Showing posts with label wellness. Show all posts

Release





This week I wanted to share my latest video.  I've been concentrating on Heart, Sacral and Root recently. I really love the sounds of these three together.

Singing bowls have been around since the 1980s. There is some thoughts that maybe our ancestors worked with crystals and more recently science has shown that these crystals resonate a sound that has proved beneficial to human cells.

Singing bowls can be used for meditation and just a relationship to the sound waves has shown positive impact on the human body. 

I have been working with the bowls, using the sound to help welcome relaxing and create a release in my body.  Excess energy seems to float away. 

This session was extremely helpful for me.  Even the dog let out a little call to let me know he was enjoying the session.  

I hope you enjoy.




Bone Songs Myth & Magic - March Theme - New Beginnings

 A New Beginning

March is simply renewal. Renewal of life and energy. We look to the Spring Equinox to usher in this feeling of revival to the sleeping natural world. We associate this time of year with daffodils and bunny rabbits. Our time of rebirth as the plants and animals around us begin to wake from the winter slumber and burst into new blooms, growth and life. But what about our own beginnings? How do we awake from our long winter’s nap to kick off our new beginning? What does this mean for our body, mind and spirit?  Let’s explore what new beginnings can mean to those from a holistic wellness perspective. 


With the changing of the weather the first thing we notice is that we can go outside! Outside is the source of so many healthy things for us as human beings. Starting with my personal favorite, sunshine. I honestly believe in previous incarnations I was certainly some sort of cold blooded animal. When I walk outside and feel the sun on my skin, I’m instantly soothed. I can feel the rays pouring across my body like the essence of life. I feel if I could curl up on a rock and just lay in the sun for hours my mind and spirit would be at peace. Sunlight releases serotonin which is referred to as the happiness hormone. This is why we see so much Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD) in the winter. The lack of this all important hormone causes SAD and the sun can cause the return of this hormone making one feel revived from the long cold winter. The sun also aids generating the production of vitamin D, supporting bone health, lowering blood pressure, preventing disease, and promoting good mental health.


Along with sunlight, we have the added benefit of being outside in the fresh air. Studies have shown that being outside and in the fresh air around natural things, such as trees and water sources aids in overall wellness. Spending time walking among or simply looking at trees lowers blood pressure and reduces the stress-related hormones cortisol and adrenaline. This is a great time if you have the space to start a garden. From full sized yard gardens to small container gardens on a balcony or deck, getting in touch with nature is something that our ancestors needed to do in order to survive. Today is our technological world, we miss that important part of life. Digging in the dirt can improve cardiac health, emotional well being, increase vitamin B12 and reduce anxiety and stress. 


Watching those first sprouts come up from the ground is such a rewarding feeling. Bringing in new life, a new beginning and watching with anticipation as your garden comes to life with pollinators, grubs and either beautiful flowers as a feast for your eyes or yummy veggies for the table. 


But you say, Renee, I can’t grow things. I just don’t have time to garden.  I have allergies!


I hear you, I'm terribly allergic to bee stings, wasps and fire ants, all of which love to live at my house and always, ALWAYS find me.  What else can you do to work on new beginnings?


Other ways to look for ways to welcome spring could be as simple as starting a new hobby. Pick up a pencil and draw. Find things that bring you joy. You don’t have to be the next Picasso. You’re you! Do you! I’ve started doing Pilates as a way to reconnect with my body and feel whole. I’ve added this to my normal weekly exercise routine and have found it quite helpful in reconnecting with parts that may have gone dormant over the winter season. The entire focus for me, is just starting fresh, with a positive outlook and a cheerful demeanor. Make each day the best day I can have and focus on being fully here as much as I can.


I hope this finds you well and has offered some different ways of embracing new beginnings. You have the power to be happy and in control of your wellness.  Own it.


