Sacred Saturday Video Series Episode 9
In an effort to compile all of my Sacred Saturday posts from IGTV, I will be posting one self help video per day until I catch up with the series!
Enjoy this video on journaling!!
Tag: ritual
Chris ( aka Ammo ) O’Day, The Fitness Witch, has been in the occult community for over 20 years. She specializes in mind, body and spirit transformations through fitness, nutrition, energy work and magic. She is initiated in Santeria, Quimbanda and ceremonial magic and a 2nd degree Gardnerian High Priestess. She can be reached through her Fitnesswitch page on instagram or her website www.fitnesswitch.com for in person/online personal training, yoga, reiki, tarot and astrology. She currently resides in Redondo Beach California.
I spent a really long time avoiding working with the dead. Even though I was out of the broom closet in my 20’s, I wasn’t ready for such intense work. I was also already 30 by the time a close relative passed away, so death just hadn’t touched my life yet. But from that point it hasn’t slowed down.
I’ve lost so many people to addiction, Cancer and suicide that I’ve lost count. Once death started happening, and my loved ones still felt close by, to the point of appearing in dreams and visions, I realized it was the missing puzzle piece to my magical practice. I set up a simple altar and they were front and center from that moment, ever present and ready to guide in the right direction.
This magic has brought me to such an incredibly healing place, as well as to straight up slap in the face reality checks.
At 9 years old, I died on the operating table. My appendix burst while they were doing surgery. My childhood was plagued with stomach aches. This particular one was worse than usual and landed me in the hospital. After the operation, I was held there for 3 weeks, with a needle in some vein or another the entire time, eating every Italian Ice in the place, and driving the staff insane. I look back and see this incident as to what led me here, all these years later, working with the dead and my ancestors and preparing to be an end of life doula. The dead, at least my dead, don’t fuck around when they want me to learn a lesson.
As I approach the one year anniversary of my fathers death next month, which has shook the very foundation of who I am, I thank him, all my blood dead as well as all of those that have passed in my magical lineage, for their constant guidance and love, and for always having my back.
The best part of this practice is that it is relatively easy to reach the dead in your bloodline, even if you’ve never met. An easy set up to start with is a white candle, a glass of water, photos ( only of deceased people ) and an offering of some kind. If you know their tastes in food, alcohol, etc. you can leave those as well.
For example, my grandfather loved red licorice, so I always buy him Twizzlers. My grandmother lived on chocolate and lipton tea, so I always make sure those things are there, too. Choose one day a week to sit in front of your altar, light the candle, put out the offerings and just be still. Tell them your troubles and ask for guidance. Sit and just listen. If you have trouble making a connection, persevere, and over time things will start to happen.
Beginning a meditative practice will be of great assistance to help you quiet your mind so that you can hear what they’re trying to communicate to you. I’m truly stunned at all the distant relatives (and when I mean distant, I mean 500 years ago) that have made their presence known. And once that connection is made, you have a constant feeling of someone having your back and guiding you to a better life. I invite you to celebrate your beloved dead during the thinnest of veils between worlds, Samhain, and make magic that will change your life.
Happy Super New Moon babes!!
This cycle the New Moon falls in the sign of Gemini, the sign of the Twins. This sector of the zodiac represents duality; our subconscious shadow vs our conscious ego.
For today, it’s important to set an intention to carry for the next 29.5 days, where halfway through it will manifest, and for the continuation of the cycle you will sit with your magick, revise, and revisit.
And that’s what Co-Creation is all about! It’s half trust, half commitment. What can you be committed to changing or improving for this cycle? And what kind of magick will support you?
For example, for this moon cycle I’m going to be committed to healthy eating and intentional nourishment. I recently moved my scale back into my bathroom and since I’ve had creepy negative ED whispers from my shadow!
So part of my ritual was to move the scale back under my cabinet and remove my trigger. And purchasing gorgeous raw fruits and veggies to replenish my body from a place of love. I’m committing to replacing bad eating habits with better ones, and leaving the rest up to Universe!
