Category: Metaphysical Connection

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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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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!

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Metaphysical Connection: Page of Cups in Tarot

The Page of Cups cards from the New Era Elements (left) and Fantastical Creatures (right) tarot (Photo: Emily Guenther)

In many places, summer is a time to get out and be more active, and that energy is noticeable in Memphis as well. But our heat and humidity often drive us back indoors as much as the idea of the sun and summer fun brings us outdoors. If you’re a tarot enthusiast, you may find yourself beating the heat with an iced tea and a tarot deck somewhere cool and comfortable. Tarot, as I say, is reflective of the human experience, which means there are cards in the deck that touch on all aspects of our lives, including the seasons.

There are generally multiple tarot cards representing an idea, and that is the case with summer. It’s easy to associate The Sun card from the Major Arcana portion of tarot with summer. But there are other cards that can represent the season, including The Chariot and the Page of Cups. The Chariot card is often associated with summertime because the zodiac sign in power when the summer solstice arrives is Cancer, and The Chariot is the Cancer card in the Major Arcana. The Page of Cups is one of the more unique and interesting summertime cards we find in tarot, and one we’ll explore here in more depth.

If you keep up with this column, you may notice a recent theme: water. Nothing makes Memphians think more about water than summer temps and humidity. The Page of Cups is a water card, but that is not why I chose it this week.

Every day, every moment is an opportunity to start over and do better, if we embrace that idea. This is a sentiment that the Page of Cups reminds us of. The Page cards in tarot have an optimistic and youthful exuberance to them. They represent that part of our personalities that see things as opportunities and exciting adventures, and what a great attitude to carry into summer. What kind of trips or plans can you make? What kind of parties or events do you want to go to? The Page of Cups encourages us to have an open and curious mind. Let yourself dream and think outside the box this summer and see what new things you can manifest.

The Page of Cups is a water card, and cups is the suit in tarot that deals with our heartfelt emotions, creativity, and intuition. Use this cycle of summertime to embrace your creativity and create something new. The Page of Cups can indicate a surge in creativity or intuition, and you don’t want to waste it. Summer has a feeling of excitement and freedom about it, perhaps a holdover from our school days. The sun is out, which makes everything better and brighter. The flowers are blooming, the birds and butterflies are flying around us, everything seems like it is at its peak. Use the energy of the natural world around you for your own creative expansion and progress.

As each Page asks you to explore a new facet of yourself, the Page of Cups is asking you to explore your creative, emotional self. You may feel pulled to start something new, find a new or better way to express your emotions, or learn more about developing your psychic abilities. Fantastic ideas might race through your mind, and you may find yourself moved by the simple things. Don’t be afraid to let your feelings show and wear your heart on your sleeve. Expressing yourself and leaning into your emotions is all part of this Page card.

The Page of Cups, with its often-intriguing artwork, can mean you are being called to lean into your intuition and learn to trust yourself. Look for signs, symbols, and messages, and be open to the unique ways the universe communicates with us. Pages in tarot are also considered messenger cards, so be on the lookout for exciting and heartwarming news as you embrace the energy of the Page of Cups.

No matter what your plans are for summer, lead with your heart and have fun!

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 Healing Source

Photo: David Becker | Unsplash

The summer solstice may not occur until June 21st, but summer is officially here in Memphis. We can look forward to high temperatures and humidity for the next few months, with little relief, with one exception: water. Being able to cool off in a pool, water slide, sprinkler, or lake has been the saving grace of Memphis summers my whole life.

Memphis is known for its water. We sit above an aquifer that supplies our area with sweet, soft water, but that is not the only interesting part of Memphis’ water story. In the 1800s, the city of Raleigh, Tennessee, now the Raleigh neighborhood in the northern part of the city, was known for its healing spring waters. There is a story that in the early 1800s, a family was traveling along the stagecoach road, which is now James Road, and stopped overnight because their baby had fallen ill. There was a natural spring nearby and the family bathed the baby in the spring, hoping to ease its discomfort. Supposedly the next day, the baby had completely recovered, and that began the tales of the healing waters of Raleigh.

In 1842 the first spa was built, and in 1892 the Duke family of North Carolina built a spectacular inn off of what is now James Road. The Duke family built a fanciful retreat with gazebos, stone walkways, and a ballroom where orchestras and dances were held regularly, all with electricity and indoor plumbing. It was named the Raleigh Inn and was the place to go to be seen in society and also to partake of the healing spring waters. After about 10 years, the water table in Raleigh dropped and the springs dried up.