Namaste

Sosanna




Rev. Renee Sosanna Olson - RSM, PMI-ACP

Ordained Spiritual Counselor

Certified Holistic Wellness Coach

International Yogi Certification

Certified Crystal Master & Aroma Therapy Practitioner



Exercises


Journaling - Spend some time adding things to your journal like, how much time you’re outside. Did it help how you feel? What is the weather like and how is your mood? Are you able to feel a difference after a week? How about a month? Put all those things in your journal and refer back to them to reflect on how your feelings have changed with more exposure to the sunshine.



Create a Countertop Garden - Sprouting is a great way to add nutrition to your daily meals and add a little bit of wellness to your creative side. A small container and find a sunny spot in your house. Look for seeds such as broccoli, radish or even sunflowers and add them to the jar. Spend a few minutes a day rinsing and before you know it you’ll have fresh sprouts for your salad, or sandwiches. It is one of my favorite ways to add fresh greens to my food. You can find full instructions here - https://inhabitat.com/diy-how-to-sprout-seeds-and-beans-on-your-kitchen-counter/


Draw - Find a spot outside that you really enjoy being in. Sit with a sketchpad and pencil and just draw what you see. You’re not looking for perfection here. You’re looking for ease, comfort and calmness. Go back daily if you can, if not try weekly and just draw the same spot on each page. Note how you feel. Not your changes in not only what’s on the page, but what is within. Is this helping you? 


The Witch's Complete Guide to Self Care - A Review

 Today I'm reviewing - "The Witch's Complete Guide to Self Care" by Theodosia Corinth.

  • Book Link
  • Author Link - No link was located for this author however Quarto Knows did offer this : 

Theodosia Corinth is a practicing witch and writer born and living in Salem, Massachusetts. She writes and edits full time, and has worked as a professional tarot card reader. When she’s casting her spell on the world around her, she works with astrology, tarot, and the natural world to connect with her intuition and guide her writing. When she’s not writing, she’s busy tending to her overabundance of houseplants.

  • Release Date: October 19, 2021


I'll begin with a review of the physical book.  This is a larger book. It has a vibrantly illustrated blue cover front and back on this hardcover edition I was provided to review. Not the size to grab and go, but you could toss it in a normal sized book bag and take it on a bus or train ride as a traveling companion. In what seems to be a trend for this publisher, the title page font is miniscule. I would need to work with Sherlock Holmes to be able to read this page. The rest of the book is fine, just this initial page seems to be something that this publisher is sticking with in the books I've reviewed so far this year. The images in the book are fantastic, there are an assortment of styles from professional photography shots to simple line illustration the book's imagery is fitting and fanciful. The book has six fully load chapters with 168 pages that include an additional reading list, online resources and a decent sized index.


The author starts us on our magical journey by guiding us through our self care with an explanation of the roots of self care and how we should use this book.  Jumping right into body care, we're instructed on finding a way to use our bodies to practice. From dancing to stretches each movement we make is magical. Breathing exercises and meditation recommendations are not far behind. Closing out the chapter with cleanings baths and ritual herbs that can be used to help us provide our bodies with the nurture and care it so deeply deserves.

We then delve into the emotional waters of our self with a chapter (24 pages) dedicated to our emotional care. Mindfulness being front and center. The images in this section are stunning. I loved the section on goal setting and manifestation. This is something that every witch can work on and I found it to be quite rewarding. The following chapter on the Astrology & Tarot were well done and full of valuable information. 

Again with a focus on the self care aspect, the author takes us forward with how we work not only with our space and energy but also with those around us. Creating a support network and connecting with those like minded who we can share our path with. It his medically proven that having a support system in place leads to longer happier lives. Our familiars and our coven is just such a support mechanism that is powerful and rewarding. Finding yours should be something that is a strong foundation to build your practice. It may not been a group of 12 other witches that you meet with every full moon, but having someone around to call sister, and maybe have a cup of tea with from time to time will certainly help build that community.

The last chapter of this book is regarding magical communication. From how to use an altar to working with a spell book, we have an example of what working with these tools can look like. Then of course, we have the spells.  This book boasts of having well over 100 spells to choose from. The last pages of this chapter are dedicated to just that. From a spell for reflection to a spell for guidance, these pages include the materials required, the directions and then the step by step ritual to follow in order to manifest this spell into action. 

