Collect a Jar of Snow…
Many of us right now have been inundated with the white cold stuff… snow! If you are a witch or spellcrafter, this particular winter storm presents some unique opportunities. You have most likely heard of moon or storm/ rain water, but collecting snow, especially from this particular storm, can be a powerhouse ingredient.
Snow water in general can be a powerful magical tool. It holds a transformative energy to it, moving from a solid to a liquid as it melts in the jar – great for transmutation or physical transformation. Depending on if it was a gentle snowfall or a blizzardy one, it can also add in the power of slow and gentle or fast and dramatic transformation. It holds the power of its frozen state even after melting, so it contains the power of ice, memory – to hold in place – and the power of the dead just to name a few.
So why is this particular snow so special? There are many reasons why this particular snow is packed with some powerful energies.
First, it occurred at the beginning of a moon cycle (New Moon), so new beginnings, cleansing, imaginative and creative energies are all there. It happened on the heels of Winter Solstice, which holds the macro, or large-scale effect of those energies combined with a heavy association on the physical world/ daily life.
This storm came in hard and heavy bringing much of life to a stand still. So those frozen aspects, being present in the moment, is heavy within it. The aspect of destruction and forced change is present, for many had to quickly alter plans due to travel issues.
Let’s not forget storm energy in general is riddled within those fluffy little flakes. Blizzard conditions which obscure sight can be a powerful magical tool to obscure or hide something from another’s view.
We experienced fast and dramatic temperature changes in most places with this storm. Many even experienced flash freezing. Another dramatic energy of fast, quick, and even forced change. Forcing movement from one state of being to another. Freezing a moment, situation, or even a person in time.
The cold in many places like ours was life threatening. An aspect of death or survival is felt here. These are all energies that can be used to change your current circumstances if you are struggling mentally, physically, or financially. Use the energy to transform from a state of survival to a state of abundance, by infusing healing and positive energies into the water.
Then there are the personal views of snow that come into play. The energies and feelings you personally have towards it. Some will love it and some will hate it. This particular storm may have created unexpected circumstances, some unexpected feelings, or revealed some type of deficiency / weakness – This can be seen in being unprepared for certain aspects such as power outages and heating issues. Our personal feelings and views will shape the energy in our jars so it is important to be aware of them in order to use them correctly for your spellwork.
However these energies combine for you – How you experienced this storm – The challenges it presented for you – What it revealed in your life – How you view the snow and its timing – all of these will be factors in how you can or should use it in your magical workings, for they all will a part of that energy.
I have a lot of personal factors that are working with this snow.
The top one being Rebirth. I was born in the middle of a blizzard which holds great significance for me. That place between life and death, walking in the seen and unseen world in the same moment, wrapped in constant transformation. My actual birth held these energies as well, as my journey into this world was not an easy one. These are all core aspects of my magic and my personal gifts. My Goddess and Guides have all been talking about another type of rebirth, preparing me for several months now. They presented it in a way that it was obvious that this particular transformation was more of a transmutation, changing from one actual state to another, and much deeper than any of my other transformations of growth. I did not fully grasp all of this as They spoke, but it is all very clear to me now. It truly is moving from one state of being into another. Spiritually, magically, physically, and in the work I will be doing for Them. It is a rebirth in every sense. The same conditions that were present at my physical birth were here at this spiritual birth.
For me, the most Sacred time of my Goddess, The Morrigan, is the New Moon. It is the time She said to hold sacred for Her. Being a Goddess of transformation this makes complete sense, for the New Moon is the ending of letting go/ making room and the start of new beginnings/ rebirth. The Winter Solstice is a larger time scale (year long) representation of this energy. The New Moon and Winter Solstice is a time where the unseen and seen overlap, where the veil is thin and we walk both in the same moment. This storm came at the heels of that energy and has been infused with that energy.
Lastly, and probably the most complicated, is the destruction of a particular construct. I will be going into this in more detail over the next few weeks so it is clearer to others, but this is a quick summary : The destruction of the traps within traditions and organized religions. This is a heavy topic and one that will be misunderstood by many, I am sure, until the context is placed within it. They are right though. People cling to tradition and even fight about it in the sense of the right and wrong way of doing something. It is used to control the thoughts and actions of people. This is the same for any organized religion, abrahamic or pagan. Structure to help people work through and develop their own connections and path can be a good thing and something many people seem to need, but is a very different concept. When that structure turns into instructions of “how to do this” that is where it goes sour, and exactly what tradition and organized religion does. It’s a trap because it has you following the way of someone else and not allowing you to build your own connections, your own customs, your own meanings, and your own spiritual path. They lock people into doing things because it is the “rule” or “proper way” but all it does is lock you into going through the motions instead of experiencing for yourself. It is in experience that we develop wisdom, Faith, and connect to the energies in a way that aligns with our own gifts and destiny. Christianity is the most visible example of all of this, which is why I feel that is one They point to most often. It is also one that was forced onto many people by threat of death. Like I said, this is really complicated and requires a lot of detailed deconstruction, so we are only touching the topic here and will have to go in depth over the next few weeks or so. It is a big part of this storm energy though, and that it happened on christmas was a huge sign post.
So if you are in a place to collect this snow – do it! Be sure to label your jars in some way or put them in a specific place so you can keep using and referring back to them. You can also write words, symbols, sigils or bind runes on the outside of the jar to infuse each jar with specific elements and energies you want to infuse with it. I would suggest several jars if you can. Creating various aspects for each that you can use throughout the year. I personally suggest at least one for destruction and one for rebirth, especially if you plan on following along the deconstruction journey I mentioned above.
Nature gave you a powerful gift – Harvest it and use it to create change and transformation in your life and spiritual journey!