Blessings of Summer’s abundance! Life is abuzz at this time of the year! We are at the zenith of the solar year – Summer Solstice (or Litha) – which is on June 21 this year.

Solstice means “Sun Stands Still”. The Summer Solstice is astrologically determined (as are all of Nature’s eight holydays) when the Sun is directly overhead at noon once a year: in the Northern hemisphere, at the Tropic of Cancer, the Summer Solstice, usually June 21; in the Southern hemisphere, at the Tropic of Capricorn, the Winter Solstice, usually December 21.

In the Northern hemisphere, the Sun is at its northern-most point, when daylight hours have chased the dark away. Litha is actually Mid-Summer in Nature’s Wheel of the Year calendar.

Now, we are seeing results of Spring’s intense seeding: Summer’s exuberant blossoming and growth.

How does your garden grow? What is blossoming into your life?

Where do you want to experience your own personal growth?

What do you long to harvest this fall?

Litha: Time of the Solar Feminine

Litha is a fire holyday, the day of the year with the longest daylight hours. Fire is a powerful element: even the action of lighting a single candle is a powerful act. There is a lot of power and energy in the Summer Solstice.

This is the time of year when the yang Sun fuels the Solar Feminine, igniting her fire for whatever she holds dear: Self. Children. Mothers. Elders. Women. Men. Animal Life. Plant Life. Mother Earth. I am continually inspired by all the women throughout the world who are grabbing the baton, lifting the banner, and leading the charge for human, social, political, and environmental justice – from grandmothers to young women. A wide and powerful, passionate and diverse, smart circle of women. We are the ones we have been waiting for. Goddess bless us every one!

The Warrior/Queen

I think of Litha as “High Noon” in Nature’s Wheel of the Year. And I associate the archetype of the Warrior/Queen with this fiery time. I believe that since we are all living longer, we are seeing the evolution of a fourth Age of Woman: in addition to the classic Maiden, Mother, and Crone, the Warrior/Queen is emerging. And just in time!

In Angeles Arrien’s book The Four Fold Way, she tells of four primary indigenous tribal archetypes: the Warrior, the Teacher, the Visionary, and the Healer.

The Warrior was the Peacemaker, skilled at communication and negotiation in order to promote peaceful resolutions. A Warrior was also skilled in combat but focused on non-violent alternatives. This archetype holds very little in common with the macho Rambos that we are told are the bravest ones among us. As Churchill said, “It takes courage to stand and speak. It also takes courage to sit and listen.” The Warrior is adept at both.

The Queen is sovereign in her world. She also realizes that while her people are subject to her rule, she must also serve her people. A wise woman knows that loyalty runs both ways.

I often think of the Warrior/Queen age as following Mother. Once the children are grown, Mothers can focus on what they are now most passionate about. This often happens at the same time as menopause, which rewires the brain and enables this shift to happen. (Christiane Northrup, MD, The Wisdom of Menopause) A truly powerful time. In my community, almost half of the non-profit agencies were started 40-50 years ago by women in their 50s and 60s. Talk about a legacy! Where there’s a woman, there’s a way.

Yet look at Greta and Malala, young, passionate, and fearless women who have affected the world over and are still teaching us. (Greta reminds me of Joan of Arc.)

The Feminine is powerful at every stage. Whether we are learning, nurturing, protecting, or teaching, we are protected by our grandmothers’ prayers.

What do you cherish the most, feel outrageously protective of, or are willing to stand to support?

What are you the proudest of in yourself?

Who are your Sheroes? Why? (Have you told them?)

Where are you on the Maiden, Mother, Warrior/Queen, Crone spectrum?

Nature Nurtures

In May, I had a wonderful experience discussing with a circle of women how Nature Nurtures. They had just returned from forest bathing and tea, so I asked how they felt after spending time with trees. They all agreed they were more relaxed, breathing deeper, hearing better, seeing clearer. Just one of the many gifts trees freely gives to all the rest of us.

We talked about how we can feel the healing energy exchange between us and the trees we admire or love. And it occurred to me that one of the most personal activist things we can do (anytime!) is to send love and healing thoughts to Mama Earth, thanking Her/Her trees/blooms/skies/etc. to strengthen Her amidst all these assaults on Her. Kinda “stealth” activism… and it feels great! Sending energy doesn’t cost a dime – and there’s no postage!

Sending positive energy is supportive regardless of distance: who do you want to send energy to support?

I wish you all of the powerful abundance of this time of year. Be well.

Peace and Prosperity,

-Kate

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This Article was written by Kate Stockman.

Kate Stockman is an artist, teacher, and storyteller grateful to be living in the western North Carolina mountains. She creates “TouchStones Anecdotal Art (each piece tells a story, perhaps it touches your story).

To connect with Kate Further, Consider attending her Collage Playshop hosted at Asheville Raven and Crone on the Last Sunday of each month.

*Shameless Plug*

As we approach Litha, the Summer Solstice, we arrive at the height of the Sun's power—the longest day, the shortest night, and a moment to pause and witness what has taken root in our lives. What seeds planted in spring are now beginning to blossom? What do you hope to harvest in the seasons ahead?

Asheville Raven and Crone has created a beautifully comprehensive Litha Reference Guide; designed to support you through this powerful transition.

