“Forget everything you’ve done. Start over.” – Marty Rubin
Hi, so I know it’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted, but over the past 4 months I have been going through the >biggest< personal transformation of my life!!
Actually, it started much before then if we’re being honest. We know that I set out to find myself again near the end of 2019 and reeeallly dove deep after a downward spiral in summer of 2020. We also know that in April of this year that I took part in something called, “Expedition to Soul” with [The Sisters Enchanted :TSE:] after doing their 21 day self-care challenge. Let me just say, TSE has completely -changed- my life!! So much so that I even reached out inquiring about a job as I believe in what they represent and can do for women! But I’ll get back to that!
See, The Sisters Enchanted believe in leading with kindness, living a soul-led life with intention, through intuition and everyday magic. They have a blog, podcast and offer many free classes, which is where I started with the 2 above. But I needed more. I felt this swirling within me, that what I was doing with their help was everything I ever needed for myself!
They have what they call, ‘the school of magic’ and offer many different courses, Holistic Witchery and Expedition Astrology being their big 2. And yes, this may sound too ::woo woo:: for some, but please trust me and hear me out…
Part of the reason it’s called [witchery] is for -rebellion- against the patriarchy and how women (and/or anyone considered “different”) of the past were treated. <- now these are my words but the founder chooses to call herself a “witch” because it does in fact make her feel rebellious. It’s an ode to everyone who has ever been considered “different”. My last post, [w.i.t.c.h.] explains all about that and how there is such a negative stigma against the word “witch”. And at the risk of sounding redundant, I repeat Devon Cole sang it best when she voiced that a witch is just a “woman in total control of herself”! However, don’t let the name fool you! You don’t have to be a self proclaimed “witch” to join. Infact, a good majority of their students are even Christian. Why/how is that? It’s because TSE isn’t about religion, it’s about helping (primarily women, but all are welcome!) live the lives they’ve always wanted. How to rewrite the story that most of us have been told when it comes to how women are “supposed” to be, act, and present themselves. They help you overcome trauma via [shadow work] and re-write the narrative. Psychologist Carl Jung defined the “shadow” as being the unknown dark side of one’s personality. Everything has light and shadow, hiding from your shadow only makes it worse. You cannot live your best life without acknowledging the parts of yourself you want to forget and/or ignore. You need to embrace all of yourself, including your past, as it has gotten you to where you are today! Which in turn will lead you to where you want to go, tomorrow.
I am writing this post because A) the whole point of this blog is to tell my story and help others in any way that I can. B) because I myself still feel that uncomfortable pit in my stomach when I tell someone new about The Sisters Enchanted and Holistic Witchery. I still get… not embarrassed, but almost like I don’t want to be looked at as [crazy], because society and the entertainment industry has turned it into a false narrative. But here’s the thing… The word “witch” means something different to all who use it as a description for themselves. Even to those who don’t consider themselves one, the word itself is different for everyone! Within my immediate family I’ll call myself one, but it’s also a description that has a time and a place, and I do respect other’s views. I may try to educate them like I have via this blog, but again, respect. And that respect is just as much for -myself- as someone else. I >won’t< allow myself to be ::bullied:: for my beliefs, but one of the many things The Sisters Enchanted has taught me, is setting and respecting {boundaries}!!
Yes, you do learn the -tricks of the trade- but they’re all just tools to help yourself. You have to remember, everything that was/is considered ‘witchcraft’ was just [a way of life] once before. Tarot? A scientifically proven {tool} to help one unlock parts of their subconscious and see things in a different light, not some fortune telling parlor trick. Working with the Lunar cycle could simply just be a reminder to keep you on track with your intentions. The greatest thing about TSE is that you don’t have to do everything or anything that you’re not comfortable with. They present to you ALL of the options for you to find what works best for you! Sara Walka, the founder of The Sisters Enchanted, created what is known as the 5i spiral. It represents the stages of what it is that you want to achieve and how to make it happen. This is where using the Lunar cycle can keep you accounted for.
1. Intention. You set your intention at the New Moon. Intention is different than a goal, it’s more about how you want to [feel] when it comes to something. In Holistic Witchery you have to set 3 intentions to work on during your courses. Three things that you want to change; a way you think about something, the way you feel about something and something in your physical environment. You then use the 5i spiral to work it out.
2. Integration. From the New Moon to the 1st quarter moon, you reflect on your intention. The 1st quarter moon is then where you start to integrate your intention into your everyday life with the help of your energy/chakra centers.
3. Insight. By the Full Moon you should have a better understanding of what is and isn’t working from integrating your intention. Here is where you use insight (through shadow work) to reflect on it. If things aren’t working out, reflect on why. Is it because you’re not putting in the work? Is it because your intention is too large, too broad, and needs to be broken down into smaller, more achievable intentions? Here is where you take the time to think that through.
4. Ideate. As you reflect and gain insight around the Full Moon, by the 3rd quarter moon is when you start to rethink everything. You bring together what you have learned and make a plan going forward, enchanting/’bewitching’ your everyday life. Does your intention need to be broken down? If yes, what would that look like and how could you then integrate it? If not, what should you keep doing or change to make it even better?
5. Intuition. By the time the New Moon comes around again, you should have an overall better understanding of your intention with the help of divination. Did you succeed? Do you need to keep this intention for a few months? What have you learned during the month that will help feed your intuition, to know what is right or wrong for yourself?
