’ve already discussed of harvest, pride, and full expression. 

First, we have the new moon in Leo from August 8-9 (2021). This will be an ideal time to be open to spirit for new ways to share your gifts with the world and consider being open to new ways to express yourself and your gifts. 

Then we have a full moon in Aquarius on August 22nd (2021.) This will be an ideal time to express your truth and focus on themes of harvest and gratitude. 

Now some ritual suggestions. Of course, I always like to preface any ritual suggestions with some reminders. First, I view each celebration on the Wheel of the Year as a season. This means you do not have to do all of these things on August 1st. I certainly won’t be and wouldn’t suggest it either (unless you really want to and don’t have twins at home like me!) Space it out, do what you feel called to do when you feel called to do it. Our ancestors did not complete their harvests in one day (in fact, it sprawls three entire seasons), they merely began. I always like to remind you to approach each Sabbat as a season rather than a day. Never discount the power of being aware and sitting in the energy of each season. This in and of itself is a ritual. Lastly, and as always, take what you like and leave the rest.

1. Pride Ritual

So many of us, myself included, rarely celebrate and honor our accomplishments. Seriously, I am so bad at this! I have really worked on celebrating all that I’ve accomplished and have friends who keep me in check and remind me often. Now it's time for you to get clear and honest about this, when was the last time you really celebrated your wins?

In our capitalist-driven world, the primary message we receive is "create, create, and create more." This is one big reason why working the seasons into your spiritual practice is so valuable. You are not meant to create all the time! Furthermore, you not only need rest and self-care, but you also need time to honor and celebrate how far you've come.

This one can be easy, join me. Right now, pause and think about three amazing things you’ve done this year. I don’t care how big or small they are, but I want you to sit in the energy of pride and celebration for yourself. My three are that I took a step back from work to take time off and work less, I started exercising again, and I wrote two books and created a tarot card deck. Sit in it. What does it feel like to celebrate yourself? Does it feel uncomfortable? Are you coming up with all the things you wish you’d accomplished but haven’t yet or all the things you still “need” to do? Kindly ask all of that garbage to step back for a moment while you revel in what you have accomplished. It’s time to harvest your efforts and take in your growth.

If you want to take this a step further, write it down and place it on your altar, maybe light a candle for yourself, so often we light candles for others. When was the last time you lit one for yourself? Consider making or buying yourself a treat to celebrate your accomplishments. This could be as simple as making yourself your favorite dinner or giving yourself time and space to watch a favorite movie. What feels like a beautiful way to celebrate your accomplishments right now? 

2. Gratitude Offering for the Mother Earth

With any harvest comes gratitude. This is a theme we’ll see in each of the three harvest seasons (Lughnasadh, the autumn equinox, and Samhain.) I think it’s important to honor the earth for every seasonal celebration, but even more so for our harvest celebrations. Even though most of us do not have an active hand in growing and harvesting the food we eat, these harvest celebrations are what kept many of our ancestors alive. It gives us an opportunity, or reminder, to give thanks to mother earth for all of the nourishment she’s given us throughout the year; if you do harvest around this time of year, even better! You’ll have a tangible way to honor this season and the earth. For those who don’t, here are some ways to consider giving thanks to the earth for the bounty of food you have. 

Create an earth offering of flowers, stones, food, or other compostable items you resonate with. I like to do this by going for a walk and collecting different items that catch my eye. Then, I’ll find a location I feel called to set up my offering. This could be a mandala or any arrangement that feels good to you. As you set it up, think about all of the gifts the earth has given your this year, all the food you’ve been nourished with. 

You could also take this ritual inside and create another offering on your altar space as a gratitude offering to mother earth. 

3. Explore Lugnasadh and Leo in the Tarot 

For this one, we’ll be circling back to our Leo energy a bit more. This would be a great ritual to practice anytime during the waxing growth phase of the moon from August 1-22nd, with the intention of tapping into expressing your gifts and focusing again on the theme of harvest. 

As I already mentioned, the cards that correspond with Leo in the tarot are the sun and strength. There’s also a perfect card for Lugnasadh too, and that’s the nine of pentacles. I feel like this card embodies the energy of this season soooooo beautifully. Numerologically speaking, nine’s represent fulfillment and fruition. Pentacles are our suit of earth. So the nine of pentacles, in my opinion, is very literally a card of harvest. 

Card featured from Journey Tarot. Get it here.

There are so many ways to connect with these cards. As I mentioned, the waxing phase or the full moon are great times to work with the energies of these cards. Perhaps, even consider lighting a red or orange candle to focus on the fiery energy of the sun and strength. You could journal with these cards, meditate with them, simply place them on your altar, or draw your own versions of them, as I’ve mentioned in previous rituals. Be open to their lessons and what they have to offer you during this season. 

4. Traditional Lughnasadh Rituals and Correspondences

Of course, I can’t leave you without covering some of the more traditional rituals and correspondences for this season. Some we’ve already covered but here’s a list of common correspondences. Most of these come straight out of my new book, “Understanding the Wheel of the Year”.  

Colors: Gold, red, orange, purple, tan

Plants and scents: Sunflower, calendula, hops, vervain, rosehips, or anything seasonal where you live

Food: Wheat, corn, bread, beer, berries, or anything seasonal where you live

Crystals: tiger’s eye, red jasper, pyrite, smokey quartz

Traditional Lughnasadh Rituals: 

• Bake bread, enjoy bread, leave a bread offering on your altar or in nature

• Make beer, enjoy some beer (only if of age, of course)

• Spend time in nature

• Practice gratitude

• Connect with the God Lugh and Goddess Gaia

• Perform abundance spells. Find a past post with abundance spells here. 

• Decorate your home and altar with correspondence suggestions above

That wraps up my formal ritual suggestions. Of course, the best thing you can do for yourself anytime you want to honor celebrations on the Wheel of the Year is to get outside and be in nature. You can come back to this post anytime throughout the season of Lughnasadh for ideas to connect with this season, anytime the inspiration strikes! 

If you’d like to dive deeper into this celebration or the Wheel of the Year, my new book “Understanding the Wheel of the Year” is available to order. You can also find a past post by Eryn Johnson here. And, one of my personal all-time favorite books on the Wheel of the Year is “The Magical Year” by Danu Forest. Let the harvest season begin! It’s time to honor and celebrate how far you’ve come. 

