Blessed Litha

Blessed Litha, or as I call it: Midsummer (a few days late)!

Celebrating another turn of the Wheel with Summer Solstice celebrations means gathering late into the night, burning the brush in a bonfire, releasing the shit in the way of an awesome harvest season. Some call it Midsummer, Summer Solstice or Litha or Leetha, as others pronounce it. I could not get a clear pronunciation of it. I found an Irish speaker who said Litha, but Wiccans will sometimes say Leetha. Ultimately, the word for the holiday comes from the Anglo-Saxon name for the month of June — Ǣrra-Līða. That essentially translates to “the first liða” — and July is effectively named “the second liða.”

I am holding an online healing circle and guided shamanic journey with dragon in honor of Midsummer! You can find more information here.

ch-ch-changes...and growth and little deaths

To be honest, I have been struggling to write, like I’ve been struggling to sleep and not sleep. I thought I had some kind of deep illness and my cancer was back a few weeks ago, because I couldn’t get up and go. I had to nap—once, twice, three times a lady. I called my primary care physician and asked her to test me for anything that causes fatigue—anemia, infection, mono, Lyme disease…anything. Turns out there is nothing wrong with me.

But all I want to do is sleeeeeeep…and rest me eyes, like a pirate on holiday on a deserted island.

Maybe it is depression, then I was like, of course it is depression. So, yeah, that is the conclusion I came to. It is situational as my life has been chaotic this year. During my yearly tarot pull, I have been using the Alleyman’s Tarot, which is my current favorite deck…Goddess bless, that deck is perfect. (Sidenote: the Alleyman pulled cards from all kinds of decks to make one chaotic, strange, and totally insightful deck of mismatched cards and cohesive interpretation. I pledged on a whim on his Kickstarter, and fell in love with it when it came.) This is a deck with an insane amount of Death cards, or Death-like cards, and out of the 9 cards I pulled, 6 of them were Deaths or Death Adjacent, like a card called Bone Fire, which is equivalent to the Tower. As a Tarot Reader, you sort of start laughing and shaking your head. By the end of the reading, you can only say, “What. The. Fuck. Seriously?” Or “I am fucked, seriously.” Or some combination of those words.

Then February came, and the bomb dropped in my life, and I go—okay, Angelica Maria de las Vulturas, you picked the word Change for the year, then pulled Death 9 times, and you are surprised that devastation is here? You asked for it. The truth is, I root for Death when my clients come to see me—it is about release and letting go of the dead things, but when Death comes for me, I freak out. “Why do things have to change?” I whine at the same time I am lighting the fire on the bridge of life. Don’t get me wrong, I love to be on the other side of change. I love when things shift and evolve and grow to meet me. Everything that has happened to me in life has led me to the place I needed to go.

One of my favorite sayings is Stop Watering Dead Plants. And as a plant lady, I have watered plants past their death, begging like Kisa Gotami to bring back my baby. I have watered so many dead things, like Persephone, praying my Goddess of Spring era works in the underworld only to see flowers die from being overwatered, then the water keeps coming and coming and coming, until the whole of Hades is flooded.

Things are changing. They needed to change. I just hate not know how it will look at the end of the changing.

I must change too. I have babied myself, nurtured me, taken deep care to rest me, and nap me, and feed me good things. But all that time away from work, made me realize that I miss work. I miss holding space for people in real life, or sitting with a client and pulling cards, drawing on their beautiful spirit and desires. I love distant work too, which puts me in contact with so many amazing humans around the world.

But the act of Death and change and transformation is ultimately an act of creativity. Resurrection is all the rage. Transformation, death, creativity, art, and rebirth that is kind of my vulture-like jam. And by jam, I mean, I want it on every little bit of toast that I eat. I want that jam on surround sound. Creativity breathes and moves. It draws people in and connects us more deeply that anything else…think of your favorite song or poem or painting and all the other people who connect through that world…we need art and creative energy. I need art and creative energy like water.

Maybe I have been feeling like a “mostly dead” plant, because you can start watering a mostly dead plant, and slowly watch the green come back. Yes, maybe some brown and dried leaves will be gone forever, but if you repot, give her some new soil, attention, sunlight, care, love, and just the right amount of water, the plant will thrive.

