Emily the Mystic (00:00.054)
Happy Halloween and happy Sawin, my dear Mystic. Welcome to our official spooky season episode of the podcast. Today I am joined by a fellow mystic and fellow witch, Danny Wright, who is the host of That Witch Nextdoor podcast, which you're probably already listening to. So of course we had to have her on the show today. She is an instructor and mentor in witchcraft and astrology, and she believes in an earth-first approach to witchcraft.
She's worked with hundreds of students and clients over the last five years to bring more magic and mindfulness into their real modern lives. Amazing, Danny. Welcome to the show.
Dani Wright (00:41.217)
my god, I'm so excited to be here.
Emily the Mystic (00:44.236)
Yay. Where are you located?
Dani Wright (00:46.822)
I'm in New England. I'm in southern New Hampshire. Yeah. Where are you at? Yes. Nice. Yeah, I love it. We moved here from Colorado, so we weren't I wasn't born here or anything. We've been here for about three and a half years now.
Emily the Mystic (00:49.88)
Cool. Very mystical place. I am in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. So I'm also on the east coast. Yeah.
Emily the Mystic (01:04.472)
Love it. the nature up there is beautiful. I've driven through there myself, so I know you're lucky. It's hot here today. I'm waiting for it to turn.
Dani Wright (01:08.606)
Especially right now. my god. Thank you. We're in sweater weather. I'm so excited.
Emily the Mystic (01:16.81)
Amazing. Okay, and we have to know what is your astrology sun, moon, and rising.
Dani Wright (01:21.84)
Of course, the big three. I am a Scorpio son. I was born on October thirtieth, so I love that I get to be part of your Halloween episode. I am a Pisces moon and I'm a Leo rising. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Got that that sun rising square happening there. Yeah. But moon and sun trine. So yeah, water and fire.
Emily the Mystic (01:29.518)
Ooh. my gosh. Fire and water. Fun.
Emily the Mystic (01:45.132)
Yeah, you do. Mm. I have a moon and sun shrine. I love that. I have a moon squaring my sun. So I kind of understand the complications a little bit. It always, yes. I am a Pisces Sun, Taurus Rising, Gemini.
Dani Wright (01:55.36)
yes, you get it. Yeah. Yeah. You get it. You get the inner turmoil. Yeah.
Dani Wright (02:07.451)
yeah, perfect. My daughter's a Gemini moon. I that's so f I love that, yeah.
Emily the Mystic (02:13.513)
Mm. She probably talks to you a lot.
Dani Wright (02:17.085)
I have learned, I can't remember where I came across this. It was in, it was in parenting content actually on the internet. someone was like, you know, if you have a kid that right before they go to sleep, they just like basically talk and talk and talk and talk until they just pass out. Your kid regulates their nervous system through talking. And I was like, my God, this is the Gemini moon. You literally regulate your nervous system through talking. Yes, yes.
Emily the Mystic (02:42.025)
Hmm. Yeah. Have to talk about my feelings. That's why I have a podcast. So
Dani Wright (02:46.109)
I love it. I love it.
Emily the Mystic (02:51.425)
my gosh. Okay, Danny. Well, we want to know how did you start your podcast? Where did this all come from? How did this first begin?
Dani Wright (02:59.141)
Well
You know, I the way that I put it is that I didn't start practicing witchcraft on purpose until my mid-20s. but it was totally there long, long before that, without me realizing it, without me calling it that. It was one of those things where eventually later on when I got into the professional spiritual industry, I went to my tenure high school reunion and I had multiple people say, that track.
which was funny because I didn't ever associate myself with that, but I was like, apparently it was a lot more obvious than I thought. So the way it happened was actually I very much like many entrepreneurs got crazy fed up with the job that I was working. I'm a very, very, very neurospicy individual.
hyper creative, needs structure, needs to rebel against structure, right? I have these like unique needs and things like that.
Emily the Mystic (03:58.019)
Mm. Mm-hmm.
Dani Wright (04:00.687)
And so many of us are driven to figure it out for ourselves because even though that's super hard in and of itself, it is somehow easier than forcing ourselves into something that is just not working for us. And it all started with myself and a couple of friends started an online metaphysical shop, like a like a little Etsy shop where we sold like candles and scrubs and things like that. So I entered into the industry doing a
version of a brick and mortar online product. That was how I started in the professional witchy industry was creating products that were spiritually infused or or charged or with intentions for ritual use.
But where I really came to life was teaching people about where the inspiration for the products came from and how to use them. And my favorite thing in the entire world was when customers would come in and they would say things like, I'm just starting all of this out and I really don't know where to begin. Where do I go? And my Pisces moon was like, and I loved like reading each person's individual energy and taking them through the basics of.
Emily the Mystic (05:12.94)
Hm.
Dani Wright (05:19.273)
Beginning and developing their own unique spiritual practice. The same thing happened in my tarot readings. Most people who sat down found themselves in a tarot lesson. I loved teaching you. I was such a bad tarot reader in that way because I was like, you could do this for yourself way better, by the way. I loved giving people the tools to figure out how to continue on and do their own readings.
