Author: Emily Guenther

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Metaphysical Connection: A Holiday of Lights

Our ancestors used the symbolism of light to ease their winter anxieties. (Photo: Theo Crazzolara | Creative Commons | Wikimedia Commons)

Winter was a difficult time for our ancestors. Except for those living in the equatorial part of the world, winters were cold and harsh. Food was scarce, and your food supply depended on your harvests and abilities to put food away for a later time. Even now with modern conveniences and technology, most of us are not looking forward to winter. It is no surprise that our distant ancestors created many holidays during these cold months to help them get through the darkest part of the year. 

Late fall and winter are full of various holidays from around the world. The ancients tracked the turning of the seasons and often celebrated the most obvious shifts in the natural world. Many ancient cultures celebrated the end of fall (or summer for those parts of the world that don’t have a lot of seasonal changes) and the beginning of winter. You can see this in ancient Norse, ancient Celtic and British, and even modern traditions. The Norse called this Vetrnætr, or Winter Nights. The Celtics, British, and modern Pagans call this Samhain (or Halloween). 

As the year winds down to December, we’re nearing the coldest, darkest months of the year. Our ancestors had comparatively little to help them through the season, and they used the symbolism of light to ease their anxiety. If you look at holidays happening in December, and in the later part of winter, many of them focus on candles, light, and the return of the sun. 

Advent, Yule, Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa are some of the more popularly celebrated holidays in America in December. Each of these has a strong connection to candles and lights.

Advent is a period of preparation and anticipation for some Christians, leading up to Christmas and marking the four Sundays before December 25th. Each week of Advent emphasizes themes such as hope, peace, joy, and love. The use of the wreath and candles during Advent are a long-standing Catholic tradition that was originally adopted by Christians in the Middle Ages as part of their spiritual preparation for Christmas. An Advent wreath is typically made of evergreen branches and holds four candles, each representing one of the four weeks, and intentions, of Advent.

Yule is the ancient practice of celebrating the winter solstice. Yule was practiced by our ancient ancestors and has been revived by modern Pagans. Yule represents the end of the dark half of the year on December 21st and the returning strength of the sun. Over time, different myths and stories have been attached to Yule, such as the Oak King and the Holly King story, as well as the birth of the God who is honored by Wiccans and Pagans. 

Christmas is a holiday we are all familiar with and is the source of our modern gift-giving season. Christmas is the Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of their God, as well as hope and peace for the world. 

Hanukkah is an eight-day celebration in the Jewish faith that is the “festival of lights,” during which gifts are given, and each day a candle of the menorah is ritualistically lit. 

Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday celebrated from December 26th to January 1st. It is a time to learn, celebrate, and honor the ancestors. It’s based on African principles and ideals, and is rooted in first-fruit celebrations from across Africa. Kwanzaa celebrations include lighting a candle each night in a kinara, a candleholder with seven candles. 

This is by no means a complete list of December holidays. Many more are celebrated in America and around the world. Every winter holiday may not include lights or candles, but it is easy to see how the need for hope and reassurance permeates many of them. Even in the 21st century, we cling to the hope of spring and warmer, easier days ahead. 

No matter which holidays you celebrate (or don’t celebrate), keep the faith. Winter may be here, but it is not forever. The light will return, spring will come. In the meantime, all we have to do is take care of each other. 

Emily Guenther is a co-owner of The Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.

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Metaphysical Connection: Holiday Temperance

Photo: Vvictori | Dreamstime.com

The ancients certainly seemed to know what they were doing when constructing the zodiac wheel. They placed the mutable, fiery sign of Sagittarius in the middle of the holiday season. Those born under the astrological sign of Sagittarius are thought to be optimistic, adventurous, curious, and independent. And these traits translate well into how many Americans spend their holidays.

As a fire sign, Sagittarius is passionate and drawn to new ideas, philosophies, and travel. Sagittarius is represented by the centaur — a half-human, half-horse creature — often carrying a bow. Also referred to as “The Archer,” Sagittarius uses a trusty bow and arrow to dream big and aim high. 

