Living
Seeing nature through
the cover
Dwight Harriman says the key to connecting with nature is found in your willingness to get on its level.
Pause when you pass the ordinary. Be patient and accept what is given, not what you desire.
If you want to know an ant, get down on your hands and knees and watch one try and balance the slippery sides of a dewsoaked petal.
Living On The Edge Of Perception Welcome to
Reclaiming ancient magick for modern living
At one time, challenging one’s own thoughts was not only highly regarded, it was considered a vital part of learning, an essential element of crafting a democracy that could last the ages and weather the worst of times. Delve into these ideas and practices with the expectation of looking at something from a different perspective. In the pages that follow, we explore how people think, feel and interact with nature, rhythm and the mysteries of life in ways that support observation, discussion, and reassessment. It is one of the great joys of living to question what we see and feel, to stand in the place of caught breath.
CO-CREATOR AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
TL Woodliff
Terran@TLWoodliff.com
CO-CREATOR, DESIGN & EDITORIAL
Dr. Ruth Souther
RuthSouther52@Gmail.com
CO-CREATOR, DESIGN & EDITORIAL
Michelle Angone
COVER PHTOGRAPHER
Dwight Harriman
How to contact us:
THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS
Elliott Challandes
Loralyn Elizabeth
Teri Freesmeyer
Dwight Harriman
Peggy Patty
Ruth Souther
TL Woodliff
EDGE OF PERCEPTION
2945 Stanton St, Suite F, Springfield, IL 62703
TheGoddesses@EdgeOfPerception.Org
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EDITORIAL
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
If you would like to respond to an article, your thoughts are welcomed and may be printed. Email directly to Terran@TLWoodliff.com
RUTH SOUTHER TarotTidbits
MICHELLE ANGONE
MagickalMusings
ELLIOTT CHALLANDES
SacredCeremoniesof Transformation
TERI FREESMEYER
TheArtDoula
DWIGHT HARRIMAN
It’s Birch Tree Month!
The Celtic Lunar Tree calendar shares the wisdom of the Birch Tree at this time of the year.
New Beginnings
Rebirth
Allow this to be the beginning of a new practice, connectingtotheEarththroughhertrees.
Each month, we’ll share the wisdom of the Celtic Lunar Tree calendar. Each practice lasts a month. If one speaks to you, stay with it through an entire season. Or, make note of its potency for next year’s focus.
Silver Birch Moon beith
December 24 - January 20
Just after the Winter Solstice, the birch calls to us to look toward the light and remember. Remember that you are a child of the Earth, and everything is possible if you can believe, reclaim, and hold onto common sense.
Focus: *Rebirth *Regeneration
It’s okay to start over, whatever the date and wherever you are in life.
If you need to begin again, the first step is to remove the negative connections in your life, as much as possible. Then, begin a gratitude journal and allow that vibration to call to you even more good things. It seems a simple practice, doesn’t it? But focusing on the positive helps the mind to s eek out more
“Focusing on the positive helps the mind to seek out more.”
about
The Edge of Perception brings sacred stories into the mainstream through seasonal celebrations, ceremonies, blessings, trance work, and meditations. We offer fantastic writing retreats, programs for new writers, and a weekly writing group to find support, receive constructive feedback, and enjoy unique writing exercises while setting goals. We believe everyone has a story –check us out and submit your work to our newest collection.
from the editor
START A PRACTICE!
Start a lot of them, actually. Try things out and see what makes your heart sing. It’s okay to try things on for size and then take them off again. Indeed, there’s a lot of fun in thinking things over. Teri Freesmeyer, our Art Doula, offers a way of looking at our core needs that is unique. Create, craft, and muse over a single question each day (or week, or month, or whatever) and see what changes.
Loralyn Elizabeth brings us the chance to explore new spice combinations. What a lovely practice to start this year – exploring food and drink? Yes, please!
Our resident Shaman suggests you get down on nature’s level and pause to look again at the ordinary. What an easy practice to include in a busy life, and one that may bring unexpected health benefits.
Peggy Patty shares three chants. Beginning the practice of singing is another example of easy-to-do habits that can bring remarkable change. Chanting in such a way becomes a mantra in song. And it’s as easy as taking a deep breath.
Elliott Challandes helps with releasing a practice you may not even realize you have: preparing for fear. It’s a great reminder that what we think is a practice, and it shapes our reality.
So explore, try them out and see what sticks. May 2025 bring you more peace and joy than you expected. May you discover adventure and journeys that nourish your hunger to know more so that you may be all that you desire.
Welcome~
TAROT WISDOM
with Ruth Souther
The Universe
Remember when you trusted your inner wisdom— when your gut feeling guided you forward, and you didn’t question the sensation?
It was as if you had a co-pilot directly in your center.
If you put your hands to your middle, you can almost feel the wisdom of some ancient deity who has taken up residence.
Of course, you think it’s someone else because you don’t trust your intuition. It can’t be something you know. You might even imagine them sitting on a golden throne, wearing the clothes of an Egyptian royal holding court just for you.
“It’s Your own personal god or goddess to guide you. They have an enigmatic expression and hold their secrets close to their heart.”
But wait,
aren’t those your secrets? Why are they hidden? Shouldn’t you have access to the private chamber of knowledge with all the answers you’ve sought?
Where is the key? You frantically search for the word or phrase to unlock the files of your own experience. You learned all that the hard way, dammit you should be able to gain access without this much of a struggle.
Just outside your field of vision is the understanding that all awareness of life is in a different vibration of time. What is right before you is a perspective but not the whole story.
The doorway is cracked open, and you can peer from past to future with one eye, but it makes no sense. The stories are not told from beginning to end. The timelines crisscross, zigzag, curl in loops and shoot off in different directions.
Your life is a puzzle,
and here you are, looking for one specific piece to plop into place because that little fragment is the answer to everything.
But of course, it isn’t even close.
The irony of your quest causes laughter to bubble up. You giggle like a child delighted with a new toy, even going so far as to put a finger to your lips in amused anticipation.
The child in you sees the absurdity of this convoluted path, and you burst into a belly laugh. If you could, you would fall on the floor and roll around as you relax into gleeful recognition of how nonsense and noise have driven you off course. It takes both the wise deity within and the outward ability to find humor in your experiences to create wholeness of character, one without the other leaves a
gaping hole in your psyche.
You’ve solved the mysteries of being human you don’t know, can’t know everything, and yet you can simply be aware.
You feel as though you’ve just graduated from the School of Life. You don’t know what to expect when there, before your startled gaze, you see an enormous serpent.
The multi-colored snake glitters and glows as it circles around and around like a streak of bright lightning. You are drawn to the energy, like a child to a new toy.
There is an understanding this is much more important than you first expected.
The colors are a kaleidoscope of blues, greens, and gold that blur with the intensity of energy created by this amazing creature. The serpent creates a portal into time and the vastness of the multiverse.
