One Rainy Wish

This November, give yourself permission to dream the impossible dream

Do you see the look on my face in this picture, above?

Yah, it’s saying (to my husband, who is behind the camera): “Wait… am I really going to leave a two-decade career in corporate to read tarot cards and host meditation workshops… and we’re all just going to act like this isn’t a symptom of a full-scale nervous breakdown? Like, you’re not going to try to stop me?!?”

The photo was taken at my new meditation center, before I had left my day job or had even seen a single client in it. I was spending money to paint, furnish and decorate the space, and I had no inkling of the coming impact crater of the global pandemic to come— or whether or not this whole crazy, full-time working shaman experiment was going to work out.

When I saw this picture while cleaning out my iPhone the other day, it hit me: the crazy experiment actually did work out. It survived Covid, a move to Texas, a complete transformation of my business model, and the pressures of a contracting economy and all-time highs in inflation.

Was it hard? Yes. Have there been days when I felt like I was going to lose everything? Yes. Do I have any guarantees that it’s going to continue to survive? No.

But, on the whole, it actually, really has kind of worked out.

This revelation buoyed me as I start to slow down at the end of the year— an ebb in the action that always brings visits from the spooks and specters of scarcity and cynicism to small business owners, especially those in the Business of Woo.

The upshot of rediscovering this photo? If I did it before against all of the odds, that might mean that I can keep doing it. Or, maybe if I’m getting a bit crazy, I can do more, new cool stuff in the future.

And this isn’t because I’m some “ascended being” that has everything figured out. I’m not. And I don’t.

Rather, it’s because sometimes things actually just work out. We just have to give our dreams a fighting chance, holding space for them and trusting in the process.

And, as it turns out, this month is the perfect time to make One Rainy Wish— particularly during today’s New Moon in Scorpio.

A month for wish-making

In November, the energy of the earth starts to slow down and get quiet— or, at least, it does in the Northern Hemisphere. Even here in sunny central Texas, the skies are finally getting gloomy, the air is wet with precipitation, and the fields and yards and gardens are being left to go fallow as the winds turn cold.

In shamanism and many other occult systems, cloudy skies, rain and snow hold within them the raw materials for manifestation. Ritual magicians frequently harness the power of storms to cast their circles and perform their ceremonies. And, considering sunlight disperses magical energies, this overcast season also offers the staying power necessary to really carry your incantations far and wide before the proverbial signal gets cut.

What’s more: our ancestors (and all of those magical beings on the other side of the veil) are closer to us now than at any other point in the year, offering their support in metaphysical matters.

All of these elements converge with today’s New Moon in Scorpio to create a veritable soup of wish-making potential, so I encourage all of you to embrace this magical window for your own One Rainy Wish.

Spend some time today or over the weekend to sit down and write out the things you want to manifest in the coming year, ideally when the skies are cloudy or, better yet, spitting a bit of rain or snow. Create a little bit of ambiance to honor the effort to come: light a candle (or set of candles), burn a bit of sage or palo santo, and find a slower, more intentional rhythm in sync with silent reflection.

When you write out your wish or wishes, I encourage using “fancy” (or at least valued) stationary to support your intentions with matching material investment. Also: be as specific and human-scaled as possible, explaining to yourself and to spirit in writing just how this new, big, wonderful thing is going to feel— and what you’re going to do with it.

Place this written wish into a beautiful envelope, seal it, and put it in place of honor in your home— ideally on a home altar or other, sacred space.

The key to sticking the landing on this particular exercise? Gratitude.

A season of gratitude

As you focus on your One Rainy Wish for the rest of this month, consider making it a daily practice to reflect on what you do have— and what you are grateful for.

