Beyond Your Comfort Zone, part 1

As I sit down to write this blog, I realize how very blessed I am to live in New England, where the shift to the Dark Time is so palpable.  I can see the change in the trees’ blaze of colors. I can smell it on the wind and feel it in my bones.  The crispness of the air has its own scent that mixes with woodsmoke.  I even love the smell of the leaves and the fallen apples as they start to decay, reminding me of the beloved crabapple tree of my childhood.  (Apples are a sacred fruit of harvest time and it’s no wonder that they are associated with the Dark Goddesses.)

As Witches and Pagans, this shift in the seasons causes us to look back on the warmer months; the things we’ve accomplished and experienced, the seeds we’ve sown and the harvest we’ve gathered, both literally and figuratively.  Hopefully we each take a moment to celebrate our successes, the things we’ve accomplished, and the energies we’ve given to others in service.

As I ponder what I want to share in this blog, I notice that I have been in a mad rush.  We, in America, easily get caught up in “hustle culture” and I am very guilty of this.  I choose to take this time to reconnect with Nature and seek Her balance.  As I think upon the Crone, she gently reminds me that I am in no way balanced at the moment!  This past year, I have been blessed to be a part of projects that are rapidly growing in success.  My biggest dreams are unfolding before me.  I am leading an amazing band and we are recording a new album, giving my music an energy beyond what I ever imagined.  My daughter and our home are flourishing.  New gigs and opportunities are being offered to me every day.  It’s all so good!  Though, these blessings require hard work and I’m running in many different directions. 

The Crone, the voice of Grandmother Wisdom speaks to me; a message for myself and all who read this… “Take deep breaths and center yourself.  Everything can and will unfold naturally in its own sacred time.  There is no need to buy into ‘a hustle and a side hustle.’  Everything in its sacred time and sacred space.  Do your tasks with love and care and intention WITHOUT depletion.  Bring your power back to yourself.  Come back into balance.  Take time to rest, reflect, and turn inward.” 

As the Dark Time calls to my soul, the Crone whispers, “Make space.” I’m reminded this is a song blog and there is a beautiful song about making space.  So, let’s take a moment to create sacred space.  Take another deep breath, grab some tea, and make this blog your very own ritual of reflection. Take in these words.  May they bring you balance and a lovely starting point for a journey out of your comfort zone and into deepest magic!

The Crone Whispers to You

This dark time of year, this time of rest and reflection, is the perfect time to turn to shadow work. Shadow work is delving deep into the parts of yourself you hide from yourself and others, into bad habits, negative patterns and self-abuse. Delve deep into their roots to find out where they came from, why they’re happening, whose words and thoughts they were originally.

How can you take your power back? How can you find your sovereignty? How can you shift negative habits to positive ones? How can you shift self-abuse to self-respect? How can you stop giving your power away? How can you stop depleting yourself and nurture yourself instead? Shadow work, for me, starts with the dark goddesses. I look to them, their symbolism, their power, and their stories. I listen for their voices and guidance. I would like to introduce you (or possibly re-introduce you) to a few of them. In the posts to come in this series, we will connect with Hela, The Morrighan and Hecate.

Now that we have begun to make sacred space, now that we have given ourselves permission to take our power back, to seek our sovereignty, to take a moment for nurturing and rest, I would like to start to introduce you to the dark mothers.  As we move closer to winter, it is the time of the Crone. She has many names. In the past I’ve called her Cailleach. Today I ask for her name and she answers, “Grandmother Wisdom”. And when I say, “Yes, but I need a name!”, she responds, “One Who is Deeply Rooted”. She instructs us to embody this energy; to go deep into our roots, to find grounding and centeredness in a world of chaos.

I would like to share with you this song that I wrote many years ago called The Harvest Song. The Crone asks us to look back on this past year, “Think of all you’ve conquered, think of all you’ve done.  Transform within the magick of the darkening time.”

I have a great passion for positive psychology, and one of the people I follow closely is Shawn Achor. Shawn teaches that we as humans make our goals and strive so hard to meet them.  But, once we finally get there, instead of celebrating success and taking a moment to be proud of ourselves, we simply raise the bar higher and begin the striving again.

I think one of the biggest lessons of the Crone is to stop doing this. I invite you to take time and write down the things that you’ve accomplished, the lessons that you’ve learned, the energy that you’ve given to others, the ways that you have stood strong, the ways that you have found wisdom. Write down your growth, your success, your abundance. Take a moment to celebrate your efforts as you listen to this song. May its words, and may the lessons of the Crone, bless you.

In my upcoming posts in this series, we’ll delve deeper into the faces of the Dark Goddess, and music to connect us to Her. She guides us to explore our shadow side. She takes our hands as we step beyond our comfort zone. She is our Dark Mother.

You can read the next installment of this series, “Beyond Your Comfort Zone, Part 2” here.

I have several Shadow Goddess events coming up! If you would like to learn more, please join my mailing list on my website: www.jennagreene.net. Also, check out my Patreon page where I release patron only content and offer special discounts and behind the scenes info: www.patreon.com/jennagreene. Also, look for the upcoming album Deeper Waters, which explores these shadow work themes

Cover photo of altar includes the image “Kali” by Lisa Iris

For more information about Jenna Greene, including her collected articles here on Pagan Song, her bio, and links to Jenna’s sites on the web, check out Jenna’s page on Pagan Song.

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