Don't Drink the "Cool Aide"

As witches, we tend to be more open-minded that the average person.  We experiment with alternate realities through a variety of methods & have a tendency to believe our senses & intuition more than the "facts" we were trained in.

Sometimes this is a good thing; sometimes not.

With the availability of the internet & all it's variety, we have the ability to seek out & investigate a myriad of paths, leaders, thoughts & ideas.

Sometimes this is a good thing; sometimes not.

My dad used to have a saying, "How far can you open your mind before your brains fall out?"  I used to take offense to such a statement (coming from one who has a VERY closed mind), but now, I see the wisdom.

Today I viewed a video that basically said if we love enough & vibrate at our highest frequency we will eliminate all pain & illness from our lives.  7 minutes of pure "Light & Love" decorated, by the way, by a barrage of images of scantily clad, impossibly built, seductive women.  The whole message of the video was BLAME - "You attracted this illness".

Ok, seriously?  I mean, come on!  I'm all about light & love, & adore the idea of vibrational healing.  I  practice this & other non-traditional healing methods daily.  But at some point, I have to call "bullshit" on the constant barrage of New Age crap that is being literally shoved down the throats of the masses.  Somethings are not all light & love! 

This is simply more of The Secret (which was NEVER a secret!).  The "Law of Attraction" is NOT 100%. 

Here's a terrifically wonderful explanation Why "The Secret" is a Scam.

And a lovely blog post about The Importance of Maintaining a Healthy Level of Skepticism.

If we are to follow the the logic of the video makers (& all their fellows), all the children who are beaten by their parents, are starving in Africa, have been bombed in wars, victims of genocide, anyone who has cancer (regardless of the cause), all those with lost pregnancies, broken bones, diseases...etc have attracted this pain into their lives.  It is their fault!

What horrific CRAP!

Sometimes, we open our minds so far that we lose track of rationality.  We lose track of physical reality.  We lose our ability to rationally discern truth from fairytale. 

Within every fairytale there are elements of truth, archetypical lessons of great importance.  These stories have great value in society, but are never to be taken at face value.  Fairytales & ideals are to help us move forward, to open to Universal wisdom, to grow. 

Within the video I viewed today, there are elements of truth.  Yes, we can & do participate in our own pain & illness.  Yes, we can heal our bodies through our spirits & minds - to a point.  But, we are not omnipotent & we are NOT responsible for everything that makes it's way into our lives.  We are active participants in a web of interconnectedness - affecting & being affected by others.

As we witches veer off the highway of common belief into the woods of the unknown, it becomes very important to maintain a healthy dose of skepticism.

Do not believe everything you think.
Do not believe everything you are told.
Do not believe everything you read.
Do not believe everything on the internet.

Use wisdom & discernment.

Do not drink the Koolaid!

Wild & Bright Blessings,

~*Rhi*~

A Witch's Birthday

Happy Birthday to ME!

It is amazing to me how my whole day has been filled with love & well wishes.  I woke up in a sour mood.  All birthday presents were opened by last week (and most were so NOT to my taste). 

But, I remembered my BFF's birthday, when she decided to forgo all expectations & just see what the day brought.  Her day was filled with smiles.  So, I followed her advice.

My day was filled with LOVE & smiles!  The girls at work had this cake created for me "because we thought about you & decided you were Love and a really cool hippie chick".  Little did they know that sunflowers are one of my favorites!!

 Yes, my worldly name is Kim. 

Next, I came home to a visit from a lovely witch, Kerri.  It is impossible to be in a bad mood around this ray of sunshine. 

Then, my darling son called me just to wish me a great day & chat.

Finally, I opened a package from my soul sister & discovered 3 beautiful scarves from Pakistan/Afghanistan - my favorites!!

I am blessed.

May you be blessed,

~*Rhi*~ (aka Kim)

Spiritual Hoops

Recently, I learned to hula hoop.

At first, I thought I would hoop for fitness, but quickly discovered that the mindless repetition is a perfect way to trance out.

Soon, I was adding arm movements to honor the elements during my hooping at drum circle & in the living room.

Next, I just knew I had to create a hoop in the colors of the elements.

Now, I can hoop for fun, fitness & spend some time focused on my Elemental friends.

Multitasking at its finest!

Wild & Bright Blessings,
~*Rhi*~

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Free Herbal Seminar - Kiva Rose

This week I had the opportunity to attend an online seminar on Folk Herbalism held by Herb Mentor & Kiva Rose. 

What a wonderful hour!  Kiva discussed the importance of folk medicine in its various forms & how to support the sustainability of these traditions.  Then, she introduced us to a plant ally of hers, Evening Primrose.

The seminar is available for free replay until 5/22/11, so check it out:


Root to Fruit Webinar Replay

Evening Primrose

Wild & Bright Blessings,

~*Rhi*~

    )O(

Sunflower Essence

The sunflowers are in full bloom! Since last Fall, I've been wanting to create a Sunflower Essence.  So, on this bright, Spring morning, I decided it was time.

Following the basics in the Frugal Witch Series Flower Essences, I set my lovely sunflowers into water in a small crystal bowl & it is brewing in the center of the Medicine Wheel Garden (which, by the way is STILL being attacked by critters...poor garden!).

I surrounded the Sunflower Essence brew  my Chakra stone set along with a few other stones I routinely work with.

Sunflower Essence Brewing in the Medicine Garden

Sunflower Essence came to me as a need before I knew it's meaning.  It is for building a strong & balanced sense of self without over-inflation of ego or self-degradation.  Sunflower is all about the true self, the higher self, unaffected by the thoughts & opinions of others.  Sunflower is strong & vibrant, but welcoming & never intimidating (something I've had difficulty with over the years). Sunflower is the perfect balance between self-love & humility.

