Musing Mystical

✨ A Gathering Place for Magical Readers and Writers ✨

2027 Astrology Day-to-Day Calendar, by Patsy Bennett

2027 Astrology Day-to-Day Calendar, by Patsy Bennett
Rockpool Publishing, 1922468444, 736 pages, July 2026

For anyone who enjoys beginning each day with a glimpse into the cosmos, 2027 Astrology Day-to-Day Calendar by Patsy Bennett offers a delightful daily calendar filled with astrological insights and practical guidance, providing a moment for reflection. I consider this a little “astrological snack” because this page-a-day calendar delivers bite-sized wisdom that helps readers connect with the ever-changing rhythms of the planets one day at a time.

Each daily entry features concise astrological guidance based on the current planetary influences, lunar phases, and significant celestial events throughout 2027. Bennett has a talent for translating astrology into everyday language, making the calendar equally enjoyable for longtime astrology enthusiasts and those who are just beginning to explore the subject.

Bennett does a great job weaving astrological knowledge into digestible pieces that build understanding over time without ever feeling overwhelming. The guidance is encouraging and upbeat, inviting readers to observe how the day’s energy may unfold and to make conscious choices rather than treating astrology as a fixed fate. Here’s an example from September 24th, 2027, “Seek Balance”:

“You’re likely to feel like letting off some steam. Everything in moderation!”1

I really appreciate the consistency and structure this day-to-day brings. I can’t be the only one who sometimes loses track of the date, right? So having this in a place where I can connect with it each morning is nice. The top of the page has the date and day of the week. To the left is the glyph for the current zodiac season, and to the right is the constellation of that sign. The astrological message,which is somewhat horoscope-esque, is front and center: there’s a main directive with a sentence of insight. And below that is the current sign of the moon and any significant transits that day. (Also, if you notice the image of Feb 6, eclipses don’t have the main directive!).

Call me a Luddite, but I love this analog way to connect with the current transits rather than opening up an app in the morning. Spending a few minutes each morning is a nice little ritual, grounding me into the current astrological energy. I like seeing the constellation illustration, immediately knowing where the moon is, and becoming aware of any significant planetary aspects that day.

It’s worth noting though that Bennett doesn’t provide any information about the meaning of the planetary aspect or energy of the moon in each sign in this day-to-day calendar. Newbies or those inexperienced with astrology can definitely still use this calendar based on Bennett’s advice for the day. But if you’re not familiar with the terms and interested in learning more, then I would recommend her 2027 Astrology Planner Calendar because that provides more foundational information for those new to astrology.

For those comfortable with the terminology though, this little calendar is a true gem! I rarely keep track of all the small transits, such as Sun trine Mercury or Pluto sextile Venus, so having an on-hand reference for what’s going on with the planets that day is very helpful, especially when flipping to the new page is a low-effort ritual to easily build into my morning.

In this way, the calendar also is a great way to enhance your astrological awareness, building your cosmic wisdom through praxis. You can read a ton of books on the topic, but it’s when you start intentionally tracking the movement of the planets and what events actually transpire that you gain a more nuanced perspective of astrology. Over the course of the year, the calendar helps you to naturally become more familiar with planetary movements, zodiac influences, retrogrades, eclipses, and lunar cycles simply by engaging with the brief daily observations. 

Overall, beautifully organized and easy to use, 2027 Astrology Day-to-Day Calendar is the kind of resource that earns an annual place on a desk, kitchen counter, or bedside table. Bennett’s organization and translation of the transit is perfect for navigating the year with greater awareness and intention. Whether you’re an experienced astrologer or simply curious about how celestial rhythms influence daily life, this calendar offers an uplifting and engaging way to gain a bit of cosmic perspective every day.

2027 Astrology Planner Calendar, by Patsy Bennett

2027 Astrology Planner Calendar – Northern Hemisphere, by Patsy Bennett
Rockpool Publishing,1922786349, 160 pages, May 2026

I’m a huge believer that the best way to learn astrology is by being aware of the current transits and keeping a day to day record of events. Oftentimes it’s hard to really understand the bigger patterns happening due to the influence of the planets until we connect the dots over a period of time. 2027 Astrology Planner Calendar – Northern Hemisphere by Patsy Bennett is perfect for this, blending practical scheduling with astrological timing.

Admittedly, my initial thought was that red wouldn’t have been my choice of color for a planner I was going to work with so closely for a year (I’d have preferred a more celestial blue or purple! But navy blue is the color of the 2026 one, so I guess Bennett wanted a different color this year. I *can* be open to change!!)

Once I got past this aesthetic preference, I did start to appreciate the durable cover, flexible spine, and pink bookmark ribbon. Bennett begins with a nice overview of the year, grounding readers in the major astrological transits. She also highlights for everyone how to use the planner, including an overview of moon sign energies and description of the astrological aspects. There’s also a page noting the dates of the retrograde periods for Mercury, Venus, and Mars this year. This general guidance makes the planner translatable for those who are new or still learning the basics of astrology, allowing the wisdom of the planner to be accessible.

The planner begins with December 31st, 2026 and moves through January 2, 2028, encapsulating all of 2027! At the start of each zodiac season, Bennett gives an overview of the astrological energy in play, highlighting the major events, and provides a special forecast for those who have that sun sign. It’s nice to have the “announcement” of the sign switching built into the format of the planner, rather than a mundane one that never delineated such a meaningful event!

As for the planner portion, there’s a big blank space for two days or one day with lines and a general calendar below (best to look at the images in this review for explanation!). The clean layout balances usable planning space with just enough astrological insight to make each week feel connected to the larger cosmic picture. At the top of the blank space for the day is a general horoscope-esque advice and at the bottom is the sign of the moon and any significant planetary aspect. For instance, April 4, 2027 at the top reads:

“This is a good day to make a commitment to someone, and also for formulating long-term, positive plans. You will enjoy relaxing and allowing your mind to unwind, so ensure you find some space for yourself.”2

The planetary aspects for this day are Saturn trine Jupiter and Moon in Pisces. And, oh, there’s just so many things I love about all these details! First, as someone who embraces a lunar life, having the moon sign right there in a planner is so useful when making plans. Do I really want to go rock climbing with the moon in Cancer, or might it be best a few weeks later with the moon in Capricorn? If you consider things like this, as I do, then you’ll love having it written right there without having to pull up an app!

Then the even more nuanced astrological energy comes through in the transits too, which I often tend to… not pay attention to in my daily life. Without this planner, I am not always paying attention to the transits, such as when the Sun trines Pluto or Mars is sextile Jupiter, but with the planner laying it out so clearly so me, I have so much more astrological awareness in my daily life, which is valuable because now I actually pay attention to and gain insight into those days where the planets are interacting.

For those who truly love aligning with the planets, this planner has all you need. And the additional little snippets of advice by Bennett are a true bonus. Sure, I can translate the aspects myself, but it’s nice to have someone else give the guidance, making my mind not work as hard. And it’s truly a gift for those who are just learning astrology because they can gain the insight through Bennett while also seeing how the transits shape the guidance for the day.

The planner really helps everyone consciously align their goals, projects, and personal growth with astrology. And it’s so nice that the astrological guidance is practical rather than prescriptive, helping us all understand certain energies without becoming overly technical. In this way, the planner allows intentional living and personal reflection, deepening one’s astrological awareness and harmony with the year’s celestial rhythms.

Overall, 2027 Astrology Planner Calendar – Northern Hemisphere is a thoughtful blend of planner and astrological companion. Whether you’re setting weekly intentions, structuring daily life, or simply hoping to become more aware of the rhythms of the sky, Bennett offers an approachable resource that makes weaving astrology into everyday life both simple and enjoyable. Those who already enjoy tracking moon cycles, manifesting with lunar phases, or planning rituals around planetary movements will especially appreciate having everything gathered in one place.

