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When The Spirit World Speaks, Do We Listen?

Common Looper Moth

Last night, a moth appeared in my kitchen in January. Yes, in January.

Still. Silent. High on the wall. Just before a snowstorm.

In New England, that’s not common. But neither is the moment in time we are living in.

I’ve been feeling the deep disorientation of returning to the U.S. after Colombia. RE-entering a country feels louder, harsher, more brittle. Grief layered with celebration. A funeral followed by Irish music, food, drink, and laughter. Death and life sharing the same day.

This past month has felt like the final shedding of the Snake — not dramatic, not performative, but more like Braxton Hicks labor: the slow, often unbearably painful peeling away of skins that no longer fit. Old identities. Old business models. Old survival strategies that once worked, but now constrict.

Then the moth.

Scientifically, it makes sense. As barometric pressure drops before a storm, insects seek warmth, shelter, and stillness. It found a quiet place near the hearth, conserving energy until conditions change.

Symbolically, moths are liminal beings and quiet witnesses between worlds. Not messengers of doom. Not omens of collapse. But reminders of restraint, patience, and timing.

And this feels like the handoff many of us are in:

  • From the Cailleach, the wise winter crone who teaches endurance and truth
  • To Brigid, keeper of the hearth, poetry, healing, and right livelihood
  • Toward Maiden energy, not naïve, but renewed
  • And into the rising Horse energy of sovereignty, movement, and liberation

The horse does not bolt in the storm. It listens. It waits. Then it moves with power when the ground is ready.

The moth didn’t flutter wildly.

It didn’t demand attention.

It simply rested.

And maybe that’s the teaching right now:

Not everything that pauses is failing.
Not every stillness is fear.
Not every winter sign is an omen of destruction.

Some are invitations to tend the hearth, gather community, and consciously seed what we are weaving for 2026.

What’s unfolding at the studio — medicine for this moment

These offerings are not about staying busy. They are about staying resourced, connected, and steady.

Friday, January 23 — Drumming Circle with Jason Karol

A grounding, rhythmic return to the body and the collective heartbeat. Drumming has always been a way humans regulate fear and remember belonging.

January 30 — Breathwork with Tara Nieves

For those holding anxiety in the chest and uncertainty in the nervous system, breath becomes a bridge back to presence.

Every Thursday — Meditation Group in Times of Crisis with Eileen

If you are looking for ways to calm your mind during times of crisis, Eileen is truly a treasure. She brings over 40 years of experience, studied with Jon Kabat-Zinn and Thich Nhat Hanh in the pre-internet days, and carries the grounded wisdom of an elder. She is a gentle, powerful guide for mindfulness, mindset, and nervous system steadiness.

February 1 — Imbolc Immersion: connection, consecration, and seeding 2026

A day for connection, consecration, and consciously seeding what we are weaving for 2026. This is about tending the hearth together and naming what wants to be carried forward — and what is ready to be laid down.

March 8 — Buffalo Drum Making Workshop with Janee King

There are three spots left. A deposit is required to hold your place, and registration will be closing soon.

🦬 Buffalo medicine carries teachings of prayer, gratitude, and right relationship — deeply needed right now.

End of March — Living Life as a Living Prayer with Roseanne Ramiglio Ashley

Roseanne will be offering a talk and workshop rooted in her book Return to the Sacred, which chronicles her Indigenous journey of the past ten years. For those who have heard me speak about this work, you already know how powerful and grounding it is.

Full Calendar of Events HERE

🎙️ Podcast

If you haven’t yet listened, the latest episode of Triggers in Spiritual Medicine explores “What Are We Weaving for 2026?” — a continuation of these themes, omen teachings, and discernment for the year ahead.

Books & Writing

You can also find my author page featuring:

All of this feels connected.

We are not stuck.
We are not lost.
We are between skins.

And like the moth, sometimes the wisest thing we can do is rest near the hearth, stay connected, and trust the timing of our next movement.

This is not a suggestion to bypass what is happening in the world. It is an acknowledgment that the most effective forms of resilience and resistance require that we are resourced, regulated, and prepared for what lies ahead.

Together, united, we are stronger.

We are actively cultivating collaborations to bring more resources and community-building into the Healing With Spirit studio in Hingham, MA.

If you feel called to be part of that, please reach out.

With tender care,
Laura

Linktree link: bookings, socials, podcast, email subscribe, Patreon, and more https://linktr.ee/HealingWithSpirit

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Community Action And Drop Off Location

Times are hard for so many — including 40+ million people affected by SNAP cuts. You may not realize who’s impacted:

  • The elderly
  • The disabled
  • Single mothers
  • Children
  • Survivors of domestic violence
  • Veterans
  • Folks battling long term or terminal illness

For survivors of abuse, these cuts can determine whether or not they’re able to leave an unsafe situation — literally a matter of life and death.  In Massachusetts, domestic violence–related homicides are up 40%, while resources have been cut by 10%.

Let’s show up for each other.

Here are some ways you can help:

• Donate
• Give cash to food banks, shelters, community groups, and social justice organizations. Here are some on the south shore and Boston areas.

