Leading During Times of Trouble

Hello Spiritual Family,

How are you and yours coping with increasing change and uncertainty? How is your community doing? I am thinking of you all and sending you my love.  How are you doing? Do you need any support?

We are facing the likes of which most of us have never before seen, dealing with a situation the likes of which most of us never have before even considered to be a possibility.

Now, or in the coming days, members of our blood, chosen, and/or spiritual families—or even our own selves—will become infected with COVID-19.  How do we best maintain heart-focused leadership during these times? How can we best be of service?

If you are already familiar with my work, I think you know what I’m going to say: We must center self-care.  And I’m not talking about getting a pedicure! (But if that makes you happy, please go for it.)

For our bodies, our Earth Temples, it is especially important that we all do our best to:

• Consume the optimal amount of water for our own unique systems each day (A good rule of thumb is to divide your body weight by 2—that is the amount in ounces to drink every 24 hours).
• Eat as healthy as possible to support the immune system by including lots of fresh foods, herbs, and the correct amount of vitamins and minerals.
• Get adequate rest every day and sleep every night.
• Sweat every single day!  If physically able, choose activities such as brisk walking, running, bicycle riding, dancing, or other cardio exercises.  If you are limited by injury or other circumstances, experiment with energy-moving practices such as yoga, qigong, tai chi, etc.  Gardening and getting our hands in Mother Earth is another beautiful way to move energy and to ground us into the Holy Moment of Now.

Dear Ones, endorphins are for real and they can become wonderful Allies for us.  What are some ways that you can honor and welcome them?

For the health of our emotional bodies, our Water Temples, let’s: 

• Cry it out.
• Take long baths, showers, or soaks, incorporating sacred salts, healing herbs, and/or essential oils.
• Both create and partake in art.  Don’t get caught up in thoughts that art can only be “high art,” such as classical paintings or opera (although these are both uplifting!).  Art made simply for the sake of making something with our own hands and heart is exceptionally valuable for soul-healing.  Cooking for ourselves and our Beloveds *is* art!
• Engage in a regular breathwork practice, especially one that assists in the clearing of fear, “future-living,” and paranoia.
• Connect with Loved Ones through daily writing, video conferencing, texting, etc. even if only to say hello and check in.
• TAKE MEDIA BREAKS!  Decide which hours each day you will abstain from the news *and* social media feeds and stick to this schedule as an act of mindful self-care.

And then there’s our magick, our ritual, and our solar/lunar/astrological observances.  Don’t forget your magick, Dear Ones!  Remember to go to your Daily Practice *first*—

Every. Single. Day. 

Our Daily Practices are meant to help us, to be the strong, powerful anchor of our lives. This is one of the main purposes of the discipline—to form a rock to cling to in stormy seas.  As Witches, Magicians, Priest/x/esses, Leaders, all of the parts of our life are best served when they flow from the foundation of our Daily Practice.

This is something practical to place at the center of our everyday lives, not something we do only if we remember to get around to it. 

Let’s prioritize our Daily Practice, as this is what will fill us up and sustain us for ourselves, for those we care for, as well as for those we lead.  This is a marathon, my friends, not a sprint!  Tend to your own Fire *first*.  Let’s continue to hold each other in this intention.  

Please remember to drop back into your magick any time things feel like “too much” in this realm—even if it’s just for a few breaths.  That Holy Well of peace and beauty we’ve created—and continue to create—exists on all levels.  Breathe it in, take it in, and allow it to cleanse and heal you whenever you need it.  I cannot say this enough—please don’t forget your magick!

On a practical level and from an awareness that time is one of our greatest—and often misused—resources, I share with you an outline of my current before-sleep magickal practice, which I usually do lying in bed beginning about a half an hour to forty-five minutes before I wish to fall asleep.

This current before-sleep practice includes:

1. Meditation.
2. A magickal hygiene practice for releasing energies that aren’t mine and for calling back all that are.
3. An energetic clearing of my entire body temple with especial attention placed upon the physical and emotional bodies.
4. An energetic clearing of my home and all who dwell within it.
5. A quick check on all protective shields surrounding my home, and a brief restoration of anything that needs to be bolstered or repaired.
6. The filling of first my body and then my home with green light for health and healing and blue light for peace and calm. (Please see Christopher Penczak‘s The Inner Temple of Witchcraft for a detailed exploration of this topic.)
7. The filling of the protective shield that surrounds my home with green light for health and healing, and then any other color that calls to me based upon current circumstances.

I also often include either a full auric cleansing and/or chakra cleanse and balance for myself as well, depending on how I am feeling on a given evening.

Beloveds, let us collectively navigate these new waters slowly, patiently, and with deep purpose. Dear Ones, please share your ideas for leading during these strange times below!

I am grateful for you all. Be healthy, be safe, and be willing to discover the beauty in the tiniest of things.

We *can* do this. Please lean in and stay in close contact, Dear Ones. 

Shared with Love,
Lady Jesamyn

A Few Jumping Off Points for Further Exploration:
Foods to Support the Immune System
Herbs to Support the Immune System
Essential Oils to Support the Immune System
Housewalking
Free cardio and other exercise routines

Disclaimer: Please do your own research and follow all guidance from your medical team. Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Art: All photos by Yours Truly.

Thank you for your support, Dear Ones! It really does take a village and I am so grateful for you. Please check out my Patreon for more opportunities to support my life’s mission.