Monthly Columns

As Above So Below (How the Stars Became Our Hearts)

Shedding Light Upon Shadow

 

 

Happy October! Tis the season… to delve deep into our shadows.

The shadows have been very prominent than ever this year. Many of us have faced a lot of pain and fear, and are in need of help through dark times. Like in the popular poem Footprints in the Sand, during the hardest times are when we have to recognize we don’t have the power without help from our spirit guides, whoever that is in your particular path.

When we are faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles, it leaves us no other choice but to put our faith in something higher. There hasn’t been an obstacle more universal and insurmountable as Covid-19. Forcing everyone in the world to examine these shadows. It’s no mistake by the gods that this October is going to pull all the shadows to the surface. The Blue Moon on Samhain being a peak to many of the energies being felt in this time.

This is a time to look at the shadows. To realize the wildfires are making space for new growth. In the yin and yang balance, even the things we don’t like are important for the betterment of the world as a whole. Even Covid-19 and the chaos it has caused worldwide, is ultimately necessary for the growth of our species. The intellectual advancement felt by those forced to sit and wait. Sitting with a deeper understanding of the universe. An awakening of the world on mass scale. A ripple that will be felt after the powers that be give way. This winter of humanity will cause the next generations to be way more cautious dealing with nature.

Moving into the new lunar year, I invite you to give reverence to this year. For us who have grown and haven’t suffered, it will be like a Pagan passover. 

On Samhain, the veil between our world and the next is at it’s thinnest, making journeying to the spirit realm much easier. That with the added power of the the blue moon in Taurus is a great time to redecorate your temple inside and out. This October is a great time for the Psychedelic Witch to challenge their depths. Start to analyze the traumas you’ve been hiding from, and confront your inner saboteur. Realize the problems you’ve only covered out, and really dig deep and clean out the basement.

Society teaches us to hide from our demons. Keep everything secret and wear a mask. This is a toxic behavior. Entheogens bring us face to face with our deepest fears. Which, as witches, we need to learn to face head on, and not to cower from. We must shine a light on the darkness. Accept it, and release it to the universe to truly begin the process of healing. The process can be painful, but consider it the labor pains of the birth of your new self. During this time, our spirit guides will be close by, and ready to aid us as we conquer our inner foes.

Ask yourself, what do you want to be better about yourself after this experience? What have you learned about your path during the pandemic? Are there any past traumas you haven’t dealt with? Are there any issues I need to address in current relationships? You’ll find your traumas actually define you and give you power. This is a good time to ask those closest to you about any toxic behaviors you make be exhibiting without knowing. This is a powerful season in the growth of man, and the revival of the witch. I time for all of us to really neat our gifts, and refine that which gives us strength.

This is a great time to connect with Dark Goddessess such as Kali Ma, The Morrigan, and Hekate. Consider working with them to illuminate and eliminate the obstacles to your enlightenment. Use the moons of October to boost your Magick. Use a meditation ritual on mushrooms if available. Dreams will be more vivid and contain deeper messages. This October will be an ethereal wonderland, be ready to have your mind tuned to the frequency.

When dealing with these energies, things may seem chaotic, and at times even negative. At these times, trust the universe. It’s like any healing procedure, painful in the short term, but beautiful of terms of lasting growth and change. Much like with addiction, on the other end of withdrawal is true freedom. Deep down, we’re addicted to whatever it is about our lives that brings us down. The only way to change it is to cut it out swiftly. Take the initial pain and get to healing and being a better you. Get yourself ready to step into your power this new year! 

When you really start to deconstruct all the negative parts of your life, out of the dust, you start to see beauty. You start to see your true power. You begin manifesting your destiny. Yout relationship to the universe becomes more clear, and you’re able to see that negativity is just as essential to your well-being, and the health of the universe as would be positive phenomena. You’ll learn that it you let go, the things you perceive as negative don’t even have to be painful.

Entheogens teach us that everything in the universe is borrowed, and that nothing is deserved. The times we are without the things we need shed light on the blessed times new world otherwise ignore, and make the good times feel all the more better. You start to realize a pattern, that all the things your really cherish in your life wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for another negative event in your life. As you dig deeper and deeper into your shadows, you start to see the bigger picture. You see that everything is connected, and more importantly, necessary for life to exist. We would be poorly equipped to appreciate anything in this life without the bitter yearning, and working towards that goal. Take the bull by the horns this October. Face your biggest fears, and blossom into the best version of yourself. In next months issue, We’ll take a closer look at these dark shadows, and learn how to transmute them into weapons for positivity and growth in your life.

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About the Author:

Alexiel Raynes is a shaman, philosopher, and musician from Louisville, Ky. He has studied religion and science for over 20 years. His spiritual path focuses on self realization, the liberation of the constraints of the mind on consciousness. He also studies plant medicines and their use in indigenous cultures world wide. He is fascinated with exploring the world beyond the veil of mainstream western science, and postulates at what lies beyond general consensus reality. He, together with his wife Hallie Walker are the owners of Saol Bandia, a holistic herbal apothecary based in their hometown. They are also very active in raising pagan awareness in their community, and helping give witches the courage to stand up to a world that has forgotten our ways.