Card Spread and Authenticity Ritual for Leo Season

Leo, our fixed fire sign, is here to invite you to step into your courage, be seen in your truest essence, and stand in your power. Leo evokes the radiant heart and invites us to stand in our passion.

In this blog post, I’ll be sharing a card spread and a ritual for Leo season. To learn more about Leo energy and your personal birth chart’s connection to Leo, check out our Understanding the Energy of Leo Season blog post. 

Card Spread for Leo Season

We’ll use this card spread to explore the invitations and lessons Leo has to teach you this season. Feel free to use a tarot deck or an oracle deck for this spread - whichever resonates with you. 

I invite you to create a ritual space for you and your deck to communicate by taking a moment to ground and center yourself however feels good to you. In the spirit of Leo season and fire energy, it could feel good to light a candle or take a moment to breathe outside under the sun with your deck. 

When you feel grounded and ready, shuffle your deck and draw a card for each of the following questions:

• What is Leo season here to teach me? 

• How can I step into more of my authenticity? 

• What do I need to embody my bravery? 

• A message from my radiant heart.

• What possibilities are Leo season opening up for me?

After you pull your cards, sit with them. Try to take some time to journal or meditate with them to really connect with the full meaning they have to offer you. At the end of Leo season, you might like to revisit your cards and reflect on how they unfolded throughout the season. How did they show up? What did you learn about yourself and the cards through the way they manifested this season?

Leo Season Ritual for Embodying Your Most Authentic Self

This Leo season ritual is intended to support you in embodying your most authentic self.

You'll need:

• 1 candle (any color, but yellow, red, or orange corresponds well with this ritual)

• 10-30 minutes of uninterrupted time

1. To start, light a candle on your altar or in a quiet space. Get clear on who your most authentic self is in this moment (knowing that who you are and what is authentic to you can and will change over time, and that’s beautiful!). You can start this by asking aloud or in your mind, "Who is my most authentic self?"

2. Sit in meditation and welcome your most authentic self forward.

3. Spend some time in the presence of your most authentic self. Who are they? How do they feel? What parts of themself are they expressing? Just take them in and spend some time with them. Organically as it feels good, start to sense what feels active around this authentic self in your body. What feels especially alive in your body?

4. Ask your inner self, "How can I embody this authentic self?" Don’t overthink it, just flow with it. How does this self move, sound, breathe, feel? Let your body move through whatever movements, sounds, expressions that feel good to you. Know that you are calling your truest self home with each moment and each expression. Take your time here and really let your body develop some somatic awareness of your truest self.

5. When you feel complete, let your eyes open and spend a moment gazing at your candle flame. Let this flame harness the power of you being your authentic self and send it into the universe as a spell for you being who you are. If there are any affirmations, you want to offer to yourself, feel free to speak them to the candle flame and let the smoke carry them.

6. Then, decide on one concrete action you can take in the physical world to embody this authentic self. Maybe it’s having a conversation with someone, starting a new project, saying yes or no to something, or trying something new. Whatever it is, commit to it and make a plan for when and how you’ll do it.

7. Let your candle burn all the way down and close your ritual with a few deep, grounding breaths.

Happy Leo season! I hope you find support in this card spread and ritual for the rest of Leo season. 

Herbal Magick 101 // How to Get Started with Herbal Magick

Herbal magick is the practice of working with plants in magic. This could mean working with plants for healing, eating, ritual, spellwork, and more.

Why work with herbal magick? To me, plants connect us to ancestry and the land we’re on. They root us into relationship with nature, with mother Earth. They have energy and magic of their own that can amplify a spell, help us heal, and support our intentions. 

Part of living a magical life is engaging with the world around us, and working with plants feels like a powerful way to do that. 

In this blog post, I’ll be sharing about how to get started with herbal magick. Please note that this is coming from my perspective as someone who works with plants personally and is not an herbalist or trained professional!

GETTING STARTED WITH HERBAL MAGICK

Getting started with herbal magick can feel overwhelming. There are so many plants! What do they all mean? What do you use them for?

I recommend starting your herbal magick journey by asking this question: 

What plants do I have relationships with already/love/feel curious about/find myself attracted to? 

You can jot down a list or just one plant that comes to mind. Maybe it’s a plant you’ve heard about being connected to your ancestors, like rosemary. Maybe it’s a plant that grows in your yard or your local park, or one you love to drink in your tea. 

Choose a plant from your list and commit to getting to know it. There are so many ways to cultivate a relationship with plants, but here are a few:

• Meditate with the plant daily 

• Take the plant as a flower essence 

• Eat the plant or drink the plant in a tea (check with an herbalist first as needed) 

• Take a bath with the plant (check with an herbalist first as needed)

• Journal with the plant

• Work with the plant in ritual

• Invite the plant into your dreams 

• Spend time with the plant 

• Grow the plant and tend to it 

Featured cards are from The Ritual Deck. 

Take your time with this process - perhaps sitting with one plant for at least a month or two. Write about your insights as you cultivate this relationship. How do you feel? What is this plant teaching you? How does it feel best to work with this plant? 

Another important question to ask yourself is: how am I in a reciprocal relationship with this plant? That could look like giving the plant or the land offerings, planting this plant’s seeds, or something else that feels right to you. 

Many herbalists are talking about being in a reciprocal relationship with plants, so I recommend checking out their work (Sarah Corbett over at Rowan and Sage is a great place to start) to learn more about being in right relationship rather than just extracting from plants. 

Over time, as you cultivate relationships with plants one at a time, you can start to make note of your own magical herbal correspondences. What plants support you in different ways? From sitting with them deeply, what plants help you soothe anxiety, sleep, open your heart, tend to grief, cultivate joy, access pleasure, focus, and more? What plants aid your love spells, money spells, self-trust spells? 

This is how herbal magick can become intuitive and not prescriptive, how it becomes more personal and more powerful than a Google search could ever be.

Sending you lots of love on your herbal magick journey! Click here to learn more about crafting herbal smoke wands, or here for herbal tea recipes.

The Moon as Shadow Work // How Aligning with the Moon Invites Shadow Work and Tips to Make Lunar Work a Daily Practice

The moon comes after walking through the tower and the renewed spark of inspiration from the star in the tarot. The moon serves as a portal between worlds, sitting in between the star and the sun. The star is the inspiring rebirth and the sun is the ego-self, shining bright. But in between them, the moon shows up to call you inward. It's an invitation to explore everything that's come to pass at the subconscious level.

