Spinning The Wheel

NEW MOON IN AQUARIUS - Initiating and seeding a new intellectual, focused view of the future. Spotlight on friend groups, and revolutionary, communal, progressive, group-oriented work.

What is holding us back from living our most authentic life? Where are we hiding behind outdated fears and inhibitions?

This week we look at Lunar Magick, astrology, fixed star myths and Holy Days that bring this work into clarity. Also included are Tarot, crystals, and plant helpers for this work.

***

Welcome back! Happy New Year, and all that.

Our Witch's Work this week is guided by the New Moon in Capricorn. Are you creating and feeding structures and systems that actually support the future you want and want to pass on to future generations?

Where can you initiate sustainable magickal practices that support this work?

This week is a mixed bag of astrology. Helpful and stabilizing at the beginning, ominous and explosive as the week goes on. If you are feeling lost, ground into your values, and get real with yourself about where you need more education. Get real with yourself around whatever privileges you may have and how you can leverage them to help the collective. Our week also offers us an interesting collection of emotions: many Pagan holy days this week are about remembering our fallen Witches and other groups who have oppressed throughout time. But, we end the week with the onset of the Holy Week of Diwali - let us utilize this moment to light a candle and not simply curse the darkness.

May knowledge and compassion reign over ignorance and hate.

What a heavy time to be alive on Earth. These moments of turmoil have been building for decades, centuries. Witches we must challenge ourselves to simultaneously not doom scroll, and also not turn away.

Our astrology this week ramps up the tension. Our fixed stars this week point to where, when we have been given power or privilege, we are meant to utilize this power in the world for the betterment of all. Our Holy days this week call in the cold rains that break down the old order, and soak the Earth with potential fertility to grow a new better world.

Witches! We are smack-dab in the middle of this Sabbat-Season, and this week is more of the same - Harvest, Ancestors, Wisdom work.

We are passing through the holy days of the Eleusinian Mysteries, witnessing the transformation of Kore/Persephone from a Maiden of Flowers to The Queen of the Dead. And Her mother, Demeter, changing from Mother of Life, to Crone and Wisdom Keeper. Mourning ancestral losses, and unavoidable change or endings is all work to clear space for the upcoming eclipses.

As we make our way through Fall, are you witnessing the shape-changing you're going through? Can you find richness in the Light and Dark parts of you?

TAROT: 5 of cups

WITCHWORK: cleaning graves, ancestral offerings, being still as we approach the New Moon.

WITCH'S THANKSGIVING

SECOND HARVEST

The Wheel of the Year continues to turn for Pagans with the Quarter Sabbat MABON, also known as Fall Equinox. The high point of the Sun's arc over The Wheel is done and with that completion, we see the fullness of The Harvest come to fruition at Mabon. We have reached Fall Equinox, the Quarter-Day festival marking the half way point between Summer and Winter Solstice.

Also known as Second Harvest and Witch's Thanksgiving, at Mabon we continue to explore harvest season through the cornucopia of symbols and festivals found at this time of year. The work of Mabon season focuses on shifting from the drive and ambition of Summer into the fulfillment and resolution of Autumn. Many Pagans see a form of the Goddess known as The Mother giving birth to the massive harvests being pulled in all around the northern hemisphere.

In this lively 2 hour lecture you’ll learn ways to help yourself and your community stay balanced as we shift from the high of Summer into the fall of Fall, and prepare for the Underworld journey of Winter. But the work isn't done after one night! We'll take a look at what we can expect for the coming 6-7 weeks of Mabon Season, learn how you can observe this time of abundance for yourself or with your community, and get ready to Do The Work.

Grab a friend, a journal or some art supplies, maybe make a pot of tea and a snack, and settle in. I also encourage folks to create sacred space for themselves by lighting a candle and/or some incense. You might also include magical tools like Tarot and your natal chart.

Folks who would really like to dig in can subscribe to my Patreon at the Venus ($9) level or higher get access to a 20 page workbook and 7 week calendar, a copy of this video and tons more.

Witches! This is our last New Moon of Summer and Lughnasadh. This lunar cycle will carry us into Fall and Mabon, and eclipse season as well. New Moon in Virgo and Mercury stations direct, just before we cross the Threshold and enter the Other half of the year. The Dark face of the Unknowable Goddess provides a slice of the void for us to get our Hermit on as we head into The Dark.

