Author: Emily Guenther

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Metaphysical Connection: Embracing Darkness

Winter is a great time for introspection and soul-searching. (Photo: Aaron Burden | Unsplash)

Autumn has always been my favorite time of year. As I grow in my practice, I’ve come to love winter almost as much. I enjoy the darkness, the forced isolation the weather brings. I look forward to having more free time and fewer responsibilities. I can get back into crafting and meditating — things I think I don’t usually have time for. Winter is not quite here yet, I know. It’s been 80 degrees outside in November, so it’s difficult to believe we are closer to winter than summer. Perhaps the warm fall weather has us craving the cold more.

In Wicca, winter is associated with death. Nature is hibernating, and it can look like the world around us has died. The trees are the barest of skeletons. The Crone has taken her seat at the cauldron, and it is time for some introspection.

Although I do appreciate the changes winter brings to both myself and my environment (the skies are never as clear as a crisp winter’s night), my fascination with winter has more to do with its association with stillness than anything.

We have passed Samhain, and Thanksgiving is here. Many of us view Samhain as the end of a cycle, and it has become known as the Celtic New Year, which makes this a great time to put things to rest in our lives. Because the weather makes staying home and indoors so appealing, this is when we spend more time alone. A time when there’s not much else to do but think.

I encourage you all to embrace the coming winter and spend some time with yourself. Be the Hermit from the Tarot; ruminate, re-evaluate, ask yourself the hard questions. How have you grown? Are there areas in your life you’ve been stagnant in? What is important to you? There is a chance that your answer may be different this time from the last time you considered these things. As we grow, our lives change, our priorities change, and we need to be aware of that so we can steer our life in the appropriate direction.

While you’re doing a sort of self-evaluation, you will likely find things you don’t like, or that you know are unhealthy for you. Bring the winter into your thinking. Get rid of those things, bury them. Winter is the season of the Crone, and although she is wise, she can be harsh and unwavering in her knowledge. These things aren’t always easy, but they are necessary. Pruning helps the plant to be healthy, and we don’t want dead leaves and branches weighing us down.

This time of year is great for introspection and soul-searching but don’t forget to look at your life through the lens of gratitude, too. Every November, we are reminded to be grateful. It is nice to have these reminders, but living or working from a place of gratitude all year long is a good goal to have. Being grateful for what you have can encourage the universe to send you more blessings because you appreciate what it’s given you already. Being grateful can change your outlook and how you handle the hiccups of day-to-day life. It’s like being an energy converter. Sure, you can could be mad that you had a flat tire one morning when you were trying to leave for work. Or you can be grateful that it went flat in the driveway and you didn’t have a blowout or wreck driving. Sometimes those things that go wrong in our day are protecting us from something worse, we just can’t see it.

As we look toward winter, don’t dread the cold and bleakness. This is a time that can be empowering if you harness winter’s energy. Get to know yourself again, and clean out your metaphorical closet. Actually, go ahead and clean out your bedroom closet, too. It’s a good time to donate unwanted clothing to local shelters or clothes closets that help the needy.

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 Tarot Card for Scorpio Season

The Death tarot card is closely associated with Scorpios. (Photo: Emily Guenther)

Although Halloween and Samhain are behind us, we are still in the season of remembrance. November 1st was All Saints’ Day and November 2nd was All Souls’ Day. We are also well into Scorpio season on the astrological wheel, which is appropriate given the sign’s association with the occult, death, and taboos.

Death is the tarot card associated with Scorpios, for good reason, but there is a lot to unpack with the Death card. Scorpio is a unique zodiac sign. There are three symbols that represent the transformation of a Scorpio, rather than the standard one symbol for all other signs. The scorpion, the first stage of transformation, represents Scorpio’s baser emotions. The eagle is the second stage and is considered a symbol of courage and power. The phoenix represents the final stage of transformation for Scorpio, emblematic of the capacity for empathetic observation without judgment. The phoenix — strongly associated with rebirth, resurrection, and transformation — is a symbol that represents Scorpio breaking the chains of attachment, having learned the lesson of letting go.

The evolution of a Scorpio also parallels the changes we see in the Death tarot card. Yes, the Death card can represent a person’s death, but most tarot readers will say that this does not happen frequently. Typically, the Death card represents change or transformation. In order for us to move on, we have to let go of the past. If we want a new job, we have to be willing to leave the old job. We cannot accept new things in our lives if we do not clear out the old. That version of ourselves has to die so we can grow into the person we want to be.