Here are some links to help explain Sunflower Essence if it is speaking to you:

Balancing on a Sunbeam

Sunflower Flower Essence Explained

Why not try to make some Sunflower Essence & let your healthy Self shine forth from your soul.

Wild & Bright Blessings!

~*Rhi*~

    )O(

Is Witch a Dirty Word?

Recently, I've noticed something odd in the Alternative Spirituality community.  Witch appears to be a dirty word!

I've run into Spiritualists, Lightworkers, Pagans, New-Agers, Indigenous healers...who have all cringed at the term Witch & adamantly state that they are NOT Witches (with curled nose & furrowed brow looking at me as if I just grew a green wart, which kinda makes me giggle).

As we discuss our belief systems & practices, however, many are so similar that we could easily participate in ritual together & never notice that Lightworker was holding hands with Indigenous healer, with Spiritualist, with Witch; and, with a few of these people, I have.

Odd...huh?

What is it about humans that causes us to create separations? 

What is it about titles that brings a sense of superiority & exclusion? 

Is the word Witch so emotionally charged that we cannot reclaim it as the nature revering, life-affirming, open practice that it really is? 

Are so many tainted by quasi-historical accounts of witches & fairy tales that the word itself brings a cringe? 

Seriously...must we sugar-coat beliefs, even in the Alternative Spirituality world? Yesterday, I spent some time with a lovely Spiritualist.  She works with God & Angels, casting her sacred space by calling Archangels to the 4 Cardinal Corners.  I work with a variety of deities, Universal Energy & set my circle as sacred by calling Elementals & Spirit.  She uses symbols in her work, as do I.  She honors her intuition, as do I.  She believes in unseen powers, so do I. 

Our names for these are different.

Our practices were almost identical, however, in her community I am unwelcome if identified as a Witch. 

One of the local metaphysical stores is filled with spell bags & kits, charged candles & pentacles, but when the mere mention of witchcraft brings quick rebuke..."We are NOT Witches!  We are more celestial in nature, working with extraterrestrial beings."

Huh?  What?

Is there some dividing line for Spirit that I didn't know about?  Is it somehow more "in" to work with angels & E.T.'s than dirt & plants & ancient beings? 

Don't get me wrong here, I'm all for working with whatever form of Energy/Life Force/Universe...that a person connects with.  Above, Below, Middle, Outer Space, Ancestors, Channeled Masters...whatever.  Much respect for anyone open-minded enough to search for light & love in a world filled with angst & hate.



So, here's the deal...I'm a Witch.  Even if that makes people cringe (ok, not if it makes my parents cringe...for them, I'm a crazy hippie).

Oh...& for the next person who scowls at me for being a Witch...I might just go Hoodoo on their a$$.

Wild & Bright Blessings!

~*Rhi*~

    )O(

A Month of Healing

This first few days of May have been like zooming on a roller-coaster!

I began with so little energy I could barely function & had no idea why.  This post on Essencetial Life brought a profound statement:

"Many empaths have been feeling bone weary as if they are carrying the weight of the world on their own. You need to remember that you have a massive pair of wings on your back, shake them out and give them a flutter so that you can become light again."

...and reminded me of my continual need to Ground & Center.

So, yesterday I visited a local park & laid my body upon a bed of Creeping Charlie (Ground Ivy).  I found the spot using my intuition & then looked up the correspondences - meditation, healing, love struck me as the right ones.  The air around me filled with the brightness of mint, both energizing & peaceful.  I bathed in the aroma, coming to rest upon the earth.

Soon, it was time to head to Mayan Medicine class at the Florida School of Holistic Living.  What occurred at class is almost beyond words. 

Uxmal Pyramid - Photo by Linda Schele & from the FAMSI website

Our leader, Emily, studies with Hunbatz Men, an elder in the Itza branch of the Maya.  Our topic for the evening was tools & methods of healing.  Prayer was at the top of the list.

Having come from a decidedly right-wing Christian background, some words make my skin crawl: Church, Prayer, etc.  So I wasn't very open to this part of the teaching.

But, listening to Emily go through the process of 

1. Invoking Spirit (generally or a spirit with whom you are connected)
2. Asking for Spirit to heal
3. Expressing Faith that Spirit is healing
4. Thanking Spirit for the healing

my heart opened.  I am always amazed at commonality between traditions.  When it became time for us to practice on each other, I chose prayer.  The power that my partner & I felt was beautiful.  A pulsating flow of energy moved between us as I repeated my prayer 9 times at different, specified points of her body.  We were both moved.

Quietly, 2 men had joined our group last evening.  Of obvious Central/South American descent, they sat & observed as we practiced healing methods.

Finally, one of the brothers spoke, saying we were working with the tools & methods of his grandmother & grandfather, brothers, sisters, cousins & friends & himself.  These were basic, obvious methods of healing in their homeland of Mayan Guatemala.  They asked if they could share with us...what followed was an hour-long cultural & energetic immersion into the world of the Maya!

We were all blessed with first-person insight & felt our hearts opening & being filled. 

The room was electric with excitement & love.

All left glowing & a little dazed. 

Each person present was honored with a hand-made Mayan healing candle & a small piece of Copal resin for healing & cleansing our homes.  Words cannot begin to express the glow that remains with me.  

I feel shifted.  Stronger somehow.  


This morning, I greeted the Sun in my Medicine Garden, by chanting Mayan-based prayers for healing of my mind, body & spirit. 

Part of our training is linguistic...so, I share with you a greeting:

In Lak'ech Ala K'in - I am you, you are me...I am another you...

Very similar to Namaste, In La'ech Ala K'in honors the divine in us all & invites us to a way of living that honors all life.

Wild & Bright Blessings & In Lak'ech,

~*Rhi*~

    )O(