Emily the Mystic (05:30.017)
Mm, mm.
Hehehehe.
Dani Wright (05:45.338)
And so one thing kind of continued developing into another.
And over time, each of my friends, my business partners, we each kind of started making our own little side gigs. And I think what was happening was we were all entering our Saturn return. And I think that our real passions and our real direction in life was coming out. I think that we needed this meeting and intersecting point, and we were all kind of meant to develop from there. And what that experience ignited in me was how much I love teaching.
spiritual, particularly witchy astrology basics to to anybody for any reason, whether it's to expand and incorporate into their own career, or if it's just kind of figuring out how to be a witch in whatever this kind of world is for them. And when we all kind of ended up going on our own from that business, I had already started this little educational blog. That was my
That was my side gig that I started. And I started doing lives on Instagram and I loved it. I loved connecting with everybody. I had already been dabbling in some podcasting. I used to co-host a horror podcast with my husband. So I had already been like doing some some podcasting. We were huge, huge horror movie fans. And I had a few people say, like, you you should really do do your own podcast. I would love to listen to you.
Emily the Mystic (07:06.177)
Love, yeah.
Dani Wright (07:19.269)
And so in summer of twenty twenty one, that was when I began I turned that witch next door from this humble little blog into a podcast and it's morphed and evolved into everything that it is today, which is pretty amazing.
Emily the Mystic (07:35.795)
my god, amazing journey. I can relate to so many levels of it. The Saturn return, the pandemic, the annoying corporate job, the need for freedom, the self exploration, like all of it. And so many of the listeners too are right there with us as well.
Dani Wright (07:47.377)
Yep.
Dani Wright (07:55.479)
yeah. Hundred percent. That's why we find each other.
Emily the Mystic (07:58.816)
Mm-hmm. Exactly. I would love to know, do you remember one of your first witchy experiences or practices that you did that really like developed your love and passion for it?
Dani Wright (08:15.489)
so many. so the cool thing about when I transitioned from not realizing I was doing witchcraft to practicing it on purpose
Is I don't really remember sharing that part of myself outwardly. Again, apparently it was obvious that I was into a lot of these things. I don't really remember that. in for Valentine's Day 2016, my husband and I were celebrating our first Valentine's Day, married. We had been together, but we were married.
Emily the Mystic (08:35.757)
Mm.
Emily the Mystic (08:39.309)
Mm.
Dani Wright (08:50.427)
And he was so beside himself he wanted to give me my present early. And I he gave me this big cardboard box that got delivered from this online store called 13 Moons. And he had reached out to the store owners and connected with them and asked them to basically kind of hand select a little beginner's witches box for me.
And to this day I was so shocked. I I remember just being so, so, so taken aback because it was kind of this closeted thing of mine to I would like I was fascinated by the pagan and the witchy community. I knew that it was out there. I was under this belief, and this is probably my own Catholic root roots, but I was under this belief you had to be generationally
Associated or initiated or invited. I didn't know that you could just enter in voluntarily and willingly. And it's really cool because that was kind of my version of getting a tarot deck gifted to me. You know, there wasn't a tarot deck in there, but it was one of those ways where, like, through my husband, the universe like gifted me this opportunity. And it took nothing more than that for me to say yes.
Emily the Mystic (09:40.589)
Mm.
Emily the Mystic (09:50.412)
Mm-hmm.
Emily the Mystic (09:57.357)
Yeah.
Dani Wright (10:10.399)
Yes. And and I never ended up looking back after that. I never questioned it after that. I I think that because of the way that my sorry if you can hear my dog in the background, there's a person outside that makes her very mad. If she's too loud, do you want to pause this and cut it? I'm so sorry.
Emily the Mystic (10:34.54)
that's fine. I'll just do this for Andrea. Thank you, Andrea.
Dani Wright (10:36.541)
There we go. Thanks, Andrea. Angel says sorry. so for me, I think that this be ooh ooh ooh. Hold on.
Emily the Mystic (10:50.039)
Yeah, take your time.
Dani Wright (11:23.773)
Sometimes a solicitor just has no Yes, and I'm just like, I'm saying no, please walk away. I don't want to buy whatever you're here for. And my dog's gonna rip your face off. Okay. Sorry. Thank you. Anyways, so
Emily the Mystic (11:27.905)
Ooh, a little visitor.
Emily the Mystic (11:39.903)
All good.
Dani Wright (11:42.588)
I think that the reason that this entry point was so important for me was because I started this path with this really, really intentional yes. And you'll, you know, whether you're a witch or not, your life is this series of options and opportunities. And I think we are learning.
More than ever, at least for a long, long time, I think that we're learning right now more than ever how important discernment is. And when we're talking about the intuitive arts and intuitive practices, developing our psychic abilities, developing our practice with our gods, our our spirit team, our ancestors, you know, there are these constant moments of
What do you want to do? What do you want to do? What do you want to do with this? And I'm so grateful that my journey began with this like very full-bodied yes, because knowing what that felt like informed me for now years and years to come.
