Is Ditch the Black Dog™ Too Woo Woo for You?
Maria Gaian – Therapeutic Witchcraft Practioner.
I combine modern neuroscience based coaching and therapy techniques with a generous sprinkle of Gaian Magick™ to help people ditch the black dog and unleash their passion for life.
What if I told you that I help my clients to ditch the black dog of depression using tools such as:-
🃏 tarot cards;
✨ crystals;
🧴 essential oils & flower essences;
🌙 moon rituals; and
✨soul journeying and mind rewilding
in my coaching and therapy sessions?
Would you laugh and call me foolish, or would you be curious?
I’ve got to be honest, I do worry that the metaphysical tools I use to help people ditch the black dog of depression might seem too ‘woo woo’ to be taken seriously!
You might be ok with me using hypnotherapy and horse-assisted therapy to help you heal, but tarot cards, ceremonies and rituals might be a step too far.
It’s ok.
I understand if you feel cynical about the idea that the metaphysical part of my work could help you feel better.
But what if it’s not as silly as it seems?
How can rituals, ceremonies and spells possibly help you ditch the black dog?
Before you dismiss me as a weird old crone, you need to know that rituals and soul healing journeys have helped me and my clients overcome things that contribute to, or are caused by, depression.
Such as:-
😔 low self-esteem;
😢 lack of confidence;
😔 loneliness and feeling disconnected;
😢 healing emotional and psychological wounds caused by abuse, rejection, abandonment, loss, grief, heartbreak and failure;
😔 symptoms of cPTSD.
😢 anxiety and social anxiety;
😔 insomnia;
😢 imposter syndrome;
😔 feelings of not being enough;
😢 beliefs that love, happiness, money, or success aren’t available to them;
Does that seem too good to be true?
What if I told you that scientists have proven that rituals, talismans, and spells actually work?
Scientists believe that rituals, ceremonies and talismans help us feel more in control.
This is vitally important when it comes to the black dog, because in many cases the cause, or at very least the major contributor to depression, is feeling out of control in some way.
If you feel out of control of things like your: –
🐺 personal safety and security;
😔 finances;
🐺 body;
😔 mind;
🐺 fertility;
😔 health;
🐺 work;
😔 partner;
🐺 ex that you desperately want back;
😔 family and friends;
of course you’re going to struggle.
Maslow’s heirarchy of needs tells us that we can’t think about feeling healthy, happy and whole and able to be our best selves if we don’t have our basic human needs met.
Traumatic events such as bereavement, assault, divorce, accidents, or loss of trust if your partner cheats on you, can shake you to your core and make you feel totally out of control.
We have to find coping mechanisms so we can feel more in control, especially when it comes to our mental health and wellness.
So let’s go back to what the scientists say about rituals, talismans and ceremonies.
Article in Psychology Today: Rituals Help Brain Perform Better
For example:
💗 Bereaved people recover from grief faster if they have rituals. Funerals, leaving flowers, and talking to your lost loved one, all help speed up the grieving process.
🍀 Sportsmen are proven to perform better if they wear lucky socks or perform rituals such as eating at a certain restaurant the night before a game.
🤞 Students perform better in exams if they take a talisman with them, such as a lucky pencil or wearing a specific t-shirt.
The problem is that scientists still don’t understand how or why rituals, spells, and talismans work.
Their research has just proven that they do.
As Arthur C Clarke said, “Magick is just science that we don’t understand yet!”
So scientist’s agree that rituals, ceremonies, spells and talismans work. But what about plant medicine? Animal assisted therapy? Crystal healing and Soul Journeys?
Do they really work?
I use a combination of complementary therapies in my work.
Their effectiveness is being proven through scientific and empirical evidence.
Call it witchcraft, call it plant medicine, or herbalism, either way, the principles are the same.
(*Unless otherwise specified. Some herbal products are unsafe for children or pregnant people.)
Hypnotherapy has startling similarites to shamanic healing.
People flock to feel the therapeutic benefits of being around horses and nature.
No one thinks twice about using lavender-scented products or drinking chamomile tea to help them relax.
There’s no doubt about it, rituals, soul healing, and magick work.
It may not be magick (although I choose to believe it is.)
But Soul healing works.
Connecting with others and a higher power in Sacred Circles works.
And ‘woo woo’ things such as talismans, rituals, spells, whatever you want to call them, work.
Scientists know it, and my clients and I experience it every day.
Depression, stress, overwhelm, anxiety, and other blocks to our health, wealth, happiness, love, and success can all be massively improved through taking part in powerful healing rituals.
And that can be life-changing.
(A note for my neurodivergent friends: Therapeutic Witchcraft™ and Alchemical Ecotherapy™ will not ‘cure’ autism, ADHD etc. But they can help you let go of the feelings of being somehow broken or defective. You can feel healthier, happier, and whole.)
What I’m trying to say is…..
…don’t be afraid to try something new, even if it seems a bit too ‘woo woo or ‘out there’.
Don’t miss out on getting rid of some of the psychological and emotional blocks to your happiness, just because what I’m offering isn’t as ‘normal’ as popping a pill or visiting a traditional therapist to talk about it.
Isn’t getting involved with witchcraft dangerous?
There’s nothing dark or dangerous here.
My methods are natural, with zero toxic side effects, and are safe* for even children to take part in.
I’ve used the full moon ritual to help a child to get rid of a scary monster that she believed lived under her bed.
The old ways of the witches that used to be considered too ‘woo woo’ are becoming mainstream.
You don’t need to be ‘woo woo’ or to believe in magick or a god to find the metaphysical tools I use helpful.
The belief that you’re letting go of the baggage you’ve been carrying with you is all that matters.
(Although, you might find yourself so moved that you’re drawn to start down a spiritual path, just like I was.)
It could be the start of a whole new way of life for you!
Are you ready to try some fabulous new ways to ditch the black dog of depression?
Check out the ways you can work with me.