2027 Seasons of the Witch Wall Calendar, by Lorraine Anderson, Tijana Lukovic, and Rose Giada

2027 Seasons of the Witch Wall Calendar, by Lorraine Anderson with illustrations by Tijana Lukovic and Rose Giada
Rockpool Publishing, 1922468487, 28 pages, August 2026

2027 Seasons of the Witch Wall Calendar is so much more than a place to jot down appointments, activities, and events. It is a beautiful companion for living in rhythm with the seasons. Created by Lorraine Anderson and brought to life through the enchanting artwork of Tijana Lukovic and Rose Giada, this calendar transforms an everyday organizational tool into a yearlong spiritual practice.

Admittedly, while I love living in harmony with the seasons, I am also a structured planner. This calendar combines both the natural rhythms and day-to-day reality with ease. Official holidays worldwide (UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, etc.) are joined by sabbats and moon phases, making it especially useful for those who live a dual life of mundane and magical dates. And alongside the nicely-sized calendar grids for appointments and reminders is a monthly ritual that offers a way to ground and connect with the season.

Each month features breathtaking full-color artwork that captures the dreamlike, folkloric aesthetic fans of the Seasons of the Witch oracle series have come to love. Lukovic and Giada’s illustrations feel both timeless and contemporary, blending mystical symbolism with lush natural imagery. I always feel like I could step into the setting when I gaze at them. And I love how whenever I look up at the page, I can imagine myself, calm and settled in the scene depicted. As someone who adores their artwork, it’s a real pleasure to see it larger in this 12 x 12 inch calendar!

Within the calendar’s monthly frame, there’s also one ritual for each month. Looking through them, they’re all very easy to perform without needing an excess of materials; Anderson keeps this simple, allowing for readers to integrate the seasonal energy at their own pace.

Some examples of the monthly rituals include a summer berry milk bath, honest journal reflection, ritualizing the sunset, deep cleaning, communing with an every day familiar, making a fennel digestive soda, and creating a poinsettia vessel. As you can see, there’s a full spectrum of ritual, giving readers a variety of ways to make their daily life inspired and attuned to the energies around them.

And just this one act of sacred devotion to focus on each month is enough to keep my inner magical fire going, despite the many obligations that scatter my energy and pull me in different directions. I feel more aligned with my witchcraft practice, which tends to ebb and flow depending on the time and attention I have available, by weaving Anderson’s rituals into my month (I know this from having the 2026 version of the calendar!). And I think she does a wonderful job of matching the seasonal energy with the ritual for each month.

Fans of Anderson’s oracle decks (me!!!) will recognize familiar themes of self-reflection, seasonal wisdom, and personal transformation woven in the calendar. However, no prior experience with the oracle series is necessary; this calendar stands alone as a quite magical household item. Even those simply looking for an aesthetically stunning wall calendar will appreciate its blend of practical planning and quiet inspiration.

Additionally worth noting, Rockpool Publishing has continued its commitment to environmentally responsible production by eliminating single-use shrink wrap and using FSC-certified, responsibly sourced paper. These details align beautifully with the earth-centered philosophy reflected throughout the calendar itself.

Overall, in the midst of my focus on plans and productivity, the content in the 2027 Seasons of the Witch Wall Calendar invites me to slow down, tap into my inner knowing, and cherish the magic of each day.  It’s both a practical and pretty thing to have hanging in a room. The combination of the imagery with the monthly ritual gently reminds me to appreciate the moment and attune myself to the different phases, elevating the humble wall calendar into a daily ritual of connection. For anyone seeking to weave mindfulness, seasonal awareness, and beauty into everyday life, I highly recommend this calendar!

From Accountability to Absolute Peace, by Cariabella

From Accountability to Absolute Peace:
How Justice Opens the Gateway to the High Priestess

Working with the Tarot is far more than an exercise in fortune-telling; it is a profound map for clearing subconscious blockages, unlocking spiritual growth, and aligning your energy to manifest both spiritual fulfillment and material desires.

To achieve this spiritual awakening, we can view the Major Arcana in two distinct phases. First, the cards from The Magician to The Hermit represent the conscious goals we strive to reach. Second, the cards from The Wheel of Fortune to The Moon represent the profound process of shadow work. 

In this article, we map out a vital evolutionary step: how actively working with the objective energy of Justice bridges the internal gap, clearing the path to the absolute, intuitive peace of The High Priestess.

To achieve true fulfillment and manifest your desires, you must dive deep into your subconscious mind. Famed psychologist Carl Jung noted that it is precisely through the tension of opposites—polarities—that we connect with the subconscious.

This duality is beautifully illustrated by the two pillars—one black, one white—standing beside The High Priestess. By actively working with these opposing forces, we bridge the gap between our conscious and subconscious minds, granting ourselves permission to step behind her veil and access the deep, flowing waters of divine intuition.

But how do we cross that threshold? We do it by executing the structural work of The Justice Card.

1. Analyze and Weigh Your Attitude

The figure on the Justice card looks directly at you. Her unyielding, piercing gaze signifies raw awareness and radical discernment. We cannot grow while lying to ourselves; healing begins only when we see the absolute truth of our lives and take total ownership of our reality. While you cannot always control external events, you have absolute control over your reactions.

Sit on your own metaphorical stone throne, hold up her scales, and objectively analyze your attitude toward your health, wealth, emotions, and self-esteem by answering three core questions:

• What happened? Look at the triggering event objectively, stripping away all drama, blame, or distortion.

• How did it affect you? Identify the exact thoughts, physical sensations, and emotions it triggered.

• What area of life is it impacting? Pinpoint the root. Are you fighting about a bill because of a subconscious fear of scarcity? Did someone embarrass you, piercing an unhealed wound in your self-esteem?

Answering these questions allows us to identify the exact opposites we need to work on. In any given situation, you might uncover one or more pairs of conflicting polarities. Once identified, we take these pairs and run them through the next step of the process.

2. Bridge the Opposites: The 7 Subconscious Laws

It is time to wield the Sword of Justice. Our ultimate goal is to balance the conscious and unconscious minds. True mastery over our knee-jerk emotional reactions happens when we apply the Seven Key Subconscious Principles. These principles are represented by the imagery on the High Priestess’s veil—the palms and pomegranates—and are implemented by the Sword of Justice.

1. The Law of Similarity – Using a past, successful parallel to solve a current conflict.

2. The Law of Contrast – Flipping the script when you hit a psychological wall.

3. The Law of Recency – Using your freshest emotional memory as a behavioral guide.

4. The Law of Repetition – Building the muscle memory of psychological balance.

5. The Law of Intensity – Using an emotional wake-up call to cement a permanent rule.

6. The Law of Multiplicity – Allowing a single point of friction to spark multiple creative solutions.

7. The Law of Structure – Organizing internal chaos into a usable, external system.

The Laws in Action: Balancing the Scales of Wealth

To see these laws in action, let’s examine a universal human friction point: Saving Money (Security) vs. Spending Money (Living in the Present). If you only save, you live in anxiety and deprivation. If you only spend, you face financial ruin.

Here is how the seven laws navigate that tension to bring you into perfect balance:

1. Similarity: You are torn between buying a plane ticket for a friend’s wedding or keeping that money in your emergency fund. To break the deadlock, you look for a similar tension you successfully resolved in the past. You remember being torn over buying a gym membership; you eventually realized health was an investment, bought it, and never regretted it. 

2. Contrast: For six months, you have been on a hyper-strict budget, tracking every single cent. You now feel miserable, exhausted, and resentful. To flip the script, you consciously choose to treat yourself to a beautiful dinner out, recognizing that occasional indulgence is the necessary, healthy contrast required to sustain long-term financial discipline.

3. Recency: You are standing in a store staring at an expensive designer jacket, locked in a mental tug-of-war. Suddenly, you recall yesterday afternoon, when you logged into your bank account and felt a deep, profound sense of peace seeing your savings grow. That fresh memory anchors you, giving you the strength to walk away.

4. Repetition: The first time you say “no” to a luxury item, it feels painful. The first time you say “yes” to a vacation, you feel guilty. Yet, you keep practicing this balance month after month. Over time, repetition rewires your brain, transforming financial anxiety into an effortless, steady rhythm.