It's within this portal that shadow work comes in, which could go by so many other names: soul work, subconscious work, "dark night of the soul," or emotional exploration, etc. Shadow work calls you in to peel away the surface and explore the parts of yourself that you often ignore, hide, or push away. 

Listen to this post on my podcast, Rooting into Wholeness, below.

The moon's light is not her own. Its light is reflected by the sun. The moon is the mirror. What shadowy areas within your soul need to have a mirror held up to them? 

Shadow work, like the moon, is a portal to wholeness. One cannot exist without the other. Your shadow work is still there even if you are not addressing it. It does not just go away. It remains untouched and undiscovered. A powerful healing tool waiting to be utilized and waiting to bring you to wholeness. 

So many want to skip over this important portal. Here's the thing, though. You can't. The opportunity will keep repeating itself until you decide to walk through the shadowing realms of your subconscious. In my experience, I've learned that if you ignore your shadow long enough, it will come crashing down and force you to examine what needs to be learned and seen. No amount of love and light can keep you from knowing all facets of life. We're human. It's why we're here.

How to work with the moon to honor your shadow

How can you embody the energy of the moon, her wisdom, to approach this inner shadow work? It starts as noticing the moon in her phases and turns into allowing these phases to influence your rituals. The shifts will be subtle, but eventually, shadow work will become a regular part of your life. Here are three ways to start weaving more lunar energy into your daily practice.

Much of this work is observational and feeling work that needs to happen within the mind and body. All other tools (crystals, herbs, cards, etc.) and are ancillary allies. Use them if you feel called, but do not let them be prohibitive to your growth if you do not have them handy. 

1. Become more aware of the moon. Let's first start by connecting with lunar energy regularly. Track her, notice her, and notice how you feel in her different phases. If working with the moon is new to you, start by solely noticing when the moon is in her waxing phase vs. waning phase (I find this more helpful than tracking the new/full moon.) Learn more about waxing vs. waning lunar energy in a past post here.

When you begin to adopt the moon's cycles into your daily life, you will begin to understand the necessity of living more cyclically. Rather than shaming yourself for needing to go within, you will appreciate it as a natural phase. Here's a non-exhaustive list of some ways that I connect with lunar energy regularly. 

• Look for the moon anytime you are outside at night or consciously decide to go outside and seek her out regularly. You will soon learn where the moon lives in the sky during different parts of her cycle. 

• Track her with an app. I like to keep a pulse on when the moon shifts from waxing to waning phase and vice versa. Using an app is an easy way to know when these shifts happen. I also like to know what astrological sign the moon is living in as this also affects her energy. My favorite app is The Moon App. The free version is great, but I prefer the paid version. 

• Wear a specific piece of jewelry is a reminder of whether the moon is waxing or waning. I have a moon-shaped ring that I flip, so the moon is facing inwards or outwards according to whether the moon is waxing or waning. However, there are many ways to do this. You could wear a specific necklace, ring, or bracelet for waxing vs. waning energy. Doing this brings the energy of the moon into the physical and offers you a daily reminder. 

2. Bring the moon into your rituals. If your ritual practices only include rituals to make you feel good or to manifest, you're missing out on some big growth opportunities and magick-making. When you invite lunar energy into your rituals, you open the door to more profound transformations through shadow work. The moon does not stay stuck in her growth, waxing, manifesting phase, and neither should you.

Everyone's ritual practice varies, but there are ways to bring lunar energy into just about any ritual. Bringing lunar energy into your rituals will require you to be more mindful about your ritual practices. Here are a few ways to work lunar energy into common ritual practices.

• Burn candles and herbs in line with lunar energy. If candle magick, incense, or herbs are a part of your ritual practice, this is an easy place to honor the moon. How can you be more mindful about what candle colors or herbs you're working with? For example, I would avoid more energizing plants and colors like peppermint, citrus, and candle colors like red, orange, and yellow during a waning moon phase. I will often burn a simple white candle during a new moon, and during a dark moon, phase black. 

• Invite lunar energy into your meditation practice. Honoring the moon in your meditation practice can be done for each phase or just waxing and waning energy. If you already have a meditation practice, this will be a simple way to begin engaging with the moon's energy on a deeper level. In my meditation practice, this looks like doing more energy clearing at the end of the waning moon phase, being more open to guidance from Spirit at the start of the waxing phase and around the new moon, and focusing on gratitude during the full moon. I wrote a full post about it here and offer a meditation package with meditations for each moon phase here. 

• Place specific items on your altar or sacred space for certain moon phases, or consider an altar refresh for specific moons. If an altar is a part of your ritual practice, be open to how you can weave lunar energy into your sacred space. I usually update my altar based on the seasons. However, some lunar events warrant a full altar refresh. I invite you to trust when you feel called to do this. Even if you don't want to refresh your altar completely, placing specific herbs, candles, or tarot/oracle cards on your altar for specific phases can also be a powerful way to connect with the moon. 

Simple changes like these begin to make working with the moon a part of life and a way of living. You can find many blog posts here about working with the specific energy of each moon phase. However, I do find some of these basic things just as impactful as they make honoring and connecting with the moon more of a daily practice rather than something you only do on new and full moons. 

3. Study the moon card in the tarot (any deck.) While studying the moon card, notice what comes up for you? Each deck will bring a different kind of flavor, but the energy of the moon card will remain consistent from deck to deck, as will the placement of the card amongst the Major Arcana. This may not be true if working with moon card in an oracle card deck (learn more about the difference between tarot and oracle cards here.)

Notice the cards around the moon in the tarot and the story they tell. Where does the moon sit in the Major Arcana? What cards are nearest to it? I discussed this a bit in the introduction. But one way to view its placement is as a portal between the star and the sun. Like all wisdom from the tarot, allow yourself to be open to different teachings and ideas. This is just one viewpoint. The wisdom in this step will come from finding your own meaning from the moon card in the tarot. Here are some ways to work with this card.

• Place the card on your altar or somewhere else where you'll see it regularly. 

• Journal or meditate on the moon card. What comes up for you when you look at it? What stands out? What does it mean to you at this moment? 

