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Pagan Portals – Baba Yaga, by Natalia Clarke

Pagan Portals – Baba Yaga, Slavic Earth Goddess, by Natalia Clarke
Moon Books, 1789048788, 104 pages, January 2022

I recently finished season two of the Witcher, which had a prominent focus on the Deathless Mother. The chant to call her goes, “Behold the mother of forests, the Deathless Mother, nesting in dreams. Turn your back to the forest, hut, hut. Turn your front to me, hut, hut.” As I watched, the Deathless Mother started to remind me of Baba Yaga.

I had first encountered (figuratively) at Philadelphia’s der Geischderschtrutz (Parade of Spirits) annually held in dark days of winter. The purpose of the Parade of Spirits is “observance of the shadow side of the self, of the murky times in shortest days of the year, and of shady entities and liminal deities.’1 My first year there, I was challenged to enter the hut of Baba Yaga, but unsure of whether she’d want to eat me alive or provide timeless wisdom, I kept my distance. Even if it was just a custom, the energy was potent and I felt a shiver of fear every time I looked in that direction.

It’s been years since that experience, and though I continued to respect Baba Yaga (my coven’s primary focus is the Sacred Hag, of which one might say Baba Yaga is a archetypal representation of), I had yet to muster the courage to embrace Her in personal life or magical practice. But Pagan Portals – Baba Yaga, Slavic Earth Goddess by Natalia Clarke has changed my perception a bit, and I feel like I now view Baba Yaga with a new lens.

Clarke invites the reader to get to know Baba Yaga that goes beyond folklore knowledge. The book is filled with Clarke’s journal entries through the years as she established a connection with Baba Yaga and incorporated this relationship into her own spiritual practice. This presentation style of wisdom is less of a “how-to”, though some suggestions are provided for working with Baba Yaga, and more of a journey into possibility filled with rich, descriptive writing that sets the scene for the magic of this book to unfold.

I appreciated how the book integrated Clarke’s revelations and creative writing with information about Baba Yaga, as it provided a bridge towards Baba Yaga, who otherwise can feel very intimidating to connect with. I am a big fan of Clarke’s intuitive approach to spirituality as described in her book Pagan Portals – Intuitive Magic Practice. In this book, it’s as though she translates her natural intuitions about Baba Yaga into a reference for those wishing to walk Her path.

One of the most unique features of Clarke’s approach to Baba Yaga is her intention to explore Baba Yaga in the context of Earth-based spirituality, rather than fitting Her into “literary, cultural, or societal concepts and beliefs.”2 I find this approach extremely valuable, as my spiritual practice is deeply connected to nature.

In this passage, Clarke illuminates how Baba Yaga feels to her:

“She doesn’t feel like a grandmother or an old Crone with terrifying features. She’s a master shapeshifter, and her essence is that of nature itself. She’s the changing seasons, the leaves in the forest in the autumn and a smell of the coming snow storm. She’s footsteps on the ice and a cold mountain brook. She is like the wind as she flies and in the whooshing sound of a breeze she’s gone. She’s the smoke in the dark and she can be found in animal bones. She is in the smallest insect and the highest tree, the snake hiding in the undergrowth. Illusive, unobtrusive, hardly ever visible and fiercely private. Her dwelling is her own and, on her terms, where everything is just so. It is for no else to make sense of.”3

These words make me feel a spiritually tangible and embodied connection to Baba Yaga, as my senses are opened through envisioning these words. Clarke is able to convey Her essence in this book, which is no easy feat considering Baba Yaga is a deity that prefers to not bother with human affairs, preferring solitude over interruption. I think this is one of the things that in the end draws me towards Baba Yaga, based on Clarke’s experience and description of Her though.

I like that Baba Yaga isn’t for everyone, doesn’t directly answer one’s pleas for answers, and can’t be summoned on-demand. Working with Baba Yaga seems to take determination, self-awareness, and a bit of grit. There’s a chapter called “Bones, Skulls, and Skin Magic” about how incorporating Animal Magic, using bones, skulls, and skins of animals, can strengthen one’s relationship with Baba Yaga. These items aren’t just your typical herbs or crystals, and I think it speaks to the nature of Baba Yaga as a deity.