5. Intensity: Your car unexpectedly breaks down, leaving you with a $1,500 repair bill. Because you practiced the Justice Protocol and saved money, you pay the bill easily. The relief you feel is incredibly intense, cementing a lifelong rule to always maintain an emergency fund. Conversely, you vividly remember the raw panic of an emergency years ago when you had zero savings—an intense memory that keeps you accountable.

6. Multiplicity: You sit down, frustrated by the constant tug-of-war between wanting to eat out with friends and wanting to build your savings. Instead of treating it as a rigid “yes or no” choice, you let that tension stretch your creativity. You host a potluck, start a cooking club, or find a side hustle that funds your social life, creating multiple wins from a single friction point.

7. Structure: Struggling with daily anxiety over whether you are spending too much or saving enough is chaotic. To fix it, you apply physical structure. You download a budgeting app or create a spreadsheet utilizing a clear framework, like the 50/30/20 rule (50% Needs, 30% Wants, 20% Savings), transforming emotional overwhelm into organized clarity.

Step Behind the Veil

By implementing the Justice Protocol and mastering these seven laws, you successfully clear the mental debris and emotional static of your life. Only when the scales of Justice are balanced can you naturally step into the quiet, sacred domain of The High Priestess.

In her lap sits the scroll marked “TORA”—the divine law and memory containing the record of all human experience, accessible through symbols, myths, and dreams.

Because she is perfectly connected to the subconscious, she acts as your ultimate gateway to the collective unconscious. By doing the heavy lifting of Justice, you earn the right to step past the noise of the external world, pull back the veil, and bathe in the infinite wisdom of the universe.

Riding the Cosmic Cycle, by Cariabella

Riding the Cosmic Cycle:
How Navigating the Wheel of Fortune Makes You the Magician

Working with the Tarot can clear subconscious blockages and catalyze deep spiritual growth, ultimately leading to personal fulfillment and the manifestation of your material desires.

To achieve this spiritual awakening, we can view the Major Arcana in two distinct phases. First, the cards from The Magician to The Hermit represent the conscious goals we strive to reach. Second, the cards from The Wheel of Fortune to The Moon represent the profound process of shadow work. 

In this article, we will explore how navigating the lessons of The Wheel ultimately leads us back to the mastery of The Magician—which is precisely where our journey begins.

We’ve all been there. You wake up on top of the world, ready to conquer the day. Then, an unpleasant interaction occurs—someone speaks to you rudely, or a sudden crisis disrupts your reality—and your mood plummets. You spend the rest of the day ruminating, replaying the scenario until you are mentally and emotionally exhausted. Just like that, a single external moment has hijacked your consciousness and drained your vital energy.

When this happens, you are being tossed around on the chaotic outer rim of The Wheel of Fortune.

Many people spend their entire lives reacting to the spin of this wheel, completely unaware that this chaotic rotation is actually the first step in necessary shadow work and inner transformation. The ultimate goal of the self-awakening paradigm is to move from the helpless spinning of the Wheel to the absolute mastery of The Magician.

But how do we bridge that gap? The secret lies in a precise, three-step psychological and spiritual process of assessing and balancing the four core elements of our psyche.

Step 1: Accept the Reality of the Spin

The first step is a shift in perspective. The Wheel of Fortune represents the eternal truth that change is the only constant. It illustrates a simultaneous descent and ascent: as the wheel rotates, what is on top moves downward, and what is below moves upward.

This continuous flow is governed by a hidden spiritual law woven into nature, famously spelled out by the letters on the wheel itself: ROTA TARO ORAT TORA ATOR (“The Wheel of Tarot speaks the Law of Hathor”).

Look closely at the card’s symbology:

  • On the right, a yellow serpent descends, expressing divine will in action. It reminds us that everything happening to you is happening for a reason—to make you grow spiritually.
  • On the left, Hermanubis ascends, symbolizing the evolution of human consciousness from lower to higher states.

Every time you stop fighting the external rotation and instead choose to overcome the event, your consciousness expands and you become stronger from within.

Step 2: The Four-Element Trigger Audit

When something happens that triggers you, the instinctual response is to react blindly. The spiritual path demands that you pause, recognize the trigger, and analyze how it is affecting the four classical elements within your psyche.

On the Wheel of Fortune card, these are represented by the Hebrew letters of the Tetragrammaton (Yod, Heh, Vav, Heh) on the outer circle, as well as the four mystical creatures in the corners. Carl Jung beautifully mapped these four elements onto the foundational cognitive functions of the human mind.

When a crisis hits, perform a sudden audit of these four areas:

  • • Earth (Sensation / Final Heh): How is your connection to the physical world? Are your five senses overwhelmed? Is your body physically tense or grounded?
  • • Water (Feeling / Heh): What does your emotional landscape look like? How is this event threatening your internal values or interpersonal relationships?
  • • Air (Thinking / Vav): Is your logic and intellect spinning out of control? Are you trapped in an obsessive, rationalizing mind-loop, or can you look at the problem with objective analysis?
  • • Fire (Intuition / Yod): Have you lost your connection to your higher vision and inspiration? What do your gut feelings and spontaneous understandings tell you about the future possibilities of this situation?

By stepping back to observe and categorize your reaction, you take the first step toward self-consciousness—the objective, directing part of the mind.

Step 3: Step Into the Center and Run the Alchemy

At the center of the wheel rests the symbols for Mercury, Sulphur, Water, and Salt—the universal mechanics of alchemical transformation. Water, in particular, represents dissolution: the necessary breaking down of our rigid ego structures.

To move from the spinning rim to the still center of the wheel, you must consciously undergo the four primary psychological phases of Carl Jung’s alchemical Magnum Opus (Great Work):

  1. Nigredo (The Blackening): You confront your Shadow. Instead of distracting yourself from the trigger, you face the painful breakdown, the darkness, and the repressed trauma head-on.
  2. Albedo (The Whitening): The stage of purification and catharsis. You bring objective detachment and balance, sorting through your inner polarities.
  3. Citrinitas (The Yellowing): The dawn of higher consciousness. You become illuminated by wisdom, insight, and true spiritual awakening.
  4. Rubedo (The Reddening): The final synthesis where conscious and unconscious aspects permanently unite, culminating in the realization of the True Self.

The Result: Becoming The Magician

When you balance the four elements by undergoing this rigorous alchemical process, you achieve the metaphorical “Fifth Element”—the unified, awakened Self. This state of integration is represented on the Wheel of Fortune card by the Sphinx seated majestically and immutably at the very apex of the wheel.

By mastering the elements, you step off the wheel of reaction and step into the card of The Magician.

The Magician doesn’t get tossed around by external circumstances because he possesses absolute mastery over his mind. You unlock the iconic posture of the Magician: one hand raised aloft holding a wand toward the heavens, the other pointing down to the earth.

You embody the ancient Hermetic axiom: “As above, so below.” You realize you are a divine conduit—a messenger through whom higher spiritual energy flows down into material reality. You possess the active agency to direct cosmic energy to manifest your desires.

The Endless Cycle of Renewal

This spiritual alignment is never a static, “one-and-done” achievement. It is a lifelong, ongoing practice. This continuous evolution is vividly illustrated by the Ouroboros—the serpent biting its own tail clasped around the Magician’s waist.

It reminds us that creation, destruction, and renewal are eternal. To stay in your power, you must continually shed your old skins, letting the ego dissolve so your highest Self can be perpetually reborn.

Stop fighting the spin of the wheel. Embrace the rotation, audit your triggers, run your inner alchemy, and step into your true power as the conscious creator of your reality.

Manifest Your Everything Interview with Nicci Roscoe

Alanna: Hello, Nicci! It’s so wonderful to chat with you about your new book Manifest Your Everything: Love Yourself and Create your Dream Life (CICO 2023). This was just the energy I needed in my life right now as I’m trying to get some new endeavors up and running. Before we dive into the topic of manifestation, would you mind sharing with readers some insight into your career and the work that you do?