• Read about the meaning of the card from different perspectives. Some of my favorites are Rachel Pollock's book 78 Degrees of Wisdom and teachings from Lindsay Mack on her podcast Tarot for the Wild Soul. 

• Draw your own version of the card. What comes to your mind when you think about creating your own version of the moon card? Allow yourself to be a channel for its wisdom. 

If you find these offerings overwhelming, begin implementing what feels the most aligned and appealing to you. Or, if you feel up for a fun shift in perspective, select the one that feels the scariest to you! 

Working with the moon as a spiritual practice is an invitation to honor all phases of life, including death, shadow, and transformation. These are necessary phases of all life, even yours. When you open yourself up to being in alignment with all of these phases, you open yourself up to being whole, flawed, and simultaneously perfect. The shifts and changes to living alongside the moon will happen slowly over time. Until one day, you realize you allow and honor all of your phases. 

This shift is the magick of embodying shadow work, living cyclically, and aligning with the moon. For more on shadow work, check out these past posts. 

Card Spread and Water Ritual for Cancer Season

Cancer, our cardinal water sign, is here to help us tap into our inner world of emotions, heal our ancestry, and connect with the themes of home, family, and mother. Ruled by the moon in western astrology, this archetype connects us to the nonlinear inner world.

In this blog post, I’ll be sharing a card spread and a ritual for Cancer season. To learn more about Cancer energy and your personal birth chart’s connection to Cancer, check out our Understanding the Energy of Cancer Season blog post.

Card Spread for Cancer Season

We’ll use this card spread to explore the invitations and lessons Cancer has to teach you this season. Feel free to use a tarot deck or an oracle deck for this spread - whichever you prefer! I invite you to create a ritual space for you and your deck to communicate by taking a moment to ground and center yourself however feels good to you. In the spirit of Cancer season and water energy, you might like to drink a glass of water and/or sprinkle yourself with a little water. When you feel grounded and centered, shuffle your deck and draw a card for each of the following questions:

• What is Cancer season here to teach me? 

• What is needed in my relationship to family this season?

• What support do I need to connect with my emotional world?

• What possibilities is Cancer season is opening up for me?

After you pull your cards, take some time to journal and/or meditate with them to really connect with the full meaning they have to offer you. At the end of Cancer season, revisit your cards and reflect on how they unfolded throughout the season. How did they show up? What did you learn? 

Cancer Season Ritual for Creating a Home Within Yourself 

Home is a big theme of Cancer season — the homes we come from, the homes we live in, the people who feel like home, the homes we create for ourselves. In this ritual, we’ll work on creating a safe and loving home within yourself. All you’ll need is water to submerge in, whether it’s a bathtub or an outdoor body of water (highly recommended if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere and Cancer season takes place in summer!). 

Open your ritual by grounding and centering yourself however feels good to you. There is no one ideal way to ground — what works for you is what’s ideal! When you feel grounded, soft, and centered, journal and meditate on the following questions:

• What did home feel like for me growing up? (Try to connect with the tactile sensations: what are the smells, sounds, sensations, sights, and tastes of home?)

• What does home feel like for me now? 

• What do I want home to feel like? 

• How can I create a safe and loving home within myself? What does that feel like, look like, sound like? 

Spend some time meditating on that last question and visualizing creating a safe and loving home inside of yourself. What are the textures? How do you speak to yourself? What energies, feelings, and voices are welcome here? Let yourself sink into the soft coziness of this home you’re creating in your body. 

When it feels alive, safely submerge yourself in water for a moment to symbolize your commitment to building this home. When you emerge from the water, affirm that you are creating this home within yourself. Affirm that this home will always be there. Affirm that no one can take it away from you. Affirm that it is yours, that it is holy, that it is healing.

If it feels supportive, you might like to process your experience in your journal afterward. If you have a complicated relationship with home like many of us do, this ritual could feel especially emotional or tender. It could bring up memories or big feelings. Be extra gentle with yourself and make an aftercare plan to support yourself after the ritual. 

Happy Cancer season! I hope this card spread and ritual support you - share your spreads and rituals on Instagram and tag us @cassieuhl so we can see them! 

Card Spread and Ritual for Gemini Season

Gemini, our mutable air sign, is here to help us open our minds, connect to each other, and communicate our truth. At its most soul-centered level, Gemini energy helps us bring together people and ideas, share our message and our voice, create love through connection and communication, and find the magic right here at home in our neighborhoods.

In this blog post, I’ll be sharing a card spread and a ritual for Gemini season. To learn more about Gemini energy and your personal birth chart’s connection to Gemini, check out our Understanding the Energy of Gemini Season blog post here.

Card featured from The Starchild Tarot by Danielle Noel.

Card Spread for Gemini Season

We’ll use this card spread to explore the invitations and lessons Gemini has to teach you this season. Feel free to use a tarot deck or an oracle deck for this spread - whichever you prefer! 

I invite you to create a ritual space for you and your deck to communicate by taking a moment to ground and center yourself however feels good to you. In the spirit of Gemini season and air energy, you might like to take a few deep breaths while holding your cards.

When you feel grounded and centered, shuffle your deck and draw a card for each of the following questions:

• What is Gemini season here to teach me? 

• What truth do I need to speak this season?

• What supportive energies can I draw on as I speak that truth?

• How can I facilitate a deeper connection with myself, and my community?

• What possibilities are Gemini season opening up for me?

After you pull your cards, take some time to journal and/or meditate with them to really connect with the full meaning they have to offer you.

Gemini Season Ritual for Connection to Your Community

This ritual focuses on the aspect of Gemini that speaks to your local surroundings and neighborhood. Gemini drives us to connect, to create love, right where we are (as opposed to its polar sign Sagittarius, which is associated with world travel). 

1. To start, take some time to reflect on the questions below (feel free to meditate on them and/or journal about them).What are your wishes and dreams for the folks in your community (including yourself)? What blessings do you wish for your neighbors and for the land? What dreams do you have for your community as a whole? 

2. When you feel rooted in your intentions for your community, create offerings infused with these intentions and blessings. This could be little pieces of art or writing, plants, food, a sprinkling of oil, flower petals, or anything that feels good to you. Let your creativity and intuition lead you! As you create and gather, focus on your intentions and let them energetically weave with your offerings.

