Irrational Healing: How to heal with winter magick and Avalonian spirals

I've read loads of articles and books, seen countless videos on spirituality and witchcraft that emphasize the need to spend time in nature in order to receive a myriad of benefits deemed appropriately necessary, or at least influential, in casting effective magick. What I've yet to see in frequent are the practical techniques in order to achieve said experiences and elemental relationships templated for the aspirant to attempt and modify, not to mention some substantial conviction on why this is profoundly impactful. Success stories and testimonials describing the incredible mystical and/or healing experiences facilitated by shamanic relationships with the land are rarely written down on something as trite as an online blog, usually published in books or told orally in trainings or ceremony by the shaman themselves who had performed these transformational rituals. And when they are posted on the technologically unsophisticated forums stereotyped to be used by the lesser mundane-motivated spiritual community, it loses credibility in a society programmed by the most sophisticated engineered consumerism in human history.

While focusing intently to create more solidarity in the practice of becoming acquainted with, and in turn communing with the land in hopes of instantaneous and miraculous healing (and what history has coined a universal practice of shamanism), I offer this ancient and sacred myth that is thought to reflect the healing processes brought forward in the human psyche by the season of winter, and more specifically this full moon that will arrived yesterday, Saturday February 8th. The Leo full moon in Aquarius and the fourth moon of every year is coined the Moon of Germination.

HAVE YOU BEEN FEELING ANGSTY AFAF?? Remembering awkward shit from your teenage years regarding peer humiliation that makes you feel weird in your tummy? Getting abrupt realizations about your parents true intentions in raising you and feeling childhood resentment melt away like butter? An overwhelming and highly uncomfortable urge to scream and/or rip your hair out more than twice a day?

According to the Avalonian wheel of the year also known as the Cycle of Initiation, this is exactly to be expected this turn of the season. It's a specific cycle that holds and reflects the energy signature of an aspect of the ancient myth of Ceridwyn and her cauldron, and how this affects the on-going transformational processes that dictate our personal healing and psychological motivations during the darkest time of the year.

I’ll be sure to add several links to different traditional versions of the myth below in the comments sometimes soon, but for now I’ll give you the abridged Hannah version (lol).

So there once was an old woman named Ceridwyn (Ceridwen, Keridwen along with other spellings) who lived somewhere in Wales at the bottom of a lake with her two children. Her daughter was extremely beautiful while her son was allegedly ugly AF and extremely stupid, so ugly that Ceridywn (her term of endearment in my mind is “Dwynie” so I’ll refer to her as such moving forward) decided to concoct this ridiculous potion to bestow her fugly son all the wisdom of the ages. This potion took hella work, stirring it everyday for a year and one day to be more specific, so Dwynie decided to hire a local mortal boy to live with her family to do the stirin’ so she could tend to the fam and other motherly domestic witch duties. This boy stirred diligently over the course of the year, but on the last day of the spell he “accidentally” kicks the cauldron getting the premature potion on his fingers. Because the potion wasn’t ready yet for another few hours, let’s just say it floored him a little bit TOO hard lol, sending him into an overwhelm of slight insanity (aka Awen the welsh word for the ancient concept of a mystical state of drunken inspiration) with wisdom and symbolic vision he began to flee the scene, and Mama Dwynie waking in the night knowing immediately what had happened, enraged, began pursuit.

A cycle of magickal shapeshifting ensued, both of them using their glamoured forms to gain an advantage over the other in this battle of agility, wits and magick. “He ran away, terrified of Ceridwen’s temper, and turned himself into a rabbit; but Ceridwen followed and transformed herself into a dog. So the boy changed himself into a fish and jumped into the river, swiftly followed by the otter formerly known as, Ceridwen. Gwion changed from fish to bird and Ceridwen turned her ottery self into a hawk and continued the chase. Finally, the bird became a grain of corn; the hawk became a hen – and swallowed him up” (https://ceridwencentre.co.uk/the-story-of-ceridwen/). So long story short, she was hella pissed after realizing she was pregnant with this little SOB and plotted to murder his ass at birth, but when seeing how much of a gorgeous baby he turned out being, she just sealed him up in a leather sack instead (fuckin looooool idk I find this hilarious) and sent him down the river, eventually being found by a local prince who witnessed the mysterious wee barne speaking prophetic limericks and shit, becoming 100% convinced he was something special and dubbing him Taliesin aka Radiant Brow aka the most legendary wizard bard in literary and maybe actual-real-life history.