Drawing closer, you see a figure
emerging from the shadows. It appears to be a female, which makes sense as the snake gives off a definite masculine vibe. You understand neither is about gender but once again reflects the inner and outer worlds.
The figure dances naked and with abandon atop the serpent’s head. You can tell she has a deep connection with her intuition and will not abide by restrictions that aren’t hers.
You feel a kinship with her and the beast she plays with, for yes, now you can see she serpent is undulating with pure joy in their relationship.
Blinking, you realize you are invited to join in their merriment. It’s a glorious recognition of faith in yourself. There is one small caveat. Before taking this leap of faith, you must first answer a question of great importance.
Are you willing to jump through the portal before you?
No, you do not know where it leads, nor will you. It’s a mystery that can only be solved by stepping into the next phase of your life.
Can you, will you face your greatest fear to find out what is on the other side? Going into the unknown takes a great deal of courage. Do you trust yourself enough to run full throttle into secrets you long to understand?
Oh, my, is trust the key? You asked, and now it’s time to decide. Of course, you have a choice. There’s always a choice.
You can retreat. You can wait until the next time the magic of this moment appears. But then, what if it doesn’t? What if this is it, and you decide you are too scared to go forward? There’s no judgment or shame in stepping back, if that’s what you want.
Two paths. One is unknown and tricky. One is known and comfortable. What will you do?
THE PRACTICE OF LIVING
It begins with a choice. Choose to make 2025 a year of discovering or heightening your intuition, a year to walk more firmly in peace, or a year to expand your power and love on a planet that desperately needs ~the uniqueness of you~
Your gifts mean life healed, more of joy, more of nature saved, more of expanded. Start your practice today.
THE ART DOULA
Meditate & Create with Teri Freesmeyer
Ways to use this practice:
For those wishing to activate some creative flair, I invite you to pull out some paper, an art journal, or something to use as a canvas and your favorite medium.
You can read, meditate, or contemplate what arises.
Practice breathing as you allow the contemplations to bring forth your inner wisdom.
Make a cozy warm drink of choice and add an article of red clothing or a candle.
There is no one way to experience this meditate and create practice. Follow what resonates in the offering or go rogue in your way.
NOTE: If you have challenges with basic survival needs like food, shelter, or physical safety, this is not the place to start. This represents a deep dive into these basic areas from an established place of deeper awareness. You may benefit from the box breathing practice, instructions found ahead, to help reduce feelings of overwhelm and support narrowing the focus to the next right step.
“Follow what resonates in the offering or go rogue in your way.”
Art Doula
Honoring Deeper Roots
Let us begin by dedicating today to the roots and the root chakra!
• Wear something red.
• Paint your backdrop on your canvas in shades of reds, browns, or other colors that call to you.
• Do a grounding meditation or add a sketch or symbolic image of your body, earth, home, or trees to your canvas.
• You may massage your feet, have a foot or full-body massage, or walk barefoot and sit on the earth.
Self-Care Check-in:
How are you nurturing your primal needs? Sometimes self-care means going back to the basics. It can be of great value to pause and check in from our busy lives to what may need new levels of attention or acknowledgment for how far we have come.
Add some simple box breathing here and try moving your body as it becomes a bonus.
You may draw or paint four quadrants onto your canvas and follow along with your box breathing. Here is one of the basic guidelines for box breathing, which you can adapt or use another that works for you.
Box breathing: Begin in the upper left corner of the box with an inhale to the count of four. Move to the upper right corner and hold to the count of three. Move to the lower right corner and exhale to the count of six. Move to the lower left corner and hold to the count of three. Return to the upper left corner and inhale to the count of four. Repeat a few times and incorporate this practice as you explore the root topics. Spend some time with the breathing practice to support areas where tension arises in your body, breathing, or awareness.
Art Doula
Question
How do you befriend, mentor, or parent yourself? Or how do you grandparent yourself?
Based on what she knew, I have a client who says she was an okay parent and an excellent grandparent. So now, she tries to grandparent herself. Sometimes, even basic needs are difficult for people to access, let alone the entire list of resources.
Choose from one of the following areas of basic needs to focus on today, this week, this month, or this year. (Remember, paint, journal, contemplate, etc. Whatever you chose.)
If you excel in a particular area, consider that as an area you may be called to mentor or serve others in some way.
Consider asking for help or guidance from others who may have resources to share in the areas that may be challenging.
Food: Are you nourishing yourself with good food? Do you recognize a need for food based on your body signals? Are you choosing fresh, organic, or the brand you prefer as you are able?
Are you cooking or warming the food and presenting it in a pleasing way to honor your body, worth, and digestion? How often do you listen to what your body needs or can process easily?
What signals does your body offer you about food, nourishment, and digestion?
LIST three foods your body works well with and how you can incorporate them more.
“If you excel in a particular area, consider that as an area you may be called to mentor or serve others in some way.”
Art Doula
Water: Are you drinking fresh, clean water daily and in the amount that works well for your body? What signals does your body give you when it needs to be hydrated? What temperature of water or hydrating fluids does your body work with best?
Since incorporating Traditional Chinese Medicine of acupuncture/ acupressure practices, my digestion improved when I began to use more warm or neutral temperature foods and drinks and less cold or iced beverages or foods.
How about the cleansing ceremony of water in your day? When you wash your face and body, do you offer gentleness and care? Are you mindful to take the time to use the temperature of water that feels best to you when washing, bathing, or showering?
Have you experienced the practice of hot/cold alternation in the shower or taken in the challenge to try a cold plunge after a sauna?
How about experiencing a hot/cold stone massage, or even a heating pad and cool compress after a long day? What feedback does your body offer you?
A few of the benefits of this contrast therapy or thermal therapy may be relaxation, reduction in pain and inflammation, and stimulating circulation. This ping pong or pumping effect of the cold offers vasoconstriction and heat, offering vasodilation can reduce sore muscle, and stiffness, and invigorate the sleepy brain and body.
The art of thermal therapy can be a simple or elaborate practice to incorporate. Know your health and guidelines and refer to your doctor for what is appropriate based on your medical history.
Shelter: How do you utilize your resources to create a safe, secure, and nourishing shelter? What habits help or hinder you from creating a clean, organized, functioning space to live?
How willing and able are you to allow your temperature comforts to be honored? When there is a need for repair or maintenance, how skilled are you or where do you find resources to keep things in the best working order?
Do these add up and overwhelm until in dire straits or do you have a plan you follow? This can be a challenging topic. Be gentle with yourself. Coming back to the baseline of safety in this moment for some is the critical piece here.
We are all a work in progress, and this can range from living in your car or on the street, either by need or choice, to living in a mansion or group arrangement.
Your shelter may be owned, bought, rented, borrowed, or room mating with a short-term or longterm plan and may benefit from checking into your foundational beliefs and benefits.
