Dear Reader,
The structure of this writing is different than most. I embarked upon it as a thank you to paid subscribers then decided to include you all for the majority of it. I create these Love Letters from my heart and share them freely in hopes that they might be an offering to you and to the earth. Maybe a sentence or phrase that you read here can be nourishing or supportive: perhaps, a little word-spark catches within you and spurs your own creative fire or possibly, a notion lands in the form of a droplet, causing a ripple that is replenishing to your interior well. I am a huge advocate of reciprocity in all that I am, in all that I do. This beautiful word, reciprocity, is an ethos, a form of engagement, and a foundational practice that will carry us through. Reciprocity holds in its wide arms (among other things), interconnection, exchange, and the act of mutual aid. I open my own wings and embrace reciprocity right back.
Art it is not frivolous or an addendum; it is necessary today, increasingly—and always. I want to write and create in all of the ways that I do and I seek outlets for expression that can be healing to those who receive it. This is a good part of my life’s work, and it is that too—work. While I love to create, it takes discipline and dedication, time, and effort.
I am truly grateful for the all of the recipients of my work and I must give special thanks for the paid subscribers here on this platform. While money is merely one form of exchange, I feel honored by those people who support my work through paid subscriptions—this financial support, be it small or large, allows me to give more of myself over to the act of creation.
The more deeply—and vulnerably—I live, the more skin I shed, the more my heart opens. Recently, my awareness has unfurled around how much I truly need other people—how important interchange and collaboration is to me, as well as the dearth of it in my life. For the past five+ years beginning ~ January 2020 when, simultaneously, I left my marriage and the pandemic hit (as well as in prior periods in my life), I have been living in a kind of semi-hermitude, immersed in study, diving into the depths, healing from a challenging physical condition—and, to be real, experiencing far more isolation than has been good for me. Some of the isolation was forced (due to the pandemic) and some of it was a form of necessary incubation following a marriage that I couldn’t digest and a lifestyle that I could no longer stomach. Plus the state of the world. And becoming aware of—and actively releasing—societal / cultural / familial conditioning that I carry within me: a heavy load that continues to lighten day by day, still. While I deeply resource in solitude and require space to recalibrate, all things in balance. One of the most powerful and painfully-liberating lessons that I have learned again and again throughout my existence is how inexorable and essential contraction is to expansion.
More work in progress. I know that some of you can relate and are doing this right alongside me. This resonance and this remembering. I am so grateful for you in my life, those near and those far. I am honored to be a part of your journey and to include you in mine. Maybe, like me, you are calling in the antidote of renewal through connection and co-creation, of swimming together against the current, of collectively wriggling out of our old, worn skins and surfacing, bare, vulnerable, and shiny. I see you there sparkling.
A week or so ago, belly upon the earth and face level with the blooming clover, I witnessed a cicada emerging from its shell. In real time, inches from my nose, I watched this beautiful creature molt, splitting open its exoskeleton and hatching into the stark light of day: delicate, damp, pure. To me, this common feat is nothing short of a miracle, a teaching that I feel blessed to have so intimately observed. I had a similar experience with a pale green moth hatching from a chrysalis attached to my window box: the insects of the world seem to be sharing with me their wisdom around diligence, patience, right-timing, and emergence. I am aware that it is high spring here in the northern hemisphere and this is the course of life—but what gifts! Both of these experiences, as well a wildly magical encounter that I had with a scorpion (in this case, arachnid, not insect) deserve their own writing. I plan to weave at least one of these narratives into an upcoming Love Letter; I’m moved to share this wonder with you in the hope that it might be contagious. May any and all of this be inspiration for your own exuviation, your own unfolding, your own evolution.
I am seeking to contribute to life in ways that feel authentic and aligned and that also allow me to be more abundant so that I can reach out into existence even more: this is another form of reciprocity. It is also a dance with no steps. Sometimes awkwardly and at other times full of grace, I am improvising as I go. With a wing and a prayer, I carry myself forward and backward, inward and outward. I hope to meet you in the dance and create something never before been done—together.
I have designed a gift for the paid subscribers here to say THANK YOU!! It is my intention to create unique and inspired offerings—with you in mind—that hold the intention of support, of mutuality. This one is fun and I get to snail-mail you a little sweet something! It is also an opportunity to weave together my love of divination by oracle and my ardor for words in a way that honors you.
A few years back I purchased the wild cards which stem from the books, The Lost Words and The Lost Spells written (splendidly) by Robert Macfarlane and (gorgeously) illustrated by Jackie Morris. The books are whimsical and beautifully spare; I find delight in reading them aloud (to myself and to others) while displaying the painted images that reflect and enhance the words. Even more special is the context behind this creative collaboration between Macfarlane and Morris. I have linked the books above if you feel called to explore the foundation of their imaginative undertaking or to simply have a peek at the lovely results.
I knew that I was going to use these postcards for a special future ritual / project and am so glad that YOU get to be apart of it!
There are 100 cards in total, each a celebration of a living Being (or in some cases, Beings) in the natural world. Artwork covers the front, while the backs are blank. Though the creators are from the UK and thus the images reflect that part of the world, almost all are familiar to me (and will likely be to you, too); plus, you are from all over the place, so if unknown to you, way to get to get to know some new friends!
Here’s the deal AND the invitation: do you have an intention or a hope in mind that I can contribute to with some positive energy? An aspiration? A dream? A longing? This can be for yourself or the planet or anything in particular that is calling for some extra love and attention. No need to think too hard or feel any pressure around this: even a wish or a sentiment will do. Just like when I work with tarot or oracle cards for the purposes of divination, I will shuffle the cards with you and your intention in mind. Then, I will draw a card and based on the image as well as your intention, I will write my own blessing on the back especially for you.
The cards are small so this will be a test of my ability to be very selective with my word choice and concise in my overall creation. (I will also write small! :) These cards and the word-blessings thereon will be concentrated and imbued with our joint intention and, yes—our reciprocity! You might place yours somewhere special in view, or read it aloud to yourself as an act of connection or whenever you need a reminder. I hope that you enjoy this creative engagement. Thank you for your generosity and your support.
Finally, I am linking The Lost Words Blessing for you to take in through another healing medium that I am quite fond of: sound. Inspired collaboration overfloweth! Originality, imagination, intention, connection, expression: YES to all of this.
Please reply to this email with your intention or prayer AND your mailing address. These blessings will land in your mailbox within a few weeks.
(((( LOVE )))),
Rebecca
