New Moon in Virgo: Aligning With Your Heart

The new moon in Virgo brings you an opportunity to connect with your heart space and find clarity around how you would like to be of service in this world. 

New moons are always a time for being open to new ideas and ways of being in the world, our cosmic clean slate, if you will. The energy of Virgo season is unique because it’s a beautiful blend of earth energy, as an earth sign, and air energy from its planetary rulership of Mercury. 

When earth and air combine, it yearns for a balance of spirit and physical in the heart space. 

Virgo energy brings a grounded approach to being of service and strives to be in flow with the current needs of the world. This energy also invites sensuous acts of devotion to both the world and the divine. Wrap all this up with the fresh energy of the new moon, and you have a delicious opportunity to gain insight into how best to devote yourself to being of service to yourself, the world, and all of its inhabitants. 

Themes for this new moon: Devotion, service, organization, groundedness, the heart space, balance between spirit and physical. 

Elements: earth and air

New Moon in Virgo Ritual

You’ll need: 

• 15-30 minutes of quiet and uninterrupted time

• Pen or pencil and paper

• Found pieces of plants or minerals like twigs, stones, leaves, or flowers (about 10-15 pieces.)

1. Take a few moments to prepare your items in front of you. Create a sacred space, ground into the moment by connecting with your breath and body. If your body allows for sitting, sit either in a chair or on the ground with a straight spine. Otherwise, lying down works fine too.

2. Tune into your breath, lengthening each of your inhales and exhales to be in equal balance. Visualize a golden cord coming up from the earth and connecting to the base of your spine, then visualize a golden cord coming down from the sky connecting to the crown of your head. 

3. Visualize these two golden cords slowing moving towards your heart space and eventually meeting in the heart space to form a brilliant ball of golden light. Imagine that with each inhale, this ball of light grows bigger and brighter until it eventually encompasses your entire body and fills the space of the room. 

4. In this space, ask aloud or in your mind, “What does my heart desire most for the lunar cycle ahead?” Continue to breathe and allow this question to marinate in your energy field. Notice if anything comes to mind. Next, ask yourself aloud or in your mind, “How can I move into greater alignment with my heart’s desires?” Continue to breathe, giving space and time for suggestions to come to mind. 

5. Stay in this space of golden light, continuing to focus on your breath for as long as you’d like. When you feel prepared to come back, slowly open your eyes. 

6. With the objects in front of you, take 5-10 devotional minutes to arrange your items from outside into a design or mandala. Focus on your gratitude for the earth, your body, and any ideas that came to you about being better aligned with your heart. 

7. When you complete your design, take a few moments to write down any messages or ideas you received about being in better alignment with your heart’s desires. 

8. Close your ritual by thanking any guides or ancestors who came through to offer guidance. 

9. Place your paper with any ideas somewhere you’ll see it daily for the next couple of weeks. Leave your devotional plant design out until the full moon. When you decide to disassemble it, dispose of it in a way that feels aligned to you. Some options are to burn, bury, or release it into a body of water. 

If you enjoyed this ritual, please consider sharing it with someone else who may as well. New moon blessings, Cassie. 

Card Spread and Devotion Ritual for Virgo Season

Virgo, our mutable Earth sign, invites you to consider what you are in service to, to pour your gifts out for the world, to unite your body and mind, and to analyze, discern, and purify. It's a season to find clarity around what you feel called to devote yourself to. We'll be exploring themes of both nature and devotion throughout the following card spread and ritual.

In this blog post, I’ll be sharing a card spread and a ritual for Virgo season. Check out our Understanding the Energy of Virgo Season blog post to learn more about Virgo energy and your personal birth chart’s connection to Virgo.

Card Spread for Virgo Season

We’ll use this card spread to explore the invitations and lessons Virgo has to teach you this season. Feel free to use a tarot deck or an oracle deck for this spread - whichever resonates with you. 

I invite you to create a ritual space for you and your deck to communicate by taking a moment to ground and center yourself however feels good to you. In the spirit of Leo season and Earth energy, you might like to explore dropping a grounding cord into the earth or meditating with a plant.

When you feel grounded and ready, shuffle your deck and draw a card for each of the following questions:

• What is Virgo season here to teach me?

• What am I being called to devote myself to this season?

• What is no longer needed & can be released this season?

