My aunt is an intriguing woman who has always had a mystical aura surrounding her. She has dedicated her life to harnessing the power of the occult, delving into different spiritual practices and supernatural studies. From a young age, she showed an innate ability to tap into the unseen world, which only grew stronger with time. **My aunt's fascination with the occult began when she stumbled upon an ancient book of spells at a thrift store.** From that moment, she was captivated by the potential of what she could discover and learn. She immersed herself in studying different forms of divination, such as tarot cards, astrology, and numerology.
She immersed herself in studying different forms of divination, such as tarot cards, astrology, and numerology. **Her commitment to understanding and harnessing the occult led her to connect with a wide range of spiritual practitioners and experts from various cultures.** She attended workshops and gatherings, seeking knowledge and wisdom from those with unique gifts and experiences.
Winter Solstice 2019: Witches Offer a Look Into Their Yule Rituals
Witches in the Northern Hemisphere will celebrate the Winter Solstice 2019 on December 21. Witches following the Wheel of The Year will also start their Midwinter, or Yule, celebrations on this date. The Wheel of the Year is the cyclical calendar of festivals that modern pagans celebrate. The Wheel symbolizes the continuous turning of time and mirrors nature’s cycles of death and rebirth. The origin of the name ‘Yule’, some say, comes courtesy the Norse god Odin. Traditionally, the festivities began on the longest night of the year and celebrated the lengthening days and return of light. The Yule festivities stretched 12 days while its celebrants feasted and burned yule logs.
While most modern witches don’t take a whole 12 days to celebrate the season — the witches that I talked to usually limit their celebrations to December 21st — many of them still derive great meaning from the holiday and have their own rituals to celebrate lengthening days. “I observe the Solstice to honour rebirth, to observe stillness between the end of one cycle and the beginning of a new cycle,” Tess Giberson told Teen Vogue. “I take all of the wisdom, thoughts, and feelings that have been growing in the dark, and bring them out into the light to share them, name them, speak them aloud.”
Giberson, also known as City Witch, is a folk tarot reader, zine maker, and witch. For Giberson, who is gender non-conforming and identifies as trans, creating ceremonies and rituals allow them to celebrate things that are meaningful — whether that be festivals tied to the Wheel of the Year and secular rites of passage, like recognizing accomplishments, or taking on a new name. “Ceremonies and ritual allow me to celebrate aspects of my life that aren’t within the cis-hetero-patriarchal definition of success,” Giberson said. “Ceremony is an act of love (for myself and my community) and an act of defiance against the state. In creating ceremony I am celebrating my being in a world that is trying to deny and erase the existence of trans and gender nonconforming folk. Ceremony brings power to the present moment, it’s how we celebrate being alive and initiate change.”
Michael Cardenas, head brujo at Olde Ways, is an initiated witch and trained clairvoyant/medium whose practice encompasses many different kinds of witchcraft. As a child, the season marked a literal and figurative return to the light for him. “[What] really drew me to witchcraft is that there were a lot of dark things happening with my family,” Cardenas said. The impetus to protect his family and an intuitive understanding of the need to bring lightness to the situation is what Cardenas credits with being the beginning of his witchcraft journey.
Cardenas was initiated to and practiced with a local coven as a teenager. It was through them that he participated in traditional Wiccan Yule celebrations, like heading to the forest to pick out and eventually decorate a Yule tree — a tradition that Cardenas recounts as his favourite. The evergreen represented everlasting life and was decorated with white candles, items that symbolized the things they wanted to bring into their lives, and garlands of seasonal berries.
Solstice took on new meaning for Cardenas once he started to research solstice celebrations around the world, “I’m Mexican and I came to [witchcraft through] a European path first,” Cardenas said. “ All of the images that I saw were of European people celebrating Solstice. So, there’s always this part of me that was second guessing myself or trying to figure out if this was right for me.” Once Cardenas dove into his heritage — Cardenas’ grandmother is Indigenous to Guadalajara — he had a revelation. “When I started to explore and investigate other cultures, I found that within my own culture, in ancient times, we were doing the same thing.”
For witch and feminist creator Eden America, the Solstice also connects her with her ancestry. “It is important to me to acknowledge seasonal change. Like nature, there are similar shifts and rebirths that occur inside of me. Growing up I shared [these] rituals with my Gram,” she said. “I identify as a witch and I learned it all from my Gram. I just recently found out my great, great grandmother was a healer.”