Emily the Mystic (12:56.619)
Yeah. I mean, I love that you share all of that because it reminds me of when I was in college, I used to get this one spiritual subscription box that I forget the name of, but it was filled with like crystals and witchy items and so forth. And I forget that those interests and my passion for astrology has always been there. But then I had this like weird consciousness shift during the pandemic where a light switch went on and I was like, I can.
Dani Wright (13:10.139)
Yeah.
Dani Wright (13:17.957)
Yes.
Emily the Mystic (13:26.391)
Do this. You know? It's like it goes from something outside of you, you know, the crystals are kind of outside of you, towards, wait, like this is something I can connect with. And there's this whole other sort of spiritual world, you know, that's also living inside of me. Yes. Yes.
Dani Wright (13:33.842)
Yes.
Dani Wright (13:43.1)
Yes. The call is coming from inside the house at the end of the day. Yes, exactly. I think that's what that moment did was it was actually this confirmation outside of me what was already happening and I kept kind of
Sort of looking at but sort of looking away from or really denying myself, and finally accepting, this is here. hi, I love this. Yes, right? That full bodied yes moment.
Emily the Mystic (14:15.313)
my gosh, absolutely. What are some of the kind of pillars or foundations or values for you when it comes to your witchy practice?
Dani Wright (14:25.915)
So I've I really, really take a strong ethics first approach. And this is not the same as this, like, you know, this threefold law, for example, that we hear so often professed or sometimes forced on us from from like Wicca, for example. But I do
Always want to acknowledge the sacredness of the territory that we're navigating here. When I chose to create a profession that was so based on and so incorporative of my spiritual practice.
They both had to they are these like checks and balance for one another in so many ways. And they they help me look at things like the my my values and and my pillars. And I think that's something that we need to acknowledge, at least a good professional spiritualist, in whatever way they identify, acknowledges.
this kind of power dynamic in hey, have this experience that I can offer to you in a form of education.
And it requires that we are venturing to some of your most sacred realms in your body, in your mind, in your soul. And that's not to be taken lightly. For me, I take a very like humility first, like humble first approach. And I really look at my relationships.
Dani Wright (16:18.909)
with my my clients as co-creative and and co-beneficial as possible. I never approach them with this like, I am like showing up with this like master of education and you are learning from me. There's always something I get out of a call where I'm like, I know my spirit brought this one to me today. And ever since I
you know, really intentionally was like, I'm always going to go spiritually ethical first. I have found that
So much of the work that I do naturally is just a part of my own inner growth, self-exploration, self-healing, all of that type of work. So for me, my biggest values are first and foremost confronting ourselves with our values and our ethics. And I turn people and my content very frequently to their own personal morality because that's where you're going
To find what feels and fits right with you and what doesn't. You're never gonna truly fully find that in some voice outside of yourself. And I hope that what I offer, you know, happens to be the thing that you needed to hear on that day to make sense for where you're at at that time.
Because I trust that just me showing up and and sharing it in the first place is doing that very same thing for me. So really ultimately, one of my biggest, biggest values is the that I am simply part of the collective with you. I am simply another learning being myself. And I think that a
Dani Wright (18:20.797)
kind of like a human first, meaning I'm an imperfect human first. that's the life form I chose in this life that matters. And so many of us, when we get deeper and deeper into spirituality, we think we can kind of bypass that a little bit. And we think we can kind of detach a little bit. And I'm like, sorry, actually we're humans first. We chose that. There's something about this life cycle our soul is meant to experience.
Emily the Mystic (18:36.234)
Mm.
Dani Wright (18:48.761)
And I try not to you know, live in a hierarchy. I try to be more part of the mycelium network type of, you know, of a mindset. And whether it's in my profession or it's in my own personal spiritual practice, that's really how I try to approach it. That's why I think the signs that that my spirit team sends me, for example.
why I've been able to discern this is a sign and it has this big meaning for me. But at the same time, I'm not going out there and every single goddamn thing I see is a sign and it's it's start you know, I I really think that when you you kind of show up in this, hey, it's earth life first, it's it's imperfect human form first.
And my soul is getting something from this experience. You better live just present in this life, and you still remain open to those bigger, deeper, magical parts that a spiritual lifestyle does give you. There, you can have both. You don't have to let go of.
Of one of those. you don't have to let go of of earth in order to fully experience spirit, and spirit wants you to experience earth. so I think that that's why for me it it ends up coming back to ethics because it's about how I am personally living this experience. and can that be something that aligns with
what matters the most to me, what I what I care about most in this world, versus like what does this world have to offer me? It's much more a co creative relationship there, you know, co creative again, but this time with spirit, with with the earth. And yeah, does that kind of answer the question?
