As we reflect on yet another year as it comes to a close many emotions, words and images may come to mind. Some are more desirable than others, some can make us smile while others make our heart heavy or thank our lucky stars we got through it. Begin by drawing in gratitude for a year full of memories, experiences, successes, and failures with room to learn and grow. Gratitude to be here, in this moment. Pull that gratitude into your heart, fill it up with all the abundance you can from your past year. Thank any hard lessons, honor any obstacles. Sit peacefully with all that you have and all that you are in this moment. Let your breath clear out any old, stagnant energy keeping you from being at peace and fully content.  
 
Imagine yourself one year from now, reflecting on this new year to come. What did you accomplish? What goals did you work to meet? What perceived obstacles did you face and overcome? Where do you want to be one year from now? See yourself there, how you look, how you feel, following all of the intentions you have for yourself in this next cycle in your life.  
 
Take time in silent meditation to send your future self encouragement and well wishes in the year to come. Offer them a mantra or affirmation to carry with them, and let your new mindset settle in to bring what it is you want in your life.  
 
MUSINGS FOR THIS MEDITATION: 
 
1. How can I work to honor all my experiences and learn from them in a healthy way? 
 
2. In what ways can I make it a priority to return to my intentions, renew my energy when needed and keep on course for what I want in my life? 
 
3. Write your future self a letter, begin it with ‘let me guess what you’re doing right now…’. Give yourself advice, guidance, love and support. Tuck it away until next new years eve or take out when you need encouragement and a reminder of what you want

*download your complimentary worksheet on setting sacred intentions for the new year below!

The climate being brought to the forefront in recent days, months and years has stirred up triggering feelings for many- the abuse to women, children and men has been carried in the bellies and hearts of millions tragically throughout history. But the fire that's been sparked as of late has amplified the echos of systematic abuse sent down from generation to generation, congregation to congregation, culture to culture. Fear, control, entitlement and power has ruled the people-a system that's been passed down by our 'forefathers' and the patriarchal methodology to not make everyone equal but to keep order, make money and keep certain people in power, and others not. Many of us have fought hard to change this outdated system, and we've done well. But now it feels like a kick in the gut. But my hands do not shake, they are steady with each key stroke. We can't be silent, go underground to send a message. We must be so loud that the Earth feels it all the way down to her core. 

We've come along way as a world, as a society. So many kind people, women and men alike, doing wonderful things and taking care of each other and standing up for those without a voice. To those I send a heart-felt thank you. Keep doing what your doing, make the world a better and kinder place. We must stay vigilant and not let their hands cover our mouths in silence any longer, those who use their position or power to have control over the dis empowered. Those who hold  those tender souls under their thumbs to only then declare to be victims themselves when claims of abuse or injustice arise. Whether the abuser holds the highest position in the land, or plays the role of God in the eyes of a child as father, mother, teacher or priest, the effects of abuse stay with that survivor their entire life. 

Sometimes we pay attention to those effects, sometimes we don't. Sometimes it's a low continual hum in the background of our every day life. Sometimes we feel the lump in our throat, stifling our voice- or the lump is lodged so deeply within our chest we long for the cathartic release of screaming until our voice runs dry. Sometimes it shows up unannounced as crippling anxiety or depression. However we choose to to process our own trauma is our choice, but we need not go at it alone. Does it take decades to even realize the weight and magnitude of which we suffered? Often times it does. Does fighting your entire life to dislodge that lump to finally find your voice diminish that magnitude and weight? Absolutely not. ​

We see the strength, we embody the relived pain, we feel the frustration and outrage. We hear the cries of our sisters and brothers throughout the world. How can we rise up, heal, love and create lasting change? I'm not sure I have the exact answer to that question. But the feeling lodged in my chest is a mixture of emotions I've carried throughout my entire life. And yet my hands are steady. Betrayal, sadness, rage, shame, anxiety, low self worth. These were embedded into my psyche at a tender age, where instead of protection and love I experienced trauma and unspeakable neglect. And yes, even if I would choose to publicly use my voice today to call them out over 30 years later, you are damned right they should be held accountable. And yes I do believe it shows insight into their character. And did I experience an additional assault similar to the one in the headlines today? Almost to the letter. 

