education

How Witches Deal with “the Question That Illuminates Your Life”

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“That’s it. I’m done!” That’s what I want to say about the depression symptoms I deal with.

If you have clinical depression, you may have heard a therapist say that “depression is defined as a low mood or loss of pleasure or interest in activities for long periods of time. This is different from regular mood changes and feelings about everyday life.”

However, one day, an idea, like a bright light, bloomed in my mind.

“My depression symptoms give me compassion for others. When someone is going through pain, I can understand. Because I go through that every day.”

I experience suffering, and I can empathize with and understand some form of how others feel. This means that I often listen well to people who express their feelings.

Each person’s journey is different. And yet, we all go through some versions of pain.

I have three insights for you.

1. The power is in the question.

If you’re stuck in a rigid mindset, you may miss out.

So, what is the question that illuminates your life?

This question is: How are you not honoring the divinity the Gods placed in you?

Depression symptoms want me to stay in bed and suffer.

But that would not honor the Gods, my husband, my parents, or my friends. So, I get out of bed.

And, sometimes earlier because my cat, Magick, swats me on the forehead. “Get Up!”

He needs his insulin shot and food. But that’s not his order of priority.

How can you honor the Gods by choosing different actions to take?

2. Honoring is to use the gifts you have been given.

What gifts have the Gods given you?
Perhaps, you’re suffering right now. Blessings to you.

And…

You’re likely reading this. So, you can see.
How can you honor the gift of seeing?
See something beautiful.
Visit with a friend. See their face.

You can think. Honor the Gods by thinking of something kind you can do for another human being…or pet…

How can you act to fulfill your gifts given by the Gods?

3. Ask the Goddess for insight and energy.

Here is a prayer you can use.

Lovely Lady,
Give me the Element Fire’s energy and passion,
Give me the wisdom of Air, to know who I am.
Wrap me in the flow of Water’s intuition,
With Earth’s strong foundation of Your grace.
So Mote It Be.

May these insights support your path.

Blessed Be,
Moonwater

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How Witches Escape Being Stuck in a Dark Life

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“Why is this not changing?” I said. I was using Adobe Photoshop to create an image with golden light. But it wasn’t golden. It was puke gray. Is puke ever gray? (It depends on what you eat.)

I recently read a quote:

“Curiosity was my antidote to fear” – Tina Wells

I have three insights for you.

1. Curiosity changes your focus.

How much of your day is run by fear? Are you afraid of arriving late for work?

Do you dread talking to a co-worker who may criticize your work yet again?

Being full of fear is an awful rut.
My friend Stephen works at a terrible job. But he wonders each day, “How will I have a chance to be kind to someone today?”

This gives him purpose. It changes his focus.

Imagine that you hold curiosity. You can change your focus to: “How will there be some good moments today?”

The birth and rebirth of all nature,
The passing of winter and spring,
We share with the life universal,
Rejoice in the magical ring.       – Doreen Valiente

We, witches, can manifest real change.

Imagine that you can cast a spell on your next hour.
What would you like to create in your life?

Would you like to manifest:

  • Prosperity
  • Wealth (prosperity and wealth are not the same. Kristina Kuprina, Founder & CEO, Sequoia Wealth Advisors, explains. “Money is one of the tools you use to build the life you want. Prosperity is your health, your relationships, and your connection to a sense of purpose.”)
  • Fulfillment
  • Change (whether it be in your work life or something else)

We, witches, can create positive change for ourselves and others.

2. Curiosity opens a door.

The author Tom Marcoux says, “Curiosity opens the door to learning.”
Is that true?
And that question is a starting point for my curiosity.

I aim to be curious about many things in my daily life. Curiousness helps me see things I might have not seen before and in a new light. Something scary might become fascinating.

How can curiosity change how you see a situation?

3. Ask the Goddess to support your curiosity.

Here is a prayer you can use.

