THE HOODWITCH: WITCHTIPS AND HOROSCOPES 01.17-23.2018

Written by Jessica Lanyadoo

 

Witch Tips

As we take a step into weird and wonderful Aquarius Season (both the Sun and Venus enter air sign Aquarius this week), the thing to remember is this very moment. Aquarius is a sign that concerns us with the future, which is an excellent thing as long as you’re not avoiding the present. These vibes can get really theoretical; prioritizing ideals of humanity without all the messiness of dealing with actual humans is the downside of Aquarius. Make sure you aren’t weaving ideas about the world that you aren’t willing to test out in the world. This is an excellent time for collaboration for common goals; where Leo wants to shine all on her own, the light of Aquarius burns brightest when it falls on everyone. Aquarius season is a great time to investigate your beliefs by actually living them out. Connect with people you don’t usually meet with, and be open to difference. You don’t have to be in agreement with others in order to be on the same team. Explore the potential of your ego by deemphasizing it. Look outside of your personal concerns to explore the needs of your community, whatever that looks like for you.

The 23rd is day one of Mercury meeting Pluto in rigid Capricorn. This transit will last until the 25th, and it’s one to watch out for; Mercury governs your mind, friendships, and communication in general, while Pluto is compulsive, intense, and has serious abandonment issues. You may find that you’re caught up in an obsessive line of thought, feeling paranoid, or that your abandonment issues are extra sensitive, or you may have to deal with someone else who's going through it. This is a great time to seek insight and healing, but there are some pitfalls to avoid. If you find yourself seeking to blame yourself or others, you’re on the wrong track. Negative thinking will only lead to more negativity, so if you’re feeling really down and you can’t get up, seek neutral ground. This isn’t the time to try to control situations, feelings, or people; all you need to do is find the truth of your feelings about them, not to make them something different. Seek to improve the relationship you have with yourself today (and every day), my love.

ARIES

March 21-April 19

It’s important that you communicate, Aries. You’re likely to be stuck on some pretty frustrating feelings, and if you neglect to share what’s happening for you with others, they’re bound to take it personally. You don’t need to get into details or get too involved, but what you omit is communicating more than you might intend it to this week. Share yourself, even when it’s difficult. You may be surprised at the amount of support you have available to you, my love.

TAURUS

April 20-May 20

Letting go is hard to do, but it’s absolutely worth it. We move into Aquarius season this week, and this can be an uncomfortable time for you, Taurus. Don’t try to hold on tight in the face of change, but try not to abandon yourself when your feels get complicated either. Strive to find a way to flow with your circumstances by being kind to yourself, wherever you’re at in your process. You can for sure get where you want to go; just make sure that when you get there, you feel good in your own skin.

GEMINI

May 21-June 21

There are always more than two options, but when you’re blocked, it’s hardest to see that. You may be tempted to give up and walk away this week, but that’s not your best move. You need to pace yourself, creating balance between your obligations and your passions, your personal life and your goals. Don’t worry so much about the future; all you can make sure of is that you are acting in ways that support you and your life in the present moment, Twin Star.

CANCER

June 22-July 22

Don’t rush into the future so much that you abandon the present. Likewise, don't resist the truth of how things are because you wish they were different. Struggle against adversity, repression, and dead-end pathways, but don’t struggle against the truth, Moonchild. Acceptance is not consent; it’s awareness. Be present for how things are in the here and now so that you can act in the most constructive ways possible this week.

LEO

July 23-Aug. 22

Let’s talk about courage, Leo. According to Brene Brown, “Courage is a heart word. The root of the word courage is cor - the Latin word for heart. In one of its earliest forms, the word courage meant ‘To speak one's mind by telling all one's heart.’” Now is the time for you to act on the contents of your heart, even if your fears are telling you otherwise. Make choices that allow you to feel right in your own skin so that you can gracefully grow into the person you intend to be, my love.

VIRGO

Aug. 23-Sept. 22

There is no perfection, no immaculate idea, and no infallible plan. There’s just life, messy, complicated, unpredictable life. Instead of seeking someone or thing that can tell you all the answers, try to find willingness to just be where you’re at, Virgo. Being in the middle of things doesn’t mean that there’s no end in sight – only that you can’t see it yet. This is a bad time to drop connection to your vision to focus on obstacles. Stay aligned with your plans, and you’ll do great, this week.