In tarot, each zodiac sign is associated with a major arcana card. Sagittarius is associated with the Temperance card in tarot, card number 14 of the major arcana. The Temperance card refers to the blending, moderation, and tempering of disparate elements to achieve a balanced whole that is greater and more harmonious than the sum of its parts. The Greek philosophers, beginning with Socrates, spoke of four natural virtues: prudence, or virtuous use of the intellect; temperance, or virtuous regulation of the emotions; fortitude, or virtuous effort of the human will; and justice, the result of the combined virtuous activity of the other three.

Both Sagittarius and the Temperance card are constantly striving for a more enlightened state of being. The angel in the tarot card here demonstrates this by slowly pouring the liquid from one golden cup into another, a culinary process called “tempering.” Similarly, Sagittarius accomplishes this by exploring the far reaches of both the physical and philosophical worlds to expand on or “temper” what is already known. The angel’s red wings represent blood or life, while the triangle on her dress means spirit, but it is also the elemental symbol for fire. 

The angel’s feet are also symbolic of the eternal pilgrimage or spiritual journey. By showing one foot in the water and the other on the shore, we are reminded that our greatest wisdom lies in the art of balancing. The iris flowers are indicative of the Greek goddess Iris who provides the link between the gods and humanity, acting as a messenger and using rainbows to travel. Like Sagittarius, she travels from one end of the world to another, building upon something that is bigger and brighter than herself.

Temperance is the card of acceptance, where the cycle of life and death, passion and division, and all other oppositions find unity for a shared cause. It unites the masculine with the feminine, keeping us in balance when situations require strength and endurance, or tenderness and compassion, depending on the moment. This card speaks of personal and spiritual growth, one that leads us toward the point of self where we understand how inner conflicts and troubles lead to certain reflections and problems in the outer world. Its symbolism is one of the alchemy of life, and it is significant in a reading, for it represents the point where we get answers needed to change the course of fate or influence our life to change what is needed.

As we glide through Sagittarius season, we are reminded of the Temperance card. Temperance is all about striving for balance — which can often mean taking the middle road. To a Sagittarius, the middle road is almost never enticing. Yet it is not always a compromise, but another solution that can combine both extremes. 

As a mutable fire sign, Sagittarius is bold and confident. Fire is not naturally a mutable element, so Sagittarius is already operating in oppositions. It’s through the alchemy of temperance that we can learn about balancing these oppositions. 

Our lesson for this season is to find balance in opposition. How can we learn to accept and mold the outcome into something more desirable? With Mercury in retrograde in the sign of Sagittarius, we may need to be more detailed in our projects and more understanding when things don’t go as planned. Embrace the optimistic energy of Sagittarius and pivot with the challenges. 

Emily Guenther is a co-owner of The Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.

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Metaphysical Connection: A Holiday Retrograde

Mercury retroshade has begun. Can you tell? (Photo: Pixabay)

n my last column about the Odin’s Eye asteroid, I listed all the planets and asteroids in retrograde. Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Jupiter, and Chiron, respectively. We can now add Mercury to that list. Mercury retroshade has begun. Can you tell?

Retroshade is what astrologers and astrology enthusiasts call the two-week period leading up to and following a Mercury retrograde, where the planet is slowly moving back into its “normal” position. Mercury is the fastest moving planet in our solar system and goes retrograde three to four times a year. The retroshade period can bring clarity and finality to circumstances, but it can also be harsh. Some say that during this time, people may be more irritable, unfocused, or prone to misunderstandings and conflicts.

Mercury went retrograde in August and took a backward spin through the astrological signs of Virgo and Leo. This time, it will happen in the sign of Sagittarius. And this Mercury retrograde will be the last one for this year. We’ll take all the reprieves we can get. Our upcoming retrograde officially begins on November 26th and lasts until December 15th. However, we still have the retroshade after it’s over, making the effects last until January 3rd. 

Mercury is thought to rule over our communication, travel, and commerce. When it is in retrograde, we can often expect miscommunication, disagreements because of miscommunication, hiccups with travel plans, and inconveniences with technology. Retrogrades, especially Mercury retrogrades, often throw speed bumps in our way to make us slow down, reflect, and readjust for the next phase. 