Nicci: Hello Alanna! It’s wonderful to chat with you too. I love that you have read my book and it has given you the energy you needed in your life right now. It sounds like you have something exciting happening with your new endeavors. If you would like a video call chat please let me know and we can arrange something. I’m delighted to answer your questions below. Sending love and beautiful energy 💕🌟

Alanna: Thank you so much! I appreciate the offer. Sometimes I feel people think manifestation is something superficial or frivolous, but in the introduction to Manifest Your Everything, you discuss how your mindset impacted your recovery from a brain tumor and helped you to cope with chronic pain. This really showed me that the power of manifestation goes much deeper and can lead to long-lasting happy endings. What were some of the things you did to manage your pain and come to manifest a positive outcome?

Nicci: Our minds are so powerful and – when we tap into focusing on what we need – it is possible to achieve the outcomes what we want. Living with chronic pain can be so debilitating for many people. Fighting it, feeling sorry for ourselves, not getting out of bed and burying our head in the sand won’t help.

I have had to adapt and change certain things in my life such as not being able to be in a room with an electric guitar as the vibrations shoot through my head. I also make sure I give myself rest time and not get too tired or stressed. Before I did this I had to acknowledge and accept I was left with chronic pain following my brain tumor operation. I changed my thought process from being a victim – angry, frustrated and upset – to being ‘grateful’ I survived. I focussed on positive thoughts such as that I am so grateful I am here for my children and to enjoy my life in so many ways and help others who are suffering to do the same. I wasn’t going to let my pain take over my life. 

Once I had accepted my situation, I started to talk to my pain and tell it ‘I’m in control of you; you’re not in control of me.’ Visualization is also very powerful and I see my pain shrinking and becoming smaller and smaller until it fades and becomes insignificant.  I focus on other things such as my grandchildren, my work and more. When I’m in a crowded place, I zoom into the person I’m with and hear them while the other noise of people talking fades into the background. 

Meditation is also a huge part of my life which I do for 30 minutes twice each day. I feel relaxed and peaceful when I am in this beautiful space and surrender myself to silence and total calm. It gives me energy for my day and at night takes me into a very relaxed state. I focus on my ‘word meditation,’ repeating to myself over and over again ‘I feel peaceful, calm and energized’ in the day and at night I say to myself ‘I feel peaceful, calm and relaxed’. As I continue to repeat these words, I go into a deeper state of meditation and ‘just being’ in silence and peace.

Exercise and healthy eating is also a key area in pain management for me. As a former fitness instructor and trainer in this area, I know how beneficial exercise is for our mind and body. Walking in nature with my dogs, going to the gym and going doing fun circuit workouts with a friend have all helped me mentally as well as physically. Healthy eating enables me to also feel more energy, in addition to it being nutritious and having many other positive long term health benefits.

Making sure I get a good seven hours sleep a night is so important for my pain management. Releasing the tension in my head is also through head massage around the area where I have the plates and screws. My weekly indulgence at the hairdresser is something I always look forward to! James, my fabulous hairdresser, gives me a beautiful head massage around the area where I have my plates and screws. It’s such a blessing to receive.

Finding a focus other than the pain is so important and gives me a new lease of life. 

Alanna: Your manifestation process starts with letting go, which has the quality of an ending to it. Why is it important to release before manifesting? How do you know a chapter has come to a close and it’s time to manifest something new?

Nicci: If you are feeling hurt, angry or upset about a situation or a person, this is something you carry around with you. It’s always there so you’re unable to move forward fully, as it will always come up in your mind. Maybe it’s to do with a relationship breakup or not being happy at work. Whatever it is you are holding onto in your unconscious mind, you need to be free of it to enable yourself to move forward and feel peaceful. Letting go and breaking the cycle of holding on to what we’re used to carrying around with us gives us the opportunity to be free to focus on and manifest what we really want with lasting, deeper positive results. It is so empowering.

Alanna: What I enjoyed most about your approach to manifestation was the focus on self-love. Reading this book reminded me of the personal power we all have within us that can ripple out and change the world around us. What happens if you try to manifest without doing the work of loving and caring for yourself? Why are positive affirmation and confidence so important for manifestation?

Nicci: Giving yourself love is a priority we all need to focus on before manifesting. By focusing on ourselves first, this is giving us a good place to begin focusing on what we really want and can achieve. If we don’t love ourselves how can we find true love, feel passion for what we do, give to others and feel happy and peaceful when we get what we dream of?

If we don’t give ourselves love and care, there will always be a void in our hearts whatever we manifest because we’re constantly chasing our desires that won’t feel fully complete. 

When we manifest coming from a place of self-love and care, it’s so much more powerful. Being true to yourself and what you really want is really important. Positive affirmations such as ‘I believe in myself’ and ‘I can do this’ are constantly feeding the positive into our subconscious mind.  This in turn can give us the confidence to feel better about ourselves and focus our minds on what we really want.

Alanna: You offer so many ways to get your manifestations flowing, from connecting to nature to practicing gratitude and meditation. You even teach how to use crystals to enhance one’s manifestations, which is really neat! Do you think someone should pick a method and do it on a daily basis or is it better to try different methods and see which one works best?

Nicci: I believe each one of these ways is an integral part to achieving our manifestations. By bringing each of these practices into your daily life, you will enhance your own mind, body, spirit balance and growth. 

It’s important to focus on being grateful every day for what we do have; meditating to enable us to feel a renewed energy, calm and focus; connecting to nature to enhance our mental health and well-being and embracing crystals that give us what we need through their powerful vibrations and energy.  All of these and more in my book, including having a manifestation board to focus on – taking a relevant photo and seeing it on your phone during the day – are an integral part of manifesting. 

Alanna: Do you have any advice for people who know they want to manifest a better future but are having trouble seeing the specific details of what that might look like for them? How can they become more sure of their choice so that their manifestation unfolds?

Nicci: Wanting a better future and having trouble seeing specific details can be because the person has not let go of what is troubling them, that they may be afraid of failure or perhaps that they are not giving themselves the love they need to nurture themselves. When you go through the process of letting go of past trauma or upset and then give yourself the love you need, this can open your mind and give you the answers you’ve been searching for. 

Healing old wounds to feel better and see more clearly is key to manifesting.

I absolutely suggest investing in a manifestation crystal such as the ones i have in my book including a Brandberg Amethyst or Mad Manifestation Crystal from Madagascar. You can also manifest with any crystal that resonates with you and what you desire. Focus on what you want and keep your crystal with you. Hold it when you feel you need to, keep it by the side of your bed and under your pillow. 

Meditating with your crystal is very powerful. Hold it in your hand and ask for guidance during your meditation. This can give you a clearer picture of what you want. Give yourself time to go through the manifestation process for all to unfold and be revealed to you. Believe, focus and trust in the process. 

Alanna: Another aspect of your manifestation technique I really liked is how it promotes a healthy lifestyle. What is it about food, exercise, and positive mindset that contribute to manifestation happening?

Nicci: I absolutely advocate a healthy lifestyle. Coming from a fitness background I know how beneficial exercise and healthy eating can be. They not only give us more energy but also help us to focus on our daily lives with more zest and a more positive mindset. When we feel good about ourselves and nurture our mind body and spirit with this positive balance we are coming from a wonderful place and space to enable manifestation to happen. 

Alanna: Would you share some examples of things you’ve manifested, either big or small, using your techniques?

Nicci:  There are many things I have manifested using my techniques! It’s very exciting when they come to fruition! Totally magical!

1. Manifesting a pet is something I wanted so much since I lost my beautiful shiatsu, Lucky. After he went to doggy heaven I lived in an apartment and no pets were allowed. I missed the beautiful unconditional love our pets give and imagined holding my new puppy and cuddling him. I focused on having him with me and had photos of Cava Poos on my manifestation board and saw my grandchildren playing with him and laughing running around the garden in my new home! A couple of months later I moved into a house with a garden! I now have two puppies Teddy and Honey and my grandsons love running around the garden with them!! Be careful what you ask for, as I had two photos of Cava Poos on my manifestation board!!

