So you’re asking “Why Priestess of Shadows? I see you as light hearted and kind with a sunny disposition, I’m confused?”

In the past two years of my life, I’ve come a long way. I carry a lot of ghosts and I’ve always been afraid to truly embody this side to me…Until now.

I feel like this post is a long time coming as I finally feel like I am embodying who I truly am.

Hecate of the ancient Greeks was actually a very beautiful goddess, unlike the Wiccan depiction as a skull faced crone which I dislike very much because it continues to emphasize that death and the shadows are scary, evil or wrong.

Hecate of the ancients was known as the “Luminous one”. She was a gentle being that helped souls cross over. This goddess is radiant with a gentle demeanour and yet she represents the shadows.

She symbolizes being accepting of the shadows in whatever way that manifests. Hecate teaches not to fear our shadows but to walk through them with her as she shines her lantern to lead the way.

The shadows doesn’t just represent death but is symbolic of other realms too including the dream space and subconscious mind.

Being able to flit from one realm to another with ease, Hecate was one of the only female goddesses to be respected by Zeus for this reason- she could not be caught or contained.

She is the ultimate free spirited woman!

So here is a break down as to why I now call myself The Priestess of Shadows:

• My name Katie is dervied from Hecate. My name literally refers to a self shining goddess who accepts the shadows with grace.
• I nearly crossed the rainbow bridge twice. My birth was a difficult one, I nearly died and I was a C-section baby. They say babies who come into the world straddling the other world grow up to be medicine people and healers because they know the other side before they knew life. I’ve also just survived an ectopic pregnancy and this experience changed my frequency, I look at life with so much more tranquility, surrender, a knowing. I am more present, more humble, more compassionate, less afraid of death itself.
• As a little girl I saw spirit a lot. They’d haunt me and I used to call them “The shadow people”. I was that very strange little girl similar to Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter who also has a gentle fearlessness about her as she communes with Thestrals-only people who have whitnessed death can see these beings. A portal is opened for Babies who nearly died and they usually grow up “psychic”.
• Regardless of the chaos around me growing up, I remained calm, gentle and understanding. I never became what happened to me. I’ve never known absolute anger, jealousy, addiction or bitterness regardless of what life throws at me. I’ve just always gone through it with as much acceptance as possible. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still human, I cry and sulk but I’ve never let my shadows BECOME ME. Often times, people are consumed by their pain which they embody and it attaches onto them like a demon, either as chronic illness or via projection onto others and then theres this perpetual cycle of unresolved trauma. What if you can love and accecept your demons?

• Being a Priestess of Shadows involves seeing my trauma and diving deep into the root of it, doing a lot of self reflective “shadow work”, seeing my darkness with compassion and when it’s ready I help it find the light-just like Hecate. I was harshly judged as fake for being all about love and light and there are people who do practice toxic positivity and brush over the shadows with cliche quotes, sweeping the shadows under the rug, invalidating and repressing them. But I am not like this, this judgement was from someone who clearly didn’t really see me.
• I’ve done a lot of mental health work with others that revolves around psychological trauma, inner child healing and self reflection via journalling. I am able to empathically hold space without judgement as you go deep into your shadow realm and when you are ready I will guide you to your light so you can hold your shadows and scars with love but also welcoming all emotions, anger is not negative, projecting it onto others is. To be able to allow and let go is very powerful.
• I was born during the Balsamic waning moon. This moon represents surrender, a little death before the new moon. Balsam means “soothing” or “restorative” and means I am at home in the darkness, like the lotus flower or Cicada or Black Leopard (which is my power animal). You can read more here: Born under the Balsamic waning Virgo Moon
• My Mayan signs are Deer and Serpent. My day sign as Deer is the creative healer, Deer people are super sensitive to their environment and they notice subtle energies. Very creative, love to travel, natural born life coaches. And my moon sign is feathered Serpent. Serpent people are the shamans in Mayan cosmology, represented by Lightening. Serpent people are very good at connecting others to their inner lightening and connecting themselves to lightening in the sky-connecting to source. Have very strong Kundalini power, are very good energy healers. Strong connection to the sacred feminine.
• My rising and Mercury signs are in Scorpio and my moon is in Virgo. My Cacao teacher taught me that Virgo is the sign of the ancient priestess and so I carry that energy with me and I’ve brought it with me from a past life. Scorpio is the sign of mysticism and all things witchy. Mercury in Scorpio is all about communication, Mercury Scorpios are teachers of shadow work. You can learn more about the different types of Scorpio natives here: Scorpio Evolution