I am burying the lead again, as I am wont to do, but all of this is to say I have some news. I am opening my in-person practice again at Alta View Wellness Center. I will be taking over the lower level classroom to see clients, do readings, and sell some items in a retail space. My idea is to have more handmade, recycled, used, and upcycled items than new. I thought that a metaphysical thrift shop would be ideal for me to handle. I won’t be open everyday all day, but have weekly hours that are semi-regular on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but I will also open by appointment if needed. I will post weekly hours on my website and on my FB page.

But right now, it is just slowly coming together, but I am planning a Grand Opening celebration-y thing on May 3rd where my shop will be open 10 am to 2 pm. At Noon, I will do a guided meditation, then go into a Tarot Gallery, reading for whoever is there. I hope to see you there. This event is free, and my ten-year-old son Zachary will have a bake sale/pop-up café at the shop to raise money for Four Diamonds Mini-thon, which empowers K-12 students to raise funds and awareness to help conquer childhood cancer. Actually, Four Diamonds covers 100 percent of all medical expenses related to cancer care not covered by insurance for eligible Four Diamonds children. Because of the community’s steady and generous support, Four Diamonds has assisted 100 percent of the childhood cancer patients who have been treated at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital. Zach is a Mini-THONs leader, so he is spearheading this, and I am excited for him.

I have an RSVP if you are reading this and might be able to come. Just click here:

So, that’s what I have been up to. No worries, distant clients and members of the Moon + Stone membership, I am still going to be there for you too. I am still doing monthly Full Moon and New Moon readings, sharing the earth medicine knowledge and holding my weekly coffee + cards circle on Monday morning. If you want to join the Membership Group, check out all the deets on the Membership page

One change that might affect you is that I have set up my online scheduler to accept in-person clients as well as distance clients. So, check in and make sure you are scheduling the correct appointment, but otherwise, I am so excited to be reconnecting in person with clients and watering myself just enough. Schedule an appointment with Angie at this link.

Much love,

Angie

Episode 75: The Wicked Women of Greek Mythology

Ever wonder why stories of women in mythology and religion so often paint them as the villains? From Pandora opening the jar of evils to Medusa's transformation into a monster, these tales shape cultural narratives that endure today.

In this episode, Angie dives into ancient Greek mythology to unpack how women like Pandora, Medusa, and Circe have been scapegoated for humanity's woes—and how feminist perspectives reclaim their stories as symbols of curiosity, defiance, and resilience. We’ll explore the gods’ messy, human-like flaws, Zeus's power plays, and Hera’s complicated transformation from a powerful pre-Greek goddess to a vengeful Olympian queen. This is part one of a series on “Wicked Women,” examining how patriarchal storytelling turns women’s strength into cautionary tales.

Want Angie to cover Adam, Eve, Lilith, and the Abrahamic traditional takes on women next? Let her know! Email, DM, or comment—because these stories deserve a closer look.

Helpful Links:

Follow for more myths, misunderstood women, and stories that challenge how we think about history and culture! 🌿✨

Episode 73: Q+A Episode on Existentialism, the Meaning of Life + the Gospels according to Angie

Click here to access Episode 73 on Spotify.

On this week’s episode, I am answering some questions from my listeners, and they ended up being long. Little did they know they hit on some of my special interests as a neurodivergent religion + philosophy nerd. (hello, sailor!) Here are the questions and time where you can find them:

Question 1 : (at 4:35)

from Becky Davis, ACM

How do we find meaning when our day-to-day lives feel empty?

Question 2 : (at 29.06)

from Lee Ann Huebner

This is something I've been meaning to research forever.

When did the quote in the Bible from Jesus saying he was the only way to God first show up? Cause I'm not buying it. One it doesn't seem like something he would say and why would God exclude much of the human souls on this planet with a one line quote.

I also discuss Spirit of Oneness in Harrisburg PA, hosted by Sharon Muzio of Alta View Wellness Center. You can find more information at ⁠http://spiritofonenessevent.com . It takes place Saturday, October 5th from 10am to 6pm and Sunday, October 6th from 10am to 5pm.⁠

If you want to ask a question or comment, or have an idea for a future episode, or want to be on a future episode, send me an email at angie@themoonandstone.com.


