Hello, dear ones -

It’s been a full few weeks - from getting to spend some time in the lovely Shenandoah Valley again, reconnecting with many friends and making some new ones; to finally selling my RV and feeling the grief and excitement of one chapter closing and another (not-yet-clear) opening; to spending a beautiful day with 10 heart-devoted souls at our Divine Love retreat… to then flying out to Santa Fe to dog sit for a friend of mine for several weeks... And in the middle of all that, still seeing clients and tending the fire of the podcast.

I share all that not from a place of glorifying busyness or hustle culture but to say that for me, it was a lot - beautiful, meaningful, necessary, intentional... and a lot.

When I arrived here in the hills outside of Santa Fe (I would say desert, but I looked it up and this area is technically classified as a semi-arid steppe), I was feeling dry. From altitude and climate, yes, but also internally. The land and pup here greeted me with plenty of Trickster energy and I found myself wanting to respond snappily, struggling to feel playful or adventurous - a sure sign for me of being in a drier, empty-capacity space.

The other night some showers moved through, leaving a dusting of snow on the tops of the higher mountains nearby. And the next day, I was greeted with cactus flowers - the plants reminding me that sometimes the gifts come in the dryness after the storm.

Some seasons of our lives are fuller and ask us to dig a little deeper into our reserves to meet them. Those may feel like the storm. It’s OK to be in the storm, if that’s true to where we are (watch out for self-created storms! those tend to be even more draining). It’s also OK to feel tired and empty afterwards. To need to rest. To trust in whatever the storm was bringing. To let something bloom in the pause after, replenishing your resources, readying you for whatever is next.

Two blossoms I share from the dryness:

1. Perhaps you remember Amana from my podcast late last month? I got to be on her podcast, too. If you listen, you’ll hear her ask me about animism, embodiment, and initiations. And I surprised myself by sharing more about my vision diagnosis than I had felt ready to before.

I almost pulled this podcast (I asked her if she’d be willing to re-record it) because weaving all the threads of our experiences and the wisdom we each steward into coherent and accessible answers is a skill. To be simple in ways that are not reductive is a skill… and one I still have a lot of growing into to do. So there will be moments when you might notice me get lost in the threads. Oh, well. I’m human. There are also still a lot of moments I trust will illuminate or awakens something within you.

After listening to the episode, I decided to let it be exactly as it is after all. Perfection is a myth. Nothing needs to be written in stone. We are all allowed to be emergent processes.

You can watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify or Apple.

2. Today is our June podcast community gathering. At 5:30pm ET.

A space to gather around the fire ourselves, ground in, and then be together for conversation and medicine circle-style support. Free to all for now, eventually only for Patrons, grab the link to join by registering here. I know it’s last minute, but sometimes that’s the best minute; when the exact thing you find yourself needing today appears.

I’d love to see you there.

Much love,

Kate

2923 Pine Spring Rd, Falls Church, VA 22042
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