I am the Leslie Knope of Friendship + Here's a bunch of rad links for you!

Hello tarot lovers, witches, and other friends reading!

Yesterday was my queerplatonic partner's birthday. The party is on Saturday and their preferred restaurants had NO dinner reservations available. If you know Parks and Recreation at all, you'll recognize my friendship tendencies if we ever become close. While when it comes to business I relate much more to ambitious, confident yet well-balanced Donna Meagle, when it comes to friendship I get a littttttle too eager when I love you. So I called the restaurant. Twice. Begged to be put on a waiting list. Thought of six different ways we could approach this without reservations. Then managed to find reservations at another one of their favorite restaurants that we haven't been to in awhile, which they are just as happy about. So crisis averted, but this plus present-wrangling is why my link round-up is two days late (because of course there was a bag full of thoughtful presents, a dinner, + we haven't even gotten to "party day" yet). Also I didn't do one last month and I'm sure I had my reasons. I just don't remember them. The good news is that means this one is nice and fat for you!

For Tarot Lovers, Witches, And Other Spiritual Types

• Little Red Tarot posted this "Ring of Fire" spread back in July, and while summer is OFFICIALLY over (WOO HOO!) this spread is still wonderful. 
• Tarot has been around for a loooong time, and this is a really fun piece about the evolution of its' artwork with some funky pictures thrown in. 
• I'm always fascinated by people who create witchy, spiritual lives somewhere totally unexpected, so I was all about this profile of a witchy hairdresser!
• I feel personally called about by this article from Cosmo, actually. How your Sun sign acts as a romantic partner. 
• I love this from headline to final exclamation point: A Thinking Person's Guide to Going With Your Gut. 
• An oil diffuser blend for whatever Mabon wonderfulness you have going on tonight. 
• Now that she's covered the basics of the Celtic Cross spread, Theresa Reed's already amazing "Breaking Down the Celtic Cross" series has really gotten amazing. These are really thrilling things she's talking about if you're a total tarot geek like me. 
• Another amazing spread--this one from Worts and Cunning Apothecary, zeroing in on business success for ya. 
• "In order for full, meaningful healing to take place, we cannot turn a blind eye to the injustices that live in the fabric of our human society. Sure, in the eyes of the universe, all spirits are equal in their love, light, and importance. But we don’t live in the realm of spirit." Such a good post from Bitchy and Witchy about Calling in the New Age on issues of oppression. 
• I was researching for my Sex & Tarot class when I found this gem of a human and article about Sex and Eroticism in Tarot. 

For The Resistance

• Because publicly screening queer porn is resistance in and of itself.
• Have I mentioned how much I love The Bold Type? (Yes, I have. Because I do.) Here's eight great responses to one of the show's most loved characters from queer Muslim women. 
• Oh, in case you didn't know, "history" is incredibly straightwashed in addition to being totally whitewashed. 
• A simple, easy to follow guide to not drawing sexist nonsense in comic books. 
• I Can't Be Your Gay Friend
• Bitter Gertrude's take on the Charlottesville rally as a Jewish person well-versed in intersectionality was really well done. 
• New Hero Alert! This wonderful man runs a queer film festival in Uganda, where homosexuality is illegal. 

For Your Business

• Empathy is actually very, very good for your business. Red Slice has more.
• Also thought to be harmful but maybe not? Procrastination. 
• You're probably working way too hard. I generally agree with anything Susan Hyatt tells me, but this one hit me way too hard. 
• VERY useful article about maximinzing your Patreon, friends. 
• SO somehow I had never heard of the 70% rule, y'all. If you struggle with delegation because it seems easier or better to do it yourself, this one's for you. 
• Relevant to my life right now: Seth Godin on the difference between having fear and being afraid. 

For Theatre Fans and Art Lovers

• Really good work by American Theatre Magazine here, examining an impending leadership vaccuum and what that means for theatre.
• Julia Cameron doubles down on why we should write every day, and y'all. She's not wrong. 
• Not quite theatre but a little too nerdy for casual film and television fans. Here's Ava DuVernay discussing Netflix, artists, and diversity. 
• Antigone in Ferguson examines the divide between law enforcement and the communities they SHOULD be serving. Would absolutely LOVE to see this piece.
• A hecking free book on building arts audiences. I'm only halfway through and have SO MANY IDEAS already. A must read for all producers/creators/etc. 
• There are so many conversations about what type of protests work and which don't. Some of those conversations are crucial. Some are garbage, tone-policing nonsense. Playwright MJ Kauffman's commitment to boycotting certain theatre companies and being willing to talk about why are crucial. 