Sagittarius, one of the zodiac’s fire signs, is thought to be a bit of a free spirit. This sign is known to be passionate and energetic while being open-minded, curious, loyal, honest, and enjoying travel. Those with prominent Sagittarius placements in their chart are likely to feel the effects of this Mercury retrograde more than others, but retrogrades affect us all. 

With Mercury retrograding in the sign of Sagittarius, you might find it difficult to move forward on your higher-minded goals due to mix-ups, slowdowns, or simply a lack of mental momentum. If you are doing any Thanksgiving traveling or planning trips for later in the season, you’ll want to triple-check your itineraries and leave wiggle room for delays, as Mercury retrograde is especially likely to interfere with transportation and timing while it’s in this worldly and wanderlusty sign.

These are not new concerns when it comes to Mercury retrograde. Anytime we have one, we need to be mindful of communication, plans, and technology. For the last Mercury retrograde of 2024, the biggest complication is the timing. The retrograde kicks off just before Thanksgiving and will butt up against the Yuletide holidays — the busiest time of year. 

Forewarned is forearmed, and that is always the best advice when it comes to a Mercury retrograde. Don’t wait until the last minute to buy your Thanksgiving food. The demand is already going to be higher than usual for certain grocery items, so don’t make things more complicated by waiting too late. Talk with your loved ones about a gift budget, and try to keep the spending to a reasonable level. Many of us love buying presents for our loved ones and seeing their joy when they get something nice or something they really wanted. We can still give meaningful gifts without breaking the bank or splurging on that one really expensive gift. 

With Mercury retrograding through Sagittarius, we might feel more generous this season with our gift giving. Sagittarius is all about loyalty, style, and being free, which can get us into enough trouble during the holidays without Mercury interfering. Just be mindful of your budget (you’re going to have to pay the credit card bills soon) and try to have a bit of restraint while shopping. Because we are dealing with this fiery Sagittarius energy, don’t overcommit to holiday plans. Sagittarius makes everything seem like fun, but we can’t reasonably do it all. 

As usual, Mercury retrograde is a time to slow down, be patient and understanding, and appreciate what you have. 

Emily Guenther is a co-owner of The Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.

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Metaphysical Connection: Odin’s Eye

Earth’s mini moon in orbit (Photo: urikyo33 | Pixabay)

In our modern world, life is always busy and there is always a lot happening. In the metaphysical community, many believe that what happens in our lives mirrors what is happening in the heavens — as above, so below. Just like our lives, there is always something happening in astrology. Right now, there are four planets and one asteroid in retrograde: Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Jupiter, and Chiron, respectively. There is also an asteroid orbiting in the Earth right now, caught in our planet’s gravitational pull. 

Although it’s being called a “mini moon,” it’s actually an asteroid named 2024 PT5. The asteroid, which will remain in Earth’s orbit from now until November 25th, is rather small, about the size of a bus. Because it is so small, it can only be seen by the largest telescopes. Our planet’s gravitational pull attracts asteroids like this every so often, according to astronomers. 

This “mini moon” has been dubbed Odin’s Eye. In Norse mythology, Odin craved knowledge so much that he was willing to sacrifice one of his eyes to obtain it. Odin made a deal with the giant who protected the well of knowledge. The giant guarding the well was enviously protective of the knowledge that the well gave, and knew that letting someone drink from it could be dangerous since knowledge can be a dangerous thing to have. The giant finally made an offer that he thought Odin would refuse. He asked that Odin cut out one of his eyes and leave it in the well in exchange for one drink of water. Odin took him up on that offer. After his one drink, Odin became the wisest of the gods and the second wisest being alive. 

Although in Norse mythology Odin’s eye remains at the bottom of the well, having this “mini moon” has given us the chance to embrace the trending Norse culture and assign this asteroid a cool name. 

Asteroid 2024 PT5 has captured the hearts of the mainstream. For some, it is a unique event that might not happen again in their lifetimes. “What’s interesting about the mini moon is that it arrived smack-dab in our current eclipse cycle,” says astrologer Stevie Goldstein. “We had a whopper of a full moon eclipse in Pisces on September 17th and another one on October 2nd just days after the mini moon’s arrival.”

