Tarot Reflections: The Death Card

The Death Card has been appearing in many readings I have given over the past week, and rightly so. We are all feeling a shifting, transformative, and Otherworldly energy. It is apparent in the air, in the moods we are feeling, and in the nature of the world right now. I believe the reason we are feeling it so strongly and deeply right now is threefold: we are experiencing the New Moon in Scorpio, Samhain is approaching, and the Veil that separates our world from the Otherworld is thin. Today I would like to talk about the transformative energy of the New Moon in Scorpio and the Death Card. I will circle back later in the week to discuss Samhain and the Veil in greater detail. 

The New Moon in Scorpio is an intense time where you may be working through some challenging emotions. Perhaps those bad habits, difficult relationships, or burdensome emotions that you left on the backburner all summer are now at the forefront of your attention. You may feel annoyed, angry, or depressed. Now is the time to examine those feelings and remove those difficult patterns and habits from your life. If you are having negative feelings try and identify what triggers them. You cannot turn away from whatever is causing suffering in your life now: these things need to be examined, understood, honored, and released. These lessons are similar in the Death Card, which happens to be ruled by Scorpio.

In the Smith-Waite deck, the Death Card depicts a skeleton in a black suit of armor. He rides a pale horse, a reference to Death in the Book of Revelations. Various figures respond to him in fear or discomfort, with the exception of a child who innocently offers him flowers. Tarot reader and author Madame Pamita observes that Death doesn’t carry a scythe, but instead carries a flag with a rose on it. This suggests that the Death card does not deal out scary or violent changes. He does however, impact everyone around him, showing that change is an inevitable and indiscriminate reality. As George Harrison sings: “All things must pass.”

In the background of the card the sun is rising through two pillars, show the dawn of opportunity. Perhaps the pillars represent a portal point, or a gate to the Otherworld, like the space where the sun peaks through sacred monoliths to mark the passage of seasons. The Death Card appears when we lean into change. Change is certain, loss is painful, and the removal of things that have become familiar to us can be brutal – especially if you are anything like me and stubborn to change. But, there is one thing you can keep in mind while experiencing transition: you can control of your reaction to change.  So, I urge you to pass through those pillars, move towards that monolithic portal, and accept that the hard work must be done. You will ultimately be gifted wisdom through the evolution of mind, spirit, and magic. 

Every time I write about a tarot card, I like to look at its imagery and discover something in it that I may have not noticed before. This time I have noticed the small sailboat on the river in behind Death. Some have said this is the river Styx from Greek mythology, the river that travels to the Underworld of Hades. Rivers have been places of power in many ancient cultures and myths. The sailboat in the Death conjures images of water flowing towards endings, inspiring me to contemplate Pharaohs’ final voyages along the Nile River towards the Valley of the Kings, Gilgamesh and Enkidu journeying along rivers to the Netherworld, hidden rivers in Central American caverns that Mayans revered as paths to the Underworld, and even King Arthur’s final mortal voyage across water to Avalon. 

Imagine being a passenger on this sailboat: perhaps you once stood on that field facing Death (change), accepted that change was inevitable and unavoidable. In accepting change you are released of suffering, blockages, and stagnancy. You watch the banks of the shores passing you by, reflecting on the power of the river and how it not only created fertile land, but would be the passage to another world. The river marks the passage of time, and we all have got to sail it.  How much easier would this journey be if you were not resistant to change?

If you are looking to deepen your understanding of the Death Card, or feel you need clarification on what the changes that you are going through personally, try to pull three cards: Card one indicates what is ready to end in your life or something that would be best removed from your life. Card two indicates how you can allow yourself to let go of that thing from Card One. Card three reveals the opportunities or beginnings that will appear as a result of the removal or ending.  

I recommend wearing a blend of vanilla and cedarwood oils to help ground you, protect you, and surround you with love while moving through these transitions. A piece of tiger’s eye can give you courage, black obsidian or tourmaline can help protect you, or Mookie jasper can help you with accepting change. Today I will be harvesting the final herbs of my garden to create smoke wands, basil rinses, and herbal bundles – in doing this I help to facilitate transitions in my garden space. I also feel naturally inclined today to clean and organize the house, decorate it with pumpkins and apples, and take stock of what I’d like to fill in the cabinets for the winter. It is a lovely afternoon where I am to prepare the home for coziness, comfort, healing and security. Wherever you are I hope that this week you are able to do the same. 

Finally, I would love to hear from you and have a few questions to ponder with the Death card: 

• What changes are happening in your life right now? 

• How does transition feel to you? 

• Do you feel a greater shift happening in our world? 

• How does the Veil feel to you, and how do you sense it is thinning? 

Please click here for the see all works referenced.

Magical Energies and Activities for the Hunter's Moon

October’s full moon is known as the Hunter’s Moon, and this year it happens on October 13th. The Hunter's Moon is the full moon that takes place after the Harvest Moon, which is the moon closest to the Autumn Equinox. Some Native American tribes call the moon the "Travel Moon," or the "Dying Grass Moon." The Hunter's Moon is associated with the final harvest and was a signal to begin preparing for winter.  It is an excellent time to focus your magic on psychic abilities, transformation, cleansing, protection, and banishment. 