D0 these feelings get carried into young adulthood, adulthood into today? Of course, they effect every aspect of our lives. Who we chose to love or let love us, if at all. What we feel we deserve and don't deserve. If we let ourselves feel any emotion at all. This has been the pattern most throughout most of my adult life, as is the case with most who have had something taken without their consent. With wonderful support and much interpersonal work I've been able to heal somewhat, to find some forgiveness and share love and support to those who need it.

​ But our story is not unique, it is shared by millions of people all around the country and the world. And what right have do some have to say to us that maybe we are confused? Or maybe we were drunk or emotional? To say it was so long ago it no longer matters. Whether we speak up or process it all silently it all matters. Every single drop of it. And whether your hands are steady or they and your voice are shaking you out of your skin, it matters.

For those who voice never came, I hear you. For those who suffered at the hands of abusers, I see you. For those who's rage and self hated eats at you, I feel you. For the dozens of women, men and children I know personally who have suffered, I stand with you and yes, me too. For those of you who stay in unhealthy situations because you feel you have no other choice, you do. To find a trusted loved one, grocery store clerk, doctor or friend and tell them that you or someone  you love needs help. And to all of you, I believe you.

A definition of alchemy is the magical process of transformation, creation or combination. I've chosen to combine these emotions, these memories and this big ass lump in my throat, chest and belly and transform them.

Like Kali, Goddess of destruction and change, I choose to consume that rage and turn it into love. It has been a challenging thing to do. Rage and anger has been an underlying driving force most of my adult life after I decided to move away from my self-destructive tendencies. To prove I'm worthy, that I can do anything I put my mind to. That I deserved to be here. It's been embedded into my being for so long I felt I needed that rage to propel my will to create change.

But that's not where I want to come from in this fight. I choose love. Love for myself. Love for all those who have had to live with the combination of emotions, triggers and memories that color their lives. We need love to change the language of the world. I see the defensiveness, fear, rage & privilege coming from those inflicting pain, and I allow those deep rooted feelings within me to exist but to move through myself in love. In love to correct what's wrong, in love to do what needs to be done, and in love to be sure that others, including myself are heard.  We need to change the way we raise our children; educate our children on what's right and wrong. Teach about consent. Respect. Empathy. All of it. 

For every dismissal from authorities of claims made, every disbelief when someone has spoken up, for every unasked for ass grab and grope, for every person on this planet which suffers from inner silence, pain and lack of closure for what's been taken from them-I offer you raging love. 

I wage war on this outdated and barbaric lineage that dismisses such disrespect and ignores the rape culture that plagues our existence. I wage war on those who try to stifle our voices and spit venom at those who have bravely suited up for battle. I will use my voice, my ballot and my actions to suit up and stand up for what's right. Let the steady hands hold those that shake. Let us hold each other up with the strength and might that won't waver under the pressure any longer.

My wounds are deep, not visible to most who see me, and mostly scar tissue until they get ripped open on occasion. But I work today to wear those wounds as war paint, and I join you in battle to bring change led by raging love. 

Welcome to the Sacred Forest story time. A time to weave the fabric of history & folklore to the mysteries of the present world to learn, grow and embody the magic of those who came before. Today I’d like to share with you a tale of Cerridwen. From the myths and mysteries of Welsh and Celtic lore, Cerridwen was an enchantress, an herbalist, a Goddess. She was known as the Dark Mother, a witch, a shapeshifter…and represented rebirth, wisdom, divination and inspiration. She is the keeper of the cauldron of the underworld, where Divine inspiration flows like rivers under the surface of the Earth. This is a tale of her fierce commitment to her child, her despair, her wrath, and her birth of transformation, wisdom and a return to the essential self.
 
Her tale begins at her home on a peaceful lake with her husband, a most beautiful daughter whose loveliness enchanted all who’s eye layed upon her. She bore yet another child, a son of an unfortunate fate. Her son was plagued with an ugliness and grotesqueness so profound, his first given name was Morfran, meaning ‘sea cow’. Cerridwen was truly concerned her son would not be taken into society in any useful form, and her anguish grew of the child’s fate so great that she eventually renamed him Afagdu, meaning ‘utter darkness’. This sweet soul deserved as much as a chance as her beloved daughter among the nobles of the land, and she was determined to give him that chance.
 
