Witchy Wisdom: Nurturing Self-Worth with Niki Jones
Join host Tessa Lynne Alburn and Niki Jones, a certified life coach and spiritual witch, as Niki discusses her journey of self-discovery and how she utilizes natural energies and gifts. Niki uses various techniques such as spell work, energy healing, and meditation to help her clients release old patterns, connect with their spiritual team and their creativity.
Explore Niki's personal journey of reclaiming self-worth after facing toxic relationships, and gain insights into setting healthy boundaries as a key element in the soul alignment process and learn about the importance of supportive relationships and connections with nature.
Niki encourages listeners to embrace curiosity and try different practices to find what resonates with them.
Tessa’s Free Gift: Get Tessa’s Reignition Roadmap! http://www.tessafreegift.com/
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Explore Niki Jones' transformative path from military service to becoming a certified life coach, shamanic practitioner, and tech-savvy witch
Tech meets Magic: Discover how technology intertwines with Niki's craft, to create healing in the modern world
Soul Alignment Practices: Get to know a few techniques, such as tarot and oracle cards, that help you to align with your unique spiritual path
Uncover the significance of spiritual storms during the dark moon and how they serve as a powerful force for clearing repressed emotions and toxic energies
Hear how Niki moved through low self-worth as she faced toxic relationships and set boundaries
About Niki Jones
Niki is a Certified Life Coach trained in the Shamanic Arts, an Energy Healer, Artist and Author who uses technology in her craft. She’s also the host of the podcast Uniquely Loved. Her service in the US Army led her to discover her passion for mentoring.
Niki now helps people transform into the best versions of themselves. She uses traditional and spiritual techniques; energy healing; divination and meditation to help clients feel better; learn about their spiritual team; and co-create with Fate to create the life they have always dreamed of!
Connect with Niki
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https://www.linkedin.com/company/techwitchlair
https://www.facebook.com/techwitchlair
https://www.youtube.com/@techwitchniki
https://www.instagram.com/techwitchniki/
Niki’s Free Gift: Go to www.techwitchlair.com for Niki’s newsletter, short meditations, and creativity workbook.
* About the Host *
Tessa Lynne Alburn believes that every woman has the ability to learn to express their true voice, be heard, and fulfill their dreams.
As a Feminine Energy Coach and Soul Connection Mentor for women, Tessa supports you in having the freedom you crave and strong connections with others, as you live powerfully with joy and a sense of adventure.
Tessa’s Free Gift: If you want to be freer, happier and more courageous in life, get your free Soulful Roadmap and Say YES to Your Soul!
http://www.tessafreegift.com/
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May You Say YES to Your Soul.
Transcript
Tessa:
Hello there. I am really delighted to have a special guest for you, and she thinks of herself as a witch. Ooh. And she's a spiritual life coach. She's also a podcast host. She hosts Uniquely Loved, and she is a mentor of the Magical Arts, and I think you're really gonna enjoy meeting her. Her name is Niki Jones, and Niki is a certified life coach. She's trained in the shamanic arts. She's an energy healer, artist and author who uses technology in her craft. Her passion is to help people transform into the best versions of themselves, and we really love that. She uses both traditional and spiritual techniques, energy, healing, divination, meditation to help her clients feel better and learn about their spiritual team and to connect with them. And she also helps 'em learn how to co-create with fate to create the life they've always dreamed of. Niki, welcome.
Niki:
Hi. Thank you so much for having me.
Tessa:
You are so welcome. I'm so happy you could be here. I'm glad that we met through someone else, a lovely woman, Candy Motzek who was recently on the show. And you know, I want you to explain just a little bit about the witch thing, like why you consider yourself a witch. Would you begin there, please?
Niki:
Sure. I actually discovered witchcraft and incorporated it into my daily life to help me find my inner balance, find that harmony within myself and my environment with Mother Earth and with the universe, and just bring magic into my life and everything that I do.