The symbol of the hunter sits well within the mythology of October and the approaching holiday of Samhain, which celebrates natures’ passage into the colder months and the realm of spirits and the dead. Our attention naturally turns to theme of the Otherworld at Samhain.  And, hunters and the Otherworld have intermingled in many myths before.  

The Wild Hunt is a ghostly procession of horses, dogs, faeries, and spirits of dead warriors in European mythology. This procession would take place in the night sky with the passage of cold, howling wind. Depending on the variation and the region where the story is told, the Wild Hunt was led by Wotan/Odin, Herne, Holda, Bertchta, Gwyn Ap Nudd, Diana, or even King Arthur. While the Wild Hunt has often been connected to the season of Midwinter and Yule, I like to honor it under the Hunter’s Moon as we near Samhain and find colder winds transitioning us into the colder season. Author Claude Lecouteux reflects on the significance of the Wild Hunt, “Perhaps we must reassert the importance of ancestors and an unconscious refusal of their definitive confinement to the otherworld, the reiteration of a mental refusing of the finality of death and an understanding of life and death as to places on a cycle marked by an eternal return.”   

Since Samhain is a time to honor the dead perhaps we can look up to the Hunter’s Moon and reflect on the passage of time towards endings and completion. Use this influential time to reflect on how cycles in your life repeat themselves and whether or not they are patterns worth breaking. Perhaps it is under the light of the Hunter’s Moon that the Otherworld is especially illuminated. This would then suggest that it is an excellent time to hone into your psychic abilities and see if you may observe the supernatural realms. Perhaps the supernatural realm will even reach out to you – and in saying this it is mindful to be respectful of any psychic messages and protective of your personal energetic space.

In keeping with the theme of the hunter, it is also interesting to point out that this full moon enters into the warrior’s sign of Aries, which has a wild and bold energy. This can be a potent time when we work with themes of strength, battles, and maturation. Be prepared to feel mood swings that conjure tension, passion, and release. However you intend to celebrate this October’s full moon, I hope you find time to ground, take deep breaths, and gaze upwards to admire the mysterious autumn skies.

Ways to celebrate this Full Moon:

• Take a purifying bath with rosemary, frankincense, and cedar wood essential oils.

• Commit time to practicing a new form of divination that you are interested in learning.

• Try scrying by utilizing the light of the full moon in a reflective surface (such as a bowl of water or a body of water)

• Build a spell bottle for protection or create a protective talisman to hang in your home.

• Burn a Hunter’s Moon Incense with Dragon’s Blood, Frankincense, Sandalwood, and dried rose.

• Do spell work to banish debt, laziness, fear, procrastination, or stagnancy.

• Seek out someone who can perform a cord cutting ceremony for you.

• Remove items from your home that make you feel sad, stressed, or depressed.

• Find a political cause that you can devote time to studying - write to your representatives, start a petition, send a donation to a charity.

• According to the Farmers' Almanac, October 13th is a great day to dry fruits and vegetables, pick apples and pears, quit smoking, start a diet, or cut your hair!

• Cook a stock that can be frozen or can preserves that can be enjoyed during the winter months.

• Plan a winter holiday getaway well in advance, and prior to Mercury Retrograde, which starts at the end of the month.

• Be outside at sunset to watch the Hunter’s Moon rise. According to EarthSky, since this moon rises close to the horizon it will appear orange and color and larger than normal.

Please visit the following link for works referenced. 

Pumpkin Spice Magic

Pumpkin Spice has gained a reputation over recent years, thanks mostly in part to the seasonal Starbucks drink given its namesake, the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Pumpkin spice is a combination of autumnal spices traditionally used to flavor a pumpkin pie. In recent years it has not only been blended into lattes, but also coffee creamers, candies, cookies, yogurts, hummus, twinkies, protein shakes and even dog treats. We can argue that the pumpkin spice trend has led to its overuse. And, as a result, there has been a backlash of guffaws and grumbles anytime someone mentions Pumpkin Spice. Confessing to enjoying pumpkin spice is like confessing a guilty pleasure. You can plan to be labeled as “basic” if you indulge in an Instagram “#AutumnInspo” photograph that includes sweaters, boots, red and orange leaves, alongside a piping hot mug of pumpkin spiced coffee.

This October I want you to push the anti-pumpkin spice fervor away and lean into the joy, warmth and familiarity that pumpkin spice can bring to you. This year I dare you to take back the magic and allure of pumpkin spice: in no way is this delightful and aromatic blend of spices “basic.” In this article we are going to examine the history and magic of the common ingredients in Pumpkin Spice: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and allspice. I will then share with you the Pumpkin Spice recipe I use at home and some of its magical uses.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon’s magic is vast and has been sought after as a culinary and magical ingredient. Ancient Egyptian used cinnamon in perfumes and also in the mummification process. Moses apparently anointed the Ark of the Covenant with cinnamon oil. Today, modern day magical practitioners have used cinnamon for a variety of purposes including luck, success, love, lust, courage, spiritual empowerment, astral projection, psychic abilities, and prosperity. It is a masculine spice associated with the Sun and the element of fire. Cinnamon sticks can be added to spell bottles and honey jars to attract prosperity and good luck. Powdered cinnamon can be added to incense to enhance psychic abilities and improve divination. Ingesting cinnamon in a tea before bed can promote vivid dreams. 

