During this pandemic, and being forced to remain indoors during the smoke and fires of the West Coast, I was having lots of emotional and spiritual visitors of the past. These are things I feel like I have long forgotten, or apparently buried for survival. This is akin to the Seven of Cups in the minor arcana of Tarot. I like to refer to this as the compartmentalizing card; where one needs to put some emotional things up on the shelf to survive. It isn’t really about denying them, but more so the need to manage and not being fully able to comprehend what is going on.
I performed a ritual in the bath where I entered what I call the “grey space”; a place for psychopomps to walk and things move about. Once I was in this trance-like state (described in the ritual below), I invited Santa Muerte, whom I like to teasingly call “Lady Death” to help me during this process. I did this because I have already had problems navigating the feelings that have arisen during this last moon cycle.
In my case, all of this it was brought on by the appearance of my dead lover in my kitchen a few days before trying to chat with my current, living partner. It’s odd to say the least, but more so it was a relationship that caused lots of pain and trauma and had no closure. I have spent years understanding how I ended up there and what lesson I learned from it all. What I didn’t expect to find in this bath ritual was all of the buried pain that I had to push down to survive. My only explanation of it was having to make some space in my heart. This was taking up precious real estate that I don’t easily give over to people, and since I have Chiron in aspect with Venus in the 12th house, this was and still is my time to do so. Pluto is going to go direct October 5th.
All that fire, all that pain.
Perhaps the visit from my ex through this thinning veil was more about me than them not being able to move on? I had to do some serious inventory here and allow the crystals and trance-like state to bring up these feelings to even expose them. I needed help getting rid of them because my growth as a partner will depend on it.
Once I had identified this pain, I noticed it sitting on my heart, like a scar. It felt foreign and not meant to be there. I asked Santa Muerte to help me, in which she confirmed simply as pain. I asked her to take it from me and she willingly did.
I then energetically removed my old skin, and handed it off to her to throw onto the pile to burn.
I invite you to do the same.
I’m 2 degrees Aries for my natal sun sign. I do lots of work in the bath because of this Pisces/Aries cusp and really enjoy the energy of working with both fire and water elements and energies. Due to the nature of this particular Harvest Full Moon in Aries today, on October 1st with a Mars and Saturn square during Mars Retrograde, and conjunct Chiron. Thus, it is recommended to perform this ritual with these two elements included. I would suggest the ultimate crystal to use would be a Rhodochrosite, what I like to refer to as the “little bacon bits” of the crystal world. Its is both gentle and direct, with large energy shifts, little emotional pain, and it is kind on the heart. Another stone that shares the elemental properties of rhodochrosite, is Pink Apricot Agate (Pink Carnelian). If you don’t have any of those, this can also be done with a rose quartz and something like a Fire Agate or perhaps take a bath with Balm of Gilead or Basil. The point here is to get some help from some of our witchy allies to move some energy through your heart, and out for good.
You will also need a clean wash cloth or loofah, and some calming scented soap or body wash.
The Ritual:
This ritual was one I performed earlier this month, but I am prepping to take some time to do this sometime before October 3rd. That said, this ritual can be performed at anytime you feel the need to do it, but perhaps choose an alignment and day that fits with your workings.
Grab your crystals or herbs and fill a bath (this can also be done in a shower or a private outdoor lake/river). Focus on grounding yourself before entering the water. You may experience some big feels with this meditative ritual, so it is important to come into it knowing where you are emotionally at. Light some incense and play some meditative background music if that helps you.
Enter the water and place the crystals on your heart and allow yourself to just be. If you are using herbs, sprinkle them into the bathwater. Try to quiet your mind of your worries and day.
Allow yourself to access the “grey space”. This space is a trance like experience, where you are sort of half-in and half out. Some ways to reach this state is to candle gaze, scrying with an obsidian ball or mirror, or even scry into the calm bathwater. What is beautiful about this space is that is gives you a position of viewing what is going on and not necessarily emotionally going through it. I like to work with specific deities in this space, especially those that handle volatile shifts. Kali, Hecate, Santa Muerte, Lillith, are some ideas of whom to work with.
As the feelings and memories come up, allow yourself to view them where you are now. Don’t react. Just feel and move through them. Try and identify what this feels like. If you can place it, ask for assistance in letting it go. Confirm with yourself that you no longer need it.
Grab your soap and washcloth (or other scrubbing items) and start from the top of your head working your way down to your toes taking care of avoiding your eyes. Pulling down your old skin and collecting down with the bottom of your feet. When you are finished imagine scooping up this old skin, and handing it off to your beloved dark goddess to transform that you just can’t understand. Ask them to take it from you because you don’t need it anymore. You could also send it down the drain, or energetically burn it. Use whatever technique fits with you and your practice.
As Above, So Below. So mote it be.
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During this pandemic, and being forced to remain indoors during the smoke and fires of the West Coast, I was having lots of emotional and spiritual visitors of the past. These are things I feel like I have long forgotten, or apparently buried for survival. This is akin to the Seven of Cups in the […] -
During this pandemic, and being forced to remain indoors during the smoke and fires of the West Coast, I was having lots of emotional and spiritual visitors of the past. These are things I feel like I have long forgotten, or apparently buried for survival. This is akin to the Seven of Cups in the […] -
During this pandemic, and being forced to remain indoors during the smoke and fires of the West Coast, I was having lots of emotional and spiritual visitors of the past. These are things I feel like I have long forgotten, or apparently buried for survival. This is akin to the Seven of Cups in the […] -
“All that fire, all that pain.
Perhaps the visit from my ex through this thinning veil was more about me than them not being able to move on? I had to do some serious inventory here and allow the crystals and trance-like state to bring up these feelings to even expose them. I needed help getting rid of them because my growth as a partner will depend on it.
Once I had identified this pain, I noticed it sitting on my heart, like a scar. It felt foreign and not meant to be there. I asked Santa Muerte to help me, in which she confirmed simply as pain. I asked her to take it from me and she willingly did.
I then energetically removed my old skin, and handed it off to her to throw onto the pile to burn.
I invite you to do the same.”
New writing today for a full moon ritual by yours truly, Erika Fortner of #thehouseoftwigs Q. Meb – Queen Meb and Keven Craft Rituals – ‘Kəvən
Chiron, Saturn, and Mars; A Ritual to Shed Your Skin with the Full Moon
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During this pandemic, and being forced to remain indoors during the smoke and fires of the West Coast, I was having lots of emotional and spiritual visitors of the past. These are things I feel like I have long forgotten, or apparently buried for survival. This is akin to the Seven of Cups in the […]
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