Tessa:
I love that. So, you know, it's not like you don't have this come from around, like, oh, I'm putting spells on people and things like that. This is really about living in harmony with the earth and utilizing all the natural energies and gifts that are available to us, along with your own spiritual magic.
Niki:
Yes. And I will do spell work for people, but it's in their highest good.
Tessa:
I know what you're talking about. I'm not sure my audience does. Can you explain that just a little bit more for them?
Niki:
Okay. Well, oftentimes we need to shift perspective on different things that are going on within our lives, or to sever attachments to like old patterns of thought or old ways of surviving that we just don't need anymore. Because we're growing and as we grow, we need to let go of things. So I incorporate spell work, magical rituals that people can do and energy work to help them release those old patterns. And when I say in the highest, in their highest good, it's whatever is right for their heart and their soul. It's not what I determine. It's what they need most as determined by their soul and their purpose. It's all unique to them.
Tessa:
Beautiful. So it's like helping them be more connected with their soul and living from that place without the patterns, without the stuff, the junk, the what I call the programming from the past.
Niki:
Yes.
Tessa:
So that, yeah. So really they can shine, they can express themselves fully.
Niki:
Oh yeah. And accept themselves fully. 'cause that's where the magic happens. <laugh>.
Tessa:
Mm. Yes. So you have had your own journey. I'd love for you to share with my audience how you got here, and then we'll go from there.
Niki:
Okay. I didn't realize that I was actually gifted as a child. My imagination was wild, and I could hear and see things that other people couldn't, and a lot of people would, you know, tell me I was weird. You know, tell me to stop with the big imagination and to fit in. And, you know, we get told that we have to be a certain way. And so we fit, we make ourselves smaller to fit inside this little box to fit in, not get ridiculed or ostracized or whatever. And I did that and I actually lost all my gifts for a while because they were buried under the programming <laugh>. I joined the military, identified myself with that. And then when I retired, I was trying to figure out, well, who the heck am I now? What do I wanna do with my life now that I've grown up <laugh>?
And in my journey of self-discovery, I rediscovered all the things that I loved as a child and rediscovered my magic and my skills. And I started researching everything I could. I discovered witchcraft and started implementing a lot of different techniques to ground and center myself to release the programming. And then, hooked up with some mentors who led me to a shamanic teacher. And going through her course, it actually validated much of my lessons and my life, everything that I'd been learning and growing on my journey of self-discovery. And then when I expanded and started taking a life coaching, certification course, it was like, oh, this is a lot of stuff I'm already doing to heal myself. This is so awesome. I can do all of this and help others heal too, <laugh>.
Tessa:
Indeed. So that must have been really exciting for you to finally have that validation after so many years of having to hide your gifts.
Niki:
Yes. And, when I finally, I'm married with kids. And when I finally connected with some of my spiritual team, you know, I was terrified of telling my husband and I was just like, oh gosh, you know, he's gonna think I'm nuts. And he was totally on board <laugh>.
Tessa:
Well, that's so cool. Wait a second. So like, you know, you were afraid of this big, like, oh no, this is gonna be a problem. But then he was on board with you. Like, what do you think made that work so easily?
Niki:
He's very open-minded. He was raised Catholic and he still identifies as Catholic, but he's always questioning, you know, well, why do we do it this way? Why is it that way? And he sees everyone that I work with, because I consider myself omnis. I honor all face, all paths, all walks of life, even non-belief, because the universe relates to us in a way that it meets us where we're at and what resonates with us. And everyone is different and diverse, and that's wonderful and celebrated. And he sees all the different deities, guides, spirits, what have you, as aspects of the same creator. And that helped him adjust to what I was doing, and it's helped us grow together. And it's been amazing because as I grow, his spiritual gifts were growing as well and he's hearing our guides too and everything. So it's been a wonderful journey, <laugh>.
