Part 2-How Hustle Culture ruined my creativity
How Hustle Culture Ruined my creativity Part 1….
What is Wyrd Weaving?
The Story of the Red Drum
A High Summer Mango Peach Passionfruit Lughnasadh Treat
Celebrating the Dark Season…
The Magic and Folklore of Trees-Rowan
Women, She-Bears, Bees and my Ancestors….
Ancestral Weaving-The creation of a sacred medicine shawl for a Seaweed Selkie Woman…
Remembering the bones of my ancestors, remembering myself…
Weaving the bone woman shawl with my ancestors….
Ancestral Healing
A brief history of Indigo, Woad and the Ancestral connection….
Part 2-How Hustle Culture ruined my creativity
How Hustle Culture Ruined my creativity Part 1….
What is Wyrd Weaving?
The Story of the Red Drum
A High Summer Mango Peach Passionfruit Lughnasadh Treat
Celebrating the Dark Season…
The Magic and Folklore of Trees-Rowan
Women, She-Bears, Bees and my Ancestors….
Ancestral Weaving-The creation of a sacred medicine shawl for a Seaweed Selkie Woman…
Remembering the bones of my ancestors, remembering myself…
Weaving the bone woman shawl with my ancestors….
Ancestral Healing
A brief history of Indigo, Woad and the Ancestral connection….
Part 2-How Hustle Culture ruined my creativity
How Hustle Culture Ruined my creativity Part 1….
What is Wyrd Weaving?
The Story of the Red Drum
A High Summer Mango Peach Passionfruit Lughnasadh Treat
Celebrating the Dark Season…
The Magic and Folklore of Trees-Rowan
Women, She-Bears, Bees and my Ancestors….
Ancestral Weaving-The creation of a sacred medicine shawl for a Seaweed Selkie Woman…
Remembering the bones of my ancestors, remembering myself…
Weaving the bone woman shawl with my ancestors….
Ancestral Healing
A brief history of Indigo, Woad and the Ancestral connection….
This quote came across my desk this morning and it made me pause for a moment as I took in the beauty of what was being said.
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There is such a deep truth to this, especially at this time in history where most of us are consuming vast quantities of information in every moment.
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It gets noisy in the mind! And truthfully it’s beyond easy to miss those tiny whispers of the heart when the mind and ego are running the show so thoroughly!
Do you know what I mean?
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As of late I have been coming back to what I love, and what my heart wants and working on letting those messages in a bit more.
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What is your heart saying these days?
Do you find that your mind is noisy?
What works best for you to quiet the mind chatter?
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I have found a few things that really help me.
The first thing I did was to notice when my brain “gremlins” as I calm them are most active.
For me this is when I am falling asleep, sleepless or if I lay in bed awake first thing in the morning before getting up.
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The last one is east-if I feel myself in that overwhelm in the morning I get out of bed-no matter how early-if my brain is up then I am up.
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Trying to fall asleep is harder, and for me in this moment I am in the peri-meno spiral of being bumped awake in the middle of the night so I needed to see my naturopath about that and she sorted me out pretty quick.
(I have been taking magnesium for about a year now along with some other supplements specific to my body)
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Having said that sometimes those pesky brain gremlins are there and this is when I need to let my heart in, because brain gremlins are mean fuckers!
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My heart reminds me to be compassionate, and to remember that how I am feeling right now is temporary.
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When it comes to the bigger perspective of our lives though, we especially need to listen to those heart whispers because they can lead us to some pretty wonderful places on our destiny path.
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What has your heart been whispering to you as of late?
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#destinypath #heart #gremlins #meditation #priestesspath #witchcraft
✶ Giveaway ✶
I’m very excited to be sharing this giveaway alongside a group of amazing creators and service providers based out of British Columbia, Canada. We are giving away a collection of offerings to help support one winner in having an intentional and embodied start to the new year. Please scroll through the images to see all the wonderful offerings included.
