This morning we’re going to have a pop quiz. Grab you cards & pull a spread of 9 for a General Collective Reading. 3 on the first row to signify past, 3 in the middle to signify present, & 3 on the third row to signify potential future. Drop your cards here & your interpretation! Let’s see if anyone’s cards resonate with anyone here.

WELCOME TO THE RAVEN ACADEMY🖤✨ hello, gifted ones! welcome to the raven academy. i’m so happy you’re here! this space was created for people who want to strengthen their intuition, deepen their relationship with their creativity, & learn how to channel through expression, art, writing, movement, divination, dreams, symbolism, & the living world around us. you do not have to be “advanced” to belong here. you do not have to know exactly what your gifts are yet. you do not have to perform, prove, or be perfect. this is a space for curiosity, practice, softness, honesty, & growth. we are here to learn how to listen more deeply to ourselves, our bodies, our guides, our ancestors, our creative impulses, & the quiet little signs life keeps trying to send us while we’re busy pretending we’re not overwhelmed by being alive. inside this community, you’ll find intuitive exercises, psychic development prompts, channeling practices, dreamwork, creative healing work, spiritual discussions, & space to explore your own inner language :) before you dive in, please introduce yourself by filling out the welcome quiz below! this helps me get to know you better and helps everyone feel more connected. i’m honored to build this little corner of the internet with you. with love, mona the raven NEW MEMBER WELCOME QUIZ ✨(feel free to fill this out if you're an OG as well to introduce yourself!) please copy & paste these questions into a comment: 1. what name would you like us to call you? 2. where are you joining us from? city/state/country is totally fine. no need to give exact locations. 3. what brought you to the raven academy? 4. how would you describe your current relationship with intuition? beginner, curious, skeptical but open, practicing, professional, deeply connected, rebuilding trust with it, etc. 5. what are you most interested in learning or exploring here? tarot, astrology, dreamwork, channeling, spirit communication, creative expression, energy work, protection, ancestral work, psychometry, writing, art, movement, business/monetizing your gifts, or something else? 6. do you feel like you receive messages more through: visions, dreams, body sensations, emotions, words, music, symbols, animals, numbers, nature, sudden knowing, or creative downloads? 7. what is one spiritual or creative gift you feel curious about strengthening? 8. what is one area where you feel blocked right now? 9. are you currently working on any creative or spiritual practice? this could be journaling, tarot, dance, painting, music, prayer, meditation, photography, writing, rituals, anything. 10. what kind of support do you want from this community? accountability, encouragement, practice partners, feedback, clarity, confidence, structure, friendship, spiritual education, etc. 11. what is one thing you want to call into your life over the next 30 days? 12. what is one boundary you want to honor while you’re here? 13. drop one random thing about you that has nothing to do with spirituality. favorite game, comfort show, weird snack, favorite animal, current obsession, anything. 14. optional: share a photo, symbol, emoji, song, or word that represents your current energy.

I'm curious if anyone in here "smudges", and what plants do you smudge with? In the U.S., I'm pretty sure most would probably say sage, but why? Marketing? Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Indigenous/Natives cultures (like Navajo for example) use sage, as do most of the tribes and communities I've seen or heard of. They use it primarily because it is plentiful in their region and within ancient tradition, but the current popularity of sage around the world and in "spirituality", could mean potential poor growth practices by huge corporations, in order to just make a buck. Have you noticed your sage isn't like it used to be? I have. But - did you know other cultures use other smudging plants and techniques..? Do you know why certain plants are used..? What are the properties or the reasoning? Personally, I'm coming to a point where I think we should use local resources instead what the internet told us to use... Make it ourselves. We smudge with intent, and it is the energy and the intent that does the work, not necessarily the plant itself. Traditional Himalayan Gurs (shaman) use Juniper, Meso American would use Copal resin and palo santo trees. In the Middle East you have frankenscence, Myrrh, and so on, and so on, all around the world... Surely each cultural shaman or practicioner has their own preference, because that plant or tree is locally sourced, and easier to obtain. I'm from the southeast and like to use cedar. It's local and I "can" source it myself, but why not use orange wood from an orange tree..? Wood from a lemon tree? Why not the Azalea or other large, woody, flowering plants..? Magnolia trees, pine trees, all of these are more than plentiful here in the southeast, and easily accessed, and can be mixed in bundles with flowers, etc. Anyway, I'm just curious. Share your thoughts and answers if you'd like, and check out the uses of various plants used in smudging from around the world. I've added them in the pics. Peace (Update 06/24/26) - Since posting this, I have found that the pine tree is not only used as a healing tree by indigenous cultures, but can also be used for smudging. Tiny branches and the pine needles are actually sold online, so I have ordered 2 smudging sticks in order to experiment with it. Once obtained, I will try it out and re-post my results. If it works well, I will definitely be sourcing local trees and making my own smudge sticks.

Hey everyone! I hope you've had a beautiful week. 🤍 This week's reflection is all about noticing. Have you experienced a symbol or message that seemed to follow you this week? Maybe it appeared as a repeating number, a song you couldn't escape, a phrase people kept saying, an animal crossing your path, a particular smell, a dream, or even a feeling that kept resurfacing. If you're comfortable, share it with the class. More importantly, what do you think it means? When you sit with it, what does your intuition notice? What memories, emotions, or ideas does it bring up? How might it connect to what's happening in your life right now? There aren't any right or wrong answers here. This isn't about finding the meaning. It's about practicing observation, trusting yourself, and exploring the stories and patterns that stand out to you. I'm excited to read what you've all been noticing this week.

theme: learning to trust your interpretation BEFORE reaching for the guidebook. every day this week: pull ONE tarot card. before you look up the meaning, sit with it for 2 minutes and ask yourself: - what emotion does this card carry? - what stands out first visually within the art? - what story does this image tell me? - if this card were a scene in a movie, what would be happening? - what part of my current life feels connected to this card? THEN: look up the traditional meaning afterward and compare. journal: - what did you get right? - what surprised you? - where did your intuition naturally go? bonus challenge: by the end of the week, look back at all 7 cards together and search for: - repeating symbols - repeating emotions - patterns - warnings - encouragement - recurring suits/numbers this challenge helps strengthen: ✨ intuitive trust ✨ symbolism recognition ✨ emotional interpretation ✨ confidence in reading tarot naturally ✨ your personal relationship with the cards