Greetings, fellow travelers. Nothing like showing up late and making a scene. Sigh. It’s been a while since I’ve written here, but at least I have an excuse (a good one, at least in my own mind). I did manage to turn in the draft of my upcoming book, Spinstress Craft. In the process, my editor at SageWoman has decided to convert my column into one more along the themes of the book…magick for independent womxyn. So, I’ve been brainstorming on that topic. When the relaunch of the column is more solid I’ll shout out. For now, my upcoming piece in the next issue is still themed about women and other animals (“Child of Artemis”).
In the meantime, life has rocketed on without me. This has been one hell of a year. Who could have known even one year ago what we would be facing? Even as a vaccine for this particular strain of COVID starts creeping out into the countryside, we know this will take a long time to heal. That’s not even mentioning how many loved ones have been lost in our midst, and the risk that remains. For those who turn to Biblical inspiration, I highly recommend Psalm 91. All of it. It specifically speaks to protection from seen and unseen threats, including “plagues.” Sure, it yangs when it should’ve yinned about god covering us with “his” protective wings (clearly the action of a mother bird). Sigh. Grumble. Yes, I was that kid in Sunday School. Still, it’s got angels. It’s got dragons (depending on the translation you’re dealing with, like KJV). What’s not to like? Think of me while you’re reading it.
I can’t believe it’s the holiday season. But it is, and there is a massive astrological phenomenon I feel like I should take time to contemplate. This is, of course, the “great conjunction” of Jupiter and Saturn as they leave Capricorn and enter Aquarius. The closeness of the two planets is going to be visible in the night sky, creating what some call “the Christmas star effect.”
Please note, I am not an astrologer. I don’t fully understand all the intricacies of my own birth sign, let alone the constant dance of the planets and stars or how they affect little ole me. I don’t even know all the lyrics to The Fifth Dimension’s song. Yet even someone who doesn’t know much about cars is going to notice if a parade of stretch limos rolls down their street. The astrological occurrence we now find ourselves in is an even bigger deal.
This event is a “conjunction” where the planets Jupiter and Saturn align really, really close to each other. In the first degree. In Aquarius, on winter solstice. The two planets are going to look like they are pretty much bumping into each other. Or, you know, going out for drinks. This happens more often with our moon and the planet Venus. Those two have a long-term regular thing. With Jupiter and Saturn, they flirt without closing the deal about every twenty years, seeing what’s up. But they don’t get together like this very darned often.
The last time this occurred was in the year 1623. The next time will be in 2080. I don’t think either of these events will occur on a solstice. In other words, it’s pretty damn rare. Other than that, what might it mean?
Here’s the part where you have to remember I play it pretty fast and loose with astrology. But, as a magickal practitioner, I have some basic ideas. Here’s what I think.
Here’s the deal. Jupiter is a planet of opportunity, manifestation and abundance. Saturn is the planet of the purge. Shadow work, cutting stuff off, getting rid of what doesn’t serve you. Together they make one big ass crisis/opportunity or crisitunity (for Simpsons fans). If you put them in the right order you can cut off and purge out what doesn’t serve you, then draw in what you dreamed of to fill in that open space.
Since this is occurring in Aquarius, an air sign, a lot of the action is going to be in the mental plane. Many believe this is also the beginning of the great “Age of Aquarius” in which we exit the age of Pisces, themed for the sacrifice of the rising and resurrecting god and enter Aquarius, age of spiritual openness, justice and equality. It’s interesting to note that there was indeed a similar conjunction around the time of Jesus Christ’s birth, which was believed to kick off said age of Pisces. The “Christmas star” followed by the Magi was an astrological event similar to what we will see in the sky over the next few days (around December 21). While these great ages of planetary history can’t be pinpointed, folks believe we are indeed going to be heading into the age of Aquarius, where our wars and political upheavals and hate crimes against one another (across species as well) are supposed to recede into something more just and kind. Here’s hoping.