Shamanic Journey with a Skull

Through my time as an earth medicine practitioner, I have developed intimate relationships with the crystals and tools that have come to me. I consider myself an Earth Medicine Keeper, meaning that I often will find medicine of the Earth, like feathers, bones, skulls, crystals, tools, artwork, and altar pieces. I am exceedingly good at hypervigilance when I am out and about in the world, probably one of those residuals from trauma that serves me in my field. I notice small movements, like animals on the forest floor. I point out the toads, salamanders, birds, feathers, and animals camouflaged in their natural habitats. I find patterns in the things, which is an excellent skill set for finding a four-leaf clover, which I am also very good at. This isn’t even a humble brag, this is a brag brag. Because, let’s face it, sometimes it is good to know what you are good at. Being able to see a discrepancy in the force offers me a opening to gather medicine for my clients. Side note: I am also awesome at this at Yard Sales, Thrift Shops and antique malls for all those interested in a buddy or shopper.

I find many pieces for my work in the most unlikeliest of places. I take them home, and clean them. I house them, and consistently cleanse, clear and clean until they are ready for meditation or journey work. Then I journey with the piece to find out how I can best work with this medicine and how it wants to work with me. Sometimes I pass the medicine on, if it was meant for a client. I actually am starting to resell, recycle, and upcycle my finds for my online shop.

So, what is a shamanic journey? Well, journey is a practice best described as a lucid trance state. In the alpha state, it's akin to meditation. In the theta state, the deeper level of transmission, more akin to the dream state. In this way, we visualize and communicate with our medicine and guides much more easily. Intelligence comes through the sensory processes and is later interpreted cognitively.

My questions are often the same ilk—why did you come to me? Are you personal medicine or medicine I will use with clients? What messages do you have? How would you like me to work with you? How can I best honor you and keep you?

In Spring of 2023, my bestie Sharon Muzio and I took a trip to Columcile Megalith in Bangor, Pennsylvania. It is a standing stone Celtic park that is not only beautiful, but sacred and holy. It was an awesome weekend away, and we decided to check out a few crystal shops in the area, as you do when you are witchy bad asses with a rainy day. I found this incredible shop called Celestial Journeys in Stroudsburg, PA. It seems to be permanently closed now, which is so sad, because she had an incredible selection of crystals and offerings.

I went in there looking for nothing, and then we made eye contact with a skull that was white. It looked like bone, almost. When I saw it, I thought it looked like Ocean Jasper, definitely in my top five crystals of all time. One of the things I love about Ocean Jasper is its connection to the Earth, and healing work. Each piece is entirely different from another, but they often have markings that  look like cells almost. I kept walking back over to it in the case, not touching it yet, but just watching it. The consciousness of it felt palpable. I couldn’t not think of this skull as I walked around the store. Finally, I went back and asked the owner Janine what it was. She told me it was fossilized coral.

Hmmm…interesting.

Fossilized coral skull. Of course, the little corals are going to look like bones. I assumed it had limestone with it, and my goodness, it was so cool. I decided this was Spirit urging me to connect with a Crystal Skull.

Now, I did have a skull at the time—a black Obsidian skull that I worked with for ancestral healing work, and my altars for Ancestor. My beautiful friend Lisa D’Arrigo sent me a gorgeous little Cherry Jasper skull that I worked with when I was healing from my double mastectomy in 2021. But this Skull felt different, like it was here to teach and work with me.

I didn’t immediately jump into journey with the Skull. I spent the days preceding my journey day prepping. I made baños. Cleared and cleansed with skull with drum, rattle, and burning herbs. I set aside a whole day for journeywork, and this was part of that day. I took a long ceremonial bath in dead sea salt water and prepared for a long journey with the Skull. I brought it to my bed, and set myself up with pillows and Icaros, the Central and South American songs used during Ayahuasca and other medicine. journeys. Now, one of my goals was to develop a relationship with the medicine—specifically with the skull.

Every skull keepers I know who have deep meaningful relationships with their skulls seemed to know their name, their medicine, channeling the wisdom of the Crystal Skull. So, that was one of my questions: What is your name? Then deeper:

  • What work do you want to do through me?

  • Why did you come to me?

  • Are you personal medicine or medicine I will use with clients?

  • What messages do you have?

  • How would you like me to work with you?

  • How can I best honor you and keep you?