• What possibilities are Virgo season is opening up for me?

After you pull your cards, sit with them. Try to take some time to journal or meditate with them to really connect with the full meaning they have to offer you. At the end of Virgo season, you might like to revisit your cards and reflect on how they unfolded throughout the season. How did they show up? What did you learn about yourself and the cards through the way they manifested this season?

Virgo Season Ritual for Devotion 

For me, Virgo evokes a lush, nature-based beauty, so feel free to make your space beautiful for this ritual in whatever ways feel good to you and perhaps align with what you’re devoting yourself to. For example, if you’re devoting yourself to love, it could feel good to sprinkle yourself with jasmine oil and surround yourself with rose quartz and rose petals.

For this Virgo season ritual for devotion, you’ll need:

• A candle 

• Paper and pen 

• Any oils and/or herbs you’d like to roll your candle in 

• Something to carve your candle with, like a safety pin 

• Anything to make your space feel beautiful 

• A small bowl of water 

As always, follow your intuition! That’s what makes ritual the most powerful. Here are my suggested steps for this Virgo ritual.

1. Once your space is set in a way that feels good, take a moment to ground yourself and reflect on what you’d like to devote yourself to this season. 

2. If you did the tarot spread above, you could take that card that answered the question about devotion and meditate with it. Or, you might simply like to journal to the question: what do I desire to devote myself to this season? 

3. When you feel clear, gather your candle and any oils and herbs that go along with that intention. I wrote a whole blog post on oil and herb correspondences for candle magic that you can check out here!

4. Dress your candle by carving your intention into it, rolling it in oil, and rolling it in herbs.

5. Light your candle and take out your pen and paper. Take your time to write a poem, a letter, or any words that feel good to whatever it is you’re devoting yourself to: love, courage, trust, mystery, whatever it is for you. What do you want to say? What do you want to send out into the universe? What are the words and desires in your heart? Write them down! 

6. When you feel complete, read your words out loud to your candle as many times as you’d like. Let them wash over you, let them sink in, let the smoke from your candle carry them into the clouds. 

7. Then, take your water and anoint yourself with it by sprinkling it over your head, on your pulse points, or anywhere else that feels good. As you sprinkle it and let it soak into your skin, know that you are committing to this devotion and asking to co-create with this energy. 

8. Close your ritual by letting your candle burn down and returning the rest of the water to the Earth. 

Happy Virgo season! I hope this card spread and ritual support you this season. 

Full Moon in Aquarius: Honoring Your Magic for the Good of All

Our August full moon in Aquarius offers an opportunity to work magic for the good of the collective and all of Earth’s creatures. The sign of Aquarius calls you to explore humanitarian themes in new and radical ways, inviting each of us to create a more just and whole world. Learn more about the energy of Aquarius here.

Themes for this full moon: The good of the collective, radical transformations, rebelliousness, digital expression, and honoring one’s truth.

Element: Air

The ideal time to perform this ritual is the day before or the day of the full moon.

You’ll need:

• 15-30 minutes of quiet and uninterrupted time

• Pen, pencil, markers, or paint and paper

• Optional items: incense or herbs to burn and a piece of clear quartz. 

1. Create a sacred space. Connect with your breath and body. Root into the moment.

2. Optional: light incense or burn herbs to connect with the element of air through the smoke. Any scent you feel called to use will do, but light and floral scents match this moon best.

3. Sit and begin connecting with your breath. Elongate each inhale and exhale and try to make them equal in length.

4. Ask yourself (aloud or in your mind), “What would the world look and feel like if all life forms and resources were respected and cared for equally?”

5. After visualizing this version of our world, ask yourself (aloud or in your mind), “What actions can I take to help bring this version of the world forward?”

6. Continue to focus on your breath for another 5-10 minutes and allow any messages, sensations, or guidance to come to you.

7. Optional: Pull a tarot or oracle card for guidance around this question. Asking again, “What actions can I take to help bring this version of the world forward?”

8. Take some time to write, draw, or paint any visualizations about this world vision and actions you’re committed to taking to help it come to fruition.

9. Place your drawing/writing on an altar or a window sill under the full moon. Optional: place a piece of clear quartz on top of it to amplify its intention.

10. Take some time to return to your body and physical space. Thank any guides or ancestors that came through to offer guidance.