While intention setting can be set to the Lunar cycles, it can also be set during the year. Intention setting is always done at the beginning of the year when New Year’s resolutions are made. It’s then often mid-year when you sit back and wonder if you’re sticking true to your resolution or not, and by the end of the year you tend to make a plan for the following year on how you can either start again or move onto something else. See, not ::woo woo:: at all, huh?
The funny thing is, explaining exactly what it is that TSE does is even difficult for those who created it. It’s really just a platform – turned – community for helping one find their own empowerment through true, unconditional support. I have never felt more safe to be myself, raw and vulnerable in such a way without fear of judgment. We all understand one another on some level and the [sisterhood] that is formed is like nothing that could truly be explained without experiencing for yourself. My mother compared it to therapy and in a way, it really is. Now, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t seek licensed help when needed, this is just an added bonus as you work through things! Shadow work can be and -is- incredibly difficult at times, and honestly could benefit from a licensed practitioner depending on how deep or traumatic your shadow is rooted within yourself. I know first hand that if it wasn’t for the work that I put in with my therapist 8 and a half years ago that ‘shadow-work’ wouldn’t have come so easily for me during this time. What I didn’t know at the time is that the work my therapist, Michaelene Ruhl, PsyD had me do, was in fact shadow work! I never understood how years of on again off again therapy with different therapists lead me nowhere, but within weeks of working with Michaelene I had such incredible breakthroughs. Now I do! Michaelene takes a more holistic approach, focusing on the energetic connections through ancestral trauma via what is known as [constellations healing]. I do not understand enough myself to explain what that means exactly, HA, however, she knows her stuff and worked her >magic<. Or rather, lead me to working [my own]!! If you are interested in knowing more about what Michaelene has to offer, here is her website! 🙂
One of the biggest takeaways from working with her and what I have come to realize with TSE, is the use of physical representations. These “tools” that I’ve spoken of. Michaelene used to have these little wooden figures that we’d use to represent people, thoughts, feelings, beliefs, AnYtHtInG – so that I could physically see what it is that I was working with. Taking it out of my mind, off my shoulders and placing it in front of myself to truly {see} it for what it was. That’s all ‘witchcraft’ really is if you really think about it. It’s using objects to represent whatever it is that you need help with, as a physical representation that you can see, feel, smell, hear, taste. A totum to remind yourself what it is you want and a way to allow yourself to believe it, with said reminder. Now, could this be simply a placebo effect? Absolutely! But let me ask you, why would that be a bad thing if so? The psychological phenomenon from the placebo effect is nothing to be ashamed of! If it helps someone to be the better version of themselves, why is that something to be looked down upon? If you are not causing harm to yourself or anyone else, NO ONE can tell you what is or isn’t right for yourself!!
Holistic Witchery has no set time frame in which it needs to be completed. There are live sessions every few months, though the program is constantly evolving as they figure out what is the best way to present the material. It can be very overwhelming as you are given everything at once and left on your own to work through most of it. There are live Zoom sessions in which you go over things and are able to ask questions, and even ask questions in the group chats via their app. But again, there is no set time frame and they make sure to reiterate that often, that just because you may not “graduate” during a certain live round, doesn’t mean you failed. It simply means that you are taking your time to better understand and work on yourself. AND if you DO graduate during a live round time frame, your work is never truly over; you just dig deeper each round – if you want to. Which personally I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t want to as it is literally life changing! Ha ha. Technically right now the program is set up at a self paced 12 month course with about 3 ‘live rounds’ a year at roughly 4 months each. There is also Enchanted Journey, which is their paid membership program that is monthly, in which you learn about a core subject for a year. For example, this year is Rocks, Herbs and Stories. This course has been broken up into 4 sections, the Cosmic witch, Earth witch, Sea witch and Hearth witch. Oobbbbviously being the mermaid that I am, the Sea witch unit has been uh-may-zing!! Being a Pisces born in March, knowing that aquamarine is known as: ‘mermaid’s treasure’, is that much more thrilling for someone such as myself! And again, just like with Holistic Witchery, Enchanted Journey, as well as Expedition Astrology or ANY of their programs for that matter, have NO set time frame in which you are expected to complete. Once you are a member of said program, you are for as long as you desire. Life. Ever. etc. Even upon completion! <- which just adds to the intent of it all. TSE may be a company which does require some investment into yourself, depending on how involved you want to be, but it’s just that – an investment into -YOURSELF- that never goes away! The community, love and support is there forever, and that my friends you cannot put a price tag on!
SO… after much debate due to knowing we were getting a new kitchen and flooring, I decided that joining Holistic Witchery was what I wanted and convinced Igor that it was what I >needed<!! I paid to join while he finally paid to upgrade his bike to an electric one, something that he, too, had been pondering due to cost. It was a win-win for us both, just maybe not our savings account. HA! Going into 2022 I knew this was going to be -MY- year; 22 -is- [my] number after all! I knew that I needed to work on myself and find a way to bring in an income. I may not be able to work a conventional job due to my health but it was time to figure something out! I didn’t know what, but with the boys both in school, I needed purpose.. I joined Holistic Witchery with that sole intention in mind and in doing so, I got one year of free access to the Enchanted Journey membership. I’m telling you, best decision I’ve ever made for myself!
Like I have said too many times now, technically there is no set time frame ::brokenRecordOverhere:: but there is the 4 month live session and the 12 month guide. I didn’t think it was going to happen, but your girl here managed to >GradUate< from the program in just 4 months!!! And yes, I am [damn] proud of myself! So what were my 3 intentions that I wanted to change while I worked the program? You’ll find out in my next post. ::GrinsaDevilishGrin::