The fuck does this disturbing story have to do with me, you’re thinking?

When we use myths for healing, we look at its themes and tropes to glean messages on how these are reflecting uniquely in our own lives.

In the tradition of Avalonian healing, this full moon is also known as the Moon of Germination, the 4th moon in the wheel of the year (the first being the full moon in Taurus during Scorpio season sometime around Samhain called that of Initiation). I’m thinking of writing more about my experiences and suggestions on using my personal amalgamation of information available on the ancient Avalonian healing spiral of the year more comprehensively one day, but for now this secular conversation regarding this single season is able to be understood and put into practice without an in depth understanding of the whole, and still get profound results towards irrational mind, body and soul healing along with intense, enriching and flat out life changing mystical experiences.

Although when using myths to heal in this way (aka myth pathworking) I prefer using as literal of a translation from the original language of the myth as I can find, simply because most mythic texts are epic poems which involve meter and other literary devices that are difficult to transcribe over time and culture. So when being translated it’s been traditionally common for translators to slightly alter diction and syntax, where some nuanced meanings have been completely lost. Because I’m a literature buff, I get a lot of enjoyment adding these dimensions of study in my myth pathworking. Refining alchemical lessons to study, meditate on and then transmute is most transcendent for me due to my personal tastes, but in the myth of Ceridwyn it only takes an elementary understanding of symbolism and archetypes to see what is being represented here on a mystical level in the psyche of these ancient people.

Ceridwyn symbolizes the divine feminine in its mature form, who loves all of her children despite their flaws. And because of her inclination to etherically extend her will, as is the witch’s way, she also is a symbol of the root of all magick, a combination of a desire, will to transform, and sacred action. The local boy represents the potential of all human beings, that if we are able to access Ceridwyn’s cauldron of healing then we too can be blessed with profound transformation and divine creative inspiration.

Holding the awareness and intentional relationship with the land and its spirits allows Nature to literally initiate you herself into your own spiral of healing, the spiral unfolding by the fractalling similarities between the pattern of the solar year and the lunar month, all a dance of masculine and feminine energies embodied by the shifting lengths of days and nights. Nature teaches us how to harness these cycles in order to transform the soul to conquer our highest aspirations.

Each season is represented by a different face of the great ancient goddesses of Celtic ancient history, including those of the tales from across northern Europe, as many stories and name cognates overlap linguistically and in meaning. The time of Ceridywn, also known as the Station of Confrontation, is coming to a close during this moon cycle having started at the winter solstice. The darkest time of the year (in the northern hemisphere that is) brings about healing processes of the darkest parts of the soul. We too are thrown into the Ceridwyn’s cauldron to be transformed, although without seeing these yearly cycles of mood and perspective as more than merely winter depression we miss out on the true gift of self discovery and creation. This intimate, personal and expansive relationship with nature held with the intention to heal and become the best versions of ourselves is Nature’s purest expression of it’s own desire to instigate and support us the entire way. Holding this perspective allows for a direct experience in seeing that it’s as if Nature was created to support the cycles of the healing the human psyche, not just in her physical resources we have learned to do so, but in the observing of her patterns that we can transcribe onto our own cyclical experiences that without fail, are intricately reflecting stories that have been imposed into myth since the beginning of human history.

Have we not all felt like we’ve been in a catalyzed vortex of transformation since the holidays only a month and a half ago? Are we all sensing this building reconciliation that for some reason, all this is about to pay off somehow, even though everything may be kind of shit, albeit superficially or not? The land offered ancient people these myths as an extension of a helping hand to heal, and certain practices and techniques can be used to tune in and use these energies effectively.

TECHNIQUES TO COMMUNE WITH THE LAND

Thoughtfulness and Journaling

Just the simple awareness that these cycles of archetypal stories hold some wisdom to our own self mastery has the capacity to bring a lot of perspective that can be very soothing during the transformational times of the winter season. Understanding the darkest time of the year will, by natural law, bring the usually uncomfortable introspection into all the nooks and crannies of the spirit, and elicit the opportunity to choose our reactions to these strong emotions. This simple action of introspection is what Mama Winter Ceridwyn is trying to get us to do with this season. Keeping this disciplined perspective during this time is like allowing Ceridwyn to hold our hand through the process, the crone who shies away from no amount of ignorance or ugliness.