Anyhow, back to the conjunction. All witchy folks know the mind is the most important magickal tool. “Energy follows thought,” as the Hermetic principles state. So, the extra mojo for our mental manifestations should be great. What we have to watch out for is the purge. We’ll be confronting low self-esteem, anxiety and addiction. We may face depression, insomnia, and generally feeling like shit. Some of us are considering all of 2020 that kind of process. It sure did feel that way.
Perhaps it will help to see this personal “purge” as housecleaning of that physical attic known as the brain. Any tools you already have to cope with this stuff, have them primed and ready. Exercise, meditation, affirmations, music, time with friends, lovers, mani-pedis, pets…whatever. Just be careful not to use coping that accidentally fuels your addictions.
Once you get through the purge, really think consciously about what you want to rent out that vacant space for. It’s the perfect time for those good ole New Year resolutions. Start thinking about them now! New relationship? New home? New job? More reciprocity? Better self-esteem? Make your lists.
The energy of the Winter Solstice, AKA Yule, will help you even more. The energy of the entire conjunction is already at play in this ancient holy day that millions of people still pour collective energy into.
First comes the longest night of the year (shadow/purge). Then, the days begin lengthening again. This is why the yearly milestone is celebrated as the “rebirth of the sun,” later Christianized as the rebirth of the son (Christmas). The return of light is seen as the return of all the other good stuff. Hope, peace, warmth, love…you know the drill.
Okay. Now for some practical advice. Part of my own experience of this purge energy has been literally to throw out or donate tons of stuff. I’ve been working at this for weeks. I’ve found it helpful to do periodical energy cleansings as well. I thought you might find these helpful during this crisitunity conjunction. Cleaning our environment is grounding. Grounding energy will be good for us to balance all that mental activity going on due to Aquarius. I mean, I think. Hey, at least you’ll come out of it with a clean house or car or what have you.
Besides physical cleaning is metaphysical cleaning. There are many options for this. In fact, I include several in my upcoming book. For now, let’s stick with really homespun stuff. Two of the basics are a spiritual/magickal floor wash, or burning an incense/smudge. If you do a lot of cooking you may already have everything you need to at least experiment with either of these techniques.
I’ll start with the wash. It may seem like a strange idea but think it over. You already know the value of cleaning and polishing areas of your home. Some of us value this more than others, but you get my drift.
You also probably know the value of a nice brewed beverage like coffee or tea. Many of us drink teas based on what herb they contain because we know all plants have a different purpose.
Okay, we’re there. A magickal wash is like a tea that you use to clean and bless your house. I keep calling it a floor wash because that’s my bias but you can use it to wipe down windows, doors, and just about any surfaces you want.
The typical advice for a floor wash is this: boil the dry ingredients in about a quart of water before straining into a clean bucket. It’s a lot like making tea. Keep them boiling at least twenty minutes. If you go longer, you will have a stronger scent but you may also have to add more water. Keep an eye on it. After boiling let it set a couple hours before straining.
From there, you can add optional ingredients like a quarter cup of white vinegar and perhaps some rose water or “Florida” water. You could add a few drops of an essential oil if desired. I like to drip in a tiny bit of hydrangea oil. This is a powerful little posy old timers used to break curses.
So, dealer’s choice and you’ll probably create your own signature floor wash if you like the idea. I tend to omit the vinegar. Remember, your floors and surfaces should really already be clean in the normal sense of the term. This wash is for energetic cleansing. You may want to wipe down the doorways to the home entrances and perhaps important rooms, like your boudoir. Then go to it mopping the floors. I keep a separate mop for this and replace it often, so it’s always a very cheap model. Same with the buckets unless you want to invest in good stainless steel. You can also put some of this blend in a spray bottle to help clean windows, other surfaces, or rugs.
Here’s a good starter recipe for a floor wash.