Emily the Mystic (21:03.545)
absolutely. And I agree so deeply with everything you shared. These practices are meant to enhance our human experience, not to distract from it, you know? Because I f I feel that at some point, and I think a lot of us go through it, because I definitely went through it too. When you get so heavily into your spiritual life and journey, you kind of end up in this in-between clouds place where you're kind of in this spiritual limerence and
Dani Wright (21:13.383)
Yes.
Emily the Mystic (21:30.091)
You're getting so many signs and you're kind of d out of body, sort of floating around out there, wanting to like bypass the human reality of it all because it feels better to be up here. You know, and trust me, I get it. I've been there. But also like the human experience is pretty freaking cool too, if I'm being honest. And we're meant to, we're meant to be here. We're meant to be in these bodies. And it feels good. It feels good. And also too, the
Dani Wright (21:43.837)
Yes.
Dani Wright (21:50.685)
Mm-hmm.
Emily the Mystic (21:57.218)
The spiritual practices help make this ex human experience feel better as well.
Dani Wright (22:01.697)
Yes, I totally, totally agree. This is you know, spirituality is this gift of like support and aid in what is, yes, a very, very challenging life form to it clearly embody. and my friend, I have to, I have whoever's listening to this, I have to tell you there must be something great about this life form that our souls do get out of it.
Because why would we choose it and why would we potentially choose it over and over again to continue incarnating into? So there's there's magic to embrace here in our spiritual tools and our spiritual practices. But honestly, sometimes the most profound like beauty and magic I experience in my day-to-day life is in just being present on my daily walk with my dog. You know, like even just
Trying to look at what the world already has to offer me, you know, sometimes is yeah, so yeah, I fully, fully agree.
Emily the Mystic (23:09.643)
Love it. I would love to know because of course this podcast is about being a mystic. So what is your definition of a witch? Like how would you describe what being a witch is in your own words?
Dani Wright (23:25.124)
So
I've been asked this so many times, and my answer is probably so different every single time because it's so, so broad. And I do think one of the most beautiful aspects of it, no matter how you define it, is that you get to define it in and of itself, first of all. to me, a witch compared to a mystic, is very often.
Emily the Mystic (23:32.161)
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Dani Wright (23:56.654)
you will see
I think naturally I think that you'll see a little bit more affinity and a relationship with darkness in general. I think that very often if someone is claiming the title or label or term which, I think that that person is naturally gonna have some type of connection, parallel path with darkness. that's absolutely a part of it for me. Shadow work is
Emily the Mystic (24:06.807)
Love it, yeah.
Emily the Mystic (24:21.805)
Mm.
Dani Wright (24:28.409)
A massive foundational point of all of my work, personally, professionally. The I'm I'm fascinated by the shadow. I'm in the best ways intimidated by by the wisdom that the shadow has to offer us. And I think that the fact that we
Call it the shadow and choose to work with it. A lot of that has to do with calling yourself a witch. There's something about that that term and that that concept that's very, very witchy. I think that a witch naturally has this mindset of a mystic.
But the way they express it is often through our kind of mundane tasks, responsibilities, and day-to-day tools and parts of our lives. So this is where you see your kitchen witches and your green witches and your home and hearth witches, for example. There's this mindset of a mystic. There's this constant one thing, one way where we overlap in in the mystical and in the occult realms is we agree that there's an energy.
Like we all agree. We might call it different things. We might work with it in different ways. We might talk to it in different ways. But we all agree. We're like, there's something. There's an energy, there's an energy there. often in mysticism, at least through my experience, I think that there is often more external practice. We're in a lot of
Emily the Mystic (25:42.567)
Yeah.
Dani Wright (26:10.205)
meditation. We are in meditative channeling, for example. we might even be a little bit more connected to extraterrestrials, like really like spacey meaning, you know, outer spacey. whereas I think that we find in witches we we tend to find and connect with spirit
Often in our day-to-day mundane objects or or tasks or responsibilities that we already have to do. I joke around all the time that my most profound breakthroughs and downloads from spirit come through when I'm doing dishes and when I'm doing laundry. Like I I dedicate so much of my my house practices.
to my spiritual work, it makes sense that these have become these very meditative centers for me. And what what is dishes and laundry? But rituals, they're routines, they're regular habits and tasks that we that we need to perform. And and a ritual can be can be as mundane as doing the laundry or it can be like
Doing the laundry with intention. And we can look at this as like a manifestation ritual, for example. so to me, often a witch is a self-defined person. There is some type of connection or affinity to shadow work or darkness. there is a natural inclination to kind of ritualize your experience, your feelings, your intentions.
Emily the Mystic (27:54.881)
Mm, mm.
Dani Wright (27:56.966)
And I would finally finish off my definition that you believe in straight up magic and you like that term and you believe in that term and that term makes sense to you, in whatever way it uniquely does. But there's definitely a belief in in magic for sure.
Emily the Mystic (28:14.323)
Obsessed. I'm like checking all the boxes. I'm like, hell yeah. I'm with the mystics of witch too. Well, I think that's what makes it so special and so cool. And I feel that in the spiritual space in general, there's often this love and light community. And it becomes a bit religious, you know? It becomes a bit what's the word, holier than thou, where it like.