Overall I found this book to deliver exactly what the title promised. With follow up resources such as recommended reading lists and online resources this is a great gift for a beginner in the magical arts. The order of the chapters makes since and the dialog is clear and direct. I believe that this is a great resource for those exploring how to work with the magical tools they have to provide themselves with a positive, healthy way to care for themselves both physically and emotionally.


Namaste

Sosanna


Revisiting Old Habits

 Sometimes old habits are good.  We forget how much we enjoy things and slowly the grind of life puts those wonderful old things aside.  This is what happened to me and my photography. A few years ago I got a great camera. I learned about it and took photos of everything. I even got some pretty great photos of the moon.

I have a grouping of some of my photos on Fine Art America

Here are a few of my favorites.











I forgot how much I enjoyed it. I began using my skills to take photos of my jewelry and items for sale. It became a tool for me to get a job done instead of the actual job. I've decided to pick up my bag, dust it off and begin taking photos again. I look forward to sharing my new works with you.  I hope you're ready to join me.


If it doesn't bring you joy.....

Renee

Happy Birthday to Me!

Photo Credit Renee Olson
Here I sit on my 51st birthday a changed person.  My life is no where near what it was like 5 years ago. This journey has been amazing.  I have spent the this time reviewing books, managing a business and a Facebook Page.  I have decided that, I've done enough of that. Those things no longer bring me joy. I'll still write or draw but going forward I think I'm going to just limit my time online and try to do things that connect me with the world as opposed to doing things that cause me to hide.

I'm going to be outside more and maybe even start taking photos again. I'm going to make art and enjoy making art. I'm going to love right here and right now. Instead of waiting for the next thing to happen, I'm going to go make it happen.  It's time for a change, and there's no time like the present.


Monday Meditation - Overcome

On the title of my blog page I have the following subtitle:

UNDERSTAND . RELEASE . OVERCOME . STRIVE


Image Credit - http://buddhismpathtowellbeing.blogspot.com/


I created this as a way to help me learning the Four Noble Truths. For me it was easier to remember if I had just one word for each of the truths. This is the third of four blog posts related to the Four Noble Truths.

So we learned that there is suffering in life.  We learned that attachment is the source of our suffering. Next we're going to look at Nirodha. Nirodha is the truth of the end of suffering. This means that yes, we all suffer but suffering can end.




I chose the word overcome here because I wanted to remind myself that I can overcome suffering. I have that power within me.  We know that suffering can end. We do not have to continue to suffer. There is an end. All we need to remember is that the Third Noble Truth is that there is an end to suffering.


How do we end it?  That's covered in our next section on the Four Noble Truths.

As always, your comments are welcome.  Feel free to post here or continue to use the form or email to send your questions/discussions.

The Astrological Guide to Self-Care - A Review

Today I'm reviewing The Astrological Guide to Self-Care by Constance Stellas

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Book



Author Links - Link
Amazon Book Link
Amazon Author Link
Good Reads Book Link
Good Reads Author Link
My Good Reads Profile
My Facebook Page

Generally I like to start out with a disclaimer. I am identify as a magical Buddhist. I look for the connection between magic and science without the need to search for a creator. I believe in spiritually and holistic wellness.  I find that we can heal the world if we just sit down and and listen to the breath.  I believe that magic, science and nutritional well being are the cornerstone to a well rounded holistic life. I have recently updated my site from Confessions of a Modern Witch to my new page To Live Whole.  I welcome you to come along for my journey of health, wellness and self exploration.

I receive no compensation for these reviews and all my links are standard Amazon links and not affiliate links. I am a practicing photo reader and have spent the last 16 years honing my craft.  I offer personal readings by request and have a strong online history that boasts over 438,000 views.


As you know I'll be switching over to reviewing only e-copies of books shortly.  I will miss handling the books but the amount of trash that I had piling up for all the shipping was just overwhelming.  I will be doing a giveaway for the remaining physical books that actually arrive as well as asking my publishers to provide giveaway copies shipped directly to my winner's homes going forward for all giveaways.