While Earth has had plenty of mini moons before — there are a lot of asteroids in space — this one is special because it’s sandwiched between several powerful celestial events. And according to Goldstein, that’s why it contains a hefty amount of starry symbolism. “It’s almost like a planetary nod from above to take this eclipse cycle and the themes that come up during it seriously,” she said in an interview with Bustle magazine.

Traditionally, new moons are a time for manifesting and goal setting, full moons are all about endings and letting things go, and chaotic eclipses are for lying low and letting the universe sort itself out. The fact that this second moon has arrived in the middle of it all could be a reminder to truly let go.

With two moons in our sphere, it could also mean that two complex feelings will ring true simultaneously, says Goldstein. “Having a pop-in from a moon-like planet feels like a ripe moment to consider that this time in your life might contain lots of complexities and multiple truths all at once.” 

When planets are in retrograde, the world around us continues to move forward, but we are invited to bring space into our days wherever possible. We are asked to clear away the unnecessary, the noise, the extra, and instead create space for inner journeys. Add in the “mini moon” and the rest of this year seems to be a time of releasing, clearing out, and listening to yourself. For the next two months, think about how things might not be as black and white as they seem, and how your life’s biggest questions might not have clear-cut yes or no answers. 

Emily Guenther is a co-owner of The Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.

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Metaphysical Connection: The History of Halloween

Halloween is fun. Samhain is sacred. (Photo: Brenkee | Pixabay)

Halloween is a magical time of year for many people. It’s a time when we can let some of our inhibitions go temporarily. Halloween allows all of us to confront our fears in a controlled way via scary costumes and haunted attractions. Secular Halloween is fun, but there is a spiritual history behind the holiday. Many pagans and witches still observe the rituals and meanings behind it. 

For the Celts, who lived during the Iron Age in what is now Ireland, Scotland, the U.K., and other parts of Northern Europe, Samhain (pronounced saa-win) marked the end of summer and kicked off the Celtic new year. Ushering in a new year signaled a time of both death and rebirth, something that was doubly symbolic because it coincided with the end of a bountiful harvest season and the beginning of a cold and dark winter.

Samhain is one of the eight sabbats celebrated by Wiccans and other pagan religious groups. Pagans recognize a seasonal calendar known as the Wheel of the Year, based on the agricultural cycle of the U.K. The Wheel of the Year honors the blessings and changes of each season and acknowledges that the year has two halves — a light half (spring/summer) and a dark (half autumn/winter). 

We recognize Samhain as the third and final harvest festival. The first is Lughnasadh at the beginning of August. Lughnasadh celebrates the harvest of grains and the last of the summer fruits and vegetables. It is fondly called the bread holiday. The second is Mabon. Mabon is celebrated on the autumn equinox and is a time of balance, thanksgiving, and celebrating the harvest of the last of the fall fruits and vegetables. Some consider Mabon to be Witches’ Thanksgiving. 

Samhain is the final harvest of the fall season. This would have been a time when our ancestors brought in any remaining grains and vegetables from the fields and slaughtered animals to supply meat for the upcoming winter. Special bonfires were lit, which were deemed to have protective and cleansing powers. The animal harvest at Samhain may be one of the reasons that death is associated with it. However, nature grows dormant now, which is likely another reason we associate death with this time of year. 

According to Irish mythology, Samhain (like Beltane) was when the “doorways” to the Otherworld opened, allowing supernatural beings and souls of the dead to come into our world. While Beltane was a summer festival for the living, Samhain was often considered a festival for the dead. 

The origins of Halloween are so closely tied to Samhain, it would be easy to say that your Halloween celebrations are much like Samhain celebrations. There’s lots of overlap, but one of the biggest differences between them is intention and reverence. 

Many Wiccans will perform a Samhain ritual close to October 31st — the date we have standardized as Samhain/Halloween. Samhain rituals typically honor deities associated with death and rebirth from various cultures, calling out to our ancestors and honoring them or leaving them offerings. Some people put up an ancestor altar at this time. 