Dani Wright (28:19.037)
Hell yeah.
Emily the Mystic (28:41.197)
To your point, we can create this hierarchy where there are these gurus and spiritual teachers sitting on their thrones of I'm more enlightened than you, you know. And to me, I'm like, I want nothing to do with that. thank you. I'd rather dance in the darker realms. I am very comfortable in that space myself. So love it. Yeah. So on that note, what are some of your shadow work practices, or tell us a little bit about your shadow work journey?
Dani Wright (28:53.967)
Yeah.
Dani Wright (28:58.331)
Yes. Same.
Emily the Mystic (29:09.864)
and what that looks like.
Dani Wright (29:13.405)
So shadow work to me is any kind of true personal development work. It's any kind of self-excavation work. And this is why it it will do you a service not to make the term shadow synonymous with bad, like these we excavate these bad parts of ourselves. They're just unseen parts of ourselves.
Emily the Mystic (29:19.789)
Mm.
Emily the Mystic (29:32.013)
Mm.
Dani Wright (29:38.862)
Sometimes what we excavate, no, we don't particularly like it. Or it's uncomfortable, or it's scary, or it sucks to face. Sure. but it's not as simple as these good versus bad parts of our of ourselves. It's simply looking into the unseen corners of ourselves or the parts that we purposefully don't work don't look at.
You know, shadow work for me kind of began probably in my relationships. And for me in this life, I have a I have a sun vene I was born under the Venus Kazami, so I have a exact sun venus conjunction. So my identity in my relationships get really messy sometimes. they they inform each other in so so many ways. So that means that in this life for me, I've done a lot of learning a lot of learning through.
Emily the Mystic (30:22.701)
Mm.
Dani Wright (30:34.737)
So there's been a lot of relationship toxic patterns, all those types of things, and friendships and romantic. It does if it's a relationship, it usually has some type of learning point for me. And that's really where, yeah, that's I have a north node in my sixth, but in Aquarius. So yes, like there's this community aspect, exactly, exactly. Yes.
Emily the Mystic (30:36.014)
me too. Mmm, mmm, mmm.
Emily the Mystic (30:44.594)
same. Do you have a north note in your seventh? I do.
Emily the Mystic (30:58.805)
Yes. totally. Yeah.
Dani Wright (31:01.501)
so it kind of began there. That's what I would talk about in therapy. My journaling had a lot to do with excavating what the health and status and what was I even getting out of various relationships.
And it was fascinating how eventually it turned into my sobriety and my recovery work. And I kind of like deep down knew it was always coming for me. And at the same time, it body slammed me. But in 2019, I started working with and devoted myself to Hades. So Hades is my patron deity. I do consider myself a death witch.
Emily the Mystic (31:42.541)
Mm.
Dani Wright (31:48.048)
I incorporate what I learned from my Death Witch craft in some of the the things I talk about and teach. but I don't offer any specific death work, Death Witch services at the time, just because it's been such a personal, personal part of my practice. When I first started working with Hades, I I had come across a couple of of shares on Tumblr of all places.
Emily the Mystic (32:05.322)
Mm.
Dani Wright (32:16.343)
that Hades had l had led them and several others to their path to recovery and sobriety. And I remember reading that and going, You better get it together so you don't have to be one of those people. and lo and behold, three years later.
Three years later, instead of finally for the first time, instead of seeing it as a punishment, I finally set myself free from the self-cage that I put myself in. with some drugs in the past, but mostly alcohol. I mean, I this was an alcohol thing for me since the very, very beginning.
And so much of my shadow work practice is so intertwined with my recovery work now. Like so, so much of the shadow work that I do is really about working with what drinking was covering up or what it was what it was helping me avoid. Like any recovering addict or alcoholic of any kind will tell you.
Emily the Mystic (33:10.509)
Mm.
Dani Wright (33:18.465)
Whatever your your drug of choice or whatever it was, it was covering something else up. You don't just take that thing away and your entire freaking life gets better. some things naturally get better, but usually it just uncovers the healing you've been avoiding for a super, super, super long time. So you know, a lot of that continued in various relationship work. I lost I lost and walked away from many, many, many relationships through
Emily the Mystic (33:25.0)
Mm.
Emily the Mystic (33:34.197)
Mm-hmm.
Emily the Mystic (33:45.929)
Mm.
Dani Wright (33:47.676)
My shadow work journey, I also have embarked on and fostered more and better quality relationships than I've ever had in my life. My community has only grown and expanded. And the connections I have in it are like so incredible. So anybody listening to this, it's Scorpio season. And if you are going through your own type of like,
Purge in your life or shedding. Just know that like I have been there with you where it feels like your circle gets down to like two, one or zero people. Like, absolutely. And that's the beautiful thing about my spiritual practice and about working with my spirit team, working with my deities like Hades and incorporating my my shadow work is.