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Giveaway Includes:
⋆ @althaeaherbals - 60 minute Somatic Therapy Session (Online or in-person)
⋆ @bonedarling - 2023 Personal Theme Card Reading
⋆ @carmenspagnola - The Spirited Kitchen: Recipes & Rituals for the Wheel of the Year
⋆ @communionbotanicals - Cellular Renewal Serum & Jade Gua Sha Tool
⋆ @essence.of.ash - Yggdrasil Norse Divination Spread
⋆ @lilarasa - Foundations of Evolutionary Astrology Course
⋆ @natalierousseau108 - Moon Magic Course
⋆ @novemberwild - Lunar Notepad Stationary Set & 2023 Lunar Calendar
⋆ @pranicforest @crimsonasteria - Crimson Asteria Tarot Deck
⋆ @redmoonmysteryschool - Crescent Moon Rattle Making Workshop-Supplies included.
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Rules for entry:
⋆ LIKE this post
⋆ FOLLOW all participants listed above
⋆ SHARE this giveaway in your stories
⋆ TAG your friends (each tag = 1 entry)
Giveaway is open worldwide and ends on January 15th at midnight PST. The winner will be announced on January 17th. We will each announce the giveaway winner in our stories. Good luck everyone!
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#giveaway
Softness, Slowness, Stillness,
I am beginning 2023 on this note, and I am also...
Ditching the Gregorian calendar for the lunar one and easing into what 2023 will bring me..
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In part this means that I am taking it slow, sleeping and swimming and continuing to spend some time away from social media, for another week at least. I am also wanting to start this year out slowly because I am amping up for some big changes in 2023 which will take a lot of work and movement, as well as some exciting travel and other plans that are filling up the year fast!
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One of my favourite things to do each year has been to work with a word. Last year my word was mastery, which I believe was also my word for the year before, and which will probably be with me my whole life.
However this year there is no burning sense of a word that is pushing through like in past years, and I am guessing that is because I am still in transition in many ways.
Perhaps transition is my word!
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2023 will bring some big exciting moves, such as selling our home in Vancouver and some other exciting big things that I will share as they come into form.
Knowing this now though has me feeling a mix of excitement and also a bit of unsteadiness as I go into a new year knowing now that more change is coming, even if it is good, exciting stuff!
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Do you choose a word for your year? If not, is there something that you like to do that supports your soul as you move into another calendar year going forward?
I would love to hear.
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Today I am dreaming up a new line of weaving work that I am excited to begin and taking it slow...
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Blessings for 2023 everyone!
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Image taken by @_infinitebody_
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#newyear #wordoftheyear #stillness #quiet #transition
Today I make offerings to my ancestors thanking them for this life I have.
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I recently found out on the cusp of my trip to Ireland that my great grandmother was originally booked on the Titanic!
Sadly/happily her mom got really sick and she missed her boat, deciding to take the next one instead in order to be at her moms side.
It was because of this that I am here, and because of this she came to Canada.
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It is for this reason and a million other things that went into my existence, that I am so grateful for all of my ancestors for.
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I am also thankful today because both of our kids are officially here, making it in time between the winter storms taking over Vancouver and Toronto!
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Yuletide blessings
Nikiah
I have been in love with this beautiful book by my friend @carmenspagnola.
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It’s been wonderful to use it for inspiration and recipes during this Yuletide time.
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Today I am planning to make some cookies to share with my ancestors and family as we slide into this beautiful liminal space.
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What you you all doing? Send me some inspiration! 🌀
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Lots of love
Nikiah
Did you know that many yards ago I created a beautiful Celtic wheel of the year handbook that I give away for free?
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It’s true and it’s super easy to receive, all you need to do is pop over to my site and join my newsletter.
(link in bio..
/ redmoonmysteryschool.com)
Once you are there a pop up will guide you to join and you will receive your free download-it’s that easy!
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As you can see here from these screenshots each season is filled with recipes and folklore about the sacred ceremonies and ways that you can join in the fun.
