​When practicing one’s craft, any number of tools can be utilized. There is, however, sometimes a moral dilemma when it comes to using once living things. This in my opinion, comes down to personal preference. As long as it is done ethically I see nothing wrong with incorporating once living things, or even living things in your practice. Whether you practice herbal or kitchen witchery, grow your own plants for medicine, have a familiar, or any number of other tools commonly ascribed to witchcraft you are incorporating living things into your craft. If you believe in animism; that every natural thing has a soul, this expands out to crystals, metals, the landscape, and even the weather (like rain, thunder, and lightning).
 
So what do we mean by “ethically done”. Well, it could mean that you use sustainable practices when you harvest or wildcraft herbs and other plant material. Maybe you only take that which has already fallen from the tree or plant. Perhaps you research where your crystals and other materials come from before purchasing to make sure they were ethically mined/harvested/sourced. Whatever your practice, it is generally accepted as customary to ask the plant or land spirit for its permission first, and leave an offering such as tobacco, some water, or a small gift when you are done, if you are collecting it yourself. 
 
That said, what about more controversial items such as bones, and animal skins? Some may say this is not ethical, while some work very closely with animal spirits/essences and use these items to create a closer connection to them. This ties in closely with a previous post I made about magical otherkin practices/beliefs. There are some shamanic practices that use animal parts as well. There are many people whom practice this type of craft. The author Lupa has, in her many books on the subject, talked about her experiences with animal skulls and the spirits she has met (and worked with) that were still attached to them. If you are interested in this topic I highly recommend picking up any of her books, many of which can be found on Amazon. While I would not recommend that anyone go out and kill an animal for their skull or skin to use in magical practices, if you hunt for food, or you find them from ethically sourced places locally or online*, these items can be used, once properly cleaned and cleansed. My first personal experience with animal furs kind of creeped me out, though I am unsure how ethically harvested it was (it was a gift), since I have not had that experience since then. It may have been some residual negative energy from when it was killed, I could not say for certain.
 
This phenomenon is also found with crystal skulls. There are many stories of spirits that were housed in, or housed themselves in crystal skulls that were purchased by people who were not necessarily aware of it at the time. A spiritual consciousness is not limited to crystal skulls either. Many objects can be used to house spirits or other types of consciousness.
 
This topic could also extend to blood magic. This can be a very touchy subject indeed, because blood carries the essence of life. Regardless of whose blood it is, it is generally considered a very potent magical tool/ingredient. There are many people who would never use even their own; fearing the consequences of doing so. Spilling blood was a once a ritual act used in cultures around the world including Aztec, Mayan, Ancient Egyptian, and Greco-Roman cultures. Though perhaps not as prevalent or dramatic as tv/movies have made it out to be. There are even some cultures today that still sacrifice animals like lambs or roosters. Not all blood sacrifice has to do with animals, or even spilling a lot of blood. Sometimes a single drop is all that is used. A small vial of drawn and preserved blood given as a symbolic gift would be considered an act of deep trust. I would consider this to be a very personal act of magic, and not likely widely practiced.
 
As you can see, there are many ways to incorporate living or once living things into ones practice. The question is if and where you draw the moral line. Where do you draw that line? Would you use animal skins/blood/body parts? Would you use your own? Is this an ethical quandary for you?
 
 
*There are places that provide ethically sourced furs and other animal parts online (in Canada) such as https://medievalfur.ca/ that works with local indigenous people, and https://loosemoosetradingpost.ca/ that also donate to the conservation of wildlife with each purchase.

