January . 2024
A kind of oracle in here ~
You might not see it
not at first
& you might have to stop
looking, you know what
I mean. Let it look at you.
The oracle, the one eye,
the shadow twin, the
single line on the page
that speaks your name.
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January: time for visions.
There’s a kind of oracle on this page.
I opened it for you here.
Just read it & then close your eyes: see what sticks: what sticks?
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Here are a few possible instructions:
1) Read work from one of the writers named in the first sentence of this page (the writer referred to as “myself” is Selah Saterstrom). Mark any word, image, or line that rings a bell in you. This is your oracular message.
2) Or, have a friend read aloud to you a piece you’ve chosen from one of the writers named in the first sentence of this page. Do it by candlelight or by a window that lets in the sun in the morning. Listen. Listen for any word, image, or line that tugs at you—makes you curious—listen for your oracular message.
3) Or,, strip the page in the photo. Read through it & write down on a fresh piece of paper any word, image, or line that seems to reverberate for you. This is an erasure of all the fluff to get at the oracular message for you.
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Now that you have the message, take it with you. Maybe it gives you a recipe for routine, a map to follow over the course of the next year, or an archetype/symbol to return to & carry with you.
I know the Gregorian New Year can be complicated & that long ago (in the late 1500’s) it was decreed that the New Year would change from around the Spring Equinox to the 1st of January—at least in the majority of Roman Catholic countries.
But, I want to at least argue this: collectively, all around you, the majority of people are starting to dream, to envision, to set intentions for how they want their year to unfold.
That is pretty potent.
A collective mind laser focused on change.
Just dip into it for a moment. Try it on, even if reluctantly.
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𓇬 𓇬
𓇬𓇬𓇬
On a more personal note, Dear One: I know I haven’t written to you in quite awhile. I have my reasons! December was an absolute whirlwind of transition for me. And at the end of it, in the last few days of it: I packed up all of my (many, too many) belongings & relocated to New Haven, CT where I am sitting right now writing to you, from my new apartment that has tall windows and pink marble in the bathroom. Where I keep burning things on the tiny electric stove I am not entirely used to yet.
As of this missive, I will be back on track with writing to you more consistently & telling you more things monthly.
Three more announcements I’d like to make are as follows:
𓇬 My flower essence consultations & remedies are currently on hold until the springtime… I think. I am still trying to sort this out, so bear with me. More on that forthcoming.
𓇬𓇬 I will, however, still be reading tarot & have added a few more options for receiving tarot readings from me (sans the custom blends until further notice). You can read more about all of this here ~
𓇬𓇬𓇬 This month, I am opening the almanac to all of my readers as a gift. Hope you enjoy it & share it if you please.
Until next time, sending you warmth & care.
Truly so,
Chanelle
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Now, onto the almanac…
Enjoy ~
T A S T E
Cinnamom (Cinnamonum sp.)
We use the inner bark of this tree for all manner of delicious things—I am sure you have enjoyed cinnamon in some way, shape, or form—in some recipe at this point in your life. There are so many things I cannot fathom without a dash of cinnamon, such as: sprinkled on top my skyr for breakfast in the winter; or paired with a bit of bitter, dark chocolate in the chili that I make; or how my parents would sprinkle cinnamon & sugar onto buttered toast for me when I was little & not feeling well. This warming, sweet, circulating, & aromatic bark is a beautiful harmonizer & stabilizer for the whole body. Cinnamon is deeply & systemically soothing—it is what is considered a demulcent herb, which means it helps to coat the mucous membranes & moisten the whole body. A lovely, uplifting boost to keep us going, gently stimulating the circulatory system, aiding in digestion, & keeping us warm & flexible from the inside out. Cinnamon sweetens the interior, the joints, the muscles. It soothes restlessness & irritability, especially if it is coming from hunger, because cinnamon helps us to balance our blood sugar levels. Call on Cinnamon to coat the spirit with its deep red cloak when we need it most.
Cinnamon & Dandelion Latte
What you’ ll need:
— 1 heaping teaspoon of Dandy Blend (or powdered & roasted dandelion root… I just love Dandy Blend)
— ¼ teaspoon of dried & powdered cinnamon
— 8 ounces of hazelnut milk (or your choice, here)
— a flower, mineral, or environmental essence of your choosing
— maple syrup or raw honey to taste
Your recipe:
(makes 1 serving)
1. While warming your 8 ounces of milk on the stove, stir the powdered cinnamon & Dandy Blend together in a large mug.
2. Gently pour the warmed milk over your mixture, stirring as you pour to incorporate everything well.
3. Add your flower essence & your sweetener (both optional, of course).
4. Enjoy with a good book ~
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T O U C H
A spot of sunlight
In January, the days are short & often times, at least here, grey & blustery. I don’t mind it, I feel tucked into it all in the end.
And yet, when there is sun, I seek it.
There is sun running through a prism & landing on the wall in the photograph above. You don’t need a prism for this, or even a wall, just an awareness of where you see the sun running to around you.
Sunlight will arrive to you on certain days & not on others. This is normal & I don’t want you to concern yourself with the when or how but with the eventuality which is to say: when a spot of sunlight arrives on your wall or windowpane, on the floor of your room or the door of your friend’s car, or where-ever it may land: touch it, like you would a piano key. Play it, like you would the note of a song.
Each spot of sunlight is a note & so, be sure not to miss one. It isn’t a game, but it is playing. Playing with sun & touch.