My favorite chapter in the Book was “Baba Yaga’s Apprenticeship” where Clarke prompts the reader with the question: “How well do you know nature and how you relate to it from within?”4 I thought this was a profound question, and Clarke encourages taking one’s time to find the answer. Meanwhile, to connect with Baba Yaga, Clarke details the necessity of awareness of the elements, seasons, one’s psychology, and one’s spiritual self. Clarke provides prompts on how to work within these areas to become an apprentice of Baba Yaga, leaving the reader with hope that they too can eventually be initiated into Her wisdom.

Another really interesting chapter was “Baba Yaga and Motherhood” where Clarke suggests working with Baba Yaga for “integrating your birth mother or your own inner mother when birthing and mothering you own children.”5 Baba Yaga is not a deity I would have ever considered working with for this purpose, but Clarke’s reasoning that it’s important to accept both the good and bad aspects of ourselves as mother and our own mothers was interesting. For this particular reason, I am feeling more drawn to working with Baba Yaga.

And the last thing I’ll say is that I really think The Witcher is drawing from Baba Yaga’s folklore, and especially even more so after reading the chapter “The Three Horsemen and the Masculine”. In this chapter, Clarke describes how Baba Yaga has three horsemen (red, white, and black) that “represent an archetype of the sacred masculine , in service to the sacred feminine/the Earth.”6 She then describes how the color of The Three Horsemen correspond to different stages of the alchemical process and how working with the cyclical nature of their energy can help to strength one’s bond with Baba Yaga. But red, white, and black as the colors of them? For anyone who’s watched The Witcher Season 2, this is very significant and something I thought was totally cool.

While initiating a relationship with Baba Yaga requires patience and willingness to accept hard truths, Clarke showcases the value of working with Her over time. Pagan Portals – Baba Yaga, Slavic Earth Goddess is a wonderful book to learn more about Baba Yaga for anyone considering deity work with Her. And even if Baba Yaga doesn’t seem aligned for a personal deity relationship, there’s still a lot of value in learning more about Her in general, especially if one is interested in nature-based spirituality.

Interview with Intuitive Author Natalia Clarke

“Natalia Clarke is a transpersonal psychotherapist, writer, poet, nature lover and intuitive practitioner. Her interests lie in human psyche, transformation, nature spirituality, spiritual self-awareness, earth-based spiritual practice, Scotland and UK travel. She is a fiction and non-fiction writer and a poet with a passion for nature, Scotland, emotions and magic. She writes about intuitive living, magical practice, nature spirituality and soul relationship with the land.”1

After reading Natalia’s most recently book, Intuitive Magic Practice, I experienced an huge shift that reconnected me to my intuition. Her gentle guidance and experience-based wisdom brought me right back into center, and since then I’ve been prioritizing maintaining receptivity to my inner voice. As much of the book is written from her perspective as both a psychotherapist and experienced intuitive practitioner, I wanted to find out a bit more of Natalia’s thoughts and insights. I had a few questions on mind about Natalia’s practice and advice, and I was absolutely delighted when she agreed to do an interview for Musing Mystical.

What are some of your earlier memories of feeling connected to your spiritual self?

Ever since I was very young, I felt like I was a part of nature. Whenever I was in the forest, I became a tree; when I was swimming, I was a part of it. When I laid on the ground or walked barefoot, I felt at home. It is that feeling of belonging to the wild and natural that felt like nothing else; expansive and joyous, which we now might call a spiritual experience. 

One of my earliest memories is running through summer rain with my mother, barefoot and soaked through. I still remember the feeling of warm rain on my body and that felt very otherworldly to me and completely natural. Other instances I recollect are fishing on a river in remote places in early hours of the morning with my father. The silence felt incredible with spirit all around. 

How does your intuition speak to you?

Often my experiencing intuition at play would be either auditory, visionary or a feeling/sensation in my energy feel or in the body. Auditory can be a sound, a birdsong, a whoosh of wind. Sounds would be followed by an image or a color, for example. With all of that there will be a feeling that speaks through me and I feel it physically. It is not necessarily an emotion, but a sense, a nudge and then a narrative would unfold through words or a poem would be put together (I write poetry intuitively). It depends what intuition is there to serve. This is how it is with magic or a message coming through that relates either to myself or someone else, or a project of some sort. In life I do check-ins with myself on how things feel whenever I need guidance or help deciding or starting something. 