Clothing: How are you self-caring with clean, dry, comfortable clothing, towels, jackets, shoes, weather-oriented articles of clothing like gloves, hats, or even warm weather protective clothing?
How does your body communicate when shoes or textures are uncomfortable? If you have texture sensitivities what are some ways that help you to be kind to your body's needs for certain adaptations?
This can be a big issue for many people and not everyone will understand this if they do not have the experience. This can come back to parenting or grandparenting yourself and also being willing to consider just because a tag or texture does not bother you, it may cause disturbance for another.
Sleep: How do you foster nourishing sleep habits or create the best sleep routine? Do you follow a bedtime routine and arrangements that work best for you? What is your ideal atmosphere? Do you take naps when needed?
What about accessories like pillows and blankets, lighting, earplugs, eye masks, CPAP, music or no sound, fan, extra blankets, heating pads or blankets, aromatherapy, clean sheets, door open or shut, window open or shut, blackout curtains or let the sunshine in or other nuances?
Do you feel better when you make your bed, or do you like it just how you left it?
Some people sleep better with others, with pets, or co-sleeping with children while others get better quality without additional vibes in the room or space. What works at one point in life may need to be adapted to the circumstances.
The challenge can often be related to limiting beliefs, fears, and even biological changes affecting our sleep.
How will you improve your sleep routine to honor the stage in life you are currently in?
Money, Work, Resources: These topics can be broken down further and focused on individually. Are you able to provide for your basic needs? How are you budgeting your money, debt, and resources to ease stress? Are you able to support your needs, wants, and desires? Have your priorities changed yet your habits may have not reflected this shift? Is your work fulfilling, rewarding, or nourishing to you? What changes may support you in the next week, month, or year?
Companionship: Humans have an intrinsic need for companionship. What does that look like, feel like, sound like to you? This is not a one-size-fits-all as there are introverts, extroverts, familyoriented, free-spirits, tons of friends, a few close besties, an entire social media network, or a few four-legged companions.
Who is your support team? Community? Friends? Family? Spiritual Family? Work-family? Church or organization family?
Are your closest relationships supportive, nourishing, and present in your life? Who do you call when in need of support?
Who calls you when they need support? How are those dynamics working or not working for you?
What relationships lift you? Are there people in your circle who are crazymakers and drama-seekers? Are you that person for others?
Do you feel comfortable creating or enforcing your boundaries with those you need to?
How can you be a positive companion for yourself? What is it like being in your own company? Where do you seek validation?
Do you have a friend who is the best inner child playmate, who can see your best and worst and love you anyway? Are you that friend for yourself or for another?
Consider painting your emotional response to a set of questions, or even a single thought.
“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”
Merton
Art Doula
Ancestors: I will add this here as sometimes our ancestors will be our companions from both the physical world and the beyond the physical world. For others, ancestors may represent a challenge with the root system. This could be an entire process on its own so for today, I offer a few pieces of contemplation. What arises with this topic?
One particular ancestor healing process comes to mind, as I have experienced many and resisted as many. I focused on forgiveness, which began with forgiving myself for not forgiving or knowing how. (Check out Ho’oponopono, the Hawaiian Prayer of Forgiveness, if this is an area you resonate with.)
In this particular session, I felt heavy burdens on my back and shoulders. It felt like it represented the beliefs, responsibilities, karma, and emotional debris I had been carrying on my back that I took on at some level.
Through this process, I was able to shift from carrying my ancestors on my
back to feeling the sensation of them supporting me and having my back as I follow my heart, soul work, and call to service in the world. The sensation in the body is similar, yet the shift in the level of consciousness is experienced in my body in a vastly different way.
Other examples of this are grief and loneliness or peace and love. When you consider grief, for example (both of my parents have passed on to the other side), I experience that longing from grief and loss; a heavy feeling in my chest and a catch in my throat can arise. When I can breathe with those sensations and connect with my heart and higher mind, the sensation in my heart and chest spreads and opens to a warmth I associate with peace and love.
Who might you be carrying or what emotion may need some time to fully be felt and invited to expand? When I can honor my feelings of grief and even release them with a good cry or jog down memory lane, I have an easier time accessing the love and gifts of those feelings.
“When I can breathe with those sensations and connect with my heart and higher mind, the sensation in my heart and chest spreads and opens to a warmth I associate with peace and love.”
Art Doula
Body: What is your relationship to your body? How nurturing are you to your body? What kinds of things do you love and appreciate about your body? What kinds of things frustrate you?
When you talk about your body, what are you saying? How do you listen to your body’s signals of discomfort, need for rest, food, or change?
Is there pain, injury, or challenges with your body you want to address, heal, and gather insight around?
Are there habits, patterns, or addictions that your body is asking for support, acceptance, forgiveness, love, rest or change?
Do you have a habit of pushing through until you hit the wall or burn out?
How can you take the first step to honor your body's needs, wants, and desires in a kind and compassionate way?
With this or any of these topics, there may be a deeper need for support to make changes when there is unconscious and subconscious programming at play. We can begin here with a new level of awareness and kindness.
Not all of this needs to shift overnight. Pause into the box breathing to notice what is happening in the body. The practice of awareness and contemplation along with bringing creativity and mindful breathing can be a powerful opportunity to shift mentally and even emotionally.
We may still need more integration and body-based practices in this honoring of the roots. This is an area where I work with trauma-informed therapeutic and intuitive bodywork to help find and shift this energy at the body level.
Reach out to practitioners, personal practice tools and support, an art journal or me to go deeper when you feel the call or need.
For now, bring the awareness forth with a dose of self-compassion and curiosity. Do not judge the judging and remember to use your box breathing or other breathwork practices as any discomfort arises so you can free up some energy in the energy and body connections.
Earth/Home/Time/Space: How safe, connected, and nourished do you feel on the planet Earth and this physical home of the time and space world we live in?
Are you on time? Late? Early? Do you have space in your world, home, body, and mind to nourish your essence in your body, home, world, and in your higher mind as a resource?
How grounded, safe, and secure do you feel? What establishes that for you currently? How willing are you to be
be here on the planet as your most authentic self? How willing are you to offer safe space for others to as well even when our version of truth varies?
What are your biggest fears arising or standing in the way of being fully present and embodied? What patterns of flight, fight, freeze, fawn, or fuck-it habitually play out?
Where do your opinions or preferences override inclusiveness? What are your values and beliefs? How may have they shifted in simply honoring these deeperrooted questions?
Wrapping it all up
What one area will you choose to spend some time with over the coming month, week, or days?
Draw or add that symbol to your red canvas now and any steps of inspiration or questions that arose or triggered more need to explore.
Offer yourself the box breathing once again with this area in mind. (Remember, moving your body in motion or via art expression can be a bonus support.)