1/4 cup dry white sage or bay leaves
1/4 cup dry basil or mint (or a mix of each)
1/4 cup dry rosemary
1 tsp salt
1-2 cinnamon sticks
ten drops hydrangea, orange blossom, or rose absolute oil (optional)
If you’ve been dealing with some extra nasty energy, like if you feel you are being hated on in a mundane or magickal sense, add up to a teaspoon of pepper, either black or red (or mix). Juniper berries work for this also. You may even wish to do this extra step if you work in a high-stress environment (like medicine, social justice or crisis work…present company included) and feel you are bringing other people’s energy home. When you’re a compassionate soul those clingy negative vibes can be hard to kick.
You can do substitutions or omissions in a pinch. When you’re working with energies, your thoughts/intentions are the most important thing. As this brew is boiling, you can really improve its magickal function by saying a mantra over it periodically while stirring for a minute or two along the lines of, “May my home and my family be perfectly protected.” AKA praying. AKA casting a spell. I should note, there are magickal floor washes for sale on line, just like incense and smudge and absolutely everything. Not only is it more economical to make your own, I feel it increases the power of the tools because they are more connected to your own energy. But, here is a good floor wash I have bought before from a seller I like to support due to her work on the angelic realms.
Okay. Say you’re done with all your washing. Maybe you weren’t into that at all. Either way, another great step you can take involves burning an incense or smudge. Smoke is associated with the air element in magick just as often as the fire element. You see the smoke hanging in the air, after all. Therefore, it’s a great tool for working with the air element of Aquarius.
Many cultures have used a form of smoke/fire magick for purification. Nothing says purification like burning unwanted shit into ashes. Of course, we don’t have to go all-out. All we have to do is smudge!
A lot of the power of smoke has to do with our powers of scent, also. We all know that scents can change a mood. Fresh baked cookies, freshly laundered blankets, our favorite perfume, and more.
To keep your energy cleanse super simple, you can use a stick of incense in your fave fragrance. Palo Santo wood has also become popular. It’s like burning a really fat match. You can find it really easily online.
For me, a bundle of herbs for smudge is the way to go. It’s also a relationship to a certain kind of plant. As such it is even more grounding in the earth element. Grounding into earth always helps with personal safety. No trauma, no drama, no other-people’s-shit. The smudge sticks shown here are mugwort and sage.
Burning smudge takes a little practice. It’s probably a bit like having a giant cigarette to deal with. You want to have an ashtray of sorts, and probably a cup of water in case things get out of hand. After you snuff it out you want to keep an eye on it a while to make sure it doesn’t reignite. I always keep mine stored in a fireproof cup just in case. There’s very rarely any problem. Once is a while I do notice it’s smoking up and tamp it out again.
If I haven’t scared you out of it, you can buy smudge sticks at metaphysical shops or make them yourself. One of my best friends, Gwen, makes them every year. I really respect her earth magick so I asked her advice. She said she likes to harvest and wrap them with twine or thread on a full moon. The same way I suggested you think a prayer or mantra while stirring the floor wash, she says she makes sure to visualize the work she wants to do with these smudge bundles while she is wrapping them. She then hangs them to dry in paper bags. I will have to ask her to do a tutorial on this next summer, when you could actually go outside and try it. I believe she made me the mugwort bundle in this photo.
I also burn a lot of homemade incense that needs to be sprinkled on coals. You can buy these types of little coal discs from the shops that sell incense. For me, using some coals from my woodstove is easiest. I therefore tend to burn the stuff only in winter. What I have pictured here is red willow bark, which is also called sacred tobacco (AKA Nespihqamq) by the Wabanaki first nations folks here in the area. It’s a protective, calming herb that can also be inhaled (smoked) to combat stress and insomnia. I have only used it as a smudge. It’s protective like sage and has a milder scent. It’s kind of like very mild pipe tobacco as an overall effect. If you have sage in your kitchen, remember you can burn it over coals and get the same effect as a smudge stick.
So, that’s about all I have for grounding and centering while we wait for 2020 and this grand conjunction to work their collective boot out of our nether regions. Despite all of this, I do wish everyone who reads this a peace filled respite at the holiday season. May we all emerge to an increasingly better world which we have populated with all our dearest wishes and dreams. Much love.
