November 2024 News from The Witch’s Therapist
Samhain blessings to everyone on this New Moon in Scorpio!
This is Megan, psychotherapist with holistic counselling services in London Ontario The Witch’s Therapist.
Today, I’m here to help you navigate the coming new moon-th feeling supported and inspired.
As always, on our blog you’ll find an ongoing series of articles exploring a wide range of angles related to holistic therapy.
From reparenting your inner child to discovering why your body feels tense all the time to surviving the brutality of capitalism and so much more.
You can find out more about our clinic as well by taking a look at our areas of clinical focus.
But for today, I’m happy to share a few helpful resources I’ve been turning to myself during this season to help navigate change.
Books & Tea
As the weather turns colder, I am looking forward to returning to my ritual of non-stop hot herbal tea.
My favourite go-to herb is stinging nettle (urtica dioica) - a great nervine tonic with no caffeine that you can consume all day long.
I might even throw a large handful of nettle into a one litre mason jar filled with almost boiling water, sealed tightly, and left to steep for hours.
This creates a nourishing infusion to be drunk later.
A spoonful of honey helps tone down what I call “the green taste.”
Try it and let me know!
Along with my Nettle tea, I’ve been enjoying reconnecting with the knowledge found in Tarot of the Spirit, by Pamela Eakins, Ph.D.
This book and deck present an in-depth understanding of the intersection of Tarot & Kabbalah.
In particular, it contextualizes the Tarot archetypes within the Tree of Life.
If you are drawn to beautiful imagery and poetic interpretation, this might be for you.
What Activism I’m Engaging in
I’m think about the upcoming elections south of the border and the increasingly complex political and social narratives of the current era.
As a result, I find myself reflecting a lot on the Drama Triangle developed by San Francisco psychiatrist Stephen B. Karpman in 1968. (see image).
The theory posits that we can find ourselves limited to three roles as ways of coping with the feeling of helplessness over the actions of others.
These roles are Persecutor, Rescuer, and Victim.
The Persecutor role can have us trying to control and criticize others in the hopes that they will change so that we can feel better.
The Rescuer role invites us into self-sacrificing our needs to try to fix others.
The Victim role finds us hiding and waiting to be rescued or submitting to others’ harsh criticisms.
But there is another way, according to this model of thinking.
We can often shift out of these by becoming the change we want to see within the conversations, communities and relationships we engage in.
Great questions to ask ourselves in the midst of a Drama Triangle struggle include: What do I want to create here? What do I want to see happen?
Shifting into Creator mode can often be the first step towards breaking the cycle of blaming, helplessness and rushing to fix.
This can be particularly empowering within therapy sessions, and I personally welcome the opportunity to explore this model for those with whom it resonates.
What Inspired me This Month
This month I’m inspired by the seasonal shift into the fixed sign of Scorpio.
This encompasses the archetype of death and transformation.
Like the caterpillar called to chrysalis or the bear called to the cave, I invite us all to notice which areas of our lives are no longer sustainable as they are.
Perhaps it is a routine, a way of thinking about ourselves and our lives, or a relationship that has run its course.
The challenge of Scorpio is the development and deepening of our self trust.
This is earned and cultivated through the discrimination of choice.
I invite us all to lean into the power and thrill of being a little more selective and curating this month.
What a gift to trust ourselves to make good decisions for ourselves, and to allow this to strengthen through the practice of starting with the simpler and obvious changes we can make.
Remember - you can always change your mind!
If decisions are difficult right now, lean into rest as you allow your inner world to settle into clarity.
At the same time, it’s worth recognizing how messy this process can feel.
When a caterpillar enters a chrysalis, it’s a time of immense change.
But during the process, that caterpillar’s body literally dissolves into a puddle of goo.
We wrote about this recently on our article Embracing the Messiness of Healing: the “Goo” Phase.
Mini Tarot Reading
This month we are invited into the peaceful mindset of the Four of Wind - Mastery.
The Four of Wind suggests that a mental break may be in order.
It’s okay to set boundaries with your own thinking processes, inviting your attention towards more restful and relaxing ways of being.
You’ve earned it!
Notice the temptation to resort to over-thinking as a way of managing anxiety, tension, stress, and uncomfortable feelings.
RELATED: Stress and Burnout Psychotherapist
If you need to, set a space aside for “worry-time”.
This is a practice where you give your problems your full undivided attention for a set period of time.
I recommend no more than 15 minutes before you thank your worrying parts and proceed along to more enjoyable activities.
The temptation to wallow in thought loops may be at an all time high.
Anticipate this and have a short list of pleasurable alternatives at the ready.
Work Updates
If the longer days and the seasonal shift have you feeling introspective and you could use more support while walking that inner path, Megan and Santyna are both accepting new clients.
You can learn more about their individual perspectives and skillsets on our website.
Santyna is working on her course, The Magician's Path, all about creating supportive spiritual rituals as part of a ritual integration therapy approach.
It will be running in early 2025.
We're currently creating a waiting list for anyone interested, so please reply to this email if you'd like to be added to it.
Maggie is supporting a Legacy Burden retreat with Kay Gardner happening south of Toronto on Feb. 15-19, 2025. You can find some of the details here (EDIT: this event is now finished).
Lastly, and most excitingly, we have a new member joining our team of witches, as a London Ontario sexuality and initmacy coach.
Justine's official start date is November 15 and as such, she will be introducing herself in our next newsletter so stay tuned of her official introduction.
In the meantime, I'll just share that Justine will be offering her sex education and intimacy coaching work with values firmly rooted in spirituality, queer identity and pleasure activism.
As she puts it, "a politics of healing and happiness that explodes the dour myth that changing the world is just another form of work".
Upcoming Spiritual & Aligned Events
November 9
Day Of The Dead Cacao Ceremony
London, ON
This ceremony is ideal for people that have lost someone in their lives and would like for do a special cacao ceremony for them.
Tickets are $100 and include an ebook, Day of the Dead cake, materials for the grieving ritual, cacao, flowers, and more.
November 1-3
Beyond Healing Summit
Online
A free, 3 day event that aims to educate and guide individuals towards deeper states of internal awareness, self-leadership, authenticity and multi-dimensional embodiment.
November 8-11
World Wide Witch Camp
Online
An online immersive in the Reclaiming Witchcraft tradition.
Three days of rituals, workshops, affinity groups & optional offerings, all online.
I know our events calendar is sparse this month but I couldn't bring myself to add any Yule themed events just yet.
I've barely enjoyed the fall!
Book Your Appointment with The Witch’s Therapist Today
As we become more aware of events, we will continue to post them on Instagram so please give us a follow.
As always, we'd love to hear from you! So if you'd like to reply to this e-mail with thoughts on your favourite books and teas, the activism you're engaging in, or to let us know about an aligned spiritual event in Ontario, we would love that.
And if you’re looking for support in your mental health journey, we’re here to help with that as well.
Use the contact information below to book your first appointment today.
With love,
Maggie, Megan, & Santyna
The Witch's Therapist
609 William St, #101
London, Ontario
Canada
N6B 3G1
1-226-977-1660
► London Ontario Holistic Psychotherapy
The Witch's Therapist is located in London, Ontario and offers holistic psychotherapy therapy throughout London and surrounding areas.