It is not that you have an answer in each step, more like you are opening space for possibility, intuition, and higher self-wisdom. This will be a kind and supportive voice or feeling.
Art Doula
1
5
In the upper left corner of the box, inhale to the count of four. “What area am I called to work within the present moment?”
Move to the upper left corner of the box and inhale to the count of four. Repeat a few times if needed.
2
Move to the upper right corner and hold to the count of three. “What one piece is most present in this area for me right now?”
4
Move to the lower left corner and hold to the count of three. “What tools, resources, and wisdom can support me today with one baby step?”
3
Move to the lower right corner, and exhale to the count of six. “Other things I may work on later?” Limit this to one or two for now.
Celebrate and honor whatever part of this practice you dove into as an accomplishment to stir up and dig deeper roots.
Keep in mind to invite your higher wisest self to help you meet your selfcare needs. The inner child may not be the best grocery shopper for nutritious foods. The inner critic could derail what is important for you at this moment. Be mindful of what arises and take simple steps to take care of the basics with your higher self’s wisdom and perspective.
If any limiting beliefs, triggers, emotional disturbance, pain, memories, or challenges arise, be gentle with yourself. Know this is an area that may need some work and support.
Send yourself some love and gratitude for showing up to do this work for yourself. Set the intention to begin to listen and respond in new ways to your primal needs, your body, your inner child, and your sense of grounding and safety.
Seek support. Collaborate with your therapist, counselor, coach, trusted friend, or me, The Art Doula, to move energy and create new ground for the roots.
It is prime time to find a safe place within yourself .
A Question For Our Readers
Are environmental concerns important to you, say, in the top five things for which your life revolves? If so, what personal habits do you have that reflect this? If not, we’d love to know why. Not for the sake of arguing—there’s far too
much of that going around today. It’s a request to share a different opinion in a nonjudgemental space.
Send us a message on Facebook or drop us an email at: TheGoddesses@EdgeOfPerception.Org
Viewing Nature
From the eyes of a shaman
Dwight Harriman’s art graces the cover of this month’s magazine.
We spoke about his habits of greeting and connecting rivers, waiting for animals to communicate with him (when they choose) and the rewards of patience.
We adore his photography work as well as the wisdom he shares each month in his byline aptly titled, The Shaman’s Lens.
Take a moment with these images. Grab a cuppa, relax your jawlines and receive what images of nature offer we humans: the chance to soften and renew everything.
Here’s the original image used for the cover before Dwight expertly cropped and arranged it so we could see what he saw from the beginning. “Ants move too fast. But this one was testing each footing because of the slippery surface from the morning dew.”
When was the last time you looked at a bee’s wings from this view?
Decatur, GA
“I eavesdropped on this conversation until the clicking of my camera’s shutter earned me a rather exasperated look. They had been ignoring me for the most part, but eventually gave me a look that said, “Dude, give us some space.”
It was a courtship I witnessed for two hours. This isn’t how the conversation began, however.”
“It took two hours for them to reach that handholding stage. When I arrived, there was only one. Eventually, the second owl arrived, but kept at a distance for some time.
“Over the next hours, they moved close, spoke in many ways, touched, and then flew off as a pair. I took their engagement photos!” ***
“I was in Yellowstone and had a revelation. More. I need more. I’m supposed to have more of this in my life. I’m supposed to explore this country in a deeper way.
“I’m healing myself; a deeper level of healing.”
Yellowstone
“The bears were always in the distance. And in Yellowstone, you’re required to keep that distance.
But this wasn’t my fault. I was there, and then she was there, coming down to get a drink from the river. She was calm, focused.
She looked at me. I felt her calmness and didn’t panic.
She was chased off by the rangers shortly after this as she was too close to the humans. But we were able to interact for that brief moment.”
Near Home
“I enjoy looking deeply at things most walk by. You miss out when you don’t get down to their level. The light and reflection of the leaf drew me close. This is a place a faery would visit.”
Antlers,Light & Dark
“The play of light and dark drew me in. If your behavior affects the animal, you are too close, so I kept a respectful distance. I was pleased that what I saw actually came through.
Part of it is looking for interesting moments, and part of it is luck.”
Ease
Every coffee shop should have a deck and sit on the edge of a lake, which is where Dwight took this photo.
“The backlighting provided a unique moment. It captures his ease of flight. It reminded me that bigger birds soar. They don’t have to bat their wings for great lengths of time.”
Missed One
“I waited a long time for the eagle to take flight. I missed the shot. But it was not wasted time. I’ll do it again, for sure.”
Dwight is preparing to embark on a journey to visit more of the natural spaces left in our nation.
He’s hugging the south during the winter months, staring soon at a nature preserve in St. George Island. We hope to see more of his adventures, soon!
Spice Of Life
with Loralyn Elizabeth
My articles will highlight a few powerhouse herbs and spices each month to inspire your magical creations. By the end of the year, you'll have a compilation of ingredients to turn to for extra insight and manifestation. I hope these monthly additions will help you craft your kitchen witch’s Book of Shadows, one spellbinding recipe at a time.
Drinking Your Spell
Happy and Blessed New Year!
If you’re like me, you might still be dealing with lingering bad energy from the crabby folks who waddled into your orbit during the holidays. If so, it’s the perfect time to cleanse your space and mood. This year, I’ve turned my attention to a simple ritual with big impact: Rosemary-Cinnamon Infused Apple Cider. It’s cozy, delicious, and oh my goodness the smell permeates the house with loveliness.
New Year’s resolutions are just modern spells. I love a good cleansing spell, but I’m lazy this time of year! I need my manifestations to do double duty so I can get back on the couch with my blankie and reruns of Emily in Paris.
That’s right! I’m telling you; you can drink your resolutions! (Life is beautiful!)
Hot, steamy goodness-invoking drinks are also the perfect way to use up any leftover holiday spices or ingredients you have on hand. I mean, how many times do you use cloves?
I say grab a big box of instant apple cider so you’re stocked for the year, but don’t forget to pick up a jug of the fresh stuff while it’s in season.
You’ll appreciate having options! In my view, instant apple cider is better than no apple cider.
I like to make mine a little weaker to cut the sweetness but then amp up the flavor with spell-binding additions. (Tee hee! See what I did there). It’s a great way to save money and reduce sugar.
I like to add fresh apples, it adds much more apple-y apple-ness than you would imagine. Really, any leftover fruit you have handy will work.
Rosemary and cinnamon aren’t just tasty—they’re packed with magic.
• Rosemary is a mental clarity guru, keeping you sharp during those cold days.
• Cinnamon? Think of it as your spicy life coach. Also, cinnamon brings abundance and protection.