So what’s your intention, and what’s your portion of the work? How can you symbolize this in a ritual setting? What part of your truest desires can you take responsibility for?
Stay committed, and stay witchy ( *)
witchywisdoms.com
Welcome back to the WAYIYJ Podcast!!!
Season 3, Episode 9 is live!
I’m coming to you today with Dana Suchow, activist behind Do the Hotpants, to talk about being vulnerable! We discuss how your brand evolves with you, fear behind vulnerability and growth, and allowing space for others.
Find her on:
- Instagram: @dothehotpants
- Online: Do the Hotpants
Listen up and stay witchy ( *)
Tune in below and on iTunes, and be sure to subscribe and leave a rating!!! ( *)
Theme song by Cody Valentine
How this New Moon Symbolizes the Final Push Towards an Abundant 2018
So today we have a New Moon in Sagittarius, who’s energy is fiery, passionate, and willing to make our goals our destiny. This is the final push to see how much transformation we’ve made and what we still need to do to have a successful New Year.
But lately it’s gotten me thinking about how far I’ve come, myself, in just a few short years.
It wasn’t too long ago that I would set goals just to have them crumble beneath me in a few weeks. It seemed impossible because there were so many “outside forces” that seemed to be standing in my way. One thing or another would dramatically change the course of events, and I just felt as thought I couldn’t win.
But once I hit the proverbial rock bottom, I came to my senses and reached out for some much needed help. I sought out guidance that directed me to real change, and it seemed as though outside forces didn’t have the same effect. Sure, life still happens, but the real force that kept obstructing my journey was ME. And seeking out help got me out of my own way.
As the Star appeared, and hope was renewed, I started to see a shift in my overall abundance. Because I worked with my shadow, acted with gratitude, defined my values and put true intention behind every action, my goals weren’t difficult to attain anymore. In fact, just setting them was enough for them to manifest.
I know what it’s like to be frustrated and discouraged. I still have those days. But the difference is that I know how to honor the feelings and switch them to a vibe so high that abundance can’t help but find me. And I can teach you how to do exactly the same.
I’ve created a group program to start off the New Year right, which is held in a private Facebook community for 8 full weeks. I have educational videos, private coaching calls, guest speakers, assignments and rituals that are specifically designed to get you out of your own way and into a revolutionized way of thinking. I made this group program for ME a few years ago.
So act as the Knight of Swords and move forward with action. Don’t wait, because you can only receive this insane package at the early bird price for two more days. Get on this no, because you won’t regret it. Find the link here, and stay witchy ( *)
Why My Rituals Are So Powerful (and Why You Need Them in Your Life!)
Practicing intentional symbolic action takes place all over the world at any given time and creates a directed energy that is palpable. Think of the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. That’s a ritual that Americans practice every year and you can actually feel the vibrations coursing through the stadium, and even the living room you’re watching in with a chicken wing in hand. Ritual work is incredibly moving, literally anyone can do it, and utilizing the power of Full and New Moons magnifies the strength of the energy.
But why is it so powerful? What makes this kind of practice work?
- Setting a directed intention:
- When you focus on something, you give it power. And ritual work is no exception. The moon cycle is a great time to set and harvest intentions, and when you really want to achieve or heal something, this is a sacred time and space to be able to do so. All of the thought and energy you pour into what you truly desire will be amplified by this magical work. This is why it feels so great to act it out!
- Meditation:
- Whether you’re using a crystal, the flame of the candle, or simply sitting still, incorporating meditation into ritual work helps to open the third eye and allows us to receive messages. It clears space in our head away from the chaos and allows a mystical energy to flow through. Envisioning yourself lighter or enveloped by a color or aura helps to open certain chakras and foster alignment.
- Symbolism:
- Gathering things that represent the fruition of your intention gives it power as well. If you seek to be more grounded, collecting stones and things of the earth help to place that idea in the forefront. It makes it tangible.
