Hello to my return journeyers. A warm welcome to my semi-constant journeyers. And, a very special welcome to my new journeyers.

I am so glad you’re here.

Where I live, in North America, we have passed through the time of the Winter Solstice, where for three days, it appears to the naked eye that the sun stands still. On December 21, the longest night, I set my intention to journey for all that Winter Solstice represents. 

I fell down end over end into the womb of Mother Earth, and there she was. Cloaked in darkness – her hands withered with the wisdom of time, aged with healing – held my face. She blew into my mouth, and her breath escaped from the root of my torso. Again and again, she blew vitality, breath, prana, and life force into me, and it poured out of my root chakra. I asked her to teach me, and again, she showed me the same action. I asked her for her help, and she smiled – the smile of a woman who has been asked for guidance many times before and deals that wisdom with a sharpness that can cut through any illusions. She reached in and pulled out the entanglements – there were those that I knew, those that I didn’t, and those that I chose. When she was done, the white stag came forward through the darkness. The Crone set a task for me – pull a card – one for each month of the New Year. These will be the lessons. 

I have found in my experience that the time between the Winter Solstice and the New Year is full of magic and mystery. This is the time of slowing down, turning inward and really looking within the Self and Soul. 

I am somewhat relieved to have listened to the wisdom of the Crone who met me in the womb of the Earth. Although these cards were pulled with the intention to understand my own lessons for 2025, I hope that in sharing the first six cards for 2025, you may feel guided to seek your own lessons, or there may be wisdom here for you, too. 

January 2025 Card: The Crone

I could not help but smirk amidst a sense of dumbfounded awe when this was the first card I pulled after my journey on the night of Winter Solstice. The Crone brings wisdom and understanding about the future. She brings truth – even when it stings. She brings forward all the lessons learned through all of time if you are willing to heed them. “She sees through the lies, even the ones you tell yourself you are unaware of. She sees through your sabotage patterns and knows what is best for you, which might not be something you are comfortable to hear.” 

Ah. How true this is for me. Part of this process of exploring Shamanism for the purpose of self-exploration and healing is about being open and vulnerable enough to look at myself / yourself and what I / you have kept hidden away from the world and others for a long time. Her lessons to me: to remember not to give away my power and to return home to what my hopes, dreams, and wishes are for my future. And to move from that place. 

February 2025 Card: Master of the Hunt

My second pull was at first surprising to me until I dove into the meaning. The Master of the Hunt is considered one and the same with the White Stag. The synchronicity between this pull and my journey helped strengthen the lesson. The White Stag comes to lend his quiet strength. He sees the weary traveller – as I have been this last turn of the wheel – and asks her to look at where she has stepped outside of flow. Where am I riding in resistance? What do I truly want? And where am I blocking myself or being blocked? 

This is a lesson that I continue to grapple with as I find myself pulled in many directions as Mother, partner, healer, friend, sibling… and so on. 

 

March 2025 Card: Gwyneth

In my Celtic deck, Gwyneth is the representation of the Mother and the Present. She reminds those that nurturing is a gift from her that can be given to others or yourself.

I have learned this lesson many times – it is a beautiful gift to give to others, and yet it can be a detriment to our own health if the scales of giving tip too far to one side. It can be difficult to heal the Mother Wound, which shows up when we do not nurture ourselves.

This is my reminder to nurture myself to the best capacity that I can. 

Journey. Walk in Nature. Go on those adventures. Say no when I need to. Say yes when it’s in alignment.

 

April 2025 Card: Standing Stones

In many places in the world, there are standing stones. In some cultures, these sacred places have been used to connect with ancestors and bring forward from the collective unconscious / spirit world collective lessons that our ancestors took with them when they departed this world. 

The lesson in this card is to remember to connect with Spirit and my ancestors. They have a way of bringing knowledge forward to you that you may not yet understand but is exceptionally valuable. 

I have felt a deep longing to return to my place of origin. Sometimes, it can be improbable or even impossible to make these journeys in the mundane world to these sacred places. It is important to remember that while I may not find myself in the standing stones of my ancestors in current reality, I can journey there to seek the wisdom they have to offer.

May 2025 Card: The Greenwoman

A perfect card for May, where I live. This is the time when so much is in bloom. The Greenwoman is the representation of the feminine aspect of the Self. She is Nature. She reminds one to lean into the power of femininity. To be vulnerable where possible and to allow things to flow. 

 

June 2025 Card: Rest

Ah. A card that I should pin to my wall to offset the over-culture where I live that values work and performance above all else. For anyone who has an abundance of motivation and then is stifled by all the possibilities, this is for you, too. This is the lesson of pausing. This is the lesson of stopping, going in a different direction, saying no, and listening instead of doing. This is the lesson of being. Of remembering. Of playing. 

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So many of us are searching for self-identity and self-understanding. For me, the practice of journeying – or entering an altered stated of consciousness – has shone a light on a pathway for seeking self-understanding and wholeness. It has also gifted me a sense of connection to something far greater than myself – be that Nature or the vastness that is beyond the capacity for me to know in its entirety. This practice, this work, and these rituals can empower you and enliven your soul. When you are empowered and enlivened, then you can stand more firmly in the seat of your Self. You will be less inclined to give away your power to others. 

This journey is a journey of being in connection. Alignment. 

I hope that this has encouraged you to seek your own lessons for the upcoming new year. 

As always, thank you for your kind attention. I’ll meet you in 2025.

Until we meet again in this time, this place, this space, happy journeying.

-Heather