Nutmeg

Nutmeg may not have the historical influence of cinnamon, but it still managed to have its own potent powers. Nutmeg was considered an aphrodisiac – a man was said to attract the opposite sex if he carried a nutmeg under his arm. In extremely large quantities Nutmeg can have hallucinatory properties, though regrettably to have this type of side effects also would mean committing to ingesting a large enough amount of Nutmeg that would likely also induce vomiting and seizures. Modern day magical practitioners use nutmeg for luck, money, prosperity, psychic awareness, and protection. Nutmeg is a masculine spice associated with Mars or Jupiter and the element of Fire. Just like cinnamon, nutmeg can intensify dreams. A whole nutmeg can be used as a good luck charm: draw a sigil on the nut for money and carry to attract prosperity and abundance. It can also be used in moon and sea magic. Carry the nut to strengthen clairvoyant abilities. According to Scott Cunningham, you can string nutmegs with star anise and tonka beans to create a powerful herbal charm. 

Cloves

Cloves come from an unopened flower bud the clove evergreen tree. Cloves were used in Ancient China to freshen breath, though in more recent times some people in Indonesia would attach cloves to their mouths and noses to stop demons from entering their bodies. The name clove came from the French word meaning nail.  Modern day magical practitioners use cloves for abundance, love, protection, and psychic abilities. Cloves are a masculine spice associated with Jupiter and the element of Fire. Cloves can be carried to attract love or burned to protect a home. Add cloves to a money spell bag or honey to a jar to attract abundance. You can stick cloves into an orange or lime to make a protection amulet for your home. 

Ginger

Ginger was a travelling plant in ancient times, having been traded with Greeks and Romans from the east, where it originated in either China or India. Ginger was used in a number of remedies to help combat nausea, coughing, and even impotency. Ginger was also a well-loved flavor in food – Queen Elizabeth was even said to have invented the gingerbread man. Ginger is used by modern day magic practitioners for love, lust, money, and courage. Ginger is a masculine root associated with Mars and the element of Fire. Add ginger to your spell work for extra power. In simmering potpourris ginger and promote confidence and abundance. Put a piece of ginger root in a red bag with garnet to attract lust and passion in your life. You can even use a human-shaped ginger root as a poppet and can be carried or used to promote personal strength and power.

Allspice

Allspice got its name to celebrate the fact that it seems blend all of the flavors from nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, and juniper berries. They are dried berries from an evergreen tree native to the West Indies, Jamaica, and parts of Central and South America and ancient Mayans used Allspice for flavoring chocolate. Christopher Columbus discovered Allspice in the Caribbean while actually trying to find pepper. An old American tradition that would put a necklace of allspice berries around a baby to help with teething. Modern day magical practitioners use allspice for luck, healing, and money. Allspice is a masculine spice associated with Mars and the element of Fire. Add allspice to incenses to attract money or add the dried berry into mojo bag to attract good luck and fortune. Allspice is used for successful gambling in Hoodoo.

Pumpkin Spice Recipe

The pumpkin spice flavor that we are all familiar with is a blending of aromatic spices that are commonly used in pumpkin pie. Whichever recipe you look at online for pumpkin spice, there are five base ingredients comprised of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. My favorite recipe comes from Eat the Love, which also suggests optional add-in spices like mace, peppercorns, and vanilla bean. However, if you would like something simpler, I recommend trying the following:

3 tablespoons Cinnamon

2 teaspoons Ginger

2 teaspoons Nutmeg

1 teaspoon Allspice

1 teaspoon Clove

The Magical Culmination of Pumpkin Spice

In reviewing the ingredients of Pumpkin Spice, we see a few repeating themes. First is that all of the ingredients are masculine, which have strong energies used for protection, lust, courage, power, empowerment, and growing potential. The second is that all of the ingredients are associated with the element of fire, which also achieves lust, courage, protection, and action in spells. Therefore, I would suggest that pumpkin spice can be an added powder in your autumn magic to increase its potency. It can increase both your magical and personal power, especially in work dealing with prosperity, love, and deepened psychic perception

Consider sprinkling it in your incense to welcome in the spirits of Autumn. Or, blend it with rosemary and frankincense for an Otherworldly incense at Samhain. If you are trying to find good luck or money this autumn add it to a green pouch with jade, pyrite, coins, and a piece of High John the Conqueror Root. Below are some kitchen witch recipes that utilize pumpkin spice in culinary magic. 

Pumpkin Spiced Psychic Almond Milk Steamer

This warm drink can be drunk at bedtime to help assist with stimulating psychic dreams. Slowly boil two to three cups of almond milk in a saucepan, stirring occasionally. Add a ¼ teaspoon of pumpkin spice. If you would like to sweeten this drink add a little bit of maple syrup or even melt a couple of white chocolate chips into the saucepan. 

Apple Cider Love Potion

This is a variation on the almond milk steamer and can be shared with a loved one (with their permission) to help raise lusty and loving vibrations. Slowly boil two to three cups of apple cider in a saucepan, stirring occasionally. Add ¼ teaspoon of pumpkin spice with a dash of vanilla bean if you wish. To sweeten add brown sugar.

Pumpkin Spice Coffee

Add pumpkin spice into your morning coffee to help set the intentions for a productive and prosperous day where you feel empowered to accomplish the tasks that await you. Sprinkle about a ½ teaspoon of it into your coffee blend before brewing. Envision the most successful outcomes of your “to-do list” while you drink the coffee. 