Tarot

Hermit/Magician

Witch's Work:

Be still, clear Summertime, Lughnasadh, and Virgo altars to make room for the next portion of The Wheel

Witches! Another week offering recalibration, reorientation, and reconfiguration before we head off into the Dark Half of the Year. This portion of our Virgo journey is overseen by Great Goddesses like Yemoja, Aset/Isis, Mother Earth, The Holy Sophia, Gauri, and Venus Genitrix to name a few. How does what you know affect what you create in the world? How do you embody knowledge? What is the difference between knowledge and wisdom?

Tarot:

9/10 of Pentacles

Witch's Work:

Wrapping up Lughnasadh work

Witches! The Goddess is alive and magick is afoot!! This week we travel through multiple Holy Days dedicated to Goddesses as embodiment of Mother, Producer, Gateway, Threshold. We have a beautiful Super Full Blue Moon to guide us as we approach the transition point of Summer to Fall and from the Light to the Dark half of the year. And just a lil astro to assist in any adjustments as we continue through Harvest Season.

TAROT

8/9 of Pentacles

WITCHCRAFT

Harvesting, saving seeds, venerating the Goddess, making corn dollies, healing work

Witches! This is a great week for looking at the long view and setting the blueprint, or "fixing" the year into the shape you want. Of course we're gonna take a 3 week detour (re:organizing) with Mercury RX, but if we can reach out with the assistance of deities like Fortuna, Minerva, and Thoth, we can ask for exactly what we need to build or sustain our works.

TAROT

The Hermit / The Magician

WITCHCRAFT

Feasting with friends and fam, saving seeds, climbing a hill, engaging Virgo stuff

Are you ready to step into your Power? Me neither, but here we are, being handed the brass ring, the silver scepter, the golden crown. Lughnasadh Season challenges us to accept our badassery and then further challenges us to wield that badassery for the greatest good. Our astrology this week takes us through some highs and lows and delivers us at a Mercury RX and the beginning of Virgo season. It's time to stand up, leaders, and organize.

Tarot: 7 of Wands

Witch's Work: offerings to Gods and Ancestors, asking for guidance, being a badass

This Week's Witch's Work takes us through a harrowing path around the lip of the Underworld as celebrations past and present invite back the Blessed Dead, our Holy Ancestors. Horus and Set oversee our travels through the Light and the Dark. Our Moons this week ask us to think about where we put our resources and what we get out of that exchange, and a deep nostalgic dive into the past and memories. Sophia, Mary Theotokos, and transits with Chiron all guide our way thru to help us harvest the kernel of Wisdom hidden within painful experiences.

Tarot: The Sun

Witch's Work: The Harvest, Ancestor Work, Harvesting Berries, Corn Dollies

Happy Lughnasadh Witches! How auspicious that we have a Full Moon on Lammas this year, perfect for backyard parties, firepits by the water's edge, and all manner of night-time romps and adventures. This week celebrates the fire, power, and passion of many pantheons, as we hum with buzzing brilliance in the heart of Summer. Be ablaze, my Heathens, this is our golden time to shine.

Tarot: 6 of Wands

Witchcraft: Lughnasadh celebrations throughout the week.

LUGHNASADH -THE FIRST HARVEST

The Wheel of the Year continues to turn for Pagans with the great Cross-Quarter Sabbat Lughnasadh, also known as Lammas. Named for the Irish God Lugh, this holiday marks the 1/2 way point between Summer Solstice and Fall Equinox. Lugh is a Storm and Sun God with skills like crafting, fighting, musical artistry, and sorcery, and he wins the gift of agriculture for the Tuatha Dé Danann in battle.

The holiday is also known as Lammas, which means loaf. Lammas Season comes to us at the hottest part of the year. It marked the beginning of the harvest season for ancient peoples in the Northern Hemisphere. But we can see this miracle of abundance in our modern world right now. Here in the Americas, the grain harvest has begun in the South and will continue up the continent until it arrives in Canada in mid-August. Green Corn Ceremony will be held by Indigenous tribes all over the country.

For modern Witches and Pagans, this is a time to step into our power and begin harvesting and sharing the gold in our lives (hint: it starts with knowing how to identify it!)

In this 2 hour lecture, we'll look at the origins of this ancient fiery Sabbat celebrating the bounty of the Earth. But the work isn't done after one night! We'll take a look at what we can expect for the coming 6-7 weeks of Lammas season, learn how you can observe this time of abundance for yourself or with your community, and get ready to Do The Work.

Grab a friend, a journal or some art supplies, maybe make a pot of tea and a snack, and settle in. I also encourage folks to create sacred space for themselves by lighting a candle and/or some incense. You might also include magical tools like Tarot and your natal chart.

