Embrace Your Ancestors: New Moon Reflections

Dear Moon Muser,

Welcome to this month’s new moon blog, where we delve into the profound connections we share with our ancestors, especially during this new moon phase. As we approach Valentine’s Day, it’s a beautiful opportunity to honor those who came before us while celebrating love in all its forms.

Conversations with the Dead

This blog is dedicated to exploring the connections we have with our ancestors, particularly for those of us in North America. Many may feel disconnected from their lineage, particularly those of us with European or white ancestry in North America.

Calling Upon Your Ancestors

How can you begin to call upon your ancestors? You might consider drawing, writing, or painting as mediums to remind yourself of their presence. Engage with the past—close your eyes, breathe, and focus. What do you see, feel, taste, or smell? Take a moment to breathe and relax. I like to start by lighting a candle and saying a blessing or prayer to purify the space. Then, I call upon my ancestors and ask my guides to join me.

Lunar Influences

Currently, the moon is in its balsamic phase, waning to new. We are in the darkening time of the month and amidst the darkness of winter. This is the perfect time to delve into ancestor work and receive messages from the other side. Approach this practice with an open heart, while setting clear boundaries—do not invite ancestors or guides who are unhelpful or unkind. They are not welcome unless their messages are constructive.

Embracing Elderhood

Having turned 60 this past year, I've entered a significant phase in life—the second Saturn return. This time often marks a final maturation, prompting us to examine our legacies and our relationship with death.For many white folks in North America, this can be a tricky subject; we tend to shy away from it. Unlike some cultures that venerate their ancestors with marigolds, chrysanthemums, and statues during celebrations like Day of the Dead, we often overlook these practices. 

Discovering Hidden Treasures

It’s time to uncover the hidden treasures of our lineage. By knowing our ancestors and their stories, we get to know ourselves better. Your treasure awaits—are you brave and curious enough to seek it?

Signs and Synchronicities

Look for synchronicities; let them guide you. Write them down. How does the blood in your veins sing to the blood of your ancestors? In what ways are you the same yet different? Consider how you got here and what your ancestors desired. Soothe them by acknowledging your connection.

Ask your ancestors what they want. Open your heart and fill the silence with their presence. They are speaking to you in their love language. Once again, ask them what they desire. Don’t expect immediate answers, but you might receive feelings, ideas, touches, or scents. You have opened the door—welcome them in. That is enough for now. 

If you’d like support in this work, you can learn more about my Ancestor Readings here.

A Personal Note

This year has been filled with deep creative grounding as I return to practices that have long been part of my life—zines, handmade books, and journals—while also exploring new creative challenges inspired by Echo Publishing, starting with Dec. 26-Jan 6 Omen Days. I’ve been trying new practices this year: junk journaling, painting while listening to a friend’s new EDM creations and podcast: Kosmix Horizons, and experimenting with Tombow dual brush watercolor markers and Caran d’Ache pastels. Alongside this, I’m creating Spell Cat drawings with focus and intent, which I’m now shaping into a series of small postcard sets.

With my beloved Djinn Djinn, my creative companion

Blessed Be,
Kathy “Kat” Crabbe 

Kathy “Kat” Crabbe is a soul reader, psychic medium, astrologer, and artist with over three decades of experience, weaving ancestor wisdom, lunar cycles, and creative expression into her work. She creates divination decks, art, and sacred spaces that help others reconnect with their true selves. Kat has been in professional practice since 1993. 

If you’d like guidance on connecting with your ancestors, you can explore my Ancestor Readings here.

New Moon in Capricorn, 11:52 am PST — January 18, 2026

Samhain Hallowmas Blessings from the Ancestors Plus Ghostly Tips

I am back to soul readings and quiet meditation, my library, big skies and stars, warm days, cool nights and lots of psychic-intuitive goings-on such as California is famous for; how I've missed this!

I am here to be of service as a soul reader, astrologer, past life reader, medium, and of course through my art and five oracle decks, the latest (coming in 2025) is a Mermaid Tarot Deck titled "Siren Song."

