Articles — beginner

Mightier Than the Swords: How to Deal with a Bad Tarot Reading

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

Mightier Than the Swords: How to Deal with a Bad Tarot Reading

If you’re an avid reader of Tarot cards, then you know that no matter how experienced or knowledgeable you are, not all readings will be positive. Sometimes, the cards will show something that you weren’t expecting—something negative. But what should you do if this happens? How can you make sense of a negative Tarot reading? Read on to learn how to “win” your Tarot reading when you’re dealt a bad hand. 1. Assess and Interpret As tempting as it may be to throw the ominous cards in a pile and re-shuffle the deck, it’s worth pausing for a second to...

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Create an Ancestor Altar for Samhain: 7 Easy Ways to Celebrate Your Honored Dead

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

Create an Ancestor Altar for Samhain: 7 Easy Ways to Celebrate Your Honored Dead

You may already have an altar to your deities, but what about the human spirits that have made you who you are? An ancestor altar is a sacred space that honors your deceased loved ones and can be used for prayer, offerings, and spells. Creating an altar is a beautiful way to remember your ancestors and to show them how much you appreciate their presence in your life. YOU can make an ancestor altar! Yes, you--even if you happen to be spirit-deaf, very busy, or hate your family. If you're not sure how to get started, here are seven easy steps for...

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Transformative Tips for Creating a Sacred Space in Your Home (Guest Post)

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

A collection of bright ideas for creating tranquility at home, curated by Redfin. (We're honored to be included at #8!) Do you have a sacred space at home that’s just for you? Somewhere you can go to take a break from the outside world. A tranquil area where you can breathe deep, sit in meditation, practice yoga, or just exist. A place that encourages quietness. If you don’t have a space like this in your home, we highly recommend creating one.  But how do you actually go about creating such a space? To help you get started, we reached out to...

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The Craft of the Old Ones: Six excellent witchcraft books from the 80s and 90s

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

The Craft of the Old Ones: Six excellent witchcraft books from the 80s and 90s

The decade is new and uncertain, the planet is melting, there are way more witchcraft books coming out every day than I can keep up with…dammit! Time to crouch down by a dusty bookshelf and get nostalgic for the books that shaped us when we were baby Witches. Google is great for looking up a moon phase or herbal recipe—but for the dedicated Witch, there’s nothing like the printed word to guide your studies. We’ve combed through our library for classic beginner’s books that have stood the test of time. Each one of these titles has passed the quarter-century mark...

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Psychic empathy: Understanding and developing your empathic gifts

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

Psychic empathy: Understanding and developing your empathic gifts

Empathy: It may be the most common of all psychic experiences—so common that it often seems perfectly ordinary. Have you ever “caught” a bad mood from a coworker as if it were a cold? Have you ever been swept up in the excitement of a sporting event, yelling and cheering, even though you didn’t really care about the outcome? If so, then you’ve experienced the transfer of emotional energy known as empathy. Is empathy really a psychic ability? As social creatures, most humans have a high degree of empathy. In the language of psychology, empathy simply means we can recognize...

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