Ritual follow-up: Carve out time to take action on the list you created. Moving into the waning moon phase, seek acceptance around outcomes and people you cannot control regarding your actions. Trust that with your action and energy, the wheels are in motion for progress.

This full moon ritual can be adapted or used for any full moon or any full moon in Aquarius. As always, take what you like and leave the rest. 

How to Dress a Candle for Spellwork

Candles are included in spellwork, and there’s a reason why. Fire magic is powerful — it can help transform energy, focus your desires, send intentions into the universe, burn away what you want to release, and more.

Candles are powerful on their own, but dressing a candle for spellwork can help amplify and intensify your spell. In this blog post, I’ll be breaking down how to dress a candle for spellwork. To get more of an intro to candle magick, check out this blog post.

WHY DRESS A CANDLE FOR SPELLWORK?

Dressing a candle spellwork can mean rubbing a candle in oil and/or rolling a candle in herbs. Using herbs and oils that support the intention you’re working with can help you amplify your spell, making it more powerful. 

Below, I share some correspondences for oils and herbs to help you decide how to dress your candles most effectively. 

HOW TO DRESS A CANDLE FOR SPELLWORK

Here are some loose guidelines for dressing your candles for spellwork:

1. Cleanse your candle. You can cleanse your candle with salt, smoke, sound, or any other cleansing tool that feels good to you.

2. Rub your candle in oil. As you do, focus on the intention of your spell.

3. Roll your oiled candle in herbs if you’re using them. Again, direct your energy towards your spell’s intention as you roll your candle. Stay present, breathe, and focus on connecting your intention to your candle.

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A post shared by Cassie Uhl (@cassieuhl)

OILS, HERBS & CORRESPONDENCES FOR CANDLE MAGICK

Before I get into correspondences, a note about oils: you can feel free to use neutral oils like sunflower seed oil or coconut oil. When you work these oils, they act more as a vehicle for your herbs than an intention amplifier on their own.

Explore the Radical Candle Magic class.

If you want to use an oil that brings its own amplifying qualities, you’ll be using essential oils. If you decide to use essential oils, I invite you to be really intentional with them, buy small amounts only, and research as much as you can to find companies that are making them in the most sustainable and ethical ways possible. The same goes for herbs - do your research and make sure you’re gathering any herbs you use ethically. 

Featured deck is The Ritual Deck. 

For pleasure spells - Use red or orange candle colors. Use clary sage, lavender, or sandalwood oil with rose petals or other flower petals, ginger, or calendula. 

For abundance spells - Use green, brown, or gold candle colors. Use basil, cinnamon, or frankincense oil with cinnamon, basil, or ginger.

For creativity spells - Use orange, yellow, blue, or purple candle colors. Use tangerine or peppermint oil with verbena, bay leaves, or angelica. 

For intuition spells - Use blue, purple, or silver candle colors. Use myrrh, or clary sage oil with mugwort, chamomile, or rose petals.

For protection spells - Use brown, black, or blue candle colors. Use clove, cypress, or juniper oil with mugwort, mullen, or comfrey. 

For releasing spells - Use yellow, orange, or black candle colors. Use bergamot or geranium oil with cloves or rosemary. 

For love spells - Use red, orange, or pink candle colors. Use cardamom, jasmine or ylang-ylang oil with yarrow, oregano, or fennel. 

Want more on spellwork? Check out these blogs:

• Getting Started with Candle Magick

• Four Candle Magick Spells + Free Printable

• Spellwork and Witchcraft Ethics

• Your Spell’s Over, Now What? 3 Ways to Release or Repurpose Your Ritual Items

New Moon in Leo: Cultivating Joy

The sign of Leo calls for full self-expression, play, creativity, and showing your full and true self to the world. Every new moon is a time to be open to spirit for new opportunities, guidance, and growth.

This new moon is an invitation to tune into spirit around how you can step more fully into expressing yourself in a way that feels joyful and aligned. Read on for a ritual I crafted for you to enjoy anytime during the new moon.

Additional resources:

• Learn more about the energy of Leo season here.

• Find more new moon rituals here.

New Moon in Leo Ritual Support

1. Create a sacred space. Sit, close your eyes, connect with your breath and body. Root into the moment. 

2. Optional: Light a red, yellow, orange, or white candle. Hold it in your hands, infusing it with the intention of being open to spirit for guidance in the lunar cycle ahead. 

