Do You Remember Dancin' in September

A mini tarot reading + a creative nourishment

Hello dear hearts,

I have finished my coffee, consumed the breakfast, chugged the water. And now I’m sitting here with aching hips and left knee, trying to gather the last pieces I want for this letter.

September is already shaping up to be a Reset, a Reevaluation, a Renewal. Which is fitting as Mercury retrogrades this month. We are currently in the pre-shadow of this glorious time and yeah, it’s going to be a Thing.

How is your September going to far? Let me know what resources you are gathering for this new month. I love knowing how people navigate their lives.

Now, onto the rest.

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Mini September Tarot Reading

I am starting up on my tarot practice again after being away from it for so long and to get back into the flow, I did this quick three card reading for myself and realized it could be of use to y’all too.

See if anything resonates or do your own and let me know!

1. Overall Energy - Death
   
   Entering the harvest season here in the Northern Hemisphere, I chuckled when Death was the first card I drew, because of course it is. Death, the Reaper, harvesting souls and ushering them on. That’s the energy this month: getting ready to take away what no longer works, putting to the rest the things that have outgrown their season, preparing to go inward.
   
   Personally, I’ve been spending some time looking through my journal, social media memories to see what I can let go of now. And as a Scorpio obsessed with the idea of rebirth alongside Death, I always revisit my relationship with Persephone. (Let me know if there is any interest on how I work with Persephone in a future letter.)
   

2. Potential Obstacle - Seven of Wands
   
   The Seven of Wands here suggests that there is always something that seems to need our attention. But maybe, just maybe we don’t actually have to give every single thing that arises our attention. We don’t always have to be on the attack. On the defensive.
   
   If you’re anything like me, I’m sure many of you reading this are used to being in survival mode, there is nothing wrong with that. Survival mode exists for a reason. Our defensive mechanisms exist for a reason. This card is just a reminder that sometimes we can redirect that energy to firmly putting up our boundaries instead and not burning ourselves at both ends.
   

3. Advice - Eight of Pentacles
   
   When in doubt, come back to your Work, your Purpose, your Reason. Whether this means on a personal level, relationship evaluation, or maybe your business and creativity needs a boost. The Eight of Pentacles is a good reminder that your processes work, and they have for awhile; sometimes getting back to the drawing board is necessary, but ultimately this is a nudge to trust yourself and the process and the Work you’ve been doing
   
   Taking this advice myself right now and it’s a kick in the ass. Remembering that being a writer is one of my core pieces, that storytelling is necessary for me to live, that sharing my words (my Voice) is important, and learning the craft is essential.

Whew. I always forget how much the cards have to tell me.

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September Creative Nourishment Practice

Don’t you just love when fellow artists are on the same wavelength as you? Because same. In Lisa Quigley’s latest post, she pulled the Queen of Cups - asking us how we can nourish our creative hearts. Which aligns beautifully with what I planned to share here today - my Creative Well Watching.

One of my favorite parts of The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron is the suggestion of Filling the Well, which can be accomplished by taking yourself on Artist Dates.

My favorite way to do this was (and still is) the classic date of Dinner and a Movie. But as we all know, 2020 said “fuck you, no more dates for you.”

So. Last year when I felt my creative well drying up, I started to do an at home version of my favorite Artist Date and created this thing called Creative Well Watching.

Okay, how do I do this, you ask? Let me tell you now!

1. Schedule your watching day. I find that it my Creative Well Watching works best when I plan ahead, buy my snacks that I know I’ll want, and prepare myself mentally for the watch.

2. Pick the movie/TV show/limited series. Something you’ve watched a hundred times, something that has been on your Watchlist for ages, something that is first on your recommended list, something that a friend recommended recently. And most important: pick something that you know will fit on your time table/spoons available. Real talk: some days I can watch a few 20 minute episodes but for Reasons cannot watch a full movie. (Hello, fellow neurodivergent folks, sound relatable?)

3. Get your snacks and your beverages. One of my favorite parts, honestly. I make it cute, make it fun. Sometimes I pick food based on the movie. For instance, if I watch Chocolat, I need chocolate and drinks in a funky cups. Or if I’m watching a fantasy movie, I need a pretty charcuterie board and juice in wine glasses. Again, have fun with it.

4. Set up your note taking station. Most important part of this honestly, because note taking is the Key. I tend to use my journal and a pen, but on days when my wrist hurts too bad, I use my Notes app.

5. Press play and “actively” watch. The point of this is to keep track of the things that inspire you, that spark something while you are watching. What stands out to you the most? The storyline? The characters? The dialogue? More often than not, I take notes on the opening scene. Where are we at, who is there, what happens? Then the characters - their names, their jobs, their appearance, their idiosyncrasies. The twist, the foreshadowing. Whatever stands out to you. Write it down.

6. Last thoughts. Once the movie is over, jot down anything else that comes to mind. Feelings, questions, complaints, gripes, etc. more often than not I write down parallels to my current WIPs, the tropes and themes that I really like. I notice when I gravitate toward the same kinds of stories and love seeing how every writer/artist makes it their own.

7. Revisit your notes later. When it comes to my notes, I don’t open them again until I am ready for a writing exercise or am stuck on current WIPs or need some new inspiration. It is amazing to see what your brain came up with during the Creative Well Watching.

And that’s it! Let me know if you try this or if you do something similar. I would love to know how you refill your creative well.

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Whew, that was a lot.

Virgo season has me going into detail apparently.

Now I’m off to rewatch Lord of the Rings with one of my chosen family and I need to prepare our first course. Because yes, you have you eat like a hobbit while watching LOTR, that’s the rules.

Until next time,
Ash