Luv, Kathy 'Kat' Crabbe,
Temecula, California
Samhain 2024

Channeled Message

May the ancestors speak, this Samhain,
to you and yours.
May their gentle touch, sign or symbol
grace your path.
Never forgotten,
we hold dear to these glimpses from Beyond.
May the veil be thin.
May your heart be open.
May you meet soul to soul
your always and forever beloved.

Ghostly Tip

To prevent harmful and unhelpful ancestors coming through when the veil is thin sprinkle or envision the wild herb Nettle around your home for protection. Below is the Nettle Card from my Cat Herbal Deck to help with that.

Nettle by Kathy Crabbe (Cat Herbal Deck)

Zodiac Goddess Affirmation

"I am strong and I will endure."

Capricorn Goddess by Kathy Crabbe (Zodiac Goddess Power Deck)

About Kathy Crabbe

I've been an artist for as long as I can remember, and my journey as a soul reader began at the age of forty, after five years of painting with my non-dominant left hand. This practice profoundly enhanced my intuition. In 2008, I created the Lefty Oracle deck and began offering intuitive soul readings, touching many lives in profound and playful ways.

Samhain/Hallowmas: Oct. 31, 1:03 AM PDT
New Moon in Scorpio: Nov. 1, 5:47 AM PDT (Lunar Samhain)
Check out Scorpio Moon Musings from a past blog

Saying Goodbye to Virginia

When my mom-in-law Virigina passed away last week I did what I do best. I reached out to her on the Other Side to check-in and see how she was doing and this is what came through.

Yellow flowers all around.
She’s running, sprinting, dancing
to get to the Otherworld,
be with Al, eat good food
and be free in her body,
free to be with the flowers and the bees ~ it’s Spring ~ her favorite time,
planting flowers, the sun is warm, not too warm yet and she is happy,
finally, finally,

happy.

She understands…
She IS the mystery now.

Peony Fairy from the Fairy Herbal Oracle Deck

When I saw Virginia for the last time we looked through my Fairy Herbal Oracle deck which is coming out soon and will now be dedicated to Virginia and she picked her favorites with a tiny flick of her finger and a wee smile and then she picked a card intuitively. She chose Peony Fairy (see above) which comes with this affirmation that quite neatly sums up Virginia’s life philosophy. She truly was a flower fairy friend!

Peony Affirmation: “I calmly banish negativity.”

Later, my husband Mark wrote a little something that he posted on Facebook where it is receiving hundreds of comments which is no surprise as Virginia was well known and loved by so many. I’ve included my own comment below as well

Mark wrote:

“My mother passed away in her sleep yesterday. She was a very special woman who touched many lives. She was very extroverted and surrounded herself with lots of close friends, she was loved by many.

She was always at the forefront of whatever she was involved with. She was queen of her Jobs Daughters organization as a teenager, heavily involved in school activities as a youth, graduated Whittier College young and went directly into teaching elementary school for nearly 40 years. She had her two boys and was very involved in our lives. She would throw large birthday parties every year and every major holiday was an event. She was the cub scout den mother, the school room-mother and ran the yacht club sailing program. At the same time she was on the board of community organizations, the Jr Ebell, the Newport Beach city arts council, the South Coast repertory theater.

In retirement she and her husband traveled the world and did home exchanges in many countries. She also started and was queen of the Indian Wells red hat social group, the ladies had lots of fun together. She will be missed.”

My comment in response:

”Virginia is my mother-in-law and from the very beginning until the day she passed she loved, supported and encouraged my work as an artist. I also learned the art of making a lovely party from her, and of course, she made my favorite person in the whole world, Mark.”

There is a lovely obituary notice here if you’d like to read more about the amazing Virginia!

Spring wildflowers picked around my property in Temecula, California

How to Protect Yourself When Contacting Spirits

I belong to the Mediums Group on Reddit - here is a question from Mylene that I responded to below.

MYLENE’S QUESTION:

I was able to foresee the death of somebody in my circle. I would greatly appreciate advice from experienced people!

Hello everyone, I would say I’m fairly new to the paranormal/occult world. I’ve always known I had an ability, but it really awakened in the past year or so. I experienced something intense this week and I would love to hear some advice.