So, without further ado:
Rosemary-Cinnamon Infused Apple Cider
Ingredients:
• 4 cups apple cider (or unsweetened apple juice)
• 1 large cinnamon stick
• 1 cut-up apple (optional)
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2-3 whole cloves (optional)
• 1 small orange, sliced (optional, for extra depth)
• Honey or maple syrup, to taste (optional)
“Rosemary and cinnamon aren’t just tasty— they’re packed with magic.”
Instructions:
1. Combine ingredients: In a medium saucepan, add apple cider, cinnamon stick, rosemary sprigs, cloves, and orange slices if using.
2. Heat gently: Simmer the mixture over low heat for 15-20 minutes, letting the flavors infuse. Pay attention! Slow and steady here! Avoid boiling to keep the flavors subtle and balanced.
3. Strain and sweeten: Remove the rosemary, cinnamon, and cloves, then taste and add honey or maple syrup if desired. I pour through whatever strainer I have handy. If company is coming, I may get fancier and put it through a coffee filter.
4. Serve warm: Pour into mugs and enjoy.
Adding the Charm
Remember we talked about double duty? Here is how I bring in the ritual.
1. Continue with the enchanting language as you describe the rosemary sprig and cinnamon stick swirling like a “mini potion of perseverance” in your glass.
2. Each time you make the drink, maybe you add a small ritual like swirling the rosemary clockwise “for focus” or giving the cinnamon a little “cheers” as a symbolic toast to abundance.
3. Pepper in playful reflections on how each sip might be “a toast to sticking to the plan” and how rosemary’s “focus” powers keep your commitment strong.
As our days slow down, I offer a toast. Here’s to the rituals, humor, and the magic in the everyday. Whether you’re sipping rosemary-cinnamon cider or simply surviving the month, remember every sip is a spell, and every spell is a resolution to create a more joyful world.
My articles will highlight a few powerhouse herbs and spices each month to inspire your magical creations. By the end of the year, you'll have a compilation of ingredients to turn to for extra insight and manifestation. I hope these monthly additions will help you craft your kitchen witch’s Book of Shadows, one spellbinding recipe at a time.
Cinnamon: Often seen as a symbol of abundance, protection, and warmth, cinnamon has been used for centuries to attract prosperity and ward off negativity.
Rosemary: Known for clarity, memory, and focus, rosemary is often used in rituals for mental clarity and commitment.
Cheers to building a tasty and powerful year of magic!
EVERYDAY HEALING VIBES with Peggy Patty
What’s
the Vibe for 2025?
Are you entering a period of hope and revitalization? Or do you have a bit of hesitation regarding what will be manifested this year? Either way, singing along to charming melodies seems perfect to gently ease us into our 2025 calendar year.
You’re welcome to soak in the sound vibrations of three soulful chants. Allow them to inspire you to create your own meaningful songs, just for you!
Yes, I love to chant. No, I’m not a professional singer so chances are your singing along with me will be a lovely addition. Join with me!
You’re invited to take these empowering words into your heart as you chant with me in the audio clip.
1) “I Will Be Gentle With Myself” I will be gentle with myself. I will love myself. I am a child of the universe being born each moment.
2) “Everything Will Be All Right” by Kay Gardner Everything will be all right. Day is day and follows night. Everything will be all right. Darkness flows into the light.
3) “Weave And Spin” Weave and Spin. Weave and Spin. This is How the Work Begins. Mend and Heal. Mend and Heal. Take the Dream and Make it Real.
Sacred Ceremonies Of Transformation
With ELLIOTT CHALLANDES
In East-Asian Medicine, winter is associated with the Water Element. When the Water Element is out of balance it creates the emotion of fear. As the political power in the US is transitioning, many people are experiencing fear for their future and for the future of our country.
Mid-Winter Fear
Most of us can agree that our country is vastly divided.
This division is not only over issues and policy, but over an attitude toward the tone that our democracy should take.
The fact remains that it seems almost daily during this election cycle we were confronted with Hate Speech, Hate Crimes and other acts of violence. Unfortunately, this continues today.
This hate is often being seen as sanctioned and inspired by the new government and its leader. Many are expressing fear for personal freedoms and fear for their personal safety. Yet, this is fear of the unknown. We don’t know what policies will actually get changed. We don’t know what hate we will experience in our daily lives.
We don’t know if our neighbors who supported the new government will come to our house and attack us. Yes, there is the threat, but the full details are not yet known.
By anticipating all the worse-case scenarios of the unknown, we are needlessly creating more fear in our minds and bodies.
If you’re like me, my first postelection response was to quit reading the news and to develop the attitude of just keeping my head down for the next four years.
As time passes, I realize this may not be the best approach to reduce my fear and anxiety.
Fear of the unknown is the Water Element out of balance.
To counteract that, we need to draw on the Earth Element to ground, center, be in the moment, and to be nurtured.
“To counteract that, we need to draw on the Earth Element to ground, center, be in the moment, and to be nurtured.”
This will not fix our political strife, but it can aid us in feeling safe and proactive, instead of feeling vulnerable and reactive.
Here are a few suggestions to drawn up on Earth
Element and to create a sense of safety:
1. Ground and center yourself often.
2. Connect with the Earth and Nature.
3. Smudge your living environment with the intention of removing all negativity and inviting in love, peace and hope (see the ceremony on the next page).
6. Focus on the present moment. Do one thing at a time.
7. Do energy work on yourself. See, sense or imagine that your aura (bio-energetic field) is a barrier against hate and negativity. Let it give you a sense of safety and protection.
4. Surround yourself with likeminded people who are positive, supportive and loving. Create a community that makes you feel safe.
5. Do activities that nourish your mind, body and spirit: Exercise, read, get a massage or whatever works for you. I cannot stress enough how well bodywork will help!
8. Find your voice, but pick your battles.
9. Refuse to engage in debate with those you will never convince they are wrong.
10. Accept that you cannot control others, but can only control yourself.
11. Meditate on the positive, on gratitude, on love, etc.
Create A Personal Safe and Sacred-Space Ceremony
Gather these items:
• Sage stick, Palo Santo or incense to use for smudging.
• 7-day clear glass jar candle (I get these cheap at the Dollar Store)
• Permanent Marker
• Tourmaline stone or Rosemary (optional)
Open your entrance door, if you can do so safely. Light the smudge and start in the room that is farthest from the entrance of your living space.
Walk around each room with the smudge while envisioning all negative energy is being pushed out through your entrance door.
Create a mantra that you say outloud as you walk around and through each room.
Use your own words but say something like: “I banish all negative energy from this space” or “All bad vibes be gone and only positive ones remain.”
If your spiritual practice includes a deity, higher power or spirit guides then invite them to assist you. I do not get hung up on colors of candles or walking in a particular direction. But if these sorts of things aid you in your intent, then use them. In my opinion, there is never a wrong way.
“It’s all about your intention and your request to the Universe. The tools, props and aids you use are there to help intensify your intent. The power of ceremony resides within you.”
