Presence

It has been quite some time since I posted a magical musing. Between travel, work, gardening, fall festivities… it felt impossible to keep up. Constantly busy. Constantly running. Always ready for the next step, the next move, continued momentum. So much so 2025 snuck up on me, and here I am, lighting my candles, settling in to reflect and look ahead at the astrological calendar for the new year. I’ve been offering my annual Year Ahead Tarot readings, and folks have been so open and receptive to them. It is an honor and pleasure to read for the magical beings that dance into my life.

However, my intention in this post is not to solely reminisce or look ahead. It is to simply be in this moment, this day, this breath. Being present and honoring the sacred Now requires attunement and discernment. Yes, there is time for reflection. Yes, there is time to look ahead. However, we must be present with ourselves to fully commit to our Self. As I considered what to do with my time today, returning to this witchy blog felt appropriate because honoring stillness remains a more difficult task for me. I have developed a weekly yoga practice with a darling instructor and a rotating cast of practitioners. I have decluttered the home we have been in for two (going on three) years with a scrutinizing and discerning eye. All of this in the name of sitting in a space and feeling the here and now.

As we enjoy the festivities, the planning, the organizing, the goal setting, the Capricorn energy, do take a moment to not live in the past or the future. Breath now. Breath here. Feel your feet grounded into the earth or your bottom being stabilized where you sit. Straighten your spine. Relax your jaw. Relax your shoulders. Be present. Attempt to quiet your mind or at least recognize if it is difficult to do so. Be well as you take time to be present with yourself.

On seasons and calendars…

A witch has so many calendars. This may not be true for all witches, of course, but there is true magic in working alongside the cyclical nature of our beautiful Earth and the heavenly skies!

For instance, some witches focus on the “Wheel of the Year” – eight Sabbats or holidays that each highlight a seasonal aspect of the year. This traditional (“traditional”) calendar includes multiple pre-Christian people’s concepts of time and the recorded celebrations of said peoples. We have the Celtic cross-quarter holidays (celebrating the seasonal shifts based on a more ancient calendar) and the more contemporary seasonal shifts (Solstices and Equinoxes). This is a short-hand of this complex history. Many witches decided Samhain is the “Witch’s New Year,” a concept that many witches hold true, near, and dear.

Astrology-focused witches also have the cycles of the sky. Our lunations from Aries to Pisces season with each shift incorporating different potential magics and experiences – still on a cyclical basis. In addition to our cyclical astrological wheel that starts in the season of Aries, we also have our beautiful Mama, the Moon. Her 28-day cycle incorporates potent wisdom and energy for magic and meditation – New Moon to Waxing to Full to Waning to New again. This is another way cyclical calendars impact the magic witches make.

In considering calendars and our magic, it makes sense to give time to our personal cycles, the space and place we occupy, and the ways in which our own magic feels most potent. Perhaps it is focusing on a single calendar – the wheel of the year or four season shifts – or it is focusing on the heavenly bodies – seeing the New Year at the start of Aries season (be that on March 19, 20, or 21). Perhaps that larger concept is too big, and your personal focus is on the Moon in her rhythmic systems which also can align to astrological determinates, as well. Or perhaps you find a unique blend of each which holds magic and wisdom within it.

I have taught classes on the Wheel of the Year, seasonal magics, and New Moon magics. My personal practice blends a variety of magical calendars which has developed over the course of 25 years of magical practice. I’ve shifted, changed, and returned to old ways a number of times. It is experimentation and play to find my landing place. The current cycle I follow now may not be the forever cycle. Noticing herbs, flowers, and trees in my area – as well as the reality of a changing Earth – creates a new calendar, a new meaning of time, place, space, and action. I am closer with Nature by seeing Her cycles less through the lens of months and more by witnessing, observing, and crafting meaningful patterns in my own mind.

I am curious how others view Time. Calendars are fascinating and determine so much of our moods, attitudes, plans, actions, and being. How do you perceive calendars, time, and magic? Are they intertwined or separate? Do you follow a more witchy calendar or the Gregorian calendar? I remain curious to see where this rumination leads.

Spring Awakening: 2024

Can you feel it? The warmth, the soft grass, the stuffy noses?

In my home state, the warm air and budding blooms reminds me of Spring magic! The bees at my home are starting to wake and buzz. The eggs are coming more regularly from the girls. We have a week of Winter left, but it is time to start thinking *Spring*!

My birthday ushers in the transition this year: March 19th is our equinox.