Shadow work is a type of emotional and psychological work done to be able to confront all aspects of ourselves effectively so one can then have an opportunity to redesign certain beliefs and/or reaction and emotional programs that are no longer serving an individual's aspirations of self. There are a lot of ways to do shadow work but my favorite is The Work by Byron Katie and Existential Kink by Carolyn Elliot, please, please look these two up if this tickles a feeler for going deeper for personal healing. These resources created by these wise and magickal women have been 10 times more effective than years of talk therapy and have helped me get through gnarly blocks I acquired in my manifestation game after a traumatic initiatory period between 2017 and 2018. Another amazing source of information for this whole modality that is incredibly helpful in understanding the Cycle of Initiation in its entirety is that of Jhenah Telynoru, Mythic Moons of Avalon and Avalon Within. These are some ponder points suggested by Telynoru that truly holds the key to Ceridwyn’s Winter medicine:

What keeps you anchored in negativity, hurt, pain or suffering?

How do you respond to confrontation? Avoidance or straight on?

What do you consider the ugliest parts of yourself? Physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually? When did you begin despising these parts of yourself and how would your life be different if you could change how you felt about these things?

What’s stopping you from making those changes today?

What would be the most frightening thing you could come to discover or realize about yourself? How would this affect you? Is there any truth in this fear?

What is the worst-case manifestation of your greatest fear? Is this a fear you’ve learned from someone else? If so, is it truly relevant in your life today?

If your life would be completely transformed by changing one thing within yourself, what would that thing be? In what ways would your life be different? How can you manifest this change in your life?

Spellcraft and Offerings to Ceridwyn

Spend time physically writing down the answers to these questions, difficult emotions are bound to come up and don't be hard on yourself if you find this a challenge to get through. Burn sage, dribble florida water, keep crystals, salt and candles on deck, do what you know how to do to clear the negative energy and gently get through these.

A simple ritual to connect with Ceridwyn and petition her aid includes making sacred space and casting a circle as per conventional magick protocol, taking preferably a black candle, something to offer like an herb, wine, water, tobacco, honey, a homemade sandwich...make it from the heart though, and the image of Ceridywn below. While staring at this image of Ceridwyn (you can just do it straight from your phone or computer no need to print it unless you want to), light the candle and say this prayer:

“Winter Mother, Grandma Ceridwyn, sister to my soul. Peer into my heart and see my intentions to confront, heal and transmute all that doesn’t serve me so I may step boldly in this world and shine uniquely, in joy, love, peace and service to myself, my loved ones and the universe.”

Fold the paper three times away from you (to banish) and hold it in both hands while holding it near the flame of the candle, making an offering of sacrifice while maintaining fixed gaze on Ceridwyn. Note any messages, visions or impressions from this sacrament here. Thank Ceridwyn and close the space

This ritual templates a standard offering ceremony. The rudimentary parts of these types of ceremonies are the creation of the sacred space and circle casting, prayer and petition, open communion, offering, and lastly giving thanks and closing of the circle/releasing the directions. This is a traditional formula meant to give the practitioner somewhere to start communing with any goddess not just Ceridwyn, but is no means the only way or the best way to go about this. Everyone has their own talents and tastes when doing anything in life, and these differences are meant to be celebrated with witchcraft, not suppressed

Walking the Land and Offerings

One of the easiest, and in my healing process, scarily effective ways to work with the seasonal healing cycles is spending time on the land and making a point to give offerings chosen that align with whatever you're trying to manifest, heal or understand.

I’ll use my own story to illustrate what I mean by this. My healing process for the Ceridwyn time of the year started the day after Halloween with a heart-wrenching breakup and a painful persistent abdominal and lower back pain that was repeatedly sending me to the hospital in desperation for answers. Only having basic free state health insurance I was turned away twice being refused treatment and testing because of my childhood history of depression and anxiety. They literally sent me away suggesting I take a Benadryl for the anxiety that must have been causing the mystery pain. This sent me into some of the worst depression of my life. I felt like I was in a dystopian horror film where no one cared to attempt an understanding of my dire situation, between being broke due to inability to work from excruciating pain along with being just plain scared shitless, not to mention already owing hundred of dollars in hospital bills, I was determined to think outside the box to find a way to figure out what was wrong with me, although I was frankly on the constant verge of a complete nervous breakdown.

