At the Crossroads: Betwixt and Between

I have been called a modern-day cunningwoman and a village witch. It is true that I live in a cottage in the woods and people come to me for counsel, often of a decidedly magickal nature. My work itself is liminal, balancing between the worlds of the magickal and the mundane, as I am both professional astrologer and registered counselor. Often, the imaginary lines between the two overlap, as ultimately, my role is to determine just what medicine someone requires. And although the language of astrology is one of the main tools of my trade, I also design therapeutic rituals for my clients for everything from new beginnings to closure. I read the patterns in the seasons and tend medicinal herbs in my witch’s garden according to the phases of the moon. Guiding others through their rites of passage when they find themselves in a dark wood is my passion and my life’s work. I have been on this path for a very long time and have heeded the call of the Mysteries since I was old enough to perceive that there was more beneath the surface of things than is immediately apparent. I have always been fascinated with genealogy, and several years ago I embarked on a journey through my family’s origins through DNA testing and extensive family tree exploration. Through my research, I recently discovered that one of my ancestors was tried and executed for witchcraft in the Scottish Highlands during the Great Scottish Witch Hunt of 1597. She was one of what is estimated to

be around 200 individuals put to death between March and October of that year and was given the small mercy of being strangled before being burned publicly. Like many of the accused, she was said to be a practitioner of folk healing. It is difficult to describe the feelings this information evoked. An overwhelming sense of sadness and heartbreak stayed with me for a long time. Even though I have identified as a witch for decades and am more than familiar with the history of oppression of women named as witches throughout Europe in the early modern period, it became tangible in a way that I did not comprehend before.

The knowledge that someone whose DNA I carry in my body was treated in such a brutal way impacted me deeply, and I found myself mourning for a woman I had never met. I silently told her how sorry I was that such an injustice had occurred and set about creating a proper end-of-life ritual for her. I have long been intrigued with the idea of genetic memory, and I question if my calling to my life’s work is connected to this distant ancestor who had the unfortunate circumstance of being a healer in a time when it was a very dangerous occupation. I give humble thanks and heartfelt gratitude to live in a time when I am free to follow my calling without fearing for my life.

In my practice as a working witch, it has been my experience that clients often come to see me for the first time when they are at a crossroads. They have been going about their lives when they realize they have lost the path. They are in liminal space, betwixt and between. They are no longer who they used to be, but not quite yet who they are becoming. They may feel confused, restless, afraid, anxious, uninspired, or that they are no longer sure of who they are or what they believe. Sometimes an event has occurred in their outer life, and the proverbial rug has been pulled out from beneath them.

Crossroads by their very definition are liminal space, and the crossroads motif shows up cross-culturally throughout myth and story in every epoch. Crossroads have been a recurring motif in mythology, folklore, and folk magic since time immemorial. Numerous liminal deities are associated with crossroads, doorways, and gateways, such

as Hecate, Mercury/Hermes, Terminus, Portunas, Janus, Menshen, and Legba.

When the protagonist reaches a crossroads in a story, we know that they have entered a place between the worlds: a magical realm where two worlds intersect. A place inhabited by the strange and uncanny, as well as unexpected enchantment and possibility. There is always an element of choice when one finds oneself at a crossroads. There is also an element of trust and surrender to the unknown: no matter which road you take, your life will change. In story, the protagonist often encounters a liminal being at the crossroads, a teacher of sorts whom they may or may not have expected. In the Russian folktale “Vasilisa the Beautiful,” the heroine sets off into the forest in search of fire for the hearth and encounters the fearsome and wise Baba Yaga. In Mesopotamian mythology, the goddess Inanna descends into the underworld and meets her sister Ereshkigal. Similarly, when we arrive at a place where our own path is intersected, we often come face-to-face with our own shadow selves.

At the crossroads our deepest fears and hidden wounds are illuminated, and some of our life’s greatest teachers show up to give us the talisman, ask the right question, or to set us seemingly impossible tasks—impelling us to call upon a well of courage that we didn’t even know we possessed. Astrology teaches us that there are definitive ages that coincide with distinct crossroads, and while there are similarities, everyone arrives at these thresholds with the specifics of their own lives and engages with the archetypes in a unique way. We each get the medicine that we require. However, it is also at these junctures where the real magic in our lives happens, where we are invited to take our place as the heroine or hero of our own story. This transitional space invites us into a state of becoming, as we enter the realm of possibility, soul crafting, and magic making.

Chances are if you are reading this book, you are either approaching a crossroads, in the middle of one, or trying to make sense of one that you’ve just gone through. If this is you, take heart. Learning about where you’re at and the underlying developmental purpose of

why you’re there can bring clarity, comfort, and meaning. The archetypal dimensions of your own story become illuminated. You realize that you have entered the transpersonal realm where healing, magic, and alchemy can occur. Knowing just where you are on the path can be a lantern in the dark.

Temenos is a concept used by Swiss psychologist C. G. Jung denoting a place of refuge, a place of protection and sanctuary where one can find the solace needed to do their inner work. When people come to me for counsel, my intention is to create just such a container—a time outside of time—to hold space for those who enter. That is my intention with this book.

So, I invite you across the threshold of my cottage door and bid you sit at my table. Whatever crossroads you find yourself at, I have something for you.