This guide weaves together the history, rituals, and traditions of Litha, offering both grounding and inspiration as we move through a time of deep release and quiet rebirth. It’s created for all paths- whether you’re just beginning or have been walking this path for years.

 

If this article has you feeling inspired to celebrate Litha but you’d rather gather in community than practice alone, we’d love to invite you to join us at Asheville Raven & Crone for our upcoming Litha Witchcrafting: A Midsummer Celebration.

Together, we’ll honor the height of the Sun through hands-on magical crafting, seasonal teachings, ritual, and fellowship. We’ll explore the history and folklore of Midsummer, discuss the magical correspondences of the season, create two ritual items to take home, and enjoy a table filled with Midsummer-inspired treats and refreshments.

Litha reminds us that abundance grows when it is shared. Whether you’re new to witchcraft or have celebrated the turning of the Wheel for years, this gathering offers an opportunity to deepen your connection with the season while celebrating alongside fellow seekers, witches, and magical folk.

Join us on Saturday, June 27th from 2–4 PM at Asheville Raven & Crone, 640 Merrimon Ave. Suite 207, Asheville, NC.

The Sun may stand still for only a moment, but the memories, connections, and magic we create together can last all year long.

Space is limited, and advance registration is recommended.

The horse continues to gallop forward, pushing the wheel of the year at a pace faster than we can energetically comprehend.

For many, the pace of change has felt difficult to integrate. Old identities are falling away. Long-held stories are being questioned. What once felt certain no longer fits quite the same. Many people are sick right now as their body attempts to process intuitive downloads and release false narratives from a life that no longer resonates.

May was a month of realignment. We ended the month beneath the light of the Sagittarius Blue Moon, a rare lunation that illuminated the places where our lives have drifted from our authentic path. Sagittarius speaks in truths that cannot be ignored. It points toward the horizon and asks us where we are going, then demands the honesty to acknowledge whether our current direction can actually take us there.

For many, the answer was clear:

Something has to change.

The astrology of this month is surprisingly gentle.

After months of navigating dense terrain, June offers something different: healing, softness, and the chance to reconnect with ourselves. As we transition from Gemini Season into Cancer Season, we find emotional healing through understanding. Unlike the heavy dense energy we’ve been sifting through for months, June opens room for emotional intelligence and compassionate listening. We return to the wisdom of the heart.

June’s energy comes in like a breath of fresh air, a breeze on a sunny day, a perfectly placed synchronicity validating our collective truth. The transits are supportive of a shift, and invite enough compassion and follow-through to initiate the first steps of our pivot into the life that feels most aligned.

This is a month of intuition. A month of listening to dreams, trusting omens, and remembering that not all wisdom arrives through logic. Some truths are felt in the body before they can be explained. Some answers emerge from stillness rather than strategy.

For too long, many of us have been trapped in the labyrinth of the mind, searching for certainty before taking action. We have asked ourselves what is practical, what is expected, what is safe.

June asks different questions:

What if joy is not waiting somewhere in the future?

What if the life you are building is already unfolding around you?

Throughout the month, a single question echoes beneath the surface: Does this choice honor the person I am becoming? The answer may change everything.

The magic of this month lies in recognizing the blessings already present. Rather than chasing fulfillment, we are invited to cultivate it. Rather than forcing outcomes, we are learning to trust the unfolding of our path. We are learning not to fill the void in our life with desperation, and we are trusting in the alignment of our path.

Week 1: Powerful Communication, Awareness, Acceptance

The first week of June invites us out of the mind and back into the heart. As Mercury enters Cancer, our intuition becomes a more reliable guide than logic alone. Conversations deepen. Emotional truths rise to the surface. We become less interested in saying the “right” thing and more interested in speaking what is real.

This transit asks us to listen differently- not only to others, but to ourselves.

What does your inner voice sound like beneath the noise of expectation? Beneath the pressure to be practical? Beneath the opinions of everyone around you?

At the same time, the Sun forms a supportive connection with Saturn, reminding us that confidence is not built through endless preparation. It is built through action. Many of us have been waiting for certainty before taking the next step. This energy suggests the opposite: clarity arrives after we begin moving.

If you’re familiar with the archetypes associated with the Tarot, this week brings an energy similar to that of the Fool. This is a leap of Faith. A threshold. A crossroads.

Go.

The invitation is to trust the path before you can see where it leads.

Mercury’s square to Neptune further dissolves the illusion that every answer can be reasoned out in advance. Some choices are not meant to be solved. They are meant to be lived. The witch knows the sovereign self will not require guarantees of success before taking action. It trusts its ability to respond to whatever unfolds.

If something has been calling to you, consider this your invitation.

Send the message. Submit the application. Start the project. Take the first step.

The path reveals itself to those willing to walk it.

Week 2: Support and Reciprocity

The second week of June brings some of the sweetest energy of the year. Venus and Jupiter join forces, opening the door to beauty, connection, support, abundance, and unexpected blessings.

The lesson of this week is reciprocity. If this weeks energy were a tarot reading, it might look like the Six of Pentacles beside the Two of Cups- a reminder that life is meant to be an exchange. Giving and receiving. Offering and accepting. Loving and allowing ourselves to be loved.