Tessa:
Oh, that sounds like fun. Yeah. So he was, even though he had been through a full system and still identified as Catholic, he was really open and curious.
Niki:
Yes.
Tessa:
And he probably had enough love for you and understanding of you that he was willing to support you also.
Niki:
Oh, yeah. And he saw my growth throughout these years of me, you know, discovering everything. And that, I think, solidified a lot of it for him. It's like, oh, there's, you know, okay, magic is real, and what you're doing is real, and holy crap, why am I feeling energy now? <laugh>.
Tessa:
Mm. Yeah. That's wonderful. So, you know, my listeners sometimes feel like they're the only ones that are wrong, or they've like gotten to this place where they're just feeling like, ah, is that all there is? You know, like, I've done the meditations, I've done this, that, and the other. And, you know, where's the magic? And so I know from personal experience that we as humans, very, very often, almost everybody goes through almost like a passage or a pivot, if you will, in their journey. And you have as well, we were talking earlier. And so I'd love for you now to go ahead and share one of those pivot points for you where you know, you came into another level.
Niki:
Okay. We all go through so many different pivots and I call it kind of like that moment before we break through onto the next level. It's like we're getting tested all over again.
Tessa:
mm-hmm. <affirmative>
Niki:
To find out if where our passion is and where we can, well, what lessons we've already learned and what, where we still need to learn and grow a little bit more before we fully go up to the next level. And my most recent one was over the past weekend with this new moon and the dark moon. I got wind from my guides that storms were coming in. Storms, not just physical, but spiritual storms are meant to clear out everything that is old and yucky and ready to go, old patterns of survival, old programming, whatever, repressed emotions and all that.
Tessa:
Oh, wait a second. Okay. You just hit a big one.
Niki:
Uhhuh. <affirmative>,
Tessa:
Right? Like, you know, when we're talking about fear, like I think people are like, yeah, yeah, I have fear, you know? Yeah. There's old yucky stuff. So, but when you're talking about repression...
Niki:
mm-hmm. <affirmative>
Tessa:
I'd love for you to expand on that just a little bit more.
Niki:
Ooh. Well, I've grown to see emotions as energy. They even have their own colors and everything. And when we push down emotions like of grief, regret, anger, trauma, anything, we push it down. It actually goes deep into the subconscious and we don't feel it for a while. I'm actually going through some stuff right now to clear out my throat chakra for speaking my truth and <laugh>. So I'm having, I'm having to clear my throat more often. But when we repress that, we think we've pushed it away and we don't have to deal with it. But it still comes back and bubbles to the surface and impacts everything that we do. Because, you know, the slightest little reminder, even if it's not the exact same thing, it could be a pattern that looks similar. It will trigger that repressed emotion and come up and be like, hey, I need to be released. And we feel it.
Tessa:
Yes.
Niki:
So when we clear that stuff out, we have to feel it to heal it, unfortunately. And it sucks in the moment. It really does. That's where we have to consciously choose to be like, I don't need this anymore. I feel it. I acknowledge that I feel this way, and it's valid. It's okay.
Tessa:
Yes. That's so important.
Niki:
A lot of times a lot of people will be like, I can't feel this anymore. I should be over it. And, you know, I should be through it. Like, why am I still feeling this grief or the fear or whatever when I'm done with that situation. And, you know, there's some lingering stuff that's in our subconscious that comes up and gets released when we're ready. Even if we don't feel that we're ready, our soul knows when we're ready, <laugh>. And we have to consciously choose to let it go. And we can do that in so many different ways. And I had to remind myself this weekend to let all that fear go, to let the reminders of old toxic job and environments and other things, let them go. 'cause they can't affect me anymore. I no longer give them power. So I listen to all the music that pumps me up, that puts me in a good mood or helps me release those emotions. I danced with my husband and my kiddos. We went to the pool and had some family fun. And each of those times I was consciously choosing to take care of myself, be in the moment with my family, and that helped create the shift to actually release all of that.