Memphis water still has healing benefits, as does all water. It helps keep our bodies hydrated and nourished, especially during the summer, and historically water has been known by many cultures to offer healing and energy to people who partake of it mindfully. Some believe that water has the ability to hold and carry energy and prayers and to cleanse. Water is the source of all life and is a powerful medicine.

To take advantage of all the benefits water has to offer us, partake of your water intentionally. Next time you drink water, put an intention into it. Bless it with the power of good health, or mental clarity, or whatever you need. The water will hold that intention and you will absorb it when you drink. If you have a water bottle that you use regularly, you can write an affirmation or create a sigil and put it on the water bottle to empower the water there. You can change your affirmation as often as you like and always have blessed water with you.

Many people are familiar with the idea of creating and drinking moon water. You simply fill up a cup or jar with water, and place it near a window where the moonlight will shine onto it, blessing and empowering the water with lunar energies. You can also do this with the sun and create sun water.

Water is a powerful cleanser, which is why so many cultures incorporate it into their traditions. When done mindfully, a bath or shower can cleanse negative energy from your body and spirit, leaving you energetically cleansed afterwards. You can even enhance your spiritual baths with water that has been blessed in the sun or moon, or with specific intentions. Moving water is best for cleansing or the releasing of prayers, as the water will run away from you and out into the greater water source, carrying the energy to a place it can be cleansed and healed, or to where the Universe can hear and answer your prayers.

Regardless of how we use it, water is important to life. We must respect it and our water sources and do our best to cleanse and heal the water so that it can continue to cleanse and heal us. As Chief Seattle said, “We are part of the earth and it is part of us. … Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together.”

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 Empress in Tarot

The Empress in the Ancestral Path Tarot (left) and Light Seer’s Tarot (right) (Photo: Emily Guenther)

Technically summer doesn’t begin until June 21st, but May often makes us feel like summer — and all of its festivities — has arrived. May can be a wonderful time of year, with great weather, outdoor events, and riotous flowers in bloom. It can also be a season of work, especially when spring was as stormy as ours was.

In my mind, May can be compared to the art and meaning of The Empress tarot card. The Empress represents the Earth Mother in tarot — the goddess and divine feminine personified. She is nature, around us but also within us, the ever-unfolding source of life-giving power. The card typically shows a woman surrounded by abundant nature; sometimes she is shown as the Earth itself. The green earth, the flowing water, and the flowers that may be on her card remind us that she rules over material wealth. The fact that the card is associated with the planet Venus tells us that The Empress also rules over love and families. The Emperor card in tarot, The Empress’ counterpart, deals with law and order, discipline, and the goals of the empire. You might say The Empress rules over the emotional aspect of the empire, focusing on relationships, families, and security.

Memphis is the city of grit and grind. We work hard, we play hard, and The Empress is here to support us in our work and play. She can appreciate those of us who are motivated, who work smart and hard to make a good life for our loved ones.

The Empress acknowledges our work. She is a mother and understands what it takes to raise a child or the energy it takes to work, the time it takes to build something. The card represents that period in our lives when we must nurture something so it can grow enough to survive on its own.

But why do we work so hard? Why do we suffer the grind if there is no payoff? Remember all the abundant nature and beautiful scenery of The Empress card? That is why we grit and grind. The Empress doesn’t only stand for hard work, but also the abundance and success of a job well done and a life well lived. She also represents luxurious abundance of all kinds. She offers a cornucopia of delights, especially those of the senses — food, pleasure, and beauty. She can suggest material reward, but only with the understanding that riches go with a generous and open spirit. The Empress is the loving mother of tarot after all.

If you are getting a tarot reading and The Empress appears in regard to your love life, she has good news for you there, too. In a love question, it can herald a serious, committed relationship. The prospective partner represented by the card will likely be loving, nurturing, and caring; have financial security; and/or be a lover of fine material things. If The Empress shows up in a reading about your career, expect work to be more pleasurable for a while. Typically, The Empress means that you are being supported at work, and perhaps your career is getting a boost. Harness your creative talents at work when she appears and let her grow your future.

This can also be a good time to put on your creative hat and begin planning for the future you want. Schools will be letting out for summer, seniors will be graduating, and family vacations need planning. Everyone has been working hard, and the energies of May invite us to play and enjoy ourselves.

As a representative of the lighthearted vibes of the month, let The Empress into your life. Let her show you how to harness your energies so you play as hard as you work, and so you enjoy the fruits of your labors. There is no point in running the rat race if we do not get off the wheel and enjoy the things we’ve worked for.