​The Akashic Records are thought of as a cosmic compendium of universal knowledge. One might imagine a giant cosmic library with a book for every soul, every living thing (not just humans). Every book containing a record of all past, present, and future events that pertain to that soul/living thing. It would be difficult to truly comprehend just how much information/knowledge is stored there, but the possibilities seem endless. This universal memory bank is not a new concept, and is seen in cultural belief systems like Buddhism, Hinduism, and Theosophy. Parallels can also be found in Tibetan and Egyptian traditions as well 
This vast collection of knowledge is said to exist on the mental plane, and, with enough work, practice, and training, can be accessed by anyone. Like anything else, this will be more difficult for some than others. I know a few people who have accessed these records, and can help others do the same, though I have not done so personally. 
This is not just passive information though. Accessing this library gives one the opportunity not just to learn what was, is, or might be, but also to make change, heal, and gain insight into personal lessons and life purpose. This could be done for one’s current or past lives. Imagine being able to see the lessons your soul has learned, how things unfolded, and bring healing to places/times that need it. Or to see the possibilities of what may be (on one’s current path), and be able to “correct course” for the greater good. The potential for not only personal/soul healing and growth, but that of the collective as well is incredible, and possibly a bit overwhelming.
There are many guided meditations/journeys available on YouTube, in books, and workshops/courses that one could use to learn how to access the Akashic Records for themselves. There are also individuals who are already connected, that could do it on your behalf for a fee. The temptation to do so could be great for some people, daunting for others. While it is nothing to fear, I would suggest doing so after giving much thought to what it is you wish to learn on your visit. This journey takes some focus and dedication, and should not be taken lightly.
Have you heard of the Akashic Records, or maybe you have visited them yourself? Is this a journey that interests you? Do you know anyone that has taken it? 

 This may or may not be a familiar term for you. It is certainly not a topic that is talked about much, and is written about even less. I can count on one hand the number of authors I have found that mention it, and their definition of which is something that may vary depending on the author. This topic ties in with animism as well as totem animals and animal guides, all of which I have covered in a previous post. Many cultures have spiritual practices that involve animals that guide followers in life or refer to key parts of the persons personality. Even non-spiritual people use animal references to describe people, their personalities and habits, or physical features. Many cultures see the connection between modern humans and our more primal animalistic ancestors. A time when where we were not so disconnected from nature, and we knew our place within the natural cycles.
My first purchase on this topic was a traditional tarot by Siolo Thompson called The Otherkin Tarot. Siolo basically defined otherkin as those creatures that were part human part animal or animals that acted like humans/had human characteristics. So, the first part of the definition would include creatures of myth and legend like mermaids, centaurs, and satyrs. These creatures, described in many myths, also fall into the more commonly used category of cryptid. The second category in that definition would include some our beloved childhood characters like Peter Rabbit, or Winnie the Pooh and friends, or the lovable characters from movies such as Zootopia. That particular tarot deck comes with a large companion book that covers the basics of otherkin from this perspective. It has some nice artwork as well.
The second definition for otherkin has a more magical purpose. It has been used to define those that feel they have a special connection to the animal kingdom, or a certain animal in particular. Under this definition, the connection made with the animal counterpart is done through trance work. This is a shamanistic-type magical working. The practitioner connects with the spirit or essence of the animal in question on the spiritual plane or by channeling them so as to make a personal connection with them. They may do this for a number of reasons. They may be trying to channel certain prominent characteristics they feel they lack that they would like to apply to their own lives, enhance personal qualities they already have, channel that energy/essence for healing, ask for guidance, or even just connect better with nature or the spiritual plane. The practitioner could have a specific animal they connect with, or the animal could vary depending on the needs of the practitioner. I have read of some practitioners using bones, skins, or other animal parts in their ceremonies, some use certain herbs or other tools, and others use no tools at all. The way the animal spirit/essence is invoked/evoked is personal to the practitioner. I have had this definition of otherkin described under another term; therianthropy. This term was used more acutely as the person believing they are, in spirit/essence, that animal. It was described in conjunction with shapeshifting, but both of these terms used in this magical context, share many similarities. Regardless of the term used, both describe workings that use trance work, connection with spirit animal/essence, and a deep connection with our own animal nature.
One difference I have only found one author write about, puts vampires in the same category as otherkin. In this case they are referring to the vampire as something non-human with human characteristics. Which, I guess, could technically be true, but I don’t agree with this categorization myself. I will not go into vampires in this post, though I will likely make one in the future.
Have you ever heard the term otherkin before? How would you define it? Have you channeled or reached out to animal spirit for guidance? Would you?
 