3. Then, take a walk through your neighborhood and intuitively leave your offerings around! You might like to whisper a blessing over them, take a silent, reflective moment, or do something else to honor this process as you leave them out. 

4. After you place all your offerings, close with a moment of gratitude and a deep breath, you might like to place your hands on your heart and feel how your heart is opening and expanding. 

Happy Gemini season! I hope this card spread and ritual support you - share your spreads and rituals on Instagram and tag us @cassieuhl so we can see them!

Fae, Faeries, and Fair folk! Who are They & 3 Ways to Connect with Them

The fae go by a variety of names, including but not limited to fae, fair folk, faeries, and fairies. The size and appearance of faeries will vary depending on your location and personal beliefs. Some see faeries as human-sized, while others see them as smaller beings.

Faeries are a magical species of human-like beings. They live in a spirit realm alongside, but separate, from our physical world. This realm is referred to as otherworld or underworld. In my practice, I refer to this space as otherworld and will refer to it as such throughout the rest of this post.

Similar to humans, the fae are not a monolith! There are benevolent and malevolent faeries. Many report them as being quite mischievous, and some even say they're dangerous. It’s important to remember that just like forming a relationship with a new human, you need to determine a faerie's intentions before engaging. Always approach anyone from the spirit realm both respectfully and carefully. 

Folklore about faeries is most common in Ireland, Wales, England, and Scotland but certainly pops up in other parts of the world as well. The idea of a “spirit of place” or genius loci, which faeries are, is common for many practices. Even if you don’t work with faeries in your practice, you may have a similar entity in your spiritual lineage or a similar kind of being where you currently live. 

Rather than assuming the fae will appear to you like Tinkerbell, I invite you to be open to how the spirits of your locality and lineage may present themselves. Elves, gnomes, tree spirits, animals, and more can all be present as local spirits. 

Why Would You Want to Connect With The Fae?

At this point, you might be wondering why you’d even want to bother connecting with the fae. In fact, some highly advise not to interact with the fae at all! This is a personal choice you’ll need to make. All I can share with you is my personal experience.

I have spirit guides in otherworld who are faeries, and my experiences have been overwhelmingly positive. Beyond my personal experience, the fae do live in a spirit world less dense than ours, so they also have a very different perspective. I think most of us could learn a great deal from a different perspective!   

The second reason I think it’s important to connect with fae, or your local spirits, is to form a better relationship with the natural world and the spirit world. It takes conscious practice to form a relationship with any being in the spirit world. Doing so can be a powerful and enlightening experience.

Here are three simple ways to start building a better relationship with the fae or any local spirits in your area. 

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3 Ways to Connect with Faeries

The seasons of Beltane and Samhain are two of the best times to interact with the fae. If you’re catching this post during another season, don’t fret, you can still try these techniques. It might just take a bit longer to see any results. During Beltane and Samhain, sabbats opposite each other on the Wheel of the Year (find more about the Wheel of the Year and a free printable here), the veil between the spirit and physical world is at its thinnest. The thin veil makes it easier to reach the home of the fae, also known as otherworld. 

1. Prepare a faerie offering on a home altar or out in nature

The easiest way to start working with the fae will be to physically and energetically take action to open yourself up to the potential of learning from them. You can do this by leaving faerie offerings out in nature or on your altar. Because otherworld is all around you, this is less about attracting the fae and more about creating a safe space for you to experience beings, like faeries, from otherworld.

That said, there are items you can use that correspond with and attract faeries. The items listed below will serve two purposes, first as a reminder of your desire to connect with the fae and as a way to attract them. Faeries are said to love sweet treats like fruit and cakes. Milk is another common food item that the fae are said to enjoy. There are also a host of herbs that the fae enjoy, like thyme, yarrow, heather, and rosemary. 

All things cute and tiny will also serve as potent reminders to you to be open to experiences from otherworld. Building a faerie garden outside or creating a special altar space in your home dedicated to the fae can both be powerful ways to set an intention to work with the fae. 

2. Form a strong relationship with your natural surroundings. 

Our busy lives often distract us from the innate magic all around, but it’s always there, especially in nature. Many practices have what is called a “spirit of place” or genius loci. These are the spirits of the land, which include faeries, elves, gnomes, and more.

Connecting with nature regularly will help open doorways to your local spirits of place. This can be as simple as going for daily walks, becoming more in tune with the seasons, or gardening.

To use this method to become more in tune with faeries, try setting that intention as you walk around to notice signs of spirit in nature. Perhaps you’ll start to notice things in nature that look like portals or doorways, signifying entry points to otherworld. Maybe you’ll start to see flashes or shadows of the fae out of the corner of your eye as you explore nature. Be open to experiencing scents, sounds, sensations, and visuals from the fae and other spirits of place as you explore your natural environment. 

3. Meditation and Journey Work

Meditation and journey work are my favorite way to work with faeries. It’s unlikely that you’ll come across a solid, living, breathing faery in your garden, but journeying to otherworld is another story! If meditation is new to you, this technique will likely take some practice, or you might not feel quite ready for it, be patient with yourself. 

Remember, “Your body is one of the best vessels of magical energy.” - Sirona Knight, from Celtic Traditions: Druids, Faeries, and Wiccan Rituals.

Click here to access a free guided meditation for journey work that can help you get started with journeying during meditation. 

If meditation or journeying is more familiar to you, you can set an intention to connect with the fae at the beginning of your meditation. Here are basic steps I take when connecting with beings in otherworld. This may vary for you, and that’s okay! Take what feels right and leave the rest. 

1. Optional: Grab a piece of black tourmaline to have with you as you meditate for energetic protection. 

2. Sitting or lying down, close your eyes and begin your meditation. 

3. Set an intention, in your mind or aloud, to connect with a faerie that has your highest and best intentions. 

4. Tune into your body and focus on your breath to get grounded. 

5. Close your eyes and begin to focus your attention inward. 

6. Visualize a safe and happy place in your mind. For me, it is a lush forest. 

7. When you feel ready, visualize a doorway or portal to exit into otherworld. 

8. Ask to be taken to a faerie or any other kind of spirit being you’d like to connect with. 

9. Be open to the process and the journey. 

10. When you feel ready, find your way back to the portal to come back to your safe space.

11. Stay in your safe space for as long as you need before coming back to the physical world. 

12. When you’re ready, open your eyes and rest for some time to integrate your experience. 

Remember, the spirit realm is always available to you. It’s simply a matter of tuning into it.

