Episode 50: The Meaning of Magic

As the veil thins and the days darken, many are inspired to turn toward a magical practice for reflection, inspiration, and spiritual support. Magic is a powerful tool with a deep historical context, but living in our technologized, modern world can make approaching ritual and magic feel strange, even intimidating. Join us in this conversation where we explore what it means to be in relationship with magic in 2025, how drawing from ancient sources can help secure a solid magical foundation, and what to do in order to make your magical practice feel like it's truly yours. If magic is calling your name, do not miss Cristina's new class, The Witch Triumvirate, a six-part introduction to magic that will help create a solid foundation for future ritual work that is both informed and creatively led. Class starts on October 17th, learn more here: https://www.cristinafarella.com/the-witch-triumvirateAnd if you've been wanting to take a live class with Cristina, this will be the last live offering of 2025 before she steps away for her maternity leave, in early December :) Mariana is also offering two exciting programs right now: PRINCESS, PRIESTESS, GODDESS, WITCH: A Four-Part Exploration of the Archetypes of Feminine Power in Western Consciousness - http://persephonessister.com/ppgw/Death in the Tarot: Dark Initiations into Life hosted by the Jung Society of Austin - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/death-in-the-tarot-dark-initiations-into-life-tickets-1740493706529?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

The Great Mother is one of the most primordial archetypes, and one today that has lost some of her original potency. We either tend to wash away her intensity by reducing her to "creativity" or "nurture" or project her power outwards, turning it into the witch, the monster, the devourer.In this episode, Mariana is joined again by Alyssa Polizzi to explore the true potency of the Great Mother, both in her majesty and terror. They draw from a host of stories and mythic figures including Demeter, Tiamat, Inanna, Vasilisa, and Psyche to trace the outline of the Great Mother in her true archetypal complexity.In our dream interpretation section, we explore a listener’s dream of encountering a woman in white at the edge of a forest.ANNOUNCEMENTSMariana’s ARCHETYPAL TAROT SCHOOL is still open until September 6th: https://persephonessister.com/archetypal-tarot-schoolRegister for Alyssa Polizzi's upcoming workshop The Empress Reimagined: https://alyssapolizzi.substack.com/p/monthly-empress-reimaginedAnd join her Substack The Artemisian w/ a 15% discount: https://www.theartemisian.com/sorormysticaCheck out Mariana's upcoming class Princess, Priestess, Goddess, Witch: A 4-part exploration of the archetypes of Feminine power in Western consciousness: https://persephonessister.com/ppgw/

Alchemy is an ancient practice that continues to enchant and mystify us today. There are so many symbols to explore, paths to follow, and often our investigation of alchemy is quickly derailed by the intimidation of it all.In this episode, Mariana is joined by alchemical expert Alyssa Polizzi to break down the major themes and symbols of alchemy, including the prima materia, the philosopher's stone, the mysterious conjunction, and Jung's 4-stage alchemical process. Tune in to initiate your exploration and alchemy, and the many profound resonances to be found in your own inner work.In our dream interpretation section, we explore a listener’s fairy tale dream of a heroic king who saves a village, finding allies in the forbidden forest.ANNOUNCEMENTSMariana’s ARCHETYPAL TAROT SCHOOL has returned! Join by August 25th to get the Archetypal Tarot Elements Ebook FREE with your ticket:https://persephonessister.com/archetypal-tarot-schoolLearn from the brilliant Alyssa Polizzi at her substack The Artemisian, which offers Soror Mystica listeners a special 15% off memebership: https://www.theartemisian.com/sorormysticaAlso make sure to check out her upcoming Alchemical Inner Work class: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/alchemical-inner-work-with-alyssa-polizzi-tickets-1466043679109And get to know a little more about her here: https://www.alyssapolizzi.com/

The tower, a symbol of ascent to the heavens, and eventual destruction. In the practice of pulling tarot, drawing this card can inspire anxiety, as we gaze upon the image of the figures falling from a great height, struck by lightning from the heavens above. In this episode, we explore this complex symbol, weaving tarot, the story of the Tower of Babel, the tower in fairytales, and the modern day tower—the skyscraper, with its capitalistic implications. Tune in to deepen your understanding of the tower, and how to approach its ascent with an eye towards personal transformation. In our dream interpretation section, we explore a listener’s dream of a meteorite that never materializes. ANNOUNCEMENTSSign up for Mariana’s FOUNDATIONS OF THE TAROT class, which starts June 1st, at this link: https://persephonessister.com/foundations-of-the-tarot/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaemlg6Qt7wSoPwQolbC7ZevR0cbcaoyx0KuYSTJDxax5FChqR2sdT5nrOFobg_aem_UNpUix_7sZgoesu-Z5HzzQCatch our friend Alyssa Polizzi’s wonderful archetypal offerings at her Substack, The Artemisian: https://www.theartemisian.com/💓 Leave Us A Review 💓If you love our show, you can help us reach curious minds and hearts by leaving us a rating or review wherever you listen to your pods! Thank you so much for being a part of our podcast journey. 🧩 Share Your Symbols 🧩Do you have a symbol that pops up in dreams, in your tarot card pulls, or in your personal experience that puzzles you? If you’d like to hear us talk about your personal symbol on our show, feel free to share your story with us here.📸 Find Us On Instagram 📸Soror MysticaMariana LouisCristina Farella