• Offer a ride to someone in need
• Help with yard work — mow a lawn, rake leaves
• Offer childcare to a struggling parent
• STOP overspending on Amazon, Temu, Apple or Walmart to name a few.
• SUPPORT your local small businesses and artisans

LOOK OUT for your neighbors — especially the elderly. Offer kindness, food, and assistance.

🧺 DONATION DROP-OFF LOCATION:

Healing With Spirit
📍185 Lincoln St, Suite 300, Hingham, MA
We’ll be serving as a drop-off site for the following items:
✨ Healthy non-perishable foods
✨ Women’s hygiene products
✨ Other hygiene items (toothbrushes, toothpaste, hair products, deodorant, etc.)
✨ Baby formula and diapers
✨ Toiletries
✨ Gift cards (grocery, pharmacy, Target, etc.)
✨ Gas cards

✨ Healthy pet foods

🚫 Please — no expired items.

✅ Bring your donations when you come for a service, class, or event.

There will also be a basket outside our door for easy drop-off.

🚫 Please don’t leave Gift cards in the basket, please give to Laura or slip under the door to ensure proper distribution.

Together, we can make a real difference in our community.

If I missed any groups or charities, please post the information in the comments below. Thank you

AND SHARE this resource list.

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Samhain Season: Tending the Fire, Remembering the Grandmothers

As the wheel turns and the veil thins, we step into the ancient Celtic New Year of Samhain season, the threshold between light and dark, life and death, summer and winter. It marks the last harvest before winter.

In the ancient days, it was thought to be a time when the dead is thought to roam the earth.  Ghosts appeared, the faery folks or the Sidhe hovered around, and the Tuatha De Danann -‘the people of the goddess Danu’ became more visible.

This is also a time where ancestors draw closest, when the whisper of the wind carries their voices, and the unseen realms feel just a breath away.

In 2025 in the Gregorian Calendar, Samhain occurs from October 31st – November 1st, which aligns with the waxing moon. In the astrological calendar it begins on November 7th, the halfway point between Fall Equinox and Winter Solstice. I am not an astrologer, so I will defer here for the differential explained in detail.

On this page, I will include a prayer I wrote that I have been working with that I am sure will evolve over time as I deepen my practice and reclamation of my ancestral ways. I will also include simple practical ways to honor this season.

To me Samhain season lasts all the way to the next change of the wheel for Winter Solstice a time of Cailleach season.

Remembering the Healed and Whole Grandmothers

Since I am embodying my crone years while also healing ancestral wounds and reclaiming ancestral wisdom and medicine, this prayer is structured with that in mind.

We call upon the healed and whole Grandmothers — those whose wisdom flows through our blood and bones, who knew how to navigate times of uncertainty and change. These are the ones who tended the hearth, the land, and the people with devotion and discernment.

In my Samhain Prayer, I call in these ancestral lineages as well as archetypes I have been working with — the Morrígan (a most misunderstood Fierce Goddess of Feminine Sovereignty), the Witch, the Crone, and the Cailleach — those who teach us how to flow and lead in times of transformation.

Samhain Prayer: Calling the Healed and Whole Grandmothers

A Sacred Pilgrimage to Ireland With Laura

By: Laura Bonetzky

At this sacred turning of the wheel,
Under the thinning veil of Samhain,
We gather in remembrance and renewal

As the veil thins and the wheel turns,
We honor the last harvest

Honor what is dying
And the seeds that fall for next harvest season
Honor the blanket of nourishment fallen
And the blanket of life it protects
We give thanks to all that has sustained us, seen and unseen.

As we move into a time of slumber
A time of hibernation and migration
We embrace the veiled ones
To show us the way and help us to remember

As the land releases, so too do we
Shedding what no longer serves,
Making room for the wisdom of those who came before

In this prayer, we call upon the healed and whole Grandmothers,
The ancient ones, the wisdom keepers of sacred knowledge,
Those whose wisdom flows through our veins,
Whose knowing is etched in the marrow of our bones,
Whose songs are coded in our DNA.

We remember you
Those who walked before us,
Who knew how to navigate the dark and the unknown,
Who tended the land and the fire,
Who whispered to the waters and spoke with the wind.

We call upon the Morrígan,
Keeper of sovereignty, shadow, and transformation
Upon the Inner Witch and the Crone,
Those who flow between worlds with courage and grace.

As we cross this threshold
From the masculine light of summer
To the feminine depths of winter,
May we surrender into the womb of the Cailleach,
The Great Mother of storms and stone.

Teach us again to listen
To tend the soil of our souls
As we tend the earth beneath our feet.
May we honor the ancestors who walked with integrity and love,
And may we heal the wounds carried forward through time.
May we dream the new world into being
With their guidance at our side.

In these liminal nights,
When the ancestors draw near and the unseen speaks clear,
May we realign with the Spirit realms
Rooted, open, and whole.

Blesssed be the ancestors.
Blessed be the earth.
Blessed be the turning of the wheel.

So may it be.
So it is.

