That Witch Podcast
A show for modern witches and mystics of all levels and backgrounds! Learn about witchcraft, astrology, and spirituality in a FUN, casual atmosphere, and how to actually apply it to your life, career, relationships, and personal growth. This is real magick for real life.
That Witch Podcast
Midweek Musings: The Darkest Night of the Year
Today I want to talk to you about grief, gratitude, Yule, and the Winter Crone. In many ways this episode is an open letter from my heart to yours, neighbor. Think of me walking up and standing before you, standing with you. In the cold, in the dark, and by the fire, and in the light.
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I don't know what's more confusing Learning astrology or just being a human. Monday Musings is here to help with that A weekly, no bullshit guide for the upcoming cosmic forecast and how you can actually use this in your real life. Hello, my friend, hello my neighbor. I am here this week not on a Monday, as you've already noticed Midweek here on Mercury's Day. If you follow me on Instagram and saw my post on Monday, I'm sure you'll be able to see that, and if you are a full-time student in that witch school and you saw my post over this past weekend, you already know the energy that my heart is carrying today. We'll get to that in just one moment, but first I do wanna say hello in, a very, very warm welcome to anybody who happened upon this episode today and has not been here before, and this is your first time here at that Witch podcast. First, hi, I'm Danny. I'm that Witch Next Door. I'm the host here of that Witch podcast. I'm your cosmic guide for the week, typically on Mondays, and this week has looked a little different, like we'll talk about in a second. This episode, this show, is real. Magic is real. Your spirituality, your connection to source is real. The massive infinite that is our universe is real and you're a part of it. That's real too.
Speaker 1:I have made a lot of mistakes in my life. I've made mistakes in my life. I have made a very intentional point, particularly this current season, season five on that Witch podcast to be open, vulnerable, raw and transparent with you. And if this is your first time, a lot's happened over this year that I've been updating throughout the year on the podcast here, including, but not limited to, my family and I moving halfway across the country, huge transitions in my life and my business. And boy, it's been a lot, boy, it has been a lot. And this season, season five, leaning into that intention of deep, true, real honesty, it has served me beyond well Gratitude. I'm probably gonna get emotional on this episode. There's just there's no fucking way around it, my friend. So if that's not your thing, I'm truly not offended and I'll see you next episode. I can't even begin to tell you the gratitude I have for it because when I decided to make this season so much more raw, in the moment when I'm feeling truly intuitively called to recording an episode and doing it, I have made a point to be showing up with the type of vulnerability that honestly I ask you for as a professional in my industry, and this is something that I think is acknowledged in other non-verbal ways by ethical spiritual service providers, but I don't see it talked about and spoken about or written about in any way very much, if at all, spiritual service providers. We're offering a lot. Don't get me wrong at all. We're offering a lot.
Speaker 1:There is a service being provided from real, honest healers and astrologers and witches and psychics and mediums and so on and so forth. I also think that it deserves to be talked about way more often. What we're asking of you, the listener and the client, the receiver of this information, the receiver of this service If you wanted to have even a shadow of a benefit in your life, you have to show up to it with true, real, no bullshit vulnerability and trust. It's true, there's no way around it. If you don't, you don't benefit from it. It'll be blocked from that. That's okay if you're not ready, or whatever. Teaches on to everyone their own journey, of course, every part of the journey. But I made a point this season when I decided to show up with the level of vulnerability and trust and honesty that I am. I made that whole decision based on this that I'm talking about, the fact that I asked that of you.
Speaker 1:What is the best way to create real, authentic, organic relationships with your audience, with your clientele, with your students, with your mentees, with your colleagues? It's showing up being the most unapologetically authentic, real, vulnerable version of yourself. That's what it takes and it can't be fake vulnerable. You can't just be coming on here and over sharing for the sake of over sharing, airing your dirty laundry and calling it showing up being real. There's a difference between truly showing up with the level of vulnerability and trust you're asking other people to, and showing up airing a bunch of your own inner dirty laundry or external dirty laundry honestly for the sake of expanding your reach. One of those things is just a buzzy trigger and that's why it works that way in growing your reach. The other is the way you form real, true, organic, authentic connections with people. That's exactly what's been happening. It's been gorgeous.
Speaker 1:The Convert I've already spoken to so many of you in the neighborhood over the last couple of years since we started the show and even still, even on top of that, my conversations with all of you outside of the show have just gotten so much deeper, so much more real, so much more expansive than they were before. You all are reaching out to me and sharing with me the real-time, tangible growth and healing you are accomplishing from yourself for yourself, sorry by implementing concepts that we talk about here on my show and my content. That's fucking incredible. That is the shit that dreams are made of for real. I'm not even just trying to be cheesy. It's been really, really incredible. And all of this is to say that's exactly why I'm showing up today and why I'm showing up the way that I'm showing up today.