My partner and I spent the last few weeks setting up our seed starts, seeking out top soil for the new raised beds in our garden, arranged the hives for the bees, and navigated a shift of our chicken flock to make room for a few new chicks! Ostara means action! Ostara means believing in what’s to come! It means taking in all of the lessons learned from the previous year and gently easing in changes that allow for a stronger season of growth.

This “growth” need not be rooted in capitalism, making more, getting further than the year before… it can mean being playful, child-like, sweet, sensual, and fun. Finding more joy. Achieving more time away from the work. Thinking of ways that the “tasks” can be interspersed with more fun.

This past week, I spoke with the phenomenal Kristen of the Wild Wonder Podcast all about Ostara. As two Ostara babies (me a Piscean Sun and her an Aries Sun), the meaning of Spring, of play, of comfort, of growth wrapped us in fascinating discourse where we entertained ideas of both doing/achieving and playing/resting.

A list of courses forthcoming have been updated on the website. We have Tarot reading focused on Spring , portals of divination beyond the Tarot, a fiery celebration of Aries season, and herbal magic for the modern witch. I hope to see you there!

I wish you all the most beautiful of Spring Awakenings – gentle breezes, vivid florals, soft chirping, and moments of natural magic all around.

Moon Magic Musings

Ritual (noun) – repetition; ceremony; set of actions

Great joy comes from wisdom shared alongside a wonderful teacher of mine, the Moon. Each month, the 28 day cycle includes moments of energy raising, intention setting, releasing, and shadow work. Pairing this general wisdom alongside astrological potency, Moon Magic serves as a phenomenal space for practicing ritual. Rituals differ based on the moon cycle as well as the astrological sign the moon is in.

Each month, the New Moon lives in an astrological sign and the Full Moon lives in another. As such, there are two potent moments to lean into different aspects of magic as they are empowered by the astrological season. Working this provides specific foci from the astrological signs as it is paired with the moon. To be honest, this can become a bit overwhelming if you are new to magic.

My advice for developing a relationship with the moon is start simple. Decide on what moon cycle feels most potent to work in: New, Full, Waxing, Waning. Pick one. Start there. Add astrological and seasonal wisdom later! When you decide on the cycle, find the date for your next moon magic moment. If you are a few days off, it is fine of course, but it is special when you get to raise the energies and work the craft at the exact right time!

Moon Magic flows in cycles, so your magical spells, intentions, and goals may best be served by aligning the hopes/dreams/wishes with the moon cycle. Below is a quick breakdown of the magic that lives within each part of the cycle.

New: intention setting

Waxing: what you hope to see expand

Full : celebration and divination/psychic spell work

Waning: what you hope to get rid of or weaken

If you are interested in experiencing the blend of astrological wisdom and New Moon magic, Mystic Ginger Collective & Apothecary hosts monthly rituals! You can also learn so much by tracking your moods and “vibes” throughout the month. Identifying patterns of your heightened empathy, abundant joy, or weariness allows you to see the connections between the Moon’s Cycle and your own energies.

2024 Monthly Magical Offerings

As we transition into deep winter, I made exciting plans to both host more magical gatherings while slowing down engagements that do not bring me joy. My card of the year is The Hanged One, a card that asks us to see new perspective and surrender to the circumstance. Not everything can be controlled. I’ve learned that in a micro-moment with a sudden health concern that forced me to slow, to stop, to listen, and to relax. As I’ve been on the mend, I solidified a few spaces where magic will be practiced monthly.

Monthly Moon Magic – At the cozy and sacred Mystic Ginger Apothecary, I will be hosting a monthly magical meeting. We will explore Tarot, runes, herbs, ritual, and the Divine connection of body, mind, and spirit. Each month, a ritual will be crafted for the community. Dates posted under the Workshops tab. Tickets available on the Mystic Ginger eventbrite page.

Monthly Tarot Readings – Though I am available for private readings via email, I will make a monthly and/or bimonthly appearance at Hens & Honey Shoppe in Swedesboro. These events offer a way for folks to gain insight and wisdom through the modality of intuitive Tarot reading. Scheduling opens roughly a month prior to the date offered. Follow Hens & Honey Shoppe’s facebook and instagram pages for more details!

Monthly Tarot Salon – If you are a reader – new or old – and hope to deepen your connection and understanding of the cards, join us on the third Thursday of each month (usually) for Tarot Salon at Whole & Grounded Cafe in Woodbury. The community of readers and querents engaging in meditation, discourse, and lecture provides an opportunity to engage with Tarot in a new way.

2024 – the year of Strength & Justice, my year of The Hanged One – offers an opportunity to consider emotional resilience, balance and fairness for Self and Others, and new perspectives on magic, mysticism, and opportunity.

Cheers to the Gregorian New Year.