As I began, I seemed plunged into a world with many layers and levels, different outlooks, but it was all fluorescent and changeable. And I continued to try to be grounded in a journey on the land, but it was somewhere between ether and space. It reminded me of the movie Tron. But as I explored, and frustratingly was trying to direct my journey, I kept asking the question, I am here to know your name. Tell me what Medicine you have for me. It was just the Icaros and the place that could be very large or very small.

Why are you asking me my name?

The Skull began speaking. And it continued as colors and shapes, nebula and sacred geometry was all around me. “I used to have a whole universe in me and you are asking if I have a human name.”

Suddenly, I could see all this nebulous color and shape come into focus. It was a coral reef, so deep and long and intricate. It was like watching a movie on speed 4x, except the 4 were years, millennia, really. I could see the life cycle of plants and anemones and fish—their babies, their babies’ babies, birth, life, mate, death, and then birth, life, mate and death, over and over and I could see the eating of fish my other fish and the gentleness of the animals in and around the coral. The whole of the coral reef was a universe where certain fish and plants spent their whole life. The Skull repeated itself, “I used to be an entire universe. You can never fully grasp what that means. You can never understand with your ways unless you want to. You humans just want to possess things. You take me out the Earth, cut me out of the womb again, after my life cycle being a universe, from the place where I lived, and then you take me and carve me into your image and ask me my name, like I am happy to be here looking like a human.”

“You shaped me to be you. You carved me in your image, to look human, but I am anything but human. I had a universe in me and around me the likes you will never understand and you dare to ask me what my human name is. I am everything. I am the Earth. I am the universe..”

At first, I had that sarcastic defeating Gen X voice in me, “Figures I’d get the angry little skull.”

The Skull continued to talk, “You are asking the wrong questions. You are asking me my name. How you work with me? These are petty human concerns.” I could still see the coral extending out into the sea, and housing all the life cycles.

What the skull taught me is that Earth Medicine isn’t us, we cannot project our humanness onto the Earth. It doesn’t have a consciousness like ours. The Earth doesn’t pull things out of its environment and expect it to thrive and teach and be wise and understand humanity. The Coral taught me about community and interconnectedness, and showed me, more than meditation or writing about (which I had to do for my Level 3 shamanic training) ever could communicate—we must dismantle the myth of separation. Not only is the Coral the Sea, but it is also the Earth. It is the fish it housed. It is the salt, the plants, the limestone. It is me. It is you.

My line of question was very me-centeric. I was asking the questions about what I had just bought, That in and of itself was problematic to him. When I asked, what's your name? How do you want to work with me? It was all me, me, me, me. I wanted a cool story. I wanted to channel the medicine. But the Skull was like, all righty, well, let's get you in line here. And it was interesting. He showed me the universes that exist on the Earth, and that right now, you are no different Angie. There are universes around all things.

I am a human. I wanted what I wanted when I wanted it. And he was basically saying, this is how you work with me. Learn about me, learn about the earth. I am the medicine of the earth. So, in the end, this tempermental coral skull was not moody at all, but honest and wise. He teaches me every day about how to work with the earth medicine and not how to possess it or use it and be an ally to it. We are in service to the medicine, not the other way around. Humility and walking the beauty way can help soften tough relationships with the medicine and the Earth, which continues to struggle with heat and climate change. I was asking its name, but that was decidedly the wrong question. The question I should be asking is Would you please show me the way of the Earth?

In the end, that is what I do. I'm an earth medicine practitioner and I was asking a Coral Skull, “In what ways are you human? How do you be more human? What kind of human ways can you help me with?” But that is not the medicine of the Earth—it about the wisdom of the animal, the plant, the plant.

As I have explored my unnamed Crystal Skull, I researched coral, because of course, I did. Cool Coral factoids:

  • Coral grow by biomineralization, a process that starts when the young coral polyp uses seawater to create calcium carbonate crystals.

  • Corals worldwide, no matter if they live in the ocean or in a tank, bloom at the same time. They communicate no matter where they are in the world.

  • Coral reefs only take up 0.0025 % of the earth's surface but they, along with other marine organisms are responsible for producing 50% of the earth oxygen.

  • They also absorb nearly one-third of the carbon dioxide generated from burning fossil fuels.