Looking at the physical book, this is a really big book. The cover is brilliantly colored and has a assorted illustrations of the zodiac on the front and back.  This book isn't a take along book. Due to it's size I would lean more toward a library or coffee table setting for this piece.  The type face is fantastic. Sticking with the size of the book the publisher has presented the copy with clear to read fonts in a bold color that is extremely easy on the eyes.  The pages are smooth to the touch and dedicated to words are there are no illustrations inside at all.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Book

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Book


The book begins with self care.  I'm seeing this topic being covered more frequently in my reviews. I think the industry has finally learned that we cannot pour from an empty cup and granted us some space to take care of ourselves in our busy magical lives.  This author has dedicated the first three chapters of this book to this exercise. I applaud this change and really appreciated the suggestions within. Chapters four through six, Part II,  take us on a journey of caring for ourselves with the elements. Earth, Air, Fire and Water are given the same treatment with an overview of the basic mythology, the astrological symbols and the signs and seasons associated. Each section then gives us ideas on how to apply self care to ourselves based on that particular element.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Book

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Book


As we get into Part III we start looking at the signs themselves. Each chapter from here to the end of the book is dedicated to each specific sign. In reviewing mine I found some really great information.  I also found it odd that there were so many references to eating fish.  I'm a fish! Why would I eat one?  LOL  I did find a lot of these things I already do.  My bed is full of pillows and my home is indeed a retreat.

Overall a fun book to read, it is a great conversation starter and I can see how it would be enjoyed by many.




Monday Meditation - Release

On the title of my blog page I have the following subtitle:

UNDERSTAND . RELEASE . OVERCOME . STRIVE


Image Credit - http://buddhismpathtowellbeing.blogspot.com/


I created this as a way to help me learning the Four Noble Truths. For me it was easier to remember if I had just one word for each of the truths. This is the second of four blog posts related to the Four Noble Truths.


To understand that suffering exists is the beginning of the Four Noble Truths. Now where does this suffering come from?  What is the origin of our suffering? What is Samudaya?


I chose release here because release is the opposite of attachment.  It reminds me that I need to release that attachment in order to cease the suffering in my life.  Suffering comes from attachment.  Attachment to people and things.  If we get a child, we fear losing the child. If we get any new possession, (car, house) or even a new job, after we have the happiness of having those, along with that comes naturally the fear of losing them.




So first we learned that life is suffering.  Living equates to suffering. To live is to suffer.  Now, we know why we suffer. We suffering due to attachment.  Attachment is the fear of loss. So we are suffering because we don't want to lose what we have. Samudaya is understanding that there is a source of this suffering.


As always, your comments are welcome.  Feel free to post here or continue to use the form or email to send your questions/discussions.

Monday Meditation - Understand

On the title of my blog page I have the following subtitle:

UNDERSTAND . RELEASE . OVERCOME . STRIVE


Image Credit - http://buddhismpathtowellbeing.blogspot.com/


I created this as a way to help me learning the Four Noble Truths. For me it was easier to remember if I had just one word for each of the truths. This is the first of four blog posts related to the Four Noble Truths.

I started out with Dukkha, the truth of suffering.  Simpy put, the truth of suffering is that we all suffer. No matter how wonderful our life is, there will be suffering. Suffering is inevitable. 



I always found this profound even when put to me in a slightly different context.  The Princess Bride for example has an excellent quote when Princess Buttercup confronts the Dread Pirate Roberts.






Until we fully understand that all life is suffering, we cannot move forward. We sit as victims waiting for the next problem. The next big drama. The next failure.  Now while you may say, not all life is suffering; I would ask you to really examine that statement and look at some of the modern "great" life events.

The birth of a child.
Buying a new house.
Buying a new car.
Getting a promotion.

All of these are great things right?  Life is good!  Yes, and no.

The birth of a new child leads to all sorts of suffering. You have worries associated with the health and well-being of the child. You have new expenses with the new child, house or car.  You have new demands with the new promotion and the new child.  Each of these things are suffering.