Do you have a practice for when you start feeling disconnected from your intuition?

Intuition is not something one connects to once you learn to live and function that way naturally through practice. Intuition will always be there whether we are aware of it or not. Sometimes we are aware but ignore it and other times we might not be aware, because we are not used to operating via our emotional/psychic system and use our habitual ‘mind’ modes of living.

What I have learnt is that intuition is always there, it has always been there, and it can be used as a skill, a tool to navigate your world, including practicing magic.  Once allowed it speaks to you rather than you speak to it, if it makes sense, so I cannot say one disconnects from it rather there are periods of silence, rest when you don’t experience a message, a sign, a voice. In those periods I don’t do anything. I wait when it comes. I speak about doing things when I am called in my book. I am what I call a Witch-in-waiting, waiting to serve once I am spoken to, directed, but this is another topic on how traditional witchcraft might work.

What role do you feel creativity has in intuitive magic?

Creativity is a big part of magic generally, but particularly in intuitive form of practice. It is that playful part of you, an artist in you that gets engaged and the whole thing comes alive be it a spell, a ritual, an offering. Creativity can be introduced with incorporating drawings, words (poems, devotionals, incantations, and spells) or making something – an altar set-up or a spell preparation and choosing your objects. Creativity brings intuitive magic to life and makes it colorful and meaningful and individual to you. 

How do you prioritize self-care in your life?

The answer is intuitively. Either my intuition, my body, my emotional or a mental state would always tell me when I need to slow down and by this point in my life it can come with very specific instructions on what I need to do and how to take care of myself in that moment. I never not listen, and I just follow the message.

It can be via my physical body manifesting some symptoms and slowing me down (this one is often when things get bad, which is not often these days). It can be a dream with a clear message or a voice saying, ‘not today’ (auditory). Restlessness often tells me I need to stop too. Generally having your self-awareness switched on (mindfulness is another way of describing it) at all times, which comes naturally over time with practice, will be helpful. 

How does nature support you in your spiritual practice?

Nature is everything to me. Everything in nature makes sense. I make sense, my life does, my relationships do, and it provides deep meaning for me. I was born to witness nature, that’s my reason for being here, I often think. This might be a cliché, but I can not survive without it and often experience feelings of profound grief when I either have to leave wilderness or when I don’t have any nature around me. I become numb, disconnected, and bereft. I am sensitive to the sounds of trees being cut and would spend days in a state of anxiety. 

What advice do you have for those hoping to reconnect to their intuition?

My advice would be to give it a try. Trust that you know the answers you seek, and you have always known. You cannot fail and can only learn and grow. Treat it with curiosity. It wants you to hear yourself and give yourself a chance. Intuition is of you and about you. It is centered in the heart of things and waiting to help. 

How do you feel psychology and magic can support one another?

The main thing is awareness. As it is with psychology of making unconscious conscious it is with magic when we are aware of intuition and let it speak, it helps us know ourselves better, what we do and why, it helps us see the patterns of our defenses and behavior. It is being present with intention. Why do we do what we do? Both psychology and magic provide deep understanding and acceptance of ourselves (strengths and limitations, all of it) and every witch must know her own depth and weaknesses and, therefore, embracing the whole. Psychological work is about ‘making whole’, coming back home to yourself once you learn things and choose not to judge and instead become curious and accepting of all that you are. 

Has your intuition ever guided you to do something that was totally different than what your mind was saying?

This is very often the case due to our conditioning; I believe. It is also the reason why people dismiss intuition so quickly, as the mind can be a powerful master. Our thought patterns can be so ingrained in our psyche that it feels impossible and even fooling to even consider operating in any other way. The mind will always seek to take over, because that is what we are used to, trained into doing.

However, mind is only as powerful as we give it credit and it is in many ways automatic. It doesn’t have the ability to discern like heart/intuition can. The mind only does what it knows to do repeatedly and that is where training yourself into feeling and sensing comes in rather than continuing to use thinking/mind alone. This is a big topic with a lot of psychology behind it and an interesting area to explore for all of us to understand mind vs heart, thinking vs feeling, logical vs spontaneous and creative.