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Sending you all lots of winter solstice love
Nikiah ❄️🌀❄️
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#celticwheeloftheyear #solstice #wintersolstice #seasons #sacredwheel
The longest night of the year, brings the return of the sun, also marking the beginning of the tile referred to as Yule.
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From Dec21st -Jan1st we mark the 12 days of yuletide which I love.
For me it’s all about setting intentions, making offerings and visioning for the year ahead.
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Each day for 12 days I might do any one of those things, as I like to keep things simple and in the realm of practical magic.
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Today, the winter solstice I begin with intention setting and spending time with family as is the tradition in our bodies.
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We share a big meal together, then light a fire and write either an intention for the year ahead or something we are ready to let go of and give it to the fire along with offerings and a lovely Yule log.
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Lastly we exchange small handmade gifts and I always get everyone a new set of comfy pj’s ❄️
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Over the years as our kids have grown I to adults they too have taken over the tradition and made it their own, so while our daughter is not here this year as she is knee deep in exams I know she and her roomies will mark the day in their own way.
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I would love to know what some of your traditions are or perhaps if you are new to creating your own tradition here what are your plans?
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#yuletide #wintersolstice #traditions #ritual #babayaga #winter
Winter Solstice shawl.
This is my last shawl of 2022 and I am thrilled with how it came out, so much so I have been deeply tempted to keep it!
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This one invokes images of quiet snowfall, winter nights cozied in and the softness that snow can bring to the landscape.
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I was also inspired by winter foxes that change their colour for winter, and snowy owls in quiet flight over the landscape...
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This piece is now listed and available in my online store--link in my bip if you are interested.
Much love
Nikiah
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#solstice #wintersolstice #sacredshawl #weaving #snowyowl #foxmedicine
Loom as altar.
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Since the fall I have been going daily to my loom as a form of spiritual practise.
However it was not until recently that I have been able to find the words for it.
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In many ways weaving has become a form of spiritual practise for me, and although I am still deepening into my own understanding of what it is to me, for now, this is what it has become in it purest most simple form.
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Today a new storytellers shawl came off the loom and with another already in my mind to start taking form..
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This piece holds a similar energy to one I made a few months ago, holding the essence of dragonflies and hummingbirds…
But mostly it was made for the king winter months as we cozy up by fires and in warm homes and read books or if we are lucky we tell or listen to great stories!
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I will list this piece in my online store sometime tomorrrow..
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In the meantime a new one shall take its place in full winter whites..
I am feeling the call of the white fox, and the white winter owl..
These two hold a kind of magic as they shape-shift from one colour into winter white so they are camouflaged against the snow…
More on that to come as the piece takes form.
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Also I would love@to know-do you have a hobby or creative outlet that borders on spiritual?
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Lots of love
Nikiah
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#storytellers #hummingbirdmagic #dragonfly #sacredshawl #weaving
GIVEAWAY EXTENDED TILL MONDAY!
WINNER IS @copperwildpottery
This is just a little reminder of our awesome giveaway that is happening right now and ends on Monday Dec 12th!
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@carmenspagnola and I have paired up to give away a copy of her fabulous new book @thespiritedkitchen and I am giving away another of my 10” Red Drums.
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Here is how you enter:
1. LIKE this post and leave a comment tagging a friend-or two for extra entries!
2. FOLLOW @redmoonmysteryschool + @carmenspagnola
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And for even more entries:
SHARE the Podcast episode 'Embracing Sovereignty at Midlife with Carmen Spagnola and I /Nikiah that was released on June 10th 2022. {Link in bio}
Be sure to tag us so we can see! (You can do this by taking a screenshot of the episode in your podcast player or sharing directly from Spotify to your stories)
TERMS & CONDITIONS:
- Only one winner will be selected
- Giveaway will run until 11:59 EST December 12th 2022
- Winner will be randomly selected and announced on our stories by Dec 12th 2022
- Giveaway limited to US and Canada
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#giveaway #ancedtralhealing #kitchenwitchery #reddrum
I had a little “reel” fun with this one, especially using this song :]
Anyways this is a little update on my Earth Ochre shoulder stole/Altar cloths as I have made two more which are now listed on my site.
