Summertime Sadness...and Leonine Joy
Along with some gifts for you.
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August has always been one of my favorite times of the year…mostly because it’s peak harvest season. I crave the self-induced stress of having too much zucchini to eat and an abundance of tomatoes to use up.
Until I moved to Central Oregon, lol.
August here is smoke season. Every summer, when the snow finally melts from the trails in late June, we rush to the mountains, hoping to fit in as many hikes and lake days as we can before the smoke rolls in for the season. This year, it came mid-July, and for the most part, it has stuck around.
When I say smoke, I’m not talking about a hazy morning, or even a few days at 80 AQI. I’m talking about weeks in the red (80 seems like fresh air these days).
I grew up in the Northwest, and after nearly two decades away, my partner and I returned to this beautiful part of the country. It’s not the same.
Growing up, I don’t remember having a single smoky summer. I was a lifeguard all throughout high school and college, so I can vividly remember how rare 90 degree days were.
I probably sound old now…back in my day, we wore sweaters at night! Lol. But really, Earth changes are upon us, and they’re here to stay.
This isn’t new. But it is on my heart at this time of year. Oregon is losing forest land to wildfire faster than it can grow back, and we’re still home to the nation's largest logging industry. Right now, smoke will mostly likely decrease when there aren’t enough trees left to burn.
I realize that this monthly missive is a bit more depressing than my usual ones…and that’s the point. It’s okay to be depressed right now.
Depression is a darkness. And darkness is an initiation.
We are being initiated into something new, personally and collectively.
Our personal invitations challenge us to keep moving in the dark. To strengthen our resolve with spirit. To reconnect with the magic of life as fuel for healing the mundane.
Our collective initiation still holds many potentialities…
During covid, I received a pretty powerful download about the future of our species and this planet. Everyone was super reactive about everything during those early covid days, so I kept my visions close, sharing only with a select group.
In recent weeks, however, I’ve learned that many people received the same vision. And see the same choices upon our species.
This is a bigger topic and one I want to write about with great care later…but in general, we will be asked to cultivate resilience and compassion as we ride the waves to come.
I share this not to incite fear, but to inspire. Because in all of my journeys to spirit I receive the same message:
Be the light in the dark. Remember that magic is real. Find meaning in the beauty all around you. Celebrate small joys everywhere, and this will heal us all.
Which brings me back to August. As smoky as it might be in Central Oregon, we are finding pockets of delight. A rare, clear afternoon beacons us to plunge into our mountain lakes. The local farmers share their abundance at our markets, evidence of their resilience and the Earth’s gifts in trying times.
Oh, and Mike and I got a kitten :) A little lion for Leo Season! She definitely helps lift our spirits.
And the spirits announced her before she came: I saw her running into the house with my other two kitties in a dream. Less than a week later, I received an email with a kitten available that looked just like my dream kitty. I picked her up two days later and she is purrrrfect (sorry, not sorry, lol).
Even in turbulent times, Leo Season is a delight. The celestial energy of the loving lion ignites our hearts with warmth, flames our creative passions, and encourages us to shine the light of our inner truth.
Remember joy. Remember magic. This is how we survive these wild times.
On today’s Leonine New Moon, I’m sharing a gift for paid subscribers: A Leo Season Ritual Guide.
In this downloadable pdf, you’ll find:
Leo themes and reflections
Tips for Leo Season
Mantras by sign
A Leo ritual
Paid subscribers will find the link to download below 🙂
But first, a few resources for everyone:
In the coming days, you’ll likely be hearing a lot about the Lion’s Gate Portal. I highly recommend reading that linked article to understand what this day is really all about.
Then grab this free ritual guide — it has beautiful rituals for the five Egyptian Gods born during Egypt’s five Epagomenal Days…perfect timing for the Lion’s Gate, as you’ll learn in the article.
For those of you who are struggling with the state of our Earth, I’ve written an entire series of articles to help you navigate these challenging times:
Shamanic Techniques for Riding the Waves…
Perhaps the best resource I can share with you is my upcoming Introduction to Shamanism Workshop.
The focus of this 2-day online workshop is helping you connect with your own spirit team directly — so you can tune into their guidance for you, when you need it, as we navigate these wild times.
Plus, you’ll:
Cultivate a deeper understanding of the unseen forces at play in your life and our collective
Learn how to do divination work on behalf of others — ethically and professionally
And you’ll practice giving and receiving power animal retrievals, one of my favorite foundational healing techniques
I’ve made this offering as accessible as possible with a sliding scale for payments and recording available for those who can’t attend live (though live is encouraged!)
The workshop takes place at the end of the month, August 24th & 25th. And, as another gift, paid subscribers can save 10% on any payment option you choose :)
Psst: Even if you don’t consider yourself a beginner, you’re definitely invited to join us! At my last intro workshop, 90% of the participants were actually very experienced :) We gathered for community — because it makes a difference.
Once you’ve taken the intro workshop, you’re also invited to join me for a very special training in September: Soul Retrieval.
This is taking place in-person at a private location (a seriously magical one) in Sisters, OR.
Soul Retrieval is how we become whole, coherent, and integrated enough to navigate the times ahead…plus, we’ll be doing group soul retrievals for the land. This is going to be a very intimate and powerful training.
Aromatic Support
You all know I turn to the plants for support in every way, and this month I’d like to highlight a few of my most loved plant friends.
The goddess of the harvest, Demeter is always an August ally for me (plus, the aroma of her perfume is literally my personal favorite…green hay, sweet berries, fresh florals…I can’t get enough).
Yuzu Yoru & Jardín de Citron Botanical Perfumes
These perfumes are two of my favorite citrus aromas, each dedicated to a place special to my heart. With notes of yuzu and hinoki, Yuzu Yoru celebrates hot, summer, Tokyo nights. Jardín de Citron carries you away to the Amalfi Coast, fragrant lemon groves dotted with jasmine and basil. Both are so, so good.
And of course, the Scents for Summer limited edition set is a great way to enjoy all the summer aromas ;)
Since it’s been so smoky here, I’ve been using aromatic sprays instead of burning my usual incense. My current favorite has cleansing and protective essential oils and flower essences in my very own homemade blue spruce hydrosol. I’ll be adding this to the apothecary later this month.
How are you holding up? Let me know how Leo Season is treating you in the comments.
Also, if any links don’t work, or anything seems off…remember that Mercury Rx starts today. We’ll do what we can while the planetry god takes a rest.
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