Folks who would really like to dig in can subscribe to my Patreon at the Venus level or higher get access to a 20 page workbook and 7-8 week calendar, a copy of this video and tons more.

These classes are offered freely to the collective thanks to the support of my illustrious Patrons.

As a way of saying thank you, and for folks who would really like to dig in, those who subscribe to my Patreon at the Venus level ($9 a month) or higher get access to a 20 page workbook and 7-8 week calendar, a copy of this video and tons more.

Witches! Just a shorty this week to cover our astrology as we will be discussing the holy days and other magicks of this week and season in the upcoming Lughnasadh class July 26 2023 6pm pst. We are still dancing (fighting? both?) with the Pluto/Nodal square and tensions may be running high. Remember, after the drama we have the drama hangover. Don't write checks your soul can't cash.

Tarot: STRENGTH

WITCH'S WORK: prepping for Lughnasadh, baking bread, cleaning and repairing jewelry

Support this podcast by joining my Patreon! Full notes, charts for this week's moons, and more exclusively listed for Patrons at the Mercury level ($5 a month) and higher.

LITHA - SUMMER SOLSTICE The Wheel of the Year continues to spin with the arrival of our next Sabbat, Litha, also known as Midsummer, or Summer Solstice. Litha celebrates the high point of the Sun's journey through the year. For folks in the Northern Hemisphere, we see this in long days filled with heat and light, and short nights, filled with heat and stars. And importantly for Witches and Pagans, the death of the Oak King, and the rise to power of the Holly King.

Currently falling somewhere between June 18th and June 22nd each year, this Quarter Day marks the official end of Spring and start of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere. What is it to work through the energy of Gemini, The Divine Twins and Cancer, the Universal Womb? We’ll come into alignment with these archetypes by studying the astronomy and the astrology of the times. And we will welcome the Sun into our lives by embracing our ability to radiate our personal power.

Immerse yourself in the ancient global folklore, symbols, and rituals of this Solar festival acknowledging the high point of the Sun’s Arc across the sky and discover how you can evoke this power in your own life and world.

But the work doesn't stop after one night! In this six week guide, we will look at the major Witch's Work for the season: Power, Transformation, Healing and Commitment and what that means for Pagans and their communities. We can utilize rituals, spellcrafting, meditations and journaling to ground ourselves in this work.

Grab a friend, a journal or some art supplies, maybe make a pot of tea and a snack, and settle in. I also encourage folks to create sacred space for themselves by lighting a candle and/or some incense. You might also want close at hand magical tools like Tarot and your natal chart.

BELTANE - MAY DAY / WITCH’S NIGHT - Wheel of the Year Series 2023 Spellbound

The 2023 Wheel of the Year Cycle continues with Beltane, also known as May Day or Walpurgisnacht in some traditions. For many Pagans, this marks the return of The Green Man – a lusty and puckish side of The God. This Cross-Quarter Day is a popular Fire Festival ushering in the deep heart of Spring, and for some places, Summer.

Falling on April 30th/May 1st each year, the date of Beltane marks the halfway point of the Spring season in the Northern Hemisphere. Lusty, mischievous, and playful, the spirit of Beltane is light-hearted but serious about fun. Marked by massive bonfires, maypoles and "greenwood marriages" that only lasted a year and a day (or one long lovely night), Beltane is a holiday focused on celebrating the fecundity and power in the exchange of energy and passion between humans. But the work isn't done after one night! We'll take a look at what we can expect for the coming 6-8 weeks of each season, learn how you can observe this time of change for yourself or with your community, and get ready to Do The Work.

OSTARA - SPRING EQUINOX - Wheel of the Year Series 2023
Into The Light 

Uncover the deep history of this grand resurrection festival honoring  the returning life of the Awakening Earth and the Increasing Sun, witnessed in religions and cultures all over the world. For Pagans, this marks the return of The Maiden - a playful and curious side of The Goddess. 

The Spring Equinox has been used to mark the great eras of  time, and marks the halfway point to Summer Solstice, the apex of the Sun's powers. And the growing light matches our increasing enthusiasm!  

Learn how to gently wake up from Winter's Sleep and prepare yourself for the action and transformations this season will require from us. Discover how best to harmonize with this work for yourself and your community!

Many Pagans align rites of passage to this holiday season, honoring those who have hit a certain age or responsibility level, reached puberty, reached menopause, or other forms of maturation. 

But the work isn't done after one night! We'll take a look at what we can expect for the coming 6-8 weeks of each season, learn how you can observe this time of change for yourself or with your community, and get ready to Do The Work. 

