Hey babes,

The start of Aries season has held no punches, bringing the blazing energy only cardinal fire knows, pulling our efforts and our energies in a million different directions. As we get ready for another protest tomorrow, we've said it before and we'll say it again (as many times as we need to) :

 It is hard to always know what to do and how to show up. There is no one correct way to do it, and what you have capacity to do at any given moment changes. The most important thing we can do is join together in community, and let our values guide the way to building the world we want to see.

Whatever you are able to do, know that it makes a difference. And if you need support in creating a pocket of softness — we will be open on Saturday, March 28th.

Everyone's role in resisting is different, but there is always a place for you, and your action is powerful. Some ways you might consider participating:

❤️‍🔥 Find an action near you. Resources for that can be found HERE. Additional resources for joining a protest can be found HERE (particularly insightful if this is a new activity for you!) 

❤️‍🔥 Call your legislators. Resources including a script for that can be found HERE. 

❤️‍🔥 Bring supplies to community pantries, or take some supplies to cook a meal for your neighbors.

❤️‍🔥 Use cash anywhere you are spending money to make sure the credit card companies don't get any money during the shutdown, and prioritize your local small businesses wherever possible.

❤️‍🔥 Have a cup of tea and be with community, check on your neighbors, and foster connection.

Tomorrow at the shop we will have Ghost offering Oracle Poetry Typewriting from 12-4pm; work with her to create spells that help carry you forward and connect to spirit as a source. Check out the wall of dry herbs to build a tea blend that soothes your heart and give yourself permission to move slowly. The shop space is here as a place where you can take a deep breath, share a conversation and know you're not alone, and get the tools you need for creating pleasure in whatever ways you can — because making space for pleasure is a radical act, and one of the best gifts you can give yourself and the world around you.

We firmly believe community is the crucial foundation for the ride ahead. We hope you'll consider joining us for our Community Tarot Circle Saturday night where we'll be navigating the realms of Seeing Dreams, where intuition and reality collide. We have 5 in person spots left and lots of digital space.  

We love you, and we've got this. 

With solidarity,

Rue + the Seagrape Witches 

A Bath Ritual for Honoring Tumultuous Times 

When self-care feels impossible or frivolous, challenge yourself to move gently through this bathing ritual. Remember that your pleasure is a survival strategy, and this work is a radical act of acceptance, self-honoring, and emotional regulation. This bath ritual will initiate a dance with grief, abundance, fear, and pleasure, allowing you to hold it all in one open palm.

For this spell, you will need:

• Black lava salt
• A palm-sized stone (preferably one who's spent time in the ocean or a river)
• Washcloth
• Geranium, vetiver, and bergamot essential oil (optional)
• Cleansing smoke (if within your practice)
• Any other supportive magical tools you need to create a container you feel safe in

Set aside at least two hours for the entirety of this ritual, preferably on a day where you have no other commitments. While the ritual itself can take as little or as much time as you like, you should allot at least an hour of time after the ritual to integrate, process, and just be in your body without expectation.

Gather your supplies and magical tools, and before you begin drawing your bath, cleanse your body and space with smoke. For babes with smoke sensitivities (or if smoke cleansing isn't within your practice), fill a dish with salt and leave it near your bath, light a white candle, or physically sweep the area to stir up stagnant energy and kindly ask it to leave.

Draw your bath, and greet the water as you would a river, lake, or ocean. Close your eyes and visualize the reservoir your water is coming from, the clouds that brought it there, and all the land it's touched on its way to you. Remember that water is constantly moving through your body—the water in your bath is just a visitor, and nothing you offer up in this space will linger forever. Water is transportive. Allow this elemental ally to envelope you for a little while, then let it all go.

Sprinkle your black lava salt in a circle around the edge of your bath, and call in any guides or protectors you may work with to help you hold a safe container. To finish off your bath, add in three drops of geranium, vetiver, and bergamot essential oil. Geranium balances the emotional body, vetiver soothes frayed nerves, and bergamot energizes the energetic field. Together, these plant allies weave a tender web of support to hold you through crisis. If you don't have these oils on hand, call on the spirits of these plants for support instead. Once your bath is done, leave an offering of water on your altar as thanks.

Slip into your bath, and soak until you begin to notice the way your body feels against the water. If self-massage feels good, dip your washcloth in the water and stroke your arms, legs, and belly in gentle motions. Call on your chosen stone friend for additional support and stability if you need it! Hold your stone over areas of your body that feel tender, heavy, or swollen with feeling and allow the stone to lovingly cocoon and transmute these feelings. Acknowledge whatever emotions you feel stirring, and say aloud, "I hear you, I feel your hurt, I'm here." When you're ready, open the drain and ask the water to whisk them away.

Aftercare is a wonderful idea after this bath ritual, even if this looks like simply re-filling your water bottle and putting on clean, soft clothes. Keep your stone ally close over the next few days, and remember that support is always nearby.