Prosperity Pumpkin Seeds

These sweet seeds are great to eat to ensure success in a project. Enjoy these snacks before a job interview or when you are going to trying to make money. They are also a nice snack to share at a place of business to ensure that money is generated. And, you can also give a small dish of these seeds as an offering to spirits and Fae at your home on Samhain. Bake a one cup of cleaned and dried pumpkin seeds at 275 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally until they are golden brown. While baking, blend together 4 tablespoons of sugar with ½ teaspoon of pumpkin spice. When the seeds are ready, melt 1 tablespoon vegetable or coconut oil with half of the sugar and spice mixture in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the pumpkin seeds. Transfer the pumpkin seeds to a heat safe bowl and coat the seeds with the remaining sugar and spice. 

Warming the Body in Winter with Pumpkin Spice

Pumpkin Spice is an incredible aid for the body during the colder months as well, aiding in circulation and digestion, while warming the body and helping with digestion. Cinnamon is said to ease fevers and circulation, and cloves also stimulate circulation. Nutmeg can assist in digestion, as does Ginger. Ginger is also a well-known remedy for easing indigestion and soothing inflammation. Perhaps we need to consider that these ingredients had a very practical use during the cold months: they helped keep people feeling warm, energized and healthy. My hope for you is that during this wonderful time of the year you can not only indulge in pumpkin spice but also have ongoing comfort and health as well. 

Please click here for the see all works referenced. The Prosperity Pumpkin Seeds recipe was adapted from Toasted Pumpkin Seeds with Sugar and Spice.

The Samhain Menu: Recipe Links for a Delectable Feast

Happy October! The weather is finally (or hopefully) turning cooler as we get closer to Samhain and pass into the darker half of the year. For me, October is when I start to crave comforting food that warms the soul and fills the belly! The food of fall truly makes it a relaxing season - it is also when I start to make my way back into the kitchen to cook up savory delights and sweet treats infused with magic. After spending the summer enjoying bright and light flavors it is nice to slink into the aromatic spices and indulgent flavors of Autumn. 

At the end of October many witches and Pagans will be celebrating Samhain, a feast that pays respects to ancestors and the realm of spirit. At this final harvest, we bid farewell to the growing season and look towards the time of year when we move indoors, both physically and spiritually. Samhain is a time of deep reflection and reverence. Our magic turns to protective work to hold onto what is dearest to us, but also to keep us safe, well, and cozy as the weather turns cold and the nights grow long. I think the Samhain menu reflects this desire for coziness and protection, as it is warming, savory, and filling. 

Samhain flavors include the vegetables of the season, such as kale, leeks, potatoes, squashes, parsnips, and our favorite pumpkin. Sweets include apples, cranberries, and pomegranate. Spices include sage, rosemary, garlic, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Meaty meals are hearty, slow cooked, or roasted. Vegetables are casseroled or simmered in soups. Sweets are baked and garnished with nuts. Below is a collection of recipes to consider for Samhain, or to inspire you to find the right dishes to enjoy this October. Since Samhain celebrates our ancestors, you may also want to pull out old family recipes to try this month. Either way, enjoy the pleasing transition to those cozy classics like stews and pumpkin pie!

Main Courses

Main courses at Samhain are warm and comforting: think of roasted meats, slow cooked meals, and oven baked foods seasoned with rosemary, garlic, and sage. 

• Butternut Lasagna with Mushrooms and Sage

• Cranberry Crock Pot Pork Loin

• Easy Shepherd’s Pie

• Make Ahead Vegan Samosa Shepherd’s Pie

• Polenta with Wild Mushrooms, Garlic and Sage

• Pork Chops with Apples and Garlic Smashed Potatoes

• Rosemary Garlic Chicken Quarters

• Sausage Cauliflower Spaghetti

• Shepherd’s Pie (Alton Brown’s recipe)

• Skillet Roast Chicken with Fennel, Parsnips, and Scallions

• Skillet Rosemary Chicken

• Slow Cooker Pot Roast

• Spaghetti Squash Meatball Casserole

• Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie
  

Soups, Stews, and Chilis

Soups and stews are also warm and comforting, incorporating seasonal root vegetables and slowly cooked meats.

• Brie and Cheddar and Apple Beer Soup with Cinnamon Pecan Oat Crumble

• Cheeseburger Soup

• Colcannon Soup

• Cozy Cabbage and Farro Soup

• Creamy White Chili

• Grandma’s Crock Pot Beef Stew

• Harvest Soup for Samhain

• Hunter’s Stew

• Irish Beef Stew

• Scotch Potato Soup

• Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup

• Roasted Garlic and Parsnip Soup with Sage and Lemon Butter
  

Salads

Fall salads also contain more root vegetables and kale, apples, nuts, and seeds.

• Arugula, Apple, and Parsnip Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

• Autumn Kale, Apple and Quinoa Salad

• Fall Salad with Beluga Lentils, Grapes and Roasted Pumpkin

• Farro, Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

• Favorite Fall Orzo Salad

• Pear Salad with Pomegranates and Cranberries

• Quinoa Salad with Roasted Squash, Dried Cranberries, and Pecans

• Radicchio Salad with Caramelized Carrots and Onions

• Shaved Carrot and Radish with Herbs and Pumpkin Seeds

Breads

Traditional Irish breads and pumpkin breads are a perfect addition to the Samhain menu. 