 
*If you would like to read more on this topic, I would highly recommend anything written by Lupa, and if you want to know more about the specific magical workings of otherkin practitioners, I would recommend the book called The Book of Satyr Magick by LotusWulf Satryrhorn.

​Over the centuries there are certain truths that witches and other spiritually oriented people have sort of taken for granted. Knowledge that has been handed down; taught to future generations. Wisdom gained through the connection and communication with nature and the universe. Things that could not, until recently, been proven by science. As a society people tend to put more weight behind what can be proven in a lab than the knowledge that was passed down. Historically, before something is “proven” by whatever the current scientific methods are available, that “knowledge” is discredited, and called into doubt, even when positive results are obtained by practitioners time and time again.
One of the biggest areas that “science” has cast doubt on is herbal medicine. People all over the world have been using plants to heal themselves and others dating back at least 60,000 years. A good example of this is white willow bark. This can be used as a natural pain medicine, and was the basis for our modern aspirin. The salicin in the bark was synthesized into acetylsalicylic acid in 1853 by Charles Gerhardt. While this new lab made drug is more fast acting than its natural counterpart, it can cause stomach irritation (on the list of side effects). This particular side effect does not usually occur when using the willow bark, because the bark does not damage the gastrointestinal mucosa. So while the “modern” pharmaceutical approach has extracted the main healing component and created a faster acting version (something greatly appreciated in our instant gratification society), it failed to include the rest of the natural healing components that prevented the negative side effects.  This is not new information. However, if you were to ask your allopathic doctor for a natural alternative, they would cast doubt on any claims anything natural could help you, and then prescribe you some lab made pharmaceutical. Thankfully we have alternatives, like naturopathic doctors, we can see, though they are not covered (at least not fully) by our current medical system.
That said, there are books out there like Herbs Demystified by Holly Phaneuf, PhD ( a biochemist and drug researcher) that show the research that has been done on plant medicine to give a better view of what has been proven to show results. I am greatly appreciative of books like this because I actually make herbal wellness products, so when nay-sayers do question or comment, I have something they cannot refute to show them.
What gets me about all of this, is that these natural medicinal practices are called “alternative medicine”. I find that interesting, because all of these techniques existed long before allopathic medicine was created. Wouldn’t that make allopathic medicine the “alternative” to the pre-existing natural medicine? If you have not heard the term, allopathic medicine is the “modern” approach that focuses on the symptoms of the dis-ease, rather than finding and treating the root cause. It is rooted in the current scientific methods of testing to diagnose and then treat current symptoms. This approach has allowed for great strides in health and medicine to be made, but I do find it interesting that it completely discounts its own roots, and even actively works to discredit its predecessor. Even long-standing practices like acupuncture, chiropracting, and reflexology are still looked down upon by many allopathic doctors today. I am sure you can guess how I feel about that by now. I am, of course, thankful for the knowledge gained by that allopathic system, I am certain it has saved many lives. However, I do believe these two systems could, and should, coexist together. I do not believe they should be in competition with each other at all. I know of many practitioners of natural medicine, energy works, and other such wonderful healers that would never tell a person to not seek out the opinion of an allopathic doctor, but I have yet to meet a doctor (or even pharmacist) who would recommend a naturopath, or other natural/energy healer for treatment.
What do you think? DO you feel these are both mutually exclusive practices? Or do you feel, as I do, that they should coexist in a mutually respective and cooperative manner for the health and well-being of all? 