A Sacred Pilgrimage to Ireland With Laura

🔥 Rituals and Practices for Samhain

Here are a few simple ways you can honor this sacred turning of the wheel:

1. Create an Ancestor Table or Altar:
Gather photos, heirlooms, candles, seasonal fruits, nuts, or bread. Say their names aloud. Offer gratitude for their wisdom, their resilience, their love.

2. Tend the Fire:
If you have a safe outdoor space, light a small fire or candle. Offer herbs, corn, tobacco, or notes of gratitude. Release what you are ready to let die as you move into the dark season.

3. Feast in Remembrance:
Share a meal with loved ones, leaving a plate or portion for the ancestors. Eat mindfully and invite them to join your table.

4. Connect to the Feminine Within:
Journal or meditate on what it means to move from the masculine energy of summer (doing, creating, striving) into the feminine energy of winter (being, resting, listening).

5. Listen in the Silence:
Go out under the night sky. Let the wind, the stars, or the moon speak. The veil is thin — your ancestors are near.

6. Attend a Gathering:
Join us for an upcoming event to tend to your temple and those in your community.

If you would like to work with Laura:

1.. Check out the book Secrets To Healing

2. Visit the podcast Triggers and Spiritual Medicine

3. Book a 1:1 session, 1:1 full day immersion, group here

4. To learn more about Laura and her work, click here.

5. For social media outlets etc, visit Laura’s Linktree

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A Sacred Threshold: Cronehood, Community, and the Village We All Deserve

This past weekend, I had the profound honor of gathering in a sacred forest and village with 287 women, including over 80 children under the age of 10. We came together in community, in ritual, in ceremony, and in rites of passage – a sacred weaving and witnessing of generations through story, song, healing, and deep remembrance.

I stood in circle with women I hadn’t seen in years which brought such joy to my heart. I met new sisters whose hearts now walk beside mine which filled by very BE-ing.  We shared nourishing food that fed not only our bodies but our spirits.And something rare and powerful happened.

For the first time in a quite a while, I felt ️SAFE️ in a community – a spiritual community – led by white women. That is NOT something I have experienced often various reasons, AND … that needs to be said aloud.

While I often feel deeply safe in the presence of the trees, the spirits of the water, the fire, and the land, I have NOT always felt safe in human spaces – especially white-bodied spiritual spaces. In my experience, these spaces have too often enabled, or KNOWINGLY ALLOWED, abusive, predatory or UNsafe folks to enter, often for money or egoic gains. Many preach diversity and inclusion without safety, or preach stewardship and alignment while operating from toxic capitalist patriarchal structures etc.

But this time?
This time, I felt SAFE.
I felt loved.
… AND LOVED LOVED LOVED all the diversity.

And that is no small thing.

I appreciated the clear guidelines around safety, microaggressions, conduct etc … I wish more spaces adopted these kinds of protocols. The way it was done here will also help me lead and facilitate better in my own offerings.

Singing into the Sacred

During the weekend, I was blessed and privileged to lead songs – impromptu- in ritual and ceremony, guiding our circle as we prepared for the Temazcal, the sacred sweat lodge led by an indigenous elder.  As we stood on the edge of this ancient threshold, I surprised myself by how well I sang in Gaelic – calling in the ancestors as we prepared to enter the womb of the Earth – a return, a release, a remembering.

Throughout the weekend, many women came up to me to share how deeply that moment moved them – how it opened something dormant within.  I was so nervous – my voice has felt unpredictable, and I have been working through vocal reclamation.

But their reflections, feedback, and their questions about the ceremonial song and my work in Ireland, affirmed something powerful:

That my work …  the deep, soul-rooted work I facilitate … matters. 

For some, it opened emotional and spiritual doorways, especially as they entered a traditional, Indigenous-led ceremony. To witness how one thread of ancestral voice could help unlock another’s voice was both humbling and holy.

Honoring the Crone

One of the most tender and transformative moments for me was being publicly honored in front of this sacred village – as a 54-year-old wise woman and grandmother, stepping fully into the rites of passage into cronehood.  It happened in front of a raging sacred fire, under a star-filled night sky, surrounded by 287 women and children.  I stood there tender, emotional, and numb as I witnessed my own journey and others through this portal and all that stirred in between. And yet I felt deeply held – with love, reverence, and ancestral knowing.

It was a threshold, a sacred becoming.

Earlier that day, I was invited into a matriarchal gathering and initiations. I had originally been observing, thinking, and questioning if I fit in because I am NOT “bleeding” anymore. Yet, I also had my motherhood, my ability to mother my children, and the maternal lineage stolen from me and my daughters by family court.  I am glad I got to experience such a blessing by a woman I have high respect for.

A moment that prepared me for what’s coming next:
The third and final phase of this year’s pilgrimage to Ireland closing out a six-month journey, with a powerful integration ceremony and intimate gathering this coming weekend. We will tend to all that has been reclaimed, remembered, and reborn. For each of us, that many look different, and I look forward to witnessing.

From the circles, rituals, temples, fire, land … everything was brought to the surface the duality this weekend

  • the duality of belonging in spaces like this & NOT belonging
  • sadness of being a late bloomer yet happy I’m here now
  • blessed …

And Still… There Was Grief

Even in the depth of that beauty, even in the immense holding of this space – there was grief staring so intently in my face.