LIBRA

Sept. 23-Oct. 22

When it all feels like too much, you don’t need to force yourself to put on a brave face, Libra. How you care for yourself is foundational to the options you see, the choices you make, and the attitudes you hold towards life in general. This is not a time to crumble in the face of adversity, but you don’t have to power through, either. Make adjustments that reflect the needs of your heart as well as your commitments. You don’t have to be anywhere but where you’re at, my love.

SCORPIO

Oct. 23-Nov. 21

Don’t be a bully, Scorpio. If you can’t be a good friend to yourself, you’re missing out on one of the greatest relationships of your life. Spend some time in a little place called me this week. Honor your gifts and hard work, show up with gratitude, and do it all without checking over your shoulder to see if something bad is coming for you. Handle fear and stress with the love and patience that you deserve; be the very friend you need this week, my love.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 22-Dec. 21

This week is an excellent time for confronting problems, but if you’re not careful, you’ll create more by evading them. FOMO will get you if you let it, ‘Tarius. Beware of the impulse to add a bunch more stuff to your plate when what you really need to do is manage what you already have going on. If you get a chance to take on something new, make sure that it won’t come at the expense of what you’ve already initiated, even if that thing is a pain to deal with.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22-Jan. 19

You’re so capable that you could easily create your fears and worst-case scenarios without breaking a sweat, Capricorn. Obsession and repetitive thought or action is pretty much like prayer; make sure that you’re not praying at the altar of your fears and investing your precious energy into what you don’t want. Avoid looking for how things are likely to go wrong. Commit to seeking the creative potential in your life, and you’re much more likely to find it.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 20-Feb. 18

Think of this week as your chance to work on integration, Aquarius. Your feelings can’t be ignored, but they shouldn’t overshadow your plans. If you’re struggling with indecision or acceptance, it’s time to clarify what you’re doing and why. If you slip into your scattered and reactive behavior, you’ll find yourself seeking validation in the eyes of others instead of yourself. The whole truth can’t hurt you – it’ll only help you to move on, my love.

PISCES

Feb. 19-March 20

You don’t need to convince anyone that what you’re doing is valid. You don’t need permission, and you don’t need an audience. All you need is you, Pisces. When you’re going through deep healing or meaningful change, loneliness and fear are a part of the process. It’s healthy and normal to feel bad, you just don’t want to make decisions from that place. Stay aligned with the truth of what you’re doing, no matter how compelling your distractions are this week.

The Witch Wave Podcast Features Bri Luna of The Hoodwitch

 Are you ready to ride the wave of the witch? of course you are!

Our lovely friend Pam Grossman just launched her AMAZING new podcast today, The Witch Wave! and while in New York, I had the pleasure  to visit Pam in Brooklyn to  discuss modern witchery, art, beauty, and everything else in between.  We've shared the very first episode (above) give it a listen +  add some magic to your day! 

For more information check out The Witch Wave

Divining Through Disaster

 Photography by: Maimouna Guerresi

Written by Jaliessa Sipress

Recently, a lot of people’s realities have been turned upside-down; whether through “natural” or man-made disaster or through events that blur the line in-between. Disaster is something most of us live under the threat of everyday. It bubbles underneath our feet and seethes under our skin. It is what keeps us up at night and often impacts our day-to-day decisions. Its intensity and presence ebb and flow but the threat will always remain. Turmoil in this world is consistent but when the building pressure peaks, people start to panic, and they begin to forget.

As witches, misfortune is a part of our lineage. The fear, pain and suffering of those around us prescribed as side effects of us being privy to our own power. Our aptitude to tap into our natural abilities and form deep connections with our bodies, the bodies around us and the body of the earth are all things that make us dangerous because these acts can never fall under anyone else’s dominion. We listen and flow with the earth and her shifts and changes. We practice remembrance and manifestation in accordance with her seasons. We understand that we are of her and can harness her power and this is why we are feared. But the earth is a witch, too. She casts spells of beauty, love and abundance and she, too, is targeted for being angry and vengeful when she tries to heal herself. And this is why we must carry on. This is why we must acknowledge the power of the witch, the strength in our audacity to be our own temples and our own healers. Our abilities to make altars out of debris and never be without our magic because it lies within us.