2. I was loving life teaching aerobics and having fun. I wanted to bring this to a wider audience and focused on my manifestation process to make this happen. My manifestation board that I talk about in my book had pictures of different television and radio stations I wanted to work for with names of channels and programs written on in bold including Sky One and Sky News. I focussed on this and what I dreamed of and it became reality! I became the regular health and fitness expert on Sky One and other TV programs! Magic happens when you really focus on what you want.

Alanna: One of my favorite parts of Manifest Your Everything is the case studies you have from students. Their experiences were great testimonies to how the practices you share in the book lead to desired outcomes. Do you have any current offerings for those who might want to work with you after reading this book?

Nicci: The real-life stories in my book were from my clients who all had incredible experiences following the manifestation process.

My wonderfully successful workshop Love Yourself is my main offering that my book is based on and I intend to take it worldwide over the next year.

There are mini workshops to complement Love Yourself including: 

♥ Boost Your Confidence Feel, Good and Be Inspired
♥ Manage Your Stress, Meditate, Relax and Re-energise  

My Reiki Courses continue to send out more beautiful Reiki practitioners and Reiki Masters into the world to give more healing.

If this interview has inspired you to start your manifestation journey, definitely check out Manifest Your Everything: Love Yourself and Create your Dream Life to learn all the ways you start shifting your life to align with your inner vision!

Image credit for photograph of Nicci Roscoe: Photos by Dianna Bonner (www.worldvisionphotos.co.uk)

Crystal Connections Interview with Philip Permutt

PJ: Hello, Philip! Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me about your newly released book Crystal Connections: Understand the Messages of 101 Essential Crystals and How to Connect with Their Wisdom (CICO 2023). I am a huge fan of yours and have read many of your books, but for those who are new to your work, would you share a little bit about yourself?

Philip: I’m a crystal healer, teacher and author. I work with crystals every day for myself, with my clients, students and customers. I also buy and sell crystals from around the world. I live in Hertfordshire, just outside London, in the UK, but I’ll be in the US in August and September teaching Crystal Workshops and an amazing Crystal Retreat on Maui, Hawaii. All of the information is on crystalsusa.com 

PJ: How did you decide to sell crystals and teach others about crystals? What profession were you engaged in before you became a crystal expert?

Philip: Quite simply, I got ill. I was always interested in alternative and mystical things so after an operation, when I was told I wouldn’t walk again, I turned to anything and everything that might help. One of the many things I tried were crystals. I’m sure everything I tried helped to greater or lesser degrees, but crystals were physical, and way back I graduated with a degree in Applied Biology from London University. So, when I discovered the amazing ability to heal I turned to physical crystals to research for a year whilst convalescing. Although I walked out of the hospital 6 weeks and 2 days after being told I couldn’t walk, it was a good year before I had my strength back and was fully recovered. 

Before this I had a phenomenally stressful job in the entertainment industry, producing shows and promoting rock bands. So you could say I went from one type of rock business to the other rock business! 

PJ: You discuss how crystals healed your body when you were in the hospital for serious surgery. How did you come to think of crystal healing?

Philip: I just tried everything and anything. My mindset was very much not accepting that I would never walk again.

PJ: Was that quartz crystal next to your bed in 1991 a clear quartz or another type of crystal?

Philip: It was a clear quartz crystal, although quite cloudy, and I still have it today! I work with it as my master healing crystal with all my clients and myself for meditation.

PJ: What do you think draws people to certain crystals? When selecting a crystal for oneself, should a person pick one out that has the healing properties they desire or more intuitively pick a crystal that calls to them?

Philip: There are lots of good crystal books around (I’ve written some of them myself 😉) where you can look up your symptoms and find suitable crystals to help. But, I believe that crystals come into their own when you allow them to heal the underlying causes of disease. Crystal Connections is all about connecting with crystals. People often say they are “drawn” to a crystal. Whether that’s because they are bright, sparkly, colorful, or there’s a feeling they get from the crystal, it doesn’t matter. It’s as if the crystal is calling out to you, and this is the crystal that will help you with whatever you are trying to do now. But you should also be aware of the crystals you can’t stand, too! The ones that make you feel sick when you hold them or you just are repulsed by their energy. These are touching something buried deep inside you that you don’t want to look at. These are the life-changing crystals! 

PJ: You’ve written quite a few books on the topic of crystals, what inspired you to write Crystal Connections and how is it different from your other titles?

Philip: It’s the book I always wanted to write! It’s unique because I’m telling people that crystals are living beings and they communicate with us. Scientifically, crystals can indeed be classed as living as they fulfill the requirements of a living being: to eat, grow, and reproduce. And they talk to us in so many different ways. Understanding Crystal Speak is just like learning any foreign language, and Crystal Connections is full of practical exercises to awaken your senses and tune them into the language of crystals. 

PJ: Do you feel people are becoming more open to alternative healing methods, such as using crystals for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual change?

Philip: Absolutely, yes! When I started 30 years ago, about 2% of the population in the UK, when surveyed, said they used any form of complementary healing or health product at all. Now, depending on which survey you read, up to 24 – 35% of the population ONLY use alternative health products and around 80% use some form of complementary health product or service.

When I started there were half a dozen professional crystal healers in the UK, today there are thousands. 

The numbers are larger in the US.

PJ: What is the relationship between chakras and crystals? Do you feel it’s important for those working with crystal energy to be aware of their chakras, and vice versa for those doing energy work to be supported by crystals?

Philip: Crystals work independently from everything else. However, when we work consciously with crystals and focus our energy and intent for the same purpose, everything works better and quicker. The chakras function as energy hot spots. So when crystals are aligned with them, it makes all healing easier and more effective.

PJ: When writing your book, how did the messages from each crystal come through to you? Do you have advice for readers who hope to open the channel between themselves and crystals to better hear their wisdom?

Philip: Crystals just talk to me. I’m with them all day every day. Sometimes it’s loud and clear, other times it’s more of a feeling. We all sense crystal energy differently so there are practical exercises throughout Crystal Connections to help the reader open and develop their own channel and crystal listening skills in ways to best suit each individual. 

PJ: And to wrap things up, out of curiosity, what is your favorite place in the world to acquire crystals? And do you have a favorite crystal?

Philip: I love the Tucson Gem Show in Arizona. It’s the biggest gem show by far in the world and you can find just about anything that exists on planet earth or even further afield such as meteorites, moon rock and Martian dust!

My favorite crystal changes from one day to another but right now it’s an aquamarine crystal I wear as a pendant that was made for me and helps me with communication… so that’s not greatly surprising as I’m writing this at this moment. 

If you are eager to learn more about how crystals can enhance your life, Crystal Connections is a great place to start!

Mindful Homes Interview with Anjie Cho

Anne: Hello, Anjie! Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me about your newly released book Mindful Homes: Create Healing Living Spaces with Mindfulness and Feng Shui  (CICO Books 2023). I really enjoyed it and have already used many of the concepts to rearrange space in my own home. For those who might not know much about feng shui though, would you share a bit about it?

Anjie: Hi Anne, so nice to meet you. And thank you so very much for including me on your blog Musing Mystical!

In a nutshell, what is feng shui? Feng shui is a healing modality that comes from China that looks at the flow of qi (life force energy) in you and your spaces. My personal definition is slightly different. Feng shui is a mindfulness practice that invites you to explore the world around you. It’s about paying attention to the details of your environment, without judgment, and seeing that we are interconnected and interdependent with our spaces.

Anne: Feng shui has been an interest of mine for quite some time, though I admit I get overwhelmed by the details sometimes. Your book really helped me to get out of my mind though and feel into the energy. How were you first introduced to feng shui? What do you believe attracted you to it? I’m curious as to what was going on in your life at the time. Were you instinctively incorporating feng shui into your life without realizing it? 