Goddess,
Release me from being stuck in a rut.
Guide my curiosity to release myself from the mud of life.
Light my path with new insight.
So Mote It Be.

May these insights support your path.

Blessed Be,
Moonwater

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How Witches Fill an Inner Need

/ Moonwater / 2 Comments

At night, I cannot eat enough. What?

Have you had this experience? You eat something—something good like a dessert.

Then it’s chips.
Soda.
Cookies.
Cashews.
Peanut butter M&Ms.

(Not you? Am I alone here?)

Recently, I said, “You can’t satisfy an inner need with outer stuff.”

(But I’m willing to try.)

I have three insights for you.

1. What is your inner need?

    Some researchers suggest that we are 95% motivated by things in our subconscious mind.

    So how do you make the subconscious stuff visible to your conscious mind?

    You can meditate and ask the Gods about some of the driving factors.

    But, one of the most important things is to observe your actions.  

    Ever open a cupboard door looking for something to eat?

    You know that hunger—that no matter how much you eat—is never satisfied? Just close that cupboard door.

    It’s Halloween time in the United States. Or for us witches Samhain.
    How do you feel when you see the green-skinned, cackling caricature of a “so-called witch”?

    What does this cackling, green caricature need? Popcorn?

    Chocolate? Definitely chocolate.

    Let’s pull back. Away from that… What could be the inner need?

    Wanting comfort.

    So, how would you like to be comforted?

    (I do rely on my coffee in the morning…)

    2. Step on the path of “centered and whole.”

    Have you attended a ritual with other witches and felt at home?

    Or…

    You’re a solitary witch and your personal ritual came together well. You felt calm, but also invigorated!

    To get to “centered and whole” you need to push away distractions.

    So, what is distracting you?

    3. Ask the Goddess for clarity in the face of distractions.

    To me, cookies, pastries, and other treats are a plea for comfort. What about you?

    Here is a prayer you can use.

    Goddess, clear my mind,
    Free me from the mud of distracting thoughts and feelings.
    Flush me clean with the spring waters of Your love.
    Hold me close with Your arms around me.
    So Mote It Be.

    May these insights support your path.

    Blessed Be,
    Moonwater

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    How Witches Take the Necessary Step to Receive Divine Guidance

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    I was 18 years old, and I got married. I was more running away from my parents than running towards a life with my 18-year-old husband. No, I was not pregnant.

    It is decades since my divorce. When I reflect on the process, I realize there is no way forward without letting go of shackles.

    I have three insights for you.

    1. Abandon what is “Not good enough.”

      My parents will keep watching a mediocre film. On the other hand, my current husband will turn to me and ask, “Is this film working for you?” If something is not good enough, he will let it go.

      Is there something or someone in your life that isn’t good enough?

      2. Abandon forcing something.

      When I knew my marriage had to end, I dreaded my parents’ disapproval. Still, I moved forward with ending the marriage.

      But there were months that I tried to force the marriage to work. That was useless.

      Are you trying to force something?

      3. Ask the Gods for intuition.

      I’ve learned to listen to my intuition. This is where I receive Divine Guidance.

      Here is a prayer you can use.

      Lord and Lady,
      Open the door to my intuition,
      Quiet down my fear,
      Help me step forward on my path.
      So mote it be.

      May these insight support your path.

      Blessed Be,
      Moonwater

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      How Witches Create Magick — When There’s No Fortune in Their Fortune Cookie

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      Oww! It felt like a loss. My fortune cookie was empty. I found no slip of paper that promised, “Your dream will definitely come true.”

      Damn.

      Now what?

      I have three insights for you.

      1. Write your own fortune.

      I wrote my own fortune: “The Gods give us a great fortune including a great car.”
      That’s right. My husband and I need a replacement car.

      I suggest that you write your own fortune. When you write that fortune, it’s like composing a simple magickal spell.

      So, what “fortune” do you want?