Grief that my younger self was NOT gifted such an experience as a Maiden nor a Mother, while ALSO feeling such immense joy for witnessing those who did experience such a gift this weekend. And seeing myself in the young maidens who became initiated.

Grief that my own three daughters were denied this kind of sacred village. Denied their own rites of passage held by the maternal lineage.  Denied the experience of being held by multiple generations of women, by ritual, by ceremony, by initiations.

Their birthright to be witnessed and honored in this way was stolen – by the very system that claims to protect them. Tra**icked to a documented abuser, with a court sanctioned erasure of the entire maternal side wiped out from their lives.

This truth sits heavy in my bones.  And yet, it fuels my fire even more:

  • To keep doing this work.
  • To keep walking this path.
  • To keep reclaiming what was taken – for myself, for my daughters, and for the generations yet to come.

A Vision for the Future

Spaces like this:

where women are held,
where we feel safe,
where we remember who we are

It is spaces like this that will change the world. These spaces of remembering, of safety, or ritual – they are the medicine. They are the revolution.

May we keep building them.
May we protect them fiercely.

And may we always remember:

We are the village.
We are the fire.
We are the remembering.

I am grateful for the grandmothers, the wise ones – regardless of age – the ancestors, the stewards of this land (farm) who led the way … lit the path.

May we remember the ways of our healed whole grandmothers of blood and bone and may we honor their legacy by living by these wise ancient ways.

With love, gratitude and rising wisdom,

PS. Drop in the comments and let me know what resonated with you from this post and if you wish to see more content like this.
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Reiki Is Not a Trend—It’s Sacred Medicine Rooted in Japanese Ancestral Wisdom

By: Laura Bonetzky

In today’s spiritual marketplace, Reiki is everywhere — offered in yoga studios, online trainings, and weekend certification courses. But what most people don’t realize is that Reiki is not simply a healing technique. It is a sacred, spiritual practice rooted in Indigenous Japanese wisdom—interwoven with the esoteric spiritual philosophies of Shintoism and Buddhism.

This isn’t just theory for me. It’s something I’ve lived and continue to walk—through healing trauma, chronic illness, and rediscovering spiritual integrity. This is about remembering what was lost, not to shame anyone, but to honor the depth of what was originally given.

My Journey: From Western Reiki to Returning Home

When I began my Reiki journey nearly two decades ago, I entered through the only doors available to many of us in the West—Western Reiki as it had been adapted and taught at the time. I was blessed with teachers who were kind, committed, and genuinely devoted to healing. They shared what they had been taught, with compassion and grace.

They are not to blame.

The version of Reiki many of us first encountered in the U.S. was already incomplete by the time it reached our shores, altered by war, trauma, translation, and time. And for me, that Western Reiki path was still a blessing. It helped me survive what felt un-survivable. It laid a foundation.

But as I healed deeper layers—surviving domestic abuse, losing my children, and reclaiming my spiritual identity—I began to feel a call toward something more. The system I had learned felt helpful, but fragmented. I started asking deeper questions:

  • What is Reiki really?
  • Who were the original teachers?
  • What cultural soil did this practice grow from?
These questions led me to Jikiden Reiki—which means “directly taught” in Japanese. Through this lineage, I began to feel a deeper resonance. I wasn’t just learning techniques—I was connecting with a tradition, a spiritual path, and a culture that carried thousands of years of wisdom.

It changed everything.

This Is Not Gatekeeping—It’s Cultural Integrity

Let me speak plainly: This is not a dismissal of Western Reiki or the people who teach it. Many of us would never have found Reiki at all if not for those early teachers and the partial transmission that made its way out of postwar Japan.

But as we evolve in consciousness and access, we are called to take deeper responsibility. We must ask:

  • Are we honoring the cultures these practices came from?
  • Are we carrying the medicine, or repackaging it for convenience?
  • Are we willing to unlearn, to listen, and to walk with humility?

This is not gatekeeping. This is stewardship.

It’s about preserving something sacred, not hoarding it.

It’s about respecting the people, the language, and the history, not excluding those who want to learn.

Where the founder of Reiki has his enlightenment experience at Mt Kurama, Kyoto Japan.

What Reiki Is—and What It’s Not

In its original Japanese form, Reiki is NOT:

  • Chakra balancing
  • Aura cleansing
  • Pendulum dowsing
  • Psychic readings
  • A quick title earned in a weekend

Those things may be meaningful in other systems, but they are not Reiki.  When we mix and match practices from different cultures and label it all “Reiki,” we distort its medicine and erase its origins.

Reiki as it was originally taught in Japan is:

  • A spiritual path of daily practice and self-refinement
  • A method of healing illness by restoring life force energy (ki) by addressing root issues and removing toxins from the body
  • Taught in-person through direct student-teacher transmission
  • Rooted in the Gokai (Five Reiki Principles – direct translation matters)
  • Deeply informed by Japanese language, worldview, and esoteric spirituality
Jikiden Reiki Practitioners gather at Healing With Spirit in Hingham, MA 2024

Why This Matters—Especially in the West

In a culture obsessed with speed, success, and status, we’ve turned sacred traditions into products. Reiki has become:

  • A spiritual commodity
  • A branding opportunity
  • A fast track to self-declared mastery

But healing isn’t instant.