Topics covered in the lecture, generally:
* A look at the history of the holiday from a modern  Pagan/Witch/Magickian standpoint
* Comparison of concurrent holidays in other religions and traditions, with a heavy emphasis on myths, deities, archetypal themes, and symbolism
* The significant astrology of the season, especially lunar
* Your astrological sign, and the season, archetypes, and holidays connected to it
* Astronomical and geological events concurrent with the season 

As well, we’ll discuss ways to bring this information into your personal  spiritual practice, including:
* Suggestions for creating an altar
* Common and traditional forms and methods of observance
* Meditations for ritual use
* Correlating herbs, crystals, tarot, colors, foods, crafts, prayers, and more 

Grab a friend, a journal or some art supplies, maybe make a pot of tea and a snack, and settle in. I also encourage folks to create sacred space for themselves by lighting a candle and/or some incense. You might also include magical tools like Tarot and your natal chart. (Or just  put this on in the background while you make dinner, fold laundry, or work on a project. Make it right for you.) 

Just a shorty to cover our funky astrology this week because 1) my voice is shot and 2) we have class tomorrow! Join me March 15th 7pm PST on Youtube for our Ostara 2023 livestream!

IMBOLC 2023  

Wheel of the Year Series 2023  – Imbolc/Candlemas The Quickening   

The Wheel of the Year continues to spin with Imbolc, also known as Candlemas in some traditions. This Greater Sabbat represents a light in the darkness of Winter. The lessons we can learn about perseverance and hope at this dark time can serve us throughout the coming year. And while we are still in the frozen grip of Winter, we are dreaming of what we could sprout in Spring.  Falling on February 2nd, Imbolc is the halfway mark between Winter and Spring. 

Purification, honoring the dead, and reconnecting to natural resources are all sacred acts. Also at this Sabbat, many Witches will rededicate themselves to their path, or dedicate themselves to a new skill, rekindling their passion for life after walking through the stillness of Winter.  Explore the deep Winter hope of this Cross Quarter festival and season marked by ceremonies and magical work dedicated to light & fire, timekeeping, purification and fortitude. Learn how to make the most of your Winter hibernation, clearing the way for the growth of Spring!  

But the work isn't done after one night! We’ll take a look at what we can expect for the coming 6-7 weeks of Imbolc season. We will learn how to observe this time of dreaming and initiation for yourself or with your community. And get ready to Do The Work.  

Grab a friend, a journal or some art supplies, maybe make a pot of tea and a snack, and settle in. I also encourage folks to create sacred space for themselves by lighting a candle and/or some incense. You might also include magical tools like Tarot and your natal chart.  

Folks who would really like to dig in can subscribe to my Patreon at the Venus level or higher get access to a workbook and 7-8 week calendar, a copy of this video and tons more.  This livestream is free for all beings, thanks to the support of my Patrons and year-long students!  

What's up Heathens!? It's our first New Moon of 2023 and our Witch's Work work is all about tapping into the fantasy and getting our wishlists filled out with as much wild, hope-filled, and amazing stuff as possible, while staying connected to what will serve the collective. My dear Pagans, you miss every chance you don't take. In what ways does honoring your dreamy, artistic, magickal self help create a healthy and sustainable world for all people? In what ways are the artist and revolutionary the same? All power to The People.

WINTER SOLSTICE 

The Sun now approaches its lowest point on The Wheel. At Yule, even The Sun dies. But like many deities, Death is not The End for the Sun, and after three days, a miracle takes place. The Light of the World returns from the Lands of the Dead.

This Quarter-Day festival season is known by Pagans, Heathens, and Witches as Yule. But it is recognized by nearly every belief system, philosophy and spiritual practice in the Northern Hemisphere. Pagans, Heathens, and Witches also know Yule as The Long Night and Mother’s Night. 

In this spirited and provocative Yule Livestream we leave the abundance of Fall and head into the desolation and expanse of the Winter Sabbats, Yule (Dec 21) and Imbolc (Feb 2). 

The work of Yule season focuses on the stop and start of Winter. At this time of year we get a chance to cease and begin again. Hundreds of deities celebrate holy days at this time of year. Much of the symbolism we work with centers around the death and resurrection of The Sun. For Many Pagans, this day marks the death of The Holly King and the birth of The Oak King. It also marks the formal rise of a form of The Goddess known as The Crone. 

Yule is the deep heart of the wintertime #UnderworldJourney. Learn how to connect to the Archetypes and Spirits of Winter and make the most of our collective hibernation, using Winter’s season of stillness as an opportunity to stop, reset ourselves, and start again. 