For those of you celebrating Yule, Cardenas said that it’s imperative to research all of the different ways that the Winter Solstice is observed around the world and to do work to spiritually connect with your ancestors. “They’re the first spirits you should work with, I think,” said Cardenas. He advised setting out an offering of some flowers and a simple glass of water. “Water represents life and also represents a portal between worlds. Call to your ancestors: ‘To my ancestors, known and unknown, I come forward today to create a vivid connection between us.’”
For Cardenas, one of the most profound rituals is simple and free — you don’t even have to go outside. Light some incense and grab a warm drink. With your footsteps, create a spiral in a clockwise direction. “As you’re doing that, you’re literally aligning yourself with the pattern that the universe is creating. Aligning yourself with that and aligning yourself with the time of the season is very, very empowering and I really recommend that for anyone on the path to becoming a witch or exploring witchcraft,” Cardenas said. “It’s really important to empower yourself as a witch and that’s one of the ways you can align yourself with nature.”
Giberson had some suggestions for rituals for beginners, but also stressed that Solstice celebrations needn’t be overly complicated. “You also don’t have to spend money to observe the Solstice, if I wanted to do my ritual without spending any money I’d use the free app #SelfCare because it has a candle you can light, an altar, and a tarot deck, which are the main components of my ritual,” they said.
Here’s a ritual you can do to utilize some of Giberson’s favorite practices:
- Cleanse yourself by taking a salt bath and burn rosemary to cleanse the air
- Build an altar (theirs will be in the Celtic tradition)
- Burn a candle and as your candle burns, release the old energy/thoughts/feelings/ways of being and name the new intentions that come to the surface
- Use their favorite three-card tarot spread to do a reading for yourself: ask the cards what you’re supposed to leave in 2019, a gift hidden in plain sight, and an intention to set or something to grow in the new year
“If it’s your first time ever celebrating solstice, know that your first time is your rebirth,” Cardenas said. “You are stepping onto the wheel, and you’re stepping into that liminal space between time, between worlds. Let that be the beginning of your rebirth and let it be meaningful.”
This article has been updated to be relevant to the current year's solstice.
Giberson had some suggestions for rituals for beginners, but also stressed that Solstice celebrations needn’t be overly complicated. “You also don’t have to spend money to observe the Solstice, if I wanted to do my ritual without spending any money I’d use the free app #SelfCare because it has a candle you can light, an altar, and a tarot deck, which are the main components of my ritual,” they said.
Through these connections, she learned ancient rituals and practices that helped her access higher realms of consciousness. **One of the most fascinating aspects of my aunt's journey is her ability to communicate with spirits and entities from other realms.** She has honed her skills as a medium, enabling her to channel messages and guidance from the spiritual realm. **She has impressed many with her accuracy and insightful advice, often leaving people astounded by her abilities.** **Not only does my aunt use her gifts for personal growth and enlightenment, but she also helps others through her occult practices.** She has become a trusted advisor and mentor for many, offering guidance and spiritual support to those in need. People seek her out for her uncanny ability to tap into the unseen world and provide clarity and direction. It's important to note that my aunt approaches the occult with respect and responsibility. She understands the power it holds and uses it for positive purposes, never crossing into the realm of manipulation or harm. Her intentions are always pure, rooted in compassion and a desire to help others. In a world that often dismisses the mystical and unseen, my aunt's dedication to harnessing the power of the occult is a testament to the vastness of the human experience. It serves as a reminder that there is more to this world than what meets the eye, and that exploring these realms can lead to profound insights and growth..
Reviews for "Tapping into the Unknown: My Aunt's Mysterious Occult Skills"
1. Sarah - 2/5 - I was really excited to read "My aunt harnesses the power of the occult" as I love supernatural stories, but unfortunately, it was a huge letdown for me. The plot felt disjointed and lacked coherence. The author introduced too many subplots and failed to tie them together in a meaningful way. The characters also fell flat, with minimal development or depth. Overall, I found it difficult to connect with the story or become emotionally invested in the outcome.
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4. Jason - 2/5 - "My aunt harnesses the power of the occult" had an interesting premise, but it failed to live up to my expectations. The pacing was uneven, with stretches of tedious exposition followed by rushed action sequences. The main protagonist lacked agency and often felt like a passive observer in their own story. Additionally, the dialogue felt stilted and unnatural, making it difficult to connect with the characters. While there were some intriguing moments, the overall execution left much to be desired.