      2. Realize that you’re a co-creator with the universe.

      Does the God and Goddess give you good fortune? Yes. And, you need to take action, too.

      “All acts of love and pleasure are My rituals. Therefore, let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.” ― The Goddess in The Charge of the Goddess, written by Doreen Valiente

      What action do you need to take to move your life forward? What can make your life better?

      3. Ask the Goddess for good fortune.

      Here is a prayer you can use.

      Goddess,
      Guide me to my healthy desires.
      Help me fulfill my destiny,
      Open the doors to good fortune for me.
      So Mote it be.

      May these insights support your path.

      Blessed Be,
      Moonwater

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      How Witches Uncover the Hidden Gift

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      Just as I got two-thirds of the way across an intersection, a green car raced straight at my car. I floored the accelerator pedal. Crash! The guy’s car smashed into the back of my car.

      This guy had run a red light. Then, he compounded it. He gunned his engine and raced from the scene of the accident. A hit-and-run driver.

      At the ER, that afternoon, I got examined and received medications. I said to the doctor, “I think I’m okay.”

      “You will hurt more tomorrow,” the doctor said.

      A classic idea is: When you endure suffering, there is a gift to be found.

      Really?

      What I got was pain and lost time.

      I have insights for you.

      1. You define the gift.

      At first glance, I could not find anything good connected to the accident. But later, my husband asked me, “You’re the one who defines the gift. What could be a gift to you?”

      I replied, “I think fast on my feet.”

      That was an insight that rose in my thoughts.

      Often, my depression symptoms have me hyper-critical about myself.

      But my quick reaction, which saved my car from major damage was new evidence. Yes. “I think fast on my feet.”

      That’s a good realization. A supportive one to help me through my days.

      Is it possible that you can define a gift after you endure something painful?

      2. Sometimes, the gift is for someone in your circle.

      Have you ever gone through an experience that hurt—but later, you were able to be compassionate toward someone? Perhaps, you were the one person who could understand their pain.

      So, the gift of the suffering might make you a deeper person. Someone more compassionate. You gain wisdom from an experience that you did not want. With such wisdom, you can serve others.

      What suffering in your life can help you or others in the future?

      3. Ask the Goddess for Her insight.

      Here is a prayer you can use.

      Goddess,
      Let my painful experiences
      Be the torch that lights the way
      For me and others to grow this day.
      So Mote It Be.

      May these insights support your path.

      Blessed Be,
      Moonwater

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      How Witches Escape Self-Hatred

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      I couldn’t breathe. I swallowed swimming pool water. My 10-year-old brother kept his feet on top of me. I was 6 years old and terrified.

      What could a 10-year-old boy feel that he wanted to terrorize his little sister?

      Recently, I realized that the people I grew up around used judgments like knives to cut me.
      You get cut enough, and you bleed out.
      Also, you get cut enough—you internalize those shards of glass made of judgments against yourself.

      Some people talk about a committee of voices in your head. Many of the voices hate you. What happens? Much of that can turn into self-hatred.

      I have three insights for you.

      1. Survive when you compartmentalize.

      Sometimes, to function, I need to put certain thoughts off to the side. For example, I’ll recall something I said that embarrassed me. If I allow this one negative thought to overrun my life, I won’t get to the facility where my parents live. And I won’t get my mom to her doctor appointment on time.

      I will not let that happen. I do what I must.

      Do you find yourself doing that, too? Do you compartmentalize sometimes?

      Compartmentalizing is only a temporary tactic. I find that I must talk through what bothers me with someone I trust. … when appropriate.

      My audio books now available on Audible.com

      2. Proclaim: “I interrupt this broadcast” and stamp your foot.

      Recently, a friend told me about a method that works for several people. When you think of a disempowering thought, you stamp your foot and say, “I interrupt this broadcast.” You are interrupting the thought that showed up in your brain.

