a 10 year old meets Thoth and the journey begins
When I was just a little girl, I was obsessed with Egypt.
Weird how that hasn’t really changed much…
I remember building replica pyramids with secret chambers. Playing with a hieroglyphic stamp set given to me by my grandparents. And literally dreaming about Thoth (see below for my Thoth story*) before I even knew who he was (it actually freaked me out a bit at the time).
Since then, I’ve had a bit of a love affair with Egyptian mysteries.
I was fortunate enough to get to travel to Egypt for New Year’s 2010. Visiting those ancient temples and pyramids in person was unlike anything I’d experienced. I couldn’t believe how vibrant the colors in the inner sanctums were thousands of years later. The somatic memories and energies that passed through my body as I walked through ancient temple sites and was carried down the Nile in a felucca...amazing.
I meditated at each temple and felt the wisdom of that ancient civilization flood through me.
And the smells. The frankincense especially — it ignited a soul-level attunement to that land.
past meets present; with my dear friend Russell
Years later, during one of the most grief-ridden times of my life, I burned frankincense every single morning for months. I felt those ancient deities comfort me and protect me, brought to me through the smoke.
It was the scent and spirit of Egypt that called me to study with Dora Goldsmith, an Egyptologist who specializes in scentscapes and perfumery in ancient Egypt.
As much as I appreciate the channeled wisdom and new age writings on Egyptian mysticism, I’m an academic at heart. I need to know what history actually tells us: What knowledge was so sacred that it was written in stone? What rituals and festivals have left legacies that have survived through cultural sea change?
Getting to learn from an academic Egyptologist, studying my favorite topic of all — aromatics — nourished all the geeky parts of me.
I loved getting to know the real history (as much as we can know, at least), untainted by woo-age interpretations…and then still getting all woo with direct channeling and mediumship on my own. I loved learning about the actual plants used in ancient rituals…and then getting to meet these plants physically and spiritually in my practice today.
That mix of history and spirit and smell has shaped the offering I’m about to share.
But first, an aside…it’s related! I promise!
The Cosmic Scales & Coming Season
If you’ve been around me for a while, you might remember that I’m a triple Libra.
That’s Sun, Moon, and Rising — all in the sign of the scales.
Actually, my Saturn and Pluto are also in Libra. And if you’re into the extras, so are my Black Lilith, Juno, and Path of Fortune.
It’s a lot of Libra.
I mention this partly because Libra season is approaching — and partly because Libra’s scales are a guiding force in my life…and partly because this medicine is for all of us right now.
It’s no accident that Libra season begins on the equinox, a time of equal day and night. A momentary perfection in the balance between the light and dark.
The only zodiac sign represented by an inanimate object — the scales — Libra invites us to transcend our egoic pulls towards imbalance and come back to center.
As an air sign, much of Libra’s attempts to cultivate balance happen through the mind — ideally, the wisdom of the higher mind and divine intelligence. Libra energetics create a container for learning, studying, and engaging with the cultivation of wisdom as a spiritual path.
BTW: In yogic traditions, there are four paths to enlightenment: Karma Yoga (service), Bhakti Yoga (devotion), Raja Yoga (meditation) and Jnana Yoga (knowledge). That’s right — knowledge and studying is a path to the divine, something Libra knows well.
Libra is also one of two planets ruled by Venus. As I mentioned in a recent article, Venus represents what we most value in life, and carries qualities such as love, relationship, pleasure, and beauty.
Taurus gets the earthy Venus — sensual pleasure and material beauty reign supreme for the Bull.
Libra’s airy Venus finds beauty in ideals — words and concepts that create harmony in human culture.
Which brings us back to the scales: For Libra, nothing is more beautiful than balance, fairness, and justice.
Balance within and balance without.
I’ll be the first to admit that Libra’s incessant drive for equality and fairness and making the “right” decision can drive the people around them absolutely insane. (Does it really need to take 30 minutes to choose which brand of salsa to buy??? Not speaking from experience or anything…)
Contextualizing Libra within the arc of the surrounding seasons helps us understand where this indecision comes from:
August’s Leo is a joy. Late summer is a time of ease and flow, and Leo wants everyone to enjoy the harvest and have a good time while they still can.
