New Moon in Aries, March 24th,
2020
Happy New Moon, babes!
Here we are at the end of March, stepping briskly into Aries season... and the unknown.
This time is ripe for your creative fire: have you been thinking about starting a new project, a new business, making a painting, organizing in community, hosting a zoom game night?! Let that creativity nurture you through this difficult time, allowing the old to roll off you revealing something completely new. Anything is possible, you just have to be willing to break through the soil, through the layers you've been hiding under to greet the
sunshine.
Taking a cue from the plant world, try sitting with the tiny shoots coming up in Spring and watch them, learn from their bravery. To trust that it is possible to emerge from the unknown and be held by the cycles of life, the unwavering patterns we are built into- exactly like nature. You've got this.
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THE SOLACE OF RITUAL IN A TIME OF CHANGE AND UNCERTAINTY
With so much changing from day to day right now, even hour to hour, it can feel like we have little control over what might happen next and that can feel deeply unsettling. Maintaining and protecting our personal rituals can bring solace in times like these—and much-needed joy. If any given circumstance necessitates altering one of the rituals we hold dear, we can look for ways to creatively continue, modifying it just as much as necessary. Whether it is meditating
in front of an altar or candle, doing a daily Tarot spread to check in with our intuition, or taking a long, quiet bath or shower to cleanse and soothe both body and soul, these rituals keep us grounded and centered in our bodies and mindful of our need for self-devotion, self-care and pleasure.
Perhaps you are feeling called to bring more ritual to your day to day for the sweet medicine and the insights this can bring. Here is one idea—and we would love to hear from you about the ways in which ritual is serving you right now. Light a candle; any candle will do, but we recommend one of the lovely Magic Hour candles—perhaps Clearing, Protection, or Peace. If you have rose quartz, hold this in your hands as you sit comfortably in front of the candle. Rose quartz is the stone of love—for
self, for community, for the Earth and more—and this is something we need to call in right now. Incense is a lovely way to clear and set your ritual space; Sacred Blessing incense sticks from Herbal Moon Apothecary are wonderful for this.
Now, sitting comfortably (or in whatever position works best for you) take a few long, deep breaths to slow down and settle into your body. As you continue to breathe in and out slowly and deeply, feeling the air fill your lungs and expand your heart, repeat the following—aloud if you are able—as many times as serves you in the moment:
I call in love and harmony, for me and my community.
I call in comfort and serenity, for me and my community.
I breathe in peace and breathe out fear,
I call in protection for all I hold dear.
We would love to hear from you, sweet love, about the rituals that are most meaningful to you right now.
MARCH MAGIC REFLECTED IN VIOLET
The new moon—also referred to as the dark moon—invites us to look to home and self, paying attention to how we can better nurture ourselves and tend to our own wellbeing by listening to our inner wisdom, our intuition. It can also be a time where that which no longer serves us falls away and other things are born. Collectively, we can feel this happening with the speed, energy and fire of Aries, during which this new moon arrives—on a Tuesday, no less, the
day of the week that is ruled by Aries.
We can bring a gentle richness into this Aries New Moon season by looking, in the spirit of the Spring Equinox, to the abundant color and delicate beauty of the violet. Up to thirty different species of violet are native to the Pacific Northwest where Seagrape is located, but with hundreds more species, there is a good chance that there are violets working their magic where you are, too. Considered a symbol of hope and with leaves that are often
heart-shaped, a handful of violets on our altar—or in our garden—remind us to find moments to look inward, to breathe deeply and to reflect on what we are grateful for. As we do, we can feel our hearts expand and open, like the soft petals of the violet.
Violets are also edible flowers! Try adding them to your salad or drink to invite the plant's beauty into your life right now. Remember to slow down enough to remember what brings you pleasure, and cultivate it.
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FALL IN LOVE WITH YOURSELF ALL OVER AGAIN
It almost feels like the Seagrape motto—Turn self care into a love affair—was inspired for what we are experiencing right now. This is a time when we need to double down on this as a promise to ourselves that we honor above all else. Self love and self care not only bring joy and pleasure, they also ensure that we'll be better able to show up for the daily commitments in our lives, even as those shift in unexpected ways.
In addition to cultivating and honoring the self-care rituals that you already hold dear, here are some other things that we have found particularly nurturing right now:
- Put on your favorite playlist, get cozy and write yourself a passionate love letter. Hold onto it and open it when you know the moment is right.
- Say sweet things to yourself throughout the day. Whether you're feeling playfully naughty or poetically romantic, don't hold back.
- Leave a flower, your favorite chocolate or a new candle on top of a fresh towel next to the bath that you'll know all day is waiting for you.
- Keep drinking warm beverages—especially soothing and nourishing teas—even as the days grow longer and the weather warms. Witches and healers have long known the comforting effects of just holding a cup of warm tea or coffee in our hands—especially if it happens to be in our favorite mug. That
delicious tea or coffee blend that you're never sure you should be spending money on? Splurge and treat yourself.
- Order an April Community Supported Witch (CSW) kit all about pleasure and trusting your inner compass.
WORKSHOPS & EVENTS
We are temporarily moving our classes to ZOOM, join us from anywhere around the world! If/ when we are allowed to return to Sweet Magic you will still be able to join via ZOOM if you're not local.
Have you read our new blog yet?!
Transformation is a gift we have as witches, healers, pleasure seekers, community activists, parents, lovers, seekers, dreamers, and pragmatic thinkers. It is that magical ability to receive, blend, and transmute that which is given into an essence that is powerful and life giving, no matter if the original materials were broken or marred. It is the alchemist, the Temperance card, it is trauma work, it is compost. It is our closest ability to photosynthesis, to
take energy and turn it into beauty and nourishment. This is taught to us in so many ways by our community of humans, animals, and plants around us, each bringing their own perspective on how to interact with their environment and tend their loved ones.
Read more...
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