Anjie: In my late twenties, during my Saturn return, I found myself looking at what was no longer working in my life. I was depressed, and felt resigned to the agonizing belief that all there was to life was getting up and going to a job that depleted me. I had an epiphany during my first reiki session while I was visiting Thailand. I realized that I needed to make a big shift, to make a big turn. I started studying meditation and yoga, which led me to have curiosity about how I could bring more depth and meaning in what I spent most of my waking hours doing– work! 

I was working in architecture, so I looked at feng shui. I took some classes and then for years started eyeing the three-year certification program that I ended up graduating from. It was only when I had another opportunity to make another turn in my life, during the last big recession, where I took that plunge. This was one of the first times in my life that I invested in something with no expectations and no desired outcome. I just knew my heart leapt with joy when I learned more and more about the profound practice of feng shui. Then my whole world started opening up. I never had any aspirations to write a book (let alone two!), teach, be any sort of public figure, etc. I just thought I’d be working for an architecture firm my whole life. So yes, I just followed the path laid out for me and it led me to feng shui.

Anne: You write that one should approach creating more aligned spaces beginning with intuition. I totally get that and use it for myself. But, when I get to the more technical aspects of feng shui, like using the bagua, my eyes glaze over and I throw my hands up and throw in the towel. These technicalities turn me off. Is there hope if I don’t follow most of the “typical” tenets of feng shui?

Anjie: Everyone has intuition, but that doesn’t mean everyone has cultivated skills and wisdom of any practice (like feng shui, or meditation, or creating a loaf of bread, or playing piano). It requires a bit of elbow grease 🙂 If the technicalities throw you off, then feng shui is probably not your thing. Just like I have no interest in making my own bread, it’s not my thing. One would not just say, well intuitively I know how to play piano…. It’s important to have some respect and cultural appreciation of practices and ancient wisdoms. At the same time, I wrote my new book Mindful Homes with newbies in mind who do throw in the towel when they get confused. It’s part of my life path, and I feel it’s also part of my responsibility to share feng shui teachings in a way that is digestible. But that said, it’s totally ok to throw in the towel! I think the important thing is to be respectful and not say that you know feng shui when you have not practiced. 

Anne: That makes a lot of sense! I loved the themes of interconnectedness and interdependence that ran through the book. I also found it refreshing and liberating to read that I was released from fixing a space or even myself. Can you describe your unique “turnaround approach” when most view as feng shui being a “fix” to imperfection? Do you feel that most feng shui teachings focus on fixing versus unfolding of one’s true nature in one’s physical and non-physical spaces?

Anjie: I think most of the western world as a whole is geared to a fix it approach. It’s not unique to feng shui. We think a pill, money, or a lot of “Likes” will make us happy, when really there’s much to look at underneath the surface. I don’t follow feng shui practitioners except my students and teachers. This teaching of interconnectedness, interdependence, becoming friendly with yourself, are within Buddhist and Taoist dharma teachings that are the underlying foundation of feng shui. Most things on a superficial level are about fixing. And that’s ok. My new book Mindful Homes is an invitation to take it a step deeper and offer what I have found helpful in my life. So, others can teach or practice feng shui as they wish. They can live life as they wish. And it’s all included.

Anne: How do you work with a living space that seems to be completely at odds with feng shui such as weird floor plans, stairways that can’t be moved for optimal feng shui benefit, etc.

Anjie: I teach that even if something has challenging feng shui, it might be helpful for that person. Sometimes we are attracted to homes that may open us up to or even exacerbate a situation because we are at the place to work with it. It’s workable. So with any floor plan or client, it’s all workable. When I work with a client and their space, it’s a 1-1 connection so it’s hard to say what I would do, because each situation, each space, each moment, each request is different. Just like we are all different.

Anne: It seems that creating healing spaces begins with noticing – noticing your feelings to something, your reactions, your “gut” response. I liked how you mentioned simple things like noticing your plants – have they outgrown a pot, are their leaves dusty. Is intentional noticing or honoring what your body is noticing through intuition, at the basis of feng shui?  

Anjie: Sometimes this can be a part of feng shui as I’ve suggested in my book. I don’t know if others practice this way or would necessarily agree. It’s just one of the many tools in the toolbox. There’s an invitation to see the world as non-binary. It doesn’t have to be yes/no good/bad black/white or this is feng shui, this isn’t.

Anne: What do you feel is the difference between feng shui and decluttering? Can you have an optimal dwelling space, whether internally or externally, with a lot of “things” in that space be it furniture or thoughts? 

Anjie: When feng shui was developed, there was no such thing as clutter. Clutter is a modern-day dilemma. And a feng shui practitioner does not have the same skills as a Professional organizer. I have zero experience in helping someone declutter their space. 

And yes, of course, one can have a lot of things in a space and it can be perfect for them. 

Anne: The book stretched the concept of feng shui for me in a way that created a great expanse. The section on space that also touched on manipulating and stretching time was a bit mind blowing. As was the focus not only on external spaces but also our internal spaces as well. You recommend a daily meditation practice. Can you briefly describe how such a practice creates a mindful inner space?  Do you feel that feng shui, along with meditation, are an ongoing practice instead of a one-and-done effort?

Anjie: I don’t know how to describe the indescribable. And I think it would be a disservice to do so. When I teach my students, and when you read my book, you’ll see there’s a large focus on your own experience. This is why meditation practice is so helpful. No one can tell you what your experience is in meditation, no matter how many words you put to it. And no one will ever understand you. But I’ve found, as a meditation practitioner, my most meaningful and helpful moments have been a direct result of sitting in silence with myself. For instance, I can do a whole meditation retreat with a stranger, never say a single word, and yet we have created a space and walked a journey together. And afterwards we don’t need to talk about the details, yet we know we have experienced a meaningful inner space together.

So, I would say, I can’t tell you or describe it. I would just recommend you practice it.

And for my students and myself, we see feng shui as a lifelong practice, study, and lifestyle. It’s a philosophy that trickles into every part of life, just like we are always present IN physical spaces. Feng shui is the space around us. At the same time, it’s totally ok for someone to just try things, meditation or feng shui or scuba diving :), and decide it’s not for them! 

Anne: One of my favorite aspects of Mindful Homes is how it includes ways to use crystals to enhance the space. How did you come to learn about crystals and the effects they have on one’s space?

Anjie: We all live on this planet earth. We walk on the earth. Crystals or even ordinary stones, come from the earth. It’s something we all understand. Most of us learn at a very young age that a diamond is of great value, it sparkles, comes from the earth, it offers clarity. I learned about crystals from just having them around me, from what others taught me, books, and I especially love crystals in jewelry. I make malas, and love to wear gems and semi-precious stones and metals. But even an ordinary stone that you meet on a hike can be a teacher. Stones, rocks, gemstones have been on this earth much longer than humans. There’s much stillness and wisdom there. In my book I review how crystals can be connected to feng shui principles through color, meaning, or by listening to the stone itself. 

Anne: You write that in feng shui, everything is alive, even our dwelling spaces as it’s filled with qi, the life force energy. You recommend that we name our dwelling spaces to reflect that qi. This reminded me of when I traveled to visit my husband’s family in England and I was struck that people named their homes. When they referenced going to someone’s house, they didn’t say “Let’s go to Marion’s house,” they said, “Let’s go to Sunnybrook,” the name of the house. How does one pick a good name?

Anjie: Oh yes, we do that in New York City, too. I didn’t think of that connection. There’s no good/bad name. And the name can always change. I think the key is to offer a name that arises from sincerity. Then it’s not necessary to judge it as good or bad. That said, if the word already has a lot of personal negative connotations for you, that might be something to pay attention to. I don’t think I’d want to be called “ugly” or “stupid”. 

Anne: A few years ago, I was home for a few days and so spent a lot of uninterrupted time in my living space. I noticed new things like how beautiful the late afternoon light was in one room where I had been reading. I experienced a quiet early morning having coffee outside when I’d normally been hurrying to work. Your book’s section on an unscheduled day resonated. Can you talk about the benefits of having an unscheduled day at home?