What I did over time when studying and practicing was pay attention, not automatically dismissing ‘other ways’ and potentially changing the course of acting based on something different. It can be useful to learn to use both, they both have value, but when one is in power and control all the time and the other is silenced, it is difficult. A lot of work needs to be done to understand how the mind works and allow the intuitive side to participate too before they can be brought together to serve the same purpose – helping us live a fulfilling life. 

Why do you think creating a spiritual practice based upon intuition, as opposed to set rules or ritual, is so refreshing to one’s spirit? 

It is honoring what you already know, what your soul always knew, and spirit always supported. It is different and refreshing because it promotes giving yourself a chance to play a part and if rituals and rules can support and include it then it is even better. It is inclusive, as I know sometimes, we might feel we must follow, we should do this and that because it is the rule and someone else said this and that. We might not want to be seen differently or daring or ‘out of the circle’, so to speak, which links in with how we learn to behave psychologically as children, for example. It takes practice and experience and enjoying the journey of exploring both – the traditional and unique and making the whole thing your own. 

What is your favorite thing about writing a book?

I love the intuitive element to writing. Sometimes you think you go one way and then it takes you in another. Ideas flash and exploration begins. Characters or concepts take on a life of their own and, as a writer, you follow. I like how alive and immersive the process is. It is an interesting way of expressing yourself and sharing experiences. When I write I have no concept of time and space, nothing else exists and I love that. When writing this book, I felt joy being able to share my ways of practicing and show the element of exploration, curiosity, and play that can go into it.  

What is the most challenging part of being an author?

Writing is hard work and a balancing act of so many things. The challenge is to convey the message you intended and be sure and satisfied that you expressed and said all that was relevant and important and hope the audience would find it inspiring, helpful, and interesting. Writing is challenging, but also a rewarding creative and often spiritual experience like no other. 

Can you tell us a bit more about your next book, Baba Yaga, coming in December 2021?

This book was written completely intuitively, which makes it one of those glorious projects for me as a writer. I wrote it via listening to the deity. She spoke through me, which was challenging, as she speaks in codes and symbols and a different language all together. I enjoyed the challenge of translating the message and putting it across in a way she would approve of. In many ways I had no choice in this, as I was asked to do it by her and hope it comes across as material that you would not find in fairy tales or traditional sources. This book is about what Baba Yaga wanted to say herself rather than what has been told about her since the beginning of time. It is a devotional and personal understanding of the deity in a book that suggests a way of working with her.

A channeled Baba Yaga book? Wowza! This sounds amazing. I look forward to reading this one as well! If you would like to stay in touch with Natalia, you can follow her blog: https://rawnaturespirit.com/. Intuitive Magic Practice will be released on May 1, 2021; you can purchase a copy here.

Intuitive Magic Practice, by Natalia Clarke

Pagan Portals – Intuitive Magic Practice, by Natalia Clarke
Moon Books, 1789046157, 120 pages, May 2021

Intuitive Magic Practice, part of the Pagan Portals series, by Natalia Clarke makes me want to breathe a long, deep sigh of relief. Things have been a bit hectic in my world recently, and I’ve felt the disconnection that stems from being out of touch with my inner voice. Reading this book has shifted me back into my more natural, receptive state of being in the most delightful way.

Clarke has combined her experience as a transpersonal psychotherapist with wisdom as a spiritual guide to offer readers insight on how to create an intuitive magic practice. Throughout the book, her gentle, calming tone invites a sense of fluidity, harmony, and personal energetic resonance to emerge.

In no way is this book one in which the author holds the knowledge, prompting a hierarchy between author and reader. Rather, Clarke develops a relationship with the reader that’s guided by feelings of goodwill and trust. Much of the imparted content to the reader stems from her own personal experience, and she writes this book as though she might be telling a friend about her experiences with magic and developing intuition in her own life. I enjoyed her anecdotes and the lens it provided me into seeing how she developed her own spiritual perspective.

I really liked reading about the importance of nature in Clarke’s spirituality and connection to her intuition. There is so much beauty in the natural world, along with lessons of tending, growing, and slowing down to enjoy the moment. Since her writing does not stem from any one belief system or practice, I noticed how nature seemed to be the greatest influence that gave shape to Clarke’s experiences.