  • Synchronized mass coral spawning typically occurs several days after a full moon once a year.

I bought my Skull and continue to build a deep relationship with its medicine. He comes in one form or another in every session I have. I mostly keep him on my altar and honor his medicine. As we have softened and taught me more about working with the Earth, our work together seems one of the most important medicine journeys ever.

Do you have a skull? Tell me about it in the comments! Also, let me know how you loved Skull Week, and I can’t wait to explore more topics with you. If you love my deep dives, consider asking me a question to cover in my next podcast episode, which is a Q&A episode. Send your question via email either written or you can send an audio file to angie (at) themoonandstone (dot) com.

Spirit Journey with Skull

I am so honored to welcome a piece by Julie Taylor, ACM. Julie and I got to know each other through Hibiscus Moon Crystal Academy. Later she studied Tarot through the Moon + Stone Healing Academy and joined my weekly circle. Since then, she has become one of the moderators at the Moon + Stone Healing Academy’s Facebook page and one of the contributors here on our site.

Julie is a certified Advanced Crystal Master and Reiki Master. She's a lover of words and moon magic. She received her bachelor's in professional writing and associate's in early childhood education and practices crystal reiki on herself and with others. She lives in sync with moon cycles and seasons and practices her witchery in the Las Vegas Valley of Nevada. She's the author of the children's book, Blue Hissy Highness and the Shiny Stones, founder of StoneSpelling.com, a new community for sharing witchery, curator of the Private Facebook Group, Stone Spelling & Witchery, is a moderator for the Moon + Stone Healing Academy Facebook group, and is a contributor here at the Moon + Stone Healing Academy.

Follow Julie Taylor on Stone Spelling

Trigger Warning: Touches on topic of death

Skulls, the spirit of them, have called to me. In years past, I’ve noticed them in crystal stores, seen them around Halloween time, and noticed them around Day of the Dead. But I hadn’t yet felt the urge to buy one or spend time learning about them enough to open to what they might mean to me--until this year. Now that I think back, I think skull spirit started calling to me late last winter.

More and more my eyes landed on crystal skulls as I shopped stones but I couldn’t land on any that felt a right fit for me. I started to wonder why. I started to think maybe I’m missing something. And then I thought that if the universe was speaking to me, sending a call to connect with skull spirit, that maybe I’m meant to learn before I leap.

So, this summer, I started a quest to find out what skulls represent for me in a spiritual sense. I began with the dictionary. It’s one of my favorite books. It’s like a marker at the beginning of the trail, a spiritual reminder to keep me from falling down too many rabbit holes or from traveling astray of where I want to go.

The first definition is what one might expect with its description of the skeleton of the head.

And even definition 4 with its “emblem of death” seemed expected considering celebrations around Halloween and el Dia de los Muertos. But definitions 2 and 3 sparked something new for me.

Definition 2: the seat of understanding or intelligence: mind

Definition 3a: the crown of the head

Hmm...my eyes paused over “seat” and “understanding” and “crown,” and my intuition translated “seat” to the root chakra and connected “understanding” to the “crown.” My thoughts started running ahead, following the ideas popping into my imagination, sparking for me the sense that I’m meant to connect special meaning between earth and skeleton with crown and skull.

They’re interconnected but there’s emphasis on the journey up to the skull...starting from the root charka, building air in the belly, moving up through the heart, and signaling to the crown.

And I take in that mindful, deep breath, and as I let it out, I feel the Element of Air moving in me to connect body, mind, and spirit.

Whoosh

Ahead of me on this spiritual path, a rabbit hole appears, and I’m spiked to go down it. The Element of Air is wafting and saying to me, “when breath becomes air.”

Wait, what? My mind’s eye feels an almost mental shake of clarity, because I know those words. I ask myself, “Where have I heard those words?” And I remember.

I attended a Death Cafe last year, and I saw a book titled, When Breath Becomes Air, by Paul Kalanithi. Poetic. Four words that conjured in me a sense, a feeling about life after human death. That when a last human breath is taken, the soul enters Air, moving into spirit, wafting through realms, and at times keeping me company with their essence.

Air is moving in me. In through the nose, out through the nose. The skull represents that for me.