Halloween is the commercialized version of a religious holiday, giving it a slightly different energy from the origins of Samhain. Many Wiccans and pagans enjoy Halloween as a part of Samhain. Some of us will decorate our homes or workspaces with seasonal decor. We carve pumpkins, go to corn mazes and haunted houses, and buy a ridiculous amount of candy. We may likely end up in a costume at a party, eating and drinking with our community — much like our ancestors. We can do all of these fun and exciting things for Halloween, so long as we understand that when we begin the religious portion of our seasonal rites, we must do that part with reverence and intention. Halloween is fun. Samhain is sacred. 

Emily Guenther is a co-owner of The Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.

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Metaphysical Connection: Witchy Crafts

Labels can give your witch bottle some pizzazz. (Photos: Emily Guenther)

October is here and that means we’re all on the hunt for everything witchy. A relatively easy thing you can do this season is create a witch bottle. Typically witch bottles are spells or tools used in manifestation work. But if you are looking for a cute, decorative item to add to your Halloween décor, you can make a witch bottle for decoration. 

Making a decorative witch bottle can be a fun activity for the whole family and a great way to express your creativity. You’ll need jars. Any size will work so long as the mouth is big enough to add things into the bottle and it has a lid to seal it. You’ll also want glitter, mica powder, dyes, foil paper, or other pretty items to add to your jar. Once you have all your supplies, let your creativity flow. Add any glitter, mica powder, dye, or foil into your bottle. Fill with water and put the lid on the jar. If you’d like to make it extra witchy, you can melt wax over the top or add a label to the bottle. It can be easy to make your own labels to tie to the jar, but you can also purchase some witchy stickers while you’re collecting supplies to go in the bottle. I made a few of these up for a party I threw years ago and they stayed up in my house for years. 

Making an intentional witchy bottle is not much different, but it will depend on what you want to manifest. In order for your bottle to be effective, you have to begin with a very clear goal. The ingredients and tools you should use change based on what type of love you’re looking to invite into your life. Do you want to find long-lasting, romantic love? Are you hoping to strengthen familial bonds and connections? Visualize a very clear image of what this spell jar’s success looks like to guide and inform the whole creation process.

Once your intent is set, it’s time to select a jar and begin deciding which ingredients, tools, and other implements you may want to include. I encourage you to put a good amount of thought into this and be thorough. Make sure you have everything you need when beginning, to avoid breaking your concentration to fetch something in the middle of it. This would be disruptive and could affect the spell’s viability. Spend some time researching herbs, oils, and symbols associated with your desires. 

Most spell-crafters agree that it’s important to energetically and spiritually cleanse the immediate space where you’ll be working. This ensures that no unwanted energies will interfere with or muddle your spell. Try out different methods, or combinations of methods, to figure out which ones feel best to you. You don’t have to stick to any one method, either. Feel free to change it up depending on your mood or the intent of the witch bottle. Four different methods you can use to spiritually prepare your ritual space are sound cleansing, smoke cleansing, cleansing with visualization, and space cleansing with crystals. 

Now it’s time to build your jar. I often start by adding written intentions to witch bottles because that helps to set the intention for the rest of the bottle’s creation. There are no hard-and-fast rules to the assembly, so please feel free to assemble yours in the ways that feel most appropriate to you.

There are a few different ways to seal your finished witch bottle. Wax sealing, sealing with tape, cloth sealing, and using sigils to seal the spell jar spiritually are the most commonly used methods. After your spell jar has been assembled, it’s time to give it a concentrated boost of magickal energy to activate it and set its power into action. There are several ways of doing this: through visualization; by using athames, wands, or clear quartz points; or by shaking the jar. Shaking the jar is one of my favorite ways to activate a witch bottle, especially those that are water-based. 

Whatever you decide to do, enjoy the witchiness of October — and happy manifesting! 

Emily Guenther is a co-owner of The Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.

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Metaphysical Connection: Manifesting Abundance

Photo: Flying Logos | creativecommons | Wikimedia Commons

In the spiritual world, there are certain topics that are highly popular, and rightly so. Cleansing and protection are among the basics of metaphysical practice and therefore get a lot of attention. Love is another. But money is on people’s minds the most right now. 