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: Beltane

The author with friends at a Beltane celebration, featuring a Maypole (Photo: Emily Guenther)

Beltane is a holiday celebrated by many Earth-based spiritual traditions. It falls on May 1st and is sometimes referred to as May Eve, Walpurgis Night, or May Day. Beltane was originally celebrated by ancient Celtic and Irish people as a solemn fire festival. The Irish-Celtic would burn bonfires for protection and drive their farm animals around the fires to cleanse, purify, and protect their herds. Beltane and its fires symbolized the beginning of summer for those in the British Isles.

While its origin can be traced back to Irish-Celtic culture, the Beltane celebrated today looks much different than the holiday our ancestors may have honored. Many of the traditions we hold dear now come from May Day celebrations of the English and wider European traditions.

Beltane represents the heights of spring and the promise of summer. It is a seasonal expression of the abundance and fertility the Earth offers us, as well as a time to celebrate and be a part of nature, to play games, to be frivolous, and to enjoy ourselves.

Many modern celebrations include a Maypole with a Maypole dance, fires, feasting, and flowers. A Maypole is a large pole (originally a wooden post but modern celebrants get creative with their supplies) decorated with colored ribbons and usually topped with flowers. Participants are typically divided into two groups, where each take a ribbon and dance around the Maypole in opposing directions, wrapping the ribbon to it as the dance proceeds. Historically, the Maypole was simply an obvious landmark that was easy to find at a festival and made a good place to gather. As time went on, people began to hang out at the Maypole, dancing around it and eventually bringing flowers and ribbons to decorate it.

In our current Beltane celebrations, the Maypole represents the axis mundi, or world tree that connects and supports all planes of existence, as well as the fertility of the Earth. Dancing around the Maypole is a fun, and often silly, activity, but it is also done with the intention of aiding our manifestation work and bringing abundance into our lives. Symbolically, the Maypole and its ribbon dance can also be considered a binding, since we wrap the pole with ribbons or streamers. This act represents tying up the past and looking into the future. You can even write on your Maypole, or attach a note to it, with something you would like to bind into the past and move on from.

By the end of April and the beginning of May, many flowers and trees are blooming, and the Earth is much more green than it was just a couple of months ago. Beltane makes uses of the natural bounty, and flowers play a big role in most traditions. People often wear flower crowns during their celebrations or decorate their home with flowers and greenery to bring nature indoors.

Beltane and spring are considered by some to be the season of the Fae. With nature in bloom again, some think fairies are more active and will leave offerings to appease them or sometimes to try to bargain with them. You may have heard the idea that the veil between our world and the spirit world is at its thinnest around Halloween, and some believe this is also true at Beltane. During Halloween, we use the opportunity to honor our ancestors and loved ones who have passed away from this world. At Beltane, the thinning of the veil means that communicating with fairies and other nature spirits may be easier.

Many see spring as a celebratory time of year, and because of that, Beltane has become a holiday focused on things that are joyous, such as being outdoors after the winter, the green Earth, fertility, games, and fun. If you feel called to do so, I encourage you to embrace the changing of the seasons as we move into May, get outside, and soak up the sun and the energy of life returning. Have a blessed Beltane season!

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 in Retrograde

Mercury is about to be in retrograde. (Photo: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center from Greenbelt, MD, USA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

After the potent energies of March, April usually brings us a bit of steadiness. It is the fourth month of the year, offering the energetic stability of the number four. However, this month, the usual solid foundation April brings is going to be rocked by the second Mercury retrograde of 2023.

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 orbit the sun. This is an observable scientific occurrence, but that does not mean it doesn’t energetically affect us.

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 the planet of 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. During this time, try to be flexible as plans may end up changing often, be patient and understanding, back up your work and important documents ahead of time, and leave yourself 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 makes 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 and assess if it is going to the right things.

The next Mercury retrograde will begin on April 21st and end on May 14th. This year, every Mercury retrograde will happen in an earth sign, with April’s happening in the sign of Taurus. The astrological sign of Taurus is represented by the bull and is ruled by the planet Venus. Taurus represents our creature comforts, money and finances, and industry. Taurus is known as a stubborn sign, slow to move, logical, sensual but with an all-or-nothing attitude. This fixed earth sign does not enjoy change or uncertainty, which means the upcoming retrograde may cause some chaos in our lives.

With Mercury retrograde in an earth sign, we may end up focusing more on the physical world this month. It may have us reconsidering our values and financials. Taurus is the sign of all things material and natural, which could mean this retrograde may surface some previously buried issues related to our home, families, or money. Taurus is also the sign of finances, values, and power, so we could find ourselves rethinking our relationship within those areas. Now may be a good time to reevaluate your budget or make one, or put a plan together for any major purchases or trips.