Because not only have my relationships improved and I I am just in such a grateful, supportive community today compared to where I was even just a few years ago. I get to connect with so many people in a similar place that also felt so incredibly alone, felt like something was completely wrong with them and they just couldn't get it right.
But felt so, so afraid to face certain parts of themselves because even when you are doing self-harm, if that's all you know, it sounds so scary to turn away and do anything else. And that's why earth first spirituality, right? Like live your human experience, but know that spirit.
That your gods, that your guides, your angels, your ancestors, like have your back. There's so much that I've been able to accomplish, yes, through my own hard work and self-exploration, but also because I knew and felt at all times I have support, not just here in this, in this realm, but I can reach out to spirit.
Dani Wright (36:03.257)
I can perform a ritual. I can pull tarot. I can pull up the astrology chart and and experience confirmation, reassurance. I'm right where I'm supposed to be. Shit's supposed to be hard right now. That's what I love about astrology. It's helped me be like, supposed to be hard right now. Let it go. Stop trying to control everything and let it be what it needs to be right now. and so yeah, for me, my shadow work practices, it's
well throughout my profession, but it's in everything that I'm constantly, constantly doing. because I try really, really hard as best I can to not run away from my shadow or the icky or the uncomfortable. And the beautiful part about a well regular shadow work practice is you really do build the habit of going, Mm, that was a weird trigger. that was actually a weird projection.
Huh, that was kind of an interesting that thing that came up. And you start turning toward those weird, icky, dark, unknown, uncomfortable parts of yourself with just curiosity. And again, you end up getting more out of your experience, your spiritual practice grows, your intuition strengthens. yeah, I can't emphasize enough how much really incorporating and practicing shadow work.
as hand in hand with every part of my life as I can, has helped me, honestly.
Emily the Mystic (37:32.3)
Hmm, so powerful everything that you said. I've been going through my Pluto squaring my ascendant transit for the last two years. And boy, that's been a doozy. So your girl has been on the the deep shadow work journey over here herself. And I love, you know, I love everything that you said because this past month in September, my guides were like, You need an alcohol break.
Dani Wright (37:41.056)
yeah.
Dani Wright (37:45.757)
Mm-hmm.
Emily the Mystic (37:54.938)
So I took a drinking break for a full month and it was so good for me, so healing. And yeah, it forced me to really go deep into things that needed to be looked at. And it's just it's so powerful to give yourself permission to be set free from anything, you know, that you anything that is creating some sort of to your point cage or box for you.
Dani Wright (38:13.799)
Yes.
Dani Wright (38:19.068)
Yes. Yes. Exactly. Anything you're using to constantly numb, don't be afraid to look at that. And step away from it, even for just a little bit.
Emily the Mystic (38:26.05)
Mm-hmm.
Love it. Love that you work with Hades as well. I do spirit release work, entity release work. So sometimes he'll come forward to help me with that with my clients. So yeah. so to that point, who are some of the other guides or deities that you work with?
Dani Wright (38:37.127)
I love that. That's amazing.
Dani Wright (38:46.952)
so I main so Hades again is my patron deity, very regular, regular. I'm in most often if I'm in conversation, I'm in conversation with Hades. Persephone, I was just talking about this with some of my students. Persephone comes through, and when Persephone comes through, she comes through and she's pointed and precise. There's a reason. I have learned over the years when Persephone calls, I pick up the other line. I pick up the
Emily the Mystic (39:08.609)
Mm. Mm.
Emily the Mystic (39:16.333)
Mm.
Dani Wright (39:16.576)
Usually the experiences that I walk with Persephone, which makes so much sense. She's she is goddess of spring and she's also queen of the underworld. So she not only brings new life at spring, one of her duities is escorting you to your death, escorting you to the underworld. And she always shows up when I'm entering into some form of a death, whether it's a chapter of my life.
Emily the Mystic (39:26.423)
Mm.
Mm.
Emily the Mystic (39:33.685)
Yeah.
Dani Wright (39:42.437)
Or it is literally like grief work. She is, she's always this like partner, this like companion that walks with me. I can always feel that. I also work with I work with one of my spirit guides that came to me as what was told to me later was an imaginary friend my whole entire life. And my parents used to say, You had this imaginary friend, her name was America, America.
And I got older and I was trying to really connect with the spirit guide. I could feel, I don't know how else to describe it, but I I felt the call to. I I knew I needed to like reach out and connect. And I remember asking my mom more pointedly for the first time in my adult life about this imaginary friend. And I was like, What do you mean, America? And she goes, Well, I don't know.
I don't know if that's what you were saying or if that's what you meant. We always said that. I don't know that I really understood what you were saying. And I was like, okay, so the name might not be America. All right. So that kind of gave me some places to go. And I started doing some very intentional, like opening up and asking for s signs and and signifiers of identification. and it was this really, really cool, incredible, long journey.
Emily the Mystic (40:44.861)
Mm.
Mm.