Many of us have learned how to survive by doing everything ourselves. We know how to push, strive, sacrifice, and endure. Receiving, however, can feel far more vulnerable.

Can you accept support without feeling indebted?

Can you receive love without questioning whether you’ve earned it?

Can you allow something good to arrive without waiting for the other shoe to drop?

This Venus-Jupiter conjunction feels like a blessing left quietly on your doorstep. Like finding flowers blooming where you expected weeds. Like a forehead kiss from the universe after a long journey.

Continue to take time this week to notice what is already working. Notice the relationships that nourish you. Notice the opportunities that have appeared. Notice the ways your present life already contains pieces of the future you’ve been calling in. Gratitude is not about pretending everything is perfect. It is about recognizing the magic that is already here.

This is also a powerful moment to examine your boundaries. Boundaries are sacred tools, but sometimes the walls we build for protection begin to keep blessings out as well.

Ask yourself:

Do my boundaries allow me to both give and receive?

Do they reflect who I am today, or who I needed to be to survive yesterday?

Do they honor the sovereign self I am becoming?

Around June 12, the North Node squares Uranus, bringing a sense of movement and divine rearrangement. Doors may open unexpectedly. Plans may shift. A crossroads may appear where there was none before. Trust what is unfolding. Not every disruption is a detour. Some are course corrections from the universe itself.

Then on June 13, Venus enters Leo, inviting us to step fully into joy.

This is not frivolous energy. It is medicine.

Dance. Create. Fall in love with your life. Wear the thing. Take up space. Let yourself be seen. The sovereign self is not built through endless self-improvement. It is revealed through self-acceptance.

What lights you up?

What makes you feel alive?

The universe is extending an invitation. The question is whether you’re willing to accept it.

Week 3: The Crossroads and the Sacred Yes

June 14th brings a New Moon in Gemini, illuminating the paths before us. For many, a long-awaited pivot is finally within reach.

 

New conversations, unexpected opportunities, and meaningful connections may appear during this time, each revealing a different possible future. Gemini reminds us that there is rarely only one path forward. There are always choices. Always possibilities.

The question is not which path is safest. The question is which path feels alive. What sparks your curiosity? What expands your sense of possibility? What calls to your spirit, even if you cannot fully explain why?

This New Moon asks us to trust the quiet knowing of intuition over the urgency of fear. Fear shouts. Intuition whispers.

One contracts the body. The other creates space.

Listen carefully. Trust your inner knowing

The sovereign self understands that every choice closes one door while opening another. Not every path can be walked. At some point, we must stop gathering information and begin living our lives.

Following the New Moon, a series of Venus transits soften the landscape. Love, creativity, pleasure, authenticity, and meaningful connection are all supported. This is a beautiful time to redefine relationships- not only with others, but with yourself.

What would change if you treated yourself with the same tenderness you offer those you love?

What would become possible if you truly believed yourself worthy of acceptance?

There is healing available here, particularly for those who have spent years believing they needed to earn belonging. You do not have to prove your worthiness. You only have to remember it.

On June 19th, Chiron enters Taurus, beginning a longer journey of healing through embodiment. The body becomes an oracle. A teacher. A sacred text waiting to be read.

Pay attention to what nourishes you and what depletes you.

Pay attention to the foods you crave, the rest you resist, the pleasures you deny yourself, and the places where scarcity still shapes your decisions. Taurus reminds us that healing is not always found through analysis. Sometimes healing arrives through presence. Through slowing down enough to inhabit our own lives. This transit may bring old insecurities surrounding money, security, self-worth, or the body to the surface. If they arise, meet them with compassion rather than judgment.

Your body is not an obstacle on your spiritual path. It is part of the path.

As the week unfolds, a sense of stability begins to emerge. The choices made under the New Moon start to settle into place. The noise quiets. The dust clears. You begin to see where the road is leading. And perhaps more importantly, you begin to trust that you are capable of walking it.

Summer Solstice/ Litha/ Midsommer

June 21st brings the Summer Solstice, known as Litha or Midsummer on the Wheel of the Year. The Sun reaches its throne. The fire of the season burns at its brightest. Ancient cultures lit bonfires, gathered herbs, and honored the abundance of the land on this sacred day.

Yet every Solstice carries a paradox. At the moment the light reaches its peak, the wheel begins to turn once more.

Litha reminds us that power is not something we seize, it is something we embody. This sabbat asks us to stand fully in our own radiance without apology. To celebrate what has grown. To honor how far we have come. To release the stories that tell us we must become someone else before we are worthy of being seen.

Week 4: Embodiment and Commitment

Following the Summer Solstice, the pace begins to soften. A series of supportive transits encourages rest, reflection, and regeneration. Venus trines Saturn, Mars receives support from Jupiter, and Mercury prepares to station retrograde. Rather than demanding more from us, the cosmos seems to whisper a different invitation:

Pause. Breathe. Receive.

This past year has stretched many of us beyond our natural capacity. We have shown up for others, carried responsibilities, navigated uncertainty, and kept moving even when we were exhausted.

Now the question becomes:

How have you been showing up for yourself?

Where have your needs been placed at the bottom of the list?

Where have you offered endless grace to others while withholding it from yourself?

