Oracle's Card of the Month: December '22

What could be more appropriate for welcoming the official start of Winter than this Mountain Goat scaling a snow-covered peak under a nighttime rainbow? Navigating icy terrain (literal and emotional) with ease and confidence, this master climber looks to us with reassurance and encouragement. Watch your footing and keep going. This is the King of Cups card from the Gentle Tarot deck by Mari in the Sky. From the Gentle Tarot’s guide book: “My spirit is already at the top of this mountain. I simply have to meet it there.”

Moving into the hectic wintery months, in the studio we get more requests for ideas that help foster an atmosphere of comfort and grounding; looking for ways to support that inner mountain goat with his emotional maturity and sure-footed progress.

Maintaining a connection to nature can feel more difficult in times when the outside world goes into hibernation and the chill feels unwelcoming. Honoring both the quiet and internal nature of the season while also keeping up with hectic end-of-year schedules and commitments can feel daunting. Remember to take time for yourself and small quiet activities.

Making small bouquets of dried leaves, picking up a pinecone you find on your walk, or hanging a simple chime in your window to draw your eye towards the sky now and again are simple ways to feel more aligned with the season.

The Witch’s Book of Self-Care is filled with tips and ideas for reconnecting with yourself and honoring your spiritual and emotional health.

Lighting a beeswax candle can lift the spirits while cleansing the air and bring a gentle warm glow to your room. The Mirth Pillar Candle by Alyssia Mazella provides 40 hours of burn time.

Rose Quartz is said to be a stone with gentle and nurturing energy. These smooth palm-sized Rose Quartz Moons make perfect pocket companions or a lovely desktop piece. Also a sweet token of affection for a friend or loved one.

Aragonite is prized as a crystal aid in emotional healing. Aragonite Star Clusters are a beautiful reminder to stay calm and confident in self-healing work and emotional growth. They make a lovely meditative focal point as you can stare into the crystal points forever!

December brings many challenges; between harsher weather and heightened social expectations it can be difficult to keep grounded. Take time to tap into your confidence and make solid steady progress at whatever pace is manageable for you at the moment. The mountain can be climbed. One step at a time…

— Laura Pensar for Oracle Natural Science

Oracle's Card of the Month: November '22

For November we chose a deck with soothing and gentle energy, Gold Lyre Tarot by Lacy Martin and Christine Scanlon. The Death card, with its message of inevitable change, is a fitting draw for the cooling and darkening days of November. From the Gold Lyre’s guide book: “Death reverberates a contrast to anything that holds life. She holds out her skull as an offering.”

Given our work here at Oracle as a taxidermy studio, Death is woven into much of our daily endeavors. As we approach the animal remains we work on with respect and seek to honor them in their new stage of existence, we also consider that even within life we are constantly changing. Our personal evolutions take place in both tiny and monumental ways. Memorials are done with love and holding space for the emotions and memories of those involved.

Rituals are done as a way to mark these transitions and acknowledge the impact that has been made. “Death holds out her skull as an offering.” We hold out our hands, our lit candles, our tears, our flowers and stones in response. A call and response to the inevitable losses that comes from embodied existence in a fragile and complex world.

Finding ways to mark and honor the changes which occur in our lives can help us process our often complex emotions surrounding these events.

Taking time to consciously observe a transition can ground and calm us. Memorial work allows us to integrate lessons learned and reignite hopes for the future. Seek solace in written words. Find beauty and grounding in objects from the natural world. Light a candle as an offering of light and a release of energy. Memorial work can be as ornate or as simple as you need it to be.

From Here to Eternity by Caitlin Doughty chronicles death practices from several cultures and explores what makes mourning practices effective.

This is Your Brain on Grief zine by Faith G. Harper is a quick and simple guide on what to do and say (and not) for yourself and others when experiencing any type of grief.

Apache Tear crystals (a form of Obsidian) are specifically associated with grief and said to aid in grounding, protection, and emotional cleansing. These smooth glassy stones are found in Mexico and the Southwestern part of the United States. Wearing an Apache Tear or carrying one with you can help you reconnect to joy even in times of loss and sadness.

Elegy Candles by Moth and Candle were made exclusively for Oracle with memorials in mind. The hand-dipped beeswax tapers are dressed with an herbal blend: Hawthorn for love. Nettle for strength. Lavender for peace. In each pair, one candle is dressed with an Obsidian crystal for courage and grounding; and the other has a Rainbow Moonstone for soothing sorrow.

Victorian Sympathy Cards by Open Sea Design Co. are a simple way to send a quick note of understanding to a loved one. You could also jot down favorite memories or wishes and tuck them away for your future self to read.