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These pieces are inspired by my time in Ireland and the stunning red ochre I saw there while on the coast of Northern Ireland in an area called the Giants Causeway.
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These two pieces were created to be worn either as a shoulder stole for ceremony or beauty, you get to decide, and are easily transferable to your altar, for ceremony or beauty-haha you decide!
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Each comes with a small vial of hand ground red earth ochre in a vial, which can be used for making paint, or using in ceremony. Your package will come with a recipe for making earth ochre paint.
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Hope you love these pieces as much as I do!
Nikiah
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#ochre #redearth #ceremony #altar #priestesspath #weaving #ancestors
Winter solstice/Yule Giveaway!
Ok friends I am thrilled to be doing a wonderful giveaway with my friend @carmenspagnola who just had her book @thespiritedkitchen published and its sooo freaking amazing that I knew my community would also love to have a copy!
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If you are a kitchen witch, love amazing food, as in carefully curated recipes that are all sure winners, and witchy seasonal crafts then you will love her book!
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Carmen also has a fabulous podcast called The Numinous Podcast and I have been joyful to have been on it three times now.
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For the season we have paired up to give away one of my 10" Red Drums along with her beautiful book and whoever wins is gonna be sooo happy with this beautiful prize!
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TO ENTER:
1. LIKE this post
2. FOLLOW @redmoonmysteryschool + @carmenspagnola
3. SHARE the Podcast episode 'Embracing Sovereignty at Midlife with Carmen Spagnola and I /Nikiah that was released on June 10th 2022. {Link in bio}
Be sure to tag us so we can see! (You can do this by taking a screenshot of the episode in your podcast player or sharing directly from Spotify to your stories)
4. Tag your friends on this post for an extra entry. ♥️
TERMS & CONDITIONS:
- Only one winner will be selected
- Giveaway will run until 11:59 EST December 10th 2022
- Winner will be randomly selected and announced on our stories by Dec 11th 2022
- Giveaway limited to US and Canada
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#giveaway #reddrum #spiritedkitchen #kitchenwitch #yule #wintersolstice
Weaving another red ochre earth alter cloth/shoulder stole on my Saori loom.
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These looms are from Japan and their name Saori, in Zen means beautiful imperfection. “Sai” means everything has its own unique dignity and “ori” means weaving.
These looms were designed to support more humans weaving in a counter to all of the machine made cloth. They were designed so that they were accessible to every body, meaning that folks with disabilities can use them with as much success as able bodied folks which I love.
The whole point is Saori weaving is to be the antithesis of machine made cloth, and to embrace the perfect imperfection of human made beauty.
This to me is my kind of loom, and philosophy.
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My teacher Yukako has been slowly teaching me the ways of this loom for the past couple of years and I am loving how different it is from my rigid heddle loom.
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SAORI's 4 Principles
1. Consider the differences between people and machines.
2. Be bold and adventurous
3. Look out through eyes that shine
4. Inspire one another, and everyone in the group
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I have a few beautiful wall hangings listed in my online store in celebration of earth ochres if you fancy a peek and this one will be listed next week at some point as well.
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Have a beautiful weeekend everyone!
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Nikiah
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#redochre #earthochre #saori #weaving #ancestralwisdom
Ochre has fascinated me for years now, from the vast amount of colours and shades that occur naturally depending on the mineral make up of the soil to how we as humans have used it over the centuries, from body point, to fine art, from sunblock for the skin, to cave wall paintings...
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However it was not until I travelled to Africa and saw the deep red earth there that I actually understood and began using it in its many applications.
It was from that trip where while staying with family I scooped up a large handful of red soil from outside my cousin-in-loves house that had been exposed due to construction and really had a deep look at it, and in turn she helped me to make offerings and then pack it away in a small zip lock bag so I could bring some small piece of this sacred earth home.