This is a beautiful time to return to the body.

Not as a project to improve. Not as a problem to solve. But as a sacred companion.

What helps your body feel safe? What helps it feel alive? What helps it feel nourished?

Walk. Dance. Stretch. Rest. Spend time in nature. Prepare a meal with intention. Tend your altar. Light a candle. Remember that embodiment is a spiritual practice.

The wisdom you’ve been seeking may not arrive through another insight.

It may arrive through presence.

As the month draws to a close, the energy becomes increasingly grounded. The choices, revelations, and invitations of June begin asking for something tangible in return. The Full Moon in Capricorn on June 29th illuminates the bridge between vision and reality.

By now, you likely know what needs to change. You know which path is calling. You know what no longer belongs in the life you are creating.

Capricorn reminds us that transformation is not measured by what we intend to do. It is measured by what we are willing to build. The insecurities of the past cannot accompany you into the future you are creating. They have served their purpose. Thank them for what they taught you and release them.

This moon asks a simple but powerful question:

What commitment are you ready to make to yourself?

Not someday. Not when you feel more prepared.

Now.

Manifestation is not merely a matter of vision. It is a relationship between intention and action. The spell must eventually leave the altar and enter the world.

Then, on June 30th, Jupiter enters Leo, beginning a year-long initiation into courage, creativity, authenticity, and joyful self-expression.

This is not the courage of fearlessness. It is the courage of being seen.

Leo teaches us that leadership begins with self-trust. That creativity is a sacred act, That the heart is meant to be followed, not silenced.

Over the next year, life may repeatedly ask you to step beyond old limitations, take up more space, share your gifts, and express yourself more fully than ever before. The sovereign self does not shrink to make others comfortable. It does not wait for permission. It does not apologize for its light.

As June comes to a close, you may realize that the journey was never about becoming someone new.

It was about remembering who you have been all along.

 

In the forest, down the river, or perhaps inside a mushroom circle, there dwells another world. It exists separately from our own: parallel, or underneath and upside down, or maybe in between. Its citizens look just like us, but also completely strange. You may visit this world, mingle with its inhabitants, just don’t eat the food. 

What is a Fairy? 

The terms “fairy” and “fae” refer to a categorization of spirits, a catch-all term for elementals or messenger spirits. Fairies in many mythologies are depicted as small, human-like creatures (sometimes with wings), although this is not true for all fae spirits. In almost all cultures, fairies are closely associated with nature, and they often dwell in and around prominent features of the landscape. Such features can often be a portal to the ”otherworld” or “fairy land”, where passing between the physical realm and the spiritual realm is easier. Visiting the fairy world is possible, but you risk getting tricked into staying there forever. 

Fairies’ interactions with humans can range from helpful to completely malevolent. Common fairy folklore suggests that fairies enjoy playing tricks on humans, and for this reason, it is advised not to enter into any contracts (verbal or written) with fairies or to accept gifts from them. The magic of fairies lies not in their “power” but in their cunning. They are masters of trickery and illusion. In many cases, they are able to change their appearance at will, and they work heavily with the power of the deal. Contracts with fairies almost always end in triumph for the fairy and devastation for the undersigned.

Where do fairies exist? 

While the term “fairy” comes from the Middle Ages in Europe, many similar entities are found in written and oral literature around the world. These entities all share a connection to nature and a penchant for toying with humans.

Gandharvas from Indian mythology are the celestial musicians of the divine, and they act as messengers between the humans and gods. They are considered beings of extraordinary beauty and grace. The Ramayana depicts gandharvas as those who inhabit forests and celestial terrain, and play music in service to the gods. They are said to be able to enchant even the elements of nature with their music. 

Jinni of Arabic mythology are spirit beings inhabiting the earth but unseen by humans. They have the capability of assuming both human and animal forms and can dwell in any inanimate object. They were thought to bring inspiration to poets and musicians, but they also delight in punishing humans who harm them, intentionally or unintentionally. Jinni are common figures in North African, Egyptian, Syrian, Persian, and Turkish folklore. 

Y Tylwyth Teg from Welsh folklore are the inhabitants of the Otherworld, a spirit realm that exists in and amongst our human realm. Y Tylwyth Teg are said to look so much like humans that anyone would have a tough time identifying them as non-human. This feature allows them to walk amongst humans without getting caught. In Welsh mythology, it was said that a group of these fair folk taught humans how to heal the sick with herbal medicine. 

Japanese Yōkai are a class of supernatural entities originating from the Shinto faith. The appearance of Yōkai varies greatly and often corresponds to natural features of the land to which the spirit belongs. Their relationships to humans are also diverse, ranging from kind helpers to malevolent tricksters. 

So the next time you are wandering outside your home, see if you can identify signs of the fair folk. You may here far off music, see a fairy ring in a field, or find trinkets or tokens left in odd places, just remember not to touch!

 

April arrived like a spark to dry tinder. She was fast-moving, fiery, and impossible to ignore. But May walks in with a different swag. This month invites us to slow down enough to notice what is growing, what is stabilizing, and what deserves our long-term devotion. With the grounded steadiness of Taurus blending into the quick-witted curiosity of Gemini, May encourages intentional movement over reactive change. It is less about chaos and more about conscious course correction. The keyword for May 2026 is REALIGNMENT.