• Barmbrack

• Holiday Stuffed Pumpkin

• Irish Soda Bread

• Irish Soda Bread with Raisins

• Pumpkin Bread with Salted Maple Butter

• Samhain Pumpkin Bread
  

Sides

Rich, filling, and warm sides made from cool weather vegetables like kale and Brussel sprouts, fall squashes, potato, nuts, and seeds fit in well for Samhain. 

• Baked Parsnip Fries with Rosemary

• Boxty Pancakes

• Brussel Sprouts, Apple, and Pomegranate Salad

• Colcannon

• Crusty Baked Cauliflower and Farro

• Kale, Cranberry, and Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

• Perfect Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

• Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacons, Pecan, and Maple Syrup

• Roasted Cauliflower with Pumpkin Seeds, Brown Butter, and Lime

• Root Vegetable Gratin

• Sautéed Kale

• Stuffed Butternut Squash with Tempeh

• Turnip and Kale Gratin
  

Desserts

Samhain desserts are sweet, aromatic, and use autumn classics like apples, cranberries, and pumpkins. Caramel and pecan are key players at Samhain as well.

• Apple Caramel Cheesecake Bars

• Apple Crisp Blondies

• Apple Pie by Grandma Ople

• Apple Pie Cookies (Vegan)

• Autumn Spice Cake

• Baked Apple Cider Donuts

• Brown Butter Caramel Rice Krispies Treats

• Caramel Apple Golden Oreo Icebox Cake

• Chunky Apple Cake

• Cinnamon Apple Cheesecake

• Crabapple and Rosemary Tarts

• Fig, Plum and Rosemary Galette

• Halloween Bark

• Maple Pecan Praline Crepe Cake

• Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

• Pumpkin and Walnut Squares

• Rosemary Remembrance Cake

• Samhain Ritual Cakes

• Salted Rosemary Pecan Brittle

• Soul Cakes for Samhain

• Soul Cakes (Gather Victoria)

• Spiced Fairy Cakes

• White Chocolate Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
  

Beverages

Top off your meal with a warm and fuzzy beverage! Mulled ciders, cinnamon and nutmeg spices, and fall fruit flavors are all comforting drinks for Samhain.

• Apple Cider Floats

• Festive Sparkling Cider

• Harry Potter Pumpkin Juice

• Homemade Starbucks Caramel Apple Cider

• Minty Kale Limeade Mocktail

• Mulled Apple Cider

• Pumpkin Pie in a Mug

• Pumpkin Spice White Hot Chocolate

• Refreshing Pomegranate Spritzer for Fall

• Salted Caramel Pumpkin Latte

• S’mores Latte
  

October Witch Tarot Spread

October is one of my favorite times of the year! Here is a tarot spread I created to help explore, celebrate, and develop your spiritual practices during October. I hope you enjoy!

A Quiet Autumn Greeting: Questions to ponder for Balance, Growth, and Spirituality

Witches in the Northern Hemisphere are delighted to finally be at the start of autumn today. This last week I have contemplated how special this time of year it is. For me the Autumn Equinox has a calm but powerful energy: we are given a gentle push through the seasonal gates into a magical time we can devote to balance, self reflection, regeneration, and resolution. We are moving into the darker side of the year: the nights will grow longer as we move towards the Otherworldy Samhain and then to the regenerative Yule. This is the season of spiritual devotion and personal development. For those with hearts full of magic there is a true and powerful sense of connecting with the Otherworld at this time of year.

The Autumn Equinox is a distinctive time when you can reflect on all that you’ve harvested in your life and set intentions on how you can further develop stable and balanced wellness moving forward. I personally like to use this time to ponder all that I have experienced in the past few months, thinking about obstacles I’ve overcome and the prosperity I have manifested.

Below are a few questions that relate to the themes and magic of the Autumn Equinox to help you with this same reflective exercise. You can use the questions as journal or story prompts, things to meditate on, things to discuss with friends or loved ones. Have a wonderful Autumn Equinox/Mabon!

• What has blossomed in your life over the past year? Where do you have abundance in your life?

• What aspects of yourself have grown? How have you developed and matured?

• Is there something you want to learn this autumn? What magical skill do you want to develop this autumn? Who are your spiritual teachers?

• What are you thankful for? How do you show gratitude? 

• Who do you look to in your community for support? Which friends do you cherish and break bread with?

• Have you recently experienced a dark or challenging event in your life? How did you feel this descent into the Underworld help you better explore your shadow side?

• How do you respond physically to autumn weather? What are you planning on doing to bring more comfort into your life?

• How do you respond psychically to autumn weather? What feelings do you have about the upcoming season?

• What does the word “balance” mean to you? Is there an aspect of your life you would like to have more balance in?

• Do you have a favorite autumn place to visit? How do you feel when you are there?

A Tarot Reading on Abundance and Gratitude

For modern day witches and pagans the Autumn Equinox is a special time. It is a time of transition, inching ever closer to Samhain and the darker time of year that magical people revel in. The air itself changes: we go from heavy and humid weather to cool and crisp weather. Nature around us transforms into a palette of vibrant reds and golds. The very world shifts into an Otherworldly landscape. Mabon/the Autumn Equinox is also known as the Second Harvest, following Lughnassadh in August. At this time our gardens are full of vegetables and fruits ripe and ready to be harvested. It is from this that at Mabon/the Autumn Equinox we celebrate abundance and give thanks for where we have plenty. With this idea of plenty, I wanted this week’s reading to focus on abundance and gratitude. Take a moment to pick one of the cards that you are most drawn to and read the interpretations below.