Although Mercury retrograde can interrupt our best laid plans, it is not meant to frustrate. It helps us see what no longer serves us and needs to be filtered out of our lives. Oftentimes there are blessings. During this month’s retrograde, there are other astrological happenings that may help balance it out. Saturn moved into the sign of Pisces at the beginning of March, and this blending of energies supports our mental faculties and helps with focus and determination.

Just remember to plan ahead and leave yourself time and space.

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 King of Wands

King of Wands in the Light Seer’s Tarot by Chris Anne Donnelly (Photo: Emily Guenther)

Astrology is prevalent throughout tarot, as many tarot practitioners know. On the spring equinox, Aries season begins and takes us through mid-April. Many people may be familiar with The Emperor card in tarot being the big Aries card, and it’s easy to understand why. But did you know there are more cards in tarot associated with each zodiac sign aside from their major Arcana card? For Aries, the suit of wands contains many cards that capture the drive and passion of the sign, especially the King of Wands.

The kings of the four suits are all aspects of The Emperor card, as all queens are aspects of The Empress card. The King of Wands is unique because it so closely resembles The Emperor. Both contain a fierce energy that helps keep us motivated and goal-oriented. The fiery aspect of both lends itself to driving our passions to fruition. Which is what we need if we are going to embrace the energy of spring and begin working on our spring projects.

Like all kings in tarot, the King of Wands has a fatherly feel. As a king, he has lived through all the experiences of the smaller cards in his suit and has gained wisdom from his encounters. There is a maturity in the king that you do not see in the other court cards (page, knight, or queen). This experience and maturity allows the King of Wands to use his passion and his temper to achieve his aims, rather than allowing them to control him or derail him. The King of Wands is a master at directing his energy, at motivating people and making sure things get done. The King of Wands is a great leader because he inspires you, he has a vision, and his passion doesn’t leave anyone behind. The King of Wands’ goal is overcoming a challenge and opening up new horizons. As much of an adrenaline junkie as The Emperor can be, the King of Wands is perhaps more since the he oversees a smaller kingdom.

I am not the first nor the last person to say this, but the world can be overwhelming. Technology has made it a smaller place, connecting us with those on the other side of the planet, making communication instantaneous, sending out news and information constantly. Technology has also made seeing and knowing about disasters, bad news, and crime that much easier. Many people feel the pains of the greater world looming over them, on top of the complications of daily life. This is why we need the energy of the King of Wands.

Whether we are coming out of our winter shell or trying to navigate the politics at work, the King of Wands is here to help show you the way. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, remember how to eat the elephant — one bite at a time. Instead of trying to channel the energy of The Emperor card and do everything, try being the King of Wands instead. Focus on one thing at a time. The Emperor has to rule and manage all the kingdoms in tarot (wands, swords, cups, and pentacles), but the kings only have to rule over their one kingdom. Start smaller, do a good and thorough job, and then move on to the next task.

If you feel like you are stuck on a project, try tackling it from another direction. The King of Wands is fond of creative and bold plans. Think outside the box, push the envelope, be bold and daring, do something everyone else thinks will fail. You may not succeed every time, but you tried and made an effort, and hopefully learned something so that when you try it again, you will make more progress. The one thing you cannot do is give up. Embrace your inner King of Wands and change the world, one bite at a time.

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March into Spring

Photo: Daiga Ellaby | Unsplash

March is here, and that means spring is officially around the corner. Between the vernal equinox and daylight saving time, March truly feels like the beginning of spring. The weather is turning warmer, making it a good time to get outdoors and shake off the dust of winter. The month of March is named after the Roman god Mars — a preeminent god of war and agriculture. In the ancient Roman calendar, March was the time of year to resume military campaigns that had been interrupted by winter. This is a time many of us feel the urge to move and be active, to really tackle those new year’s resolutions or promises we made to ourselves this winter.

The energy of March is one of growth and of physical action. We have the opportunity to make every day a fresh start. But tuning into the natural rhythms of the Earth and working with the natural flow of energy can make things in our lives easier, while also bringing us into balance with nature.

Early in the month, the March full moon will put on a show, especially while it hangs low in the sky. The March full moon is known as the Worm Moon. It has often been assumed that this name referred to the earthworms that appear as the soil warms. This invites robins and other birds to feed, which is a true sign of spring. However, further research has revealed another explanation. In the 1760s, Captain Jonathan Carver visited the Naudowessie (Dakota) and other Native American tribes and wrote that the name Worm Moon refers to a different sort of “worm” — beetle larvae — which begin to emerge from the thawing bark of trees and other winter hideouts at this time.

