Here in the coven, intermediate level dance technique is offered for cultivating refinement and leveling up your dance repertoire by embodying benefic cosmic signatures and iconic archetypes with theatrical choreography and applied magical insight. 

INANNA’S RETURN

This third session completes our INANNA Venus Retrograde Dance Series! Apologies in advance for the quick start to class… I was dealing with a tremendous amount of tech hurdles when filming this class. The final result was my 4th attempt at getting zoom to function properly. My webcam gave out, so the video was filmed with my computer camera. It was special… But we did it! You will want to do your candle circles and smudge + burn something sweet for Venus before beginning this class. My candle magic section didn’t make it into the final cut due to so many technological hurtles. Shout out to Claire and Jessie for sticking with me through the process and  dancing through the finishing of  this beautiful piece of intentional artistry! 

Sending everyone so much love, and happy new moon venus/mercury direct!

Coven Power Prompts for the the Reddening can be found here:

Power Prompts Part 3: The Reddening

For class, please come prepared with a candle, something sweet to burn, amulet, veil and something fun to tie around your waist.

Enjoy!

DANCE OF VIRGO

This time of year is always so initiatory on so many levels. For many, Virgo season is somewhat melancholy because it means summer is over… Personally, I relish it. With collective themes of back to school, dusting off our fall coats and boots, clearing out clutter, while enjoying the bounty of the Harvest – the spirit of academia fills the air.

As I revisited the dance of Virgo to revamp it, I was flooded with nostalgia and reminded that it was it was during this season when I was originally inspired to embark upon writing the Astrological Series in the first place. After a long period of artistic stagnancy triggered by the lockdowns of 2020 – it was Virgo Season of 2021 when my inspiration returned and the Astrological Series led me on a path which ultimately bloomed into the glimmering jewel that you know as Animara today… Virgo, you clever gal, I couldn’t have done it without you.

Virgo is a Mutable Earth sign historically represented by the Demeter/Ceres, the Goddess of wheat and agriculture – an association that speaks to virgo’s deep rooted presence in the material world. Virgo’s are logical, practical and systematic in their approach to life. This earth sign is a perfectionist at heart and isn’t afraid to improve skills through diligent and consistent practice. Virgo rules the digestive system, which makes these earth signs especially attuned to the ingredients that make up a whole – in food and in everything else. They’re hyper-aware of every detail. Virgo is one of the three Earth signs, along with Capricorn and Taurus, and is governed by Mercury, the messenger planet of communication. Methodical, committed, and hardworking, they make excellent teachers, healers, editors and musicians.

Virgo Latin for “virgin” or “maiden” is the sixth astrological sign in the zodiac.

The sign is associated with Astraea. In Greek mythology, Astraea was the last immortal to abandon Earth at the end of the Silver Age, when the gods fled to Olympus – hence the sign’s association with Earth. Astraea, the celestial virgin, was the last of the immortals to live with humans during the Golden Age, one of the old Greek religion’s five deteriorating Ages of Man. In the Iron Age, the world was illegally rampant. People only coveted gold, while family and friends did not trust each other. According to Ovid, Astraea abandoned the earth during the Iron Age. Fleeing from the new wickedness of humanity, she ascended to heaven to become the constellation Virgo. The nearby constellation Libra reflected her symbolic association with Dike, who, in Latin culture as Justitia, is said to preside over the constellation. In the tarot, the 8th card (or 11th, depending on the Tarot system followed), Justice, with a figure of Justitia, can thus be considered related to the figure of Astraea on historical iconographic grounds. According to myth, Astraea will one day come back to Earth, bringing with her the return of the utopian Golden Age of which she was the ambassador.

The constellation Virgo has many different origins, depending on mythology. Most myths view Virgo as a virgin maiden that carries on her associations with wheat. In Greek and Roman mythology, the constellation is related to Demeter, the Greek goddess of the harvest, or her daughter Persephone, queen of the Underworld. As notably one can observe the beginning Persephne’s slow, deliberate return to the underworld at this time. Others associate it with the myth of Parthenos, which explains how the constellation Virgo came to be.