If you picked the card on the left you picked The Sun. With the Sun Card you can celebrate emotional success. Your life is spiritually abundant and you feel light, brilliant, and divine. Right now your relationship with divinity comes to the forefront: it is a time where you feel liberated from worry and anxiety as a result of your dedication to magic and creativity. If these interpretations feel like something you want to experience more of in your life, you picked this card to remind you that now is a time to take care of your emotional wellness. Reflect on where you have strengthened emotionally and grown spiritually. Consider the times in your life that you’ve felt the most happy. Contemplate what the most satisfying activities are in your life. Hold onto these sensations and memories, as they will allow for you to identify moments of pure happiness. Some associate the baby on this card as the Sun King, so in considering the Sun King’s association with rebirth, spend time in the coming week discovering where you would like to transform and be reborn. Speak with divinity through meditation, prayer, chanting, spell, or ritual to help you make this so. 

If you picked the center card you picked the Ten of Pentacles. With the Ten of Pentacles you can celebrate domestic success. You have abundance with your homestead and health. Right now your relationship with those in your home and tribe come to the forefront: it is a time to embrace the coziness and luxury of your home life. If these interpretations feel like something you want to experience more of in your life, you picked this card to remind you that now is an excellent time to create sacred space. Reflect on what you have already done to stabilize your homestead and grow your financial security. Looking forward, what can you do to ensure your private space provides comfort, inspiration, and support? This card also reminds me of the rune Othala, which represents estate, inheritance, and ancestors. How does your ancestry influence and inspire you? And finally, the Ten of Pentacles may be an indicator that now is a wonderful time to break dull routines and try out leisurely, pleasurable, and exciting new activities.

If you picked the card on the right you picked the Nine of Cups. With the Nine of Cups you can celebrate public success. You have an abundance of social success and a calendar full of opportunities. Right now your relationship with your community comes to the forefront: the world loves you and supports you in your endeavors. If these interpretations feel like something you want to experience more of in your life, you picked this card to remind you that now is a time to share your joy with the world. Reflect on the worldly gains you have recently relished in and social encounters that made you feel hopeful. Your story is inspiring, so moving forward, ask yourself who you can help to succeed. The Nine of Cups is also traditionally seen as the “Wish Card,” as it is believed that when you receive this card you can make a wish and it will come true. Finally, this card can indicate a time to be mindful of your own personal reserves: that is, take time to care for yourself by slowing down and allowing for pauses in your wild (but rewarding) schedule. 

Happy Fall Y'all! A Tarot Spread to Enjoy for the Autumnal Equinox

When I have the time I love to create tarot spreads for readers to enjoy. This one marks my favorite time of the year: FALL! Happy Autumn witches and readers - I hope this spread is an enjoyable way to explore the magic and energy of the Autumnal Equinox.

Magical Energies and Activities for the Harvest Moon

This September's full moon is a special one: it lands on Friday the 13th in the astrological sign of Pisces and is the Harvest Moon. Many witches feel delight and excitement at this time of year, perhaps feeling a magical draw to the transitory qualities of progressing towards autumn and inching nearer and nearer to Halloween. This Harvest Moon is a wonderful time to reflect on your spiritual growth, examine where you have been most successful, and develop plans based on fulfilling your deepest desires.

Harvest Moon: The Harvest Moon is the full moon that occurs closest to the Autumnal Equinox. As the name implies, and according to the Old Farmers’ Almanac, this was a time of gathering summer crops under the early evening moonlight. Symbolically this indicates a time of abundance, and for witches this is an opportunity to work with magic that brings gain into your life. Because it lands close to the Autumnal Equinox the Harvest Moon is also a time to focus on lifestyle balance, health and wellness, and peace of mind.

Full Moon in Pisces: When the moon is in Pisces the energy is emotional, poetic, and spiritual. It can be intense for some, inviting and intoxicating for others.

Friend, colleague, and astrologer extraordinaire Suzie Kerr Wright shares a little more insight with me about the astrology behind the full moon in Pisces this Friday the 13th: “For some it may feel like scattered energy, like you're unable to make a decision, plans may just fizzle out. But internally, there's a challenge to access your inner strength. Take a hard look at where you're not fighting for yourself, where you've given up your power, let yourself down or let negative talk take up space in your head. Give yourself a chance to let your ego step aside and take a good honest look at what's behind a lack of confidence, self esteem and decision making. You'll get a serious glimpse at who lives behind your mask and see just how awesome you are.”

Celebrating the Harvest Moon: With all things considered I think this Harvest Moon is an excellent time to take inventory of what you’ve grown in your life and then contemplate what steps you need to take to leap into following your most courageous and bold dreams. This may mean taking time to do a Pisces activity like meditating and writing down dreams, but I think Harvest Moon also requires a little bit of mundane planning and magical planting.