That said, May is not a quiet month. Between two Full Moons, Pluto turning retrograde, and several potent cosmic gateways, the energy remains intense and deeply transformative. If April felt like an unexpected punch to the gut, May offers the clarity, accountability, and perspective needed to understand how the fight began in the first place so that all parties can move towards resolution.

It feels fitting that the month opens with the fire of Beltane and the emotional depths of a Scorpio Full Moon. This is a dramatic entrance, but a necessary one. By month’s end, a second Full Moon- a rare Blue Moon in Sagittarius- arrives to complete the story, asking us to release what no longer aligns- and step forward with greater truth.

May 1 – Scorpio Full Moon + Beltane

The month begins with a deep exploration of personal values, power, and emotional truth. The Scorpio Full Moon can bring breakthroughs, endings, closure, and revelations about what has been hidden beneath the surface. Intuitive people may receive powerful insights through dreams, synchronicities, or moments of sudden knowing.

Collectively, there may be increased attention to themes of secrecy, financial entanglements, psychological insight, and systemic power structures. In Scorpio, hidden motivations become harder to conceal

Scorpio asks us to examine the beliefs we hold about ourselves and the world. Which stories are still serving us? Which narratives were inherited through fear, shame, or survival? This Full Moon invites emotional honesty and the courage to reclaim power we may have unconsciously handed away. This is further amplified Mercury’s conjunction to Chiron- Today- words have the power alchemize to transform old wounds.

Paired with Beltane, the ancient fire festival of fertility, desire, passion, and life force; the day carries potent energy for transformation, ritual, and renewal.

May 2 – Mercury Enters Taurus

After weeks of mentally fiery energy, Mercury’s move into Taurus helps communication become calmer, slower, and more grounded. Thoughts may feel steadier. Conversations become more practical. This transit supports making plans, organizing finances, and speaking with intention rather than urgency.

Witch Tip: To channel the energy of Taurus throughout the month, carry a small stone, coin, or herb sachet in your pocket. Hold the chosen talisman and imagine yourself feeling grounded while making important decisions. Trust you will be held in safety no matter the outcome.

May 4 – Mars in Aries Square Jupiter in Cancer

This transit brings momentum, ambition, and emotional drive. For some, this transit may cause emotional volatility and defensiveness. There is motivation to act, but also the potential to overextend or react impulsively. Use the energy to move forward with confidence, but avoid pushing beyond your true capacity. Act from a place of care and compassion for yourself and others.

Witch Tip: Before acting, place one hand on your heart and one on your belly. Ask: Is this urgency, or true readiness?

May 6 – Pluto Retrograde in Aquarius

Pluto, ruler of transformation, death and rebirth, power, and the subconscious, begins its retrograde in Aquarius. Over the next several months, we are invited into deep restructuring of power- both personally (internally) and collectively (externally).

For many, this retrograde will highlight where growth has become stagnant, where old identities are no longer sustainable, and where dead weight must be pruned. Transformation begins to occur rapidly, but also becomes quieter, more internal. Over the next six months we will undergo a reorientation of power and truth. What has been externalized now asks to be met within. In Aquarius, themes of technology, AI, social systems, community dynamics, and collective progress may take center stage. Expect rapidly accelerating technology, consciousness, humanitarianism, and calls to reform for social good.

Those with placements in Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius may feel this transit more strongly. Speak up for your needs from a place of grounded truth. You know what feels right.

Witch Tip: Sweep your front door outward with intention. As you sweep, whisper: Only what aligns may remain.

May 14 – Mercury Cazimi

When Mercury aligns directly with the Sun, clarity often arrives. This can feel like a mental reset after confusion or uncertainty. Insights come quickly, communication sharpens, and decisions become easier to make. Pay attention to ideas, conversations, and revelations around this date. Today is likely to bring the highest point of clarity we will experience this month! Notice and pay attention. Remember, It’s all connected.

Witch Tip: Keep a notebook nearby all day. Cazimi messages often arrive quickly and do not repeat themselves. You’ll want to remember the details of any sparks that come your way.

May 15–17 – Algol Gateway

As the Sun aligns with the fixed star Algol, themes of shadow work, feminine power, survival, and reclamation rise to the surface. Algol has historically been feared, but many modern astrologers understand it differently: not as evil, but as the strength born through transformation.

Old anger, grief, betrayal, jealousy, or shame may emerge for healing. You may clearly see where you have tolerated disrespect, silenced yourself, or diminished your own authority.

This energy can feel visceral. Stress may show up through tension, headaches, exhaustion, or emotional intensity. Conversations may become raw and revealing. Relationships built on suppression may feel strained.

Algol asks an important question: What if your anger is not the problem, but a messenger? When honored consciously, rage can become boundaries, clarity, movement, art, activism, and change.

Witch Tip: Place your palms on the earth or floor and exhale sharply three times. Let excess energy leave through the hands. Then ask: What boundary wants to be born through me?

May 16 – Taurus New Moon (Mars Meets Chiron)

This New Moon offers a welcome reset. After the emotional intensity of early May, Taurus invites us back into the body, into the senses, and into the long game. When Mars meets Chiron here; we are supported in healing from a place of embodiment.