The sense that with every breath I take, I connect body, mind, and soul to spirit, and my heart guides me to who and to when. The air I breathe is air my ancestors once breathed. Skull spirit helps me connect to air of loved ones--loved ones who have crossed to a place so close yet so far that I ache to translate all they have to say. Dear ones whose breath became air speak through skull, waiting patiently for me to understand, willing to return again and again, to sit with me, to come closer and to place signals in my path until my imaginings light up in my mind’s eye. And I breathe in the spirit of connection to spirit.

Now the next step in my journey is to find the stone skulls meant to be with me.

Episode 72: Positivity + Chronic Conditions with Julie Taylor

Today’s episode is near and dear to my heart, as Julie and I dive into living with Chronic Pain and Chronic conditions and positivity. I am so honored to introduce Julie Taylor. Julie is an Endo and IC Warrior who's passionate about mindset as medicine. Endo is an abbreviation for endometriosis and IC stands for Interstitial Cystitis (a painful bladder syndrome). While healing with these chronic conditions, she learned the power of crystals and energy to heal and how using a positive mindset as a tool to help manage her moods and emotions helped her body build resilience. Julie's formal degrees are in writing and early childhood ed, though the innate cheerleader at home in her heart drives her to write words, she hopes will spark a mood or mindset that might brighten things for others. Julie is the author of a children's book, Blue Hissy Highness and the Shiny Stones (you can buy that here). The book focuses on how a positive mindset can reframe and heal. It also reminds children that we can move toward mutual acceptance and forgiveness, but also the very adult reminder that acceptance isn't a one-and-done ideal—a lesson we need to revisit as we age. Julie also tends a website and an online space called Stone Spelling & Witchery, which is also the name of her private Facebook group Stone Spelling & Witchery to connect and share the metaphysical and mystical, celebrate earth and moon cycles, share spells, post favorite crystals, chat about witchiness, and ask questions. Julie curates a beautiful community that serves as a magical hub for joy and positivity.

Julie and I talk about living with chronic conditions and chronic pain, how we manage our spirit during times of flares. We talk about positivity, staying positive, toxic positivity or not toxic positivity, the benefits and downfalls of emotional bypassing, and what Julie has terms LoMo—or how to manage Low Moods and shift them to help with chronic conditions. Honestly, this is such a refreshing conversation for me—I could talk about pain and living with autoimmune disorders without censor. As someone who has to manage many chronic autoimmune conditions, speaking my truth about living with pain and fatigue feels like a long deep exhale, as I often just go through life sucking it up. Julie is so wise, intelligent, and articulate about her approach to living with physical challenges.

Here is the latest podcast:

You can also follow this link to listen on Spotify. Episode 72: Positivity & Chronic Conditions with Julie Taylor. You can also listen on any of the podcast services you can think of—Apple Podcasts, Pocketcasts, Amazon Music, I Heart Radio, Google Podcasts, Podbean and whatever you listen.

+ + + +

In other news, this upcoming week, Julie is popping in for a guest post about Crystal Skulls. Monday, I will have a piece on the history of Crystal Skulls, debunking some myths, and talking about skullies in general. I will have a cool Tarot Layout using the Skull as a basis, and I will be sharing a journal entry about my meditation experience with my Fossilized Skull. All SKULLZ—this week!

Episode 70: The Rat Chronicles with Dr. Amy Kittelstrom

Episode 70: the Rat Chronicles with Dr. Amy Kittelstrom

Dr. Amy Kittelstrom, is a professor of history at Sonoma State University and author of the book the Religion of Democracy (https://www.amazon.com/Religion-Democracy-Liberals-American-Tradition/dp/1594204853) . I asked this incredibly accomplished historian to talk about “Rats”, the rodents and the proverbial rats of the world. We talk about what it is like to be a single mother homeowner who needs some home repairs done and rats removed from the house. I am really grateful for the opportunity to share Dr. Kittelstrom, one of my closest friends, with my world.

 or listen on Spotify here:

Recovering Empaths Anonymous

Hello, my name is Angie. I am a recovering empath. And I have a quote to share with you.

Honestly, I think about this at least once a week. When I studied with Pixie Lighthorse, it was powerful and humbling for her to explain this to our group of earth medicine practitioners. She said it just like this, "What if it is unethical to pick up on other people's emotions?" 🤯

Unethical?!?!