The word death conjures many images and feelings for people. One thing people associate with death is grief. When a loved one dies, we are hurt by their passing. We mourn their potential or all the memories we will never make with them. We miss them. This is natural, and although we mostly fear grief, we need to accept when it comes. Grief can teach us many things. It prepares us for coming to terms with our own mortality, it brings communities and families together, and it can help us to mature and grow. It also teaches us empathy and understanding.

The Death card holds room for grief. In tarot, there are multiple cards that represent change and moving on. However, Death is one of the few that lets us know that although the change is good and necessary, it can be painful. The Death card gives us the space to grieve for those things that are dying in our lives. Sure, you want that new job and its better benefits, but that doesn’t mean you won’t miss aspects of your old job. Yes, we want to grow and learn, but that means we have to let go of bad habits and old programming — which is a decision you have to make every day. You may find yourself grieving for who or what you used to be, or even being upset with yourself because navigating growth can be difficult. The Death card knows this and holds space for us to process our feelings through our transformations.

As we struggle to model the evolution of Scorpio, from the jealous and angry scorpion, to the mature and wise eagle, to the final stages of the reborn phoenix, the Death card is there for us. The change represented by Death is deeply transformational — you will not be the same after your Death experience. That is the whole point. Death is the end of something, yes, but it is also the birth of something new. You cannot separate the end from the beginning — they are happening simultaneously.

As we navigate through November into the next round of holidays, we often experience grief and anxiety. When that happens, think of the Death card. Change is coming, and it may be difficult, but you are the phoenix who will rise above.

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: Spirits of Halloween Past

An ancestor altar (Photo: Emily Guenther)

We are fast approaching Halloween and Samhain. There are many different cultures that celebrate the end of summer/fall and the beginning of winter and the dark half of the year. Samhain (pronounced sah-win) is a holiday originating from an ancient Celtic spiritual tradition that honors the changing of the seasons as well as our ancestors. 

It is believed that during this time of year the veil or mists that separate our world from the Otherworld, where our ancestors and other spirits reside, is at its thinnest. This means that communicating with our spirit allies and ancestors can be easier at this time of year. It is not uncommon to see an uptick in people wanting tarot readings in October. If the veil between our world and the Spirit world is easier to cross, then performing divination readings during this time may allow messages to come through more straightforwardly. 

One of the easiest things a person can do to honor their ancestors is to create an ancestor altar. Ancestor altars are relatively easy to do, you just need to find a place for it to go. Generally the best place to put an altar is where it will not be disturbed, whether that is up high on a bookcase or in the bedroom so visitors don’t feel the need to pry. Depending on your religious or family tradition, there may be certain things that you must have on the altar. If you have no such requirements, build your altar in a way that feels right to you. Many people use a white tablecloth on their ancestor altar, as white is the color of purity, spirit, and is the highest vibrational color there is. My ancestor altar is on a built-in bookshelf in my office, and I do not use a cloth on it because I think it would look cluttered. 

Once you have a good space, it does not matter how big or small, fill your altar with photos and mementos of your loved ones. If you do not have photos of your deceased loved ones, add something that makes you think of them. I have a great uncle who I loved dearly. He was a horticulturalist and teacher. I have a stick with a pinecone on the end of it on my ancestor altar for him. To me it represents his love of nature and plants, and it also came from his childhood home. You can also type or write a list of names of your beloved dead and place it on the altar. 

Once you have added your loved ones to your ancestor altar, it is time to leave them offerings. It is always good to honor our ancestors, but it is better if we feed them. We know that everything we do requires energy. If we believe that our ancestors can visit us, then we know their visitation takes energy on their part. It is our duty, both because we can and because we love them, to give them offerings that will replenish their energy. If we give them energy, it will make it easier and more appealing for them to visit us. Typical offerings for the ancestors include water, their favorite foods, and even their favorite items or hobbies. Did grandpa like to gamble? Put some dice or playing cards on the altar for him. Did your aunt love macaroni and cheese? Make a big dish of it and place some on the ancestor altar for her and the family. The ancestors will take the energy they need from the food. 