Anjie: One benefit is receiving messages from the home. There may be something the home can tell you that you’ve been neglecting. It’s very easy to take our homes for granted, and sleepwalking through life. But the world has so many gifts to share if we can just open our eyes and heart.

Anne: How does one incorporate the ideas in this book into one’s life if we share a space with others who are not so attuned or supportive of the changes we want to make? And you have recommendations for what to do if you don’t have disposable income to spruce up an outdoor space? For example, a house that lacks shutters or a space that is just dirt instead of lawn. What can you do if you are a renter and the space is not yours to decorate as you’d like?

Anjie: I recommend you only work on the spaces you are permitted to adjust. There should be some sort of consent from the other(s) that you share your spaces with. Or just make the shifts in the spaces that are yours. Same with renters, you can make the changes that are possible within the guidelines provided by your landlord. If you are staying in someone’s home, it’s not your home to change, but you can ask for permission if it’s something that you feel is important.

It’s a misconception that feng shui requires “disposable income.” For instance, if you want to bring a crystal into your home you can go out in nature and see if you find an ordinary stone that wants to come home with you. You can ask for permission and consent. If you get a yes, then you may take it home. 

Always, I say you can only do the best you can with what you have. It’s not helping you to say “yes, but……” you’re only creating the blocks for yourself.

Anne: Wow, thank you so much for all this insight Anjie! You’ve given me so much food for thought as I continue to become more aware of my connection to the space around me in my home. 

Anjie: You’re welcome! Thank you so much Anne!

For those whose interest is sparked by this interview, you can glean much more of Anjie’s wisdom in Mindful Homes: Create Healing Living Spaces with Mindfulness and Feng Shui (CICO Books 2023). I highly recommend it for those looking to spruce up their space and naturally shift the energy both within and around their home.

Anti-Consumerist Druid Interview with Katrina Townsend

Alanna: Hello Katrina! Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today about the upcoming release of your book Anti-Consumerist Druid: How I Beat My Shopping Addiction Through Connection With Nature. I absolutely loved it, and as someone who often tends to overspend during the holiday season, I thought this was the perfect time to read it and reconnect with my reverence for nature.

Sometimes I struggle reconciling my love of shopping with my nature-based spiritual practice and ecological values, and it was relieving to hear another person’s story of struggling with their own shopping addiction yet finding a way to overcome that through their own spiritual path. To get started, why don’t we give readers a little background on who you are and why you decided to write this book?

Katrina: Hello!  Thank you so much, I’m really glad to hear that you enjoyed the book! It began life as a journal I started keeping in 2019, when I had my first bash at trying to give up shopping. I was in my late twenties, new to motherhood, struggling with my body image, and trying to deal with all of that by, essentially, shopping my way to happiness, which unfortunately doesn’t work.

I’d been using shopping, dieting, social media, and generally fixating on my appearance as a kind of cure-all since I was a teenager, and honestly I hadn’t noticed how much these habits and obsessions had cut me off from nature and the physical world. It was only when I started to break away from those behaviours that I could find my spirituality and start to become more of the person I want to be.

I am a student of Druidry and a devotee of the Goddess Brigid; I live in Hampshire in England and have done so all my life. Writing has always been my hobby and a way to express myself so I’m very excited to have a book in print!

Alanna: I too keep a journal and find it so helpful to notice patterns in my life. How did you get into the practice of journaling, which was a big part of your transformation process, and writing this book especially with a little one to care for at home?

Katrina: It’s been a huge part of the process, I’ve barely missed a day in four years now. Sometimes I wonder where the notebooks will end up after I’m gone – possibly boring my descendants to death, as a lot of my initial process was just exploring my thoughts and feelings about shopping and my self-image, and lists of things I’d bought as I tried to figure out where my money was going.

The little one was only about a year old when I started to realise that my shopping was actually a problem. I had several attempts at buying less, because I could see the money in my accounts starting to dwindle, and I got more and more concerned when I realised how hard it was for me to stop. I started keeping a daily journal to try to get to the bottom of these compulsive urges – I took twenty minutes each morning while the Spud bounced about in his jumperoo, or later on while he napped. When I realised that social media, particularly Instagram, was a big contributor to my out-of-control shopping habit, I started using the journal as an outlet for all those little thoughts and moments I would normally have posted online. It was much more calming and grounding than the frantic online bubble.

Much of the book already existed in my journals and just needed to be spun together, which I did mainly during naptime or after my son was in bed – except the footnotes, which I bashed out over a gritted-teeth weekend while my husband did the child-wrangling.   

Alanna: I think many people will agree a shopping ban, especially one that lasts a whole year, would be extremely challenging. What would you say was the toughest thing about your year-long shopping ban?

Katrina: All of it! Ha, no, honestly looking back I’m kind of appalled by just how difficult it was in the beginning. I’d built this whole identity around shopping and clothes, and those first few months I just had to feel everything I’d been pushing away with those habits. Comparing myself constantly to everyone else, feeling like I had absolutely no idea of who I was, and having to face up to how much time, money and energy I had pretty much just wasted.

Alanna: You mentioned before the impact social media had in feeding your shopping addiction. Can you speak a bit more to this? Overall, do you feel like the internet and social media is driving consumer culture?

Katrina: Oh yes, absolutely. I think I would never have come this far if I hadn’t realised fairly early on that my constant browsing and scrolling was feeding into my obsessive shopping. I had to ask my husband to change my Instagram password to keep me off the app! It was two-pronged, for me – on the one hand, I was constantly seeing beautiful things, useful things, things I didn’t need before that moment but which seemed so much more desirable than the things I already owned, and secondly, I was constantly seeing other people’s wardrobes, bodies and lives, which of course are highly curated and edited but which I still felt I needed to live up to. Shoppable feeds also have a lot to answer for, in my opinion – it’s about the impulse buy, about removing any friction between the shopper and the purchase. 

Alanna: In your book, you describe your journey in confronting your shopping habit, but I’m still wondering, would you say you initially start down this path more for personal reasons? And has your reason for embracing this lifestyle changed through your journey?

Katrina: Initially I’d say my reasons were very prosaic – mainly financial, then emotional. Now I’m a bit evangelistic about how just trying to quit shopping has changed my life. The real deep-down shifts started to occur when I had to find other ways to fill the time and headspace I’d freed up , and started going for long walks in my local nature reserve. It was literally the only way I could think of at first to get away from the temptations of shops and screens, but I soon found that it calmed my constantly chattering mind (and my lively child, which was a bonus!).

After a while I started to really crave my outdoor time, and then things really started to snowball – I got more interested in nature itself which developed into a passionate environmentalism; and I began to experience ‘nudges’  and synchronicities of a more spiritual bent, which I could only be more open to now that my mind was quieter, and which led me to start exploring Paganism; and all these things fed back into and served to intensify that original desire to stop shopping.

Alanna: I’ve noticed that a lot of people feel more secure in having a home full of things, whether it’s decor, clothes, books, appliances, etc. which drives them to make unnecessary purchases. Do you think there is an aspect of “safety” that comes from having hoards of stuff? And if so, how do you feel Druidry provides this in a healthier way?

Katrina: In a way I suppose there is. I can picture my younger self piling up mountains of clothing and shoes and cosmetics and tchotchkes as a kind of emotional bulwark against all these fears and insecurities I didn’t know how to confront, this sense that deep down I wasn’t very interesting, not very pretty or worthy of notice, and the more flamboyantly I dressed or the more conspicuously I consumed the more attention I got. And then the things I had and the process of accumulating more things became my whole identity, to the point that I didn’t have any other interests, didn’t know what I liked any more or even have any sense of myself as a person. So I guess you could say that was my “safety”.

Druidry changed me very slowly and gently, and I have very gradually come to realise that how I look and what I buy are the least interesting things about me, that there is a whole world out there that is awake and alive and communicative, and the absolute last thing it cares about is what I am wearing when I show up.