For my part, I’ve been putting pen to paper to document all of the many, many things for which I am grateful, including:

• Successfully changing my business model after moving to Texas from Chicago

• Starting my podcast, The Skeptical Shaman, which gives me a platform from which to engage incredible, interesting people in insightful dialogues

• Having almost 3,000 sales on our Etsy shop, meaning that there are thousands of bottles of our handmade, organic flower essences supporting folks out there in the world

• Having 1,000+ Substack subscribers, who support me in sharing my experiences and making this dynamic, online community possible

• Self-Publishing our TOTEM Tarot and TOTEM Flower Essence Decks on Amazon and Etsy, sharing our creative vision with others

• Having sunlight, active fairies and a backyard capable of accommodating our TOTEM Flower Essence garden which, in turn, has given me the insane privilege of planting and growing the incredible flowers, herbs and trees we use in our tinctures

The one thing that I’m most grateful for is my clients.

I know it sounds cliche because, in most cases, a statement like this is some species of corporate-talk (or flat-out bullshit). But here at TOTEM much of my work is rooted in direct client work, especially in the intimate, long-term 1:1 dynamics of my Spiritual Transformation Coaching and Business of Woo Mentoring programs. And let me tell you: working with talented, legitimately interesting and very, very cool clients makes all of the difference in the world.

In fact, my clients are so cool that when I connect them for practice sessions with each other, I inevitably get emails and notes like, “She is so f*cking cool!” and “How is everyone else in the program this awesome?”. My only response is, “I know, right?!?” because I, too, am blown away on a daily basis by just how awesome my client base really is.

And it’s not just that my clients are cool people that are pleasant to work with. Rather, they’re exceptional students of the shamanic and supernatural, and not only do I learn from them and their experiences, but I also end up with incredible peers with whom I can collaborate into the future.

So, to all of my clients, I want to say “Thank You”. I’m honored and grateful to be your momentary spiritual sherpa as you summit your own, unique mountain in this landscape. And I’m not just saying it because it’s true.

Practicing active, honest gratitude is crucial to letting spirit know that you see, understand and appreciate what they’ve provided to you already. This, in turn, will give spirit the confidence required to continue to invest in you in the future.

After all: why would spirit keep throwing gifts at a bottomless, thankless hole?

So, this is me letting the people in my life— and my invisible spirit guides— know just how thankful I am!

If you’re interested in undertaking some of this sustained gratitude work, remember that it’s made all the easier (and more powerful) with today’s New Moon and the coming holiday of Thanksgiving, as well as an overall season of reflection, spiritual connection, and making wishes come true.

So, if nothing else, consider pick up the phone or typing out a note to get the gratitude ball rolling!

What if it all works out?

The audacity of hope is real, but it’s also really hard to sustain in the face of seemingly unending challenges and potential cataclysms.

In our society, we’re really good at running thought exercises around “what if” scenarios— if those scenarios are disasters or problems. As a species in modernity, we have an overwhelming negativity bias, and clinging to the possibility of our hopes and dreams requires tremendous discipline— not to mention a dash of shamanic insanity;)

So, this month, please start allowing yourself to daydream, in vivid technicolor, about the world that unfolds if everything works out. Give yourself some rational hope, and start to build out your plan to achieve your goals.

To help with this, I wanted to share an incredibly thoughtful review from one of my coaching clients,

Natalie Fehlner

, whose proverbial One Rainy Wish really did come true:

“Rachel White fairy godmothered her way into my life when I was lost and confused and drowning in a sea of silly life coaches. During this time I was being guided by basically everyone to gain online followers, to make sales while somehow not being salesy, and to be authentic while simultaneously following all the online trends. This was all being sold to me in packages labeled "spiritual" and "feminist" but it actually felt more like selling my soul. I was looking for someone, anyone to validate my intuition and cut through the gaslighting. I was at a loss, convinced that it was impossible to weave business with spirituality without totally transforming spirituality into a lifeless commodified thing.

Then I found Rachel and she was literally saying everything I knew to be true but couldn't find anywhere outside of myself. Things like, "You don't have to have a million followers to be self-made and successful," "Your authenticity and what makes you different is your strength," "People still enjoy long-form content that actually contains depth and meaning," and "If you want to build something truly authentic it will take time and that's okay." A few months after I discovered Rachel she announced her coaching programs, Spiritual Transformation Coaching and The Business of Woo, and I immediately signed up knowing that this time the investment would actually be worth it.