Dani Wright (41:06.372)
It took about a year and a half of dedicated showing up and being patient work. And I ended up having this really, really beautiful moment. I I got an Akashic Records reading and they were able to like give me this. They were like, I don't what this means, but this keeps coming up over and over and over again. So just write it down. And it was one of those cool like
Pinball machine moments that spirit will send you on. You know what I mean? This leads to this, to this, to this. And eventually I realized in meditation, I had fully invited goddess, ancient goddess Inanna into this meditation and asked for help. I was pretty confident that there was some sort of past life or another lifetime timeline.
There's an intersection here with Inanna, with Sumerian culture. There was something there. And it was one of the coolest meditations ever. And I remember Inana kind of similar to Persephone, kind of escorting me to the place. And and we like said goodbye when I got there. And I I saw myself. It was very similar to doing a past life regression. I saw myself.
In another life, in another form, embracing this other woman who may not have been my biological mother, but in the village or community we were a part of, she was a type of a mother archetype for me. And we embraced. And she had let me know her name was Amarina. And the moment that the name came through, it was just this incredible, again, that spirit pinball machine moment of
Emily the Mystic (42:59.255)
Wow.
Dani Wright (43:00.424)
Feeling and finally seeing the full year and a half progression like come into place at this final moment was really, really amazing. and so I'm in conversation with her a lot. I I think that this is just a s a spirit guide that that I have that's been with me for a very, very long time. There is definitely protection energy there. Some of the relationship work that's a part of my journey in this life.
is the relationship with my mom and is in the maternal lineage, generational healing and trauma stuff. I love my mom very much. And we have the complex mother wound generational, right? Passing down of generational trauma and stuff like that. And I feel like in so many ways she she brings this this very needed motherly presence to
To my life and to my spiritual practice. I think she shows up a lot in my kitchen magic and my my home and hearth magic a lot. I I I chat with Hekate. I don't devote myself to Hecate or Hekate. a ton of my students and clients work with her. So I am not shocked at all that she shows up and and kind of like you said with Hades.
We do work together because of the intersection of my past crossing. She's right, goddess of crossroads, intersecting with with her devotees. and then am I forgetting anybody? I'm pretty? It's kind of small. and then my planetary pantheon. So I really as an astrologer and a witch, I really work with the planets in a deity form.
Emily the Mystic (44:29.815)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Dani Wright (44:52.016)
So I have a very unique relationship with each of them, with Mercury, with Venus, with Saturn, with Pluto. yeah, total so I have this very unique relationship with each of them. Mercury and I like shoot the shit, give each other shit. That's how Mercury shows up for me. I have a Gemini Mars. So like Mercury and I, we gotta work together a lot. and yeah, I've really developed a unique,
Emily the Mystic (44:57.515)
Daddy Saturn.
Emily the Mystic (45:06.294)
Mm.
Emily the Mystic (45:11.723)
Mm. Mm-hmm.
Dani Wright (45:19.472)
understanding with each of them how they show up for for me, but I work with them more in a witchy deity aspect and do rituals with them and and give offerings based on transits and and or the days of the week and things like that. So yeah, I do also have my my planetary pantheon for sure.
Emily the Mystic (45:40.429)
Do you work with the Morrigan? Because she's like yelling at me to say, Hi.
Dani Wright (45:44.913)
Ooh, that's so it's so interesting you say that because I've always been fascinated and like, hold on. I'll c I'll I'll see. I do have deep ancestral Celtic roots in my lineage. deep, deep. I'm very confident that there's druid in my in my line. My dad was really, really into family ancestry and and traced us back,
Emily the Mystic (45:54.637)
Yeah.
Dani Wright (46:14.866)
deep into Celtic ancestry. So she fascinates me. A lot of Celtic lore does. I'm not surprised that that you're saying that or she's coming through because I was just talking about on my podcast at the start of Libra season, I've been doing a lot of ancestry and renewed ancestral family history type of work. So I'm kind of heading in that
in that direction. So I'm gonna take I'm gonna take that with me. I appreciate you saying that.
Emily the Mystic (46:48.769)
I'm more I'm deep in working on my own Celtic lineage right now. So yeah, I love that.
Dani Wright (46:51.793)
NICE
Emily the Mystic (46:55.905)
Yeah, I mean it's it's powerful. It's such a fascinating journey. And for me, it's taken me on so many twists and turns with the own my own guides that I work with. So love it. we would love to know. Do you have any quick witchy tips for us, any practices that you recommend for us to try? Yes.
Dani Wright (47:15.304)
Especially for this time of year. So first and foremost, so that you feel nice and safe and nice and comfortable, do your protection wards. Don't forget, just do that first. Do that first. Whether it's wearing a certain necklace, wearing a certain color, putting something outside of your front door or under your pillow, bringing it in your car, do your protection wards. There's a billion and one ways to do protection. Quite honestly, you don't need to overthink it. It can be as simple as reaching out to spirit and your guides and saying,
Emily the Mystic (47:23.445)
Mm.