Additional resources:

• Learn more about candle magick here.

3. Ask yourself the following question, "How can I express myself more fully?"

4. Meditate for 10 minutes or more with the intention of being open to spirit for guidance.

Additional resources:

• Learn more about meditation here.

• Purchase my guided meditations for each moon phase here.

5. Using your favorite tarot or oracle card deck, ask the following questions: 

1. How am I being called to express myself? 

2. What’s blocking me from expressing myself more fully? 

3. How can I move past what’s blocking me from fuller self-expression?

4. How will me living more authentically change my life and the lives of others?

Additional resources:

• Learn more about tarot here and oracle cards here.

• Shop the Journey Tarot here.

6. Close your ritual by connecting with your breath and body again. Thank any guides or ancestors that came through to offer guidance. Consider journaling to process any.

If you enjoy this ritual, consider sharing it with someone who might also enjoy it.

Harvest Season Begins // How to Honor Lughnasadh and Your Gifts

Lughnasadh is the first harvest and the first celebration to honor the waning phase of the year. Just like the waning gibbous, this season is a time to reflect, harvest, gather, reap, and allow yourself to come to fruition. The flurry of growth has happened. The peak of summer has come and gone. Though it may still be hot where you are, some “crops” are ready to be harvested, both physically and metaphorically. So, what does this season mean for you, and what does it call you to explore and reflect upon?

This post will discuss the intersection of the first harvest season, Leo season, and Lughnasadh. We’ll explore a bit of history about the Celtic God Lugh and how he fits into all of this. Lastly, I’ll offer a few ways to honor and work with the energy of this season. 

Listen to this blog post on my podcast, Rooting into Wholeness below.

What is Lughnasadh, and is it the same as Lammas?

On the wheel of the year, Lughnasadh is traditionally celebrated on August 1st or the first harvest. It is the midway point between the Summer Solstice and the Fall Equinox. As always, I encourage you to celebrate at a time that’s meaningful for you. For example, if you do gardening or farming, it’s fine to wait until you’re actually ready to harvest. Alternatively, if you want to celebrate on the 1st, that’s fine too. 

I feel that the Sabbat of Lughnasadh (loo-nah-sah), also called Lammas, is one of the more undervalued seasonal celebrations. I prefer to stick with the name Lughnasadh as it is more in line with my spiritual beliefs and paths (I think its spelling puts many off, but it’s really a quite beautiful name.) The name Lammas comes from the phrase “loaf mass” and is the Christianized version of the original celebration to honor the God Lugh and the first harvest. This is truly one of my favorite times of the year. 

Who's Lugh?

The name Lughnasadh comes from the well-documented Celtic warrior and sun God, Lugh. His name actually translates to “light.” Lugh was a skilled craftsman who bore many talents. He created Lughnasadh as a celebration of the first harvest and to honor his foster mother.

Lugh is deeply intertwined with the harvest season because, according to lore, he brought the knowledge of growing and harvesting crops to hunter-gatherer tribes after winning a battle with an old King. Of course, knowing how to grow and harvest crops was life-changing for our ancestors from Northern and Western Europe. This is another reason I prefer to refer to this celebration as Lughnasadh. It honors the triumphs of our ancestors. Our ancestors did not always grow their own crops, but when we did, it changed everything. Thus the first harvest is of incredible importance and something to thank our ancestors for to this day.  

On an energetic level, Lugh is a reminder to continue to refine our crafts, learn new skills, and honor our talents both on an individual and collective level. This is a highly celebratory season and, pride is a big theme of Lugh and Lughnasadh.

Leo Season and Lughnasadh

This naturally brings me to Leo season! For Tropical astrology (what I use), Leo season begins on July 23rd and aligns beautifully with Lughnasadh. Leo is ruled by the Sun (we can see another overlap here with the God Lugh.) This is indeed a very sunny time of the year, physically and metaphorically speaking. Now I won’t dive too deep into the astrology of Leo because it's been covered on this blog more extensively here, but here are a few things to note. Leo, a fixed fire sign, calls each of us to find the inner strength to share our gifts and true selves with the world boldly. Leo connects with strength and the sun in the tarot, again mirroring a need to share your gifts boldly with the world and again connecting Lugh to this season through the sun card.