In this very special episode, Mariana and Cristina sit down with Hope and Matt Hughes, the creators behind the magical array of tarot and oracle decks, which they publish through their company, Ethereal Visions Publishing. The occasion for this chat is also very special--Cristina has joined forces with Hope and Matt, collaborating on their upcoming astrology themed oracle deck, the Musica Universalis!!! Tune in with us as we talk all about this exciting new project, and share insights on the role of oracle decks in our divination practices, how Hope and Matt go about creating the art and accompanying literature for their works, what it means to have a ritual practice that involves art, symbology, and self-reflection, and so much more. This is one of our "praxis" episodes, hopefully offering some helpful insights into cultivating ritual and spiritual practices of your own. Important to know! The Kickstarter for this fabulous book-deck will launch on April 30th, 2025! Find the link below to get notified when the Kickstarter is live, and take a look at the wonderful project so far. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/evpublishing/musica-universalis-zodiac-oracle-deckLearn more about Ethereal Visions Publishing at their website here: https://www.etherealvisionstarot.com/Find Hope on IG: https://www.instagram.com/hopebowiehughes/And Matt on IG: https://www.instagram.com/matthughesart/

To be eclipsed is to fall into shadow. Astronomical eclipses occur about four times a year, when one of the luminaries is cast into darkness. We too can be cast into darkness, thrown into life experiences that bring us down into the depths of our personal underworlds. Just as the Sun and Moon go dark, so can we. Eclipses were seen as a malefic omen to ancient people, but we know that we need the symbolic dark in order to understand the part of life that is filled with light. In the hero’s journey, in myths, the experience of katabasis, of “going under” occurs when the protagonist travels to the underworld, to retrieve or discover some life-altering wisdom, enlightenment, or gift. There is fertility in darkness. Join us in this episode, which we created during “eclipse season” in the late winter of 2025, to explore stories of descent and rising, of occultation and resurrection. Our listener dream analysis focuses on someone’s dream of floating up in the sky. 

One of the most archetypal experiences we undergo in this lifetime is the search for the "other." We move through the world as individuals, learning and growing on our own path of development, but eventually, we begin to yearn for another to share space and time with. Enter the symbol of the lover. Is the beloved a mirror? A focal point of projections that teaches us something about ourselves? An angel? A secret challenge to our sense of self? How can we undo the tight laces of "Me" and unfold into a "We"? This episode explores these questions. With cues from the Lovers card in the tarot, the myth of Psyche and Eros, medieval romantic courtly love, and our own reflections on love, and the beloved, this episode is our Valentine's Day gift to the world :) At the episode's end, we analyze a dream that involves Hekate and wild animals. ANNOUNCEMENTCristina's signature class, The School of Astrological Arcana (formerly called The Art of Chart Interpretation, and The School of Divine Sympathies - forgive her Gemini Moon!!) is open for enrollment!! Use the code ASTROAA through February 15th for $20 off enrollment, as well as some rich freebies -- a 44 pages Archetypal Astrology guidebook, a free 90 minute seminar, "Myths from Underground."💓 Leave Us A Review 💓If you love our show, you can help us reach curious minds and hearts by leaving us a rating or review wherever you listen to your pods! Thank you so much for being a part of our podcast journey. 🌹 Advertise With Us 🌹Would you like your product or shop to be featured as an ad partner on Soror Mystica? Explore advertising options here!🧩 Share Your Symbols 🧩Do you have a symbol that pops up in dreams, in your tarot card pulls, or in your personal experience that puzzles you? If you’d like to hear us talk about your personal symbol on our show, feel free to share your story with us here.📸 Find Us On Instagram 📸Soror MysticaMariana LouisCristina Farella