      You do a physical action to disrupt the trance of negative thinking. Dealing with my depression symptoms, I realize that using a positive disruptive pattern helps me shift my focus.

      Here is an example. I think, “Damn. I shouldn’t have said, ‘I can’t do that.’”
      Then I say, “I interrupt this broadcast.” I stamp my foot on the ground.
      (This shifts my focus.)

      Do you need to shift your focus from habitual negative thinking?

      3. Ask the Goddess to help you shift your focus.

      Here is a prayer you can use.

      Goddess,
      Help me shift my focus
      From helpless to helpful,
      From self-anger to self-love.
      From fearful to fearless!
      So Mote It Be.

      May these insights support your path.

      Blessed Be,
      Moonwater

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      How Witches Elevate Their Experience of Gratitude

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      When I first felt the presence of the God, time stopped.
      I felt different. Empowered. With a whole new peaceful experience.

      I was grateful.

      As we get near the time of Mabon, it’s valuable to talk about gratitude.

      Here are three insights.

      1. Set a Morning Intention of Gratitude

      My friend, Stephanie, sets an intention at night. “I am grateful, full of energy, and filled with peace.”

      Then, when she wakes up, her first thought is her intention. After months of practice, this uplifting intention is a morning “reflex” for her.

      What intention would empower you in the morning?

      2. Transform your suffering into a gift.

      At one point, my spleen was destroying my platelets. (In your blood, the platelet creates blood clots so you do not bleed out.) I found myself truly miserable for 30 days in a hospital. The solution? They removed my spleen. I’m grateful to be alive.

      My husband was terrified. He did not want to show any uncertainty on his face. He wanted it to look like he had full confidence in the anesthesiologist and the surgeon. He wanted me to be in a strong, positive mental mindset of certainty. So, I would be sure to come out of surgery well and strong.

      Yeah. Well. I thought it looked like he did not care. (That was such a wrong assumption!) He had so much fear in him. But I couldn’t see any concern on his face. I felt sad.

      My husband said, “As soon as the doors closed, tears ran down my face. I was terrified.”

      I later said to my husband, “Show me your tears!”

      So, I suffered. My husband suffered. How the heck is there a gift in any of this? I am alive. I am healthy. My husband and I are still on this planet together. 25 years. I am very grateful.

      Also, he has learned an important lesson. “Show me your tears!”

      Has a moment of suffering later helped you learn a valuable lesson?

      3. Ask the Goddess for help to shift to gratitude.

      Here is a prayer you can use.

      O Lord and Lady,
      Help me see my gifts and blessings.
      Shift my thoughts from fear
      To gratitude.
      So Mote It Be.

      May these insights support your path.

      Blessed Be,
      Moonwater

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      How Witches Identify and Fulfill Their Soulful Need

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      “When have you felt happy?”
      “I don’t like that question,” I thought.
      Why do I have a problem with that question?
      Let’s pause.
      Do you clearly know what makes you happy? Are you getting it? Have you settled? Or given up?
      Maybe, you’re similar to me. You just feel tired.
      My cat just leaped into my lap. I’m hugging him. Okay, I’m feeling happy.
      But that’s not the whole story.
      For one thing, he just shoved his tail into my face. I sneeze.

      I have three insights for you.

      1. Shift from What can I get? to Why am I here?

      “What can I get?” is often connected to survival mode. Have you noticed that kids sense the competition that’s going on?

      You have to push to get what you want.
      It can feel exhausting.

      In 2012, I received from the God and Goddess the directive “start a blog.” What? With my dyslexia?
      I started the blog anyway. I get a lot of help.
      But at the beginning, I did not know how things would go.
      Recently, I’m thinking about “Why am I here?”
      My thoughts include: “I’m here to support others in their learning and their individual path.”
      Some of my favorite moments with my blog posts and podcast episodes include:

      1. I appreciate hearing from readers.
      2. I like discovering new topics and ways to synergize ideas and learnings.
      3. I like editing my podcast episodes. I like the moments when an interesting assembly happens. For example, I’ll assemble the first part of one sentence and then use part of my second take to make things sound right.

