October is such a powerful time of year. The veil is thinning and the dark half of the year is truly taking grip. It’s a time of transformation, of magick. It also holds the memory of my initiation as a Priestess of Brigantia.
This week marks the anniversary of my initiation. Four years- and so many changes- culminating into a weekend of magic and mystery. It had been a long journey- I was not long back from my honeymoon when I began the process, and was in my first trimester of my pregnancy as I began my training. I delved in deep to the archetypal explorations of the Goddess, especially as my own inner landscape changed so rapidly from maiden to lover to mother. Each step held its own initiation, surrounded by the teachings and wisdom from the training I had begun. Then the pandemic swept the world, and I, along with my priestess sisters, had to rethink ways in which to stay in communication and dedicated to the path we had chosen.
Again, another initiation.
I pushed against boundaries I didn’t know I had and found a true, deep friendship in the sisters I met with. At a time when the mother part of me was at the forefront to care for my newborn, then toddler- now a young child- I learnt to balance and integrate the different parts of me. I undid everything I was, rebuilding myself with each reclamation of who I am.
One Year On.
The year following my initiation as a Priestess has been filled with lots of little initiations. I’d found my calling, my path, but still I held myself back. That witch wound- the fear of being seen- runs deep. I’d found an edge, one that I didn’t want to push against. I needed time. In between the things that life gifted me this year, I took a pause. I returned to my roots, learning to Priestess myself. I spent time in nature- and found my muse. I held sacred space for myself- and found peace to process the chaos of my every day life. In between the celebrations of life and the honouring of death, the Goddess was there. A different face, a different name- a different lesson- each time.
This past year has been about reclaiming who I am- I am more than a Mother, more than a Priestess. I am a daughter, a friend, a sister, a partner, a mother, a witch, a priestess, a storyteller. I am so many little things that make me whole. Now, I feel ready. Lunar Cove was an idea I had, long before I began my Priestess training- long before I dedicated to Brigantia. It was born of an idea to create the sacred space for others to also find themselves- to feel whole, to break themselves down, to feel comfortable, to feel confident, to feel accepted. To find a connection with the Goddess, in whatever form She comes to you in. To be heard and to be held. This is my next step- to hold the space for this community to start to flourish.
Inspired by nature, whilst exploring who I am, I found my muse. She sang to me, she whispered. She gave me words and colours. She gave me the confidence to share my words with those who I trusted; a year on, my muse has inspired me endlessly. Word after word has formed poem after poem. Now, those words are nearly ready to be shared again- I’ll soon be announcing my self-published book of poetry.
Being a Priestess is many things to me- a reclamation of who I am, an honouring of the Goddess. It’s finding the magickal in the mundane and fostering a connection with nature around me. It’s an inner alchemy, a transformation. Sometimes it’s just sitting with the emotions and feelings I have. Other times it’s connecting with the Divine. It’s fostering connections with yourself and others. It’s building a community and being a part of a community. It’s being comfortable with silence and your own company. It’s screaming in anger and rage. It’s accepting all of what makes me who I am.