The collective unconscious lives and breathes between us all, a mysterious web of connectivity, sign, and symbol. Join us in this fresh episode where we contemplate the origins of the concept of the collective unconscious, and how it’s functioning in its highly activated state, in our present moment. The primordial forms of the archetypes are activated, and emerge into the world. We’re currently witnessing the hugeness of prominent archetypes—the tyrant, the assassin, the folk-hero, the outcry of collective pain. Sit with us in this conversation where we explore how to understand what it feels like to encounter the collective unconscious, and how to stay aware of its vast power, when living our lives day to day. We explore a listener’s dream of running from wild animals, in our dream portion (thank you to our dreamer!)ANNOUNCEMENTSMariana’s wonderful TAROT AND PSYCHE seminar begins January 14th! Enroll here: https://www.jungarchademy.com/tarotpsycheJoin Cristina for her annual Year Ahead Astrology Forecast this Saturday December 21st: https://www.cristinafarella.com/the-2025-forecast-eventGet on the waitlist for Cristina’s upcoming class ASTROLOGY FOR BEGINNERS starting this January: https://awesome-crafter-9275.kit.com/15961c6301💓 Leave Us A Review 💓If you love our show, you can help us reach curious minds and hearts by leaving us a rating or review wherever you listen to your pods! Thank you so much for being a part of our podcast journey. 🌹 Advertise With Us 🌹Would you like your product or shop to be featured as an ad partner on Soror Mystica? Explore advertising options here!🧩 Share Your Symbols 🧩Do you have a symbol that pops up in dreams, in your tarot card pulls, or in your personal experience that puzzles you? If you’d like to hear us talk about your personal symbol on our show, feel free to share your story with us here.📸 Find Us On Instagram 📸Soror MysticaMariana LouisCristina Farella

We're back! After a break (and by the way, how fitting that our previous episode was about retrogrades and reversals), we've returned to the pod, to explore the symbol of alchemical marriage. This discussion is inspired by the fact that Cristina got married in late September, with, of course, Mariana as her maid-of-honor :) Together we explore common conceptions around marriage, sexist expectations of women as they approach their "big day," and other contemporary wedding-madnesses. We then turn towards the symbol of marriage as it emerges in myth and alchemy, to find a deeper reframe of something that our patriarchal institution has taken the magic out of. The Witch TriumvirateJoin Cristina in an exciting new three-part class, The Witch Triumvirate, a series of lectures designed to reconnect you with your own ritual practice this fall. With a lecture on astrological magic, astro-herbalism, and spellcrafting, this class will bring you back to your magical center. Check it out here. 💓 Leave Us A Review 💓If you love our show, you can help us reach curious minds and hearts by leaving us a rating or review wherever you listen to your pods! Thank you so much for being a part of our podcast journey. 🌹 Advertise With Us 🌹Would you like your product or shop to be featured as an ad partner on Soror Mystica? Explore advertising options here!🧩 Share Your Symbols 🧩Do you have a symbol that pops up in dreams, in your tarot card pulls, or in your personal experience that puzzles you? If you’d like to hear us talk about your personal symbol on our show, feel free to share your story with us here.📸 Find Us On Instagram 📸Soror MysticaMariana LouisCristina Farella

What does it mean to be forced to reverse course? How do we contend with the moments in our lives where we cannot push forward, as expected? In this episode, we explore the concept of reversals, retrogrades, and what it means to embrace moments of inversion, or opposition. In Mariana's modality, tarot, reversed cards are often frustrating to querents, and can bring anxiety about thwarted goals, or dreams deferred. In Cristina's modality of astrology, planetary retrograde is often lamented as a time of frustrated action. But we believe that there is great meaning, and great possibility for fertility, in these surprising changes of course. Join us as we contemplate all things retrograde, reversed, and revelatory in this special episode. Mariana's Archetypal Tarot School is now open for enrollment!!!!! Check it out here. Mariana will also be having a live discussion event with fellow tarotist Alyssa Polizzi on Thursday, August 15th at 11am PST. Enroll for this free event here. 💓 Leave Us A Review 💓If you love our show, you can help us reach curious minds and hearts by leaving us a rating or review wherever you listen to your pods! Thank you so much for being a part of our podcast journey. 🌹 Advertise With Us 🌹Would you like your product or shop to be featured as an ad partner on Soror Mystica? Explore advertising options here!🧩 Share Your Symbols 🧩Do you have a symbol that pops up in dreams, in your tarot card pulls, or in your personal experience that puzzles you? If you’d like to hear us talk about your personal symbol on our show, feel free to share your story with us here.📸 Find Us On Instagram 📸Soror MysticaMariana LouisCristina Farella