But our Yule work isn’t done after one night! We’ll take a look at what we can expect for the coming 6-7 weeks of Yule season. Learn how to observe this time of stillness and resurrection for yourself or with your community. And get ready to Do The Work.

Grab a friend, a journal or some art supplies, maybe make a pot of tea and a snack, and settle in.

I also encourage folks to create sacred space for themselves by lighting a candle and/or some incense. You might also include magical tools like Tarot and your natal chart. 

Folks who would really like to dig in can subscribe to my Patreon at the Venus level or higher get access to a 20 page workbook and 7-8 week calendar, a copy of this video and tons more. 

This livestream is free for all beings, thanks to the support of my Patrons and year-long students! 

This Gemini Full Moon brings a spotlight to the accumulation of our deeds in 2022. What didn't work? What did? And either way, what can you let go of? Sacred entities like Shalako Maiden Kachina, Athena, St. Lucia are here to offer their pathways of enlightenment and wisdom if only we would be brave enough to walk them. It is time to walk the talk! This week is also a magickally potent time to ask for messages, guidance, and wisdom from our Holy Guides, Ancestors, Deities, Elders, and Mentors.

Join my newsletter and/or send me comments and questions!

Our Witches Work this week asks us to be big-hearted and push ourselves out of our comfort zones. Can we face the painful experiences of our lives with faith? Can we find the medicine in the poison? Can we remember that after the Destruction comes Rebirth? Great Goddess like Mawu, Mary Theotokos, and Ceres are here to guide us through the places where we fall apart in the void, remind us how to dance with Chaos, and point to our ability to remold ourselves in the Light.

Join my newsletter and/or send me comments and questions!

Hell-o Heathens, this week's Descent takes us one step closer to the Dark richness at the bottom of the cauldron. Deities like Hecate, Bruma and Ded Moroz are here to help us go down. This is a week that takes and gives. How can you interact with that work with grace and not be defensive when shown what you don't know and what is not working?

(video starts at 2:35, class starts around 4 minute mark)
The dark is here. 

The shift in the Sun's path is undeniable as the days shorten and the weather grows darker and colder.  The Cross-Quarter holiday Samhain (pronounced "sow-wain") is possibly the most well-known of the Sabbats. 

Americans celebrate it as Hallowe'en. Samhain is the true tipping point into The Underworld Journey of Winter.  Learn how to incorporate archetypes and symbols that can sometimes be dark and spooky into your life as healthy and balanced forms of working with The Shadow and to help you make the final shift away from the labor and celebrations of Autumn into the stillness and and rebirth of the coming Winter season. 

In this two hour lecture we will take a look at the superstitions and traditions surrounding Samhain, considering how people have used revelry, shape shifting, and pranks to deal with the oncoming chaos and breakdown of Winter - or to help bring it about. Immerse yourself in the ancient global rituals of this Cross Quarter festival acknowledging the death of the Sun and the Earth discover how you can evoke this power in your own life and world. 

But the work isn't done after one night! We'll take a look at what we can expect for the coming 6-7 weeks of Samhain season, learn how you can observe this time of transition for yourself or with your community, and get ready to Head Underground.

This class is free for all beings thanks to support from MY PATRONS!!

Folks who would like to dig in can subscribe to my Patreon at the Venus ($9) level or higher and get access to a workbook and 7 week calendar, a copy of this video and tons more. 

Folks who want support to explore this work on a personal level can sub to my Patreon at the Sun ($23) level and higher and schedule a reading to look at what this season will bring for them. 

Grab a friend, a journal or some art supplies, maybe make a pot of tea and a snack, and settle in. I also encourage folks to create sacred space for themselves by lighting a candle and/or some incense. You might also include magical tools like Tarot and your natal chart.

See you in class, Witch!

This week’s episode is a shorty because our next Wheel class is coming up! I talk about this week’s New Moon / Eclipse in Scorpio and the astrology of this week as well as a few of our big fixed stars and holy days. For more information on my Samhain class and all the other classes I’m offering, head to my site!

The week is a doozy, but we have Protector Spirits all around us, watching over us, and shielding us. Take time with your sadness this week, and in what ever ways are safe for you, address your loss and sorrow. Helpers like the 5 of Cups, pomegranates, and myrrh are here to help us through the deepest parts of our sadness.

The world is a little chaotic this week, so we need to do what we can to ground ourselves, sooth our souls, and care for our community. Choosing authenticity over keeping things cute is a power move but can also be taxing. Take time to listen to your inner wisdom (we have several Great Goddesses of Wisdom standing by), eat some carbs, and make sure you keep a "time out" session up your sleeve if things go sideways.