Spiritual growth isn’t a race.

And sacred traditions are not ours to bend into personal gain.

The harm caused by spiritual appropriation and commodification is real. And in a time of collective trauma, disconnection, and reckoning, we are being asked to return—not to purity or perfection—but to truth, integrity, and right relationship.

The Invitation: A Return to the Source

If you’ve felt disconnected from the Reiki you’ve learned… if you’re craving something deeper, more rooted, more reverent… this is your invitation.

Come experience what Reiki feels like when it’s taught as it originally was—as a spiritual path, not a product.

Whether you’re new or experienced, all are welcome—especially those willing to approach this practice with openness and humility.

Upcoming Jikiden Reiki Trainings (In-Person Only)

Held at Healing With Spirit in Hingham, MA

  • Shoden (Level 1) | July 18–20, 2025
  • Okuden (Level 2) | July 27–28, 2025

Limited space available to maintain intimate, sacred space.

Also available:

The Secrets to Healing: An Invitation to Healing Trauma and Other Root Causes of Chronic Illness Using the Japanese Reiki Gokai

By Laura Bonetzky-Joseph

Available on Amazon + at Healing With Spirit, Hingham MA

Register or learn more, click here

Events www.LauraHealingWithSpirit.com

Explore more: https://linktr.ee/HealingWithSpirit

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Objection to Massachusetts Bill S261 – Licensing of Reiki and Related Therapies in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Bill S261: An Act regulating alternative healing therapies

To Whom It May Concern,

I write today to strongly oppose the proposed regulation and licensing of Reiki and other spiritual or energy-based healing modalities in Massachusetts under Bill S261: An Act regulating alternative healing therapies. I do so as a professional with over 20 years of experience in both the domestic violence field and in Reiki and spiritual healing traditions, grounded in authentic Japanese lineage and cultural practices.

I am a Shihan (teacher) trained in Jikiden Reiki, a traditional form of Reiki that originates from Kyoto, Japan. My lineage is directly connected to the source of this sacred healing practice: my teacher’s mother studied directly with Dr. Chujiro Hayashi, one of the prime students of Reiki’s founder, Mikao Usui. My teachers remain in Japan, where the practice is deeply integrated with cultural and spiritual traditions rooted in Shinto and Buddhism. It is crucial to understand that Reiki is a lineage-based spiritual practice—not a manual therapy, not a modality that can be standardized or clinically codified without violating the very essence of its origins.

There is no U.S. school or institutional body that holds the cultural, historical, or spiritual authority to train practitioners or regulate this work in the depth that authentic Japanese lineage allows. To regulate this work under a Western framework would be both culturally inappropriate and spiritually harmful. My Japanese teachers, due to cultural and spiritual reasons, would not support licensing as it would violate core beliefs tied to the sacred nature of Reiki.

Furthermore, I have over two decades of experience working intimately with survivors of domestic violence, trauma, and systemic abuse. I was part of the TRAC coalition that testified in support of the Coercive Control Bill and the Litigation Abuse Bill during the last legislative session. Although I am not writing on behalf of TRAC, some of you may recognize my face from that work. In addition, I testified independently on 11 other bills not affiliated with TRAC, all related to protecting vulnerable populations and advocating for survivor rights.

As someone who works in both healing and advocacy, I can tell you that bills such as this one—no matter how well-intentioned—risk doing far more harm than good. They create additional barriers for the very people we aim to support:

  • trauma survivors,
  • low-income individuals,
  • those faced with end of life
  • those in addiction recovery
  • and members of marginalized communities.

Reiki has been an accessible and empowering support tool for many of these individuals, often provided at no cost through volunteer services.

Much of the Reiki I offer is done on a volunteer basis. I have facilitated volunteer Reiki programs at nursing homes, clinics for addiction recovery, and for survivors of domestic violence. I offer it through circles, teachings, and community programs. Reiki does not have to involve touch—in fact, it rarely does. A simple handshake from a trained teacher could be deemed a violation under this proposed legislation. Even something as universally accepted and scientifically supported as a hug, known to have therapeutic benefits, could be considered illegal under the regulatory language proposed. The same could be said for prayer in religious institutions.

This bill, in its current form, threatens to infringe upon constitutionally protected spiritual and religious practices. It could target Native American, Wiccan, Buddhist, Shinto, Spiritualist, and other traditional spiritual practices, violating the Religious Freedoms Act. Reiki, as practiced by myself and many others, falls under this category as a spiritual path, not a clinical modality.

As further evidence of my dedication and expertise in this field, I am the author of Secrets to Healing: An Invitation to Healing Trauma and Other Root Causes of Chronic Illness Using the Japanese Reiki Gokai, available on Amazon. This book explains how the core of Reiki is not about physical touch but about embodying five guiding principles that foster healing from within. Anyone who reads these principles and integrates them into daily life is, in essence, practicing Reiki. Requiring licensing to “use” these principles would be like regulating someone’s prayer or meditation practice.