6 Ways to Work With Your Tarot Cards Besides Divination

Divination is a fantastic way to work with the tarot, but you’re selling yourself short with your trusted tarot deck if you’re only using it to glean insights into the future. At its core, and in my opinion, the tarot is a powerful self-reflective tool. It’s here to share insights and guidance about what’s going on with you right now, at this moment. Telling the future is one of the most common draws to tarot, but the tarot truly brings a host of other benefits.

Read on for six ways to work with the tarot to grow and expand in new ways, aside from divination. 

Working with Common Archetypes

The tarot is full of common archetypes that you will encounter or embody at different times in your life. Archetypes are timeless and universal energies that people can understand across cultures. For example, the archetype of the mother is something we can all understand on some level. Even if you do not have a relationship with your biological mother or have children of your own, the overarching energy of the archetype of the mother is something you can understand. Furthermore, you do not have to be a mother or a woman to embody the mother's archetype. Anyone can access and learn from the energy of motherhood. 

The tarot is dripping with common archetypes, especially in the major arcana. The way the archetypes show up can be personal and vary from person to person. Most of the common archetypes appear in the major arcana, but they can also be found in the minor. Here are some of the archetypes I associate with the cards: the ego (the sun), soul (the moon), mother (empress), father (emperor), wizard (magician), child (the fool), lover (the lovers), martyr (hanged one), seer (hermit), and authoritarian (hierophant), etc. You may decide on different archetypal associations with different cards, and that’s fine. 

So, how can you work with the archetypes of the tarot? Lots of ways! You can explore how the archetypal energies associated with the cards make you feel, you can look at the symbology on each card and explore how it makes you feel about its archetype, you can journal about the cards and their archetypal connections, and you can layer it into how you interact with and understand the cards. 

Journaling

Journaling allows you to dive deep into the meaning and energy of each card. You’ll better understand the lessons each card wants to offer you through journaling about them. Truth be told, I’m not a big fan of journaling. Journaling with the tarot is different, though. I always write when I pull cards for myself. To begin journaling with the cards, you can work through them one at a time in order or intuitively select a card to journal about. Here are some suggestions for questions to ask yourself when you’re journaling about different cards: 

• How does this card make me feel? 

• What symbols or imagery jumps out to me? 

• Are there any archetypes or human themes that stand out to me in this card? 

• How does this card show up in my life right now? 

• What can I learn from this card? 

Energy Readings

If you’ve followed my work long, you already know that I love all things energy! We are energy beings, and the tarot is another magical and beautiful way to work with your energy. What do I mean by this? Tarot is an excellent tool for reading your energy and understanding how to balance your energy. 

Each card in the tarot corresponds with different energy. When you work with the cards specifically to assess your energy, the cards can act as a guide for what kind of energy you may need more or less of. Each card's energy can act as a signal that you either have too much or too little of that energy.

For example, if you pull some cards to determine what your energy needs to be more balanced and you pull loads of pentacles, that would be a sign that you need more grounding in your life to feel more balanced because the pentacles relate to the element of earth. 

You could also consider pulling a card for each energy center or chakra in your body to get an idea of what each energy center needs to be in better balance. I dive into this more in-depth in my book, The Zenned Out Guide to Understanding Tarot. 

Exploring and Understanding Common Correspondences

If you’re a visual learner, like I am, you’ll love working with the tarot to understand common correspondences better. I won’t spend too much time talking about this here because I already covered this in a previous post here. 

Basically, each of the cards has a handful of correspondences (correspondences are simply energies that match or “play well together.”) The most common correspondences are the elements, astrological energies, and numerology. I’ve found that using the tarot as a tool to understand different types of energies better is immensely helpful, especially for visual learners. The cards' symbology and meanings will add a depth of understanding to your astrology, numerology, or elemental practice. You’ll also learn the tarot card meanings faster as well. 

Shadow work

The cards of the tarot contain a complete range of human experiences. It does not gloss over the hard, scary, and sometimes earth-shattering parts of life. This is one reason why, I believe, so many are nervous about diving into tarot. It’s also why it can be such a powerful healing tool. 

Your cards will not shield you from your shadow. Instead, they call you to cozy up to your shadow to understand better what it has to teach you. If the idea of shadow work is new to you, check out this previous post to learn more about what shadow work is. Here are a few ways to dive into shadow work using your tarot card deck. 

• Journal about the cards that make you the most uncomfortable. Use the questions above from the journaling section. 

• Ask questions specifically to explore your shadow, like “What parts of my shadow need healing and exploring?”, “ What do I have to learn from my shadow?” or “What parts of my shadow have I been avoiding?”

Spellwork & Magick

If you’re a fan of spellwork, altars, or magick, this one’s for you (it’s also another one of my favorite ways to work with my deck.) Because each tarot card carries a unique energy, they are perfect for adding energy and intention to spellwork, magick, and your altar. Here are a couple of ways to start working your cards into your magickal practice.

• Place a card on your altar to invite in a specific kind of energy. For example, if you’re focusing on improving your intuition, you could place the moon, the high priestess, or the queen of cups on your altar as a reminder and energetic intention. 

• Add a card to your spell. For example, if you’re focusing on bringing more abundance into your life, you could include the nine of pentacles or the empress into your spell. 

Want to learn more about working with the tarot? Order my book, The Zenned Out Guide to Understanding Tarot. Or, check out some of these posts: Understanding Tarot Correspondences, The Difference Between Tarot and Oracle, 7 Tarot Myths Debunked or Understanding Tarot Birth Cards. 

Aries Season Ritual + Card Spread

Aries, our cardinal fire sign and first sign of the zodiac, is a fiery and dynamic sign here to bring us a fresh start. It invites us to tap into our bravery and courage, go after our dreams, tap into our inner fire, and move towards more freedom.

In this blog post, I’ll be sharing a card spread and a ritual for Aries season. To learn more about Aries energy and your personal birth chart’s connection to Aries, check out our Understanding the Energy of Aries Season blog post here.

