It’s been nearly four months since Aretha died and it’s still hitting me so hard. Today I listened to her “Bridge Over Troubled Water” about 40 times—its slow build, her big sea of sadness and strength, that soaring everything-everything—and it didn’t make me feel any better about her being gone. But it did make me feel her, and that was so much better than I could have hoped. Once again she’s carrying me through a hard time, reminding me that being brave requires a wide-open heart. And of course, a close girlfriend called tonight to talk about much she’s been playing the Queen during her own hard time. Aretha was channeling us both, I think, because she’ll always be the patron saint of strong women who don’t stop feeling. For this I’ll say what I’ll always have cause to say: Thank you for raising me right, Mama. I love you forever.
Archive | Spirit Matters
Sagittarius Rainbow Lemonade
Hallelujah! With 2018’s many major retrogrades finally over, and the sun, new moon, and Jupiter in Sagittarius with a newly direct Mercury soon to follow suit, we are the freest we’ve been all year. New moons always release a burst of energy and when they take place in boundless Saggie, the sky’s the limit, especially since this sign is ruled by Jupiter, who’s all about amplifying whatever you bring to the table. What does this mean? This is not time to think small. Nor is it the time to lean into disappointment, frustration, exhaustion. Rather, it’s time to make like Sagittarius queen Tina Turner, and absorb the year’s tough retrograde lessons into a big, beautiful, and newly informed 2019 plan. So what dreams have you been afraid to dream? What hopes are you secretly harboring? Write them down, then sprinkle pixie dust to make them even bigger. Now that the wind has officially changed, we can really sow what we wish to reap. Get in touch to let me help you or a pal. Tis the season indeed!
Brightness Falls
I cried so much when my godfamily left this Sunday.
It wasn’t just that I was sorry to see them go, though of course I was. Melina, my oldest friend, and her daughter Luci, my youngest goddaughter, had been visiting since Thursday–long enough that we’d normally experience the luxury of getting on each other’s nerves, especially since my railroad apartment is ideally occupied by one person at a time.
But I never minded their presence this time. I didn’t mind because I love them, and because, for the first time since my 30s, I’d grown accustomed to sharing space and time with a person I loved. Continue Reading →