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.
Friends, This has been quite the Autumn so far. I'm out of the rhythm of writing but hoping to carve out enough space for it to come back again. Reflections on Initiations In the old stories and practices of initiations, it’s usually a plant, animal, or representative of the land itself that initiates you, that calls you to the Journey and prompts your Descent. But once on the Journey, it’s not enough to find the treasure. We have to find it, then leave it - the castle in the clouds, the...
Hello, friends - How was your autumn equinox/ final eclipse of the year? How is your body marking the shift in the seasons, the pause in the balance point on our way into the darkness? I spent Saturday with a few lovely humans in our virtual round house for our Autumn Equinox Sun, Moon, Fire, Soil gathering. We reflected on the season, through our own experiences, discussion of ancestral practices, a energy attunement, and an old English folk tale about an elderly couple, worried how they...
Hello, my dears - It's funny how we can tell ourselves astrology and things like it aren't real... and yet.... the more I sink into the rhythm of "life as pilgrimage," a rhythm of aliveness that listens to my heart, my gut, and spirit - and then moves accordingly; the more I find threshold moments in my life just seem to magically coincide with astrological threshold moments. And so here we are - in the red light of a total lunar eclipse; stirring up feelings, and inviting karmic closures and...