I’m sure you can now see and perhaps even feel the immense power, strength, and celebratory energy associated with this season and its many components! Not all of our seasonal and zodiac energies align this beautifully, but this one does so beautifully. 

Rituals Suggestions for Lughnasadh

How can you harness this potent energy offered by Lughnasadh and Leo season? Here are some coming dates and four considerations for connecting with and honoring the energy of this season. I’ll focus on the themes we’ve already discussed of harvest, pride, and full expression. 

First, we have the new moon in Leo from August 8-9 (2021). This will be an ideal time to be open to spirit for new ways to share your gifts with the world and consider being open to new ways to express yourself and your gifts. 

Then we have a full moon in Aquarius on August 22nd (2021.) This will be an ideal time to express your truth and focus on themes of harvest and gratitude. 

Now some ritual suggestions. Of course, I always like to preface any ritual suggestions with some reminders. First, I view each celebration on the Wheel of the Year as a season. This means you do not have to do all of these things on August 1st. I certainly won’t be and wouldn’t suggest it either (unless you really want to and don’t have twins at home like me!) Space it out, do what you feel called to do when you feel called to do it. Our ancestors did not complete their harvests in one day (in fact, it sprawls three entire seasons), they merely began. I always like to remind you to approach each Sabbat as a season rather than a day. Never discount the power of being aware and sitting in the energy of each season. This in and of itself is a ritual. Lastly, and as always, take what you like and leave the rest.

1. Pride Ritual

So many of us, myself included, rarely celebrate and honor our accomplishments. Seriously, I am so bad at this! I have really worked on celebrating all that I’ve accomplished and have friends who keep me in check and remind me often. Now it's time for you to get clear and honest about this, when was the last time you really celebrated your wins?

In our capitalist-driven world, the primary message we receive is "create, create, and create more." This is one big reason why working the seasons into your spiritual practice is so valuable. You are not meant to create all the time! Furthermore, you not only need rest and self-care, but you also need time to honor and celebrate how far you've come.

This one can be easy, join me. Right now, pause and think about three amazing things you’ve done this year. I don’t care how big or small they are, but I want you to sit in the energy of pride and celebration for yourself. My three are that I took a step back from work to take time off and work less, I started exercising again, and I wrote two books and created a tarot card deck. Sit in it. What does it feel like to celebrate yourself? Does it feel uncomfortable? Are you coming up with all the things you wish you’d accomplished but haven’t yet or all the things you still “need” to do? Kindly ask all of that garbage to step back for a moment while you revel in what you have accomplished. It’s time to harvest your efforts and take in your growth.

If you want to take this a step further, write it down and place it on your altar, maybe light a candle for yourself, so often we light candles for others. When was the last time you lit one for yourself? Consider making or buying yourself a treat to celebrate your accomplishments. This could be as simple as making yourself your favorite dinner or giving yourself time and space to watch a favorite movie. What feels like a beautiful way to celebrate your accomplishments right now? 

2. Gratitude Offering for the Mother Earth

With any harvest comes gratitude. This is a theme we’ll see in each of the three harvest seasons (Lughnasadh, the autumn equinox, and Samhain.) I think it’s important to honor the earth for every seasonal celebration, but even more so for our harvest celebrations. Even though most of us do not have an active hand in growing and harvesting the food we eat, these harvest celebrations are what kept many of our ancestors alive. It gives us an opportunity, or reminder, to give thanks to mother earth for all of the nourishment she’s given us throughout the year; if you do harvest around this time of year, even better! You’ll have a tangible way to honor this season and the earth. For those who don’t, here are some ways to consider giving thanks to the earth for the bounty of food you have. 

Create an earth offering of flowers, stones, food, or other compostable items you resonate with. I like to do this by going for a walk and collecting different items that catch my eye. Then, I’ll find a location I feel called to set up my offering. This could be a mandala or any arrangement that feels good to you. As you set it up, think about all of the gifts the earth has given your this year, all the food you’ve been nourished with. 

You could also take this ritual inside and create another offering on your altar space as a gratitude offering to mother earth. 

3. Explore Lugnasadh and Leo in the Tarot 

For this one, we’ll be circling back to our Leo energy a bit more. This would be a great ritual to practice anytime during the waxing growth phase of the moon from August 1-22nd, with the intention of tapping into expressing your gifts and focusing again on the theme of harvest. 

