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Writer's pictureFiona O'Farrell

The Dark Goddess - a Ritual for Samhain


2024 has been quite a birth portal so far, I’m sure you’ve all felt it. The foundations of old, outdated systems have been fully exposed, and we’ve started the difficult task of picking out the rotted deadwood, scraping away the mouldy decay and really taking stock of what we need to leave behind, and what we need to bring through. A great rebuild, on the inside and the out, towards a beautiful, harmonious, loving future. If you’ve ever undertaken a building project, or watched them on TV, you know how it goes...the demolition part always looks grim, the foundational groundworks slow and almost invisible, and then suddenly the new building launches up from the ground at warp speed.

 



In no coincidence, I’m experiencing a significant percentage of my clients reaching this threshold point these past weeks. In one of the types of acupuncture I do, Transformational Acupuncture, we follow a 6-session journey through this process of remodelling the internal landscape. We move from an old, outgrown versions of the Self, and into a new, empowered version. It’s a journey I have developed a map for, I know how it goes. I know the first 4 sessions are a lot like the foundational work in a rebuild, quietly shifting the roots into new soil. It’s usually around session 5 that the new growth suddenly springs forward. The nurturing of the nervous system in the previous weeks has allowed a new version of the Self to securely step forward...you feel different, new opportunities start appearing, life feels better, and there is a real sense of EMPOWERMENT.

 

The reason for all of this is, at the very start of the journey, in session 1, we decide on a DESTINATION. We draw up the ideal version of life, the architects plans. We know where we are going, and then we start the rebuild. It is deeply feminine work, renewing from the inside out.

 

Given the extremely potent energy of the next few days, I thought I share a little process that can help you make the most of the threshold before us. Today is Samhain, Halloween, when we honour the shift of seasons. We collectively, Mother Nature and ourselves, head into the rich, dark underworld of regeneration, rest and renewal.  

 

I am a passionate advocate of feminine mythology correctly told.  There are many faces of the feminine: the mother, the maiden, the witch, the crone, the warrior, the huntress, the lover, the medicine woman, the light and the dark.




 

The dark feminine archetypes ask us to work deeply, but for our own good – they are so loving, wise and generous. They are the Goddesses of this time, of the Autumn and Winter of renewal. It is the work done here, in the unseen underworld, that allows the fresh Spring and Summer to birth.  They know the cycles of shedding and regeneration, the feminine does this every month with the menstrual cycle, the earth does it with her seasons - there is no new growth without it. She teaches us to lean in and go with her.


The ancient Irish Mother Goddess of death and rebirth, The Morrigan, is strongly affiliated with Samhain. According to Lora O'Brien, creatrix of The Morrigan Academy, the Morrigan 'speaks to the empowerment of embracing change and the understanding of life’s inevitable transformations. She challenges us to confront our battles with courage and to recognise the sovereignty we hold over our own lives'. She is accompanied over the next few days from the strong astrological influences of asteroids Hecate (Queen of the Witches and Crossroads), Lilith (feminine rebellion and equality) and Medusa (feminine righteousness), all alongside the Scorpio full moon (the Phoenix rising from the ashes), what a powerful feminine force we have by our side. Backed by Pluto and Mars, there is no avoiding it now, we are at the threshold transformational forward movement.

 

How can we embrace these next few days of transformational rebirth? Here’s what I will be doing...

 

Set aside 30 mins of quiet time, and ideally go for a walk in nature beforehand to ground yourself.

 

You will need:

-       A candle

-       2 pieces of paper

 

1.     Sit somewhere comfortable and warm.

2.     Light a candle and spend time looking at it, watching it flicker, letting the body soften into a calm relaxed state. Imagine a big bubble of warm light surrounding you, the protective, wise embrace of Mother Earth, the Dark Feminine, connected deeply into the rooted earth below.

3.     Bring to mind the things you don't like and want to see improve in your life – this can be anything from peace on earth, improved health, to the leak in the bathroom getting fixed...honestly, whatever is bothering you, let it come to the surface. This is WHERE YOU ARE NOW. Jot them down on a piece of paper.

4.     Then bring to mind you ideal DESTINATION – where do you want to be? Focus more on how it feels rather than looks e.g. ‘I want a job that earns 200k’...vs ...'I want a job where I feel valued, that I enjoy and that gives me the financial and time freedom to really enjoy my life’. Jot these down on the second piece of paper.

5.     Take time to feel the two pieces of paper, how they each make you FEEL. FEELING leads us, so decide to be led by the best feeling choices.

6.     Take the first piece of paper outside, dig a hole in the earth and ask Mother Nature to take the old from you to transform into new energy. Let go with love into the earth, knowing the old is in the trustworthy arms of Mother Nature and her loving transformation.

7.     Take the second piece of paper, bring it to your heart and welcome it in, letting the feelings root through your body down into Mother Earth. For a few days sleep with it under your pillow, reading over it just before sleep. After a few days, burn the paper and release it to the universe to start its journey into your reality.

8.     Feel with trust the beautiful relationship you have with Mother Nature, trusting her to guide you as you move through the sleepy Winter into a new Spring. Follow her lead over the coming days, weeks and months...

 

Life is a beautiful ritual of loving intention.

 

Samhain Blessings to you all,




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