      When I’m doing my blog posts and podcast episodes, I feel connected to “Why am I here?”
      How about you? When do you feel on purpose? This is part of your Soulful Need.

      2. Sometimes, your Soulful Need is connected to release from something that shackles you.

      At times, fear shackles me.
      I find that I feel free of fear when I am doing my blog and podcast work, and I have a team member supporting me. So, my experience of freedom from fear is connected to “taking action while receiving support.” That’s a true revelation for me.

      What do you need a release from?

      Old ideas? Thoughts of limitation? An old identity? (For example, family members can try to hold someone as cemented to an old role of “the shy one.” … The truth is: You can be shy and still be an actor. I know someone like that.)

      3. Have you given up a “positive expectation”?

      I went to college because I wanted to be an animator using a computer. You know, someone who works at Pixar.
      I am working with someone now so I can do some animated characters. (Groundwork is happening for that.)

      I have not given up on the possibilities of animating material.
      Have you become so tired that you have given up on having any “positive expectations”?
      Your Soulful Need can arise as you answer questions like:

      • What would feel delightful?
      • What might cause me to stretch and grow?
      • What could be a positive possibility for me?

      Your Soulful Need is connected to the divinity the God and Goddess placed within you.

      Here is a prayer you can use:

      God and Goddess,
      Lead me to delightful discoveries.
      Help me fulfill my Soulful Need with ease.
      Show me the way to untold possibilities.
      So Mote It Be.

      May these insights support your path.

      Blessed Be,
      Moonwater

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      How Witches Use the Missing Piece to Elevate Coven Members

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      “She just wouldn’t listen to me,” my friend, Angie, said, of her coven member, Nancy.

      I reflected on this. In a coven, both a leader and a member need listening skills. But more than that, they need something that reveals authentic care and concern.

      Here are three insights.

      1. Focus on Genuine Curiosity not only “Listening Skills.”

      Have you heard this? “You need to nod, be quiet, and ask follow-up questions.”

      Okay. That is helpful. But people can see past empty gestures.

      Here is the Missing Piece to elevating coven members: Go to the place in yourself of Genuine Curiosity.

      My friend, Stephen, deals with his father, who has no curiosity about Stephen’s life. His father asks no questions. His father does not know anything important to Stephen. Stephen grieves over the empty space between his father and himself.

      On the other hand, you can go beyond “shallow listening skills.” You can choose to truly care about the other person. How? You nurture a curiosity about that person’s experience on their life path.

      Do you focus on the wants and needs of the other person? Do you have genuine curiosity about that person’s experience in life?

      2. Ask yourself questions.

      Research reveals that we can guide our thoughts by asking a few powerful questions.

      If you lead a coven, you need the skills of a good leader. A good leader stays strong and focused. How? Good leaders ask themselves questions to change their personal state of being.

      Here’s a useful question: How can I quiet myself and turn the spotlight onto their feelings?

      Often, many of us cannot get past the distraction of our own unmet needs.
      First, you can ask: “How can I quiet myself?”

      Here is something that is connected to this process: “How can I take care of myself so I’m not distracted by pain, anger, or emptiness?”

      Are you taking good care of yourself?
      Do you have space for the concerns and feelings of another person?

      3. Ask the Gods “How can I take better care of myself.”

      Many times, to take care of others we need to first take care of ourselves.

      If your needs are met, you can be free of distraction. Then you can truly listen to another person.

      Here is a prayer you can use.

      Great Lord and Gracious Lady,
      Help me experience my calm self.
      Guide me to nurture that self for my benefit and the benefit of all involved.
      Soothe me in this calm place within.
      Give me the key to go there whenever I have need.
      So Mote It Be.

      May these insights support your journey.

      Blessed Be,
      Moonwater

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