First things first, I’ve been using tarot and oracle for about a year and a half now, so I’m pretty familiar and comfortable with it. Last week, I did an oracle reading for myself, asking what the world had in store for me for the upcoming week. The three cards that stuck out were a bit unsettling: They announced a very unpleasant change, that could be related to death. As soon as I read the cards, I got a really bad feeling. Shivers were crossing my body and I started to cry a bit. I finished the session and went to bed.

The week started and everything was going smoothly. A couple days later, I had forgotten a bit about the reading, until I received a bad news: the mother of a close friend had passed away suddenly. I couldn’t believe it. It was only the day after receiving the news that I remembered my oracle session. I started to cry again, shaken. It has now been 5 days since the event and I’m still shook up. I never thought I would’ve been able to foresee it. It’s the first time I have been able to foresee something major like this.

So, here’s where I need some advice. I’m the only person in my family who has an ability to predict certain things, so I don’t really know how to protect myself. I would like to hear some tips on how to embrace this part of me, how to really accept it too, cause I’m struggling to accept the fact that I have an ability of some sort. I would also love to hear some advice on how to take an emotional distance from all this, cause I don’t want to feel sad or depressed every time I’m able to foresee something. The older I get, the stronger my ability gets, so I would love to be able to better control/use it.

KATHY’S RESPONSE:

Kathy Crabbe, Artist + Soul Reader

It is very important to protect yourself when doing this kind of work. Saying a simple affirmation or prayer is a good start in connecting to your spiritual self and asking for protection - a must!

In regards to accepting this part of yourself, the intuitive part, wonderful to hear that you are open to this - a great beginning. You will be guided. Trust yourself, as you know, and be open to your dreams as well (keep a dream journal, if you don't already).

In regards to distancing yourself from your feelings, you must feel them! They are necessary. Allow them to flow through you and don't hold onto them. Write them down and then let them go (another way of allowing for the flow).

And YES, love to hear that your abilities are strengthening, as they well should! And yes, for asserting your boundaries and need for protection and safety in doing this work. Keep doing it and find a support group or support person to help you as you come more strongly into your powers.

QUESTION:

Thank you so much for your answer, it helps a lot! I used to keep a dream journal, but stopped a couple of months ago. I’ll get back to it for sure. I have to say, it’s very reassuring to hear from someone who does this for a living. I would love to find people who would be able to help me as my abilities strengthen, but I don’t know where search. Do you have any ideas/recommendations on communities that would be helpful for me? Thanks again for your help, I will learn to protect myself and be more cautious about it in the future! Blessings!

MY RESPONSE:

You are so welcome! I must, of course offer my own services in regards to strengthening your intuition and working with spirits/ancestors since that is what I do. Click here for more info: Ancestral Readings.

In regards to communities, I recommend looking in Facebook Groups, or starting your own in your own community.

Blessings and Hugs! Kathy Crabbe

What is an Ancestral Reading? (Psychic Medium)

When a client books a spirit guide or ancestral reading I begin by requesting the first name of the ancestor, and only the first name. It is very important that I not know any other information beforehand because this can get in the way of providing a full and detailed reading.

I make a connection clairvoyantly (clear seeing), and sometimes through smell, feeling, and hearing. Sometimes I will feel any ailments the ancestor suffered or the way in which they died, ie. a pain in my head, or a shortness of breath.

Ancestors will appear to me in different stages of their previous life, so that I can gather what is called 'evidence' which will prove, without a doubt that they are indeed the correct beloved ancestor. I usually will sense where they lived, personal habits, who they loved, favorite activities, etc.

I may also pull a card from my own hand painted oracle decks and request more information and often the ancestor will come through loud and clear as though they are speaking directly to me and my client. To finish the ancestral divination reading, I request a message for my client, from their ancestor and this is often very touching and heartfelt.

If I do not connect with a client's ancestor the first time around, I am always willing to try again (free of charge) or provide a spirit guide reading. A few theories about why an ancestor does not come through is that they may not be interested in doing so with a particular medium because they may not resonate with him/her. Sometimes an ancestor is occupied with something else or feels it’s best not to come forward at this time. Perhaps this particular ancestor was a very reserved, quiet person when alive and is reluctant to come forward now.

