'tis the season ~ some thoughts on material & immaterial gifts
Welcome to the season of carols, mistletoe, stockings, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, 18 Days 'til Solstice Sale...
(I made that last one up.)
I find the holiday season very overwhelming, so Siderealchemy doesn't have any special offers going right now. This time of year I focus a lot on introspection, healing, and creativity.
In that process, I have finally gotten clear on how I want to proceed with the options for Dive Into Your Deck and Light Your Lantern. Details coming in the new year!
Accordingly, surely not surprisingly, I am a big fan of experiential gifts. And they are what's available right now, in the form of 1:1 sessions.
But this love letter is also about material things. Specifically, how your external reflects your internal.
I don't mean this in a Law of Attraction nonsense way, like "if you practice asana you'll be *rewarded* with a conventionally attractive body." No, no, NOPE.
I mean that your external holds space for you. That you are a living altar.
I'm a language person; I love words; I believe in all kinds of spelling (both language and witchcraft).
But most of our communication is nonverbal.
We communicate through our physical senses (sight, sound, taste, touch, hearing). And our energetic senses—clairs (clairvoyance, claircognizance, clairaudience, etc), psychic capacities, and so on.
You know what it feels like when your external appearance feels like shit—the world is heavy. Things are difficult and awkward. Everything is gross.
A personal example: button-down shirts
Oh, no no NO. I detest button-down shirts (for myself). They feel like an ugly costume. I don't have fun in button-downs.
I hate who I am when I wear them, which is why I don't.
(The only exception: that flannel I got in high school, which was already vintage in the 90s, that is the softest fabric in my closet.)
You know what it feels like when your external appearance is fully aligned with you—the world holds space for you. Confidence, ease, delight all peak. You express yourself unabashedly.
Another personal example: vintage/upcycled/repurposed goods
Oh YES. All the time. They reflect my values: less trash, more originality, more stories. I love who I am when I wear them. Everything around me is better when I do.
(Also, see above—my only exception to button-downs is a vintage shirt. The one button-down to rule them all.)
That's what I mean about how the outer reflects the inner.
And you are a living, breathing altar.
The fun practice is that you create that altar.
For me, that's how to imbue our material possessions with meaning.
In the previous love letter, I shared a lesson that came via a necklace. I have stories like that for DAYS.
For example – a giant quartz taught me how to take up more space and actually be visible. A pair of boots showed me how to trust myself.
So many lessons that have come through a dress or a bracelet or a damn pair of socks. Seriously.
Here's another example, of what I'm wearing holding space for communication with those beyond the veil.
Those necklaces (for specific people) + perfectly messy hair (as detailed in that previous love letter) help make it happen.
Sooooo, why share this now? All that to say –
This time of year is when we often acquire material goods. The pull of this season can slide into materialism for the sake of over-consumption.
If you're shopping for material gifts—for yourself, for others—I encourage you to consider the choices for as those for a living altar.
If you're not sure how to get started on this, see below for some contemplating/journaling prompts.
(In my 1:1 work, I often give lots of journaling prompts. I rarely share any in love letters, but hey—'tis the season.)
When you're shopping, when you're getting dressed, when you're reflecting on what your external says to the world:
~ Does this amplify my insecurities?
~ Does this amplify my true self?
~ Does this reflect my values?
~ Does this help me hide or limit my true expression?
~ Does this encourage me to express my fullest self?
~ Do I believe that I'm not attractive or cool enough to pull this off?
~ Do I choose this because it's the "right" thing to wear?
~ Do I choose this because I feel happier and more myself in it?
And if you really want to dig into things –
~ Who benefits from my insecurities?
~ What people and/or industries profit from my insecurities?
Dive in and see what happens. If you're willing to share, I'd love to know what you discover.
This process can be intense at times—it was super vulnerable and uncomfortable when I first started questioning these things. I hope some wonderful insights emerge for you.
If you really love this vortex, you can apply the same line of questions to other things in your life: your relationships, your job, your food choices. Whatever else comes to mind.
And if you want support and big insights, you know how to reach me ;)
Yours truly,
S.
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Siderealchemy
she / her