We would all do well to remember and honor those who came before us, whether they are family or not. Without our ancestors’ decisions and actions, none of us would be where we are now. Although October is a time of year when we think more about the collective ancestors, they deserve to be honored every day. One of the ways we can honor them is by being the best version of ourselves we can be and working to make the world a better place for the next generation, who will call us the ancestors.

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Metaphysical Connection: Pumpkin Spice Magic

Photo: Eva Bronzini | Pexels

October is the month that many people associate with Halloween, the fall, ancestors, magic, pumpkins, candles, and almost anything else witchy or spooky. While Halloween and Samhain may be the focus, October and the fall are full of all kinds of magic.

Perhaps most importantly on this list of fall magic is the pumpkin spice latte. Whether you love it or hate it, it is now a cultural staple, but one with a twist if you know how to look at it. Pumpkin spices have long been associated with autumn, long before they were put into coffee. The average pumpkin spice blend consists of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice. Early American settlers didn’t use the blend like we do today, but the same ingredients were used to preserve the fall harvests of meat, fruit, and vegetables. In 1796 Amelia Simmons penned a recipe using the spices in the first American cookbook. In 1934 McCormick bottled this recipe and labeled it “Pumpkin Pie Spice.” In the 1990s it found its way into coffee.

Whether you use the pumpkin spice herbal combination in your coffee, pies, bread, or cookies, it is sure to bring a sense of warmth and comfort. All of these herbs are considered warming herbs and therefore play a psychological part in making us feel those autumnal cozy feelings. Some believe that just the smell of these herbs triggers a change in our brains. And it can also help you manifest your desires!

The combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice is a blend of herbs that are used by many practitioners for money, love, and success. Cinnamon is one of my favorite herbs. Cinnamon is used for money drawing, protection, love, victory, and success. Cinnamon is associated with the element of fire, which means you can use it to increase the speed of your spell work. Need something to happen fast? Add cinnamon to the mix. Nutmeg is a spice that can be used for banishing, increasing psychic skills, love, luck, money, justice, and protection while traveling. Ginger can be used for workings about love and passion, personal power, protection, prosperity, and healing. Ginger is a wonderful herb to keep in your cabinet for many reasons and these are just some of them. Ginger is also used by many people for treating inflammation and upset stomachs.

While cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg are all great herbs, clove might be one of the most versatile spices out there. Cloves can be used for banishing rituals, breaking hexes, cleansing, increasing courage or empathy, love, luck, mental clarity, money or prosperity work, protection, and to stop gossip. Allspice may be considered by some as a special herb because it contains the flavor of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. Tastiness aside, allspice is an herb that you can use to increase the power of your working no matter what you are manifesting. Allspice is thought by some to strengthen willpower, increase courage and energy, or aid in gambling or healing and protection. It is also another great money drawing herb.

No matter your feelings on the pumpkin spice latte trend, the pumpkin pie spices are all versatile herbs great for many magical workings. You can dress your candles with any combination of these herbs to aid in your work. You can also add these herbs to your herbal amulets (known in some traditions as gris-gris bags or mojo bags) or carry them in your pocket. Simmer pots are a popular way to infuse your home with energy and scent, especially in the fall. Mix in any of these spices in your next simmer pot to add their properties to your home.

Since these are kitchen spices, you can always add any of these to your cooking. There are many kitchen witches out there who use the food they make intentionally to manifest. Pumpkin spice is an easy combination to use in kitchen magic. Speak your intention over the herbs as you add them to your next tasty concoction, and all that’s left is to eat your magical intentions.

This fall, embrace the spice and let it work its magic in your life.

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 Rune for Autumn

Othala rune card from the Viking Oracle deck by Stacey Demarco (Photo: Emily Guenther)

This coming weekend is the official start of autumn. Each season has its blessings, but many of us are partial to fall. Why is that?

For Southerners, it probably has a lot to do with the weather. It’s finally safe to be outside without the risk of melting into a puddle in 3.2 seconds. But there is some psychology behind it. We were conditioned as children to get excited about fall because we associate autumn with starting school, getting new school supplies and clothes, and being able to see school friends for the first time in a while. Even the changing of the leaves from green to the warmer autumn colors triggers feelings of comfort in our brains.