Card Spread for Aries Season

This card spread can be done using an oracle deck or a tarot deck. In this spread, we’ll explore Aries’ invitation for you. I invite you to create a ritual space for you and your deck to communicate by taking a moment to ground and center yourself; lighting some incense, herbs, or candles that help you drop into your heart space; and opening to allow messages to come through.Truly, it doesn’t matter what you do, just that whatever you do helps you feel more grounded, centered, and open.When you feel centered and ready, shuffle your deck and draw a card for each of the following questions:

1. What is Aries energy here to teach me?

2. Supportive energies to draw on to encourage my growth.

3. How can I embody the warrior, and the pioneer this season?

4. What limitations am I ready to burst through?

5. How can I move through these limitations, towards more freedom?

After you pull your cards, take some time to journal and/or meditate with them to really connect with the full meaning they have to offer you.

Aries Season Ritual to Connect to Your Inner Warrior 

As I shared above, one archetype Aries can evoke from within us is the warrior. In this ritual, you’ll work with tapping into and embodying that part of yourself.

For this ritual, you’ll need:

• A candle in a color that connects you to Aries energy and your inner warrior. Orange, red, and yellow are great options, but any color you personally connect to being a warrior will work. 

• A small piece of paper you can burn and something to write with 

• A fire-safe dish 

1. At your altar or wherever you are, ground yourself in whatever way feels good (maybe taking a few deep breaths, touching something soft, or placing your hands somewhere on your body).

2. When you feel ready, light your candle and drop into meditation.

3. Meditate on the archetype of the warrior. Here are some questions to consider to help you tap into this energy:

   • Who is your inner warrior?

   • What does warrior energy feel like in your body?

   • What does being a sacred warrior mean?

   • What are you a warrior for?

   • What feels hard about embodying the warrior?

4. Take your time here and really let yourself sink into this energy. When you feel ready, let your meditation organically move into embodiment. Can you embody your inner warrior? How can you move, sound, breathe, speak to embody this part of yourself? Take some time here to just play, explore, and notice how this work feels in your body. 

5. When you feel ready to rest, take a moment to notice how your body feels. What has opened up and shifted? What is your intention for your inner warrior? 

6. Write your intention for your inner warrior on your piece of paper and read it out loud to let it really sink in. (For example, I might write I am a warrior for love or It’s safe to embody my inner warrior.) 

7. When you’re ready, burn your paper (using your candle and fire-safe dish). Let your intention waft in smoke out to the universe, and let your candle burn all the way down.

8. Commit to taking actions that allow you to access this part of yourself this season. 

Happy Aries season! I hope this card spread and ritual help you feel supported during this energetic and fiery season! Share your spreads and rituals on Instagram and tag us @cassieuhl so we can see them! 

Egg History & Rituals for Ostara + The Spring Equinox

Ostara, also known as the Spring or Vernal Equinox, is the dawn of the fertile season on the Wheel of the Year. Light and dark are in equal balance and moving forward, the light of the sun will outshine the dark of night, pushing nature into a flurry of growth and expansion. 

This season corresponds to growth, fertility, manifesting, and the maiden aspect of the Triple Goddess. The energy of this season calls you to begin taking concerted actions towards your desires. Eggs and hares are common symbols associated with this season, but their associations may not be as ancient as you thought.

I went down a bit of a rabbit hole, no pun intended, on this one! So, before we dive into egg rituals for you to practice, I want to share a bit about the history (we do know) of Ostara. If you don’t care, skip on through to the egg rituals, but personally, I find the history of our rituals not only interesting but important in crafting a meaningful practice.

Eggs and Ostara, Where’s the Connection?  

There are a couple of stories that link Ostara to eggs and hares. One being that a hare out foraging for food found an egg and gave it to Ostara an offering for Spring (read a more elaborate version of this story here.) The other story speaks of Ostara finding a bird with frozen wings that she turned into a hare to save. The hare retaining its ability to lay eggs, laid an egg for Ostara as a show of gratitude. You can find variations of stories passed down similar to these or possibly have some in your lineage. 

As with much of Pagan and spiritual practices from the Celts and Anglo-Saxons, these traditions were passed down orally. However, there’s actually no written pre-Christian evidence of the Goddess Ostara and her connection to hares and eggs. Ostara is first mentioned in a text by a Christian monk named Bede in 725 AD. 

This isn’t to say that it’s not possible that ancient Northern European folks honored hares, eggs, and maiden Goddesses like Ostara and Freya during this season. Still, there’s no written evidence supporting these stories. Here’s a great article that dives deeper into the history we know about Ostara and her connection to eggs and hares.

Card feature from the Goddess Oracle by Amy Sophia Marashinsky.

When Christianity dominated these areas, the oral traditions were slowly extinguished, as well as many of the ancient practices associated with them. So the truth is, we may never know if Ostara and her connection to hares and eggs were real. You can view this as a hardship or an opportunity. I choose the latter. Not having a script for our ancestors' ancient ways offers you an opportunity to go within and form personal meaning with each season. 

Give this post a listen here:

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Symbolism of Eggs

Regardless of how the connection of eggs came to be associated with Ostara and this season, their connection to fertility, life, and union is found worldwide. Vedic texts reference the cosmic egg, the Orphic egg in Greece, and the Serpent’s Egg in Druidic practices, just to name a few, all of which deal with the beginnings of life and fertility. 

Many of the ancient mythologies surrounding eggs tell stories of life, balance, and creation, which are all energies undoubtedly linked to the energy of the Spring Equinox. For these reasons, regardless of the history of eggs and Ostara, the egg is still a beautiful and potent symbol to work with during this season, or really anytime you’re focusing on fertility and growth. 

Egg Rituals for Ostara

Here are a few simple ways to weave eggs into your Spring Equinox rituals. Vegan? No worries, use fake eggs. As with most magical practices, your intention is the most important part. Working with fake egg-shaped decorations is an ideal substitute for the real deal. You can purchase egg shapes in paper, plastic, and wood at most craft stores. For the rituals shown below, biodegradable eggs made from paper or wood are best. Please, don’t bury plastic eggs!

1. Eat them!: Obviously, if you’re vegan, you can skip over this one. But if you’re not, enjoy eggs in your favorite way or bake with them to connect with their energy of creation. Consider holding the egg in your hand and infusing it with your desires that you’d like to manifest over the coming months. 

2. Decorate: Place plain or decorated eggs on your altar or in your home as a symbol of fertility, balance, and growth. If you’re using real eggs, you can blow out the contents of the egg with a needle and a straw; otherwise, fake eggs will work fine as well (raw eggs shouldn’t be used if left out for more than two hours.) 