Now, don't think I'm being pessimistic. We're going to work through the all of the truths and you'll see how they tie together. Right now just try to examine dukkha and understand what it is. How does dukkha impact your life.

We're not judging suffering, we're just understanding that suffering exists.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments or continue to email/message me directly.  I don't mind these messages at all.

Monday Meditation - Self Love




One of the most difficult things in my life that I have ever tried to overcome is my low self esteem. I am a people pleasure.  All my life has been me trying to be everything for everyone else, while not being enough for myself.  I spent so much of my time trying to be perfect. I would try to learn everything I could about a class BEFORE taking the class so I would know what the class was about before taking it.  The pressure I put on myself was  unbearable. It was obvious of the pain I was in just by looking at my health.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson

While reading The Art of Living by Thich Nhat Hanh, I found the following paragraph profound:


People who are not at peace with their lives tend to let their minds wander back to moments that have passed and are filled with remorse and regret. Those with self-esteem issues dwell on things that people have said to them and feel worse about themselves because they let these thoughts and actions penetrate and become more important than the actual reality.

I spent so much of my time in future worrying about things that hadn't happened yet, based on experiences I had from the past. I was already failing at a new thing because I felt I failed (which really means, it wasn't perfect) at something in the past. I think we are all hard on ourselves, but I believe I took mine to a degree of self abuse.

An example of this is my drawing.  I always felt I wanted to draw but when I would draw I would berate myself.  Nothing was good enough. I would compare myself to other artists even though I had only been drawing a few months.  Earlier this week I took a look at one of my old drawings. I really did a great job. I love this one. So much so that I might even pick up the pencil again. I need to love myself and stop looking for approval from other people.  I need to be ok, with who I am and where I am in my life.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Artwork - Maiden, Mother & Crone


I found a few videos that are helpful on this type of self work.  The first is to stop looking for approval from other people.


The second is a mediation to learn self compassion.



Learning to love yourself is hard. It isn't something we're all born doing as second nature. For me, I am still working on this. I want to be the best I can be for me. I want to be strong, healthy and happy.  Most of all, happy.

Going Vegan - Your Daily Planner - A Review

Today I'm reviewing Going Vegan, Your Daily Planner: Everything You Need to Transition to a Vegan Diet by Michelle Neff.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Image Source - Book
Author Links - Link
Amazon Book Link
Amazon Author Link
Good Reads Book Link
Good Reads Author Link
My Good Reads Profile
My Facebook Page

Generally I like to start out with a disclaimer. I am identify as a magical Buddhist. I look for the connection between magic and science without the need to search for a creator. I believe in spiritually and holistic wellness.  I find that we can heal the world if we just sit down and and listen to the breath.  I believe that magic, science and nutritional well being are the cornerstone to a well rounded holistic life. I have recently updated my site from Confessions of a Modern Witch to my new page To Live Whole.  I welcome you to come along for my journey of health, wellness and self exploration.

I receive no compensation for these reviews and all my links are standard Amazon links and not affiliate links. I am a practicing photo reader and have spent the last 16 years honing my craft.  I offer personal readings by request and have a strong online history that boasts over 438,000 views.


As you know I'll be switching over to reviewing only e-copies of books shortly.  I will miss handling the books but the amount of trash that I had piling up for all the shipping was just overwhelming.  I will be doing a giveaway for the remaining physical books that actually arrive as well as asking my publishers to provide giveaway copies shipped directly to my winner's homes going forward for all giveaways.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Image Source - Book


My review copy was a soft cover slightly larger than average sized book. Its a soft cover book in a journal format that requires the reader to crease the seam in order to jot down all the daily food logging that this book recommends.  I should also add, that I am  not a vegan.  I do have a very vegan like diet. I believe that being vegan has a bit of a history around it and leads people to believe certain things about people who wear that badge.  I live a mindful, compassionate life.  I follow the eight fold path and practice meditation. I diet is best described as Whole Food Plant Based No Oil.  Being plant based, that means that it is a type of a vegan diet, however vegan diets include things like canola oil while excluding honey.  My way of eating would be opposite of that. I see tons of health benefits for honey, while oil on the other hand is quite harmful to the body.  That being said, many of the suggested recipes in this book would be strictly off limits for my household, but I'm getting ahead of myself.  Let's talk about the first part of the book before going into the recipes.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Image Source - Book

