About aria aian

Hola! I’m Maria

and if the black dog of depression brought you here, you’re in exactly the right place.

I’ll warn you now, things are going to get a little quirky, but you need to know what kind of weirdness you’re getting yourself into before you decide whether to stick around, or not.

You see, I’m a Gaian Witch, practicing Therapeutic Witchcraft, Soul Healing, and Energy Work. 

Before you start picturing me in a pointy hat, tossing frogs into a bubbling cauldron and summoning demons STOP!!

I love the witchy vibe, but you won’t find me lurking in a Gothic chamber, whispering spells over skulls and spiders.

So what makes my approach different?

I stand at the crossroads where neuroscience and magick meet.

I know that sounds like an unlikely combination. But stay with me.

I’m actually a very analytical person.

I used to be a lawyer.

I believe in science.

I also believe in the metaphysical – the things science struggles to explain. Spirituality. Energy. Magick. The wisdom of the earth.

Most depression programmes give you one or the other. I give you both.

My therapeutic toolkit includes neuroscience-based coaching and therapy, nature and animal assisted healing, sacred rituals and ceremonies, crystals, herbs, tarot and oracle cards, and the guidance of my Spirit Guides – who happen to be my Nan and my Great Grandmother.

Yes, really.

I’m also clairaudient, clairsentient, and an empath. I pick up on the emotions of others and receive guidance from Spirit. This means I can often unravel the deeper reasons behind someone’s depression in ways that conventional therapy simply can’t reach.

But despite all the woo woo — I really am just a regular wife and mom.

Most days you’ll find me in sportswear or flowy tops. No cloaks — Spain is far too hot for that.

My cauldron is just a quirky auction find that’s never seen an eye of newt.

And my office is a cosy wooden cabin filled with books, Wonder Woman merch, art supplies, pinecones, candles, and crystals.

Ordinary. Just a little bit magickal.

Through my wild and magickal circles, retreats, and programs (online and in Spain)  I help people learn how to heal their Soul wounds, banish any psychological blocks, detox their lives, and break free from the grip of depression.

My magickal toolkit also contains crystals, herbs, a pendulum and Tarot and Oracle cards.

I’m best known for my animal assisted work, often inviting cats, horses, birds and dogs into therapeutic sessions.

I hold beautiful Spiritual ceremonies, Soul healing rituals, blessings and ‘spells‘ to help you manifest the magickal life you desire and deserve!

Plus I also have a delicious little knack of helping you see the possibilities that you struggle to see for yourself. Then with this new perspective, we can uncover your inner magick so that you can create the life you dream of! 

Is Ditch the Black Dog too woo-woo for you?

I get it! Therapeutic Witchcraft™ and Gaian Magick™ both sound a little out there.

But here’s the thing: They work like a charm.

If traditional approaches haven’t been enough to help you ditch the black dog of depression, maybe it’s time to try something different.

Read my blog post if you want to know a bit more: Think I’m too woo woo for you?

Because my work is deeply rooted in the power of Mother Nature, also known as Gaia – I call it Gaian Magick. 

Still with me?

Yes?

Phew! I’m so glad you decided to stick with me and didn’t run for the hills!

Now that’s out of the way, let’s continue, because the metaphysical stuff is only part of the story.

Since 2005, I’ve been creating sacred spaces in nature for wounded Souls to heal and thrive, helping people and animals to find sanctuary in a world that often feels too harsh for them.

When I first started out, my business looked very different to the way it does today. Back then, my focus was on helping kids with special needs to build self esteem and confidence through connection with horses and farm animals.

The weird thing was that despite only advertising my services for kids, my work started to attract adult  abuse survivors who were struggling with depression, but I didn’t feel equipped to support them.  As an abuse survivor myself, I didn’t want to let these women down, so I worked on improving my skillset and knowledge.

I spent years researching depression and training in modalities that could help me to ditch the ‘Black Dog’. Today, I’m a certified coach, counselor, nature therapist, and advanced hypnotherapist, able to help others, too.

I’ve expanded my therapeutic toolkit to include sacred rituals, energy healing,  earth-based practices, neuroscience-based coaching, and nature therapy to help people learn how to release their emotional pain and banish the psychological blocks that hold them back from creating a magickal life they want to wake up every day for.

My therapeutic business ‘Ditch the Black Dog’ was born and now I don’t just focus on confidence and self esteem issues, I specialise in helping others to explore how they can get rid of the black dog of depression and keep the damn thing at bay when it tries to sneak back in.

But here’s the thing. The reason I know this works isn’t because I studied it.

It’s because I lived it.

There’s a reason why this kind of work matters so much to me.

I know how you feel right now.
Not in a textbook way. In a 3am lying awake wondering what the point of it all is kind of way. I’ve struggled with depression since I was a child.

Growing up neurodivergent in an abusive home kinda does that to a person.

I tried the usual routes to get rid of it – antidepressants and endless yapping to a variety of counselors – but nothing seemed to get rid of my feelings of sadness, self hatred, hopelessness and helplessness.  

It felt like I was powerless and I thought I’d be stuck with depression for the rest of my life.  

My experience with depression came to a head in 2013 when my life turned upside down and I suffered a nervous breakdown.

I lost everything. My business, my home, and my mind.

After that, the Black Dog of depression became my constant companion.

Rather than being woman’s best friend, the Black Dog debilitated me and I’d go to sleep at night praying I wouldn’t wake up in the morning.

I knew I couldn’t live like this, so I had to make a choice, let the black dog win, or fight like hell and do everything I could to ditch it.

I chose to fight.

It was hard, I won’t lie. I tried all sorts of ways to help me heal, some were common sense, some were more ‘out there’!

In my desperation to let go of the past wounds that were causing me so much pain, I stumbled upon the world of witchcraft and energy healing.

I discovered that rituals and a deep connection with Gaia – Mother Nature – could add something powerfully therapeutic into my life. Something that antidepressants and talk therapy had never touched.

And when I combined Therapeutic Witchcraft with practical lifestyle changes, neuroscience-based coaching, community, and sacred activism, something extraordinary happened.

The black dog started to lose its grip.

I tried and tested so many things and long story short, I found my way out of depression.

Out of this, the Gaian Path™ was born. 

Today I use it to help other people learn how to heal their wounds, banish their blocks and create a life worth waking up for. 

Following the Gaian Path not only changed my life, it saved it!