Witch Tip: Channel this energy by asking yourself, what makes my body feel safe? What makes my body feel present? Listen to your body and then do the thing.

Themes of money, relationships, self-worth, and stability may arise. You may be faced with two paths forward and asked to choose the one that offers sustainability rather than immediate gratification. Slow choices made now can have lasting benefits.

Witch Tip: The energy supports healing wounds and planting seeds today. So why not do the same in your magickal practice? Plant a seed- literal or symbolic. Write an intention on paper and bury it in soil. Water it as you nurture the goal.

May 17 – Mercury Enters Gemini

Mercury enters one of its home signs, increasing mental speed, curiosity, communication, and creative thinking. With Uranus involved, the energy becomes electric and innovative.

Expect fresh ideas, unusual conversations, breakthroughs, and a desire to think outside the box. This is excellent energy for writing, networking, brainstorming, and solving problems in new ways.

Witch Tip: Speak one affirmation aloud in the mirror three times. Gemini works through voice and vibration.

May 17–18 – Venus and Mars Change Signs

Mars enters Taurus while Venus enters Cancer, shifting the relational landscape significantly.

Mars in Taurus slows the pace. Rather than charging ahead, we are asked to build steadily, protect our peace, and act with consistency. This can feel like a welcome relief after Mars in Aries intensity.

Venus in Cancer softens the heart. Relationships may seek greater emotional safety, loyalty, and care. We may feel more sensitive, nurturing, and aware of our emotional needs.

Together, these shifts support building trust, creating stability, and honoring boundaries around care and reciprocity.

Tune in: What needs to be nourished in your life? What needs your attention/ intention? Where are you feeling called to love others?

Witch Tip: Cook something nourishing for yourself or someone you love. Cancer’s cozy energy deeply supports kitchen/hearth magick- so this is a perfect way to channel and share the nurturing vibes.

May 19–21 – Alcyone / Pleiades Gateway

As the Sun aligns with Alcyone, one of the brightest stars in the Pleiades, a softer but deeply penetrating portal opens. This gateway is associated with intuition, ancestral connection, emotional truth, and shadow healing.

If Sirius is considered a spiritual sun, Alcyone is often called the Shadow Sun—the light that reveals what has been hidden within us.

This energy may arrive through dreams, tears, memories, synchronicities, and subtle inner knowing rather than dramatic external events. Old grief, abandonment wounds, shame, or sadness may surface to be witnessed and healed.

Many people feel closer to ancestors, passed loved ones, guides, or unseen support during this gateway.

Witch Tip: Place a glass of water beside your bed and ask for gentle guidance before sleep. In the morning, pour the water outside in gratitude.

May 20 – Gemini Season Begins

The Sun enters Gemini, shifting us from Taurus earth energy into mutable air. Life speeds up. Communication increases. Curiosity returns. Ideas begin circulating rapidly.

Gemini season supports learning, writing, speaking, teaching, networking, travel, and creative collaboration. It also asks us to recognize duality within ourselves: body and soul, logic and intuition, human and divine.

With Uranus strongly involved this season, many will be called to speak more authentically and live more honestly.

Witch Tip: Pull one tarot card each morning and ask: What truth wants language today?

May 26 – Mars in Taurus Square Pluto in Aquarius

This can be a tense transit that exposes power struggles, frustration, or situations where we feel blocked. Yet pressure often creates breakthrough.

If conflict arises, ask what deeper truth is trying to emerge. This energy can help us confront what has been avoided and finally move toward resolution. Transparency is required.

Witch Tip: Do not force locked doors today. Ask instead which door is already opening.

May 28 – Venus in Cancer Square Saturn in Aries

Relationship and financial realities may come into focus. This transit asks for maturity, accountability, and clarity around what we truly value.

Where something lacks reciprocity, structure, or commitment, it may become obvious now. Though challenging, this energy supports building healthier foundations.

Witch Tip: Make a list titled: What I deserve in love and life. Read it aloud without apology.

May 29–31 – Aldebaran Gateway / Silver Gate Portal

As the Sun aligns with Aldebaran, one of the Royal Stars, a portal of heightened awareness opens. This gateway is associated with wisdom, integrity, sharpened intuition, and soul remembrance.

Some traditions describe Aldebaran as a place of reflection between lifetimes- a threshold where the soul remembers its lessons and intentions.

This can be a powerful time to reconnect with purpose, consult your Higher Self, and remember that even difficult experiences have shaped your path.

Witch Tip: Stand beneath the night sky and ask one sincere question. Then listen over the next three days for the answer.

End of May – Blue Moon in Sagittarius

May closes with a rare second Full Moon in one calendar month: a Blue Moon in Sagittarius.

This Full Moon brings culmination, release, truth, and expanded perspective. Something you have been working toward may complete. A chapter may close. You may feel ready to make a bold decision, take a leap of faith, or pursue a new horizon.

Sagittarius reminds us that growth often requires courage, honesty, and movement.

Witch Tip: Write what you are ready to outgrow on paper. Burn it safely beneath the moonlight, then scatter the ashes to the wind.

Final Thoughts

May asks us to slow down enough to hear ourselves clearly, then move forward with intention. It offers shadow work and healing, challenge and insight, endings and beginnings. It requires realignment and aligned action.

