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.
the absence we fear and the rhythm we struggle to find
Dear ones -I’ve been back in the States a little over a month now and I’m reminded: integration often takes longer than we think it will - the space between what’s here, now, and what we now know to be possible is a place of healthy tension, heartbreak, creativity, imagination… hopefully leading to more wholeness and vibrant human-spirit expression. In the turning of the seasons and daily cycles, the moon is swelling again to fullness. Which means… it’s podcast time again! As my post-pilgrimage integration journey continues, I share with you some John O’Donohue-inspired musings around Absence as creative force and soul-home. You’ll hear a breath meditation and synopsis of the Slavic story of Vasilisa (plus an image from the story which feels potent to me right now); as well as some of my wonderings on:
I continue exploring the perfection of our messy designs and share with you an invitation to be kinder to ourselves when going through a rough patch. And I’d love to keep hearing from you: What do you think? Where do you find rhythm between your own Presence, Absence, and vacancy? Does any of this land for you? Or do you see it all as something else? I'll close with a blessing to take with us through the day: May we know each moment to be the threshold it is because we honor both our body-self and our invisible-self. And may both those selves have places to retreat into rest. May we treat ourselves to absence when the time is now. May we befriend our hunger and longing so it becomes the instigating spark of our creativity and imagination. May our many pieces come home to wholeness. And may we be able to sort the dreams from the dirt to find the treasures of possibility in all our peak experiences. with Love, Kate P.S. The Sanctuary gathering next week on Tues (free this month as we try it out together) is meant to be replenishing sanctuary for our body-self and invisible-self. And will use stories like Vasilisa’s (and other ancestral archetypes) to bring us into the space between Presence and Absence where already and not yet, belonging and longing, find a certain rhythm and harmony. You can grab your spot to join us here. |
2923 Pine Spring Rd, Falls Church, VA 22042 |
Hi! I'm Kate - an intuitive, medicine woman, and guide for embodied Presence
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...