September’s Virgo goes to work. With the approach of the equinox, we know that winter is on the way. Our harvests must be organized and labeled with precision so we can prepare for colder months.
October’s Libra arrives after the equinox. With days becoming darker, time is of the essence. Libra takes Virgo’s well-organized resources and equally distributes them among the community to ensure the greatest chances of survival for all members.
November’s Scorpio sits fully in the dark. Planning for worst case scenarios and keeping some secrets so as not to freak everyone out, Scorpio carries the weight of the winter so other signs don’t have to.
So when your Libra friend is doing that endless dance of people pleasing and indecision — give them..ahem, me…some grace. Their inner archetype is trying to make sure everyone will literally survive in the fairest way possible ;)
The scales that help Libra measure community resources also help us measure our internal resources.
Are we burning too bright and fast and neglecting recovery? Are we overgiving and not filling our own cup — or vice versa? Are we balancing times of play, work, connection, and rest? Are we allowing some indulgences alongside our health efforts?
Another note: I remember visiting the wine and olive oil museum in Tuscany many years ago. Though a bit of touristy silliness — I loved it. Because the museum kept reinforcing that we need both olive oil and wine. We need the oil of Athena, her wisdom, right effort, and study. And we need the wine of Dionysus, his revelry, ecstasy, and celebration.
And no, you don’t need to indulgle in olive oil and wine — these are symbolic. But I do actually love the wine and olive oil of my ancestors. ;)
“Everything in moderation, even moderation.” — Oscar Wilde (b. October 16, 1854…spoken like a true Libra)
Meeting Ma’at: Goddess of the Scales
Perhaps the most important, ancient vision of these scales comes to us through the ancient Egyptian goddess Ma’at.
Between my Egyptian obsessions and triple Libra vibes is it any wonder I LOVE Ma’at?
Ma’at was both a deity and a set of principles in ancient Egyptian society.
She brought order to chaos. Every city was built on her foundation.
And she carried the scales.
You’ve probably heard the story: In the Egyptian Book of the Dead, when your soul travels through the realms of the afterlife, you meet with the goddess Ma’at and Anubus, the jackal-headed underworld guardian.
Together, they weigh your heart against a feather upon Ma’at’s sacred scales.
A heavy heart, and you may not pass.
This might sound punishing to our modern ears — but it actually reflects an important truth:
A light heart is the key to a life well-lived.
A light heart is one unburdened by regret, guilt, and anger.
A light heart has let go of all that which does not belong to it.
A light heart is one that forgives, especially yourself.
A light heart is open to peace and joy.
A light heart is the essence of spiritual sovereignty.
In preparation of the weighing of the heart, the deceased would utter “42 Negative Confessions” — basically a checklist to show that they had lived according to Ma’at’s principles of harmony, order, justice, truth, and morality.
On the surface, these can sound a little old-timey religious — with a whole lot of “thou shall not” vibes.
This is a superficial understanding of a much more nuanced and loving truth…
It is not so much that our hearts are weighed on a scale to determine our fates…we are the scales.
We have the power to to shift, release, and transmute any heaviness that does not serve our spiritual ascension.
And even if we choose to do so through being devoured, our feather-light souls emerge renewed.
Which brings me back to that newest creation I want to share…
For a loooong time, I’ve been wanting to share more about the magic of Egypt, anointing, and the deep soul-level transformation possible when we awaken to these worlds.
And it’s finally happening. I’ve been working on a beautiful offering that feels like an expression of so much of my life’s work.
Cultivating a Featherlight Heart: A 42-Day Journey with the Ideals of Ma’at
What is a life well-lived?
On the surface, this looks different for everyone. But the heart of it remains the same: peace, love, fulfillment, meaning, freedom, connection, belonging…
You are worthy of living a good life.
While there are many factors we can’t control, we can tend our hearts in deep, reverent, and intentional ways that allow for a good life to unfold from the inside out.
This is the purpose behind Cultivating a Featherlight Heart: A 42-Day Journey with the Ideals of Ma’at.
This course is a gentle, nourishing invitation to lighten your heart through daily rituals and reflections based on the timeless wisdom found in the Egyptian Book of the Dead.