But but but…I can’t control who and what I feel! And besides, all these messy people who just avoid their work…THEY ARE THE PROBLEM!

Um. I deeply value ethics and integrity and boundaries. But omg, to discover you are a violator of other people’s boundaries takes some real cajones to admit. But that is the work we engage in here, no? We are engaged in meaningful self-discovery. I often say that I am on a fact-finding mission, and if I get stuck in the eddy of shame and guilt about not knowing something, then I will never change that thing.

If shame worked, we’d all be sober and thin. But it doesn’t and we aren’t.

There is two layers here. One is the one who is the empath, and the other is the one who is “empathed upon”. Last first, um, so, that is what I was feeling when people were trying to comfort me after Lucy died by saying, I KNOW JUST HOW YOU FEEL, Angie, my cat died last year, cue tears. Now I am comforting the grieving cat mom and I feel less understood than before. It is also why it enraged me when people were telling me how I was feeling or reading me without my permission, and why my empathy wasn't healing me. Feeling other people’s emotions did nothing for me, but cause an autoimmune disorder and crippling anxiety.

Being "an empath" was not my path to psychic work or third eye opening, but my biggest blockage. Understanding that it is my work to keep boundaries around feeling other people's energy, not theirs, freed me. Pixie reminding me that being an empath and feeling other people’s feelings made it impossible for me to truly hold space for them. It made me messy and erratic. It also wasn’t exactly true. I am intuitive. I am empathic. But that involves wild sweeps of assumptions about another’s emotions. I have no idea if I was ever right about another person’s emotions. How presumptuous to think I ever knew that. Maybe what happened instead is that person triggered emotions of my own that I hadn’t touched in a while, and I thought they were theirs?

Pixie’s challenge and argument provoker empowered me to feel able to hold and maintain my boundaries around empathy and start doing some work around my wounded childhood. Not only that, it helped me understand and face my own emotions when I stopped feeling other people's emotions. I had spent so much of my childhood trying to figure out adult emotions, reading faces and body language to figure out what was going on, or how I should act that empathy became a natural result of being emotionally neglected and trying to read people’s emotions. You just become hypervigilant in any changes in the force. And by force, I mean, the force of emotions. Kids who grew up with emotional or physical neglect are hyperaware of the subtle, microchanges in someone’s facial expressions, emotional energy, and body language that defines a good 70% of communication. Energetic hygiene means clearing your own filter...a filter used to perceiving others through wounding and people pleasing.

Ethics and integrity is so important to me as a healer, and engaging in it means looking at ourselves--what can I control? Me. But first I had to divorce the moniker Empath, and embrace myself as a highly sensitive neurodivergent person. As I am preparing my work teaching my first online Earth Medicine Mentoring Circle, I know boundaries, energetic hygiene and understanding our gifts is going to be my first stop.

Where are you on this journey?

Kyra and I talked about the dark relationship between narcissists and empaths on my podcast a few years ago.

Saying Goodbye to a Home

The Moon + Stone was featured on ApartmentGuide’s Saying Goodbye to a Home article. Check out the blog article here!

Moving Out and Moving On: Best Tips on Saying Goodbye to a Home, by Darby Mulligan on Apartment Guide, July 18, 2024

It is always fun to be interviewed about your approach and how to integrate Earth Medicine, shamanic approaches, and ritual into your daily life. This is my passion and my life’s work. Making the everyday sacred.Some friends are also featured in that piece, including one of my favorite crystal vendors Exquisite Crystals’ John VanRees Jr.

Leaving a home is like leaving a trusted friend, and there are some great tips and ideas on how to approach moving out of a home.

When I advise my clients during the incredibly stressful time of moving space, I try to help them find a way to make packing and moving sacred. When stressed, we sometimes forget to take moments to breathe and create space to honor.  Whether that is doing a release ceremony before you officially move out, journaling and setting intentions, setting an alarm every hour to sit and thank your home for keeping you warm, safe, or protected, or creating a cleaning and clearing ritual, you can take a moment to honor and express gratitude around how this home served your Spirit, what you are ready to release, and what you want to call into your new home.

We can pack up and leave a space, but we always take our emotional baggage. A great way to process and release is combination of journaling and ritual. Journal questions:

1. Tell the story of your life during your stay in this home—remember the joys, successes, challenges, and energy this space gave you. 