During the program, Rachel gave me the space and time to get in touch with what I actually wanted to offer and to get in line with my passions (because taking the artist's approach and creating what you love makes for a happy and fulfilled entrepreneur, and is actually what makes sales in the end!) I learned things about myself that surprised me and I was able to get in touch with who I am on a level I've never been given permission to before.

Over the course of the six month program, I went from totally not knowing what to do next with my life to owning and launching a business and podcast that I'm excited about and proud of. I knew I had ideas and potential, I just needed the guidance and the structure to create something real and sustainable which is exactly what the program offered. Rachel is a talented psychic medium with an impressive corporate background. I can't imagine a more balanced combination and her areas of expertise in business were incredibly helpful for someone like me who was just starting out. Plus she's the only person who's been able to explain branding to me in a way that was helpful. Branding with Rachel was actually really fun and inspiring and did not make me feel like I was slowly dying inside! I was also relieved and excited to discover that she has high standards and connects you with a talented designer to help you create real brand guidelines, a logo, and trademark. She's not messing around. If she does something, she's going to do it right!

On top of everything Rachel truly cares about you and your success. She's also no-bullshit and hilarious. I always enjoyed our weekly meetings which usually consisted of Rachel giving guidance while I took notes and laughed. If you're anything like me, you will be elated to know that Rachel is not going to throw you another "money-manifestation meditation." She will instead, with a flick of the wand, give you hands-on tools for business development and self-discovery. Unfortunately it's hard nowadays to find people with a deep sense of what it means to be spiritual and have integrity who have both feet firmly planted on the ground. So if you are looking to create a woo-based business I HIGHLY recommend Rachel to be your guiding light.

Thank you Rachel for being a huge catalyst for positive and much needed change in my life!!”

Natalie Fehlner

’s new Woo-based business, Sidhe, and podcast, Tales From The Truthseekers, represent inspiring, highly-differentiated offerings that totally align with Natalie’s soul’s purpose here in this lifetime. And, perhaps more importantly, I think she’s actually having fun doing it!

Being able to support Natalie and my other clients in creating or launching or reframing their own One Rainy Wish is, well, my One Rainy Wish. I know— it’s pretty meta;) But seriously, this really is the good stuff that makes all of the headaches and Woo-based business bullshit utterly, completely worth it.

What’s more: it makes those two decades I spent in corporate cubicles worth it, too.

Sure, I’m a shaman with an incredible memory for pedantic esoterica and all, but it’s my professional experience in the heart of the metaphorical Death Star that has equipped me with the experience necessary to help my awesome clients actually make their dream a reality— and not just an ephemeral dream.

I mean, if I knew then what I know now, I would have never complained about all-nighters next to printers, chugging bad coffee, lingering like a ghoul on the 46th floor of the Aon Center in Chicago all those many, many years ago. If I had any insight into just how useful the experience would be helping actually nice, talented people 20 years in the future, I might have been in a better mood while doing it;)

So, long story short, spend a bit of time today making a wish. Write it down. Practice gratitude. Say thanks. And remember that we don’t always see the full manifestation of our dreams in the moment. Sometimes, we need to wait a few years (or decades) to witness them unfurling and unfolding in our material reality.

If you want to partner with me in similar work in the future, please reach out to book a free consultation for our Spiritual Transformation Coaching or Business of Woo Mentoring ASAP: rachel@totemreadings.com. I’m not doing any consultations or face-to-face client work in December, so all onboarding for a January 2025 kick-off will be concluded at the end of this month.

I’m eager to see your One Rainy Wish manifest in this material reality— and, again, thank you to everyone reading this for your time, energy and attention.

I appreciate you. I couldn’t do this without you. And I’m excited to partner on cool, new shit in the future.

-Rachel