Cerridwen tapped into her prophecy and magic to construct a plan to give her son the gift of Prophetic Spirit and a way to embody all the knowledge and secrets of all the worlds and the entire Universe. With this brilliance beyond all measure he would earn his place among the highest in the land and his appearance would be no match for all he could offer the world. For this she would collect sacred herbs and plants from the lake around her home under specific alignments of the planets and the stars. With these herbs she would place them in a cauldron filled with water over a blazing fire. And for a year and a day she would construct this magical brew that would contain Awen, the Universal flowing source and magical essence from which we all came. Awen is the essence of life in which everything swims. It is the trees, the sun, the stars. It’s the music and inspiration in all that we do, and said to be the soul of the universe itself.
 
After this enchanted brew comes into being, it shall spit only 3 sacred drops containing the Awen. And for whom the drops fall upon will then embody all the magic Awen has to offer. The rest of the liquid is destined become nothing more than a powerful poison. She recruited a blind man to keep the fire burning, and a young boy named Gwion Bach to stir the bubbling liquid for a year and one day. As they tended to her cauldron she would continually forge the herbs to add to the concoction day and night. So day after day they sat, stirred, mixed and tended to this precious creation. Upon the mark of a year of the brew simmering into being, she set her son near the cauldron to await for the magic to arrive. In her exhausted state she lay down upon the trees and fell soundly asleep to the wooing of the birds who too knew the magic was coming.

We all require our own space from time to time. A place where we can be alone, quiet, reflective, or creative. I've discovered how important it is to have a space like this for myself, a place where I can retreat to write, read and create. The more I settle into my connection with nature, the cycles of the moon, and using ritual and meditation for manifestation the more I find my sacred space to be just that, sacred. And even if you don't have an entire room to dedicate to such endeavors that doesn't mean you can't sprinkle it among your home-which I do as well!

I have several altar spaces set up around my home, some simple and subtle, others more elaborate. I may set up a spring altar in my main living space with symbols of the season; newly sprouted plants, eggs, bunnies, items which represent fertility and renewal. I place sprigs of lavender and rose petals around the rooms with crystals for creating a peaceful and loving home. I've fashioned my own special curio for my oils and herbs I like to use in my bath and to anoint my candles for meditation or ritual. 

The kitchen is a magical place, as I love to cook and entertain! I put out fresh herbs, flowers and fruit, and when a bouquet of flowers or herbs is on its way out I simply dry them and decorate the table or save for sachets, dream pillows or other uses. I love to sprinkle dried herbs and petals onto candles, to infuse elements of nature into all I can within my space. I feel as though I am embraced in a warm hug from Mother Nature and can find meaningful expression of my moods, my desires and what I honor in life.

I'm fortunate to have my own den at home, where I choose to surround myself with 100s of books, art, and all my treasures. I've created a meditation station/altar space for daily contemplation and sacred ceremony, and have my desk where I can write my classes, workshops, stories and this article! Even if you have a small space in your yard, front porch, or anywhere you can have a special chair or cushion, you don't need much to create your own sanctuary in and around your home.

Here are some ideas on creating a sacred space and bringing a little more magic and nature into the home:

• Create a fairy garden or special space for the birds and creatures to gather in your yard or outdoor area (please be mindful of not feeding certain items to wild animals, do your research for our furry and feathered friends)
• Keep special treasures that resonate with you spiritually in a box or jar and bring out for meditation or ritual
• Celebrate the seasons, set up altars with symbols of the changing energy in nature, see more about that here
• Set up an altar to honor ancestors or a deity you may be working with-I like to leave out offerings to those I honor such as foods, trinkets, etc
• Set up magical protection around your home with protection stones, herbs, plants you can plant around the perimeter of your property. You can hang and old horseshoe with opening faced down to ward off evil spirits, or opening face up to contain good fortune
• Set up a special lunar den, inside or out. Use this space to sit under the new or full moon to set intentions, release what no longer serves you and synchronize your cycles with the moon or offer moon rituals
• Set up a special space with all of your most precious treasure, pictures of family, tokens on inspiration.....have a place to honor all who and what you hold sacred in life
• Keep a sacred journal to note your workings, rituals you create, musings, etc and have a special writing chair with a favorite cup of tea
• Anything that speaks to you, only  you know what will make your space sacred to you. Follow your intuition and live your magic!

Love thyself.....words we all need to hear and probably practice more often than we do. In light of the #metoo movement and the call so many women are waking up to answer, women are stepping back into their power, finding their voice and taking back control over their sacred bodies-who can see them, who can touch them, and who can honor them. In addition to that we often fall into the business of life, taking care of others, or for any other reason, find the beliefs of our own beauty and Divine feminine essence can get diminished, stifled or even forgotten with insecurities, the media and stereotypes, or a disconnection to our sensual nature. Well, no more, I say!