​Last week I was reading a book about something called Vortex Theory. It mainly covered a lot of quantum physics theories and theorists, but there was a paragraph that made me think more abut metaphysics than quantum physics. It read:
“Thoughts are many but the mind is one. Particles are many but the universe is one. If the consciousness on each of us, seeing through our eye, hearing through our ears, and feeling through our senses in one then it would be the same consciousness in all the different bodies of humanity. We may all be living separate lives but the one thing we have in common is being human. The unity of consciousness we share suggests we are one being in many bodies. We may think different thoughts perform different actions and have different experiences but the conscious awareness underlying every thought we think and action we perform is one and the same and that indeed is the brotherhood and sisterhood of humanity.” – Vortex Theory by David A. Ash (P. 133)*
It made me think about how we are all connected. Generally when that is said I think about how we are all made of the same star stuff; how we are all connected to the universal consciousness. This statement says to me that although we are all separate souls in this human experience, learning our lessons, trying to find our purpose, we are still connected to everyone and everything.
However, that paragraph made me think about that theory a little differently. It suggests that we really are all one, in a more literal sense. That we are one mind, one consciousness experiencing life from many different perspectives. Not just experiencing through each soul, but every living thing within the universe, and every non-living thing as well. Every cell, every atom, every seemingly empty space. The universe as a single entity experiencing itself from every conceivable point of view.
While I don’t ascribe to this particular theory, it is definitely something to think about. In some ways, current quantum physic theories support this statement in their own way, though this is not their purpose or their focus.
Another theory, that falls somewhere in between, says that we have a higher self and that self stays connected to the universal consciousness, but also manifests as a soul to experience our current life. Sometimes this theory suggests that our higher self is fragmented, yet still connected. This is possibly how we receive messages through divination techniques, where we receive prophetic dreams/messages from, and even perhaps know about our past lives. This theory brings up some interesting theories about ghosts/spirits and fractured soul pieces for me, but that is a topic for another post, perhaps.
What do you think? Which of these theories makes more sense to you? Do these theories bring up questions for you? Maybe more questions than answers? Let me know what you think. I would love to hear your thoughts, and other theories, if you have them.
                                                                                                            
*Disclaimer: I am aware that there may be grammar and punctuation mistakes in the quote. I copied it verbatim so that is exactly how it appears in the book. If that made your eye twitch I do feel your pain, but it was a direct quote. Sorry. 

​I read a book the other day about an energy healing modality I had not previously heard about. I have read about many energy healing systems, and for most such systems, one of the common tenets is humility. We are told to let go of ego; the idea that we are doing the healing rather than being its facilitator. In this book, this was not the case. The author of this book proposed that it was the only energy healing modality that connects directly to divine energy, and that all the others (of which they did specifically mention Reiki) only connected with vital energy. Now, vital energy is also known as life force energy like prana, chi, or Qi, meaning that they propose that the energy worker is using their own energy to heal rather than connecting to universal or divine energy. As a Reiki Master myself, I have to whole heartedly disagree with this statement. Reading this kind of misinformation tells me that either the author knows very little, if anything, about energy healing modalities outside their own, or that they have let their ego get in the way. While I cannot speak to the efficacy of this particular system since I have never studied it or seen it practiced, I do believe that this way of thinking can be a hinderance to the growth, evolution, and possibly the productiveness of both the practitioner and the system. While it is important to have confidence and faith in the energies and systems we are drawn to learn/practice, as well as our ability to implement them, no one system is better than another. Personal preferences are expected. We are attracted to certain things due to our own knowledge and experiences, but that is not the same as definitively stating one system is better or more successful. This kind of talk could dissuade someone from receiving a treatment that would most suit their needs. As healers (of any kind) our job is to help, and I do not believe this helps. If we set ego aside, we may not get every client, but we can help all those that come to us by helping them find the help they need, whether it is from us or someone else. This not only fosters a trusting and respectful relationship with the people we meet, but also within the healer community.
I write this post not just for the healers, but for those who seek us out as well. Our choices (and our words) can make all the difference.
Have you ever read about any healing modalities that claimed they were better? Have you experienced an encounter with a healer with such claims? Did it affect your feelings about/response to that system/person? What would you do if you did?  

Most of us have heard of mazes and labyrinths, and sometimes those terms are used interchangeably. However, did you know that there is a difference?
 