Just Because

• "I Talked to 1400 Strangers About Their Sex Lives. Here's What I Learned." 
• These Guidelines for a Kinder Life are not what I expected, and are some of the best I've seen:  "Being emotionally uncomfortable won’t kill you.
  It just feels that way sometimes. Like any state of being it will pass. Honor your discomfort. You’re being changed by what you are witnessing. That’s one reason we keep dipping ourselves in the salty experience that is a human life."
• An important reminder from Alexandra Franzen: Hearts Can Change.
• How To Break Up Like A Poet is life guidance, literature, and so much more from Edna St. Vincent Millay.
• Inside the Death Positive Movement. Super great read. 
• A beautiful piece on food, manners, and culture. 
• A CARMILLA MOVIE TRAILER OKAY. 
• A very succint piece for those of us who love self-help books, but, like, not all self-help books. 
• Messy Nessy Chic is always such a fun blog with unique stories--like this one on Women, Warriors, and Wine or this one on trans soldiers during the American Civil War. 
• I absolutely adored this article on Viking culture and living like the women of Viking literature. 
• Do you know that I am both obsessed with high profile unsolved crimes AND a giant Tupac fan? So this article on the upcoming Who Killed Tupac? was perfect!

I'm gonna end on this really moving piece from Danielle LaPorte: The First Step to Take When You're In Hell. 

Blessed be, y'all!

Tiny Bursts of Bliss + A Whole Lotta Internet Love

What's up, witches?

Today what's taking up a lot of space in my brain amidst all the infuriated screaming and desires to "burn it all down" even if I'm not sure what "it" is is this: how important for centering yourself finding those moments that 99% of us do have in the day that are pure bliss and totally take us out of the otherwise agitated state we all live in right now. It can feel really selfish to incorporate things that make us so happy into our lives, but it's not, at all. For starters, what the hell are we even fighting for if we jump ahead of our oppressors in shoving our own happiness away? Second of all, nothing has made me feel as calm, centered, and ready to fight as the moments of contentedness and true happiness I'm able to steal away.

Earlier this week I had an awful stomach virus and my queerplatonic partner honestly took such ridiculously good care of me. I somehow felt so pampered and loved as I couldn't even keep water down. There were moments even then that I felt "oh, man, this is really, really what love looks like. It looks overwhelmingly like ginger beer and ritz crackers and so many hours of Friends reruns and picking up refills of Zofran, and it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." When the bug cleared I had the clarity and motivation to get lots of good tarot, writing, and stuff around the house done.

Example two: I have felt so scattered lately. I can't focus for more than a few moments here and there to save my life. I'm so angry about Standing Rock and trans kids not being able to use the right restrooms and 900,000 other things, and it's easy to spiral into a place of "nothing I can do from here matters anyway." In my little microcosm, I have about 75 things that really need done EVERY DAY and that's really overwhelming when you're coming off of sickness AND super invested in turning this sinking ship around somehow. Somehow I ended up curled up in a ball in my favorite oversized chair, a luxury I never knew I needed until I got one, with my window open. A really beautiful, cleansing breeze was blowing through and my giant orange cat (my absolute favorite breed, though I love my long haired brown babby just as much) was purring beside me and all of a sudden I thought "holy hell, this is a really beautiful moment." I was so happy for a few minutes, and when I came out of it and back to reality, I was able to steadily make deadlines for often important work all day. Those moments matter. They matter as much as a good night's sleep and drinking plenty of fluids for fighting this nonsense, and they matter for your own life.

Also I had some new headshots and stuff taken and some of them are pretty cute if I do say so myself! Done by Lauren Erchul in Minneapolis.

Now here's a really terrible segue into some rad stuff OTHER people wrote that piqued my interests this month:

From the "I just had a birthday, you know" gimme-gimme files.

Tarot Spreads and Other Such Treats: Stuff I should probably actually do/ A spread for making tough decisions/

A thing my non-queer-lady roommate probably wishes I hadn't found.