• I was initiated as a Magdalene Priestess in 2017 and my teacher wishes to train me as a high priestess so I may run my own AUTHENTIC retreats & trainings. I did not just give myself this title because it sounds pretty or because its now fashionable, I did the WORK. Not every woman is a priestess but every woman can BECOME a priestess under the guidance of an genuine teacher. This is something I dislike about society. I spent YEARS training in belly dance before I became a performer on stage, yet when it was in fashion, every Jane Doe called herself a belly dancer because she took one class. No. This is a lengthy journey of deep self enquiry and dedication just like yoga or any discipline. I recommend my teacher, she’s affordable and honest..
• Somehow whereever I travel I end up meeting medicine men and women. I’ve been blessed by Holy Men and Tibetan monks in Nepal and Cambodia, blessed by a high priestess in Vietnam, blessed by the high priestess of a sacred waterfall in Bali and I am now a student of a first nation elder and wisdom keeper who chose to guide me of the ways of his people so that my dream catchers are made with the same frequency and integrity. I am picky as to who my teachers are, I refuse to study under influencers or modern/Western lifestyle coaches. All my teachers are containers of ancient wisdom passed down from elders or are elders themselves. My Cacao teacher studies with an Andean Elder for example.
• I am of Roma ancestry and I work with my Romani Ancestors in my practice and teachings. I am devoted to the ancient Romani holy woman Sarah-La-Kali who was a high priestess and studied in Egypt.
• I’ve spent YEARS obsessively collecting knowledge on ancient priestesses of Egypt, Sumer, Greece, Roman and more. My favourite tarot card is even the High Priestess. I’ve studied this path for a very long time. Alongside learning about the dream space, ritual, ceremony, invoking goddess and more.
• I did two women’s circle trainings with the Be Woman project which were structured like a temple, and lessons were centered on ancient Vedic scriptures and ceremonies to Hindu Goddesses.
• As a Cacao Ceremonialist/Priestess I guide people to go deep with Cacao which roots you to the earth but connects you to animal spirits and guides, plant allies and your own inner realm of shadows so you may heal your heart centre.
• My own partner, when I asked “What do I name my dream catcher, since yours is ‘The Warrior of Light'” (He is very colourful and exuberant.) He said “Name it ‘The Priestess of Shadows’ because that is what you are.
• A dear friend Wendy also said “I’ve always seen you as and have called you my Shadow sister in my diary . You’re the only person I can talk to about shadow work ! I feel and have seen you understand what shadow work truly is . I feel some people focus too much on light positive vibes only and or have a skeweed idea of shadow work .you’re a balance of those things. You have strong shadow work witchy priestess vibes I feel …more shaman in my eyes.”
• My partner’s best friend who is the most logical non-woo woo person on the planet said this “You’re intriguing, its like you’re the real deal, bringing back the ancient priestess-shaman ways with groundedness and honesty. Non of this silly hippie shit with you!”
• Peace, a medical professional in Australia said this “I was worried having you come and stay because I thought you were a silly hippie but your spirituality is so grounded in psychology and the real world.”

And so this long list explains the change in name on my Instagram and why I feel called to share my true self in the work I do, in any class, workshop, retreat or training I am all about going deep into the crevices of our innerselves and gently bring it to the light.

Without Shadow there can be no light work. Shadow work is where the medicine is, its where the liberation is.

And this is why I am able to be calm, full of grace, gentle, kind, smiley and full of acceptance because behind that tranquility there is a whole portal of shadow realms and ghosts that walk with me and I love them unconditionally.

I have no blame or resentment towards things that happened to me or to the people who hurt me.

Doing shadow work keeps my ego in check and keeps me compassionate and forgiving rather than angry and spiteful and that is why outwardly I’m very loving and light!

Essentially I was born and destined to walk the path of shadow work which I was fearful of and pushed away.

Now I embody and accept myself as a Priestess of Shadows.

So, Attraversiamo “lets cross over”. Come work with me or hire me!