Notice your heart: a magnet, a cauldron, a wand, a womb.
How to work with the heart
My favorite psychedelic teaching is that our perception of reality is infintessimal compared to what actually exists. The deeper I delve into magic and the mysteries of the human body and mind, the more I experience the occult—and the more it captivates me. We see nature as magical, and yet we forget that WE are nature. As Ram Dass reminded us, we are not separate from nature but an integral part of it.
“You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop. You don’t end at your skin; you are everything beyond it as well. The trees are breathing you, and you are breathing them. We are nature.” - Ram Das
Our family recently moved from the NYC area to Richmond, Virginia, to be closer to my bonus daughter and nature. I didn’t get to see our house before we signed the lease because I had to fly that day for work. My husband FaceTimed me with the realtor (who just so happened to also be the owner—the auspicious story of how we found this little slice of heaven is a story for another day). When I stepped into my backyard for the first time on a warm August evening, the earth still damp from the rain, I cried. Fat, hot tears of joy streamed down my face as I knew our nervous systems needed the nurture of a slower life. Square stone steps led me to a giant tree in the backyard; I leaped like a kid from one to the other. I learned to work with the land spirits in a way that is true to my Scottish-Irish roots, thanks to the work of my Celtic medicine teacher Shonagh Home, who also introduced me to the work of Scottish Dowser Patrick MacManaway.
Dowsing, in its essence, is about tuning into the invisible energy around us—just as the heart operates on its own electromagnetic field, attuning us to the unseen forces that guide our lives. It’s an ancient practice that endures because it speaks to this deeper connection. Dowsing is an ancient practice used to locate hidden objects, most commonly water, minerals, or lost items, by tapping into subtle energy fields. Practitioners use tools like dowsing rods or pendulums, which respond to unconscious muscle movements or external energies, guiding them toward the sought-after source. As Christianity overtook Europe, many forms of divination were condemned, but dowsing endured due to its undeniable accuracy, especially in mining and agriculture. Though folks like Martin Luther later denounced it as the "work of the devil," it remains widely used and is still practiced today, blending traditional wisdom with modern interpretations.
Scottish dowser Patrick MacManaway introduced me to the simple act of observing your heart. Committing to the simple act of observing the heart it will transform your entire life. You can do this for even just five minutes a day. How does your heartbeat feel? How steady is your heartbeat? What is she trying to say? You can place your hand on your wrist or neck if you’re unable to feel the pulse in your chest (which is common). There is infinite information and creative energy in the heart space. The heart both receives and produces immense energy. It produces a measurable electromagnetic field, which is considerably stronger than the brain’s. The more I do this work with the heart, the easier it becomes.
Everyone says ‘follow your heart,’ but no one teaches you how. Start by observing your heartbeat for five minutes a day. That’s it. How does it feel? How steady is it? If you can’t feel it in your chest, place your hand on your wrist or neck. Just five minutes, every day. Try it for a week, then come back here and let me know what shifts.