Book reviews

“You have given the world a delightful and deep examination of Baba Yaga from your insightful and learned perspective. Thank you. In a world where uncertainty and fear are the currency of the day, we can become enchanted by a sort of artificial lightness that ultimately only makes us more anxious. We become terrified of the dark. Yet it is in the dimness of our own souls that we find refuge from the harshness of life.  If we are able to peer into this darkness we may see a peculiar little house governed by a curious figure. Baba Yaga, crone of legend, greets us with a glint in her eye, and a question on her lips. “Who are you?” she inquires with a cackle. Natalia Clarke answers this question, while exploring the stories and characteristics of Baba Yaga through traditional lore and personal insights. Merging together her Slavic origins, training in depth psychology, and natural spiritual practices, she is our companion as we venture into the mysteries of this face of the crone. Beautifully written with journal entries, dream explorations, and ways to connect with Baba Yaga, I highly recommend this delightful book for anyone who wants to go deeper into her mysteries.”

Cyndi Brannen, the author of Keeping her keys 

“I’ve felt for a long time that there must be more in the call to Baba Yaga’s cottage than the fairy tales tell us. Natalia Clarke has drawn on her Siberian heritage and personal insights to show us how we might approach this powerful Goddess. This is a book for anyone drawn to dark Goddesses and Crone Goddesses. It’s also the first map I’ve seen that explores the forests in search of wild Gods who will not make themselves comfortable in our homes or on our altars. It’s ground breaking stuff.”  Nimue Brown

“A truly fascinating book that opens up our understanding and knowledge of this perhaps misunderstood Goddess.  Natalia Clarke shares personal experiences mixed with folklore and practical information to guide seekers to find their own connection with Baba Yaga.” Rachel Patterson

This is an impressive work, clearly written, exploring Baba Yaga as Earth Goddess and laying out what an apprenticeship with her might look like. In a culture that tends to categorise everything – emotions, actions, people – as either wholly good or wholly bad, this book brings some much needed nuance and an exploration of a healthy darkness through this fantastic, visceral deity. Meredith Debonnaire

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The Crone and I at Samhain

I heard her say ‘Get on a horse’ and without hesitation I got into my car and drove to the woods that called me. She was all around and Samhain felt near. I felt calm and ready to commune with her.

The woods kept changing atmosphere from grey and wet to light and shimmering. Autumnal light streamed through the golden tops of blackened tree bodies. I felt a sense of intention and joy within. She was near and I was reassured. I realised her confidence-building purpose and quality as I developed my own inner hearing. She is and always has been on the side of the feminine and healing of the wounded maiden was just one intention she carried. Today I truly felt that having been through the maiden and mother stages.

Cronehood is a stage I truly look forward to and even more so with her by my side. I am excited and curious about things to come. Today she was full of lessons and the more I engaged with her the more I felt I could truly understand the symbology and meaning behind her one-sentenced phrases. She doesn’t say much and very intentional with what she discloses.
She spoke of the importance of our bodies, physicality and how our disconnection from the animal-selves caused discord and imbalance in many areas as a result. She spoke of nature and landscape as essential parts to any life as they hold the animal-self within offering us to connect back to the earth, the self and spirit of things. Only through deeply feeling into the physical and matter-like within us we can encounter the spirit. It is all interconnected.

She spoke of how we disempower ourselves via covering up by dying our hair, messing about with nails and shaving off what’s intended to be there. And not only that we create a world of shame, unacceptable, conforming and pleasing to the external as a result. We cut off from the natural self by avoiding our own beauty, the natural kind. Our crown becomes dimmed with chemicals and that magic that can be felt in the fingers is dimmed. I can relate to the fingers holding the paper well and am guilty of not looking after myself in that area. I connected instantly to the message of disempowering myself by not being kind and nurturing to myself. It saddened me.

With the crone hood stage we are invited to delve into another stage of coming back to ourselves. I feel excited by it.

Last year she spoke her word to me, which I turned into a book. It comes out in December and I look forward to sharing the message with more women around the world.

Pre-order HERE

Latest review:

“You have given the world a delightful and deep examination of Baba Yaga from your insightful and learned perspective. Thank you.

 In a world where uncertainty and fear are the currency of the day, we can become enchanted by a sort of artificial lightness that ultimately only makes us more anxious. We become terrified of the dark. Yet it is in the dimness of our own souls that we find refuge from the harshness of life.

If we are able to peer into this darkness we may see a peculiar little house governed by a curious figure. Baba Yaga, crone of legend, greets us with a glint in her eye, and a question on her lips. “Who are you?” she inquires with a cackle. Natalia Clarke answers this question, while exploring the stories and characteristics of Baba Yaga through traditional lore and personal insights. Merging together her Slavic origins, training in depth psychology, and natural spiritual practices, she is our companion as we venture into the mysteries of this face of the crone. Beautifully written with journal entries, dream explorations, and ways to connect with Baba Yaga, I highly recommend this delightful book for anyone who wants to go deeper into her mysteries.”