November’s days may bring cold temperatures and less sunlight, encouraging us to draw more inward. The coming holiday season can bring up difficult emotions and surface memories of those no longer with us. Take time to honor the difficult feelings that appear. Sometimes just having a cup of tea and allowing the emotions to speak their message will bring closure and growth. May your sorrows be acknowledged and released. — Laura Pensar for Oracle Natural Science

Oracle's Card of the Month: October '22

 

The Dragonfly card from Enigma by Daniel Martin Diaz.

 

For October we’ve turned to one of our favorite oracle-style decks, Enigma by Daniel Martin Diaz. We pulled the Dragonfly card: patterns, repetition, intricacy; something delicate; good luck; winds of change.

Here at Oracle, our motto is “science is magic.” Being more in-tune with the natural world helps us pay attention to our present moment. Understanding how the material world functions and recognizing the patterns and cycles that play out around us can help us better navigate certain changes in our lives.

Taking time to sit outdoors where you can observe nature, even if it’s in your back yard, a park, or a window planter… watching the way the plants move in the breeze, the clouds over head, the wildlife around you, the insects and their comings and goings… just taking some time to be present and observe. What do you feel, see, hear?

Making a habit of doing this will develop a connection with the patterns and seasons unfolding around you all the time.

The World is Your Oracle by Nancy Vedder-Shults is a clear and useful guide for learning to tap into your intuition through different rituals and practices that help you interpret the natural world.

Sodalite Crystals are said to be good aids in promoting pattern recognition. This “stone of insight” has beautiful blue hues with striations of grey, white, and reddish veins. Carrying a pocket stone of sodalite or keeping one close by can help remind you to pay attention to the present moment and listen to your inner wisdom.

Black Moon Tea by Night Rituals Occult is a deeply floral and brightening Earl Grey tea. It contains Cornflower a “visionary herb” and Lavender an intuitive and soothing flower. Brewing a warm cup of tea and simply holding it while settling into the present moment can help quiet your mind and allow the insight to bubble to the surface.

As we move into this final season of 2022 may we notice the intricate patterns unfolding in our lives. Nothing is truly static, but themes and cycles do play out. The essence of luck is paying attention to those patterns and shifting your sails to catch the changing winds pointing your ship in the direction you wish to go!

  • Laura Pensar for Oracle Natural Science

{ Oracle Holiday Guide - Part 1 }

Having a hard time finding the perfect gift? Well you are in luck - check out our suggestions for that special someone in your life.

{ Holiday Gift Guide - For the High Priestess }

Figures of Rituals has a nice range and a little something for everyone; from someone who is just getting started, to the experienced magician. From ritual bundles that we can customize to pocket crystals - there is a lot to choose from! Click here for individual listings! But if you are still struggling to find the right gift - maybe a Witch Club Subscription is the answer - click here for more info.

{ Holiday Gift Guide - For the Geologist }

Know a gem-hound? We have so many varieties of crystals, fossils, minerals, and geodes. I am really in love with our quartz geodes which are $35 for two halves and our pocket crystals. What better way to show you care by giving a hand selected group of crystals in a little velvet bag. Click here for listings!

…Stay tuned for more!

{Muggle Monday: Ten of Pentacles - Citrine edition!}

Hi Y'all. I hope you are well, nice to have some sunshine days lately! The card I pulled this week is a lovely one to get - the Ten of Pentacles! Let's take a deep dive, shall we?

 

The Ten of Pentacles

I know it doesn't always seem like it, but with the Ten of Pentacles, we have all that we need. The pentacles signifies security and abundance - at the number ten we have reached the pinnacle of our material wealth. Now, I'd like to take some time to discuss abundance a bit because traditionally the pentacles are tied to monetary wealth, but I think it's important to recognize that abundance comes in many forms, not just financial. Our health, our happiness, feelings of satisfaction with our various relationships all fall under this umbrella of 'abundance'. This type of comfort and fulfillment gives way to the Ace of Wands and makes room for creativity and growth in the spiritual realm. This card is also about wisdom, our experiences have been our teachers and we have reached a point in which we know how to best invest our time and energy. Our ideas and investments can take flight - we got this. 

 

++ Citrine ++

Citrine is known by many other names, I've heard it called The Success Stone, The Merchant's Stone, and The Prosperity Stone. This bright stone has energies of good fortune and success and is used in meditational practices to manifest personal success and abundance. More abundance, you say? That's right! Citrine is believed to bring good health, fortune, happiness, confidence and personal wisdom to those who use it. It's a super good one y'all, citrine is my homie. 

*Fun Fact! Most Citrine you find on the market is actually amethyst or smoky quartz which has been heat-treated.  Heat-treated citrine shares the same metaphysical properties as naturally occurring citrine, though it is more rare.