Here are some activities that you can enjoy this weekend that will also sync up with the Harvest Moon’s Piscean energy:

• Practice the divination technique of scrying, which is gazing into a reflective surface

• Or, get a psychic reading from your favorite reader

• Take a ritual salt water bath

• Or, go swimming in the ocean or a lake

• Connect with ocean gods and goddesses

• Work on a creative project like playing music, painting, or writing

• Harvest magical herbs under the moonlight

• Treat yourself to a Reiki or Acupuncture session

• Use sandalwood and jasmine oils or labradorite and amethyst crystals if you wish to enhance psychic premonitions and dreams during this time

• Use cedarwood and patchouli oils or black tourmaline and smoky quartz crystals if you want a little extra protection and grounding during this time

• Use lemon balm and sage oils or sodalite and aquamarine crystals during this time if you are focusing on improving your well being during this time

• Do a yoga routine that promotes balance

• Try a float tank session for relaxation and soothing sore muscles

• Explore a watery and Pisces-centric diet such as melons, cucumbers, smoothies, water or tea with lemon, seaweed salad, steamed vegetables, and fresh in-season fruit like apples

• Write out your dreams and map out plans and actions you can take to reach them

• Do a spell for success or create a honey jar

However you plan to enjoy this lovely full moon and weekend I hope it is a comforting, inspiring, and magical one!

Reflecting on Generosity in Tarot

For Tarot Tuesday I wanted to discuss generosity and the benefit of offering services to others. I always look to align with those who strive to build and develop personal, creative, and professional relationships. You have probably observed that people who are enthusiastic and supportive of their peers' successes manifest abundant, vibrant, and creative lives for themselves. Being generous does not mean that you will lose what is rightfully yours, but instead you will gain what what is soulfully rewarding. Try this today: see how you feel if you set your mindset to generosity and support. Watch the people around you in awe as they blossom and mature. You may find that your day is much lighter. Through kindness, generosity, and support, you may find that you may build a valuable network of relationships that can lead authentic connections. Read about a card that you are most drawn to, or feel free to read about each to you explore different expressions of generosity. These interpretations examine cards that show generosity between people, so my hope is that these interpretations help you see how you can be a loving support system for those around you.

Six of Swords: Remain present for others through transition. If you picked the Six of Swords (the card on the left) your service to others is to be available to those going through times of transition. This card shows a man ferrying two people to a better place. Sometimes one of the kindest acts we can do is to remain present for someone when they are moving from one situation to another. Change can be a tricky thing - it means leaving behind familiarity and moving into unknown territories. Think of a time you went through massive changes - who was there for you? What would have helped make that transition smoother? Keep this in mind because you have the opportunity to assist someone in a challenging and tricky situation. One brilliant observation by author and tarot expert Rachel Pollack is that the Six of Swords is extremely silent. In considering the silent nature of the Six of Swords, your generosity can be to remain quiet and simply be an active listener. Sometimes just saying "I hear you" to someone can be the most effective method form of generosity there is. Additional suggestions to express generosity through the Six of Swords: participate in a Reiki share, smudge your home or a friend's home, offer to listen to someone vent, participate in or lead a group meditation, help someone move or travel, or share a meaningful crystal with someone. The crystal with this card is Dumortierite Quartz, which is used to connect with Spirit Guides, ease grief, restore mental powers, and develop patience.

Six of Pentacles: Share resources. If you picked the Six of Pentacles (the center card) your service to others is to be share resources. The Six of Pentacles shows a person sharing money to people in need. You will find that you profit the most by sharing resources and supporting other businesses. The most progressive thing you can do to mobilize your own prosperity is to support your community’s prosperity. Connect two people who can help each other out, collaborate if you have a solution to someone's nagging issue, and help to develop other people's prosperity. You will find that by helping others manifest their dreams your own may come into fruition as well. Think of a project or time in your life when you needed help - who did you ask for help and why? Keep this resourceful person in mind and consider who it is you can be resourceful or charitable to. Additional suggestions to express generosity through the Six of Pentacles: practice "pay it forward" by paying for the person behind you in line, gift a book to someone, plug a close friend’s business, donate to a charity that is important to you, refer someone to a job, write someone a recommendation, or share food with someone. The crystal with this card is Unakite Jasper, which is used to enhance kindness, uncover opportunities, reduce anxiety, and boost confidence and love.

Six of Cups: Create loving space. If you picked the Six of Cups (the card on the right) your service to others is to create a comforting and loving space. This card shows one child giving flowers to another child. In many ways the Six of Cups shows an innocent exchange where these two children can simply be who they are. In that sense it may also be mindful to meditate on the idea of “safe space,” and what it means to be open and caring to people from all different walks of life. Think of a time you felt the most comfortable or experienced hospitality - who were you with and where were you? Keep this in mind as you offer comfort to others through your actions and words. You may feel inspired and creative when those around you are in the position to share their loving authenticity. Additional suggestions generous expressions through the Six of Cups: organize an event or party that welcomes marginalized communities, compliment someone, reach out to someone you are missing, volunteer to work with people in need, treat your significant other out on a date, babysit, or petsit. The crystal with this card is botswana agate, which is used to deepen universal love, conjure creativity, stabilize wellness, and promote spiritual comfort.

Are there other cards you think that reflect the theme of generosity? If so, which cards? Leave a comment and let me know!