We begin on September 14th with a live opening ceremony — and look at the actual history of this journey.
Then, beginning on September 21 (the Sunday before the equinox), we begin our 42-day practice.
Throughout our 42 days together, you will move through layers of consciousness: attention, intention, imagination, and embodied action. By committing to small, daily rituals and practices — within a community-held container — the shifts you experience become more sustainable and foundational.
And did I mention the magical oils???
Egyptian mysticism, soul-level reflection, and sacred anointing
In Ancient Egypt, oils were medicine for the soul, carrying prayers to the gods and preparing the spirit for passage through the unseen realms.True botanical oils assist us in our spiritual work on multiple dimensions:
Physically, their aroma molecules bypass the conscious mind where they can ignite spiritual states of consciousness.
Vibrationally, their frequency attunes our own energetic body and patterning to align with our intentions and the gifts of Ma’at.
Spiritually, each oil carries the soul essence of the plant spirit from which it comes, bringing us a botanical community of support for our journey together.
This is why each week (42 days = 6 weeks) of the course, I’ll be sharing a new anointing practice. Scent is powerful and these aromatic rituals are a key component of this course's transformational impacts.
I created the Ma’at Ritual Oil Collection** as a ceremonial companion for the course.
Each blend is made with sacred oils used and revered in Egypt and beyond— rose, jasmine, frankincense, myrrh, cedarwood, and other botanicals that have carried prayer and presence for millennia.
It’s hard to put into words how passionate I am about this offering. Those closest to me have patiently listened to my endless dreams of teaching about goddesses, rituals, and sacred oils for decades.
(I move slowly, alchemizing everything at the deepest levels before ever sharing through my teaching.)
What an absolute delight to get to share all my favorite things in this way. I feel like this container is exactly what we need right now.
As the equinox approaches and carries us into the darker half of the year, we will unburden our hearts together. Then our own hearts become the lights that guide us through the winter.
(And don’t worry southern hemisphere friends — the growing light helps your heart glow!)
A Quick Summary + Key Dates
We begin with a live opening ceremony on September 16, where we explore the history and practice of the 42 ideals.
The 42-day practice begins September 21 and runs through October and into early November.
You’ll receive short daily lessons: reflection + journal prompt + a simple practice.
And you’ll get weekly anointing rituals, along with oil suggestions if you don’t have the ritual set.
Plus there will be two more live gatherings: a live meditation/Q&A (Oct 14), and a full-moon closing ceremony (Nov 5).
If you can’t join live or fall behind (life happens), you’ll also have lifetime access to lessons and replays.
Everything in this journey is meant to be an offering for your soul. Soulcare. Life is full enough and none of us need “more things”. But we do crave grounding, ritual, and peace. That’s what this is for.
Doors are open.
Purchase the Ma'at Ritual Oil Set
*My Thoth Story
When I was no more than 10 years old, probably younger, I dreamed of a very tall magician wearing a black top hat. It was one of those dreams that was more than a dream — decades later, I can still feel that dream alive within me.
Though no one at the time provided any guidance, I just knew that magician was the god Thoth. I was confused though — in all the Egyptian depictions, Thoth had the head of an ibis, and this man looked quite human…ish.
Still, after this appearance Thoth has been a lifelong ally for me in the spirit world.
A few years ago, I finally read one of Nikki Scully and Normandi Ellis’s books. In it, they explicitly stated that Thoth is as likely to appear wearing a magicians hat as with an ibis’s head!
Mind blown.
This type of confirmation, from women I’ve never met, also drawing spiritual experiences not previously documented in any written records that I know of, is such a wild gift.
**You don’t have to get these oils in order to participate in the journey — I’ll offer suggestions and substitutes you can source on your own. But if you can get a set, I highly recommend it. Every bottle is consecrated in ritual and aligned with the six stages of our journey together.
Juniper Stokes is a scent priestess, botanical perfumer, soul alchemist, and rewilding guide through mythic landscapes of the nature, spirit, and the cosmos. For over 25 years, she has been guiding soulful humans back to the heart of who they are and why they’re here.
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Juniper Stokes is a certified coach, mythoanimist guide, alchemist & artist.