Dear Mystery Cult Coven,
It’s a rainy day in Los Angeles today. Whenever it rains I feel so grateful. I want to spend the whole day outside feeling the damp on my skin. It feels ephemeral, as if – true to its nature – the water will slip through my fingers and be gone forever.
On rainy days, in my body, I can feel the sacredness of water. An atmospheric river fills the sky and my body fills with longing.
I’m writing today to remind you that we have a Live Chat coming up on Thursday at noon. Theme: Samhain, Scorpio magic, and the element of water.
In many cultures, in different forms, water is the porthole to the spirit world.
In the exquisitely rich and heartbreaking mythology of the Black Atlantic, the ancestors call to Black folk of the Americas across dark waves, emerging as mermaids to bring them comfort.
If you’re interested in reading more about that, check out Omise’eke Natasha Tinsley’s beautiful essay, “Black Atlantic, Queer Atlantic: Queer Imaginings of the Middle Passage.” [I hope to discuss it at our Language of the Birds Reading Group sometime soon!]
In the British Isles and Ireland, to enter the world of the Aes Sídhe, the ancestral land spirits sometimes known as the fairy folk, one needs to plummet through bodies of water.
Celtic myth is filled with mercurial spirits rising from the depths to spout wisdom in the form of a salmon, or offer gifts in the form of a beautiful woman shape shifting into a swan.
Even in the liminal esoteric community of contemporary UFO abductees, interdimensional beings who visit earth are said to come not from outer space, but from portals deep in the ocean.
[Also, did I mention to you that I taught a class at UCLA this summer – subbing for my advisor, Dr. David Shorter, who was on leave – called Aliens, Psychics, and Ghosts? Super fun! The terrestrial otherworld, the spirit world, and outer space are intimately connected it turns out!]
It’s not just a coincidence that so many world theologies consider water a sacred substance having the power to consecrate, bless, and conduct us into the realms of Mystery.
Humans are 60% water. Over half of our bodies are made of this sacred substance. The divine is literally moving within us.
In our Live Chat tomorrow, we’ll be discussing how to work with water in both its literal and imaginal forms, in our bodies, in our birth charts, in the biosphere and beyond.
Live Chat’s are especially useful for people struggling to stay connected with their spiritual practice. Join us to reclaim your magic and discover practical ways to bring your intentions to life.
Chat with you tomorrow at noon!
Love,
Amanda
P.S. Please be thinking about how water has been showing up in your life lately, and if you get a sec to consider where the water signs are in your birth chart, that would be great!
*We have scholarships for those in financial need. Don’t be shy. Email us at: guardian@oracleoflosangeles.com
