Winds of change
This newsletter is a bit different from my usual routine. I won't be discussing my stories or my upcoming new release, which is scheduled for this December (unless something unexpected happens). I’m transforming this message into a newsletter-blog amalgam to share here and on the website, because perhaps you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by life on planet Earth.
October came on so quickly, but change can be a good thing. Here’s hoping the chilly weather in the Northern Hemisphere will bring some calming winds to our planet. Humanity needs a refresh to cool passions and remind us to take deep breaths before taking action, especially as a response to a perceived offense and to override “feelings.” Adulting 101 includes character building, such as recognizing that when you have a problem with any person, situation, or emotion, you have a problem. Not some “them,” not even the circumstances you find yourself in, no matter how challenging or mundane.
You
We can get the money
Owning this truth brings freedom because it taps into the wellspring of control you hold within. Learn to harness that peaceful power, and you will create your best life–one that is intentional and free from regrets. If you’re already doing the work, I applaud you. Keep going! If you’re stuck in the weeds, start asking the right questions. “What is Character?” is a fine place to begin. I believe that all of us can do better, because I’ve been working on myself for a long time and am seeing positive results. Is this task daunting, even for the most mature? Oh, yes. But the dividends. You cannot imagine the payoff.
Let’s lighten things up in another nod to October and everything Halloween. My husband is under the impression I’m a witch based only on my small collection of crystals (that he bought) and my commitment to keeping them charged (the light of a full moon is the go-to, but sea salt works in a pinch - ha!). Okay, sure, I’ve taken to burning sage to cleanse myself, and my space (husband included), but the things that have come up in my life, of late, and really since birth, are pretty heavy, to put it mildly. Why not take whatever help is out there to release what doesn’t serve? (God is busy, busy, busy these days. I don’t like to be a bother when I can light a match and smoke off some negativity.)
Buzz
The hubster is also under the impression that gardening is less of a chore for me as I add edible herbs (lavender, chamomile and the like. I’m not into the “herbs” and escapism culture.) and easy to grow and beautiful flowers like zinnias that lure me, the hummingbirds, and the bees inside the confines with the weeds and pests and the ugh. Ego keeps me believing the pretty pollinators enjoy my shenanigans.
I’m not sure the laborious side of gardening will be adopted into this pleasurable fold, but anything that keeps me outdoors is appreciated. And I may have made a lavender wand, discovering that I prefer decorating with dried flowers or ornate leaves crafted from the jaws of insects left fallen at my feet, rather than purchasing anything in a store. I’m not in a hold-on-to-things stage of life. I’ve let go of much that is superfluous in the past fifteen years (yes, progress when we choose to change can be slow, but it comes when we stick to the progress, not perfection paradigm). The fleeting nature of transient gifts is what speaks to my heart.
What makes my husband's interpretation interesting is that he’s not alone. Entirely independently, without any contact between my birthday and the receipt of her gift, a dear friend gave me a present that included a sage stick wrapped in herbs and adorned with a crystal, as well as a piece of wood that I have not yet identified, also wrapped in organic matter and a crystal. Two independent sources. Similar conclusion.
I'll get you my pretty
So am I a witch? Has all this inner work, adulting, and connecting to nature as a way of staying on my path, so I can complete my journey cleansed and free, ready for the next step, whatever that mystery is, morphed me into something ancient, organic, and authentic?
I don’t have answers to every question. All I know is the more I strip away labels, the more Kathleen I find. It appears that others may be witnessing this as well.
All of this to say:
I'll leave you with two ponderables
One day or day one. You decide.
🕊️
If you're looking for more from the world, it begins with asking more of yourself.