3. Egg manifesting ritual: Write wishes, draw Runes or a Sigil on an egg (raw, hard-boiled, or a fake egg) in alignment with your desires. Bury your egg in the ground to let the fertile energy of the earth help it manifest. Amplify this ritual by burying your egg alongside some seeds. As your plants grow, they will serve as a reminder of your desires being manifested. 

4. Egg offering: Hard boil one or more eggs and leave them as an offering out in nature to give thanks for the season's fertility and growth. 

Now you can work with eggs this season and have a better idea of what we do know about their history in regards to Ostara. Remember, even though we don’t have written history, it doesn’t mean that Ostara wasn’t honored. In the end, this season is a time to work with the energy of fertility and growth, and if honoring Ostara, the hare, and eggs is a way that helps you do that, I encourage you to do so! Continue creating a practice that’s meaningful to you. 

Check out our past blog posts about Ostara here.

3 Daily Actions to Improve Your Intuition

You’ve probably heard the phrase that “intuition is a muscle.” If this phrase is new to you, guess what? Your intuition is a muscle that can be strengthened and honed! Some come into this world with extremely active intuitive gifts, just like some people come into this world with a knack for certain instruments or sports. But for most people, intuition is something that takes some practice.

So, if your intuition is a muscle, you might be wondering, “What should I be doing to take my intuition to the metaphorical gym?” As a naturally intuitive person, I’ve spent years working with and refining my intuition and psychic abilities (think of psychic abilities as a super fine-tuned intuition.) There are a few things that I’ve found are key in keeping my intuitive abilities strong and progressing my intuitive abilities into the psychic realm.  

Before we jump in, I’d like to point out that we all experience intuitive and psychic information differently. If you’re not familiar with all of the “clairs,” I’m going to break them down for you here quickly. If you’d like to dive deeper into learning about the clairs, check out this past post here. 

• Clairvoyant: Sees visions, spirits, auras, and energy in the mind's eye or physically. Even though being clairvoyant is the most commonly referenced clair, it is by no means the most common!

• Clairsentient: A common trait of empaths. Clairsentients can tap into people's energy fields, places, and things and sense information about them. 

• Clairaudient: May hear specific sounds for different kinds of energy or hear messages from spirit either aloud or within the mind. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

• Claircognizant: Intuition on hyperdrive! The claircognizant knows things without provocation. Claircognizant information may appear in dreams or as a sudden gut instinct. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

• Clairtangent: Another word used to explain this is psychometry, or the ability to know things by holding an object. However, clairtangency is not limited to holding inanimate objects and may receive information by placing their hands on people or animals.⠀⠀⠀⠀

Understanding the different ways intuitive information may come through will make understanding your intuition much easier. 

Here are 3 Daily Activities to Strengthen Your Intuition. I suggest practicing these in this order, every day for at least a week, to see results. 

1. Meditate Every Day For 10-20 Minutes

Regular meditation will get you in the habit of quieting your mind and tuning in to your intuition. Before you run off and say you don’t have time or can’t meditate, I want you to know that this doesn’t have to be 30-60 minutes of quiet meditation. My daily meditation practice usually ranges from 10-20 minutes, with rare longer meditations for special occasions. 

Even if you need to start at five minutes a day, you will notice a difference in your ability to tune into your intuition. Our modern world comes with many distractions, so it’s important to get in the habit of quieting your mind regularly. Learn more about creating a daily meditation practice in another post I shared here. 

If sitting in meditation doesn’t work for you, I invite you to try different forms of mindfulness, like walking meditation, breathwork, or even becoming more aware of the present moment while doing daily chores and tasks.

Check out guided meditations and journeys here. 

2. Select One Intuitive Tool to Work With Daily

Select one intuitive tool to work with daily. Yes, the same one. Working with the same tool consistently will take out some of the variables for strengthening your intuition and better learning how it presents. Spending daily time with a single intuitive tool will also help you gain confidence with that specific tool. This step is ideal to do right after your daily meditation. Try to work with your intuitive tool for 10-20 minutes.

Once you select your tool, you’ll want to develop a system to use daily that doesn’t take very long (unless you have the time, in which case, take as much time as you’d like!) I’ve found that it’s easier to stick with new practices if I make them short and easy to work into my routine. For example, if you’re working with tarot or oracle cards, ask for daily guidance and pull 1-3 cards. Alternatively, if you want to try a daily scrying practice, I suggest setting a timer for an amount of time you can commit to the practice daily.

Here’s a list of common tools. I’ve also linked them to previous blog posts if you’d like to learn more about them.

• Oracle cards (get a free printable mini oracle card deck) 

• Tarot cards

• Pendulum

• Scrying

• Tea leaf reading

• Runes (get a set of free printable rune tiles)

If there’s a different intuitive tool within your practice that isn’t listed here, that’s great too. Pick something that works for you and that you’ll be able to commit to using daily. 

3. Connect with Intuition in Your Body

Last, and in my opinion, most important, tune into your physical body often while doing your intuitive practice. This is where the real muscle toning comes in to build your intuition. Learning how to connect your intuition into your body is important for a couple of reasons. First, you must have the ability to root into the physical body to expand into the spirit realm. Second, intuition will always show up in the physical body somehow, subtly as it may be. Learning how to sense how and where your intuition presents in your physical body is where the fine-tuning comes in.

Your intuition may show up as a sensation in the gut (there’s a reason for the term “gut feeling”), a sense of lightness in your heart, a flash of insight in your mind, a ringing in your ear, or something else. Your daily work will be to look for patterns in how your intuition speaks to you. How you recognize your intuition in your body will likely be unique and may vary for “yes” and “no” answers and the kind of intuitive work you’re doing. 

To work this into your daily intuitive practice, check-in with your body often as you meditate and work with your intuitive tool of choice. Ask your body to show you where and how your intuitive voice speaks to you. The more you practice this, the more confident and familiar you’ll become with recognizing your intuition. 

You can benefit from these intuition-building tools for as little as twenty minutes a day. I think you’ll see benefits in as little as a week, but of course, like all muscles, the longer you practice, the stronger it will get! Learn more about getting grounded and working with intuition through the third eye chakra in my book, Understanding Chakras.