I understand the importance of protecting the public from unethical or predatory practices, but this is not the way. Sweeping, vague regulatory language will only restrict access, harm vulnerable populations, and erode sacred traditions.

I would welcome the opportunity to speak with legislators to offer alternatives that address the root issues which inspired this bill in the first place. I believe we can co-create protective frameworks without violating spiritual traditions, harming practitioners, or creating additional trauma for survivors who already face overwhelming barriers to care.

Thank you for your time, consideration, and willingness to protect both public well-being and spiritual freedom.

Sincerely,
Laura Bonetzky-Joseph
Survivor of Domestic Abuse, Coercive Control, Sexual Assault, Post Separation Abuse

Shihan (Teacher), Jikiden Reiki Kenkyukai (Kyoto, Japan)

Author, Secrets to Healing & C0-Author of Feisty

Advocate for Survivors of Domestic Violence & Trauma

Healing Practitioner & Community Leader
Hingham, MA

For more information, please follow Reiki Unified

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Reigniting the Sacred Flame: Beltane, Ancestral Healing & the Return of the Wise Woman

Read prior post: Beltane Blessings (click here)

As the Wheel turns and the wild green world bursts into bloom, Beltane (pronounced BEL-tay-nuh or BEL-tuhn) arrives with her fire and flowers—a threshold moment where spirit and matter dance, where the veil thins, and where we are invited to remember our sacred belonging.

Beltane, rooted in ancient Celtic tradition, marks the midway point between spring equinox and summer solstice. It’s a celebration of fertility, passion, and the divine union of land and sky. Bonfires once blazed across the Irish hills to bless the cattle, protect the crops, and awaken the vital energies of life. And today, this sacred time continues to offer us medicine for modern disconnection, inviting us to reignite what has gone cold in our souls.

This year, my own Beltane journey is deeply tied to ancestral remembrance, spiritual preparation, and the reclamation of the Wise Woman within—not just for myself, but for those I serve.

A Full Pilgrimage, A Full Heart

In just a few weeks, I will lead an intimate group of brave and beautiful souls on a sacred pilgrimage to Ireland that we started in February as part of a six-month journey.

This year’s journey is full, and my heart is overflowing with gratitude for those who said yes to this deep ancestral healing. We will walk the lands of the goddesses, tend the wounds of lineage, and reclaim the stories that patriarchy, colonization, and religious indoctrination tried to erase.

Though registration for this year’s pilgrimage is closed, you can join the waitlist here to be among the first to receive details for future journeys. If your bones are whispering soon, listen.

Beltane Rituals: Fire, Flowers & the Feminine

copyright 2019 Laura Joseph, Healing With Spirit

In preparation for this sacred work, I’m weaving in traditional Irish customs and rituals that connect me to both land and lineage:

Sacred Fire & Candle Ceremony: I’ll light a ceremonial fire (or candle altar) to honor the ancestors, set intentions for the coming season, and call in the spirits of protection, growth, and fierce compassion.

Floral Offerings: Hawthorn branches, primrose, and rowan berries—plants deeply tied to the fae and Irish folklore—will be gathered and offered at thresholds: doorways, sacred trees, and the altar.

Earth & Body Connection: Walking barefoot on the land, listening to the heartbeat of the earth, and placing my prayers into the soil, I allow the land to speak through me—and to hold the healing for all those I work with.

Water Blessings: As Beltane is also associated with sacred wells and the divine feminine, I’ll offer water rites for cleansing, fertility, and renewal—sprinkling blessed water on tools, hands, and heart.

Supporting the Rise of the Wise Woman

While the pilgrimage is full, there are still powerful ways to connect and be supported in your own sacred path this season:

Accessing the Wise Woman Within – October 5th Retreat

A one-day immersive experience where we gather in sisterhood to remember, reclaim, and embody the healed and whole grandmother wisdom within.

Featuring vibrational sound healing, tea ceremony, ancestral rituals, and sacred circle. Facilitated by Christel Poirier and Laura Bonetzky-Joseph

Buffalo Drum-Making Workshop – November 2nd with Janee King

Craft your own medicine drum in sacred ceremony, connecting to the heartbeat of the Mother and the rhythm of your soul.

Perfect for those called to deepen their healing journey through sound and ritual.

Women’s Circle Gatherings

Monthly support and healing circles to connect, share, release, and rise—especially needed during these turbulent times when so many of us are holding so much.

Each of these offerings is an extension of my life’s work: to hold space for deep healing, ancestral remembrance, and spiritual reclamation rooted in authenticity, integrity, and love.

A Personal Invitation

Whether you join us in circle, drum your prayers into being, or light your own Beltane flame at home, I invite you to pause and ask:

  • What sacred flame within me is asking to be reignited?
  • What wisdom have I buried that now wants to rise?
  • Where can I say yes to beauty, pleasure, and purpose?

Let this be the season you remember your magic. Let this be the year you return to the earth, to the ancestors, and to the Wise Woman within.