Autumn gives many of us warm and fuzzy feelings, and in my mind is associated with home. Fall is the time of year I want to curl up with a pile of books, cook warm foods, and spend time at home. There are tarot cards that represent autumn and the feelings it can bring — Justice, Temperance, Death, the 10 of Pentacles, and most of the Cups cards — but the divination tool I feel most closely represents this are the runes.

Now runes can be anything. One of the definitions of the word rune is a mark or letter of mysterious or magic significance. There are multiple runic systems from across the world, but typically when people think of runes, they are thinking of Nordic runes. There are multiple Nordic rune systems, but the most commonly used in modern times is the Elder Futhark.

Each rune has a divinatory meaning that encompasses concepts from Nordic cultures and belief systems. Runes might look like simple line drawings, but the ancestors knew how to pack a lot of meaning into little things. One of my favorite runes is Othala and that is the rune I associate with this time of year.

Othala is the rune of home and hearth. It represents prosperity and abundance through property or the home, as well as ancestral and spiritual legacy. Othala is stable prosperity and well-being, as well as growth. If autumn makes us want to go home and nest, then Othala is here to encourage that feeling. Othala represents the distinction between the protected and organized world of home and family and the astral world into which we go to obtain knowledge. Othala is a state of balance between these two worlds, as autumn seems to be a time of balance in the seasons.

Both the autumnal and spring equinoxes are noted as being times of balance. The daylight hours and nighttime hours on these days are equal, and spiritual practitioners often focus on balance and harmony during these times. Autumn also sits between summer and winter, balancing the orderly chaos that is often accompanied by time with friends, family, and vacations with the more actual chaos of winter weather and the winter holiday season.

Othala is a rune of protection and defense. Othala represents lawful ownership and what you have the right to protect and guard. If autumn encourages us to spend more time at home, we might find ourselves feeling more protective of our space or feel the need to improve our home and spruce up the spiritual protection. Othala is a rune that you could work into your home protection if it speaks to you.

But possession and ownership also imply the need for responsibility. What is in our possession that needs to be fixed, worked on, or taken care of? You may notice minor home repairs catching your attention or you may find yourself with the grudging need to tackle your to-do list. Although Othala focuses on the physical, it also concerns matters of spirit. What spiritual gifts do you have that need attention and practice?

Autumn is also the time of year we begin to think more about our ancestors, and Othala relates to our ancestral heritage, reminding us to honor our ancestors and their legacies.

This autumn as we wind into Halloween and winter, let the blessings and protection of Othala warm your home and heart. Happy fall y’all!

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: Mercury Retrograde, Again

It’s happening again: That pesky Mercury simply will not stop going retrograde. (Photo: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

August was a time of adjusting to new cycles. If you are a teacher, parent of a student, or a student, last month focused on getting prepared for the new school year. For those of us who do not have anyone in our household going back to school, we readjusted and are still readjusting to the new traffic and social patterns of our communities. All in all, it can be a difficult time without any added astrological phenomena. However, this year we have to balance our busy lives against the fact that the planet Mercury has gone retrograde. Again.

Mercury retrograde happens three to four times every year, and usually lasts for four weeks. It is an astronomical phenomenon that makes the planet look like it is moving backwards in its orbit around the sun. It’s an optical illusion that occurs because it takes Mercury only 88 days to orbit the sun, compared to the 365 days it takes the Earth to do the same.

The planet Mercury is named for the Roman god Mercury, the messenger of the gods, delivering news and goods but also acting as a translator or interpreter. Mercury rules over wealth, communication, commerce, and good fortune. When Mercury appears to move backwards in its orbit, these qualities may struggle to move forward or have more glitches than usual.

Generally, retrograde is a period of frustration, with delays, miscommunication, and technological mishaps. It is commonly advised that people should not travel, sign contracts, or make any major life decisions during a Mercury retrograde. Instead, try to be flexible as plans may end up changing often, be patient and understanding, back up your work and important documents, and leave some wiggle room for any major projects.

Mercury retrograde gets blamed for many things, and it can be a frustrating period, but it can bring us some much-needed perspective. It’s advised to not start any endeavors during the retrograde, but it is a great time to finish things up. If you have any lingering chores or projects, use the energy to get them finished and off your plate. You can also use the time to reflect and slow down, to review where you are putting your time and energy.