​Loving yourself and feeling good in your own skin is essential to any kind of growth or healing. Our internal power is limitless and we find we can tap into that part of ourselves for self expression, intimacy and yes-self love. Goddess archetypes can serve as an extension of aspects already within ourselves, and whom we can petition to reawaken the spark that already lays smoldering within our being.....so I've taken the liberty (and had fun doing it!) of creating a self love ritual working with the West African Yoruban Goddess Oshun. 

Oshun Altar Tool Ideas:

• ​honey
• bowls of water
• mirrors
• yellow copper bowls or trinkets
• amber resin stones
• shells
• a fan
• peacock feathers
• cinnamon sticks
• river rocks
• yellow and white candles
• *for ritual bath you can use a little honey (mix with a cup of warm milk), herbs of lavender, jasmine, rosemary, mint, chamomile, lavender, rose petals. If large enough place river rocks in your bath with you, as bathing in the sacred river

The Ritual 
First be sure to give some quiet time to yourself, preferably with an empty house if possible. This is sacred space and love is for only you....for now anyway.

• Set up your altar space-can be anywhere or set up in your bedroom for a little more sensual energy. Smudge and cleanse your space.

• Offer ritual bath to cleanse your energy and bring about clear intentions for your ritual
• Offer a meditation in your bath, as though bathing in a sacred river. Allow yourself to take in the luxurious warmth of the sun, the caressing flow of the water over your skin. Feel the heat emanate from your solar plexus or Mani Pura chakra, located between the lower ribs and the navel. Shed anything keeping you from loving yourself and the Divine essence that you are. Fill yourself with confidence, personal power and self-love as well as compassion and healing. You may take your mirror in as well and watch yourself bathing, admiring your own sensuality
• After leaving the bath do not get dressed, light the candles on your altar and anoint with any of your essential oils.
• Keep the mirror on your altar, be comfortable looking at yourself in a confident, loving way
• Call upon Oshun to join you, meditate on all of your unique gifts that make you you. Spend as much time as you’d like here honoring yourself and all that you hold sacred and find beautiful. Find your favorite cream or body butter, nourish your skin in a loving way-feel the textures, let the scents fill your nose and engage all of your senses
• Now here’s where is gets fun…… Put on some music that makes you feel sexy, go to the bathroom or somewhere you have a full-length mirror. Take a few moments to marvel, yes I said marvel, at your body. Every curve, every wrinkle, every dimple. Trace your entire landscape and lather it with pure love. Turn around, look at it all. Know that you are pure beauty, inside and out. Now remember, no one else is around-so now go on.....give yourself a little erotic dance. Or hell…..make it a BIG beautiful one! See yourself move in a sensual, sexy way- close your eyes, then open them again. Stoke that fire in your belly, place your hands on it and love every aspect of yourself in it’s barest form. See if you can lose yourself, move around the room or the house, free and completely confident!
• Then grab your phone or camera and yes, get into the bed! Snap playful, sexy photos of yourself, capture your favorite places and angles, and all of your beautiful edges.....get creative. If you’d like spend some time adding cute additions or filters to your pictures (not to correct any flaws, but to bring out every corner of your beauty and bring out your artistic side!) You can choose to keep these photos just for yourself or share them with someone special….careful of sharing and icloud options on your phones, ladies!

Remember you are a beautiful goddess capable of not only giving but receiving all of the love in the world. We can be forces of compassion and healing, while remaining our strong, independent and bad ass selves. Give yourself some love this Valentine's Day......you deserve it! Want another bad ass goddess to work with for some sensual self expression, check out a new moon ritual working with my other girl, Lilith!

In modern day spiritual evolution and practices we are often told to stay positive, overcome our flaws, and only embrace the light along out path to enlightenment. However, is it possible that if we ignore the darker, repressed, untamed and fearful parts of our psyche that we are robbing ourselves of personal alchemy, cohesion and full transcendence?