As I already mentioned, the cards that correspond with Leo in the tarot are the sun and strength. There’s also a perfect card for Lugnasadh too, and that’s the nine of pentacles. I feel like this card embodies the energy of this season soooooo beautifully. Numerologically speaking, nine’s represent fulfillment and fruition. Pentacles are our suit of earth. So the nine of pentacles, in my opinion, is very literally a card of harvest. 

Card featured from Journey Tarot. Get it here.

There are so many ways to connect with these cards. As I mentioned, the waxing phase or the full moon are great times to work with the energies of these cards. Perhaps, even consider lighting a red or orange candle to focus on the fiery energy of the sun and strength. You could journal with these cards, meditate with them, simply place them on your altar, or draw your own versions of them, as I’ve mentioned in previous rituals. Be open to their lessons and what they have to offer you during this season. 

4. Traditional Lughnasadh Rituals and Correspondences

Of course, I can’t leave you without covering some of the more traditional rituals and correspondences for this season. Some we’ve already covered but here’s a list of common correspondences. Most of these come straight out of my new book, “Understanding the Wheel of the Year”.  

Colors: Gold, red, orange, purple, tan

Plants and scents: Sunflower, calendula, hops, vervain, rosehips, or anything seasonal where you live

Food: Wheat, corn, bread, beer, berries, or anything seasonal where you live

Crystals: tiger’s eye, red jasper, pyrite, smokey quartz

Traditional Lughnasadh Rituals: 

• Bake bread, enjoy bread, leave a bread offering on your altar or in nature

• Make beer, enjoy some beer (only if of age, of course)

• Spend time in nature

• Practice gratitude

• Connect with the God Lugh and Goddess Gaia

• Perform abundance spells. Find a past post with abundance spells here. 

• Decorate your home and altar with correspondence suggestions above

That wraps up my formal ritual suggestions. Of course, the best thing you can do for yourself anytime you want to honor celebrations on the Wheel of the Year is to get outside and be in nature. You can come back to this post anytime throughout the season of Lughnasadh for ideas to connect with this season, anytime the inspiration strikes! 

If you’d like to dive deeper into this celebration or the Wheel of the Year, my new book “Understanding the Wheel of the Year” is available to order. You can also find a past post by Eryn Johnson here. And, one of my personal all-time favorite books on the Wheel of the Year is “The Magical Year” by Danu Forest. Let the harvest season begin! It’s time to honor and celebrate how far you’ve come. 

Card Spread and Authenticity Ritual for Leo Season

Leo, our fixed fire sign, is here to invite you to step into your courage, be seen in your truest essence, and stand in your power. Leo evokes the radiant heart and invites us to stand in our passion.

In this blog post, I’ll be sharing a card spread and a ritual for Leo season. To learn more about Leo energy and your personal birth chart’s connection to Leo, check out our Understanding the Energy of Leo Season blog post. 

Card Spread for Leo Season

We’ll use this card spread to explore the invitations and lessons Leo has to teach you this season. Feel free to use a tarot deck or an oracle deck for this spread - whichever resonates with you. 

I invite you to create a ritual space for you and your deck to communicate by taking a moment to ground and center yourself however feels good to you. In the spirit of Leo season and fire energy, it could feel good to light a candle or take a moment to breathe outside under the sun with your deck. 

When you feel grounded and ready, shuffle your deck and draw a card for each of the following questions:

• What is Leo season here to teach me? 

• How can I step into more of my authenticity? 

• What do I need to embody my bravery? 

• A message from my radiant heart.

• What possibilities are Leo season opening up for me?

After you pull your cards, sit with them. Try to take some time to journal or meditate with them to really connect with the full meaning they have to offer you. At the end of Leo season, you might like to revisit your cards and reflect on how they unfolded throughout the season. How did they show up? What did you learn about yourself and the cards through the way they manifested this season?

Leo Season Ritual for Embodying Your Most Authentic Self

This Leo season ritual is intended to support you in embodying your most authentic self.

You'll need:

• 1 candle (any color, but yellow, red, or orange corresponds well with this ritual)

• 10-30 minutes of uninterrupted time

1. To start, light a candle on your altar or in a quiet space. Get clear on who your most authentic self is in this moment (knowing that who you are and what is authentic to you can and will change over time, and that’s beautiful!). You can start this by asking aloud or in your mind, "Who is my most authentic self?"