Tessa:
That's beautiful. And I'm really, I love that description of going to the pool, dancing, being with your family. I think what could be really interesting here and helpful to my listeners is to highlight, maybe, or just share a little bit of like, what were those emotions that needed to be felt and released?
Niki:
Okay. For me this weekend, a lot of it was based off of what I'm doing. I was starting to question my own self-worth, the importance of my message. I was starting to be made to feel small, like I had to fit in a tiny little cage. I even had that visual during a meditation, and it's like, oh, Uhuh, no, I am not going back there. Once I got that image and I could finally make sense of what I was feeling, I was like, Uhuh, nope. I am rallying all of my energy and I am pushing against this. No, I am not going back there. I am the phoenix. I am not this tiny little sparrow caged in a cage.
Tessa:
Exactly. So the self-worth piece came up again for another layer of healing to be seen, to be released. And you really made a, I could tell like with your energy, you were making a real commitment inside yourself to be different, right? To like, in your words, not to go back there. Can you share a little bit about like, how you realize, like, clearly at some point in your life, you were told, you know, you're not worthy. That stuff like so many people go through. But at some point you also must have gotten that glimmer that there is more that you don't have to live in that space. Is that anything you can access right now to share?
Niki:
Oh my goodness, yes. I've had a whole lifetime of, you know, dealing with toxic individuals, bullies, people who just didn't believe in, not even just a spiritual, but, you know, just misogynistic and a whole bunch of other beliefs that are extremely toxic and not helpful in any way. Cause a lot of people will say, you know, if you're meek or if you're quiet, obviously you're to be overlooked or you're obviously not intelligent. If you stay quiet, you don't speak up for yourself. And it's like, no, I'm just extremely uncomfortable and I don't want to, I would always shy away from conflict to my detriment. And that goes back to different toxic relationships that I've had in my early adulthood, unfortunately, that I had to heal from. And a lot of that is still clearing out because I'd be told to sit down and be quiet or don't speak unless you're spoken to. And that has nothing to do with my parents. It is all dealing with exes and whatnot. <laugh>.
Tessa:
Yeah. I mean, it sounds like these were men partners that were not supportive. They needed control. They, they needed you to be a certain way for them to feel good about themselves.
Niki:
Oh, yeah. And until I got my divorce from the first ex and everything, I didn't even realize that I could be treated any differently. I was extremely young and naive when I got with him and everything, and I didn't see the red flags and all that. So that growing process was long. It was six, seven years before I even got with my now husband, who's my forever husband, <laugh> . And finding even friendships and support systems has been extremely invaluable because it's like, oh, it supports the fact that, wait, I am supported. And once I got on this path and actually started connecting with my guides and being able to get information back from them, whether it be via meditation or tarot or Oracle cards, or now I can actually hear them sometimes, I realized even in the depths of all of that, I was never alone.
Tessa:
Oh, that's beautiful. I'm really glad that you have realized that and that you, your support systems are not just the people in your life.
Niki:
mm-hmm. <affirmative>,
Tessa:
But they're the energetic beings, right. The ones that are compassionate and supporting you invisibly.
Niki:
Yes. And they're always, always reaching out. Oftentimes it's our gunk, our yuck that blocks us from really understanding that it's them saying, hey, keep going. You got this. We're rooting for you. Come on. We're helping you. Nudge, nudge, you know, <laugh> and being in the moment and connecting with what makes us feel at peace, what makes us feel happy, or even getting creative or dancing or getting out in nature. It helps us reaffirm our connection to our spiritual teams and to our own soul, our own heart. And then we can recognize the signs and synchronicities that are always coming into us.
Tessa:
Hmm. I love that. So this sounds like a very organic process that you're involved in now at this point in your life. Can you describe maybe with some other ways that you do your soul work, like what it looks like for you?
