November News from The Witch’s Therapist
Samhain blessings to everyone on this New Moon in Scorpio! This is Megan, psychotherapist with The Witch’s Therapist here to help you navigate the coming new moon-th feeling supported and inspired. I’m happy to share a few helpful resources I’ve been turning to myself during this season to help navigate change.
Books & Tea
As the weather turns colder, I am looking forward to returning to my ritual of non-stop hot herbal tea. My favourite go-to herb is Stinging Nettle (Urtica Dioica) - a great nervine tonic with no caffeine that you can consume all day long. I might even throw a large handful of Nettle into a 1L mason jar filled with almost boiling water, sealed tightly, and left to steep for hours, creating a nourishing infusion to be drunk later. A spoonful of honey helps tone down what I call “the green taste.” Try it and let me know!
Along with my Nettle tea, I’ve been enjoying reconnecting with the knowledge found in Tarot of the Spirit, by Pamela Eakins, Ph.D. This book and deck present an in-depth understanding of the intersection of Tarot & Kabbalah, specifically contextualising the Tarot archetypes within the Tree of Life. If you are drawn to beautiful imagery and poetic interpretation, this might be for you.
What Activism I’m Engaging in
As I think about the upcoming elections south of the border and the increasingly complex political and social narratives of the current era, I find myself reflecting a lot on the Drama Triangle developed by San Francisco psychiatrist Stephen B. Karpman in 1968. (see image).
The theory posits that we can find ourselves limited to these roles - Persecutor, Rescuer, or Victim - as ways of coping with the feeling of helplessness over the actions of others. The Persecutor role can have us trying to control and criticise others in the hopes that they will change so that we can feel better. The Rescuer role invites us into self-sacrificing our needs to try to fix others. The Victim role finds us hiding and waiting to be rescued or submitting to others’ harsh criticisms.
There is another way, according to this model of thinking. We can often shift out of these by becoming the change we want to see within the conversations, communities and relationships we engage in. A great question to ask ourselves in the midst of a Drama Triangle struggle is: What do I want to create here? What do I want to see happen?
Shifting into Creator mode can often be the first step towards breaking the cycle of blaming, helplessness and rushing to fix. This can be particularly empowering within therapy sessions, and I personally welcome the opportunity to explore this model for those with whom it resonates.
What Inspired me This Month
This month I’m inspired by the seasonal shift into the fixed sign of Scorpio, which encompasses the archetype of death and transformation. Like the caterpillar called to cocoon or the bear called to the cave, I invite us all to notice which areas of our lives are no longer sustainable as they are. Perhaps it is a routine, a way of thinking about ourselves and our lives, or a relationship that has run its course. The challenge of Scorpio is the development and deepening of our Self-Trust - which is earned and cultivated through the discrimination of choice. I invite us all to lean into the power and thrill of being a little more selective and curating this month. What a gift to trust ourselves to make good decisions for ourselves, and to allow this to strengthen through the practice of starting with the simpler and obvious changes we can make. Remember - you can always change your mind! If decisions are difficult right now, lean into rest as you allow your inner world to settle into clarity.
Mini Tarot Reading
This month we are invited into the peaceful mindset of the Four of Wind - Mastery. The Four of Wind suggests that a mental break may be in order. It is okay to set boundaries with your own thinking processes, inviting your attention towards more restful and relaxing ways of being. You’ve earned it! Notice the temptation to resort to over-thinking as a way of managing anxiety, tension, stress, and uncomfortable feelings.
If you need to, set a space aside for “worry-time”, when you will give your problems your full undivided attention for a set period of time. I recommend no more than 15 minutes before you thank your worrying parts and proceed along to more enjoyable activities. The temptation to wallow in thought loops may be at an all time high - anticipate this and have a short list of pleasurable alternatives at the ready!
Work Updates
If the longer days and the seasonal shift have you feeling introspective and you could use more support while walking that inner path, Megan and Santyna are both accepting new clients. You can learn more about their individual perspectives and skills sets on our website.
Santyna is working on her course, The Magician's Path, all about creating supportive spiritual rituals and it will be running in early 2025. We're currently creating a waiting list for anyone interested, so please reply to this email if you'd like to be added to it.
Maggie is supporting a Legacy Burden retreat with Kay Gardner happening south of Toronto on Feb. 15-19, 2025. You can find some of the details here.
Lastly, and most excitingly, we have a new member joining our team of witches. Justine's official start date is November 15 and as such, she will be introducing herself in our next newsletter so stay tuned of her official introduction. In the meantime, I'll just share that Justine will be offering sex education and intimacy coaching, with a values firmly rooted in spirituality, queer identity and pleasure activism, "a politics of healing and happiness that explodes the dour myth that changing the world is just another form of work".
Upcoming Spiritual & Aligned Events
November 9
Day Of The Dead Cacao Ceremony
London, ON
This ceremony is ideal for people that have lost someone in their lives and would like for do a special cacao ceremony for them.
Tickets are $100 and include an ebook, Day of the Dead cake, materials for the grieving ritual, cacao, flowers, and more.
November 1-3
Beyond Healing Summit
Online
A free, 3 day event that aims to educate and guide individuals towards deeper states of internal awareness, self-leadership, authenticity and multi-dimensional embodiment.
November 8-11
World Wide Witch Camp
Online
An online immersive in the Reclaiming Witchcraft tradition. Three days of rituals, workshops, affinity groups & optional offerings, all online.
I know our events calendar is sparce this month but I couldn't bring myself to add any Yule themed events just yet; I've barely enjoyed the fall! As we become more aware of events, we will continue to post them on Instagram so please give us a follow.
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
