If you do need an intervention, then stay tuned because we'll be talking about self-care and slow living next month! :)
​

​A few weeks ago, I wrote about the authority we hand over to experts, healers, teachers, spiritual leaders, charts, quizzes, books and even ChatGPT.

We ask them to tell us what’s happening in our bodies. What we need to heal. Which path to take. What our symptoms mean. Who we are.

And I said that I wanted to spend some time exploring what might happen when we stop looking outside ourselves for every answer and begin to discover what we already know.

​Well. I thought I was going to write about the elements. And I did.

But somewhere along the way, the questions got bigger.

​I have spent most of my life trying to heal, fix or improve myself. And I mean that literally.

If I hear an inspiring idea, I immediately wonder how I can use it to change my life. If I discover a new healing technique, I want to try it immediately.

If an old pattern returns, I want to know how the healing went wrong. If I see a problem, I want to solve it with healing.

For years, almost everything has had to serve a purpose. Everything had to improve something.

Even just being only made sense if it was a good way to heal.

But lately, I’ve been wondering where all of that urgency came from. Because the energy behind healing and healing and healing is not always our own.

Some of us were taught very early that something about us needed fixing.

We were too loud. Too quiet. Too emotional. Too sensitive. Too angry. Too needy. Too dreamy. Too much. Or not enough.

​Then life added its own evidence...

Trauma. Rejection. Illness. Failure. Loss. Relationships that hurt us. Dreams that didn’t happen. Patterns we couldn’t seem to change.

And somewhere along the way, we believed this:
There is something wrong with me, and fixing it is now my job.

​A few days ago, I created an image of my future self.

She is a peaceful medicine woman standing in front of shelves filled with jars, oils, crystals, books and other things she might need.

I could feel her confidence. I could see her listening to a client, understanding what was wrong and then calmly walking to the bookcase to choose what might help or offer support.

And as I've been thinking about her, something shifted.

I was thinking of an apothecary full of healing tools and techniques.

​Because what if the woman sitting in front of her has already spent years healing? Maybe she'll be like me.

​What if she has read the books, gone to therapy, taken the courses, done the shadow work, journaled, prayed, meditated, cleared her energy and tried to regulate her nervous system?

Maybe she knows who she wants to become, and can almost see the life she wants, but something keeps pulling her back.

Does she have to fix that thing before she can move forward?

Maybe we can begin living as our future selves before all the healing is done.

I say yes! What do you say?

See you next time!

Love, Jeanine
​​

There's an award-winning creator on YouTube named Daryn Strauss who has been advising other creators to start thinking like a showrunner, and treating your channel like a show. I've been fascinated by her videos and have tried to apply it to my own work - because I believe that it can lead to clarity about YouTube or anywhere.

So when she asked the 5 important questions (see graphic below), I tried to answer them. But then I asked ChatGPT. And boy, did he have a lot of insight to share!
​

​I guessed that my archetype was Sage, and he said that that might sometimes be how I am seen, but there was an undercurrent he calls Hearth Keeper, that he says is just as influential.

I can see what he means. And as I look back on my business, I can see both threads woven through it.

But what was most exciting was when we talked about what my worlds are. I made some suggestions and he said, those are topics, thank you very much.

And then he named what he sees as my worlds, and it was like putting pieces into a puzzle and beginning to see the picture take shape.

They are... 

the journey home - which includes helping healers/lightworkers remember who they are.

the comfort apothecary - which includes all things coziness and comfort, which I'll say more about later.

the cozy studio - I'm not sure I'd call it that, but it's sort of sharing how I'm living my life, including what works and what didn't along the way.

​the healing library - which is where I share remedies & rituals and other practical help.

You can see more about these worlds in the graphic below...

We each came up  with one and I think they both are a perfect fit. The first one is in the header graphic and the second is one I haven't shared yet, but I believe it is the truth we don't want to acknowledge.

(1) Small, cozy practices can help us stop believing the old story and start living the true one.

(2) Let's be real - our shadow self isn't going anywhere. So we might as well make peace with it, and learn how to dust around it.

How would you answer those 5 questions?

See you next time!

Love, Jeanine
​

Remember my post last week about autumn anxiety? Well, I think I have figured out where it lives...
​

​I've been writing a bit lately about autumn anxiety because it sneaks up on me every single year.

One day I'm thinking that pollen season is finally letting up. I think I'm about to enter my good time of the year.

