Good morning.

If you are new here (welcome! I'm glad you are here) this monthly update is where I collect and summarize all the corners of the internet I whisper to, so if you miss out on something, it will be here. Unless I forget. :) I also use this monthly broadcast as a way to deliver Woo Corner, my monthly dose of functional woo. If you're here for the woo, you can find it at the end of this email. Otherwise, grab yourself a beverage and sit and stay a while. You're very welcome here.

From Me:

I am grieving.

A sister by oath has been lost to illness, complications from the flu in an already immunocompromised body. She was 42. There is nothing I can say to make that any less of an incredibly sad piece of news, or to try and make sense of it. There isn't a sense to be made.

It is simply the truth of right now, and I can't sit here and tell you all the things I am about to tell you, and withhold that. As I've often said, I came to tell the truth, and I insist on showing up in my full humanity, and that includes my grief.

So we wake up and we do the things that must be done. Dentist appointments. Calls with students and artists. The preparing and consumption of food, and tidying up afterwards- the same things we do everyday, except there's a wound in your heart. Every single person you meet has a wound, some have many. It's not unbeautiful. Let's be kind.

I've been trying to get this email out for a few days, since I found out about her passing. Yesterday, I pushed through and worked as usual alongside my grief. Today, I cancelled all my calls to give it my full attention. There's no wrong or right way but I am trying to pay attention to what grief is calling for.

My coven sister's name was Kim, she was incredibly smart and funny and she would have loved Woo Corner, and every one of y'alls cats. She has a 7 year old daughter who would benefit from all the good caring energy y'all can spare. There's a meal train here so that they don't have to worry about cooking if that is something that interests you. I know we frequently need something to DO when confronted with sudden sadness.

And we, endowed with the mantle of the living, carry on. Thank you for being here with me.

On the Podlycast:

April's aural wallpaper offerings included:

• ​Episode 179: Busking in Italy, Part I - part 1 of a story, and re-introducing something I wanted to use the podlycast for since the beginning which is, in part...to tell stories. Also ps. Amber DID give me permission to link to her and I've updated that in the shownotes :)
• ​Episode 180: Strange Wonderful Circus Life with Ess Hödlmoser - the much anticipated, often surprising, utterly delightful interview with the one and only Ess Hödlmoser (aka Strange Wonderful Creature)! We talk sports psychology, circus festivals, and online privacy- or what's left of it. Highly recommend for all circus afficianados, particularly the moment at 38:00
• ​Episode 181: Cultural Appropriation and "am I part of the problem?"- by request from current cycle Audacious one Aiyanna, who asked how we can use music from other cultures with respect rather than outright stealing something that doesn't belong to us. Very much an introduction to the subject and I would love to hear your thoughts!
• ​Episode 182: When Injuries are Reckonings (plural) - Exactly what it sounds like. Recorded for an Audacious One in the thick of a reckoning.
• ​Episode 183: When the Trolls Find You...or someone you love - with permission from the wonderful Alma (go give her a loving follow you won't regret it), some actionable advice from the trenches of the thing we all fear and hopefully rarely experience.

On the Patreon:

Two offerings this past month:

​Episode 180 of Audacity Works, now with faces!​

Thanks to Cris, who mentioned in passing to me that she really wanted to see what our hands and faces were doing during Episode 180 - Strange Wonderful Circus Life with Ess Hödlmoser. Turns out a patron making an ask is all it takes to get me to do something sometimes, and I was grateful for the request! My derp is truly next level, as is Ess' poise, and both are paywall protected hahaha, please enjoy, and thank you dear patrons for making this possible!

​From the Archives, with love and Johnny Cash​

I was having a conversation with my girl Michelle waaaay over in Oz about aerial pieces about loneliness. It reminded me of a piece I made in 2011 where I danced with a stove (literal) for a show called "domestic variations" by ticktock dance. Lower case intentional. I dug it up, editied it, polished it and now it is there for your leisurely enjoyment.

The Petri Dish: a Charleston artist salon:

If you live in the area or are blowing through Charleston SC on Sunday, May 24th, the next artist's salon is happening at Music Farm, from 5-7pm! Puh-lease RSVP so I buy enough tea :)

I'll be presenting something extremely half baked, so please come and bring your half- baked or wholly baked selves.

Woo Corner for May:

I decided to pull three cards for us this month:

Q: What is ending? What needs to be released? A: Princess of Wands

Although I tried to ground myself into reading for all of us, this feels pretty directly personal. We called Kim our Mistress of Fire. The Princess of Wands is the daughter of fire. It's not like we have a choice whether or not to release her.

For yourselves, I will tell you that the Princess of Wands is the card of the visionary. This step MUST come first before anything is created. All the resources and skill in the world aren't worth anything without the vision that channels them. This card in this placement tells me that we're being encouraged to move past the stage of vision and into implementation and practice.

TL;DR: Time to stop fantasizing about the awesome thing and begin doing the awesome thing, two inches at a time.

Q: What needs to be nurtured/tended? A: 2 of wands: Dominion

The cards are being extremely literal. If we're being asked to move past the stage of Vision and into Action, the 2 of wands is saying: MOVE. It represents the first step, the first 2 inches of realization once the vision has been identified.

If you've been feeling fear around taking this action, let the pure potential fiery push of the wands burn through that fear, and do it scared. What a magificent thing to behold, someone doing something not without fear but holding it lightly.

General Advice/lore to keep in your pocket: Passenger Pigeon

The inscription says:

My friends, may your month be driven by almost terrifying tenderness and ease. We should all be so lucky.

don't go back to sleep.

xoRachel