Beloveds -I’m struggling a little with words right now - too few in some places, too many in others. The things I should share bubbling and sticking. The things more tender and vulnerable just wanting to pour out of me almost too fast to capture, steward appropriately, share. Amid the ancient stones of the Burren in Ireland, a unique and incredible landscape almost moon-like in its barrenness until you look down at the cracks between the stones and see whole, rich ecosystems of plant life; by the light of a woodstove; I rolled around on the floor and moved stuck energy until stories and myths began pouring back through me again. Since returning to the States, I’ve been sick, I’ve felt stuck, I spiraled into a dark place very similar to where I began this ‘healing’ or Soul homecoming journey. In the last few weeks, I’ve sat with some of the worst stories my mind has ever told me about myself, my lovability, my value. I’ve let myself come undone until all that was left was what I thought was unforgivable in myself and I’m finding a way to love that, too. I’ve tended my heartbreak until a new story about it, a perspective shift, appeared. And as I’m coming out the other side, the writing and stories have started moving again. And then, I recorded a podcast episode. It’s both juicy and clumsy. Vulnerable and messy. But perhaps it will speak to you on your own homecoming journey. On your own journey to live with heartbreak and other big feelings. Remember - we owe nothing to the shadow (ours or others’) beyond a compassionate gaze. We don’t have to live there. We do have to let it speak when it needs to. Tune in for some light musings on dark places. with Love from the fire, Kate P.S. Insight 2024, your chance to have me channel messages through the archetypes of tarot to support your growth for the year, is only open until this coming Friday, Jan 19th. People who’ve gotten them are loving how on-point, exciting, hopeful, and insightful they are. I even had a session with someone yesterday to dive deeper into the archetypes and really explore where they’re meeting his life right now. We both left feeling lit up by the mystery of life and possibilities present in each of us when we follow the whispers of our hearts and souls. As dark and challenging as life can be, there is truly so much beauty, too. John O’Donohue points out that if we look at our fronts, we can’t see our backs and the opposite is true, too. We can never see our full selves. We aren’t meant to. So if you could use the compassionate gaze of a friendly soul and your benevolent guides to help affirm, challenge, and support your growth; to see what you might not be fully seeing yet; you have until Friday to get your cards for the year or sign up for a monthly membership for the whole year. <3 |
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Are you a compassion warrior, culture worker, and rebel who cares deeply about humanity; who's tired of doing all the “right things” and still getting what you’re trying to avoid; and who feels trapped between burning it all down or dying but would rather be wildly, and sacredly alive? I'm an animist and ancestral wisdom guide; ceremonialist, and empath. And I love guiding other humans who want to use their burnout and purpose anxiety as a jumping-off point to journey into their shadows and the shadows of modern society in order to de-armor their hearts; remember a deeper, wilder sense of belonging to the world; and reclaim the rich and sacred spark of their aliveness. This newsletter contains wisdom nuggets, podcast episodes, and invitations to paid and free offerings from my business. All in support of remembering a more animist and land-based culture; holding firm to our humanity in a dehumanizing world; and living with compassion, vulnerability, and reverence.
Hello, dear ones - Today was moving day - I left where I’ve been for the last three and a half weeks in North Cork and headed to Dublin for a few nights in preparation for departing Ireland and heading back to the UK (Wales) early next week. I remember when I was going through my vinyasa yoga teacher training, my teachers, Christen and Preston Scott, would remind us that one of the things we practice in vinyasa yoga is transitioning. Unlike many other forms of yoga, vinyasa encourages flowing...
Dear ones - We have a little influx of new folks to the list here: welcome! When I was younger and I'd travel, I would send long notes out with impressions and experiences from the road. Recently, I've been experimenting with bringing that version of me back and interweaving stories of my nomad trails and pilgrimages with my practices in animism, spirituality, folk tales and traditions, and ancestral wisdom. All to wonder how do we shift from burnout to thriving in these modern times? Today...
Happy Northern Hemisphere, Gregorian Calendar Beltane, everyone! (whew -that’s a mouthful) In Irish Gaelic (and Scottish Gaelic though with a slightly different spelling), the etymology of Beltane breaks down something like this: “Beal” meaning either “bright” or possibly a reference to “Bel”, a Sun God and “tine” meaning “fire”. And in both Irish and Scottish Gaelic, the entire month of May is known as Béaltaine (that’s the Irish spelling). So we’re honoring the start of a longer season and...