January News from The Witch’s Therapist
Welcome to January all! I’m Aisha Husseini, an Art Therapist and Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) and newest member of The Witch’s Therapist’s Collective! Thank you for allowing me to share space with you and be a part of your day as you read this.
Not long ago was December 21st, the winter solstice and the shortest day of the year bringing around 7 hours and 14 minutes of daylight in Ontario. The winter solstice is considered the seasonal dark night of the soul. Spiritually, it’s a time to honor both the light and the darkness that resides within each of us. So while the solstice has passed and we have shifted to days of gradually more light, I would like to invite us to reflect, release, let go, and set Intentions for the new season through an experiential activity.
Keeping the Light Alive Experiential
Start by grabbing a piece of paper and something of your choice to write with (a pen, pencil, etc.). Now I would like you to take some time to write down things that would serve you to let go of in your life. Once you’ve finished writing I want you to metaphorically “throw” what you would like to release into the fire below, transforming darkness into light.
Now that we’ve “let go”, let us make art (any art materials you have will do) with these questions in mind...
What intentions can we set for the new season ahead of us?
How can we keep the light alive during this time of year?
What people/places/things light up our world?
Thank you for showing up for yourself today and everyday. Now give yourself a big hug!
What I’ve Been Thinking About
I’ve been thinking about the fact that we have so much to learn from the cycles of nature. The above art experiential I’ve invited you to participate in was directly inspired by the wisdom of nature. Winter has many lessons to offer and for us to reflect on if we take the time to notice. Here is one of the biggest ones I’m leaning into: REST IS ESSENTIAL, and it is NOT a reward.
How did that last part land for ya? I anticipate that there will be some agreement but it can be much harder to follow through and I truly understand this. This is the first time in my life I've decided to make a conscious effort to live what I’ve learned to be the truth and let me tell ya, it is not easy. The world will find ways to guilt us into believing that we aren’t doing enough, aren’t productive enough, don’t deserve to rest, that we can’t afford to rest (and I understand that at times this may genuinely be true in our very expensive reality these days) but there really are no buts.
Experiencing chronic stress and not resting or recovering is expensive in other ways and we will end up paying the cost one way or another. It just may end up costing us our health since our bodies will force us to slow down through sickness or in the long term we may be more likely to develop chronic illness. So how can you listen to the wisdom of nature and incorporate more rest into your life?
And if this is something you’d like to explore more feel free to reach out and connect with me so we can explore together.
What I’m Reading
I just finished reading, or rather listening to the audiobook Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagoski and think you should check it out! A digestible read (or listen) about stress, burnout and learning how to manage it as a woman in this world. If you struggle with reading and have never tried an audiobook I highly recommend it, it makes me feel like I'm listening to a podcast. This book is read by both the authors which I personally think makes the learning more rich and immersive. Another tip, if you have a public library card, your library also likely has a free app (London ON has a Libby app) where you can borrow audiobooks and listen right on your phone, how neat!
P.S. I just realized that last month a book by Emily Nagoski was also recommended, what a coinkidink!
Work Updates
Aisha is currently taking on new clients! Aisha is an Art Therapist and Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) who works with both children and adults in a spiritually-aligned way. You can learn more about her work here and then reply to this email if you'd like to set up a free, 15-minute session to decide whether working with Aisha is right for you or your child.
Maggie is not accepting new clients but will be attending and supporting a Legacy Burden Retreat with IFS lead trainer Kay Gardener in February 2025. Learn more about the retreat here.
Santyna's new course, The Magician's Path, is now enrolling. Join her on a 5-week journey where you’ll explore your values, identity and sense of purpose. Over five weeks, you’ll gain an understanding of your personal motivations, beliefs, and preferences offering clarity to fuel your spirituality. Through this program you will create consistent spiritual routines that nourish and fulfill you. This is a 5-class workshop offered at the introductory price of $250. Reply to this email to get signed up. Class is limited to 8 participants.
Upcoming Spiritual & Aligned Events
January 13
Devotional Pentacle
Online
Mondays from January 13 - March 10
This is an experimental and immersive class focused on connecting to the deep self, sometimes known as the star self, the sacred dove, the god hirself, and by many other names— through the Pentacle of Devotion, inspired by a tool developed by Valerie Walker, aka VeeDub.
January 29
The Magician's Path
Online
5 Sundays beginning January 29
This program is a 5-week group journey dedicated to setting meaningful intentions and creating a nourishing spiritual routine that aligns with your unique needs and desires. Whether you are a "Baby Witch"/new practitioner, or if you're more experienced and looking to learn tools and strategies to help with consistency and follow-through with your spiritual routine, this program is designed for you!
January 29
Foundations of Astrology
Online
New Moon Ceremony & astrology practice group
February 7-11
Winter Witch Camp
In-Person (Minnesota, USA) & Online
Winter Witchcamp is a magical intensive hybrid retreat (synchronous online and onsite) in the Reclaiming Tradition of Witchcraft.
As we become more aware of events, I will continue to post them on Instagram so please give us a follow.
And of course, we'd love to hear from you! So if you'd like to reply to this e-mail with thoughts on your favourite books and teas, the activism you're engaging in, or to let us know about an aligned spiritual event in Ontario, we would love that.
With love,
Maggie, Megan, & Santyna