Afterward, I discuss the mediumship reading with the client by email to find out how it is resonating with them and to provide more clarity if needed. This also helps me become a better psychic-medium in the process!

Currently this is the only psychic reading I offer that is done via writing. I find that the ancestors prefer it that way. They apparently like that I sit quietly and patiently with pen and paper at hand and write down everything that happens. Afterwards I will type up the psychic medium reading on my computer and include any oracle cards pulled.

*The ancestor reading below is being shared with client permission and was originally done in 2009*

An Ancestral Reading for .... by Kathy Crabbe

This reading is in response to your wish for a connection with B...

- My very first impression of B... is round, warm, friendly and kind.

- I also see a black horse and hear the words, “bonny black.”

- I see 4 kids, lots of kids!

- She was a good mother and I see her tending them all.

- I can see a military man and I see her waving goodbye to him.

- I also see her managing, and steadfast.

- Now I see 3 kids, not 4.

- The color mint green also comes up.

- England is mentioned, along with the phrase, “eventually” and “make things happen.”

- She is taking charge.

- I don’t see her husband around, but she is doing her best.

- I see her wizened and grey at one point, and with young kids. She is being hard on herself because of this.

- I also feel that she has developed a pain behind her eyes and that she is not able to ‘get a grip’ on things and that when she passed, it was a relief for her.

- I ask her about you and she says the words, “nearest and dearest,” although she may not have expressed that to you physically. Initially I sensed that she was ‘warm’ but as the reading develops I feel that she was not able to express that warmth so easily.

- She is also saying that you are, “The one I can count on.”

- I see you and a horse and she is pushing some strands of long hair back from your face and saying to you, “there are no answers gel (‘gel’ is what ‘girl’ sounds like)…just good questions.”

- I see her holding up your palm and tracing the lines.

- She is asking you, “Why do you want this job?” and she points to your chest, your heart, and pokes you there (kind of a hard poke) and says, “Do you feel it here?”

- She is trying to awaken you, make you mad, and make you think.

- She also instructs me to pull an oracle card for you so I pull one from my Celtic Tree Wisdom deck and it is called the Rowan card.

The Rowan card represents the second lunar month, the “Moon of Vision.” It is a powerful tree of magic, also known as the Tree of Life. This is an oracular Moon symbolizing the rebirthing of the year. You are still asleep and dreaming, not quite ready to set your energies to growth.This Moon is dedicated to the goddesses Eleu, Diarmuid and Iris.

**When I emailed my client to find out if she would allow me to post this reading she kindly gave me her permission and she also asked me to post this comment along with her reading:

"I was nervous about opening my ancestor reading, unsure of what to expect. So many of the things resonated with me, that I knew it was something to be treasured. I was really hoping for a connection with my mother and I feel you made one. Your gift is extraordinary."

You can book a Spirit Guide, Ancestral Reading here.

Another service I offer is Past Life Readings, Past Life Regression and you can learn more about that here.

About Kathy Crabbe: A natural born psychic-medium, artist and astrologer for 20 plus years I work with self-painted oracle decks to help you move forward Healthy, Whole and Holy.

If you are seeking answers, healing, inspiration and spiritual guidance you may want to consider a soul reading, past life reading or ancestor/spirit guide reading for further insight.

Kathy’s Training

Kathy received intuitive psychic-medium training from English channeler, Adam Higgs, spiritual training from meditation teacher Om, yoga training with Atma Khalsa and Ancestral Lineage Healing with Lara Vesta Veleda and Shannon Willis, M.Ed. In 2017 Kathy completed an intensive three year training in Third Road Celtic Faerie Shamanism with Francesca De Grandis, Kathy’s current spiritual mentor. She has studied Herbalism with Susun Weed and Therapeutic Touch with Joyce Fournier, RN. Kathy received certification in crystal healing from Katrina Raphaell’s Crystal Academy and has been a lifelong student of astrology through private and group sessions with Steven Forrest, Patty Davidson, Laura DesJardins and Jeffrey Wolf Green.