In another Greek myth, Virgo is the Athenian maiden Erigone, daughter of Icarius. After Icarius was murdered by his shepherds in a drunken rage, Erigone hung herself out of grief, and her dog Maera committed suicide. Zeus or Dionysus pitied the family and placed them in the sky as constellations: Erigone became Virgo, Icarius became Bootes, and Maera became Canis Minor.

In Egyptian mythology, the time when the Sun was in the constellation Virgo marked the beginning of the wheat harvest, connecting Virgo to the wheat grain. In Christianity, Jesus was born to a virgin in the town of Bethlehem; the ancient Zodiac ended in the constellation Leo and began with Virgo. A comparable sign to Virgo in Indian astrology is Kanya (meaning “maiden”), and she has even been connected with the Virgin Mary.

The Dance of Virgo I have created portrays her personification of the Empress and like the Goddess Ceres – our benevolent Queen of the Harvest.

Our Empress basks in the golden hue of the waning September sun, and bows in reverence as she blesses the land.

Heart shining boldly, she celebrates the ripeness of her voluptuous body and the season from which she was birthed.

With a coy gaze (for she is too smart for her own good) she flaunts her intelligence well, and diverts the onlooking eye, so enamored by her beauty to the delightful game she has made of picking the ripest fruit of the vine.

Playfully, she dances upon the bounty of the harvest, kicking and flirting her way through a crimson deluge, only to win over our hearts under who’s admiration ~ ~ ~ she basks.

Gratitude to Virgo and her season for blessing me with the return of my inspiration, commitment and the necessary drive to put my thoughts into action with a job well done.

Music: Bells Books and Candles by Graeme Revcll – From the movie THE CRAFT:

DANCE OF VIRGO DEMONSTRATED:

INANNA’S DESCENT PART II

~ The Rebirth ~

Cazimi / New Moon in Leo week is upon us, so you know what that means…

Part two of our dance tribute to Inanna is coming in bright!

Scheduling our second class during Venus Cazimi week was no accident. This particular section of the dance embodies Inanna’s death and rebirth through intentional movement and catharsis. I kept trying to write movements where we were laying down and resurrecting from the floor – but the ancient legend wouldn’t let me. Inanna wasn’t allowed to rest in her underworld death. She was hung up on a meat hook. So I incorporated movements that represent the experience she had… While keeping things elegant of course. 

For this class you might want to wear knee pads, and please come prepared with your veil, smudge, a candle, something fun to tie around your waist and your hydration of choice.

Music Track: October by Feverkin

Happy New Moon!

VENUS RETROGRADE SYMPOSIUM REPLAY: SOLVE + COAGULA

It felt so good to hang out with the Coven and speak in depth about working alchemically with the Venus Retrograde Cycle and it’s ancient connection with the tale of Inanna’s Descent! The magnitude of this particular retrograde cycle is astounding.

There is SO MUCH more to clarify and to share… All in due time.

For now, the best course of action is to focus on the BLACKENING phase of our alchemical process. Go ALL IN with your death rites and have a funeral for your old selves in preparation for the downloads that are sure to flood in once Venus enters her CAZIMI phase on August 13th (also Hekate’s Feast Day aka Hecatean Ide’s); which will last about 3 days, and is powerfully interwoven with the NEW MOON IN LEO on August 16th.

The CONJURER Power Prompts for the month of August are already set up to aid you with some ritual guidance for the New Moon in Leo following the Cazimi. You can view them by following this link: https://animara.life/bw-power-prompts/

INANNA’S DESCENT DANCE CLASS: PART I

As our lady of love approaches the ominous underworld gate, the dance coven gathers round, our veils secured with hearts unwavering ~ to honor her journey through the timeless offering of dance & reverential renewal.

This class involves working with a VEIL, so you will want to make sure that you have yours ready, along with your amulet, smudge, candle, something to tie around your waist and your hydration of choice.