By Cyndi Brannen, the author of Keeping Her Keys

Intuition and the dark part of the year

Autumn is here and what a joy to welcome the season of gathering all that we sowed and reflecting on the gifts within and without. The season of the Earth element it is raw and authentic; deeply grounding. It defines the boundaries clearly and speaks via the voice of intuition, magic, ritual fires and Earth spells. It is the time of year when magic begins to stir inside of me and intuition sharpens like at no other time of the year for me. I feel The Crone waking up and moving slowly amidst the forest contemplating and planning her work for the forthcoming months of darkness. She is born again in order to protect, survey the land and keep the fires of consciousness burning within. It is the time of creativity and intuition is rich in its messages pointing me in directions with clear guidance. I begin to write again with renewed passion and a sense of knowing exactly what to do and how. This time is precious.

I do not perform spells often but it is in autumn the work intensifies for me purely because the intuitive knowing is so sharpened and intentional it is easier to navigate. I work with leaves, branches, berries, rain and wind. Soil that I turn slightly in my garden plot is prepared for hibernation. Nourishment of the body and soul is focused now through food and intentional reading and learning. I become sharp in awareness and hungry for life again after a summer of hibernation for me. In Autumn I begin to wake up and with that intuitive magic comes alive.

Check out my book Intuitive Magic Practice for simple Earth element spells and so much more on intuition and how to create, work with and enjoy your own unique magical practice.

Blessed Mabon!

Journeying with the Triple Goddess

This month of January 2017 I am in need of reminding myself of the magic that runs through my veins. I am called to look deep within to revive my own potential, strength and power. I also need to release tension, doubt, anxiety and sadness that accumulated within. I need to journey into a place of spirit, my beloved land, for the need of restorative medicine and wisdom.

I have been called a lot this month to be present for others, to take care of the external things and people, which left me starved for inner peace, reflection and care taking of my soul. I am in need of a ritual, tears, focus and attending to my soul’s needs.

This morning I feel like hybenating, wrapping myself up warm and cosy in luxurious thick blanket, cover my head with a purple scarf and snuggling up with a coffee in front of my altar. This feels so needed and timely. I am looking after myself in a way I haven’t been able to lately. Solitude is something I crave. I often reach that point when there is no other path to take or choice to make other than sitting in complete silence with myself, rocking myself into comfort and steering back to the road where I get in touch with spirit.

I put on some music and began my journey in front of my altar, which felt like the most beautiful thing to me right now. It is for sure one of my favourite altars over the years. I can’t wait for Imbolc to come, which is exactly a week today and I feel like bathing in scents and textures of white flowers. It feels delicious and completely needed for me today.

Maiden: wearing thin white tunic, barefoot with her long hair dropping loosely on her shoulders she walks very softly upon the shore of a lake. I recognise the place. She sways her hands in a gentle dance and flowers drop from her fingers. She raises her arms in the air and flowers shoot out from under the ground opening up towards the new. There is innocence, purity, beauty and translucency of spirit that surrounds her. She is the element of water and air. She begins to fly over the lake continuing to scatter flowers on the water. I cry and cry. It is a beautiful sight and a powerful release for me. I missed her.

Mother: in a pine forest where trees reach high up into the sky she walks confidently looking up and around her. She wears a green dress and green lacy short boots. There is light and confidence about her. She has earthly energy, very pentacle type of energy of manifestation and being firmly in the world. She walks along the pine forest tidying things up here and there, picking up branches and touching trees. She arrives to a point where a view opens up in front of her. I recognise this place. The sun is bright and warming, she smiles. There is a beautiful lake down below and forests stretching as far as the eye can see. She takes a deep breath and sits down on a tree stump. Animals gather around her legs, badgers, squirrels and an owl lands on her lap. She strokes her very soft feathery body and all is content in the world.

Crone: she is sitting on a rock looking out to the sea. I recognise these rocks. Wearing long white cloak, which matches her white hair she holds her walking wand firmly as a strong support for her frail body. She is knowing, content and at peace. There is nothing that she hadn’t seen or done before. She is older than anything or anyone in this universe. She walks towards a pool of water coming off the rocks and whispers her spells and chants into the water taking out herbs from her pockets and throwing them in. She is forever magical and working for the good of the Earth. The she walks into a cave, sits down with black crows surrounding her. Her inner comfort and peace is electric and striking. She begins to pull fire with upwards motion of her hands from under the earth. With ease she brings it into reality and the air fills with warmth. She sits in deep reflection watching the flames humming to herself.

Music for the journey:

There are three pieces of music, which follow for each Goddess starting at 1:04:33 point at 11:34