Theatre nerdery: I already posted the Angels in America oral history that I'm in love with, and a friend was kind enough to send me this one of Rent. I've been an unabashed Rent-head my entire adult life but even I found out some new stuff!/Why arts funders must protect marginalized communities (and how they can)/A hard but important read on arts funding and where it's going. TL;DR: support your local small peeps (hint, hint)

Birthday goodies: Seven questions to ask for your birthday every year. Really lovely, important self-care to treat yourself with every year!

Notes for the Revolution: Acts of rebellion you're probably already doing (but please do big things too!)/A REALLY important piece about institutional racism and how calling your city a Sanctuary City is really, really not enough/An examination of how using trans inclusion as a marketing scheme is actually not that great (shocking I know)/Why White America Demonizes Black Lives Matter/A beautiful conversation about Sandra Bland/Language matters--here's how to replace accidentally transphobic language./On reclaiming queer historical space/How to prep for a protest, and what to do if things do go south.

Writers on Writing: Unironically one of my favorite topics. Here Alex Franzen encourages us to tell our stories even when we feel we can't./An oldie but goodie: a Brand quiz to see how you should be focusing your business or freelance work

RadQueer Witch Stuff: I'm so blessed to have friends like J.Ryan who broach topics even I'm afraid to take on sometimes. This one is on the damage well-intending Pagans can cause to queer (and other) marginalized people/Not queer, definitelyprogressive: how things have changed for tarot readers in this political climate/The best spell collection I have ever seen/On being a witch in Trump's America

General Witch Stuff: Some of my favorite Chani Nicholas to date/A simple, sweet luggage spell for safe travel/Healing magick from a witch who's work is always on point

Just Because: I geek out about new life forms being found, and this one has a huge crystal bonus!/NOT A DRILL: Ancient Egyptian texts being translated in English for first time. I'm beside myself./Queer Appalachian art and literature (plus how to help!)/Some amazing work by queer women of color, for queer women of color

Mental Health and All That Jazz: Phone anxiety? Me too. This has some good insights./Apparently some trauma survivors MAY cope by overworking (looks around guiltily, hides under rock.)

Where I've Been: I've gotten some good stuff on this blog this month. My favorite is here + nab my mini e-book on Tarot for Healing here. I've covered some of my favorite artists over here (plus more on the way yet this month!) AND one of my favorites put me in her Tea Time Reading this month!

OH AND ONE MORE THING: IT'S COMING!!!

Blessed be y'all!

UPCOMING HOLIDAY DISCOUNTS!

I am so excited about this weekend y'all, and not for the standard reasons. I tend to not go out and shop a lot myself, with the exception of perhaps venturing out on Small Business Saturday, but this week I'm having a huge, rare sale on my gift certificate readings, and I am beyond ecstatic to do so. I really want to get a lot of people in this holiday season, and hope to meet new clients in this time too. The real reason I'm doing this is because I know firsthand how frantic and at times upsetting the holiday season can be, and I can't stress enough the important role tarot--or any divination or energy work--can play. Whether you want to work out how to stay sane over the holidays, or get some guidance to wrap up the year and glide you into the next one, tarot can be there for you. If nothing else, sitting down and talking about YOU and what's on YOUR mind for awhile can certainly help you stay focused. So yes, wild sale, all for you, and I am so happy to do it.

The one teensy, tiny catch? To get sale prices on readings, you do need to pay in advance when you make your appointment. I promise I won't flake, and if I do get abducted by aliens or something, it's 100% refundable. As per usual, you must be able to come to Minneapolis, MN for an in-person reading.

To set up an in-person reading, email me first to make sure I have availability still, and once we set a time that works for both of us, put money through PayPal, or text me to run it through Square. For gift certificates, you can do it any order--pay then email or email then pay, just make sure I have your email address so I know who to send your numbered, individual, one use gift certificate too. I can do email or hard copy. Just let me know. Finally, for email readings on Sunday, I can't promise the 24 hour turnaround, but I WILL get you your readings before Friday, December 4th if you order online. To order one, email me your questions as well as the PayPal payment.

Exact sale looks like this:
BLACK FRIDAY--$30 in-person half-hour readings (a $10 per half hour saving!)
SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY (and Sunday)--$65 for a gift certificate, normally $75. Good for one hour, makes an amazing gift or future treat for yourself. Hour long appointments also $65 over these two days.
CYBER MONDAY--Order an e-mail reading to be turned in that week, only $20 per question! That's a $5 savings per question, and yes, you can stack up to three as per usual.

Looking forward to hearing from you--until then, Blessed be.