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, dears - I wanted to hop on here and remind you that we're at *last call* for both our Winter Solstice online round house tomorrow and the in-person ceremony in Winchester, VA on Sunday. Registration for both closes tomorrow morning. But along the way, I noticed how much work I'm having to do to stay centered in myself and the type of seasonal life I want to live. And I thought this was a great opportunity to pull back the curtain a bit and share a bit of my process with you. photo by...
Hello dear ones - This picture is from last November (2024) just outside of Oban, Scotland. A view from the daily walk the dogs I was caring for and I went on. A few days a ago, I sent an email beginning to make a case for restoring more beauty and meaning in our holiday celebrations. But I’m aware that “beauty” is a word that comes with a lot of baggage for many of us. I wrote a Substack post addressing this (you can read the whole thing here), but I'll recap it a bit here: I was in a...
Hello, dear ones - Who else’s inbox has them feeling like a spinning piñata, sales and ads left right and center, all hoping if they hit you enough, money will start falling out of you? Well… I’ll be honest, this is also sort of a sales email. But it’s not selling you stuff so much as offering some opportunities to engage with the season in what might feel like a more meaningful and nourishing way. I’ll explain: See, I actually kind of grew to hate the holidays. I’ve yet to encounter one...