We are already in the throes of the third Mercury retrograde for the year, and it’s going to last until September 15th. Every Mercury retrograde this year will fall in an earth sign with our current retrograde hitting us in Virgo. The astrological sign of Virgo is ruled by the planet Mercury, which might help soften this retrograde’s effects. Virgo’s attention to detail could be enhanced by this retrograde, meaning we are more likely to pay attention to the fine print and specifics, which is what usually trips us up during a Mercury retrograde. If we can be meticulous and set clear intentions for the next few weeks, we should be able to navigate this and come out of the other side relatively unscathed.

Virgo, symbolizing purity and perfection, directs our attention toward refining our lives. This retrograde sheds light on areas where we’ve cluttered our days with conversations or activities that don’t add value or support. Look at your calendar and see who or what you’ve been spending time and energy on. Are these people or activities really serving you?

On August 30th, the Pisces super blue moon occurred, almost opposite Mercury. This alignment shone a light on what we need to let go of and what we should ease the pressure on, allowing a smoother daily rhythm to emerge. Virgo energy is all about the practical aspects of life, while Pisces energy, where the moon is situated, delves into the spiritual and ethereal. This cosmic dance prompts us to reflect on the balance between material and spiritual focus and to shed what’s unnecessary.

Astrologists claim that this retrograde will be easier than others, but with Mercury and six other planets in retrograde, the rest of this year will be interesting no matter what. Read the fine print, think carefully, and pay attention, as this too shall pass. Eventually.

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: Month of Moons

The super blue moon will peak around 9:30 p.m. on August 31st. It will not be blue. (Photo: Emily Guenther)

August has been an exciting month for those that follow moon cycles.

At the beginning of the month, we had the sturgeon full moon. The August full moon is known as the sturgeon moon because the sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were said to be most readily caught during this full moon.

On August 1st, this moon fell in the astrological sign of Aquarius, making it a time of imagination and reconciling your individualism with your greater community. The sign of Aquarius has two planetary rulers: stable and serious Saturn and disruptive Uranus. While these planets may seem to be in opposition with one another, the combination of their influences can be empowering for thinking outside of the box to improve the systems you live within. If Saturn represents foundations and walls, Uranus is the wrecking ball that tears them down, and the Water-Bearer proceeds to rebuild them with an improved blueprint.

As if this isn’t enough work to do in one month’s time, August has another surprise for us. Right in the dog days of summer, when it’s too hot to think and we’re forcing ourselves to go to work or school, it just keeps on giving. The month has two full moons this year, giving us a blue moon.

The term “blue moon” is used to describe the second full moon in a single calendar month. It is a rare event that only occurs every two to three years, hence the popular phrase “once in a blue moon.” This year’s blue moon also coincides with a supermoon, which is when the moon is at its closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit, appearing larger and brighter than usual.

The full sturgeon moon on August 1st was also a supermoon. There are multiple supermoons each year, meaning the moon is closer than usual to the Earth. However only one of those supermoons places the moon at its closest, and that is the supermoon happening at the end of this month. The super blue moon will peak around 9:30 p.m. on August 31st. So we should get the full show of it!

This is going to pack another spiritual punch. The moon moves out of Aquarius and into Pisces for this super blue moon. Full moons are a great time to set intentions, manifest, and receive blessings. But August’s super blue moon is thought to up the ante on full moon properties. This blue moon is believed to bring about a heightened sense of awareness and intuition. It is a time of increased emotional energy, making it an ideal time for healing, meditation, and spiritual practices.

The ultra-watery energy of August’s super blue moon in Pisces is opening your heart and mind to all the things bubbling up under the surface, forcing you to face your shadow self and lean into your spirituality. Pisces is the sign of all things mystical— like spirituality, the subconscious, and our dreams. Since this moon cycle is stationed in this magical sign, the rare lunation is a powerful moment to tap into our own psychic abilities, despite our own doubts or skepticism.

Although it sounds like August is piling on with a supermoon in Aquarius making us question our paths and the super blue moon in Pisces enhancing our intuition, these things do go hand in hand. By delving into our intuition, we can get an accurate sense of what we truly want and need, and we can use that to navigate our individuality while being an involved and active member of our communities. Take the time this month to sit and listen to yourself and trust your guiding voice as the moons put on a show for us.

