21 Comments
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Robin Payes's avatar

Such a beautiful weaving of words with Nature, Summer. Thanks for reminding us that Nature has her own ways--and will have her way in the end.

Humans are but a blip on the cosmic map of creation. We may sow the seeds of our own destruction--so much for the *sapiens* in homo sapiens!

We may hurt terra firma with our heedless ways, but she will revitalize and send out new seeds and sprouts. And perhaps whatever new conscious life forms sprout from her roots will be wiser than we!

P.S. Forest bathing is the best Rx: heart-and-soul healing.

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Summer Koester's avatar

Good points! 🙏 💕

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Candace Lynn Talmadge's avatar

You cannot expect people who have disconnected from their hearts to forest-bathe, Summer. Only when the emotional and spiritual emptiness of their lives bites them on the butt will they even begin to wake up and start asking questions. I am grateful it is my job only to set boundaries on what I will and will not tolerate from them.

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Summer Koester's avatar

I’ve expected nothing but incompetency and cruelty from this administration. Although I hope they prove me wrong. 🌈

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Candace Lynn Talmadge's avatar

Alas, you will not be proved wrong. Cruelty and incompetence are the M.O. of this administration. A feature, not a bug.

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Frank's avatar

Thank you Summer for another restart/reload for my mind! You know Summer, if I was a believer in the mythology of the judeo/christian old testament, I would say we are caught up in / suffering from the Tower of Babel solution! Unable to see ourselves as the same as the human form of all the rest of the world! We automatically see ourselves, our 'tribe' as inherently more 'human' than all the others. Mostly we don't even try to understand these 'others' that we share this planet with...

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Summer Koester's avatar

Great point. Yesterday I did a past/present/future Tarot draw with friends, and I drew the Tower. Which reminds me of that. Dismantling of old institutions, but coming with lots of growing pains! Apparently many Tarot pulls lately have included the Tower, and your comment reminded me of that.

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Jeanine Kitchel's avatar

When I heard the Rose Garden was being paved, I thought good god(ess) -- WTH is going on? And then the repeat of Iraq but in Iran. Same - same - no different. My birthday too is this time of year, and though last week I felt a bit lost, having revitalized my meditation routine which had fallen aside, sadly, I feel reborn today. I keep hoping karma will prevail. Probably a long shot as some seem . . . immune to/from it.

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Summer Koester's avatar

I love that you are feeling that rebirth! Despite everything. I feel that way after I unload a rant onto my Substack, lol! Yes, this whole thing is definitely giving Iraq, big time. Our leaders have amnesia.

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Jeanine Kitchel's avatar

Sigh.

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Seth Lorinczi's avatar

Love this, as ever. Also: Do you have something that will stop the vibes? Asking for myself.

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Summer Koester's avatar

Right? I found two things. A friend did a visualization with me and guided me in wrapping bands of silver and gold around different parts of my body in ways to block out negative energy. Also a friend who studied eastern medicine in China learned that wearing silk helps block out vibes from others. I tried wearing it to teach in when I taught high school and it helped! So get yourself some silk! 😝

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Seth Lorinczi's avatar

Ha! Appreciate that. Though thinking chainmail might better suit my feels right now....

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Summer Koester's avatar

Love it. Pics or it didn’t happen!

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Seth Lorinczi's avatar

HA!!! Sounds…chafey.

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Victoria SkyDancer's avatar

You drew Baba Yaga! Now there's some fierce Crone energy I can get behind.

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Summer Koester's avatar

Right? I’m struggling on how to interpret this. Baba Yaga is my alter ego , or at least she was during the pandemic/remote learning, stuck & isolated with kids out the road in the woods. But this card is from the perspective of Vasilisa. What do you make of it Victoria?

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Victoria SkyDancer's avatar

There is an invitation to step past the gatekeepers to access the Deep Wisdom held by the Crone, who awaits you on the other side. Do you have the courage to accept Her invitation? For once you do, there is no going back, no resetting.

Baba Yaga is asking, "Which reality are you a part of: the one that promises Extinction or the one that hints at Evolution? Choose what you will renounce wisely."

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Summer Koester's avatar

Well, clearly I don’t wanna be part of extinction and I want to be part of evolution!

I love this interpretation. Thank you for this. Going to meditate on it more.

This also reminds me of the trickster analogy. The trickster is constantly evolving — that’s how they survive. In fact, that’s basically the through line of my memoir ive been working on for a few years now.

I originally titled it “they call me coyote” because Coyote was the name I was given in Honduras. But no longer using that name because it sounds like I’m appropriating Native American story and folklore.

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Katie Bausler's avatar

You beautifully address everything I've been pondering lately, to put it mildly. Thank YOU Summer!!

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Summer Koester's avatar

Thank you, Katie! Glad to hear... xo

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