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Image Source - Book


This book starts out with the author giving us an overview of the Vegan diet as a whole. She covers vitamins and minerals and includes a section on that all important question we are all asked, "Where do you get your protein??"  I like the inclusion of a vegan pantry.  While, I wouldn't recommend going out and purchasing all this at one time, it is a great place to find a list of all the typical things one would find in a vegan pantry.  Keeping in mind that a large majority of people I am meeting in my groups are also gluten intolerant, I would skip the breads altogether in our house. And of course, no oil at all.  We don't use any type of processed oils, spreads, mixes, butters or anything of that nature. I think that some of these items are great to help wean you off of the bad stuff but overall they contain just as much harmful ingredients and should really just be skipped completely. I found the vegan substitution chart to be useful in some cases and in others a tad redundant.  The yogurt substitution is vegan yogurt.  I think that's pretty self explanatory and seemed like just a space filler.

There are a lot of charts in this book. One on fruits, grains, nuts, seeds, meat replacements and of course vegetables. There's even a few blank pages for you to fill in with the nutritional information around your own favorite foods.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Image Source - Book

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Image Source - Book


The planner section is next.  It is broken down into weekly sections over twelve weeks.  Each week has a recommendation for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack, with a review page to jot down what you ate, including the nutritional break down, a section for thoughts and a plate diagram to show your fruits, grains, protein, veg and even a little place to tick off your water consumption.

The very first day recommends whole grain toast with peanut butter and sugar free jam with a banana for breakfast.  A veggie burger on whole grain bread with cake and baked beans for lunch and vegetable marinara with whole grain pasta for dinner with a kale and tomato salad.  Not a horrible day but for me, I would have to do a lot of removing.  The pasta and bread are both highly processed and have gluten so both of those would be out for me.  I don't eat nut butters or jam, so both of those are out and of course that veggie burger is processed as well.  Instead of this I would have something like an oat bowl for breakfast with oat milk, blueberries, raisins and strawberries.  For lunch I might have a veggie stir fry *no oil* over brown rice or maybe some vegan Tom Kha soup with Soy Curls.

The book does include a recipe for every day of the week in the book.  I found that the Vanilla Date Breakfast Smoothie looked really good. I use frozen bananas and dried dates for an assortment of recipes. Once you are able to cleanse, your taste buds will go back to their normal unprocessed setting and you'll find that things taste quite different that you are used to. For example, oats are naturally very sweet. Oat milk is amazing without any sweetener at all and I pour it over my oat bowl every morning.  Raisins are another great sweet treat. Once off the processed sugar you'll find that so many foods are just great tasting on their own.  Over the years (even documented in this blog) you'll find me posting about how much I hate onions, mushrooms and peppers.  I now eat them everyday. It is quite amazing how quickly you can switch over to a healthy lifestyle if given the chance.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Image Source - Book


Overall I think this is a great book for becoming vegan. The daily entry allows you to take responsibility for your eating habits and the charts and tables provide a great deal of information. I think that going vegan is a great step in the right direction to getting back to where I believe we were naturally intended to eat. 

If you think you might be interested in learning more about the whole food plant based no oil lifestyle, be sure to check out my Facebook page - Real Rations and my Facebook group Real Rations Recipes.  Here my hubby and I share information on health, holistic wellness and nutrition as well as great recipes that will get you on the way. I have lost 137 pounds changing to this lifestyle and Elijah has lost 120.  We welcome you to come over and check it out!



3 Years WFPBNO

Monday Meditation - We Inter-Are

Another great thought from The Art of Living by Thich Nhat Hanh was something that really struck me.  He says in the book that we are "Inter-are".  