Once you have smudged your entire living space and ended up at the entrance, close the door (if you were able to open it). Place the optional tourmaline or rosemary above the door to prevent any negative or harmful energy from entering.
You have now created a neutral and cleansed safe and sacred space. However, since the Universe does not like a vacuum, you need to fill the space with all the positive things you want.
Take the permanent marker and write on the glass jar of the candle anything that you want to bring into your space. Consider writing Love, Peace, Safety, Protection, Abundance, Health, Calmness, Grounded and Centered, etc.
You may also consider things like Compassion, Understanding, Wisdom, Forgiveness, Gratitude, etc.
Write as many things as you want and then light the candle.
Walk through your entire space with the candle and recite all the things that you’ve written.
Again, find your own words, but they can be something like:
“I invoke/summon/request the positive light of love, protection and abundance to fill this space” or “I call upon the Universe to send protection, compassion, healing and positive energy to my home.”
Continue until you have walked through your entire home. Leave the candle lit and let it burn for a while.
For safety reasons, do not leave it burning unattended. It is fine to extinguish it and relight it again when you can monitor it. Burn the candle until it’s gone over the next week or so. Re-recite the invocation daily, or each time you re-light the candle.
Right now…
A Blessing of Presence
I am living in the present moment
I am focused on the here and now
Right now…
I feel connected to the Earth beneath my feet
I feel grounded and centered in my core
Right now…
I do not fear the unknown of the future
I do not fear what I cannot control
Right now…
I am safe in my sacred space
I am safe in my mind, body and soul
It is important to have our homes be a safe and sacred place. It is our sanctuary from the hate and harm of the outside world.
With all this said, if you are experiencing an act of violence or a hatecrime, please contact the authorities immediately.
Dwight Harriman
The Shaman’s Lens with
Dwight Harriman
I am one of thousands.
There are thousands of people in the world working to raise the consciousness of humanity. Some are in very traditional spiritual roles —the Imam, the rabbi, the preachers, the minister, the priest- that give as much as they can to help their fellow travelers, even if the larger groups they belong to are fading. There are those who spend all their time in prayer and meditation to help. There are many, like me, who work with the ancient ways, albeit with their own path.
One Of Thousands
I am one of thousands.
They work with the tools of modern medicine and with the most ancient of medicines.
They work with sound, with energy, with roots and plants, with guides, with ancestors, with Gods and Goddesses from throughout the world, with alien beings and UFOS, with drum and rattle, with music, with meditations, with nature, with ancient scriptures and with scriptures they just wrote, with safe, gentle touch, with tools made from stone, crystal, shell and feather, with modern tools made with plastic and computer chips.
I am one of thousands.
They read with cards, with the stars, with runes, with bones, with water, with mirrors, with fire, with plant helpers and without. They lead groups small and large in guided meditations, shamanic journeys and healing ceremonies. They are the First Peoples, maintaining their traditions in the face of overwhelming odds. They are those of the dominant culture who have discovered a better way. They are young, they are old, they work for peace, for the earth, for each other.
The Shaman’s Lens
I am one of thousands.
Like the acorns spread from a giant oak tree, there are hundreds of different seedlings sprouting up, all with their own gift. A few will become giants in their own right, most will help raise the spiritual awareness of humankind and then fade. My ego wants my work to become one of the giants, my soul just wants to help as many people as I can.
The Shaman’s Lens
There is much comfort in knowing that. When I get overwhelmed by the sadness and sorrow and pain in the world, I can remember the kindred spirits around me. When I stumble, others are there to lift me up and to do the work I cannot. I can, in turn, help others who stumble. When I die, there will be someone to take my place, to carry on.
I am one of thousands, Or millions, perhaps. I will work as hard and as long as I can to help the evolution of the collective soul of humanity. I believe we have incarnated now to help humans to level up, to become more. We’re at a critical juncture in our history as a species. We can learn to live with peace and love, treating everyone as a friend and a brother, or we will be one of the species that dies off in this great extinction.
One of the gifts I have been given is the absolute certainty that we will make it through this period and that a new era for humanity lies ahead.
Light
& Love,
Dwight
The Shaman’s Lens
Eye On THE WORLD
At this point, we all know the damage we are doing to this planet.
We understand that fossil fuels are causing change in climate: the storms are more severe, the weather more drastic, and the temperature is rising.
We also know that China produces the most energy. “I can’t fix that.”
We know that American oil companies pay for the election campaigns of many representatives. “I can’t fix that.”
What difference can I possibly make?
We know that there are a lot of Americans, and I mean a lot, who just don’t give a crap about it. “I can’t fix that.”
No. You can’t. You, standing there alone, looking at the facts, will make zero difference on a global scale if you turn your thermostat down two degrees in the winter.
“But something else is at work here. If the facts are the most important aspect for you, then make it about the numbers.”
But something else is at work here. If the facts are the most important aspect for you, then make it about the numbers.
You may not be a modern-day version of Ghandi, but remember that he was only able to act because a lot of other people— tiny voices whose names are lost to history—spoke up.
They createdopportunitiesfor chance/luck/divine intervention to take root.
It’s a numbers games—the more people who speak out, turn up their volume in numerous little ways, the more opportunities for a Ghandi to show up.
Rosa Parks was but one of numerous Civil Rights activists who were not budging from bus seats and deli counters. Yet her action was noted, one event in a sea of events, and grabbed hold of the media’s attention.
Why her? Why her action and not the others doing the same thing?
Play the numbers game and give fate a chance to find footing.
Your signature may be the last one that a young state congressman needs to stand before his peers and shout, “There are ten thousand people in this community wanting answers!”
Your comment with a group of friends may be overheard by someone at another table, and that person, who knows a person who knows the right person, starts digging because you planted a seed of an idea in their mind.
Don’t give up. Be counted among the nameless masses who create opportunities for change to root and grow.
Never was a phrase more true:
“The only thing necessary for evil to triumph in the world is that good men do nothing . ”
Eye On THE NATION
COASTAL REGIONS:
What is bubblingover where you live?