Psychotherapist Carl Jung made popular the idea of different parts of psyche-including the shadow, the light, the persona are a ways we become fragmented from childhood to only show what we think the world wants to see and hide away that which is taboo or not socially accepted. The word persona is derived from a Latin word meaning mask, and he suggests that we put on a persona with certain archetypes of roles we play in life, the social masks we wear, if you will. These archetypes are fragmented parts of ourselves to organize how we experience life in different roles, what we would like to be or how we wish to bee seen in the world. (the mother, the co-worker, the spouse, etc.) Some say in today's modern day it's simply our persona we put on social media, not expressing the deeper, darker aspects that may not be accepted. This of course all up for debate, and I certainly don't accuse anyone of not living a full, authentic life, but I find this is something to explore....so let us dive a little deeper.

The shadow according to Jung is the hidden place within our own subconscious that holds repressed ideas, beliefs, weaknesses, impulses, fears, embarrassments, perversions and the untamed and chaotic parts of ourselves. That these accumulate along our life journey and often time ignored causing a block of living a fully authentic life and to truly love ourselves. If we allow ourselves to acknowledge these core wounds and dark spaces with full ownership can we then work to let go of anger, guilt or shame? Can we change the pattern of self-sabotage if learn that we hate to feel vulnerable and weak? 

We've been taught our whole lives to be afraid of the dark, but there is a strong creative energy in that space that longs for you to shed your light upon it. Seeds take roots in the darkness and we can often find a fertile underground just waiting to be tapped. There cannot be light without the darkness, and we are after all the sum of all of our parts...so why not explore, acknowledge and walk boldly and lovingly into our darkest of places? We are all light and dark, weak and strong, and can find a balance of all that we are with love. 

I love to find creative ways to move towards transformation, and I'm all about ritual and Goddess work to bring about aspects of myself I want to explore and shift. So here are a few ways to can delve into the darkness for creativity and exploration, and Dark Goddesses we can call upon when doing our own shadow work.

How to Explore  your Shadow Self:

• I believe your should begin with a strong foundation, support, and love for yourself. Meditation on the first 4 Chakras (root, sacral, solar plexus and heart) can be a good starting point in moving towards shadow work. 
• Open-monitoring meditation-leave yourself open for any and all emotions, thoughts and ideas to come into your consciousnesses. Allow yourself to play the role of the observer, without judgement in exploring your light vs. your dark aspects, see what bubbles up to the surface and accept it with love and never judgement.
• Creativity thought art. Do you have an artistic side? Or even better want to create one? This may be the perfect way to begin to explore your shadow. Grab a piece of paper, pens and pencils. Allow yourself to simply put pen to paper and see what it creates as you open yourself to explore  your deeper thoughts, fears, desires and archetypal selves. Scribble words, let pictures form and thread the darkness within the light to find a sense of cohesion and completion.
• Writing-This is one of my personal favs on ways to express myself and create. Try to create a story based on your shadow self as well as your light. It can be your own personal Jekyll and Hyde or superhero vs. villain story, or perhaps your light self walking in the dark, shadowy woods to find that they are not so scary. Start with words, themes and ideas and fuse together your own shadow v.s light story
• Keep a shadow book, writing down when these aspects come up. Ways to explore these aspects is practice asking why. When you come across a shadow trait or thought, ask yourself the questions, but why? And when you get to that answer, ask again, but why? I find this to be the best way for me to explore and get to the root of a situation......and of course this is never to take the place of therapy or ways of dealing with deep rooted problems or emotions that need extra attention! If you need additional help, seek out a therapist, friends or family for insight. 

Now these woman are not to be feared, but revered! Working with Dark Goddess energy can bring about a sense of personal power, protection and creativity. These Goddesses embrace the shadow, follow the darkness and tread where others only fear. Create your own ritual to call upon one of these bad asses of the dark to illuminate your truest self so that you may wrap your arms around every aspect of yourself-mind, body and spirit. 

Hekate (Hecate)-Queen of the Underworld
The Dark Moon Goddess-of the night, and of the crossroads. Hekate is the guardian of the spirit world, protectors of travelers of the crossroads & Goddess of all witches, magic, ghosts and witchcraft. Her sacred animal is the black dog and she is depicted holding two torches-call upon her for protection, insight and guidance in the dark. Petition her for direction at the crossroads and she will give you the key to taking your own, truest direction.