Speaker 1:There is intention behind this episode, a deep one. It's not to make you sad, and that might happen. It's not to trigger you or make you depressed about grief you have or loss you've experienced, loss you're witnessing in the world, grief that's surrounding you in the world. It's not meant to make you feel bad things and that could be a byproduct of today. So I do wanna say that again, especially if you're just not in a good energetic space for talking about the deep and the heavy right now, and I, my God, do. I respect that so much. It's why I respect so much when people give disclaimers like this, because there are days I need it, and there are days that I'm not gonna benefit from it because I'm not in that space, and that's why I wanna be honest about it before I really get into it. It's probably not gonna be that long of an episode. We're not really gonna go over. It's not gonna be your typical.
Speaker 1:This is not Monday musings. This is midweek Mercury musings. I did a little prayer with my planets and my guides and my ancestors right before this record button went on, and I'm trusting the words that are coming out and I asked for them to be concise and powerful. And so, with all of that said, with the context given, with the disclaimer added why I'm coming to you late this week, if you don't already again, if you didn't already see my posts in Mighty Networks or on Instagram, if you're not in Mighty Networks is that over the weekend, my husband and I found out that we lost another one of our friends back in Colorado.
Speaker 1:It's already a very particular, special kind of grief when you lose somebody in your peer group that's your age, especially when you're so young, and the saddest, most heart-crushing, just gut-punch feeling of this in particular for us is that this is actually the fifth childhood friend from my hometown that I've lost in the last six years in the same friend group. So there is a chunk of us and if you're from the suburban just outside of Denver regional area that we're from, you know that it's just a weird fucking place and what I mean by that is we all just formed this weird bond that most people don't form with people. They meet in elementary school, in middle school and in high school, and we did. There's a reason why it's not that weird in my friend group. It's not that out of the ordinary that I married one of my closest friends since I was 13 years old. There are multiple of us in my friend group in my hometown. We all dated each other. Now different pairings of us are all married and having kids and we're each other's godparents and chosen aunties and uncles.
Speaker 1:And it's so fucking weird if you're from a more average place where, like, maybe you have a couple of friends from childhood or high school, but this is like huge, like this is a, and I've heard from other and I've seen on social media from other social groups and just different friend groups outside of mine in the general region that I grew up. I'm seeing the same thing for other friend groups. It's very interesting. I don't see that as much, but correct me if I'm wrong. The point is that it was hard the first time. It throttled us the first time. It killed us the second time and blew us away, that it had happened so soon. Then we lost the third one again, so fucking soon, so young, and it just it's by the time you get to now like it's. It's staggering.
Speaker 1:This is a very special kind of grief Myself, my husband and my closest friends are experiencing right now. They're really the biggest part of my extended, chosen family and we are all in a lot, a lot, a lot of pain right now, a lot. I wanted to come on. Still, I know that I didn't have to. I am, I am beyond humbled and grateful for the just outpouring of love that all of you have offered me so far. Like it's insane, absolutely insane, and any of you that are going to reach out to me from now, like just now, right now, like you have no idea. You have no idea how warmly received your love is. I appreciate it more than I could ever find words to say. Please continue, I appreciate it so much. Please continue to be patient with me when it comes to responding to messages and comments. By the way, I know, I know I didn't have to show up this week. I know that every single one of you would have had my back if I didn't show up this week at all, other than my little announcement post. I know that in my, in my heart of hearts and I wanted to, and I chose to why.
Speaker 1:This week, thursday, december 21st, at 10 27, pm Eastern time. So that's going to take place on Friday, the 22nd. For some people, depending on where in the world you are and your time zone, the sun is moving into Capricorn and bringing our winter solstice and in the upper hemisphere we will be experiencing the longest night of the year that's the winter solstice. This is the night of the year that's the winter solstice. This is the night that you will begins, but I want you to remember that you will all the subots. They, they're not just like one and done, just like the seasons that they're celebrating. They, they're this span of time, so that you can really sit in the energy of that celebration and that time of year and the energy that just emanates all around during it.
Speaker 1:When I realized that this was supposed to be my solstice episode for Monday Musings. This week, when I looked and saw that Mercury, who's retrograde currently in Capricorn, will be dipping back into Sagittarius for the remainder of this retrograde cycle, I felt very called to show up. I want to first dedicate this episode to my fallen friends. One of those five actually passed away on the winter solstice. Another one of those five passed away on the summer solstice, and so now the two solstices every year are times that I do a honoring ceremony.
Speaker 1:When I saw that this week was was the week of the solstice, I wanted to come up and dedicate this episode to my fallen friends and pay homage to them, and I wanted to talk about you in this very, very raw state. There are so many beautiful resources out there that will give you all the little details and logistics on what you'll means, different magical correspondences associated with this time of year, different activities that you can do. I really encourage you to be proactive about that. It's on. Doing just the research itself is one of the most beautiful things that you can do in honor of this celebration, because you'll being the longest night of the year, the darkest night of the year. You really pull in, and what activity is better for pulling in than doing some research right, especially with Mercury retrograde, going into Sagittarius, into the philosopher and the academic that Sagittarius is and that Mercury is Today.