Niki:
Ooh, it has morphed over the years, but I used tarot and oracle cards ruins. I'll use a pendulum for simple yes or no questions. That took a lot for me to learn how to simplify a question actually.
Tessa:
Oh my gosh, I love that. Yes. I'm a person who has tended to overcomplicate things over the years, and I didn't realize it until recently, but the, in the pendulum, I love that you're using that. It's just so simple, right? When it's yes or no.
Niki:
It is, and it actually stops the chronic overthinking because it's like, wait it can only be two answers.
Tessa:
<laugh>, <laugh>,
Niki:
And I meditate. I will go walk in nature. I will literally go hug a tree in my backyard. I don't care if the neighbors stare, <laugh> checking in with nature can actually help us remind ourselves that we are loved and supported. Because trees, the animals, they just are. They are who they are, and we are who we are, and we are loved and supported as we are no matter what.
Tessa:
Aw. Yes. Right. Like our pets even, you know, they're not thinking you shouldn't wear that outfit like you're bad or you're not <laugh>. You should be ashamed to have that nail polish on. No. Like, they're just like, oh, let me love you.
Niki:
Yes.
Tessa:
Let's just be in this lovey mushy place together for a while longer.
Niki:
Yes. And the more we connect to that part of ourselves, the more peace we find, and the more we recognize our own inner divinity.
Tessa:
Hmm. Yes. So this is sort of like what I sort of think of this as coming into alignment with our soul?
Niki:
Yes. I love that. <laugh>
Tessa:
<laugh>. And so, like, when we're in alignment, I think it's what you're saying, like we are in that place of acceptance and we're listening. Like, there's definitely a level of listening, right?
Niki:
Yes.
Tessa:
Is there anything else that you feel like is super important to that alignment with your soul?
Niki:
Understand that we shift constantly because we feel all the feels that's part of our experience. And shifting in and out of alignment is completely normal and natural. And the more we consciously choose to shift back into that alignment the easier it gets. 'cause you know, it's, it's just like working out muscles. We're working out our spiritual muscles and our emotional muscles by finding our center again and getting in alignment. So the more we do it, the easier it actually becomes when we are triggered or when we are like hit with, you know, something extremely unexpected. And even though shifts out of what we would like to be is perfectly normal and acceptable, and the more we realize that it is acceptable and we can get through it, the easier that shift back into alignment is.
Tessa:
Yes. And I just had this hit that some of my listeners are thinking it's acceptable. Well, other people wouldn't accept that or somebody's gonna criticize me or something like that. But what are you talking about when you say it's acceptable?
Niki:
Well, we are made to feel emotions, and there's always gonna be the trolls or the haters or the unexpected events that trigger those old patterns or that test our boundaries. And it's okay to get angry. It's okay to be sad as long as we push through it and we get composure for what's right for us.
Tessa:
Yes. So ultimately we're always coming, but whatever it is we're experiencing, and my people know that I'm big about this. I'm big about the fields because we can't just set 'em aside and pretend they're not there. They come back to bite us, yeah. In various parts of our body. And this piece around, you're calling it pushing through. And I, I think what you're really saying is to remember that it's a transition.
Niki:
Mm-hmm. <affirmative>,
Tessa:
Right? You're moving through something, right?
Niki:
Yes. And sometimes it does feel like you're pushing through like fog or brambles or some kind of obstacle, when in reality it's our old gunk that we're clearing away and pushing through or moving through to get to that other side where we're seeing the light again.
Tessa:
I love that old gunk, no old gunk. Like, let's clean that stuff up, <laugh>. So it can be nice and light and shiny and we can have the joy just shines through. But this is really important what you just said, what you were just speaking to was we're always shifting out. And that is normal. It's normal and natural.
Niki:
Yes.
Tessa:
Yeah. So it's like, it's like steering a sailboat almost, right? Like, we have a direction that we're heading, but we never go in a straight line in a sailboat. We go to the left, we tack to the right, we tack back to the left, and then we keep finding that sweet spot that takes us in that direction, that alignment with our soul.