Mazes have multiple pathways that branch out in different directions creating a complicated puzzle of twists and turns designed to confuse the user. Sometimes these pathways lead to dead ends, which can be quite frustrating. A maze can have one or more exits. I have heard that putting your right hand on a wall of the maze at the beginning and walking through while remaining contact with the wall can help you through the maze, but I have never had the opportunity to test that theory. A popular use for mazes these days are the corn mazes created at Halloween for entertainment purposes.
 
Labyrinths, on the other hand, have a singular and continuous path that leads to the center. The objective is to walk the path to the center and back out again slowly and with purpose. It is meant to be a contemplative act of personal transformation, not a puzzle. Walking the spiral like path inwards represents the journey into self, while retracing one’s steps back outwards is the return to the world. Just the act of walking the labyrinth is peaceful and can reduce stress. Using it as a way to journey inward and reflect on the self can help one promote self-understanding, compassion, and reflection on one’s purpose and path in life.
 
Labyrinths have been a part of many ancient cultures including Greek (like the famous myth of the Minotaur), Hopi, and Hindu, and have been depicted on many objects including pottery, stone carvings, and even church walls and floors. During the middle-ages labyrinths located in churches were used as a symbolic journey to the Holy Land, and people would undertake a pilgrimage to one rather than Jerusalem for that purpose. In Hindu culture the labyrinth (also known as Chakravyuha) was seen as a symbolic temple; the uncoiling of Kundalini energy and the path to enlightenment.  Hopi culture saw the labyrinth as the symbolic representation of the connection between people and Mother Earth; life’s journey and the divine creator of life. While these are rather simplified explanations, they do show how different cultures had similar ideas regarding the cyclical nature of life (physical and spiritual), and used the spiral like labyrinth as not just a symbol of it, but a way for any individual to experience it.
 
While they do seem to have gotten a bit lost in history for a while, walking the labyrinth became popular once again in the 1990’s, and can now be found as part of the landscape of parks, gardens, and even cathedrals and churches. One need not travel far to experience this for themselves either. All that is needed is some space to create one. Most anything can be used to do so. If you are doing it outside, you can use rocks or sticks, or it can simply be drawn in the dirt or sand. One could also be drawn/painted on a large sheet/piece of cloth or paper and laid out on the floor inside if you have a big enough floor space. While I have not personally done this myself (yet), I believe it could be a great personal and spiritual experience.
Have you ever walked the labyrinth before? Would you like to? What would you hope to learn about yourself or your journey by doing so?

Maze Photo: https://www.longleat.co.uk/adventure-attractions/hedge-maze
Labyrinth Photo: ​https://www.stphilipvictoria.ca/pages/labyrinth

Have you ever had a conversation with your plants? Do you talk to them about how healthy they look, or try to coax them to grow more? Do you feel like they respond to your voice, maybe grow better when you talk nicely to them?
 
Most of us have probably heard of (or maybe even participated in) the science experiments with plants and music. While plants do not have ears to hear the music, plant cell stimulation is a documented response to the frequencies used; different frequencies have different results. Studies (in India*) have shown that plants may  not only grow better with certain genres of music, but the plants can also tell the difference between the different genres, as well as traffic and nature sounds. How amazing is that! Most plants respond positively to genres like classical or jazz, while harsher genres like metal may be too intense for them and may even cause damage. Conversely, instances of pests, including aphids, mold, and spider mites decreased with sound treatment in greenhouse conditions. So, not only can the right frequency promote plant growth, it can decrease the chances of pests!
 
Even more amazing is research being done on the response of plants to other stimuli. Some research suggests that plants can sense and respond to perceived danger, learn from repeated stimuli and change their response to it, and can even be “put out” by anesthesia used on humans**. Scientists don’t necessarily believe that plants feel pain or have consciousness because all our definitions of such things require the subject to have a brain, which is not part of a plants biological makeup under our understanding of it.
 
