For whenever you need to rise: from mistreatment and heard times; from one's ashes; to a challenge; into peace and happiness, shall we always have the strength and courage to rise.
Listen to dry flower petals and herbs I just lay them on a paper towel and put them in front of my space heater - not too close that they'll burn or it'll be a fire hazard but...it's basically like baking them in the oven but no one sees so I don't get pestered on "why are you doing that"
Part 3: Saturn's lessons learned though the Signs and Houses
Part 1.
Part 2.
Saturn in Aries/ First House:
Earth and fire may be incompatible but in terms of modalities, Aries and Capricorn (ruled by Saturn) are both cardinal in nature. Here, Saturn already knows you have the drive. Saturn already knows that you take an initiative. But drive and initiative needs grounding. Saturn teaches you to ground your ideas and your passion so your fire will not fizzle out as you go on. Think of the quote, “it’s a war, not a battle.”
Saturn in Taurus/Second House:
No, your finances are not doomed. Saturn wants you to approach your finances with care. The Second House is the House of Value and in a materialistic world, it is easy to get all caught up with our material goals that we become greedy and lose sight of what's important. Saturn wants you to learn that true financial stability comes from discipline not only in financial abundance but in the way you handle them too.
Saturn in Gemini/Third House:
Saturn likes Gemini’s quick thinking and adaptability and because of that Saturn teaches you stability and direction with your thoughts. Gemini’s mutable and airy nature is somehow more directed in Saturn. Saturn teaches you to discard any information in your mind that does not serve any purpose there so you can focus your mental resources on what matters.
Saturn in Cancer/Fourth House:
Perhaps the most baseless thing I have read about this placement is that you are doomed to have problems in your family life. No. Cancer protects themselves and the people they value and Saturn teaches you to not drown in that love. So others will not drown in it too. Cancer is cardinal water and Capricorn is cardinal earth. They may be opposite at first glance but earth allows water to flow with form.
Saturn in Leo/Fifth House:
Saturn knows you want to shine. Saturn also knows how egoistic you can be. Saturn restricts so you will learn that the only way you will truly shine is if you do something borne out of a desire to simply just be you. Saturn wants you to learn not to give in to the cheers and the fanfares so you will not attach your value on other people’s view of you.
Saturn in Virgo/Sixth House:
Ah. Another victim of the “placements-people-think-are-boring” squad. Saturn works well with Mercurial signs like Gemini and Virgo. In this sign/house, Saturn likes Virgo’s methodical and analytical thinking. Both enjoy their routines and both enjoy giving purpose to that routine. The challenge here is to not get too stuck in the idea that routine and comfort zone is all that there is for you.
Saturn in Libra/Seventh House:
Friendships and relationships may come with challenges in this placement and Saturn's lesson for you is to rise above the superficiality that shows in your connections. Saturn wants to help you build relationships, platonic or romantic, that are long-lasting even when it has to be with a few people only. Think of "quality over quantity".
Saturn in Scorpio/Eight House:
Scorpio’s raw and intense energy is a bit toned down in Saturn. I have come across several posts saying that Saturn brings problems in the areas of sex but Scorpio and the Eighth House are not just about sex. This is the placement and house of transformation. In here, Saturn wants you to learn that you can surrender to the transformation by grounding your emotions. Not bottling up your feelings and pushing them down even when it does not benefit you.
Saturn in Sagittarius/Ninth House:
Although Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, whose approach tend to be opposite to Saturn, both are committed to the importance of ethics and dedication. In this sign and house, Saturn restricts so you will learn to examine and make sure that you are not skipping any steps in areas of higher thinking and spirituality; just like how high-rise buildings need stable scaffoldings.
Saturn in Capricorn/Tenth House:
Saturn is in domicile in Capricorn and the Tenth House. Anything that Saturn stands for is innate to you. The lesson here is for you to not get too comfortable and dogmatic. Think of growing up and being in the same place for most of your life. It can be challenging to branch out and look for other options but it's necessary to get out of what's comfortable in order for you to truly know and maximize your abilities and self.
Saturn in Aquarius/Eleventh House:
Aquarius is traditionally ruled by Saturn. So, Saturn works well in Aquarius and the Eleventh House. You are a genius but every now and then, society turns away from your innovative mind. Society has a tendency to hate what it does not understand. Saturn restricts your genius until the genius is stable enough to stand its ground in a society that frowns on innovation.
Saturn in Pisces/Twelfth House:
In the sign of Pisces and the Twelfth House of the Hidden, Saturn's challenge for you is to make and ground your own reality. It can be easy to get caught up with escapism and see the world in rose-colored glasses. Saturn may give you harsh reality checks so you'll learn to see what is truly hidden and learn how to alchemize that reality in your favor.
Now that I have a tarot deck I am comfortable with, I think Imma start doing readings that can be purchased. Make some side money AND get more experience with tarot. So uhhh if anyone thinks I should start doing this ig lemme know lol
How Bayonetta Inspires My Craft: Dancing, Fighting, and Physical Fitness.
I get writers block a lot which is why it’s taken me so long to make to this next post talking about my craft. Today I’m going to be discussing what not a lot of people may think about when it comes to witchcraft, physical fitness and exercise. When it comes to typical topics of witchcraft the focus tends to be on the metaphysical, and the spiritual. But I have always found that taken care of my physical body has always been paramount to how I conduct my craft.