Dani Wright (47:44.415)
Can I have some protection right now, please? the veil is thin. So we feel that. We feel sensitive right now. Remember that being sensitive doesn't automatically mean that everything that pricks your senses is bad. It's just that we feel it a lot more right now. So that's why kind of doing our protection wards or our energetic boundary work, it helps us
It helps us not feel like swayed by I just find that this is a time of year that you see things out of the corner of your eye a lot more. You get up in the middle of the night and there's this like I just really, really I know
Emily the Mystic (48:20.755)
My cat my black cat is coming down the hallway.
Dani Wright (48:25.874)
So right on time, right on time. I send spirits. I spend send spirit talks. Yes. same thing, you know, that presence that you just feel, but you can't explain and you can't quite see. this is a time that see, I'm here for this conversation. Yes, you're being a good protector. this is you'll feel better if you go into this with an energetically protected mindset this time of year.
Emily the Mystic (48:29.676)
Ha ha
Emily the Mystic (48:40.181)
Mm-hmm.
Dani Wright (48:53.01)
The other thing that I you know, kind of step to from that is be open to death. The thing of it is, is that that's what this is. This is the final harvest. That's what Sawin is. The the height of Scorpio season is when we really see the change from pretty, beautiful fall to we are getting ready to enter into winter. we really see a decrease in the physical like life of nature around us.
And I invite you to stay open-minded and in awe of the same beauty that is still there and might just look a little bit different. I tell people, be appreciative of the scavengers this time of year. Be appreciative of the the act of decomposing, of decomposition. All of this time of year is necessary, is such an important part of our ecosystem physically.
And energetically for that big life explosion that spring brings us. This is a time that if you already feel like inclined to the spooky stuff, lean into it. If if that's not your thing and you kind of get freaked out by spooky stuff, something you could do this time of year is exploring that fear a little bit. What freaks you out? It doesn't mean you need to practice anything you're uncomfortable with.
We could look at maybe the deeper meanings behind some of these fears. talk to spirits, talk to them. I think that so many of us are brought up on this idea that if you you even talk, you open this doorway to so much spiritual harm. Most spirits are passing by, or are simply just
human spirits of their own. I think that we have this especially from Hollywood, we have this idea that like most spirits are bad or have some like agenda. Like it's just like a regular bumbling think of like when you go to the grocery store. But they're spirits. It's very, very similar. if you feel like there are spirits in your house or at the place where you work or at at land that you walk over
Dani Wright (51:12.19)
talk to them, pay your respects. That's what this time of year is about in so many cultures across time and history and and geographical location. Is this a time for for acknowledging the spirits, for acknowledging death, whether it's your own direct past loved ones or it's in a more more general sense. I think that this is a beautiful time for just acknowledging their presence and talking to them.
And then if you want to take it a little witchy step further, you can do things like host a dumb dinner, for example, on Sawin on Halloween night. You can create your usual dinner, but create a place and a place setting and a plate with food for that's represented for the spirits. And you can eat dinner in silence in reverence and respect for for the spirits.
Emily the Mystic (52:06.697)
Obsessed, yes. Mm, you're encouraging me. I'm about to go all in on my own darkness. I love it. I keep pulling the death tarot card and I'm like, Yeah, it's that time.
Dani Wright (52:11.899)
Yay.
Dani Wright (52:16.933)
my god, I love it.
Emily the Mystic (52:20.141)
Okay Danny, how can people find you your podcast and how can they work with you right now?
Dani Wright (52:25.32)
so you can find me all across social media at That Witch Nextdoor. You can listen to That Witch podcast on all major podcast platforms. Definitely check out my YouTube, That Witch Next Door. and of course, that witch Thatwitchnextdoor.com will take you everywhere to book with me. You can enroll in That Witch School. follow me and connect.
Emily the Mystic (52:46.327)
Perfect. Any cool business offerings you want to share?
Dani Wright (52:49.786)
that which school is the place to be, my friend. If you don't wanna do this thing all alone or you just want someone you can talk to or you want a place where you can continue exploring and evolving these skills, but not having to just constantly rely on only you, you, you. It's a wonderful, wonderful place to be. We have multiple instructors, multiple classes and
Emily the Mystic (52:52.375)
Great.
Emily the Mystic (52:56.265)
Mm.
Dani Wright (53:13.446)
Not to brag, but seriously, just about the coolest frickin' community I could ever imagine. I'm so so grateful for my entire student body. So you can go to that witch school dot com. but you can always send me a message too if you ever just have kind of questions about what it's like before joining.
Emily the Mystic (53:30.957)
Obsessed. Sounds beautiful. Love it. And you've already answered the question of what does being a mystic mean to you? And you already answered the question tips for a mystical life. Is there any final messages, Danny, before we let you go?
Dani Wright (53:43.935)
Ugh, just happy spooky season, everyone. And thanks for having me, Emily. This was so, so, so much fun. I loved our conversation.
Emily the Mystic (53:52.772)
same. So juicy. Thank you for sharing your practice with us. We appreciate it so much. Yay. Happy spooky season, everyone. Go celebrate Sawin. Love you lots. Bye.