We are connected to each other more than we really think.  Just as we cannot take the soil out of the flower or the sunlight out of the flower we cannot remove others from ourselves. If we tried to take the sun away, the flower is no longer a flower.  We cannot separate the water from a wave.  We see the wave, we see the flower.  The flower without the sun would not be a flower.  It took me a while to see that no matter how hard I tried to remove myself from my family, they are still there.  A part of me.
I have the choice to stop the suffering. I do not have to participate in the negativity of the daily grind. I can stop. I can breathe.  I can learn that we are all connected and we - inter-are.  This was a massive lesson for me. If you have the opportunity I highly recommend listening to Thich Nhat Hanh speak. I'll add another video at the bottom of this entry. 




His poem gives a glimpse about what he means by we inter-are.

You are me, and I am you.
Isn’t it obvious that we “inter-are”?
You cultivate the flower in yourself,
so that I will be beautiful.
I transform the garbage in myself,
so that you will not have to suffer.
I support you;
you support me.
I am in this world to offer you peace;
you are in this world to bring me joy.  ~ by Thich Nhat Hanh (Link)

Monday Meditation: Witchcraft & Buddhism - The Fluffy Bunny Effect

I've become a fluffy bunny.  I look back at all the posts I used to make about my angry Goddess Hecate Brimo and how she was going to be a destroyer of all those who had wronged me. I

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
(artist Georgi Mishev)


I saw her riding in with her mighty torches, dagger in hand ready to bring forth justice for me. To in a sense destroy all those who were not aligned with my way of thinking. I saw this metaphorically. I followed Hecate as a light bringer. One who has the keys to ancient knowledge that I needed in order to go forward in my life. I was angry, so Brimo was who I identified with.

Today I'm feeling much more centered in my life. I don't practice as much as I used to, spells and rituals but I do meditate.  I feel that even if I'm not chanting her name I am still calling upon some of the other representations that she is know for. I love this list here.


Some new titles I'm thinking of identifying with:

Alkimos: Strong/Stout/Brave/Powerful
Ameibousa/Amibousa: One that Transforms
Angelos/Angele: Messenger
Aregos: Helper
Erototokeia: Producing Love/Bearer of Love
Eukoline: Good-Tempered


There are so many  more facets to this life we have in front of us. Learning to become more and not hold on to those things that cause suffering is something that we all need to learn. On the hunt for a fight, looking for someone to defend is just furthering suffering. Instead I choose to offer compassion. I choose to offer understanding and be there for those who need it. I choose to send out, light and love.  There I said it.  Light and love.  For all those years, I was quick to say, I'm not all light and love.  Well I know why. I was so full of suffering that I couldn't see the way to give that light and love to others, because I hadn't given it to myself.

Today I choose to love myself. Today I choose to be a fluffy bunny.




Your Astrological Cookbook - A Review

Today I'm reviewing Your Astrological Cookbook, The Perfect Recipe for Every Sign by Catherine Urban.

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source Your Astrological Cookbook



Author Links - Link
Amazon Book Link
Amazon Author Link
Good Reads Book Link
Good Reads Author Link
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Generally I like to start out with a disclaimer. I am identify as a magical Buddhist. I look for the connection between magic and science without the need to search for a creator. I believe in spiritually and holistic wellness.  I find that we can heal the world if we just sit down and and listen to the breath.  I believe that magic, science and nutritional well being are the cornerstone to a well rounded holistic life. I have recently updated my site from Confessions of a Modern Witch to my new page To Live Whole.  I welcome you to come along for my journey of health, wellness and self exploration.

I receive no compensation for these reviews and all my links are standard Amazon links and not affiliate links. I am a practicing photo reader and have spent the last 16 years honing my craft.  I offer personal readings by request and have a strong online history that boasts over 438,000 views.


As always I'll start out with a review of the physical book.  This is a beautiful book. The cover is vibrant and has two lovely photos with a place setting with outlines the houses of the zodiac.  It's a hefty book and is large. I would think too large to put in a bag for a quick read on the go.  There is a lengthy index index in the back with references to pages for specific dishes, astrological signs and ingredients.