2. What did you learn while living in this space?

3. What are you ready to release emotionally, mentally, or spiritually?

4. What energy do you want to call into your new space?

Through this process, you can identify some things you are ready to release—maybe it is releasing fear, or stuckness. Then identify what you are calling in—if you are releasing fear of change, then maybe you are calling a sense of adventure and courage to be authentically you. Write out releases on paper. Some people like to use a little rosemary, lavender, tobacco or other herb on the paper, and tuck it into a little package. Take it outside and put it on a burn-proof plate or in a fire pit and burn. You can watch the wind carry the prayers of release to the four corners of the earth.

If you want to incorporate this into a cleansing ritual, you can take a bit of ash,  mix with lavender, salt (Himalyan sea salt is nice, but you can use any salt, even table salt), and spread on the floor before you sweep and clean your space. Open windows if you can. Do this work mindfully, Visualize the energy here, the challenges, the experiences and items you identified for release, being swept away. Always sweep toward an outside door. You can use a dustpan, or sweep outside if it is acceptable. Just take the dirt and detritus outside to bury or put into a trash can away from your stuff.

 Some great stone medicine allies for moving house are:

Citrine: Helps selling your home. Put a small citrine grid in a main living space. Even a piece in a central location can attract that incredible abundance energy, sunshiney feel and warmth you need to attract financial abundance to your life. I am partial to Congo Citrine and the Smoky Citrines from the Congo are a perfect addition to moving home, as they ground and attract abundance.

Carnelian: Bringing the energy since the beginning of time! Carnelian is a great ally for getting some energy to do the dang work of packing, cleaning, cleansing, plus it just brings so much joy and creative energy, what else do you need? Put it in your pocket and buzz around like you drank some espresso. I actually do put it in water when I need that extra oomph to get shizzle down.

Black Tourmaline: Helps with grounding and clearing as you make space for change. If it is on your person, it is like having a forcefield against other people’s stress and tension. I also love gridding my home in BT for extra protection when all kinds of people are walking through.

Lepidolite: Stress can really take its toll, so using lepidolite can help de-stress, rest, recuperate, and come at things with a new peace. During your packing breaks, place it on the heart or third eye, and rest or nap. Wake up with a new perspective. I also love it for tension headaches.

Amethyst: Protective. Visioning. The stone of acceptance, what is there not to love about our old fave?!?

Please check out the entire article at Apartment Guide.

Tarot, Earth Medicine + Astrology for December

Blessed December! December’s astrology has retrogrades, directs, action, adventure, and momentum for 2024. Doesn’t that sound great?!?

Of course, we start December, like every December in the optimistic and enthusiastic energy of Sagittarius, which honestly encourages us to see the best in the future. A wonderful way to set lofty, ambitious goals for yourself. As we enter Capricorn season at the end of the month, we open the path to turn those lofty ambitions into reality, paving the way for a thriving 2024. Capricorn is an earthy leader and doer. Opening a way, even if it is not evident at the beginning of the month. I am counting on this, y’all. I’m just saying.

During Sagittarius season, we're all encouraged to embrace compassion, generosity, and joy. There's this boundless energy that serves as a reminder that incredible things can happen when we believe in ourselves and strive for more. Yet, it can also be challenging to set boundaries or exercise restraint. Listen ad-free to the episode for the Tarot of the Month, Earth Medicine Allies, astrology of the Month, and, of course, my crazy tangents into Greek Mythology and more.

As always, December’s Medicine Bundle is available for sale on my website:

Blessed Full Moon in Gemini!

As a Gemini Ascendent, I would just like to keep this brief, even though that is not my forte. It's the Full Moon, witches, in Gemini. We are focusing on our communication, confusion, mixed messages and our own stories. You know, the story of what happened that may or may not be true, but is the story you keep telling yourself in your head, or telling anyone who will listen. It is time, friend, to look at that shizzle. This actually is a great aspect to ask the right questions to get good answers, but the key is asking the right questions. Don't ever ask a question you do not want the answer to, especially in this lunation, but if you want to know, ask. I have a list of questions, but I am going to shut up now before I put my giant Gemini rising foot in my mouth. I’ll let my graphics speak for themselves!

Have a drama free Full Moon in Gemini, if that is even possible.