Those months proceeding I’d been very distant from my spiritual life, deeply caught up in my difficult relationship and toxic behavioral patterns, and feeling completely helpless and out of resources, I returned to the land as I had been taught in my studies, the traditional shamanic traditions and the ways I’ve been shown by the land itself. I offered rose and tobacco, rose to heal my heart and soften the experience, to bring sacred love quickly into my life in every pocket. Tobacco for the ancient dead of the land, I’ve found the spirits of southern California love it better than any other offering. Keeping it in a dinky sandwich baggie and not able to walk very far because the obscure mystery pain in my lower gut,

I went to my special favorite places in nature that spoke out to me when I’d drive aimlessly around Palm Springs, asking the land to direct me to where I needed to be. I’d park and get out of my car countless times only to get right back in and keep driving to another remote location, sometimes just right back home, the feeling of it not being the right time or locale flaring up in my body, violently at times.

Months of this dance went on until the resistance finally melted and I found myself on some rocks in my favorite canyon, surrounded by hummingbirds and desert flowers as I gave my offerings. I meditated with eyes shut for a few minutes when a feeling of fear came over me, as I heard a shift around the enclosed boulders like something had approached my secret place. Opening my eyes nothing was there, but my vision was altered and I knew something was happening. Gathering my stuff with heart pounding I made a break for it and bailed out of the canyon as quickly as I could, wondering if I had disrespected the land somehow, but just as I reached my car, I was being called by my doctors office informing me they discovered a hemorrhaging cyst on my left ovary, the copper IUD Paragard was slicing my lower internal organs and I needed to remove it ASAP. Months and months of guessing, dead ends and no answers, and the strong and sometimes terrifying force of resistance in asking the land for help (the force I’ve come to know as the Green Man aka what IMO Satan has always wanted to be, more on this in an upcoming article I think) all came to a beautiful and abrupt end the literal moment I physically petitioned the elements, spirits and elemental guardians of the land.

The elements are what dictate matter’s form, so if we desire to create change, one might say we don’t perform the magick, it’s actually the elements who do it for us. When we’re in right relationship with these forces, miracles come easier, healing gets done for us in our souls’ name. A sacred act of service done on behalf of the shaman, as long as we keep up our end of the relationship, which can be achieved by earnest listening, an offering of the heart, a simple blowing of a kiss or a song made up on the spot. This is enough, for the land to be acknowledged, considered, looked upon lovingly like our ancestors did when the veils weren’t so thick. When we offer the spirits a form of this ancient relationship, it is the most heart-felt gift a human could offer after the historical baggage that's been brought forward after centuries of abusing Gaia. We all have heard how difficult it is to put mystical things into linear language, so I hope this attempts to illustrate the power of right relationship with the land when petitioning for healing with the elemental forces of magick.

While making an offering from the superficial level of visual observation, it is a very simple looking act, however a good and effective offering is intricately layered with meaning and intention. The first thing to consider is the energy signature of the land and it’s inhabited spirits of the prospective place you plan to give your offering. Understanding what the spirits of the land like in terms of offerings takes practice, time, intuitive effort and trust but it is truly a life changing skill to develop this ability to commune in reciprocation with what I like to call the fae, the ancient dead, the inbetween spirits, elementals or nature devas interchangeably. I guarantee that after establishing a simple practice of offering to the land in whatever way feels good to you, you will never be able to see nature and your inherent connection to it the same way.

NOW LOOK WITHIN AND MAKE WINTER MAGICK!

SO, as we cope with these intense energies the next four weeks as the Station of Confrontation and the time of Ceridwyn comes to a close, I invite you to work through the concepts presented in the questions above (Telynoru, Jhenah. Avalon Within). Take the exposed emotions that are stirred up and offer it on nature’s altar with a simple offering of wine, water, tobacco or a whole piece of fruit, whichever calls to you more or is easier to acquire. By doing this humble gesture you’re setting the stage for the elements to initiate you themselves into a ceremony of healing in your everyday life. By allowing the elements to create reality shifts of natural divine order, and seeing it as a sovereign ritual for you to understand, work through and co-create with, this is the definitive difference between curing and healing, the former being a masking of the true origin of dis-ease by placating the symptoms, while the latter suggests a process that is on a deeper lever and of greater permanence.

Feel free to comment below and questions or thoughts, direct message me through email, instagram or facebook, book a private reading or personalized spell to catalyze your sovereign healing path to power today! I love you all have a magickal fourth Moooooonth of Germination <333333