As we wind down summer and look ahead to autumn, we are entering harvest season. In Wicca and witchcraft traditions, August 1st is known as Lughnasadh or Lammas and is considered the first harvest. The autumnal equinox on September 22nd is known in these traditions as Mabon and is considered the second harvest of the season. Those who work on farms or have gardens are likely preparing to bring in their final harvest of the year within the next month or so. Harvest also brings us into the season of gratitude and taking stock of what we have. 

Even though we are moving into fall, into harvest and gratitude season, that does not mean we stop manifesting. Working with the cycles of nature lends extra energy to our workings, but our manifesting never stops. 

Gratitude goes a long way on a spiritual path. I find that when asking for something, it helps to show your gratitude for things you already have. If you are doing money manifestation work, it may not hurt to tell your guides or the universe that you are grateful for the job or the opportunities you already have. If we show our appreciation for what we have, perhaps the universe will be more generous with us. 

There are many different approaches to manifesting abundance and prosperity. Do what feels comfortable or right for you. If you are looking for a powerful spell that is easy to use, I often recommend candles. The longer the candle burns, the more energy is put into the universe on your behalf. You have plenty of options of candle size, so you can find one that works best for you. Candles are easy because they don’t require a lot of supplies or money, and once you light them the magic is working. 

Color psychology plays a big part in manifestation. When manifesting money, you typically want to use colors that remind you of money: green, gold, or silver. But there are always exceptions to the rules. White is also powerful and can be substituted for any other color. And red is a color of fire and action. You can use red on any working to speed up the timing of your request. If you need fast money, try red. 

Gemstones are also great to aid in your manifestation work. You can carry them with you or wear them. You can add them to candles, set up crystal grids, or place them in your home. Your money-drawing gemstones are typically going to be those whose colors are green or gold. 

Many of your kitchen herbs can work for attracting prosperity. Basil, bay, allspice, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and ginger are all good for this. You can also use chamomile, lavender, five finger grass, goldenseal, and many others. You can dress your candles with these herbs, add them to a mojo bag, or even use them in your cooking to attract prosperity. 

You can use all of these suggestions together to manifest money, or pick and choose. You can add your prosperity gemstones to a mojo bag with money-drawing herbs to carry with you or place at work. Or you can put them in a jar to create a prosperity jar spell. It is impossible to list all the options here, but you can also use incense or oils to attract money. 

Regardless of which method you choose, there is a tool or an aide for everyone. Happy manifesting! 

Emily Guenther is a co-owner of The Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.

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Metaphysical Connection: Wheel of Life

Our spiritual lives often work in cycles just like our mundane ones. (Photo: European Space Agency | creativecommons.org | via Wikimedia Commons)

Learning the Wheel of the Year and the cycle of the year is one of the core teachings in many Wiccan and witchcraft traditions. As a person learns and practices their path, they may find themselves becoming more and more attuned to nature. They may notice they behave differently during certain seasons or are more affected by things at other times of the year. 

Over the years, I have learned to honor and accept the cycles I see in my life and my path. We are each the universe in microcosm, which means we each have cycles in our lives that are unique to us too. If we take a step back and look at our lives from a bigger perspective, we may notice there are cycles or patterns that our lives follow. These patterns may be dictated by work or school. They may be more influenced by family and traditions, or they may be all your own. Most people’s cycles are some combination of all of these.

I own a metaphysical store and a ghost tour company. My patterns and cycles often reflect the busy seasons of my businesses, with most of my downtime happening in January and February. The last quarter is our busiest time and there is no rest for the Wiccan until the new year.

We have more than just physical, busy cycles. Our mundane work and school life have their own flow. But our spiritual practice and our emotional lives also have their own patterns. Sometimes all these cycles align, but usually they do not. Which means we are often living in different cycles all at the same time. Perhaps that is part of the beauty of life.

There are going to be times when your spiritual practice is the first thing you do when you get out of bed. There may be times when you don’t even think to pray all week. I get it; I’ve been in both places on my path.