With fire, flowers, and fierce love,
Laura Bonetzky-Joseph

A multi-generational and multi-disciplinary approach to healing

Jikiden Reiki Shihan | Ancestral Healing Guide | Spiritual Activist | Intuitive | Author | Podcast Host

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Which Side of History Will You Be On?

A Call for Humanity Amid Genocide and Manufactured Narratives

There’s something deeply disturbing I’ve noticed over these past months—something that should shake the conscience of every person paying attention.

Since October 7th, not a single widely shared image has surfaced showing a Palestinian child or civilian wielding a weapon. And yet, the world has watched—mostly in silence—as over 20,000 Palestinian babies and children have been slaughtered. Let that sink in. These were infants, toddlers, schoolchildren. Their lives ended before they had the chance to begin. And another 17,000 have been orphaned—left to survive on their own, without schools, without access to clean water, without homes, without medical care, without food.

We are witnessing a genocide funded with tens of billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars, disguised beneath word salad and political spin. Leaders use vague justifications for the unthinkable, while backdoor deals and power plays—like the rumored Trump-Netanyahu-backed “Trump Riviera”—are made on the ashes of Palestinian homes and bodies.

This is not just political corruption. It’s the weaponization of blatant Islamophobia—and it’s reaching dangerous extremes.

For those unfamiliar with the region or its people, let me make something clear: Palestinians are not a monolith, and they are certainly not the enemy. They are Muslim, yes. But also Christian, Jewish, secular, and spiritual. They are artists, teachers, doctors, farmers, children. They are human beings. And to reduce them to a single narrative—one of “terrorist” or “enemy”—is not only factually wrong, but morally indefensible.

I have personally followed the story of a Palestinian journalist—a kind, courageous soul—who spent nearly two years documenting the horrors on the ground. I watched him grow thinner over time as starvation set in. I saw his hope persist even as the world looked away. And I saw, finally, the footage of his death. Targeted. Burned alive. His life extinguished not just by bombs, but by the apathy of a world that refused to speak up.

I’ve seen the bodies of children. Babies, some still swaddled in blankets. I’ve watched videos of limbs blown apart. I’ve seen hospitals reduced to rubble. More recently, I learned of an international team of medical first responders—doctors and humanitarians—who were captured, tortured, executed, and buried in a shadow grave. Their only crime? Trying to save lives.

And yet, in some corners of the internet and media, adults are cheering. Laughing. Celebrating the dismemberment of children as though it were justified. As though trauma and permanent disability are necessary collateral. As though genocide is acceptable if it fits their chosen narrative.

Where is our collective moral compass?

Let’s be clear: hundreds of human rights organizations and nonprofit groups—many of which have no political agenda—have confirmed and condemned what is happening. They have documented the war crimes, begged for international intervention, and pleaded with the world to listen. And still, we find ourselves here.

This genocide is not only killing Palestinians. It is killing our humanity.

History is watching. And one day, our children and grandchildren will ask us where we stood.

  • Did we question the lies we were told?
  • Did we allow fear or bias to blind us to the truth?
  • Did we use our voices to protect the innocent?

It’s not too late to wake up. It’s not too late to reclaim our humanity. But we must be willing to see the truth through the smoke, unlearn the propaganda, and demand better—from our governments, from our media, from ourselves.

  • To remain silent is to be complicit.
  • To justify is to dehumanize.
  • To act is to choose love and justice.

So I ask you again: Which side of history will you be on?

Resources: Take Action & Support Humanitarian Relief

Here are organizations doing essential work—on the ground and in legislative halls—supporting Palestinians and advocating for an end to the violence:

Advocacy & Policy Change

  • CODEPINK – A women-led grassroots movement working to end U.S. support for Israeli occupation and militarism. Offers campaigns to contact representatives and demand a ceasefire.
  • Jewish Voice for Peace – A Jewish-led organization standing firmly against antisemitism and all forms of oppression, calling for an end to U.S. military funding to Israel.
  • US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR) – Focused on policy change and grassroots advocacy for Palestinian liberation and equal rights.
  • Defense for Children International – Palestine – Defends the rights of Palestinian children in the Occupied Territories through legal defense, documentation, and international advocacy.

Humanitarian Aid

Raise your voice.

Donate if you can.

Share accurate information.

Question the narratives that normalize violence.

Most importantly—refuse to be silent.

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A Sacred Homecoming: Making Peace with Every Woman You’ve Been

Make peace with all the women you once were

The one who doubted her power.

The one who gave too much, even when it hurt.

The one who was told to shrink, to stay small, to silence her fire.

The one who fought, who rose, who refused to be erased.

Every version of you paved the way for the woman you are today.

On this International Women’s Day, we are called to honor not only the women who inspire us but also the women within us—those past versions who survived, adapted, and did the best they could with what they knew.

Too often, we carry shame, guilt, and unresolved wounds from who we once were. We judge our past selves harshly, forgetting that each chapter of our lives was a necessary part of our becoming.

But what if we approached these past versions with compassion instead of criticism?