And then, without warning, I start overreacting to things that normally wouldn't bother me nearly as much. Everything feels harder.

​Appointments become something I wish I could magically erase from my calendar. I start having less energy and more fatigue.

And if one thing goes wrong, my mind starts writing disaster movies. Does that sound familiar?

​And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that so many of the things I've been experiencing sound remarkably similar to what many people associate with the sacral chakra.
​

One good reason to consider exploring whether or not what you're experiencing with autumn anxiety fits some of the possible experiences connected to the sacral chakra is that there is still not that much known about autumn anxiety. But there's A LOT known about how to respond to sacral chakra issues.

The sacral chakra is commonly connected with emotions, creativity, enjoyment, desire, and your ability to respond to change. And sacral chakra self-care can support you when you feel emotionally restricted, disconnected from pleasure, or afraid to express your creative side.

So the first step is to pause and ask yourself how you're feeling.

​You may be calm, irritated, hopeful, lonely, bored, excited, or uncertain. Try to identify the strongest feeling without deciding that it is good or bad.

Pay attention to how you're feeling physically as well, noticing tension in your stomach, restless movement, fatigue, or a desire to withdraw. Feeling irritable, bored, not able to enjoy your favorite things, wanting to withdraw and having difficulty are all sacral chakra experiences.

After you have identified what you're experiencing, ask yourself whether the feeling needs expression, comfort, action, or time.

You don't have to solve the emotion during the check-in. Just get a feel for what's going on.
​

(1) Find a way to express what you're feeling...

Give your feelings a safe form of expression that fits your comfort level. You might write in your journal, talk to someone you trust, listen to music, sing your heart out, cry, draw, or say what you feel aloud when you are alone.

Deciding to express your feelings is not the same as acting on every impulse or directing your frustration toward someone else. It just means that you're acknowledging what you're experiencing and finding an outlet for them.

(2) Reconnect with something that brings you pleasure...

Choose something that appeals to you, like preparing a favorite meal, listening to music you love, watching something funny, or wearing your most comfy pjs. Give yourself permission to do something just for fun.

Now, if like me, you may not always want to do the things you would normally love. That's part of the challenge of autumn anxiety. But I am learning not to let that stop me, because it will  help me in a way that I might not be able anticipate.

(3) Do something creative that helps you explore and express your feelings...

Write or draw in your journal, create a playlist just to express your mood, dance to one of your favorite songs, or try a variation on a recipe you know like the back of your hand. 

(4) Try moving your body in easy ways to help you release what you're feeling...

Stretching, swaying, shake out your hands. (It doesn't have to be a workout. We're not training for the Olympics. 😄)

But because our feelings often affect us physically, even a little movement can be one of the things that helps you feel better.
​
​

Hey guys! Today is the beginning of a 30-day divine dialogue challenge led by Karen from Ask the Spirit Guides. Click that link to find out more.

Well, the day's not over yet but I am already glad to have done today's writing.

Gotta say, this day did not start out well! And I'm still not sure I would call it a good one.

But I do believe it has been guided, and that's why I'm grateful for the journaling I did earlier today. I got several ideas that helped me solve a problem, and in general did not feel alone.

But the best part is what's happening right now, as I type. The other day, I mentioned having autumn anxiety, and today, I was feeling it. But I wasn't just anxious, I was irritable and agitated, too.

Suddenly, I had what turned out to be a very good idea. I couldn't figure out if I wanted to watch a Christmas movie, some other movie or classic TV. And even that made me a little anxious, because my inner question was what's going to make me feeling better?

Turns out the answer was watching Pub Choir videos!

Right at this moment, I am singing along with To Love Somebody, by way of Barry Gibb, as sung by Pub Choir. And I've been singing along and gesturing with my arms for at least an hour.

I actually have a lot of their videos saved in a playlist I call Coherence. But I don't always remember it as a resource.

I was even standing in front of the TV, and singing along to The Winner Takes it All, while holding my bowl of soup. :)

Anyway, I can't promise to write in my journal every day but I intend to try and I hope to do so more often than not.

What makes you feel better when you're having a bad day?

​Do you think you'll give the 30-day divine dialogue challenge a try?

Just before finishing this post, I stopped to sing again. The Pub Choir mix ended and what showed up was Memory, sung by Barry Manilow.

See you next time!

Love, Jeanine