Nikki Starcat Shields's Blog, page 20

Sisterhood Is Essential

I’ve written here before about friendship, and particularly my friendships with women. At this point in my life, I feel like any old wounds I had in this area have fully healed.

I absolutely adore my circle of women friends.

These past couple of years, I feel like I’ve been able to delve even deeper into sisterhood. Through my business coach, who works with women entrepreneurs who own heart-centered businesses, I’ve become part of a tribe of women who lift one another up. We offer each other...

Starcat’s Favorites: That’s More Like It

I’m loving the beautiful month of May. It’s been so nice to be able to be outdoors without freezing! I’ve been biking, walking, and hula-hooping, and also sitting in the sun with my journal. Ooh, maybe it’s time to put up the hammock.

This weekend we’re celebrating a half-century family birthday, I’m facilitating a marriage ceremony for some dear friends, and we’ll be attending the annual Beltane on the Beach gathering. Lots of fun stuff to do! Though I’ve been grateful for the rain we’ve bee...

An Abundance of Love and Support

Who’s ready for some wisdom from the Tarot? As part of our (very) occasional series on Tarot, let’s examine the 10 of cups. Today we’ll look at the topic of love and support from community through the lens of this bountiful card.

I’ve been doing a New Moon reading for myself each month for a few years now. This past month, one of the cards that showed up was the 10 of cups. It reminded me that despite my current experience of lack (in the area of finances, specifically), that I am blessed wit...

Starcat’s Favorites: The Wheel Turns

Happy April to you! No joke. I’m so glad to be here in a new month, though of course the calendar is pretty arbitrary. Still, I will revel in having moved on from the dreaded March, and that the weather will continue to improve (she wrote, determinedly ignoring the snow outside the window).

What are you looking forward to this Spring? I’m excited to work on revisions for my upcoming novel, Patterns in the Void. I look forward to walks at the beach and in the woods, to celebrating some April b...

Unpacking Those Old Patterns

I know I’ve written about this before, but March is my least favorite month. I’m very prone to the March blues. That’s a story I’ve been telling myself for a long, long time. This year has been no exception. It hasn’t been fun.

Knowing what I do about magick and the Law of Attraction, it seems obvious that telling the tale of how this time of year sucks only ensures that it comes true. Yet sometimes these old patterns are so deeply rooted that it feels like you can never dig them up.

Doing so...

Magick and the Law of Attraction: How Does It Actually Work?

There are so many misunderstandings about magick and the Law of Attraction and how they actually work in everyday life. I wrote about this is my most recent book, The Heart of the Goddess: A Handbook for Living Soulfully. Here’s an excerpt:

Let’s start with a couple of definitions. What do I mean by “magick,” and why is it spelled that way? Magick is the art of changing your consciousness using your will, which then changes your experience, what enters and leaves your life. Many modern-day Pa...

Creativity As Portal

Now and then when I talk to people about daily spiritual practice, they immediately get resistant. And defensive. Sometimes even blustery! (What’s up with that?)

For some, meditation can seem boring, prayer outmoded, and the idea of a daily practice feels restrictive.

Yet for many of the same people, talk to them about their favorite mode of creativity, and they light up. So, I offer, why not use that as your chosen spiritual practice?

I’ve found that creativity is an easy portal to deeper sp...

Starcat’s Favorites: Seeking Ideas

Wow, how can it be February already? This has been a very wintry week here in frosty Maine. After a lull, we’ve been having snowstorms left and right. But hey, even though the days are growing longer, it’s still winter for a few more weeks. Especially here. It’s so chilly, cats have been seen snuggling with dogs!

I’m currently seeking ideas for posts to share with you here.

You may have noticed I haven’t been posting as often, and part of it is that I’ve been busy with life in general and wit...

Magick and the Art of Non-Attachment

Magick is all about creating change. The impulse to do magick comes from some desire that you have for things in your life to be different in some way. Therefore, when you do magick you’re coming from a place of having a strong desire, which is connected to your will to craft that desired change.

The paradox is, though, that when you’re doing magick, there is a point at which you need to let go. You wrap your will energy around that desire you’re so passionate about, and drop it into the ocea...

Starcat’s Ten Best Books of 2016

Hey fellow book lovers! It’s time to share my ten favorite reads from last year. As always, please note that these aren’t necessarily books that came out in 2016. They’re just my top favorites of the 54 books I read during the year.

Without further ado, here’s the list!

City of Refuge by Starhawk. Oh, so very, very good… This is a sequel to her novel The Fifth Sacred Thing, which is on my list of all-time favorite stories. I was a little worried that it wouldn’t live up to the original, but I...