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: August Requires Strength

The Strength card from the Angel Tarot deck (Photo: Shara Clark)

If you are a follower of spiritual bloggers, you may have noticed a trend recently — a struggle with the month of August. For some of us, it’s because we live in the South and it’s hot. The heat and humidity make even the smallest thing difficult. Combine that lethargy with the demands of school starting back, and for the most part, we are over it. All we can think about is cooler weather and Halloween. But there is still more of August and all of September to go before relief is in sight. Which means we are going to need strength. Luckily, there is a tarot card for that. 

August is Leo season in the zodiac, and Leo corresponds to the tarot card Strength. Technically Leo season ends on August 22nd, but for Leos, is Leo season ever really over? 

The Strength card in tarot typically features a woman and a lion. The symbolism of the woman and the lion is a beautiful combination. The lion on the card is a magical being, king of the jungle and a fierce predator, and yet, it is being constrained by the simple touch of the woman. This shows that the woman has dominion over the lion. The woman here is calm, in control, and disciplined in times of difficulty. The lion is a symbol for our courage, desires, and temper. These are feelings we all have, but we must keep them in check so that they do not lead to our downfall.

Strength is a balance card, much like Temperance. We need to be able to balance and integrate our base, animal desires and drives with our civility and humanity. We have to learn to control our ego and temper our passions with understanding, compassion, and grace for ourselves and others. 

Seeing the Strength card in a tarot reading can indicate that you have the inner strength and fortitude to overcome your current situation. It can represent the fact that you have self-mastery and are staying calm during times of distress, or it can be a call to action and encourage you to bring a more harmonious attitude to your current problems. Compassion is a big part of strength, and not just the tarot card. You can see the compassion of the woman in the card by how gently she interacts with and handles the lion. If you see the Strength card in a tarot reading, it could be talking about your compassion and care for others — especially if you are one to give at your own expense. 

This August we could all use a little strength in our lives. And if you like to meditate or reflect on a tarot card, the Strength card might be a good one to focus on right now. We can use the energies and symbolism of this card to help us navigate the changing cycles that occur this month. Many families are adjusting to the new school year. And heat and humidity aside, August is the beginning of the harvest season — a time most of us celebrate the idea of, rather than the actual work — and the beginning of fall.

As we take stock of 2023 and look at our progress and accomplishments, it is okay to be proud of what we have accomplished. Allow yourself to embrace the leonine energy of Leo season and share your sense achievement with the world. But if 2023 has not gone as you planned, remember the compassion of the Strength card. Be gentle with yourself and take care of yourself so that you can live to fight another day.

Even though it is the beginning of harvest season, there is still a lot of work to be done. Pull the fortitude and inner strength you have to the forefront of your being if you need a little push to get to the end of the year. Remember that this Leo season — and all year long — we have a lion inside of us, ready to motivate us with divine love and help us shine like the divine royalty we are. All it takes is a little hard work and strength.

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: Road Opening

Try a road opening on a path at Overton Park.(Photo: Emily Guenther)

We’re officially headed into the second half of the year, which makes this a great time to check in with ourselves. We have had all year to plan what we wanted to work on and begin to make it happen. How is that manifestation project going? If things aren’t developing as you had hoped by now, there are some things you can do to keep moving forward.

Firstly, consider if the work you began earlier is something you want to continue doing. Sometimes things just don’t work out, or the timing isn’t right. Don’t force something that isn’t meant to be. However, if you do want to continue this same journey, and feel like you need a little help getting to the finish line, a road opening work might be just the thing you need.

A road opening is a spell that will help remove any obstacles on the road ahead of you that might be preventing you from reaching your desired goal. The road opener spell is a multitasker. It can be similar to a banishing, invoking, intention setting, or shielding work. Often, a road opening does a little of all of those things. It can also help when everything seems confused, heavy, stagnant, and there is incessant pressure, miscommunication, and/or bad luck preventing your progress.

A road opening work can help attract a more successful energy to enter your life. Depending on your circumstances, it may help remove negative energies affecting you, and it can help you refocus on your goal. Road opening has similar properties to Van Van, a hoodoo recipe used for opening doors, bringing success and good luck, and clearing obstacles. Van Van is typically found in an oil, and the oil can be combined with a road opening candle for a powerful obstacle remover.