Niki:
Yes.
Tessa:
Well, I am really enjoying this conversation, and I think before we go, I wanna ask you, do you have a specific tip or guidance that you'd like to share with our listeners?
Niki:
Make an adventure out of it. Get curious and just look for everything that kind of tugs at your hearts. Like, Ooh, that looks interesting. Let me go read into that. Try anything and everything. 'cause you never know what you're gonna find that really resonates with you.
Tessa:
Ooh, that sounds like fun. Adventure. Woo-hoo. Make an adventure out of it. Ladies <laugh> and try anything. What's, okay, wait a second. I have to ask you, what was one of the craziest things you ever tried?
Niki:
Ooh. Hmm. Not gonna lie. There's quite a few, um, <laugh>.
Tessa:
Yeah. I imagine there is.
Niki:
This one isn't exactly crazy, but it was extremely effective. And I didn't know it would be. My husband and I bought a fire pit, and we'll do little bonfires in it in our backyard and I'll put in offerings for my guides and for the universe into it and everything. But I will empty. I will just let go into the fire, all the emotion, all the yank, anything that's ready to just go away, old programming, whatever. And I'll flow it into the fire. And I just say it with intentions. Like, I release everything that is no longer serving my highest good into the fire now. And then I would, after I feel empty, I draw in passion and love and resilience and strength and the supporting energies that the fire holds. And it helps us ignite our inner spark and that sense of fun and adventure and everything <laugh>.
Tessa:
Yes. Now what you described is very shamonic, you know, in ceremony. And also, I love, I wanna just point this out. One of the things that Niki just shared with you all is that you can release something, but you've gotta fill yourself back up with something else that you want.
Niki:
Oh, yes. Most definitely. <laugh>,
Tessa:
Because Yes. 'cause that whole thing, you know, nature of horrors a vacuum.
Niki:
Yes. And there's so many different ways that we could fill ourselves back up. And that's why, you know, going swimming or having fun and music and movement all play into that because they fill you back up with all the awesomeness that reminds you who you are.
Tessa:
Oh, that just gave me chills. Yes. Beautiful. So, Niki, I love how you're saying yes to your soul, and I wanna make sure that we have a way for people to get in touch with you.
Niki:
Awesome. My, I'm on all the socials, or at least most of them, but my website is techwitchlayer.com. And you asked me earlier, I'm gonna explain it, tech, t e c h, because I use technology in my craft to reach out and connect to people. And universal energies flow through technology beautifully. I am a witch. I am unapologetically a witch. I do not hide who I am or how I am. And layer, every time I hear that word, I think of a dragon's layer or a really heavily fortified fortress. And I chose that word because I create a safe space for people to explore who they authentically are and be able to release all their gunk and old programming, and then give them the tools and the weapons that they need to set up their boundaries and go forth and find what's right for them.
Tessa:
Hmm. Fantastic. So they can go to techwitchlayer.com and what are they gonna get there?
Niki:
Ooh, I'll get a whole bunch services. I have articles and videos for how-tos. Also if you sign up for my newsletter, you get five free guided meditations. They're short. They teach you how to ground and release in different ways. And also a creativity empowers the soul workbook because the more often we get creative, we tap into our intuition and connect with our guides.
Tessa:
Wonderful. I think a lot of people are gonna really love those three gifts. So thank you for that. And of course, we're gonna have all of Niki's links on the episode website, so you can, in the show notes, you can find her in case you're out strolling in Mother Nature right now. And you don't have a way to capture all that we'll have it for you. Niki, I am so happy that you could be here today. And I'm, I just love how you've really continued to commit to your worthiness, to your soul connection and to the witchy magic of all that you are.
Niki:
Thank you so much for having me. It has been an absolute pleasure.
Tessa:
Hmm. Light and blessings, everyone. Bye-bye for now.