That said, we have established that plants can communicate with each other through root networks. Mushrooms in particular are known to communicate information like injuries, food sources, and changes in the environment using electrical signals; not only with each other, but other plants as well. If this topic interests you I would recommend books such as Plant Spirit Medicine by Eliot Cowan, and Plant Spirit Healing by Pam Montgomery would be good places to start. It really is fascinating.
There has been some talk on social media sites like TikTok and Instagram that plants can sense their owners up to 2km away. Now, I haven’t found any solid research on this, so I am not sure where they got this information from, but other research has shown that they respond to their owners (their frequence) when around them.
 
While much more study needs to be done in this area, I do find it fascinating the many ways plants are connected to each other, and how we can connect to them. Whether we have a green thumb or not, many of us feel the need to have plants in our homes or to go out into nature to connect with them there. I mentioned in a previous post about how horticulture therapy has shown to improve mental and physical health, reduce stress and even improve focus and memory. Activities such as gardening, forest bathing, and even aromatherapy are being suggested by some therapists to facilitate this kind of healing. I couldn’t be more supportive of such things.

​So how do you feel about plants? Do you love to grow them? Do you talk to them? Do you feel they improve your mental, physical, and spiritual health? Do you like to feel connected to nature this way?
 
 
*https://pistilsnursery.com/blogs/journal/music-and-plant-growth-heres-what-the-science-says#:~:text=For%20most%20plants%20playing%20classical,they%20prefer%20a%20gentler%20touch.
**https://theworld.org/stories/2014/01/06/can-your-plant-hear-your-can-it-think

​I have recently watched some videos talking about how mandalas are a visual representation of sound. I never thought about that before, but it makes sense. Just know that the information in this blog is limited, and so much more can be learned about them with a little research.
 
Mandala, which means circle or center in Sanskrit, is defined as “a geometric figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism.*” There are different kinds of mandalas. Mandalas used to teach use symbolic elements such shapes, lines, and colours with each one representing a different aspect of a religious or philosophical system. Other Mandalas with more intuitive elements are made for meditative purposes and used in healing. Sand Mandalas are created by Tibetan monks for manifesting beliefs into the physical world, and are destroyed after their completion. The creation and consecration are for beneficial reasons, while its destruction reminds us of the impermanence of all things.
 
Just the visual nature of a mandala inspires thought, healing, and growth, but what if it was also a sound. What if the complex patterns of the mandala are layers of natural frequencies that we could decipher and recreate? What benefits could we gather if we resonated with them on not just a visual/mental level, but also on the level of frequency/sound. What lessons would be available to us? What new levels of healing could be achieved?
 
In 1967 a man named Hans Jenny coined the term Cymatics, from the Greek word "kŷma," (meaning wave), to describe how sound waves create wonderful patterns, called Chladni Patterns (named after the man who invented the Chladni plates they are created on), in mediums like sand, rice, and even water through vibration, thus giving us a visual representation of sound. With each natural frequency** a new vibrational pattern is created, becoming more elaborate as the frequency increases. When these patterns happen one of top of the other as new natural frequencies are added the sounds you hear are created. Each object’s physical characteristics determine its unique acoustic signature that is comprised of a combination of personal frequencies. This frequency conveys information about the object like how it was created and with what, as well as its shape, size, and other such things. Patterns can also be projected on a visual display like a screen when striking something like a tuning fork (such as one from a solfeggio set), These complex geometric patterns are called Lissajous Figures. If two different frequencies are played together they can create something called a “beat” which is where “You hear a rhythmic variation in amplitude, a pulsing sound, where the beat frequency is the difference between the two original frequencies***”. I could segue into other topics here about how this relates to how frequencies affect our bodies, our relationships to objects, places, and people, or how they can change, heal, or otherwise affect our world, but this post is about mandalas. I will try to stay on topic.
 
I have previously discussed sound healing and frequency in a post called Vibrational Healing. We know that individual frequencies are used for healing, hence the use of tools like singing bowls and tuning forks. We also know that each chakra resonates to a particular sound which you can use to clear, enhance, or connect with them at that level. These frequencies can have a profound effect on our minds and bodies (physical or spiritual). So it stands to reason that decoding and creating the sound of a mandala would have an equally deep-seated and possibly radical effect. While much is known about the visual/physical aspects of the meaning of mandalas, I have not been able to find any research dedicated to deciphering them in this manner, but I think it would be worth studying.
 