Try not to beat yourself up about missing your spiritual routine if it happens. Our spiritual lives often work in cycles just like our mundane ones. There are times when my guides are very active and close, and it gets very noisy in my head. Then there will be times when it’s completely quiet and I wonder if I’m alone in the universe. I’m not; I don’t really believe that, but at those times it does feel like all of my spirit team is off doing other things.

Sometimes when it’s very quiet, I reach out to see what is happening on the astral plane. Lately when I do this, I get the impression that everyone is busy, doing other things just slightly out of my reach. It can be annoying, but I understand. The gods, ancestors, and guides all have many things to do and many people to see, not just me. Your guides might feel like you are where you need to be and therefore do not need their constant attention now. Something might have happened to one of their other devotees that they need to attend to. Our guides are mighty beings with incomparable skills, but they cannot be everywhere at once.

Things happen in our lives that cause us to focus more on the physical world and less on the spiritual. It’s okay. Life happens. If you are working on a big project or have a lot going on, it’s natural to put off what you feel like doesn’t have to get done. Yet I know many of us will feel guilty for skipping out on visiting our altars or doing our regular meditation practice.

Every spiritual teacher, including myself, will tell you that the best way to grow your relationship with your gods and guides is to create a regular practice. Spirituality is something we learn by doing, just like tarot and divination or any other skill we want to acquire. But when we fall off our routine wagon, we have to learn to accept it and get back on, without guilt and without fear. 

Emily Guenther is a co-owner of The Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.

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Metaphysical Connection: The Lion’s Gate

The sign of Leo is associated with boldness and confidence.(Photo: Emily Guenther)

We are now in the Lion’s Gate Portal (July 26th to August 12th), a relatively new energetic phenomenon. It’s a combination of astrology, ancient cosmology, and numerology — all channeling a very specific celestial alignment that peaks on August 8th. 

The portal happens when the sun, in the astrological sign of Leo, is in alignment with the star Sirius, Orion’s Belt, and Earth. This happens when Sirius “rises” or becomes visible again due to the sun’s yearly passing of the star. The rising of the dog star is an occurrence that has been noted by cultures for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians knew Sirius well and based many of their ceremonies and holidays around the time it became visible. 

To the ancient Egyptians, Sirius was seen as the embodiment of the agricultural goddess Sopdet and was connected with the annual rising and flooding of the Nile, indispensable to their survival. In later civilizations, the Greeks and Romans noticed that Sirius, actually a binary star that they called “The Dog Star,” began to rise alongside the sun in late July. They believed that the united ascent of these two stars side-by-side made for the hottest time of the year — the Dog Days of Summer. The Dog Days of Summer and the Lion’s Gate Portal are not the same, even though they happen simultaneously and focus on Sirius as a key factor. 

Besides its brightness, ancient astrologers noted that Sirius seemed to take on characteristics of two fiery planets — Jupiter and Mars. In astrology, Jupiter is the planet of luck, miracles, expansion, and growth believed to bring forth prosperity, happiness, fortune, wealth, and wisdom. Mars is the planet of action, competition, conquest, passion, desire, and energy. With these powers combined, Sirius was considered particularly auspicious. This is why taking action while it is in alignment is thought to help one achieve one’s goals, imbued with the luck of Jupiter and the courage of Mars.

Sirius is the brightest star in the sky and is astrologically considered to be a spiritual sun. Its powerful energy is activating, uplifting, and capable of raising consciousness. Where the sun provides physical nourishment, Sirius is believed to breathe life into our “spiritual bodies.” In astrology, it brings wealth, abundance, fortune, and fame. This alignment with the star means it is an excellent time for manifestation. 

The entire Lion’s Gate Portal period is considered spiritually significant but its peak falls on August 8th. In numerology, the number 8 is associated with balance, power, karmic relief, and mastery and is known as the number of good luck and fortune, discovery, hope, and opportunity. It’s also linked to the infinity symbol, which represents continuous balance and the infinite flow of energy. The 8:8 combination signifies inspiration, integrity, knowledge, introspection, and intuition and represents infinite activation. Some consider 8:8 to be one of the most powerful number combinations. 