Nowadays I feel  a deeper sense of security, a rootedness in the core of myself, and I feel like that stems from finally feeling aware of what Mary Oliver called my ‘place in the family of things’. I’m not struggling or striving to be something all the time, I don’t need to prove anything, I’m happy in my skin. And one massive benefit of Druidry is, hey, if people don’t get me, that’s fine, I can always go hang out with the trees.

Alanna: One thing I really enjoyed in reading your book is the honesty about  the many times you’ve fallen off the wagon. Yet each time it seems like you’re coming back to yourself and re-committed to starting fresh. What advice do you have for others when they too fall back into old habits?

Katrina: I frustrate myself in that way – I very much wanted to write this linear story of my amazing no shopping year, but I just couldn’t do it straight off the bat. I think I had to make those mistakes so I could learn a bit more about myself and build in some better coping mechanisms. When you’ve worn yourself a groove, it is so easy to keep sliding back into it. But you do eventually learn the difference between cutting yourself some slack and just giving yourself loopholes. I’m mixing my metaphors a bit here I think! 

The point is, when you mess up, you can forgive yourself without giving up on yourself. One blip doesn’t mean you jack the whole thing in. 

Alanna: I also enjoy how you are upfront about your beginner status in Druidry, as well as your dedication to forging your own path. I thought it was brave to admit you’re not an expert on the topic but still willing to share your beliefs. Have you ever felt any sense of gatekeeping on your spiritual path? And if so, how did you overcome the need to fit yourself into other people’s version of this spiritual path and move forward with your own?

Katrina: Thank you very much! I figured it was better to be upfront rather than pretend to have knowledge and experience that I just don’t have. I hope that I can show people that you don’t need to be ‘good at’ Druidry, or have decades of personal gnosis, or be a powerful magician or whatever, to have very tangible and magical experiences and start relating to the world in a different way.

Gatekeeping… Not since I was a teenager on Wiccan chat rooms at silly o’clock in the morning, but I saw enough then that I take the simple approach of only discussing my personal practice in fairly vague and broad terms, and generally only with people I trust, so that I can get on with what I’m actually doing instead of tying myself in knots over the opinion of people I don’t know. I’ve seen lots of snottiness about other people’s paths, the right way to do things, names like ‘white lighter’ and ‘fluffy bunny’ being flung around.  And I’ve seen it in myself too, when I want to make comments to my husband about people being all show and no substance (when really, how would I know?), or those moments when I wonder what on earth I think I am doing, writing a book.

I keep moving forward simply by dealing with what I’m experiencing in my practice at any given time. I have an attentive matron goddess who will not be ignored, which makes it pretty easy to keep focus and stay in my own lane. 

Alanna: Since a big part of your spiritual journey was noticing signs from the Celtic Goddess Brigid, I’m wondering, are you still cultivating your relationship with Brigid?

Katrina: Oh yes! Brigid has become a huge part of my life, her altar is at the heart of my home. She is like a touchstone for me. I must admit, after growing up in a Church of England school, it has taken me a while to come to terms with having a very vibrant and reciprocal relationship with deity. After years of skepticism, I am still surprised that when I ask,  she answers, but it’s wonderful and I love it.

Actually, once my eyes were opened to Brigid and her role throughout the history of Britain, I came to see that she is absolutely everywhere. Her signs , symbols and mythology are woven through our culture and landscape even today. I said to someone recently that it feels as though someone has pulled back a curtain and I am only now seeing what was here all along.

Alanna: I certainly know what it feels like to be guided by a goddess. I love your very authentic story; you don’t go out of your way to embellish it, which is what makes it so relatable. As we near the end of this interview, what would you most like readers to take away from reading your book?

Katrina: That the world is a deeply magical place. That we are born to be so much more than consumers. That we can free our minds and hearts from the consumerist trap and rediscover enchantment.

Alanna: Any future projects on the horizon for you? I would love to read more about your thoughts as a millennial eco-advocate!

Katrina: I am tinkering around on a new book with a friend, but the going is slow as we both have high maintenance life stuff to juggle! But yes, there is definitely the potential for more in the pipeline, hopefully in the not too distant future. 

Alanna: Amazing! I can’t wait to read more of your writing. Thank you so much for speaking with me today, Katrina! Truly my pleasure. 🙂

For those whose interest is sparked by this interview, The Anti-Consumerist Druid: How I Beat My Shopping Addiction Through Connection With Nature will be released by Moon Books on November 25th, 2022. I highly recommend it for this holiday season, especially if you’re thinking about decluttering or lessening your own shopping habits for the upcoming new year!

Living a Hygge Lifestyle This Summer

Hygge is a Danish and Norwegian lifestyle concept that translates loosely into “hug.” Hygge has become very popular in the last few years with books and magazines dedicated to helping us bring this way of living into our daily lives. Most associated with the cold, dark winter months, Hygge promotes coziness, wellness, contentment, the warmth of friendship, and simplicity in food and decorative surroundings. Think candlelight, blankets, and steaming mugs of coffee and cinnamon pastries shared with friends around a table.

Winter hygge can be practiced alone – imagine sitting in an oversized chair, curled up in a chenille blanket with your favorite book in hand, seeing the snow fall gently outside your window as you light a candle on the end table. But most often than not, the hygge encourages interacting with friends; think sitting around a fireplace, drinking hot mulled cider, while playing board games with your friends. It’s this human interaction that helps get one through the cold, lonely winter months. 

I love to hygge in the winter but I also want to bring it into my life in the summer. Can it be done? Absolutely! Here’s how you incorporate hygge into the warm and light-filled days of summer:

✿ Switch your fire source
Move from gathering with friends and family around the fireplace inside your home to an outdoor fire pit. Even on the hottest of days, the evenings are cool enough to comfortably enjoy sitting around a fire pit. Laugh, talk, tell stories, make s’mores. Even consider buying some “magical” powders to change the color of the flame: potassium chloride for purple flames, copper chloride for blue flames, and lithium chloride for pink flames.

✿ Turn off the oven
Going in the complete opposite direction of winter hygge, try not to use your oven for cooking and baking. Look up no-bake dessert recipes to serve your visitors – from icebox cake, to key lime cream pie, strawberry pie, and crunchy candy clusters. 

✿ Host casual, outdoor gatherings
Continue to invite the company friends and family but move the gathering outdoors and make it casual. Think dinner under the stars either at an outdoor table or on a blanket. Create an outdoor movie theater with a projector and a white sheet – and bring the popcorn. 

✿ Relax outside
Move your alone time from your indoor cozy chair to a macramé hammock or under a tree, on the beach, or sitting in a garden (yours or a public one).

✿ Bring in the light
Change out your décor and use lighter colors.  This can be done inexpensively with just a few strategically placed objects that you find at a thrift shop or discount home decorating store. Develop a system of seasonally recycling what you already own – go “shopping” in the storage in your own home. Bring in the whites, creams, beiges, with touches of pastels. Look to nature for inspiration. And don’t forget the walls! Replace pictures of snowy woods, fallen leaves, and winterscapes with images of the lake, sea, or summer birds. 

✿ Spruce up your home decor
Change out your linens, fabrics, pillows, and rugs. Replace your flannel sheets with cotton ones. Remove your heavy down comforter for a cotton bedspread. Use lighter throw blankets. Change out your dark-colored throw pillows for lighter ones. Replace the velvets with cotton. Consider rolling up that heavy wool rug and replacing it with rugs that are made of natural fibers. Again, this can be done inexpensively by shopping at discount stores both online and at brick and mortar stores. 

✿ Eat lighter foods
Replace stews, roasts, and hot soups with quiches, salads, and cold soups. And eat your veggies and fruit – lots of them as this is the time that they are in abundance.

✿ Change your light source
Replace your candles with fairy lights – or better still, go outside in the evening and watch the fireflies dance around the garden. 

✿ Spend more time outside
Live outdoors as much as possible. And let the outdoors in by opening your windows as much as possible.

I hope you fill your world with summer days with hygge. Continue to enjoy its benefits of simplicity, friendship, and nourishing company and food in the dog days of summer. Blessed be!