What if we saw each past self as a guardian—holding wisdom, strength, and lessons meant to guide us forward?

The Journey of Reclamation

This journey is not about forgetting the past but rather about reclaiming the parts of ourselves we left behind. Through Reiki, ancestral healing, and spiritual guidance, I help women untangle from old stories, heal ancestral wounds, and rewrite their narrative with compassion and power.

Healing isn’t about erasing who we were—it’s about embracing her.

The girl who once dreamed.

The woman who dared to heal.

The wise one rising now.

This is the path of the Sacred Feminine.

This is the power of self-forgiveness

The Medicine of the Wise Woman Retreat – October 5th (click here)

If this resonates, I invite you to join me for the Medicine of the Wise Woman Retreat on Sunday, October 5th—a day dedicated to connecting with the wise, whole, and healed grandmother ancestry of blood and bone.

Through vibrational healing, ceremonial practices, and experiential activities, we will journey together to heal ancestral lineages, reclaim personal power, and embody the wisdom of the women who came before us.

This is for the woman ready to rise.
This is for the woman ready to remember.
This is for the woman ready to make peace with all she has been.

>> Secure your spot now to walk this sacred path with us.
>> Learn more and register at Medicine of The Wise Woman Retreat 
>> Tag a woman who needs this journey.

Share this to spread the energy of self-forgiveness and empowerment.

This International Women’s Day, let’s not just celebrate—we RISE. We HEAL. We REMEMBER.

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The Most Radical Act of Revolution: Healing Ancestral Wounds

In a world that often feels fractured and chaotic, the most profound act of revolution may not be marching in the streets but turning inward to heal the wounds carried within our bloodlines.

Healing ancestral wounds isn’t just a personal journey—it’s a collective one.

As a multi-generational, multi-disciplinary healer and intuitive with over 20 years of experience, I guide others in reclaiming what has been stolen, forgotten, or buried beneath layers of oppression, toxic capitalism, and religious persecution. The time to begin this deeper sacred work is NOW.

Why 2025 Is the Year to Heal Your Ancestral Wounds

1)🌱 Energetic Alignment
The energy this year is ripe for transformation and deep healing. We’re entering a powerful period of introspection and realignment, making it the perfect time to release generational trauma. Ancestral wounds are not just echoes of the past; they are patterns that influence our thoughts, emotions, and even the political and social landscapes we navigate today. By addressing these wounds, we break cycles of pain and make space for clarity, purpose, and authentic power.

2)🔥 Healing the Collective
When we heal ourselves, we create ripples that extend far beyond our individual lives. Ancestral healing not only transforms our reality but also elevates the collective consciousness. The political and social structures surrounding us reflect centuries of unresolved wounds. Healing these patterns within ourselves helps to shift these external realities, allowing for a more just and harmonious world.

3)💫 Empowered Sovereignty
Reconnecting with ancestral wisdom is a pathway to reclaiming authentic power. Many of the challenges we face today—both personally and collectively—stem from a severance with the wisdom of our ancestors. By healing these wounds, we recover not only the wisdom lost but also the strength to walk our paths with integrity, purpose, and sovereignty.

Healing Within Shapes the World Around Us

The work of healing is not just for ourselves—it’s for the generations that come after us.

When we heal our ancestral wounds, we impact our children, grandchildren, and even generations we will never meet.

These ripples extend to everything around us—people, the environment, wildlife, and into direct harmony with Great Mother Earth.

As we transform within, we influence the very fabric of reality, contributing to a world that is more compassionate, conscious, and connected.

The Journey of Ancestral Healing

Ancestral healing is an intuitive and customized journey that weaves together 20+ years of trauma work with Reiki, ancestral healing, plant medicine, spiritual guidance, medical intuitive practices, numerology, tarot, vibrational healing, sound bath, and ritual and ceremonial practices—encompassing the ancient ways—all led by Spirit and the wisdom of the body.

Each journey is unique, guided by where you are and what your soul needs to reclaim and heal.

This sacred work is not about bypassing or glossing over pain but diving deep into the roots of wounding to reclaim your power, voice, and sovereignty.

It is about restoring what has been fragmented and remembering who you are beyond the layers of conditioning and trauma.

Are You Ready to Heal Your Lineage?

This work isn’t just for you—it’s for your descendants.

Copyright 2024 Healing With Spirit, Laura Bonetzky Joseph, Adam Kaczmarek Photography in Cong, Ireland.

Your healing today creates ripples that impact generations to come, transforming both your lineage and the world around you.

Whether it’s through a 1:1 session, group work, or a sacred retreat, I’m here to guide you on this profound journey of reclamation and healing.

✨ Dive Deeper:

🦋 Purchase Secrets to Healing to explore these themes further.

🎙️ Listen to the Triggers in Spiritual Medicine podcast for insights, interviews, and actionable steps for your spiritual journey.

To book a session visit https://HealingWithSpirit.as.me/

or learn more about my offerings, purchase a book, listen to the podcast, social media links visit linktr.ee/HealingWithSpirit.

Embrace this sacred revolution. Heal your lineage. Transform the world.

With love, Laura