Speaker 1:What I'm going to share with you are not those things, because I really want you to be inspired to go do those things for yourself and pull in and feel what this time means for you. So we know that it's the longest night of the year. That means that the days after the winter solstice, the nights of the year start getting shorter again and the days start getting longer Ever so subtly, ever so slightly, but sure enough they do. And before you know it, we're gonna be at M-Book February 1st, second time, which is the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, marking that you know. Keep holding through this winter, through this dark period, because the light is coming, slowly but surely, it is growing.
Speaker 1:What I already do during Yule and what I will be really leaning into even more now, given all of my own personal circumstances now, is the concept of that Yule log and the fire, the resilience, the power, the life that the fire gives. The darkness and the cold is all around, it's everywhere during Yule and so much of the night is intended to be spent in and around warmth and it's not about fighting the cold and the darkness. And it took me a really, really fucking long time to actually grasp this. And it's what I'm offering to you this week and it's my whole intention with this episode. When they tell you to burn the Yule log and incorporate warming spices like cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, peppers, those bright, warm citruses like orange this time of year, utilizing the smoke that comes from the flame, all of these concepts of warmth are not about fighting the cold and the darkness. They provide this Superior example of contrast. They get us to look around and realize how cold and how dark it is.
Speaker 1:This time of year is total, total, crone energy. My friend, you're inner elder, and to look to the elders around you and that came before you with open curiosity. Don't go into receiving energy from elders with instant criticism for older generations. What the fuck are you going to learn if you do that? Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing. Set those emotions, set those judgments aside, even if it's just temporary, so that you can approach this energy of this time of year with open curiosity and actually learn something. This is a time that we are bestowed an incredible amount and kind of wisdom if we are open to it. I'm not going to go into explaining what that wisdom is. It would do a disservice to it.
Speaker 1:I want me showing up to you during my grief on the week of Yule, talking about the concepts of the cold and the dark and honoring the cold and the dark through the contrast of warmth and light and fire, and I want it to get you to go in and reflect on what it means for you. I don't want to tell you what it means this week. I don't want to give you my full interpretation of the energy. This week I want you to open up to the crone energy. I want you to open up to the energy of the elder. That is winter, that is this time of year, that is Yule, and I want you to receive whatever that is for you. So this week I'm not going to walk you through the weekly self-check-in. I want you to do that for yourself. I want you to call on this energy and I want you to do that for yourself. And I don't forget. I know how important that reminder is for people every single week, myself included. It's part of why I still wanted to come on and show up this week, but I want you to be the guide for it this week. I'm not really putting my teacher hat on this week. I'm not really putting my instructor hat on this week. I'm a student, I'm a child of the universe, I'm a receiver of messages this week and I'm going to allow myself to be in that space and I really encourage you to ground your energy, cleanse it and protect yourself energetically and then do the same.
Speaker 1:I highly recommend that you journal this time of year, particularly this week, as you open yourself up to this kind of energy. Trust me, you're going to want to write these things down. Usually, the messages and the energy we get from you know elder crone energy, and that can be literal people in our lives. You might find that more messages come to you from older generations this week, or it might just have that in general vibe. It might just be kind of the overarching theme.
Speaker 1:Think of the oldest trees in our world. Think of the oldest stones and rocks. How long they've been here. That's what I'm talking about. That's the type of energy I'm talking about.
Speaker 1:I once heard on a spiritual witchy podcast a long time ago and I wish I could remember which one. So many years ago now, someone said that crystals and rocks take a breath once every thousand years, but they are living beings. Isn't that so cool? That's the kind of elder energy I'm talking about opening yourself up to right now. The messages might seem big and aloof and way too profound to ever understand, but trust in them and write them down, make note of them so you can come back to them. Trust me, trust me, trust me and trust source God, spirit creator, universe. Okay, big breath in, big breath out. I honor you. The love in me honors the love in you. The shadows in me honor the shadows in you. Thank you for your time, thank you beyond your knowing for your support.
Speaker 1:I have a very, very cool episode that was already recorded a little while ago, with a very special guest coming up for you on Friday. Absolutely, god I didn't realize it till this exact moment Absolutely perfect and beautiful for the energy I'm talking about and for the energy of this week. I cannot wait for you all to hear her. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Please take care of yourself, make sure you stay safe, don't forget to let yourself have some fun and, of course, my friend, stay magical out there. Did you get something valuable out of today's show. Here's how you can help continue to grow our magic. First, you can head over to Apple or Spotify and leave a five-star rating and review. You can also share a shout out on your social media page and make sure you tag me at thatwitchnextdoor. And, of course, you can just tell a friend that you think would enjoy the show and send them a link to the episode. Thank you so much, neighbor, for your support. I'll see you next time.