Road opening work often makes use of candles. Most road opening candles come in orange, gold, and green — three colors that represent success and action. Once you have a candle, you can add herbs or oils to it to help program and increase the energy of the spell. Van Van oil would be a great addition; however, you could also try herbs whose energies attract success and luck such as five finger grass, bay, clove, cinnamon, allspice, abre camino herb, or High John root. Basil, pine, rue, lemongrass, and lemon balm are all great herbs for removing negativity and cleansing, which is something you will want to do as part of your road opening. Getting rid of any stagnant or negative energy and cleansing is always the best place to start with any endeavor, especially if you feel like something is blocking you from your goal.

You could add a key to your road opening candle to help unlock the path ahead of you. You can use a real key or a key charm. A real key might be helpful if the lock that the key opens is part of what needs to be unblocked, such as clearing the way for getting a new home or business space. You can tie the key to the candle or lay it next to the candle. Be sure to speak your intentions over the key or any other item you incorporate.

It is thought that our ancestors may have done their road opening work at a crossroads. If you have a convenient crossroads where you can do this, use it and let it add energy to your spell. Most of us do not have a handy crossroads, but there are some work-arounds if you would like to use the imagery of a crossroads. You can use crossroads dirt in your work. Simply stop at a convenient intersection and dig up a handful dirt to use. Or you can use chalk and draw a big cross or X on your working space and set your candle in the middle, where the two lines cross.

Once you have what you need to do your working, all that’s left is for you to light your candle, refocus on your goal, and succeed! 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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Fun Stuff Metaphysical Connection

Metaphysical Connection: Protection Work

Black is a protective color. (Photo: Mara Fribus | Dreamstime.com)

There are three things in our lives that most people need to feel safe, secure, and happy: money, love, and protection. Now, that doesn’t mean that we don’t need more, but these three things are generally important to our lives and our ability to feel content.

As a native Memphian, I cannot ignore the fact that Memphis is going through it right now. What “it” is, I’m not entirely sure of and is likely a combination of many things. We are also moving toward peak summer, which means it is going to be stupid hot for a while. Why do I say stupid hot? Well, one is that the numbers on the thermometer are going to be ridiculously high, and two is because when it gets this hot outside, some people act out in dangerous ways. This is a recipe that means one thing: We need to work on our protection.

Protection work is the bread and butter for most spiritual practitioners. It is something that can and should be done on a regular basis along with cleansing work. In fact, these two actions go hand in hand. When you do a cleanse, you are removing unwanted energies from your person or property. This is the first step of protection. I encourage you to cleanse yourself, your cars, and your home on a routine basis. Use your favorite cleansing method (smudging, Florida Water, salt, etc.) to purify your space and energy. There are many ways to cleanse, and we cannot get into cleansing in depth here today, but you can find information for cleansing online or stop by and visit with me at The Broom Closet and I can show you some options.

Once your space has been cleansed, you have an energetically blank area that needs to be protected, so that all the energy you just banished doesn’t come right back in. Just like with cleansing, you have a variety of actions and tools you can use for protection work.

Many practitioners have a tool or routine that they are drawn to or feel partial to. For me, I typically use gemstones and candles in my workings. I like to incorporate gemstones into my workings because they are easy to use and portable. For protection, you can select your favorite protection gemstones and place them in the space you want protected. If you want to use gemstones to protect yourself, you can tuck them into a pocket or wear jewelry featuring protective gemstones. If you would like to add some protective stones to your practice, you’ll generally want stones that are dark or black in color such as black onyx, black obsidian, jet, hematite, or shungite. However there are many stones available that will lend you protection, and they will not all necessarily be black.

Perhaps one of the reasons so many protective gemstones are black is because black is a protective color. In spiritual color psychology, black is protective, but also carries the meaning of power, strength, mystery, and fear. By using the color black, we are cloaking ourselves or our sacred spaces and giving off an energy that repels unwanted attention. If you want to do a protection spell, you might want to use a black candle or dress in black while doing your working.

The spiritual groups I am a part of often use herbal amulets for our workings. These are easy to make and can be placed in your car or home or office to help protect you. Since black is such a great color for protection, use a black bag and place protective herbs and/or stones in it. Salt is a great protective herb that you can combine with dragon’s blood resin, lavender, rosemary, cedar, myrrh, or other protective herbs in an herbal amulet.

There are myriad ways to offer yourself more protection, and there is not enough space to get into them all here. Find what you feel comfortable with and be sure to add your intention and need to whatever method you choose. My best advice for staying safe this summer is to bless and protect your car!