2. Sit in meditation and welcome your most authentic self forward.

3. Spend some time in the presence of your most authentic self. Who are they? How do they feel? What parts of themself are they expressing? Just take them in and spend some time with them. Organically as it feels good, start to sense what feels active around this authentic self in your body. What feels especially alive in your body?

4. Ask your inner self, "How can I embody this authentic self?" Don’t overthink it, just flow with it. How does this self move, sound, breathe, feel? Let your body move through whatever movements, sounds, expressions that feel good to you. Know that you are calling your truest self home with each moment and each expression. Take your time here and really let your body develop some somatic awareness of your truest self.

5. When you feel complete, let your eyes open and spend a moment gazing at your candle flame. Let this flame harness the power of you being your authentic self and send it into the universe as a spell for you being who you are. If there are any affirmations, you want to offer to yourself, feel free to speak them to the candle flame and let the smoke carry them.

6. Then, decide on one concrete action you can take in the physical world to embody this authentic self. Maybe it’s having a conversation with someone, starting a new project, saying yes or no to something, or trying something new. Whatever it is, commit to it and make a plan for when and how you’ll do it.

7. Let your candle burn all the way down and close your ritual with a few deep, grounding breaths.

Happy Leo season! I hope you find support in this card spread and ritual for the rest of Leo season. 

Herbal Magick 101 // How to Get Started with Herbal Magick

Herbal magick is the practice of working with plants in magic. This could mean working with plants for healing, eating, ritual, spellwork, and more.

Why work with herbal magick? To me, plants connect us to ancestry and the land we’re on. They root us into relationship with nature, with mother Earth. They have energy and magic of their own that can amplify a spell, help us heal, and support our intentions. 

Part of living a magical life is engaging with the world around us, and working with plants feels like a powerful way to do that. 

In this blog post, I’ll be sharing about how to get started with herbal magick. Please note that this is coming from my perspective as someone who works with plants personally and is not an herbalist or trained professional!

GETTING STARTED WITH HERBAL MAGICK

Getting started with herbal magick can feel overwhelming. There are so many plants! What do they all mean? What do you use them for?

I recommend starting your herbal magick journey by asking this question: 

What plants do I have relationships with already/love/feel curious about/find myself attracted to? 

You can jot down a list or just one plant that comes to mind. Maybe it’s a plant you’ve heard about being connected to your ancestors, like rosemary. Maybe it’s a plant that grows in your yard or your local park, or one you love to drink in your tea. 

Choose a plant from your list and commit to getting to know it. There are so many ways to cultivate a relationship with plants, but here are a few:

• Meditate with the plant daily 

• Take the plant as a flower essence 

• Eat the plant or drink the plant in a tea (check with an herbalist first as needed) 

• Take a bath with the plant (check with an herbalist first as needed)

• Journal with the plant

• Work with the plant in ritual

• Invite the plant into your dreams 

• Spend time with the plant 

• Grow the plant and tend to it 

Featured cards are from The Ritual Deck. 

Take your time with this process - perhaps sitting with one plant for at least a month or two. Write about your insights as you cultivate this relationship. How do you feel? What is this plant teaching you? How does it feel best to work with this plant? 

Another important question to ask yourself is: how am I in a reciprocal relationship with this plant? That could look like giving the plant or the land offerings, planting this plant’s seeds, or something else that feels right to you. 

Many herbalists are talking about being in a reciprocal relationship with plants, so I recommend checking out their work (Sarah Corbett over at Rowan and Sage is a great place to start) to learn more about being in right relationship rather than just extracting from plants. 

Over time, as you cultivate relationships with plants one at a time, you can start to make note of your own magical herbal correspondences. What plants support you in different ways? From sitting with them deeply, what plants help you soothe anxiety, sleep, open your heart, tend to grief, cultivate joy, access pleasure, focus, and more? What plants aid your love spells, money spells, self-trust spells? 

This is how herbal magick can become intuitive and not prescriptive, how it becomes more personal and more powerful than a Google search could ever be.

Sending you lots of love on your herbal magick journey! Click here to learn more about crafting herbal smoke wands, or here for herbal tea recipes.