As a related side note, one video I watched (I wish I could find it again so I could credit and link it) mentioned these little house carriages that had mandalas on the bottom. The monks said that if the right sound could be created (the one depicted by that mandala), then these house carriages would be activated. What exactly would happen I do not know, but I thought that was interesting.
What do you think? Are mandalas visual objects meant for teaching and healing on the mental/visual level? Could they be physical representations of sound? Do you think we could decipher them, or is that knowledge lost? What do you think it would sound like?
 
*Taken from google as a definition from Oxford Languages
** “An object's natural frequency is the frequency or rate that it vibrates naturally when disturbed. Objects can possess more than one natural frequency and we typically use harmonic oscillators as a tool for modeling the natural frequency of a particular object.” Taken from: https://resources.pcb.cadence.com/blog/2020-natural-frequency-formula-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-important
***Taken from https://www.arborsci.com
 

​We have talked about how our thoughts and words have power. We pour our intent into words to manifest our desires, and we try to phrase our thoughts and words into positive statements to attract positive energies to ourselves. This is a basic tenant of manifesting and plenty of spell work. It has been said that the universe does not “hear” the negatives, which is why we rephrase for the positives, and I agree with this. That said, not all of life is rainbows, unicorns, and sunshine.  This world is full of shadows, and they must be addressed, not ignored or denied.
 
Words can have immense power over how we think and feel about anything and everything, including ourselves, if we let them. They have the power to both hurt and heal. I am sure many of you remember the saying “Sticks and stones can break my bone, but words can never hurt me” from your childhood. A good “come back” or mantra to help a child in that situation, though not always as effective as we maybe would have liked. Words, have in fact, hurt all of us at one time. The adults in our lives were trying to arm us with what they thought was an age-appropriate defense mechanism to help us realize our own power over our feelings and reactions. I believe we seem to have somehow failed to remember this lesson, and pass it on to the following generations.
 
The other day I was doom scrolling, as I sometimes do, and started watching a video by a content creator I often stop to watch. They were talking about how they could no longer use the word “fat” when making content anymore; that they could be shut down for saying it. This reminded me of all the times I have read stories and articles using words like “abuse”, “killed”, “drugs”, and so many more blurred out or spelled with special characters so that they would not be flagged or have their work taken down. When did the mere mention of a word become so wrong, so debilitating, that we, as a collective, had to censor their use? How are we expected to tell our stories so that others may learn from them, or understand us better, if we cannot use the proper words needed to convey our message?
 
While we may find the meaning behind some words distasteful, we should not be made to feel guilt or shame for having to use them for this purpose*.  Words were created so that we could convey thoughts and ideas in such a way that our message could be heard and understood by others. It is inevitable that these thoughts and ideas, if conveyed properly, will have an emotional response of some kind upon its recipient. Good or bad, this is a good thing. We, as individuals, are responsible for how we react to that emotional response. If they make us uncomfortable, we need to look at why. Censoring the word does not make issues like abuse, addiction, or murder go away. It only makes it more difficult for those affected by it to talk about it, and therefore deal with it. It is also not other people’s responsibility to tip-toe around, talk in hushed tones, or censor their thoughts and opinions for fear of upsetting or offending someone else. That strong emotional response is a sign you yourself have some personal work to do; an issue to address. Whether you tackle it on your own or with the help of a professional is your choice.
 
So while it is good witchy practice to try to try to manifest positivity into our world and our lives, it is also good practice to face the shadows head on. Not just our own, but those of the collective as well. We are all connected.  How do you feel about this rise in censorship? How has it affected you or your loved ones? Do you see it as a problem at all?
 
*Relevant side note: I am not saying that hate speech, bullying or actual threats should not be monitored and dealt with. This is not ok, and they should. I am talking about blanket censoring words regardless of their context.