Today is Samhain. As I write this letter at 6:30 AM, it’s pitch black outside, and I’m feeling a disorienting blend of peace and stress.

I just got back from an autumnal trip to Maine. I grew up in New England, just north of Boston, and lived in and around New Hampshire and Maine from age 24 to 34 before moving to California. When I first moved, I can’t tell you how homesick I was.

Lately, it’s been harder for me to get up and do yoga and stretch in the mornings. This always happens in autumn, when the sun rises later, and I’d rather spend my usual yoga time snuggled under warm blankets, reading a book.

Have you ever been part of a circle where each soul brings their own unique journey, yet there’s this beautiful flow of support and encouragement between everyone? That’s the kind of magic I’ve found in the Soul-Nourishment Coven.

You are unconventional. To me, that means you’re someone who desires a life that looks different from the societal norms you grew up with or live within now. I’m unconventional, too. Although, my life might not seem like it to some.

For me, this journey with oracle cards was unconventional, especially compared to the culture I grew up in. But I think many of us can relate. We all come from some kind of convention, whether it’s religious, societal, or familial. What I’ve come to understand is living an unconventional life often means turning away from outside voices and trusting your own intuition, so you can create a life that, even when it’s challenging, is still nourishing for your soul.

It’s the autumn equinox today. Here in the woods east of Seattle, the leaves are just beginning to turn, and the days are growing cooler. What I’ve been noticing most, though, is the shift in the light. As the sun traces a lower arc across the sky, new parts of my yard catch the sun's glow.

I’m working on a few projects: doing homework for an astrologer training program I’m taking, writing for my new Sleuth Hero Alien newsletter, and planning the future of my life coaching business.

I started a new blog this week! It’s called Sleuth Hero Alien: A bookish blog about cozy mysteries, cozy fantasies, and quiet sci-fi. Over the past couple of years, it’s become clear that all I want to talk about is my reading life. I love reading, and I especially love taking part in bookish communities. I’m all about the online book clubs!

I don’t know about you, but I have a way of making writing either really fun for myself or a total drudgery.

It’s early Sunday morning. I’m sitting on the couch in my office, with the window cracked open. Outside, I hear the patter of rain, the whistles of juncos and robins, and a rooster in the distance.

My husband woke me up last night around 11pm. “The lights are amazing!” I put on my fuzzy bathrobe, and we stepped outside onto our deck. It was a quiet, dark night in the woods.

I got slimed this week. I can’t talk about what was happening, but it was a toxic situation in my personal life. During this situation, my energy felt so blah. I felt like I was covered in a thin coating of grease. I felt disempowered, less-than, anxious, and exhausted.

I love my writing practice. Every Saturday morning, I wake up, make a rich cup of hot cacao, and sit down to write to you. I don’t plan what I’m going to write about. Instead, I pull oracle cards to get inspired, and I write in stream-of-consciousness until something hooks me.

I’m tired this morning. It’s been a big month for me. I started the spring session of Cacao + Writing Coven, which is an amazing group of folks this season, and my whole life has changed at home

I fell in love with reading the summer after first grade. My teacher called my father and me in for a meeting, and she told my dad I was behind in my reading skills. Then she gave me a book of stories I needed to read over the summer…

I don’t know about you, but this eclipse season has me asking a lot of “Who am I?” and “What am I doing here?” questions. This past lunar eclipse was in Libra (my Rising Sign), and the upcoming solar eclipse is in Aries (my Moon Sign).

It’s March, and I’ve already read a few great books this year. I’m sharing three of them with you today. These are all 5 star reads for me, and I highly recommend them!

Almost twenty years ago, I ended up in a career that was killing my soul. This was unfortunate, because from the outside looking in, it was the “right” career. I was making a good salary. I was doing a respectable thing that other people understood when I talked about it at a party, and I had promotions coming my way.

I have a new practice I want to commit to for my personal development in 2024, and that is taking regular Days of Leisure. Here’s how it works. I’m going to pick one weekend day each week to not manage anything, be in charge of anything, or plan anything.