- Journaling:
- Like many witches, I use journaling in my rituals. Coming into a meditative state and free flowing words with which I hold in my subconscious helps to bring them to light. The act of physically writing down my dreams and intentions helps to purposefully put them out into the universe. And as far as manifestation goes, it really works.
These are elements that I use in all of my rituals, and I have gotten rave reviews from every client that has used them. The rewards received from completing a ritual have been an incredible uplifting feeling, clarity, mindfulness, grounding energy, alignment and more. Usually they cost 50$ per ritual, but right now I have a subscription package that costs 1$ per ritual for an entire year. That is a one time payment of 24$ to have a Full and New Moon ritual right in your inbox 1-2 days before each cycle. That is so much value for the price of a couple of Starbucks coffees.
Grab it here, get your ritual on, and stay witchy ( *)
Ritual Subscription Package
In lieu of one of my regular posts, I wanted to extend an offer to my loyal blog subscribers ( *)
I have packaged my rituals into a yearly subscription that is valued at 1200$, but costs you only a one time payment of 24 bucks !
If you’re interested in learning more, click here and join the many other babes who are getting their Goddess on as we speak!
Happy Monday kittens, stay witchy ( *)
WednesdayWisdoms: Releasing the Negative
When shitty things happen to you, and they will through the course of your life, you have two clear routes to take. As discussed in the previous post, you can turn to whiney victimhood, or to raw vulnerability that helps you move on in an organic way.
But before you get to this fork in the road, there is a long stretch of grieving. Some of us know how to grieve, in fact, we’re seasoned professionals. Some of us others, however, would rather push the grief down or aside until it takes the wheel as an act of rebellion, and we’re forced down the road of panicky, inconsistent victimhood.
So for all of the events, people, pets, homes, jobs, or traumas you never got to grieve, I have an exercise in purging some of the anger that leads us down the back alley of victimhood.
We’re going to write down everything we wish we could have said “no” to.
I suggest Post-it notes or index cards. You want to write each specific event on a card of it’s own. We aren’t making a list, we’re giving individual space to each shitty life event.
There is no need to journal on this either. Give your event a title, and as you write it down, imagine what it would look like if you could have said “no” to this particular event.
Then, for each card, I want you to burn it (safely!) over an open flame. As you do, say the following:
“I cannot change the past, but I can re-route my future. I accept the reality of the present, and release my anger towards ___________”
This should help to begin a revolutionary healing process. Acceptance is the final stage of grief in the Kübler- Ross Grief Cycle. But we must move through the other six stages in order to get there.
What I find people hang on to the most in grief is guilt and anger. This ritual should alleviate some of those feelings so you can continue your journey inward, and then onward. Stay strong, and, as always, stay witchy ( *)
WednesdayWisdoms: What Are You Grateful For?
It is easy for us to say that we are grateful for everything we have, but what does that mean? What is everything?
If we wrap up all of the intricacies into one term labeled “everything,” we minimize some of the most important aspects in our lives. So for this weeks practice, we’re going to make a list.
I want you to start out with a list of twenty things that you are grateful for. I know that sounds like a daunting number, but once you get flowing you’ll realize you have so much you never accounted for! You can start with some big ones: the fact that you’re alive, your family, that you have two legs (if you do) just to get the ball rolling. Then, slowly, get more and more personal. Is there someone in your life that makes it better? Is there a particular family heirloom that makes you smile every morning? Do you possess a skill or trait that makes your world a better place?
I wrote my list above. Look it over and see if it brings you inspiration. Then write yours out. REALLY set time aside for it. And when you’re done, post it somewhere you will see everyday. Above the kitchen sink or bathroom mirror. Somewhere super visible. Post it with a mala or your favorite crystal. Bring some light and energy into it. The more emphasis you place on this list, and the more reminders that you have to be grateful, the less space you will have in your heart for the negative.
And you are highly encouraged to KEEP ADDING! If you think of something new to be grateful for, pop that bad boy of the list and watch it add some more shine. Sprinkle it with glitter. Kiss it with lipstick. Love that list because it makes your world great.
Stay grateful, and stay witchy ( *)