Dear reader,
It is during this time of the year in North Carolina that things just start to leaf out. They leaf, seemingly, out of nowhere.
One day it is a bare branch, the next, a tiny stretch of delicate green reaches out from a stem.
Opal Whiteley writes that “the earth sings in green.”
And doesn’t it?
To sing is to reach, it is the stretch of the voice out through the branch of the throat into the air. Like a leaf.
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Just today, for instance, I noticed several things in leaf that I had not noticed until now: the elder in front of the apothecary, the willow beside the pond, the blue vervain by the mailbox, covered in rain.
It all starts so small & quietly. This leafing, this new growth.
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And I suppose this is how all things happen. This eventually, suddenly that Barbara & I sometimes talk about. This one day & then…
This one day there is a bare branch, but underneath something is happening.
And then there is a leafing out, a green unfurling, a stretch of life out towards. It is a reaching.
A reaching in green.
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And today, another leafing thing: I have a new Rhythm/Devotion interview to share with you.
This month, the incredibly multifaceted Jennifer Patterson of Corpus Ritual invites us into her world. It is world of desert sky & poisonous blossoms & clear intention.
I have been lucky to trade herbal remedies & be in correspondence with Jennye for the past several years. Her Move + Protect tincture carried me courageously & lovingly through the darkest days of this winter. I am forever inspired by her work with the plants & breath; her generous, open, & caring presence; her commitment to social justice & equity; her grounded & expansive offerings.
Jennye’s interview is so inspiring, honest, & beautiful… it truly feels like having a conversation with her. Here is one of my favorite moments from it:
I’ve had to work hard for well over a decade to allow myself the necessary slowness, solitude, & quiet I really do require to feel ok. But that does not mean that I’m not also in near constant rage & grief because of how hard & violent this world is & continues to be. I’ve never been very good at shutting out the world–instead I’m often consumed by it & I find myself needing to carve out these moments or days of quiet so that I can keep showing up to myself, my dear ones, & my work.
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Find the rest of Jennye’s interview by following this link here, or clicking on the photo of her below:
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One final leafing out for you before I end this note:
I am really honored & excited to announce that I will be a guest facilitator for one of Regarding Dew’s upcoming Community Discovery Writing Gatherings!
Mark your calendars for Saturday the 25th of February from 11-12.30pm EST.
We will write together for an hour or so & I will have prompts for you & we will step into the stream of our consciousness, letting our words land on the page.
These gatherings are so wonderful for reinvigorating a writing practice, or meeting one for the first time.
They are expansive & connective invitations to your pen & page.
They help you to feel what it is like to carve out a small moment in the day to touch base with the quiet parts of yourself, the parts that get buried by the busy-ness & bustle of life.
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Find more information & wade into Maggy’s thoughtful, delicate, & dedicated work here: Regarding Dew.
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I am wishing you a dreamy weekend. May your eyes be drawn to the leafing things around & within you. If you see something sprouting you are particularly moved by, I would love to know ~ simply leave a comment or send me a note in reply.
Until next time,
Chanelle
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PS: I have had this song swimming in my head all week. Enjoy ~
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