Persephone-The Balance between Darkness & Light
The story of Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter, is one that leaves her another Queen of the Underworld. Abducted by Hades, Lord of the Underworld, she became a symbol of the cycles of the seasons as well as death and rebirth. When first abducted Demeter called upon Hekate to help find her child. This Goddess of harvest and fertility was made to live among the shadows and the dead for half of the year, and each time she left her mother Demeter dried up the earth, creating winter. When she was allowed to return into the Upperworld in the spring, the earth would then come back to live with new growth. She was tricked into eating pomegranate seeds during the negotiations of her return, and she's forever obligated to make this return to the Underworld each year. 

Inanna & Ereshkigal-Sisters of Light and Dark
Inanna, Sumerian Goddess of Heaven and Earth, love and war. Ereshkigal, her dark sister of the Underworld, and represents the unseen parts of ourselves. There tale tells us that neither side is more important than the other. When Inanna ventures into the Underworld her sister kills her, they then merge into one reminding us that that we are both the light and the darkness. Read their full story here. 

To work with these Goddesses follow your own intuition to invoke these energies.
Create your own ritual to petition for guidance and support as you explore your Shadow as well as your Light. Some ideas for ritual can include:

• Ritual bath with herbs and oils to cleanse your energy and prepare to enter sacred space
• Black and/or silver candles to light for the Goddess of your choosing, you may choose to add other candles based on what your work entails
• See what other elements to add to your ritual and how to set up and altar space here and follow your own inner guide...the best rituals are those you create yourself! Be true, love yourself and live your magic. Every day.

Our emotions and energy can be heightened during the time of the full moon, and a super moon mean even more heightened sensitivity. Combined with a blue moon and lunar eclipse, this celestial event hasn’t happened in 150 years. A blue moon is rare, time to ask for the unaskable. Lunar eclipse is a time of transformation, time to ask for a full cosmic reboot. It’s the universes way of getting your soul back on track, should you accept the invitation.
 
The climax of this lunar cycle is especially powerful and it’s important to set a positive intention and mindset. Whatever you put out during this time, you get that energy back amplified.  Take a moment to tune in and arrive into your body. Check in with your tone, how you are feeling today. Let bodily sensations, streaming thoughts or concerns move in and out with your breath. Check into yourself energetically, do you feel stable and at peace or fragmented and chaotic? See if you can work to stabilize your energy, stabilize your thoughts. Let physical tension subside.
 
The moonlight works to illuminate anything not working in our lives, and this moon in particular is for working with spiritual and energetic transformation. Allow yourself to play the role of the observer and see if there is any energy, thought processes or preconceived notions you are holding onto that no longer serve you and your evolution to your best self. Can you give yourself permission to let those go? Spend as much time as you need clearing away space for new growth and transformation, using your breath as a release of old energy to be given back, mulched and returned. Fill yourself up with positivity and the energy to move in a positive direction in your life, however big or however small. Whether it’s a project you’ve been avoiding starting or a bigger step towards personal growth and healing.
 
Want more moon rituals to do for this special occasion? Click here to learn how to draw down the moon and the art of moon bathing.....happy blue moon!

MUSINGS FOR THIS MEDITATION:
 

1. What are some things that may be holding me back from being my best self? What of my own personal mindsets are keeping me in a place of comfort and away from growth?

 
 
 

1. How can I work on a regular basis to revisit where I’m at in my evolution, and how to properly stay on track?

 

I enter into the moonlight, the crisp air of the night brushing my flesh as the slight beat of a rattle and a drum pulse behind me. I look around to see tree lines, a quiet wood, and a blazing fire before me. The smoke speaks to me, wishing to whisk me up into the sky for the answers that I seek. "How do I remember?" I ask. "How do I see?" I wait in anticipation to be consumed by the flames,  looking above for guidance 'Can they hear me?' I wonder. The rattle ceases and the drumbeat grows louder, a steady pulse rushing through every ounce of my being. The rhythmic, cardiac beat entrances me and my sensations begin to shift.
​
Eyes closed, I feel a  gentle tugging at my heart as though something nudging to lift me up. To fly me up into the sky, through the cosmos and into the upper world. I sit, I surrender, I wait for the lift. The tugging continues, but I do not ascend. Looking around I see that I am still alone, the blackness of the evening hovering over the landscape and holding my energy onto the earth. I begin to feel a different pull, a knowing that the underworld is where I am meant to go. Turning around I see a distant cave, its open mouth  leading straight down into the earth. 

Without hesitation I make my way into the grotto and follow the dim light deep down beneath the earth's surface. Moving with ease, the beating of the drum follows me and leads me along my way. Easing past the twists, turns and dark corners my anticipation grows as my heart goes along with the rapid beating of the drum. Dark gives away to light then turns back into darkness, flashes of earth and rock blaze past my eyes. I was moving with some speed and knew I must be getting close. 