There is a direct link between the health of our physical bodies and our own mental well-being. Regular exercise release endorphins which help to power our minds and can help with the negative effects of mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. And I’ve found that those effects are even more effective when I incorporate aspects of the craft into my exercise routine. And a lot of that, again, is thanks to our girl Bayonetta
Bayonetta is pretty unique in the world of pop-culture when it comes to depictions of witches. Most witches, and magic users in general, are portrayed as scholarly types. They use their magic from a distance and focus on increasing their knowledge base of magic over prioritizing their physical bodies. But Bayonetta takes this trend and stomps it into the dirt by being a magical witch who is also a brawler. While her guns are capable of doing damage from a distance her primary form of fighting is through kicking and punching. And she does this with such style it almost appears as if she’s dancing on the battle field.
Dancing has a lot of relation to spiritual practice in many cultures. And dance movement therapy has been formally recognized as a therapeutic practice since the 1940’s. Many cultures practice spiritual dancing for prominent life events such as the mourning dances practiced by the Yolngu people of northern Australia. Dance can be an emotional release when words fail us. Allowing ourselves to be lost in movement and to embrace our bodies moving in a way that we don’t usually let them.
One of my favorite ways to exercise is just to blast Bayonetta’s soundtrack and just dance. And recently I’ve been wanting to sign of for a pole fitness class (unfortunately there are none even remotely in my area). Bayonetta’s pole dancing is empowering because it’s something she choices to do for herself in much the same way that many more people are picking up pole fitness as a form of healthy living and body positivity.
But Bayo isn’t just a dancer, she’s a fighter. This is actually where she inspires me in my fitness journey the most as I’m a martial artist myself. I’m currently first degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and Bayonetta was a huge inspiration for me reaching this point. Bayo’s fighting style is a heavy mix of powerful punches and kicks much like Tae Kwon Do. And whenever I was feeling depressed or frustrated during my training, watching the beautiful way Bayo moved helped me to stay motivated. My journey to being a black belt was actually very challenging as I was moving around a lot during this time. I had to find new schools every time I moved and often had to start back from white belt under that school’s system. But Bayo kept me inspired to keep going, and Moon River, and Fly Me To the Moon are some of my favorite training tracks to this day.
Now while we never see Bayo practicing this form of exercise really per say, I would be remised if I didn’t bring up this exercise in a post talking about my craft. I’m currently in the process of getting certified as a yoga instructor. Yoga has so many ties to the metaphysical and spiritual that I could literally do a whole post talking about all it encompasses.
I’ve developed a lot of my own spiritual practices around my yoga practice. The highlights for me as far as my practice is how yoga has helped me with my flexibility training. I’m still working on my splits training and yoga with its use of stretching helps to open the body. I do a lot of yin yoga witch consists of a lot of long held deep stretches. It’s the slow and healing that balances my martial arts practice’s fast a destructive. I also love to do balance work like handstands because balancing forces you to ground yourself in the current moment. Yoga helps me find balance in my craft between the nurturing and restorative with the defensive and loud aspects of my craft.
And all of this is wrapped in how I see bayonetta as a character. She is someone who is power exceptionally powerfully, but she is not without her softer side. She can come off as imposing because of her strength and the air of confidence she carries herself with. But she has shown to be nurturing and protective of those who need it. She has shown moments of vulnerability, but remains resolute through out her trials. She encompasses all I want to have in my own self-image. That balance of the strong with the soft.
I’m so sick of witches trying to impose their beliefs on others. Everyone’s path is individual and obviously, no two people are going to have the exact same thoughts and opinions. You don’t like baneful magick? Then don’t do it. You think beginner witches shouldn’t work with deities? Then wait until you’re experienced before you work with them. You think love spells are wrong? Then don’t cast them.
Notice how I never said “tell every other witch your opinion and say that it’s the only right way to do things and that if they don’t, there will be awful consequences.” The gatekeeping in the witchcraft community is ridiculous. A lot of y’all act like evangelical Christians with your preaching. Maybe mind your own business and craft. There’s no reason for you to try to impose your beliefs onto others. How do you feel when others do it to you?
I do think education and awareness is important, but shoving your own personal beliefs in people’s faces and trying to solicit them to follow it is not actually education like some seem to think it is, it’s just indoctrination. (Also, I’m not referring to giving genuine advice and thoughts on things, I’m talking about actively trying to persuade people to follow your beliefs.)
Last night, Dora and I bottled the strawberry wine that we started as part of our Midsummer celebrations last June. Winemaking is a long-standing part of our personal practice - there is something so inherently magical (cough - alchemical) of turning water into wine. Your intention grows with the yeast culture that you are carefully nurturing.
This batch was infused with the pure healing energy of the midsummer sun and the bounty of strawberries which, here in New England, count in many ways as our first "true" harvest. We hand-picked the strawberries ourselves at a local organic farm so the wine is our own, start to finish.
This year's batch of wine is very dry (our yeasties ate alllll of the sugar) - it made a very nice spritzer combined with a lovely Strawberry liqueur (Fragola if you've ever had it) and some peach seltzer - pictured in the wine glass above. Our intention is to lovingly craft a cocktail to share with our larger friend group for the outdoor garden party that we hold every May for my birthday.
You can read more about how I work with wine and witchcraft here. (That's an external link to my blog, FYI)