There are many names for the full moons each month, and one of the other names for the March full moon is the Crow or Crow Comes Back Moon (Northern Ojibwe). With the insects emerging from their winter habitats and smaller animals moving about again, the crows have definitely come back for the action happening in March, if they ever left.

You may have heard the weather proverb, “If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb,” which means that if the month starts off stormy, it will end with mild weather. There is, however, a different interpretation: The constellation Leo, the lion, rises in the east at the beginning of March and thus the month “comes in like a lion,” while Aries, the ram, sets in the west at the end of the month, and hence, the month “will go out like a lamb,” or perhaps ram.

March is split between the zodiac signs of Pisces and Aries. Pisces is the last zodiac sign in Western astrology and Aries is the first. This reflects the energies of March, with the beginning of the month being the last weeks of winter, while the last part of the month is officially spring. Pisceans are known to be sensitive, creative, and compassionate. All traits that correspond to the energies of winter. Winter is the season that traditionally sends us indoors, where we may think of or plan for the future, catch up on things that we’ve been putting off, and pursue our creative outlets. Aries takes control of March on the spring equinox and changes the energies from isolating and self-focused to being motivated to make changes and working hard. Aries is all about movement, being confident, and taking charge of our lives.

No matter what your zodiac sign, March is a time to really put our boots on the ground and make the changes we’ve been wanting to see. Use the watery energies of Pisces season to rebuild connections that we may have dropped during the winter. Channel the fiery direction of Aries to help you get those household projects you put off all winter done. 2023 can be a great year for us all, if we are willing to form connections, work together, and stay motivated.

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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Cut the Cord

Release energetic attachments. (Photo: Emily Guenther)

Cord-cutting is a popular topic among spiritual practitioners. It can be a useful tool in helping you move on from a relationship or situation, and may be considered a form of self-care. It is a spiritual exercise that a person does when they need help releasing unhealthy energetic ties from a relationship or situation that has ended or no longer serves them.

Cord-cutting allows us to assert a measure of control over a situation that may be out of our hands. It can help facilitate a natural process and speed up the results. We will eventually get over our ex or stop thinking about them every time we go to a certain place. But why wait? Humans are pack animals, in need of connections, but we also want to feel in control of our own lives and we are not patient people.

This exercise does not have to be done just for romantic relationships gone bad. If you struggle with toxic relationships with family or friends, you can use a cord-cutting ceremony to help release those attachments and signal the moving away from that relationship.

Releasing energetic attachments does not have to be done only when things have ended badly. If your last relationship concluded amicably, you can do a cord-cutting to bring closure and signal that you are moving on with your life.

I have studied under a person who told me she practiced cord-cutting every day. As part of her daily spiritual practice, she would release all the attachments between herself and her loved ones that were not of unconditional love. She said this helped her and her loved ones from dwelling over disagreements or hurt feelings, and gave the family a sense of personal freedom to be themselves.

When we spend time with a person, whether romantic or platonic, we form energetic bonds with those people. You can also form energetic bonds to places such as your home, favorite coffee shop, or park. If you are a sentimental person, it can be easy to form attachments to objects. When it is time to move on from that person, place, or thing, we may find it difficult due to those bonds.

When we have strong energetic bonds with someone, performing a cord-cutting ceremony once may not be enough. Depending on the length or strength of your bond, you may want to do it multiple times or make it part of regular spiritual practice. Healing and cleansing your energetic body is a process. Even if we do a cord-cutting to speed up the results, this can still take time. Only you will know when it has worked, so don’t be afraid to repeat it or don’t feel like a failure if you still feel a connection after doing it.

A popular method of cord-cutting is done using two candles and a piece of thread. I suggest using black candles for this, but use whatever color feels the most appropriate to you. Set the two candles on a fire-safe surface, some distance apart. Tie the thread around one candle, leave a taut length of string between the two candles, and then tie the loose end of the thread to the opposite candle. Light both candles. As the candles burn down, the string will catch fire and will burn. This is a physical representation of those energetic bonds burning and dying. Once your candles have burned down, dispose of any leftover wax and string.

Cord-cutting can bring back emotions and trauma; it is part of the healing process. Once you have completed the ceremony, spend some time performing self-care. Meditate or journal as you process your experience and feelings. Because it can bring up old feelings, remind yourself not to reach out to the person you just cut energetic ties with. They may be on your mind now, but it will pass. And you had to cut your ties with them for a reason, so remember that if the feeling to slide into someone’s DMs hits you.

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.