"Song of the Siren" by The Bridge City Sinners

Cancer, out of all the signs, is the most connected to the Divine Feminine. The traits ascribed to this astrological sign hearken to depictions of the archetype of the Mother Goddess - kind, nurturing, intuitive, protective, and sensual. The glyph for Cancer (♋︎) is supposed to represent the parts of the body this sign governs - the breasts and the stomach (or more accurately, the womb). Yes, there's a stereotype that Cancers have the best boobs (which I'm not going to argue against...because we do). And we often get pigeon-holed into the role of the "Mom-friend" (guilty as charged). It's the zodiac sign most closely linked to anahata, the Heart Chakra. However, you may see the Yin-Yang symbol as well, which is not surprising - as a Cardinal water sign, it brings together what modern society has convinced us are opposites. All Cardinal signs are leaders, but Cancer - being considered the most feminine of the group - is often underestimated and discounted as one. Where Libra leads with the mind, Cancer leads with the heart. While Capricorn defends physical security, Cancer defends emotional security. Where Aries charges forward with energy and force, Cancer leverages relationships to make subtle changes with effects that ripple outward. Cancer has gentle strength, relies on wisdom that often doesn't come from books, and prefers to rule with kindness.

The Cancerian archetype is considered one of the most protective signs - huge Mama Bear energy. In line with the Mother Goddess mythos, this protection is generally extended to other women and children. I know there's a lot going on right now, but there are several female-centered events going on as of late that you should be aware of. We're in the midst of a second #MeToo wave, this time going after illustrators, publishers, and music industry representatives who exploited young women trying to gain recognition in their respective industries. The Jeffrey Epstein saga keeps unfolding and, with the recent arrest of Maxwell Ghislane, we're starting to see just how far the rabbit hole goes and learn more about the power players who have known about it all along and turned a blind eye. This is the real "pizzagate" and its not even making a blip on most people's radars because of all the noise. There was/is a real child sex trafficking ring that caters to the rich and powerful. Additionally, Congress is trying to pass more anti-sex worker legislation, which is even more draconian than SESTA/FOSTA and has dire implications for everyone's digital usage (I plan to write more about this next week). And, if we're able to do anything good in 2020, we're going to fucking #FreeBritney. We need to tackle the damage involuntary conservatorship does and make some guidelines. I know - it's overwhelming the amount of craziness being thrown at us. But it's always been there, the only difference is our eyes are open now and we have to deal with these waves as they come, before we're swept away.

Follow my voice

And you'll be home again

This is the song of the siren

I woke up the other morning with a bunch of sentences running through my head, all beginning with "the Divine Feminine is." Remembering our hermetic concepts and acknowledging that the Divine Feminine is present in all things, it helps to define Her, just as we defined the Divine Masculine. It may seem like they are oppositional but, in reality, they work in tandem. If one is out of balance, the other runs amok. The Divine Feminine is open to receiving. She listens to her inner knowing and is in touch with how she feels, both emotionally and physically. She believes kindness and empathy are strengths and cultivates relationships, rather than power. The Divine Feminine is still and tranquil - she is able to embrace chaos on the way to inner peace. She spends her time on creation rather than destruction. She seeks to master herself, but never at the expense of others. She believes that collaboration produces better results than competition. She understands that you have to find joy while on the journey rather than assuming it's waiting for you at the destination. The Divine Feminine honors her body and holds compassion for herself, as well as others. She honors her emotions and expresses them honestly and with consideration for the emotions of others. Finally, the Divine Feminine defines who she is for herself and does not let others - not society, not family, not even the Divine Masculine - dictate her path. 

I've been reading this book called "The Way of Grace" by Miranda Macpherson. In it, she talks about the spiritual value of ego relaxation and how to embrace Grace, which is a hard concept to wrap your head around. Grace is a religious concept representing the unmerited mercy of Spirit, something which is increasingly rare in a world where retaliation and vengeance against those who have wronged us is considered most satisfying. For some, of course, and I made a choice long ago that I didn't want to be one of those people. The Husband was teasing me yesterday, because Macpherson uses a lot of spiritual references, especially from Christianity. I wouldn't consider myself a Christian but I do believe in Jesus' teachings. It was one of the things I had to reconcile after I left the Church and began my path as a witch. Essentially, it boils down to choosing not to throw out the baby with the bathwater. The book - and the idea of Grace - has been comforting because I've felt like I've been in a constant state of confusion, like I can't trust my reality any more. As if I'm not seeing things or understanding things clearly, even though my mind is always going, always analyzing. Lately, I've been watching Dr. Ramani's videos on YouTube. She's a licensed psychologist who specializes in treating victims of narcissistic abuse. Her knowledge and dedication to educating people has inspired me to write down my own experiences, a lot of which are painful and left me very confused. I'm distanced enough from those situations that I can look upon it with Grace but that doesn't mean I fully understand what happened/is happening. It's an uncomfortable feeling and I'd like to help others navigate the discomfort, if I can. These things and the Ho'oponopono meditation have settled me somewhat. I've been staying in that energy of remaining still. It's hard to meditate when your mind is racing - ironically, that's usually when you need meditation the most.

I chose this song because sirens are my favorite mythological creature. As a rule, sirens are feminine and that is the source of their power. Femininity can be seductive but it can also be dangerous if left unchecked. It felt fitting because Cancer is a water sign and - this may surprise you - Cancers are often found at the top of "Most Dangerous Sign" lists. This is largely due to the negative aspects of the "unevolved" Cancerian archetype - moody, manipulative, irrational, unpredictable, and unexpectedly cold-hearted. The Sea is a cruel mistress, as it were. Not gonna lie - I'm all about Pirate-core music. As per Doth the Doth, "Pirates are just tropical goths."

"Song of the Siren" Video