You may feel pushed to make decisions you have been avoiding, release identities that no longer fit, and step beyond the comfort zone that once kept you safe.

This month is here to help you grow.

 

May Hekate Guide us at the Crossroads and illuminate the path ahead.

And so it is.

Fire energy is all around us as we move through the Aries season and welcome the fast-approaching summer season. Fire has been essential to human civilization since before we were even classified as homo-sapiens. The use of fire to cook food, make tools, and warm our homes distinguishes us from other animals. With fire energy comes creativity, innovation, and sometimes rebellion, as encapsulated in the mythology of Prometheus.

Who is Prometheus?

Prometheus is the Titan who, along with his brother, Epimetheus, aided in the creation of living beings on Earth. Prometheus would mold animals from clay, and Epimetheus would assign them special characteristics that enabled their survival. Epimetheus (whose name means “afterthought”) begins giving away traits to all other animals besides humans: wings to birds, courage to lions, and so on. 

When Prometheus discovers his brother has given away all the useful traits, leaving nothing for humans, he is determined to find the greatest gift to give humans. Prometheus travels up to the heavens, lights a torch from the chariot of the Sun, and brings it back down to earth. With the gift of fire, humans derive a myriad of uses: forging tools and weapons to protect themselves and grow crops, keep warm in the cold, and bring light to the darkness. 

As punishment for bringing fire to humans, Prometheus is chained to a rock and forced to endure an eternity of torture as an eagle (or vulture) is sent to peck out his continuously regenerating liver. Prometheus’s willingness to defy Zeus and sacrifice himself to bring fire to humans is what allowed humans to progress to the civilization we have today. 

What does fire represent for us today?

Fire is a force of both creation and destruction: when it scorches a woodland, it also makes room for new growth. Its forces are dynamic and transformative. In esoteric interpretation, fire represents gut instinct, passion, and willpower. Astrologically, the fire signs (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius) are instinctually bold, expressive, and driven: they are often the rebels, artists, and leaders in society. In witchcraft, it is a tool for destruction, rebirth, manifestation, truth-seeking, purification, and banishment. 

Prometheus may have brought us the physical element of fire, but luckily, you don’t necessarily need to use actual flames to call upon the element of fire in your spellcrafting. Using those powers of creation and innovation, we can find representations of fire all around us. A simple substitute may be a crystal like carnelian or red jasper (or any red crystal for that matter). An image, such as the Sun in a tarot deck, or a handcrafted sigil can be a good stand-in for fire energy. You can use a knife or any metal forged in a fire, even some gold jewelry would be an excellent representation of the element of fire. 

To call upon fire energy is to seek the power of creation, boldness, and courage. Prometheus’s sacrifice and subsequent punishment show how important the gift of fire is to humans. In the same way that Poseidon controls the ocean and Zeus has the power of light, Humans have the power of fire. To create and destroy using fire is to exercise our own divinity. May we understand the weight of this gift and use it responsibly. How do you incorporate the divine power of fire into your own practice?

Ward up, because April’s showers are shrapnel.

Culturally and spiritually, we have just passed a threshold. Ostara, the Spring Equinox, the Witch’s New Year; each celebration rooted in the passage of time and the spirit of renewal- in the promise of longer days and fresh starts. We see this promise mirrored everywhere: in the softening of the earth, in the flowers pushing out of the soil, in the quiet insistence that something new is ready to begin again.

But April doesn’t stay in that softness. It requires presence. Grounding. Discernment.

As this month rolls in, we are asked to embody the energy of the warrior. Aries brings passion, courage, and action; the archetype of the beginner, the Fool of the zodiac, launching forward before certainty ever arrives. We are asked to pick our battles wisely, to use our resources well, and to keep our wits sharp. For the next few weeks, we must channel the warrior’s strength and resilience, and refuse to give up on ourselves.

We begin April with a Full Moon in Libra. Day One, April First, Full Moon.

This lunation brings our awareness to balance, relationships, and justice. We’re meant to find ways to bridge the gap between our personal needs (Aries) and our partnerships (Libra). This “Pink Moon” encourages emotional reconciliations, acting as a turning point that softens a guarded heart. For many, the dust from battles past; begins to lift, unveiling what’s no longer in alignment- and where we’ve been avoiding accountability in our connections, choices, and long-term patterns.

Unfortunately, though the dust rises, the situation remains unclear. April 3-5, we are supported in choosing courage over comfort and releasing old attachments. We’re forced to look at where you’ve been over-extending. Because Mercury is still shaking off its post-retrograde shadow (clearing April 6), the first week is about tied-up loose ends and finding mental clarity before the fire starts.

April 4-9 Mars will sextile Uranus, It is important that you use discernment, avoid projections and look within- really, really, FOCUS WITHIN. Where are you being asked to take radical accountability?

April 9th- April 18th will act as an “ignition.” April 9th Mars enters Aries until May 18 creating a bridge between your intuition and your physical reality. This transit will will act as an “ignition,” creating “aha-moments” that will continue to unfold with time. This creates a lack of full clarity surrounding the current information. However; this transit also creates a “Stellium” (a cluster of planets) forms in Aries, shifting the global mood from “wait and see” to “do it now.” Expect a massive surge in physical energy, ambition, and the urge to lead.