She brought me to a well of water, its surface illuminated the inky air and shadows around us. She walks us up to the edge and peers into the rippled surface. I see not only our reflection in the water but the reflection of a circle of women all around us. Wise women of old, their grey hair long and their faces loving. Were these the women who had come before, who were to come still? Were they perhaps a reflection of myself from a time long ago, or still to come?Again no words were spoken, but impressions were being made and messages received. That sense of remembering that's been burning in my belly ignited even more, knowing that down to every cell in my being I was moving in the right direction. To remember. To answer the call. 

Looking over to the side of the cavern a white rat with red eyes had joined us. It too offered me messages without words; climbing up and scratching the walls as though to find its way. ​The yogini in me knew the red in the eyes of my guides had to do with the root chakra, fear, and a sense of safety and security. My spider guide's red third eye was telling me to release my fear and trust my intuition and I knew that I would be safe and protected. She and I climbed onto the back of the rat as all three of us now worked to make our way.

We went down a few tunnels, none illuminated by the light and we had to eventually turn and try another way. We came upon a tunnel glowing with the light I knew I needed to follow. It welcomed us all like it was lighting our way home. 'Follow the light'. They sent me up into this tunnel on my own, staying behind for when I needed to return for more counsel. The drumbeat began to slow as I made my ascent back up into the woods.

As I reached the top I emerged to see the moon still shined bright, quiet and formidable. The forest was still and the only sound was a gentle breeze moving through the branches. The final strokes of the drumbeat solidified my consciousness back into my body, the cool crisp breath energizing all of my senses. As the pulse ceased and the final drumbeat was struck I felt the silence ringing in my ears. It felt as though the soul whispers I had been receiving were still resonating within the fabric of my being, and woven into my heart~

This was a Shamanic journey I had taken, a practice to work with direct revelation and connect to my ancestors, spirit and animals guides. It is a powerful practice to connect with  your own Divinity, tap into  your creative potential and ignite your inner light. It is the most ancient form of meditation dating back over 77,000 years. I am very new into this practice and am thankful for having found it. See my Shaman friends and inspiration below! 

*The spider symbolizes balance, wisdom, creativity, communication, a networker, cyclical, crafty, fate, protection.
* The rat represents fertility, stealth, scavenging, intelligence, enjoys luxury, intelligent, wealth, success, drive.
​
*Get a full list of Animal totems and guides here

Try a journey with Shaman Sandra Ingerman

Begin your own journey practice at home with Teri Williams to connect you to wisdom, unconditional love and healing

One of my other favorite Shamans and business neighbor, Megan at New Myth Energy

Shaman Apprentice Lisa Harthun at Healing Balance will be performing beautiful Crystal Bowl Healing meditations at the studio for each solstice and equinox of 2018 to help shift our energy with the seasons

Answer the call with the book Witch by Lisa Lister
and the book Rise Sister Rise by Rebecca Campbell
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I thank you for letting me share my journey with you and as the Shamans say....Aho!

You may or may not recognize my logo as The Seed of Life, a member of sacred geometry and  universal symbol of creation. This is a newly found fascination and interest of mine....when I first saw the shapes and images I wasn't sure how to decipher them or knew what they were all about. Then I began my research and journey on this truly amazing subject stemming thousands of years.

Sacred geometry is where science meets mysticism. There are universal shapes found all over history, nature and the universe; sacred patterns that design everything in the cosmos. 

These natural occurring patterns can be measured, repeated and found EVERYWHERE. We've all heard the phrase 'as above, so below', well blessed be these forms are found from the spirals in the galaxies to the shell of the tiniest sea creature. There is an interconnection woven into the very fabric of existence! Based on geometric structure, mathematics and form this concept has modern day scientists agreeing with ancient mystics. For thousands of years churches, temples, mosques and more have used this sacred geometry in their design. 'God's blueprint', as it's been known. The geometry contains circles, triangles, hexagons, spirals and more and are also connected to the elements of earth, air, fire and water. Combining these with the 5 platonic solids you get sacred geometry. Common sacred geometry figures include the Flower of Life, The Seed of Life, and Metatron's Cube. Metatron's Cube has an interesting story and it explains the birth of the universe itself