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From that soil there were many ceremonies and of course paint was made and used in turn was given away to my students as we worked through a year of ancestral healing for which red ochre was used in a powerful ceremony of forgiveness...
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So you can imagine my delight when I was recently away in Ireland on an ancestral journey when I came across the stunning swath of open red and black earth along the coast of Northern Ireland in an area called the Giants Causeway.
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Once back home I found myself in a liminal time of flow and creativity in particular with my weavings...
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Interestingly enough I had already started a weaving before I left using black and red yarns that reminded me of earth ochre, so upon returning home this piece {which is now listed as an altar cloth in my online store} was what started it all...
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For this piece though, I wanted to weave layers that represented the layers of earth, and how when the earth opens up we are able to see all of the many things that go into making soil such as plants, insects, sea creatures, mammals, and abiotic materials factors, like minerals, water, and air and how each one will create a different colour of soil.
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I now have a small and growing number of altar cloths, and wall hangings available in my store all affordably priced so folks can enjoy them, or perhaps gift them as we slowly make our way into the giving season.
We are home again from our epic time away in Ireland and in all my years of travel I have never once been sad to come home until now!
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Ireland, the home of my ancestors has completely captured my heart and I felt at home the moment I arrived.
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Now that I am back and integrating all that happened while I was away I am feeling a little blue, it was healing to sit with some of the images from our time and put together a little reel.
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Some of the places you will see here {In order} are:
Sliabh na Caillighe otherwise known as the Hill of the Witch or Loughcrew cairns, where we were totally alone and able to connect in a way that would have otherwise been impossible.
Bru na Boinne/ Newgrange which even at this time of year had tons of people visiting the site and again we found ourselves with a smaller group which was wonderful. The Hill of Tara which in one of the photos has the stone of Destiny in, and Uisneach, otherwise known as the centre of ireland.
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We then went up to Northern Ireland to the Giant’s causeway on the wild coastal shores and the Dark Hedges which are amazing shots of the trees.
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Northern Ireland is where some of my more recent ancestors are from and it’s been powerful to spend time here on the land and to take it all in.
The ruins are from an old Castle called Dunluce.
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It was a joy to plan this trip, rent a car and then drive from Dublin to Northern Ireland stopping along the way to see things as we were called, I am blessed to have been able to do that.
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I was able to lay offerings for my ancestors and in a small way come back home to where some of them are from. I also learned a lot about my family, such as learning that my great grandmother had a 3rd class ticket for the Titanic leaving from Belfast, but because her mother fell ill she stayed close to home and as a result, I am here today and she came to Canada!
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My heart is now a little bit here and a little bit in Ireland and I am already planning my next trip back!
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Have you ever been altered by a place you travelled to?
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#ireland #travel #sacredsites #ancestors #ancestralhealing
Travel will do that to you, change you….
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Today we are packing up our things and hitting the road back to Dublin and tomorrow we fly home.
I easily could spend another couple of weeks here, but life calls us to be adults and come back to reality lol.
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The images here are from the Giants causeway and Dark Hedges here in Northern Ireland where some of my more recent ancestors are from and it’s been powerful to spend time here on the land and to take it all in.
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I have been sharing daily in my stories images from our trip, but the deeper aspects I have been working and sometimes wrestling with have been kept private as I digest, work to understand, and heal from inter generational trauma.
For as much as ancestral healing is wonderful and powerful, it can be emotional and rough especially as some of us reckon with harm caused to others, and the unlearning of colonization.
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For today though I am feeling all of the love that Ireland and the people here have shown me, and I am not the same for having seen the moon on these lands.🌘🌑🌒
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Tell me-have you ever travelled to a place that changed you?
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#ancestralpilgramage #ancestralhealing #travel #ireland #moon
The Willow Tree (Salix) is one of the sacred trees in The. Magic and Folklore of Trees course and yesterday I found this ancient willow tree on the land we are staying on here in Ireland, which I just had to share!