However, there’s so much that Intuitive Magic Practice covers. Each chapter highlights a method of connecting to one’s intuition and offers ways to become receptive to the guidance of one’s inner knowing. Receptivity is key here, as Clarke’s writing calls the reader to settle in, move at their own pace, and gently open to the promptings that want to be acknowledged.

Some topics covered in the book are dreamwork, journaling, breathing exercises, creating sacred space, creative imagination, moon cycles, and more. Clarke also shares spells, information on candle magic, and guidance on how to select ritual tools. Through it all, she emphasizes that there is no one size fits all model for one’s magical practice; there is also no need to force something when the energy is not there.

“This way there is a natural flow, no force, no attachment to an outcome, no artificial influences of any kind and it always works. One might say I flow with intuitive energy if and when it comes in. If I am not called or specific energies are not present, I do not do anything.”1

Clarke also includes information on the Triple Goddess aspects, working with the elements, and tips for intuitively crafting one’s own magical practice such as writing spells, casting a circle, and creating rituals. Again though, this all arises from a place of moving with the flow, rather than planning, specifying, and dictating how the process should look. She even contrasts intuitive magic to ritual magic to help readers get a better sense of this method in relation to others.

My favorite chapter of Intuitive Magical Practice was “Intuition, Divine Feminine and Sacred Self-care.” While this book has valuable information for all readers, Clarke does note in the introduction it is more geared towards a female audience. All I can say is this chapter was all I needed to be reminded of and more right now.

As I move through a phase of transition, stemming from immense burn-out in my last job that lead me to severely disconnect from my own internal guidance, I desperately needed the reminder that listening to my intuition, caring for my body, and moving in alignment with the energy is a practice of sacred self-care.

“What do I mean by sacred self care? This links in with self-awareness, which can grow through listening to yourself with complete trust and seeing powerful results in your way of being with yourself and the world. It means giving yourself what your inner voice asks of you or points you towards; giving yourself what you need in the moment by listening to your intuition; treating yourself with compassion, love and respect, as you would any divine energy.”2

It’s interesting too how Clarke reminded me of the importance of moving according to where the energy is and how things are flowing. To be honest, this book has been sitting on my shelf for about two weeks now, and I had procrastinated delving into my new book. I tried to read it a week ago, but after a few pages it was sidetracked. Then, suddenly, this morning, all my energy was focused on reading this book and sinking in to receive it’s message. I am so glad that I trusted the timing of my feelings and didn’t read it in a mindset that wasn’t ready to embrace all the wisdom in this book.

For the past few months, I’ve forgotten that it’s okay to live according to your intuition and trust the timing of when things unfold, but reading Clarke’s words reassured me that it’s okay to move in rhythm that feels right for you. It was particularly inspiring to read how she doesn’t do spellwork unless she feels called. Living a magical lifestyle doesn’t have to be doing spells with each moon cycle, or constantly keeping up with a specific practice “just because you’re supposed to.” It can be just as powerful when your practice is fluid and guided by intuition. This is such a deeply refreshing approach to magic.

I’ll admit I moved quite quickly through the book, soaking it all in as I sat outside in the sunshine, feeling the fresh air gently flow around me. However, this is also a book that can be savored and referred back to over time. While I did finish it quickly, I now am ready to go back through it and practice some of the exercises, which Clarke offers plenty of through the book.

There is one method of connecting to intuition Clarke writes about that I had never heard of before, which I am particularly excited to try out: intuitive drawing. This approach can help to facilitate a dialogue with the subconscious and allow feelings, sensations, and thoughts to arise from deep within. Sometimes I feel like I get trapped in my words, and I am eager to see what comes out when I choose drawing as a form of communication with my inner guidance.

All in all, Clarke’s gentle and uplifting approach to an intuitive magic practice is something of great value to those who are seeking a more natural approach to working with energy. I highly recommend Intuitive Magic Practice to those who are seeking to tune back into their inner voice in a way that feels authentic and true to who they are. This book is a wonderful reminder that there is no right or wrong way, and that healing comes from remembering the sacred connection to our inner guidance. As you read Clarke’s wisdom, I’m sure you’ll feel right at home within yourself, comforted by the words that it’s okay to embrace your intuition and let your energy flow in a way that feels harmonious.