California: Wildfires, coastal erosion, water scarcity, air pollution from traffic congestion
Florida: Sea level rise, coastal erosion, harmful algal blooms, saltwater intrusion
Oregon: Coastal erosion, ocean acidification, logging practices, wildfire risk
Washington: Salmon decline, marine pollution, logging practices, air quality issues
MIDWEST:
Illinois: Agricultural runoff, water quality issues in the Great Lakes, air pollution from industrial sites
Iowa: Farm runoff, water quality issues in the Mississippi River, soil erosion
Michigan: Invasive species in the Great Lakes, water quality issues, industrial pollution
Wisconsin: Agricultural runoff, water quality issues in the Great Lakes, wetland loss
SOUTHERN REGION:
Texas: Air pollution from industrial sites, water quality issues, oil spills, extreme weather events
Eye On THE NATION
Louisiana: Coastal erosion, wetland loss, oil spills, hurricane damage
Georgia: Water quality issues, deforestation, urban sprawl
Florida: See Coastal States list
WESTERN STATES:
Arizona: Water scarcity, drought, desert ecosystem disruption, urban sprawl
Colorado: Water scarcity, drought, wildfire risk, mountain ecosystem disruption
Nevada: Water scarcity, drought, groundwater depletion, desert ecosystem disruption
Utah: Water scarcity, air quality issues, land development in sensitive areas
NORTHEASTERN REGION:
New York: Air pollution, water quality issues in the Hudson River, coastal erosion
New Jersey: Coastal erosion, water pollution, industrial pollution
Massachusetts: Coastal erosion, air quality issues, overfishing
Maine: Coastal erosion, overfishing, forest management
Eye On MY HOME
The EPA emphasizes that the single most important thing people can do in their homes for the environment is to reduce energy consumption.
By using energy more efficiently, individuals can lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduce their carbon footprint, and conserve natural resources.
Here are some key actions you can take. Check off the ones you can implement.
Improve Energy Efficiency: Install energy-efficient appliances and LED lighting
Seal drafts and insulate your home to reduce heating and cooling needs
Use a programmable thermostat to optimize energy usage
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Avoid single-use items
Purchase products made from recycled materials
Wear appropriate seasonal clothing and set the thermostat accordingly
It’s worth your time.
RUTH SOUTHER - TarotWisdom
Ruth Souther is a metaphysical and natural arts practitioner in Springfield, IL. She is a Master Shamanic Breathwork Facilitator, Master Reiki Practitioner, Hypnotherapist, Ritualist, Priestess, and Minister. She holds a Master’s in Shamanic Intuitional Practices and a Doctorate of Shamanic Psychospiritual Studies and is an Initiated Priestess
She facilitates Vega’s Path Elemental Priestess, Universal Priestess, and Elemental Mystery School, a new addition as of 2024, which takes her Priestess Path program to Nashville and Teotihuacan, Mexico.
She authored The Heart of Tarot (an intuitive guide to the cards), Vega's Path: The Elemental Priestess, and three novels: Death of Innocence, Surrender of Ego, Rise of Rebellion, and many more stories are percolating her mind.
She is a facilitating member of The Edge of Perception (NFP spiritual organization) and, along with other members, creates a safe space to offer rituals and ceremonies.
In the summer months, you'll find her in Michigan at a family-owned cottage on Lake Gilead, surrounded by kids, grand and great-grandkids, and many cousins. It's her happy place where creativity flows just as the water ripples.
At home, another lake beckons her to boat, kayak, and enjoy all the wildlife that wanders, flies, or creeps into the yard and waterways. A cold beer on a hot day, floating on the pontoon with family and friends aboard the boat, is the most delicious way to spend a day
Reach Ruth at ruthsouther52@gmail.com www.vegaspath.com or www.Facebook/vegaspath
Edge of Perception | Springfield IL | Facebook
Ruth Souther | Facebook
Ruth is a contributing author and board member/Chief Editor of Crystal Heart Imprints an independent cooperative press supporting and guiding authors and artists in their creative projects.
MICHELLE ANGONE- MagickalMusings
An author, editor, ritualist, and card reader who offers classes, workshops, and spiritual counseling. She is a lifelong student of the mysteries. Above all else, she is a Wife, a Mother, and a Nana. michelleangone@yahoo.com edgeofperception.org
Amanda Cornett is an ordained shamanic minister, licensed massage therapist, and the voice behind The Pondering Priestess. With a deep commitment to healing and spiritual growth, Amanda blends her work as a teacher with her passion for guiding others toward transformation and self-discovery.
As a dedicated practitioner with Vega's Path, Amanda teaches the Priestess Process, helping individuals connect with their inner power and heal on all levels. Her writing reflects her compassionate, Scorpio nature, offering insights into spirituality, personal growth, and emotional wellness.
Based in Tennessee, Amanda integrates energy healing with her massage therapy practice to support holistic well-being. Through her column and healing work, she strives to meet others with understanding and compassion, guiding them on their own journeys of empowerment and peace.
Learn more at amandacornett.com.
TERI FREESMEYER– TheArtDoula
Teri’s specialty is Intuitive Integrative Bodywork. This trauma-informed holistic and body-based energy psychology offers ground-up practices for whole-being integration. Teri has followed her divine guidance to explore her innate skills in the metaphysical and shamanic realms.
She is an artist, speaker, writer, and retreat facilitator online and in person. “I tune into my Divine Guidance for information from your higher self to customize and guide each coaching, bodywork, or energy reading session.”
Teri serves as a Transformation Game Facilitator © and an Intentional Creativity Teacher (c) using the creative arts and intuitive medicine painting as a powerful self-empowerment healing tool.
Teri is the creatrix of The ART of Receiving and Transforming Energy Academy, an online course supporting others to learn and develop their innate skills and gifts. Teri offers her coaching skills as The Art Doula to guide you into birthing new levels of your essence into form.
Contact info: terifreesmeyer@gmail.com
Website: TeriFreesmeyer.com
Workshop info: Contact me to join my mailing list.
Upcoming events: Join me via Zoom on the first Tuesday of every month @ 7 pm CST for a collective community Transformation Game© Workshop. Firsttimers attend for free. Monthly fee, $33. No RSVP is required. You must contact me to get an invitation for the Zoom link.
The Art Academy Saturday Retreats will be back on Zoom, in February 2025.
ELLIOTT CHALLANDES –SacredCeremoniesOfTransformation
Elliott Challandes is the owner of A Healing Place Springfield providing integrative, complementary and alternative medicine. He is a Certified Practitioner by the American Organization of Body Therapies of Asia and specializes in Zen Shiatsu, which combines the benefits of acupuncture, massage and chiropractic care all in the same session (see more about Shiatsu), as well as a Licensed Massage Therapist
Additionally, he is Certified in the John F. Barnes' method of Myofascial Release, a Usui Reiki and Karuna Reiki Master/Teacher and a Certified Consulting Hypnotist. Elliott provides sessions offering complementary and alternative medicine which promotes holistic health, pain relief, injury recovery, deep relaxation and the integration of mind, body and spirit.
As a Zen Shiatsu Practitioner, Elliott’s treatments assist in releasing stagnation, increasing blood and fluid flow, all while allowing your body to open and expand. Shiatsu treats a variety of issues and conditions, including musculoskeletal concerns, diverse organ dysfunctions (digestion, autoimmune, sleep, energy levels, etc.) and of course, it promotes general well-being and relaxation
As a Certified Consulting Hypnotist by the National Guild of Hypnotists, Elliott has received specialized training certificates in PTSD, Relaxation, Phobias, Grief, and Smoking Cessation Elliott's approach is client-centered, putting you and your level of comfort at the forefront. You will always be aware and in control of your session. He will take the time to discuss with you what the reality of hypnosis is, how it works and what to expect.
