Ask a Cottage Witch: part 3
In this edition: Navigating disrespect at work & creating a seasonal altar
I’m navigating a situation at work in which I feel that I’m being disrespected and my boundaries are being crossed. I’ve decided that the only workable solution is for me to end my role. I’m wondering what are some witchy practises that will help me do a clearing so I can really move forward from any of the entanglements that are part of my previous job?
~ Worn-Out Witch
Dear Worn-Out Witch,
First off, excellent work standing in your personal power and protecting yourself from continued infringement! That can be really tough to do, especially when one’s livelihood is involved. Extra kudos to you too for tending to this matter on energetic and spiritual levels as well to complete the triad.
Looking at the word you used, “entanglements” makes me think of clearing with string magic in amongst some ongoing maintenance with methods such as saining/smoke clearing/smudging, ritual bathing, power poses, grounding exercises, medicinal teas, and invocations of protective allies, essences, and deities.
There are many ways you might choose to work with string magic, and so I will offer up a few suggestions for you to either choose from or be inspired by for creating your own ritual.
After setting ceremonial space, you might sit in all the feelings of disrespect and boundary crossing until they feel very present with you. Then slowly pull the essence of it out of your body by speaking of those situations or blowing their energy right into the string or yarn as you wind it around a stick. Keep clearing it out of your field, winding, speaking/blowing until you feel free of it. This might even be done more than once or in sit multiple sessions if needed. When finished, if the string or yard isn’t synthetic, you could either bury into the earth for a slow digesting or burn in a sacred fire for a faster transformation. Either way, the removal work has already been done with the winding.
You might choose instead to wear string or yarn around a wrist or ankle with the intention that it pulls entangled energy out of your body and energy field over the span of a few days or even weeks. Every time you see it or feel it, you are reminded that the work is being done while you go about your day to day. If it agitates and annoys you, you can trust that it is coming to the surface as it is pulled out. When the time is right, slip an athame, ceremonial blade, or straight up kitchen knife under it and cut yourself free. Burn or bury if made of appropriate material, or cleanse with smoke or sound and recycle if possible and trash if not.
A version of cord cutting can be done by wrapping your thread around two taper candles set a few inches apart. Designate one candle to represent You, and the other to represent the role you held at your previous job. The thread is the connection between you. Set both candle holders on a fire proof dish large enough to hold them both and catch any falling debris or dripping wax. Holding on to one end, wrap the thread around one candle to encircle it, then reach it over to the other, wrap around that one and circle back to tie the two ends together. You’ll want your string to be somewhere between halfway and 3/4 of the way up the candles. When ready, set both candles alight and let them burn their way down to, and through, the string. Ideally you can tend to these candles until they burn themselves out rather than snuffing. A nice aspect about this method is that you can consider how they burn, the way the flames behave, and how the wax melts as messages or insights as a form of divination. After any pooling wax has cooled, you might find shapes or impressions that feel relevant to you.
If you spin fibre, you might spin two lengths of singles counter clockwise as an undoing of harms, then ply them together clockwise while envisioning a reset of your autonomy and personal power. This binds your healing process with the remedy of your healed state.
A last thought would be to simply find a tangled skein, or maybe a necklace, or other jumbled up mess and slowly, patiently, literally and symbolically untangle all knots until you reach that beautiful moment of free and clear lines of energy. If it is something that can be wound into a nice neat ball after, all the better. Very tidy. Very simple.
Hemp twine, wool, cotton string, silk thread, or yarn made from other plants or animal fibres are ideal as they will compost or burn more cleanly. Hemp is often quite easily found and affordable too. Do keep extra care of your physical self through this time and let yourself take a break from stressful engagements if at all possible. If you find yourself going back to thoughts of infringement, do your best to replace them with feelings of completion and the knowing that the clearing work has been done. This helps inform your nervous system that the danger is no longer present.
Blessings on your new, more healthful and right fitting ventures!
Juliette
I am Wondering the best way to create a seasonal altar , what is best to place on it and direction to face to welcome abundance?
~ the MuddyFairy 🧚🏻♀️
Dear MuddyFairy 🧚🏻♀️,
The first thing I would consider is if you are looking to create a working altar space or more simply, a shrine in honour of the natural world as it moves through the seasons. A shrine is more of a tribute to the medicines and essences of the plants, stones, shells, etc that you encounter. A pleasant arrangement is made to enjoy and feel the presence of what you gather. It can help attune your energy and awareness to the ebb and flow throughout the seasonal wheel and the various medicines that you place there. It might look like bundles of dried wheat in the Autumn along with fallen leaves, baskets of your garden’s delights, icons or images of harvest goddesses, and handfuls of hazelnuts to give a real sense of bounty and gathering or harvesting the fruits of your labours. Spring time might be vases of first flowers, decorated eggs, and aromatic tree buds bringing a sense of new potentials and beginnings of good things. Things you find on walks that don’t cause harm when they come for a visit. This is a great way begin new relationships with nature spirits, get to know the feel of different medicines, or honour plants that you already work with in other ways. When things have dried or died or the season passes, return them to the earth.
An altar tends to be a place where an intention is set for something specific to take affect in your day-to-day living and is generally engaged with in a working manner.
An example could be a wooden bowl or found nest representing You or your home with specific in-season items added that support your intention. The act of putting them into your vessel becomes a way of spell working. They might be herbs or crystals associated with the specific area of abundance that you seek, such as roses for an increase in love, basil for greater income, a stone from a river to bring a flow of opportunities, handfuls of crop seeds that traditionally would ensure times of plenty, or pieces of driftwood with the appropriate runes, ogham, or sigils scribed in.
Or instead of a vessel you might place items in the shape of a medicine wheel and work with the cardinal and cross quarter directions by matching up the essence of seasonal findings with the associated aspects of those compass points. Sacred geometry or grid work might also be used similarly. Natural items might be from the current season or not, and other methods of engagement might be employed there like scrying, meditating, or pulling cards regarding your intention, lighting candles as a way of activating, or creating charms made from natural items and incorporating them into your altar layout. When regarding this space as actively working toward your goals for you even when you aren’t present, it can be helpful to give it periods of rest by draping a cloth over top or refreshing the energy by periodically changing its configuration or completely replacing all items. The idea here is to find a meaningful arrangement, a way of including natural items, and a method of working at your altar that supports a set intention.
A welcoming direction to face your altar may be affected by logistical layout of your home (or yard if outside) and depending on your beliefs, different directions may seem more appropriate to you than what another might choose. Some might feel the East to be the place as it is the direction of the morning Sun, beginnings, and Springtime growth energy. I myself would place in it in the South where on my wheel it is the direction of full expression, action, and the height of energy before it begins to wane. Another might feel the West is suitable as it is often considered as the place of harvest or is associated with water for flow and movement. Perhaps the North feels best if you have a relationship with a relevant deity associated there.
The great thing here is there truly is no wrong way to do it (unless you happen to bring something poisonous into the home or allergies are triggered).
Have fun with it, experiment with different layouts and placements and see what feels most natural and resonant.
With reiki footsteps,
Juliette
Going through something?
Become a paid subscriber for $5 Canadian to submit your own Dear Juliette questions and watch for your reply in future editions
If you haven't met me yet, Hello! I'm Juliette, a sacred living mentor, best selling author, and devotional artist here to help you navigate life while cultivating your spiritual nature.
If you enjoyed this edition, you are welcome to buy me a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/juliettejarvis or find more of my written works on www.JulietteJarvis.com
