The deepest, truest magick I know is the power of self-determination. Much more than the simple ability to make choices, there are additional layers and abilities that come from having a rooted sense of Self. I teach a Mystery School and the very first magickal tool Blackfeather students start with is a mirror. Establishing a…
Category: Lifestyle
We stand in the Underworld right now – that space between Samhain and Yule where darkness, quiet and inner work reigns. We carry the burdens of the past year with us and some of them are incredibly heavy. One of the things I hear from people constantly these days is that they’re tapped out. A…
“For many of us, the prospect of multiple family gatherings over the next couple months can be anxiety-inducing. Add shopping, holiday parties, school obligations and packed grocery stores, and we have the ingredients for a very stressful season. The good news is that we know it’s coming, which means we can prepare for it. So…
The Wheel turned, and the final harvest lies behind us. The nights grow longer now and cool darkness whispers against the windows after the sun goes down. It is the time of the inward spiral. Living in rhythm with seasonal shifts includes many challenges, though. Although our ancestors were governed by their seasons and climate,…
The change of seasons can bring in more than a shift in temperatures and sunlight. Over the years, I’ve noticed a pattern around the spring and fall equinox: people also make changes in their lives. Sometimes these are small things – they choose to get healthier, they clean (or purge) their houses, they finally boot…
This past Sunday, I had the privilege of speaking to the Sugarloaf Congregation of Unitarian Universalists. The video recording and text of my sermon is below. As always, if you have any thoughts to share, I’d be happy to hear from you. Hit me up in the comments. My name is Irene, and I am…
Sometimes when I write an article, it’s based on something I’ve been asked a lot, or something that keeps coming up. Sometimes it’s when I notice a pattern, or realize I’m holding a piece of knowledge that isn’t commonplace. But on days like today? It’s when I recognize that I’m struggling, and have been having…
Festival drop is real, and it really and truly sucks. If you haven’t heard the term before, festival drop refers to the depression and malaise that can set in after spending time in a festival environment. People experience varying levels of drop, and those levels tend to change from festival to festival. For example, a…
A friend recently asked me what it takes to be a witch these days. The question was in response to my post on modern virtues for witchcraft. I’ve been turning that question over in my mind since and contemplating all the different skill sets, perspectives and ways of being in the world that contemporary witches…
This week I was the guest writer on the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans Patheos Blog. I think we’ve all had the fantasy about the big, elaborate shrine in a wild-ish place somewhere. We can see it in our mind’s eye – the natural stone, the altar, some vines creeping in a decorative-but-not-annoying way. Maybe…