Tarot Reflections: The Star Card

The Star card indicates a time of healing and inspiration. It is a relieving card to see, especially since it follows the Tower card in the Major Arcana. This placement is essential: after suffering through the challenges of the Tower card, the Star allows you to pause to heal, regroup, and find inner peace. The Star offers you an environment to do the healing work, but also urges you stay determined to personally evolve. If you receive the Star card you are not simply here for an easy experience, but a profound experience filled with complex emotions and events to deepen your understanding of the range of human feelings and the power of hope. The Star gives you the magic to help others who may need support as they move through their own suffering. Let healing and guidance move gently and passively by simply being present to listen.

The Star asks you to examine what divinity is: what are you experiencing on this planet, in this era of shifting and transition? Do you feel out of place with the times and overwhelmed by the pain inflicted in our world? The Star offers us the hope that there is more beyond these five senses. In terms of the tarot, the High Priestess card shows us the perspective of “in front of the veil,” where we wish to cross into the magical Otherworld. The Star is said to show us the perspective from “behind the veil.” With the Star Card you have finally stepped into the Otherworld dimension where magic is prevalent. It is here where you feel you can reconnect with spirituality, feel soaked in the healing rays of the stars above, and let the healing pools of water wash over you and the land. There is realization with the Star card that when we are our authentic selves we blossom with joy and inspiration. Be open to receiving transmissions from the Divine Creator, who wishes to extend to you the magic you need to manifest inspiration and prosperity in your life so you may heal, ascend, and share those universal treasures with others.

I love to suggest that the seven stars surrounding the main Star above the figure in the Star are the Pleiades star cluster in the constellation of Taurus. This brings in a whole other element to the interpretation of the Star, and that is a connection to higher realms of consciousness and perhaps even ultra-terrestrials. Perhaps this isn’t too far-fetched, as some have debated that the scene in the Star may be on another planet altogether. We live in an unusual time – we can drink from the deep well of ancient knowledge and we can also look upwards into the heavens and meditate on what else is out there.  

Other readers suggest that the Star is a symbol of Polaris – the North Star that guides us. If that is the case, then consider the Star as a suggestion to use your heart as a compass. Let your heart guide you back to your true self and the path you feel your soul has brought you to this place to experience.

Star Card Activities to Initiate:

• Use your own way to speak with Divinity – whether in prayer, meditation, chant, or otherwise.

• Close your eyes and envision you as your best self. What does it look like? How does it feel?

• Write a letter to yourself or someone you love encouraging them to follow their dreams.

• Read a New Age or Metaphysical Book.

• Study tarot or another form of divination.

• Speak with the goddesses Nyx or Nut. 

• Practice a cleansing or purifying ritual.

• Drink water with monatomic gold. 

• Make a wish or cast a spell to grant wishes. 

• Take a risk – it’s an auspicious time to make dreams come true.

• Go outside and stargaze. See if you can spot the Pleiades star cluster (visible in the fall and winter in the Northern Hemisphere).

Crystals in the Star card picture include crystal quartz for enhancing energies, green calcite for healing, and a variety of blue crystals. My favorite, and one connected to the Star card, is the Aqua Aura Quartz. Another blue crystal in the picture, and also connected to the Star card is Celestite.

I would also like to take this opportunity to share with you my personal connections to The Star at the moment. This past year was one of the most challenging I faced. I was misdiagnosed with two significant medical conditions. Although I am blessed to indeed not suffer from the conditions, I did have to endure dozens of doctor visits, thousands of dollars in medical bills, physical trauma from medication that my body rejected, and mental trauma that took the form of health anxiety (ie hypochondria). On top of health issues my loving and magical friend and familiar Phoebe passed away after battling Cushings Disease for the past year. Months later I still find myself deep in grief over this loss. At the same time all of these things were happening my day job required monumental levels of attention and endurance. By the time I got home I simply had no energy left to give. This was the Tower Card time for me: a painful period where it was hard to see past the grief and suffering.

I am so thankful that I am feeling better these days. I truly believe it has been the support, comfort, and cheerleading that my friends have been showering me with that have helped me through the toughest points. After a lot of rest and personal reflection I am feeling inspired again to turn my attention to metaphysics, magic, and creativity, with the hopes it may inspire and heal those who encounter it.

Hello and Welcome!

Hello Friends,

Thank you so much for visiting my new site. I am so happy to be active online again and thrilled to have this simple, clean website active. I will slowly be adding content to the website, including articles and longer social media entries, to this blog.

Since starting my new website I have been traveling a lot. Last fall my boyfriend and I visited France and England. In May my boyfriend and I visited St. Louis to hear Graham Hancock speak and visit the Cahokia Mounds. This August I went to New Orleans for the Hex Fest and was happy to catch up with my dearest friends at Witch Way Magazine. I felt so inspired by my talented friends Tonya Brown, Fiona Horne, and Michael Herkes.

Next week I will be in New England, then Mexico in November, and Belize in January. I am also making some exciting professional transitions in my life: I am currently looking to have my first book Eight Extraordinary Days published through a traditional publisher. I am also expanding my writing work load to now include travel writing. Additionally, starting this fall I will be available for doing tarot much more frequently as well, with dates and events coming soon.

If you need to reach me head over to the “Contact Page” where you can send me an email. You can also click on the social media links and follow me that way as well!

Stay Well, Talk Soon, and Many Blessings, Kiki