Woo Wednesday

Every week, I’m going to post a list of stuff I’m loving. It can be anything from books I’m reading to music I’m digging to ideas that are intriguing me. I am not being paid to sponsor any of these recommendations, but Amazon links are connected to my affiliate account.

Woo Books

Right now I’m reading Hag by Kathleen Kauffman. It’s a dual narrative about the history of a hag in Ireland and the women who come from her bloodline and a woman who is a descendant who is figuring out her magical path. I’m enjoying it a lot, but I admit I was looking for something a little darker when I picked it up. Once this is done I’m hoping to find some good horror to sink my fangs into.

I just read White Like Me by Tim Wise. It’s part-memoir, part-meditation on privilege by Wise who is an advocate and speaker on racial issues. I really enjoy his lectures and enjoyed this book. He’s unflinching at calling himself out for his own mistakes and has a way of framing things that provides clarity. In short, this is a good book to read if you’re white and trying to understand your own relationship to privilege and how to talk to your white friends about it in a constructive way.

Woo Woo

If you’ve read my books, you probably know that my interests veer into arcane territory pretty often. I’ve started really getting into tarot. For Christmas, my husband got me the 2020 Biddy Tarot Planner. It uses tarot readings to help you create intentions for the month and you can pull a card a day and keep track of themes in your life. It also has some guided rituals and spreads. If you’re into this stuff or would like to be, it’s a good place to start.

I also am enjoying my monthly Lunarly subscription box. The idea behind this is that they send you either a candle or a plant and some crystals, self-care items, and intention-setting tools for each new moon. Last month I got a black tea+violet+oud scented candle, an aromatherapy necklace with some “breathe easy” oil, a crystal, a card explaining the theme of the December new moon and how to do an intention ritual. The month before that I got an aloe plant that I’ve manage to keep alive. My new shipment should come soon, and I’ll be sure to share what goodies I receive in my next Woo post.

Woo Work

So far I’m loving this substack thing. I’ve been looking for a way to share writing wisdom in a way that allows me to build a community and make a little money. Also, I miss blogging. It was how I got started on creating my own writing community fourteen years ago, and I hope I can create a space for new writers to connect and learn here.

Selfishly, I’m also hoping it will help my own writing. I took a bit of a sabbatical and now I’ve got some new stories whispering in my ear. Teaching writing makes me want to write more because it connects me back to the reasons I started writing in the first place. So here’s hoping that we’ll all use this space as an excuse to prioritize storytelling this year.

So, tell me: What’s woo with you?