As a Reiki Master / Teacher, Elliott has been trained in both Usui Reiki and Karuna Reiki® (Registration #85477) and is an Affiliate Member of the International Center for Reiki Training. Often he will combine the warm gentle energy of Reiki with a simple meditation to achieve a deeper state of relaxation which allows your body to heal, revitalize and rejuvenate.
Elliott holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Illinois College, a Master of Arts degree from the University of Cincinnati, a Zen Shiatsu Practitioner Certificate from Zen Shiatsu Chicago and a Doctor of Divinity Degree from the Sanctuary of Formative Spirituality . He has practiced for over 25 years in the areas of guided meditation, relaxation / stress reduction, goal manifestation, personal development and complementary medicine. He often facilitates exercises, workshops and events that promote self-health and the integration of mind, body and spirit in the community
LORALYN DULEY– SpiceOfLife
Loralyn Elizabeth, an author with a unique perspective on life, has established herself as a voice of creative introspection and exploration. Her blog, "DYA," is a testament to her commitment to living life distinctively, inspired by the quote from Neale Donald Walsch: "Today the earth is populated with billions of people desperately hoping to 'get somewhere,' but having
having no idea of where they’re going” This ethos is embedded in her writing, where she delves into personal growth, self -discovery, and “Punching Today in the Face.”
Loralyn's literary work is exhibited by her books "(Amazing): Mostly True Stories From a Fake Guru," and "More (Amazing) Adventures of Mimi Bayczyk," because once you have a great book title, you don’t mess with it. These encapsulate her knack for blending humor with insightful musings, presenting readers with a rejuvenating take on navigating the weirdness of life. The book has raked in rave reviews for its engaging narrative and thought-provoking content, mainly because Loralyn bribed all her friends with promises of pizza and eternal friendship to write them.
Additionally, Loralyn has contributed to the educational field with her coauthorship of "Microsoft Office 2010: Productivity Strategies for Today and Tomorrow."
Professionally, she is a marvelous instructional designer with a background in curriculum development, instructor training, and adult learning.
PEGGY PATTY –EverydayHealingVibes
Peggy was born on an Indiana farm where she delighted in playing with the abundance of kittens in the woods and collecting shiny stones from the meandering creek.
She’s been a Reiki Master for over 25 years. For many years she organized reiki volunteers to offer free sessions to patients and caretakers at the Simmons Cancer Institute in Springfield, Illinois.
Peggy’s passionate about sharing the rejuvenating power of music and vibrational sound throughout the Midwest for 25 years. She facilitates monthly SoundBaths, Crystal Bowls Meditations, and drum circles in central Illinois. She presents Healing Vibrational Sound workshops at state and national women’s conferences, including the National Women’s Music Festival and the Illinois Women in Leadership Symposium.
Peggy Patty also offers Individual and Couple Sound Vibrational Sessions
She’s been offering instruction to medical students in the Southern Illinois School of Medicine’s Integrative Medical course on the Power of Sound Vibrations for several years.
Even though Peggy holds many Healing Vibration training certificates, her reverence is the highest for her many Sound mentors who encourage her to, “Let the Sound teach you.”
She obtained a B.S in Social Work and Masters in Human Services in 1975. Working in the women’s movement inspired her to obtain a Law Degree. The next thirty years she spent advocating for victims of violence against women in not-for-profit organizations in Illinois, plus was a sought-after Illinois trainer.
As an Assistant State’s Attorney in Illinois, she prosecuted felony domestic violence cases, including attempted murder. As Director of the Legal Institute at the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, she provided legal assistance to victim shelters across Illinois.
Peggy appreciates people clarifying any illusion of where they stand in the world. New awareness is always possible
Connect Peggy on Facebook at EarthBeat Healing Vibrations or by email at earthbeat3@gmail com
DWIGHT HARRIMAN–TheShaman’sLens
Dwight has been a mystic all of his life. He has been formally practicing as a shaman for over 25 years, deepening his relationship with Nature and Spirit through a melding of various paths
Called by visions as a child, his early mystical leanings ripened through long-time recovery work, his studies of religion, the study of anthropology, and through his shamanic practice. He sharpened his intuition with Tarot cards and is a Reiki master.
Dwight earned his degree in anthropology with honors from Georgia State University. He studied for years with different shamans, including an apprenticeship with elder, shamanic healer, and visionary Peter Calhoun.
Dwight has worked with thousands of people in private sessions, in workshops, and in his Shamanism 101 classes, which he designed to make shamanic practices accessible to everyone. Each one has a journey or meditation able to deepen a person’s relationship to Spirit and to themselves. Class titles include Past Life Spelunking, Meet Your Dragon, Shed Your Skin (to give up limiting beliefs), Council Fire (to meet your Spirit guides) and Meet Your Higher Self.
As the Atlanta Shaman, Dwight’s greatest joy is helping people shed limiting beliefs and step into their own personal power. He believes everyone has gifts they can share with the world. He delights in helping people find and develop these gifts.
He loves nature and works outdoors as much as possible He mines crystals and creates wonderful and powerful shamanic tools with them The same insightful eye that makes him such a good shaman has recently led him to create amazing nature photography.
Contact Dwight through www.atlantashaman.com or dwight@atlantashaman.com. View his photography at www.dwightharrimanphotography.com.
AMANDA WANLESS–FindingTheMagicInTheMundane
Amanda Wanless, also known as The Wandless Witch, is an intuitive reader and writer exploring the intersection of everyday life and spiritual discovery.
Amanda Wanless is a Licensed Massage Therapist, Reiki Master/Teacher, and ordained minister through The Sanctuary of Formative Spirituality. Her professional journey spans over 15 years, beginning with massage therapy in 2008 However, her connection to spiritual practices started much earlier, in 1998, when she first embraced her witchy path and began exploring holistic healing and self-awareness Over the years, Amanda has cultivated a rich practice focused on awareness, healing, empowerment, and wellness
Amanda offers services by appointment, including massage therapy, Reiki, and sound therapy for physical and energetic healing. She also provides intuitive tarot readings, mediumship, and customized ceremonies or rituals tailored to her clients’ needs.
As The Wandless Witch, Amanda leads transformative workshops and classes throughout the year. These include Reiki training (Levels 1 through Master), Candle Magick, Intuitive Art Activation, Vega’s Path Elemental Priestess Process, and other metaphysical practices that empower participants on their spiritual journeys.
Amanda’s approach is rooted in the belief that true healing begins from within. She works closely with clients to address their unique needs, guiding them toward achieving their goals and manifesting meaningful change.
To learn more or schedule a session with Amanda, please email thewandlesswitch@gmail.com or visit her website at www.thewandlesswitch.com.