Music Track: October by Feverkin (available on all platforms)

The Coven Companion and power prompts are DEEP… I recommend giving yourself a full afternoon or evening to drop in with it, and begin making your list of ritual items for working with the Practical Magic and inner alchemical aspects our embodiment through the retrograde.

Every Venus Retrograde is a RECKONING. A powerful portal for transformation and reclamation. Venus Retrograde is a time for going inward. To sift through shadow in search of the diamonds buried beneath the cluttered rubble of our neglected psyche.

The wisdom keepers since time immemorial have taught us the importance of applying this potent phase to our practices of self-care by spending some time alone for facing our shadow and integrating it by any means necessary.

If we do not willfully choose to do this of our own accord, we will be forced to face our own personal Ereshkigal through the reflection and experience of our relationships with others.

This is why Inanna chose the noble route and faced her sister – the queen of death with dignity and grace. And yet, even her own shadow betrayed her in the depths of the underworld, which is why she was slain… It was through the power of compassion and care from others and the DEITY OF WISDOM who truly loved her that brought her back into the realm of the living.

However::: This could only happen once the old version of herself was allowed to die. There is so much to learn from the ancient story of Inanna’s Descent….

There is TONS of information available to you about the history behind Venus Retrograde & Inanna’s Descent in the Dance COVEN COMPANION which you can access by following this link: https://animara.life/coven-companion/

Right now we are in the blackening phase of the internal alchemical process. The time best utilized for allowing our outdated and withering ego bodies to die, while holding our own inner saboteurs accountable for the dysfunctional role that they play in our lives and relationships.

~ Love Tiare

Your Blackening & Death Rite Ritual guidebook is available in the Dance Coven POWER PROMPTS. I highly recommend working with these in the coming week leading up to the Cazimi, and I explain more about the importance of that in the Symposium. You can access the Coven Power Prompts by following this link:

https://animara.life/coven-power-prompts/

Up next comes the illumination (ALBEDO) The Whitening ~ valuable insights and allies emerge to guide us safely into the new chapter of our lives… Especially if we’ve taken the time to actually sit with the death rite first.

Yes, it’s uncomfortable. And absolutely worth it.

I am currently working on the Coven Companion Power Prompts for the Whitening | Albedo | Rebirth phase of the Retrograde to set you up for success with maximizing on the interior conjunction (Cazimi) coming up on August 13th.

Stay tuned…

In the meantime, the Coven Companion and power prompts are DEEP… I recommend giving yourself a full afternoon or evening to drop in with it sooner than later, and begin making your list of ritual items for working with the Practical Magic and inner alchemical aspects our embodiment through the retrograde.

The Conjure Companion & Power Prompts will set you up for success as we embark on our transformational sojourn in Ereshkigals lair, they are there to work with during the first phase of the retrograde cycle which lasts exactly 1 more week. A new companion is being formulated and will be available very soon.

If you would like to begin working magically with the Venus Starpoint – Talismanic Animara Conjure Oil, it is available at a new discounted price in the Animara Emporium. Originally $50 (due to inflation) it has been lowered to $33.

There are also 3 plant medicine tinctures available by Desert Rose Herbalism that were crafted specifically for working with each of the 3 realms & alchemical phases. Powerful potions concocted with the intention of serving as integral allies on our transformational journey and connecting with the 3 realms through pharmakeia. They pair splendidly with the ritual power prompts available to you in the Coven Portal.

UNDERWORLD – Rebirth Potion for the Blackening Phase (current phase)

HIGHER REALM – Revive Potion for the Whitening Phase (Cazimi, New Moon week)

REVIVE – Dragon Fire Potion for the Reddening Phase (final days of the retrograde)

You can follow this link to the emporium and find everything here:

WWW.ANIMARAEMPORIUM.COM

Everything listed here should set you up wonderfully for a potent and powerful initiation of rebirth and reclamation!

Please feel free to reach out to me and connect with the wonderful Animara community via the Secret Society in the coming days. I would love to hear how your process is going, and I am here to support if you have any further questions.

Blessings on your Sacred Rites of Venus | Inanna!

I’ll see you on the other side…

~Love Tiare