Again, we’re asked to practice discernment. To wait for impulse to pass before acting. Other people will trigger you this month, and it’s important you notice your response. Did they “make you angry” or did you respond from a place of anger? This month, external change is motivated by internal change.

Mid-month carries a kind of energetic distortion. When Mars meets Neptune in Aries (April 9th- 25th), action and illusion blur together. We want to make moves, but we don’t have all the information. We are being encouraged to pause here, to rest, reflect, and wait. This inaction is strategic, rather than stagnant. Purposeful. Justice requires clarity. Not every impulse is aligned.

Now, I can hear my own internal voice screaming. “What? I thought it was GOOOOO time? Haven’t we been stuck in this holding pond long enough? Mid-April, and you still want me to wait?!” So, I feel called to mention; unlike the heavy winter months, April’s energy is not static, or stagnant, it’s a live wire. We’re not still because we’re stagnant, we’re still because we’re smart enough to navigate the energy well. April’s action requires strategy.

Don’t despair, There are many moments of support woven in throughout the month. April 10-16 Venus will sextile Jupiter, creating one of the most pleasant transits in astrology. Venus (love, money, beauty) dancing with Jupiter (expansion, luck, wisdom) creates a “feel-good” atmosphere.

On April 13 will create A “Golden Window” for luck, money, and socializing. It’s the most harmonious day of the month. When Venus in Taurus connects with Jupiter in Cancer, there’s a collective softening. A reminder that life is meant to feel good, that safety and pleasure are signals of wellness. After so much movement and internal friction, this moment offers a reset. A chance to come back into the body. To remember what stability actually feels like. Bask and savor in the joy of life.

Because April doesn’t let us bypass the deeper work.

The sun conjuncts Chiron (April 9th-19th); creating a Chiron Cazimi in Aries. This transit is a big one, and it brings old wounds tied to identity, self-worth, and permission to the surface. This wound asks, Where are you still waiting to be chosen? Where are you asking for approval instead of claiming space? Where are you still looking for a right to exist?

By acknowledging a vulnerability, you actually gain power over it. Because the fear of being “too much” has never actually been about truth- it’s been about safety. And April makes it harder to hide inside that story.

This is where the narrative starts to shift; because April 12-14 Mercury will Sextile Uranus and then enter Aries until May 2. Mercury moving from dreamy Pisces into fiery Aries means the “mental fog” lifts. Communication becomes blunt, fast, and decisive. If you’ve been stuck on a problem, expect a breakthrough. What comes up may be tender, use compassion. Trigger points lead us to deeper self awareness, aligned in time with the New Moon on April 17th.

This new moon in Aries is a really big deal because it begins a new cycle. As the first new moon after the Astrological New Year, it encourages authentic action and stepping into leadership. It is uniquely characterized by a conjunction with Chiron, blending courage with vulnerability to heal, and a strong influence from Pluto to release old, heavy burdens, paving the way for a transformative new chapters.

We are meant to tap into our most authentic impulses, shed fears, and step boldly into our own authority. With Pluto in play, this phase helps break down old structures that no longer fit your life, allowing you to let go of what holds you back. Be brave, and choose your path forward. This is a time of radical reinvention, and bold commitment to choices that honor the person we are becoming. This moon was sent to reignite us. It is arguably the best day of the year to launch a brand-new venture, identity, or project.

On April 19, the Sun enters Taurus. The energy slows down. It’s time to take the wild ideas from the New Moon and build a practical foundation for them. However; April 19–20 Mars & Mercury Conjunct Saturn. This is a "stop-and-go" energy. You have the drive (Mars) but hit a wall of responsibility (Saturn). It requires discipline rather than just speed.

This results in a tightening energy. Action meets consequence. Mars wants movement, and Saturn wants control. Impulse meets structure. There’s friction here, but it’s purposeful- this conjunction asks us to take responsibility for what we’re building, rather than chase random impulses.

Following this tension, communication follows. Mercury conjuncts Saturn April 20th. Thoughts sharpen. Conversations carry weight. Communication may feel like a verbal obstacle course. What we say- and how we say it- matters.

April 23rd Venus conjuncts Uranus bringing our attention to our values. Here we may find freedom from attachment to the material, and a greater value placed on the collective whole.

By the end of the month, the energy shifts again. We are asked to be present and curious. April 24th, social energy becomes lighter, more curious, and more flirtatious.

Uranus makes a major and long-term move into Gemini on April 25th, breaking open new pathways around information, communication, and perception. After 7 years of seeking stability through external structures, something begins to unravel. As we move from Taurus to Gemini, the question becomes less about what feels secure-and more about what feels true. This transit will have a huge lasting impact, and will continue until 2033.

April closes at a crossroads.

When Venus in Gemini squares the lunar nodes, we’re asked to choose. Between what is real and what is familiar. Between movement and stagnation. Between the life we say we want- and the patterns we keep returning to.

This is the work of April: Not just beginning again. But choosing, consciously, how you move forward from a place that is grounded, honest, and fully yours.

 

May Hekate Guide us at the Crossroads and illuminate the path ahead.

And so it is.