Sunlight, yes, is important because it is full of Vitamin D. But it is also important because it makes things grow (especially plants who rely on photosynthesis for their maturation). And sunlight helps to light us up, give us warmth, & energetically: to feel guided by a sense of purpose.
These are all great tools right now, as you set forward into the new year, in the seedling form that you are in. May each time you touch a spot of sunlight be an invitation for you to turn towards your vision, the horizon of your purpose, & the knowledge of your growth to come.
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S C E N T
Incense cones
Okay, I know I typically do a whole profile on a single scent for these almanacs, but I want to stick with cinnamon still… I honestly wasn’t sure if I would consider cinnamon the taste or scent of January at first, until I decided: it is both.
Ingesting cinnamon is one, delicious thing. Burning it as an incense is heavenly. Here is a simple “recipe” to follow to make cinnamon-forward incense cones with aromatic powdered herbs you likely have in your kitchen.
What you’ ll need:
— 3 teaspoons dried & powdered cinnamon
— 1.5 teaspoons of dried & powdered cardamon
— 1.5 teaspoons of dried & powdered marjoram
— 1 teaspoon of a powdered binding agent like marshmallow root or aloe vera powder or raw honey
— a small cup of water ~ of which you will only need about 1 tbsp.
— a flower, gem, or environmental essence of your choice (optional)
— a mixing bowl
— a tincture dropper
— a clean cutting board
Your recipe:
1. Stir your powdered cinnamon, cardamom, & marjoram together in a mixing bowl. Add in your mallow/aloe powder.
2. Slowly add your 1 tbsp. water to the powders. I find using a clean tincture dropper is best for this, adding 10-20 drops at a time (this is also when you can add 1-3 drops of your essence!). Add in 1 teaspoon of honey, here too.
3. Each time you add water, take the back of your spoon, gently pressing the water & powders together. You are looking to make your mixture into a dry dough which you can mold with your hands.
4. Once you have created your incense “dough,” you can begin to shape it with your hands, by taking a small pinch & forming it into a cone ~ try about 1/2 tsp. of dough at a time. Flatten the bottom & pinch into a cone shape from the bottom up. You can also use a piping cone for this if you have one. Make sure your cones aren’t too thick, as they won’t burn as easily.
5. Set your cones to dry on a flat surface, in a dry space away from direct sunlight & out of the reach of any animal friends you may live with. It will take up from 3 days up to one week for your cones to dry fully, though sometimes it can take longer, so keep an eye on them.
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S I G H T
Shapes in the beeswax
There are truly endless ways to divine, to practice divination…
(Hold on, I want to tell you about this word & then I will tell you about how to do it with beeswax—which, is truly very straightforward, but all the same).
Divination/divine/divinity comes from Diana. Etymologically speaking.
And from Diana (a derivative of the Latin dīus the oldest adjective to describe a god) we also get words like: diary, journal, journey, sojourn, and even Jupiter, Zeus, and Tuesday.
So to divine. It is “god-inspired.” It yields the quality or ability of a god. And how does one harness such power? Through some of the most mundane activities possible: journeying in your diary on a sojourn which takes place each Tuesday. Or something along those lines.
I’d here like to argue that anything can be a diary or journal. In fact, the Oxford dictionary tells me that a journal is defined as such: “a daily record of news & events of a personal nature; a diary.” And I read somewhere that one definition of diary is a “daily allowance.”
To divine is to deify a practice or a piece of paper with Medieval looking figures painted on it or a convulsion of beeswax at the bottom of a candlestick.
Carromancy or ceromancy is the reading of beeswax & there is a more messy way to o this (which involves pouring hotly melted beeswax into a bowl of clear, cold water) but I invited you to do this instead:
1) Get a beeswax candle (I recommend the chimes from Alysia Mazzella, the tapers from Jessika Fancy, or find some in your local apiary/market) & a candlestick (I often use wine bottles, tincture bottles, or every so often an antique candlestick I’ve found).
2) Take a moment to consider what you’d like to get some insight on or clarity with. As you form this query in your mind, prepare a special place on a table or mantle place for your candle.
3) As you light the candle, imagine you are lighting it with the flame of your inquiry.
4) You can watch as the wax begins to melt, taking notice—taking notice & even taking notes as you watch the wax melt into shapes transient & ones that collect more wax (information). Or you can let the wax pool & take shape of its own accord without watching it too closely, just going about your day or evening.
5) When the candle snuffs out, or when you feel ready, study the shapes & forms & symbols the wax has made, the side/direction of the candle it has favored, the textures, etc. Write it all down or record yourself dictating this & listen back. What narrative you can string together from everything you have noticed in the wax? This is the response to your query.
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S O U N D
A kind of oracle in here playlist for the month:
Find it by following this link ~
May these offerings bring you just what you need this January. May they be touchstones for you to return to, helping you move through the month with grace & ease.
Please feel free to reach out if you are so moved.
Fondly yours,
Chanelle
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NIGHT LETTERS
~ an interpretive offering for Moon Drops subscribers ~
Dear reader,
Did you have a dream last night? Do you remember it?
I have officially opened up a new venture inside of Moon Drops: Night Letters.
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Monthly & yearly paying subscribers have the opportunity to send in a dream & question about it whenever they’d like. And in turn, I will offer up written interpretation to help decipher & illuminate the dream’s message.
Responses will be shared anonymously in the missives.
Email me your dream, let me sit with it, & share what I see:
connect@chanelleallesandre.com
XO
Just when I was wondering what you were up to you show up with, as always, such inspiring, magical words. Thank you. Wishing you much rest and nourishment during your settling in time <3