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.  

​Sovereignty (pronounced Saw-vr-uhn-tee) is not a term that is often used today; however it is relevant to understanding some myths and the roles of some goddesses. If you google the term you will find definitions like “supreme power or authority”, “the authority of a state to govern itself or another state”, and “a self-governing state”*. However, this does not really explain its meaning when describing the function of a goddess. There are several goddesses associated with sovereignty among the different pantheons. For instance, in Irish myth The Morrigan (more specifically her Macha aspect), and Ériu (the namesake of Ireland) are sovereign goddesses. In Greek myth it is Hera and Diana, while in Norse myth it is Mebd and  Freya that can represent sovereignty. These examples, of course, are not the only ones, but they are good examples if you know their stories.
A goddess who holds sovereignty is one that personifies that land/territory, embodying the power and authority over it. In any myth the duty of the sovereign goddess is to join together with a worthy king allowing him the right to rule over that land until such time as he can no longer perform his duties or dies. She does this by marrying or having sex with him, thus “marrying” him to the land. Marriage to the Sovereign Goddess does not mean he cannot marry a queen, as this is a symbolic marriage. That said there are some stories that portray this marriage as more than that. One such familiar story would be that of King Arthor and Guinevere. While many people see this story as a tragic love story where King Arthor is betrayed by his beloved Guinevere and his friend Sir Lancelot, this is not necessarily the case. There is a theory that this was actually a case of sovereignty being passed from the old king to the new, younger man Guinevere chose as Arthor’s worthy replacement. This “affair” led to the downfall of Arthor’s kingdom because he could not let go of what he thought was “rightfully his”. Another theory suggests that the Lady of the Lake that presented him with the sword Excalibur, and was Sir Lancelot’s foster mother, was the Sovereign Goddess.
The Morrigan, another sovereignty goddess, shows her power and authority over the land in her many tales involving Cú Chulainn. However, she was also married to Dagda, who is the king/chieftain of the Tuatha De Danann, and a god of fertility, abundance, and the earth in his own right. She helped the Tuatha De Danann save Ireland from their mortal enemies the Fomorians.
In Greek mythology Diana was seen as a Goddess of Sovereignty as she is the Goddess of the Hunt; giving her domain of the wild. This, linked with her roles involving cycles, renewal, purity, and unattained power show how sovereignty as part of her roles and responsibilities. The story of Rex Nemorensis (King of Nemi) is one example. Diana was worshipped as the huntress in Nemi, where runaway slaves could vie for a chance to be ruler if they plucked a golden bough from the grove of Nemi and challenged (to the death) and beat the current ruler. A classic “hunter becomes hunted” scenario, since the new king would have to continue to fight each new challenger until beaten. This story shows how she regulated the succession of leadership in her territory. As a virgin goddess she would not have used traditional methods.
So, now that you know what sovereignty is and how it works, how does this apply to us personally and in our practice? Well, while we may  not be immortals with control over vast territories, we do have domain over our own homes, and most certainly over our own bodies. Our sovereignty over our own bodies is possibly the most sacred power we have. What and whom you allow to enter or have any control over your personal space is up to you. While, as women, we still struggle with body autonomy in a legal sense, depending on where in the world you live, we still fight for that right, and it is a right. As the popular saying goes “Your body is a temple”. How do you worship your sovereign goddess within?   
 
*Definitions provided by Google from Oxford Languages