August 8th is also the day that marks the sun’s mid-way point through the astrological sign of Leo. The sign of Leo is associated with boldness and confidence. Of course, the sun is also the ruler of sign Leo. So in this moment, everything is in alignment physically and spiritually.

This feast of energy allows an opportunity for spiritual expansion and evolvement. Giving us a chance to become a more empowered, better version of ourselves. Many people use this window of the Lion’s Gate to help them manifest their dreams and significant changes in their lives. If you are manifesting prosperity or things that involve taking a risk, this might be a good time to double down on your manifestation rituals. 

Emily Guenther is a co-owner of The Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.

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Fun Stuff Metaphysical Connection

Metaphysical Connection: Mercury Goes Retrograde This Summer

Mercury doesn’t actually orbit backwards — it’s an illusion. (Photo: Pixabay)

From August 5th to August 28th, Mercury will once again be taking its backward spin through the sky. This will be our second full Mercury retrograde of 2024. Mercury also went retrograde in December 2023 and carried over to January 1, 2024. 

A retrograde is a phenomenon that happens when it appears that a planet in the sky is orbiting backwards. The planets don’t actually change orbital direction; it is more of an optical illusion. However, many people believe that during these periods the energy or properties of that planet may be behaving differently. All planets do this, but the spiritual community puts a lot of focus on Mercury going retrograde. 

Mercury is thought to rule over our communication, travel, and commerce. When it is in retrograde, we can often expect miscommunication, disagreements because of miscommunication, hiccups with travel plans, and inconveniences with technology. Retrogrades, especially Mercury retrogrades, often throw speed bumps in our way to make us slow down, reflect, and readjust for the next phase.

August’s Mercury retrograde begins in the zodiac sign of Virgo but will move into Leo before it’s over. Virgo is an earth sign, and many of Virgo’s qualities revolve around being grounded and connected to earthy energy. Virgos are thought to be good problem-solvers. They are organized, practical, prepared, loyal, and kind. Leo is a fire sign, and many of the things we love about Leos come from this sign’s fiery connection. Leos are confident and bold. They are creative thinkers, passionate, and motivated. 

While Mercury retrograde impacts all of us, the sign in which the retrograde falls tends to be impacted the most. That means if you have strong Virgo and Leo placements in your Sun, Moon, or Rising signs, you’ll be hit harder than others. 

This retrograde is here to shake things up, and that likely will not sit well with Virgos. Virgos are also known to be perfectionists who like to preplan as much as possible. With Mercury retrograde in the mix, things are not going to go as planned. To better enjoy and perhaps mediate the lessons of this retrograde, we will need to learn to loosen up. When things do not go according to plan, we will need to roll with the situation at hand. Becoming distressed or angry can easily be misinterpreted and can upset the people around you. Remember Mercury rules communication, and when it’s in retrograde, communication can become very muddy very quickly. 

Mercury also rules over technology, travel, and commerce. If you have embraced those Virgo qualities of structure and having all the details planned, be sure to give yourself a little wiggle room in August. Expect things that you have planned to develop a few speed bumps or need a few last-minute adjustments. Perfectionism will not be possible during this retrograde. Do not let perfection be the enemy of good enough. Sometimes you need to accept the hand you’ve been given with grace.

As we move to Leo, we see this period shift thematically toward identity and confidence. Miscommunications and clumsy wording are common during Mercury retrograde, but you cannot let this shatter your self-image. We must also be very careful with our actions. Leo is a bold and proud sign. This influence can embolden us to do things we wouldn’t ordinarily do in our communications. Don’t let your frustrations with things and the passion of Leo merge into risky behavior. You may feel like now is the time to have that difficult conversation or finally send that email. Before you do though, take some time to think it through; don’t be rash. And remember communication is already going to be tricky. Is now the time to bring up touchy and vulnerable topics? 

If we can be flexible and go with the flow this Mercury retrograde, we shouldn’t have any more trouble out of it than usual. Be patient and understanding and don’t let your ego get in the way. Again, this is a time to step back and observe and learn about ourselves. Approach these retrogrades as opportunities and be open and grateful to the lessons. 

Emily Guenther is a co-owner of The Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.