To divine through disaster is to not ignore it. A lot of the craft is centered in the simple act of noticing. We watch and wait and participate in the art of divine timing. We are here to nurture the collapse of all that ails us, to live in harmony with our fear and loss. We must remember that our ancestors birthed our path to freedom and it is our duty to lead the way for others. Witches work is the work of the people. It is the work we do to stabilize and satiate and educate and support those who have forgotten the power within them.

During times of turmoil, it is our duty to remember and share our knowledge of how to work and heal with water, soil and ash. We must pass on ways to regenerate with what remains when human inventions fail. We are the ones who have to figure out why the world is still turning and we must take note of where our magic fits into the maddeness. We have to keep fighting, casting and believing the way we have been but with steadier consistency and ferocious fervor. Witches have to hold it down. It is our job to lead the way, to teach others how light comes from darkness and to hold onto our beliefs and our beloveds until the walls fall down around us.

Photography By  Photo credit: Maimouna Guerresi

Witchcraft as Devotion: A Closer Look at the Practices and Principles of Witchcraft in the Modern Age

Photography by Mo www.phobymo.com

Written By Jaliessa Sipress

With Vogue magazine hailing our time as a “witchy renaissance,” it is safe to say that witchcraft is on the rise.* But, what is witchcraft? What is it really for? Is it all just spells to get rich and make people fall in love with you? Is it about worshiping he who not be named and learning how to pronounce wingardium leviosa? For some, it is all of these things and for others, none. A witch can mean many things and can come in many forms, and much of it's popularity seems to stem from that. While witchcraft and wizardry has gained wild popularity for it's reclamation of power and perceived formlessness, what should not be forgotten is that being a witch is less about the fact that one has “power” and more about acknowledging where that power comes from.

Witchcraft is a work of gratitude. It comes from the practice of honoring the people, land and animals that came before you, that coexist with you now and that have yet to arrive. Witchcraft is the work of the wise because it is the everyday practice of those who are humbled by the world around them. Witches find meaning in the mundane and see the magic in weeds growing through cracks in the sidewalk or a shed feather of a dirty bird. Witches are rememberers, mourners and healers because they have reconciled with the cycles of life and realized what is and is not in human hands. Witchcraft is about gratitude and alignment, treading lightly and respectfully and only taking what you need. We must remember that witchcraft is less about control and more about connection. A connection to our own divinity, but also an understanding of the limitations of it.

A witch’s power is in their ability to adapt, working with the natural cycles of the earth to bring about abundance, clarity and direction. It is not about manipulation or having complete control. Witchcraft is about surrendering. It is the knowledge that most things are out of our hands but continuing to work with our surroundings to help swing things in our favor. It is the act of bowing to the elements and submitting to their power that makes a spell stick. Witchcraft is a labor of love and intention. Spells work because they are an act of communion with the powers beyond us, acknowledging our need for help, and partaking in a mutual relationship with things we cannot measure. It is about giving without the expectation of receiving.

Photography by Gregory Halpern

To practice magick is to be in attunement with a sensitive and dying world and being interested in working with, fighting for and healing with it. Yes, witches cast spells and ask the universe for guidance. This is because they are interested in being led, in asking for help when in need and respecting that whatever shall come, will come. Sometimes spellwork is feeding late Aunt Mable’s altar or lighting a “road opener” candle for weeks until anything finally sets into motion. Sometimes it is the humbling act of continually asking and never receiving because it is not what the universe wants for you. It can sometimes mean waiting, worrying, re-configuring and waiting again. But all of the waiting and worrying is worth it because the craft is about finding understanding in failed spells and magical mishaps. It is about finding true love for yourself and the world around you and being in communion with the gifts that come from that. It is about faith.

Witchcraft is a fun, freeing, beautiful and impassioned practice, and we must acknowledge that our ability to experience it as such is rooted in the magnetic force of offering. Offering our power, offering our light, offering our darkness, offering our strength, offering our material and immaterial gifts, our dedication and our relationship to the deities and beings that guide us. Staying in a state of gratitude and giving helps to attract the exact blessings you are grateful for. Your love and power are precious tools. Use them to uplift, remember and protect and they shall never go to waste.