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source Your Astrological Cookbook

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source Your Astrological Cookbook


As someone who is strictly whole food plant based I grabbed this book with hungry hands and a skeptical mind.  It is rare now to find dishes that don't include some form of animal product, sugar or oil.  The majority of recipes out there are overly processed and lack any attention to a real healthy meal. I have to say, even though this book does contain books with animal flesh, I was able to find some that fit into my lifestyle.   Of course I bounced directly to the back of the book looking for the recipes for Pisces!  I was not disappointed.

Pisces is described as the intuitive chef.  The author has this to say:

Mystical Pisces are represented by two celestial fish. Pisceans are truly enigmatic, compassionate souls with vivid imaginations and a fantastically unique sense of humor.  Pisceans live in their own private world as the undercover start of their own life novel.  Fluent in nonverbal communication these intuitive water signs soulfully connect with the messages emoted through music, art poetry and film.  Mutable Pisces can adapt to any environment, though they are also psychic sponges who need to regularly retreat from the world.  Every celestial fish has at least one ritualistic escape hatch they swim to - be popcorn and move, their yoga mat or the local dive bar.

Wow!  Great intro.  I'm hooked (pun intended)

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source Your Astrological Cookbook

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source Your Astrological Cookbook


As if she read my mind the first dish was Chili Masala Tofu Scramble.  While not considered a whole food, tofu is minimally processed and it is something that I eat from time to time.  Looking through the recipe I only had to remove the olive oil and it was something I could eat.  Cool 1 for 1!

Each chapter of the book is dedicated to one sign of the zodiac.  Continuing through my chapter I found several dishes that I could either eat directly or pull out an ingredient here or there to make it compliant.  The Ginger Peach Smoothie for example was easy to fix up with a simple plant based yogurt replacement. The Buddah Bowl was great minus the avocado oil, but the Premiere Popcorn nearly gave me a stroke just reading the ingredients. While not my taste, I can say that I cannot imagine eating popcorn with an entire pound of bacon; someone out there is sure to say it is exactly what they're looking for.


The photos in this book were amazing. I loved the color and simple settings used to demonstrate each dish. I was disappointed that each recipe did not include a photo.  As someone who does a lot of recipes search for my site Real Rations, I can tell you that photos sell the dish. You have to have one to demonstrate the final product and I really think this book could have used that.

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source Your Astrological Cookbook


Overall a great book with a lots of recipes for all sorts of tastes.  Something for everyone including some dishes for the vegans out there, which is hard to come by.  I was very pleased to see all sorts of tastes represented.



Happy 2020

It has been an amazing year.  Last year this time I was in New Mexico living on some property that we were considering buying. We were nearly committed when we had some issues with our property in NC that led us back here.  We ended up coming back to NC where we have been for 2019.

Photo Credit - Elijah Trent Olson


We took this year to see if we really wanted to be back in NM or if NC was where we could make our home.  We had ups and downs and took the time to really appreciate what NC has to offer. We reconnected with family members and learned that sometimes you just can't mend fences and you have to be ok with letting some people go.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson

We spent a year dedicated to learning about foods from Asia. We learned to use chopsticks and how to make sushi.  We learned as much as we could about different spices from that area of the world and traveled across the continent vicariously via our food adventures.  This next year we're going to explore Latin cuisine and we're learning Spanish!

We'll continue to share our recipes on Real Rations and as you can tell I renamed this blog and will continue to share my witchy book reviews, recipes and exploration in to all things wellness on To Live Whole.


In October I went to HexFest and had a wonderful time with Sorita d'Este. I explored some new foods and ended up adding mushrooms, peppers and onions to our dietary guidelines!

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson


Eli and I found Buddhism and began meditating. We are really feeling good now. Eli is down to almost no pain at all and all my manias have passed.  I have completely migrated into menopause and feel healthier than I have in my entire life.

Photo Credit - US



So we're ready now.  Come on 2020 - Let's get this party started.