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Willow trees are associated with water and emotion, the moon and inspiration, which I must say seeing and being near this ancient Willow was beyond inspiring for me.
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In the course I share some of the folklore of this magic tree, as well as practical applications such as did you know that Willow bark has been used for millennia for fevers, inflammation and pain? Chewing the bark of the white Willow tree which contains Salicin which is a chemical similar to aspirin and in the 1800’s the bark of the Willow tree was used by scientists to help them develop aspirin.
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Willow is also associated with dreaming and it is said that if you have lost touch with your dreams making a small Willow wand and placing it under your pillow will help, or you can make a dream pillow with things like Mullen and small pieces of Willow bark to use.
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While I have been away here in Ireland the trees have captured my heart and soul especially the willow, and hawthorn which are planted as hedges here and as such are everywhere and full of brihh go t red berries..
I will write a post on hawthorn next though as I have so much to say about what some say is the most sacred tree in Ireland.
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If you are curious about the Magic and Folklore of trees course pop over to my site and download a free sample chapter. ♥️🌳🌲🌳
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What is your favourite tree? Mine changes but for many years now it has been the Hawthorn.
#sacredtrees #willow #folklore #witches #ogham
The moment we landed in Dublin…
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Ok so here is where I might write something poetic and dreamy, but the truth is we were exhausted and ready for sleep! And hell yeah it was mundane, and all we wanted was some tea and for the place we were staying at to have our room ready early.
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Life is like that, a mix of super mundane things and if we are paying attention a little magic as well.
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Some days the magic is harder to find and social media does not help one bit as we scroll through looking at beautiful images..
Hmmm I think I just did that exact thing….
So here is some reality, the place we are staying at is cccccold! It’s an old house, beautiful but drafty and my tummy is not happy from all the rich foods I have been throwing at it..not to mention the cluster-fuck of hot flashes I had in the night, mixed with sleeplessness..
Just to keep it real over here!
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Fortunately Ireland, especially out here in the country is stunningly beautiful and magic seems to be everywhere, so it’s not hard to feel it nor to capture beautiful images, once I settle in and get quiet…
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In the days leading up to coming my ancestors got really loud, and they were booming the moment we landed, but now, all is still and quiet and hearing them seems impossible.
I think they have gone back to the land, so it seems I will have to get quieter myself!
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Have you ever visited the lands of your ancestors? Where did you go? How was it?
This trip being my third, feels wonderful and I am already planning to come back!
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Also when I get home I will be gearing up for a new course offering called Dreaming the Ancestors back home..
I can’t wait to share.
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Bright blessings from rainy, but magical Ireland.
Nikiah
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#ireland #ancestralpilgrimage
Ancestral pilgrimage.
We have been in Ireland for about a week now and travelled from Dublin to the countryside for the rest of our time here, allowing for slow mornings with long walks and ease-full evenings by the fire so I can write in my journal and reflect on all that has come to pass both since arriving here and for my ancestors who I have been working with, and helping to heal.
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Of course coming off-season has also been a blessing as we have been afforded magic in ways that I can’t describe!
The first photos here is at Sliabh na Caillighe otherwise known as Hill of the witches where we were graced with not one but two rainbows on each side of the mound.
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This trip is all about connecting with the land of my ancestors, and really there is nothing more peaceful then walking outside on a quiet day which has been made possible by coming here mid-November and just being with the trees and the spirits of this place.
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I have been in awe of all the Hawthorn trees dotting the countryside in hedges and in the woods and they are all laden with berries giving a beautiful red pop against the winter landscape.
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Of course I am still here taking it all in so I will not say much more other than it’s such a gift to be able to do this and I am already planning to come back!
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Have you ever been to@Ireland or to the lands of your ancestors? How was it?
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#ancestralpilgramage #ireland #ancestralhealing #ancestors