Baba Yaga and the Cailleach are my leads going into 2025. I’ve heard from my guides that this is a “building” year, and that 2026 will be “golden” which sounds lovely.
I met with a psychic years ago who told me I have a group of five guides who protect me, especially from my immediate family who have passed and *still* think they know better 😂
Since then, I’ve built a relationship with the guides through tarot/oracle readings and listening to my intuition. If you listen and let them come to you, you will be taken care of.
I love baba yaga. So freeing to let her take the lead in our lives from time to time. Covid made me a wolf—sometimes I found myself backed into a domestic corner and I had to let the claws and teeth show. It serves me well to know that wild creature lives… while I comfort and care for everyone else, she fiercely protects me.
Thanks for what you do, Summer. I admire your balancing of humor and sincerity. If we didn't find humor in all the madness, I believe we'd go insane. I am also an open empath who has allowed the world to enter for better or worse. As a seeker and people pleaser, I have wanted to know it all and heal it all. The downside is that I often allow friends and family to derail my own emotional journey and attempts at self care. Is it bad to desire to be a little more guarded? My goal for the future is to be a tad more selfish, especially in allowing myself time to pursue my creative goals. I also want to learn some protection rituals.
Empaths have to be boundaried and guarded or we will dissolve into others. Some people call this bitchiness, or whatever. Eff them. The people pleaser in me is always "put others first," etc etc but self care if community care. 100%!
Summer, I appreciate the look back to 2020 from you and your children's perspective...so frustrating and terrifying! Yet you have grown from it and passed your experiences and warnings along to those who will listen. Your humor and satire are exquisitly delivered, by scalpel or by axe as the occasion calls for!
For myself and 2025, I see an approaching pestilence that is going to require many of us to look for protection that will be just as disruptive to our social fabric and Covid has been! Will there be a grass root coalition that we can look to for resistance? Am I willing to be a part and risk my own little piece of community for those at risk? Sadly I have to admit I don't know, the apparatus looks daunting and we don't yet see the full extent of the threat...
All of this. My friend and I were just talking about this. Those of us who are privileged to do so will be called upon to sacrifice a little of ourselves to help those on the margins. Yes, I believe this. For me, since I'm pretty grounded because of my kids, one of whom does not do well with crowds and noise, that will be writing and publishing pieces. I'm used to the hate mail. Although, after reading Heather Cox Richardson's post last night, maybe the apparatus will self-destruct before we know it...
We worked from home prior to the pandemic happening. That meant the bosses heaped double the work on us because we were more productive. 2020 meant herniatic disc & surgery for me. 2 weeks later the disc re-herniated & I was back in the hospital. Thank goodness I don't have kids - they would have been on their own.
Damn. I'm guessing you were an essential worker as well? This is yet another reason why this culture needs to stop prioritizing productivity and profit over people. Ugh. I'm so sorry you dealt/are dealing with that.
Thanks for inspiring a trip back to Emerson, Lake, and Palmer’s performance of Pictures at an Exhibition which included the performance of “Baba Yaga” - I was introduced to ELP in 1973 as a college freshman and experienced a live performance of same soon after, no doubt under the spell of some mind-bending substance…which gave me a mind-set appropriate for the intake of your real-life experience as exposed in digital form here. Love & Empathy
I am constantly so impressed by your writing, Summer!! I have deeply, longingly, desperately ACHED to have my kids in a forest school, and to live in the forest. This was a potent reminder to me of the urgency to listen to these inner pangs.
Looking back, I know it was the right choice, because we were destroying ourselves on Zoom school much in the way my daughter was crumbling at public school this fall before I pulled her out. But it also made us totally feral, which made re-entry into school/society so much harder. One night I was feeling wild and decided to look at the comments on that piece. HuffPost comments are the meanest, btw. It's total brainrot. Anyway... the comments were like, "You are so irresponsible for letting your children become feral. How the hell are they supposed to live in civil society," etc. Full-on flash-backs to colonizer mentality - "Kill the Indian, save the man" bullshit. Eff them, lol.
Ooooh yes! Advice. Okay. Find some poetry feedback partners. In-person or online. Or a poetry workshop class. Unforunately, you usually have to pay for these. I did a couple with Kim Addonizio. As far as contests, you can find opportunities through submittable. Also, google helps. Google newsletters where they post this. I'm sure through Substack as well. Good luck!
Baba Yaga has been a major influence in my life for a while now. Its so nice to read of other women's journey with her...how different AND how similar.
also, i have one of the raddest handmade baba yaga dolls ever made and wanted to share a photo with you but it doesn't appear that's a thing on substack 🤔
i can. it looks like your settings are such that only paid subscribers can direct message you. which i can understand and appreciate the benefits of out here on the interwebs 😬
Fellow empath here. Neglecting to do any sort of psychic protection, I was a devastated wreck after the election. So, “my body is a dilated pupil” is a truly brilliant metaphor that I might be stealing. So cool to hear the origin of a pub I’ve always been curious to hear about.
Thank you, Jennie! It's wonderful to meet a fellow empath. And with your brilliance and creativity, I'm not at all surprised. Empaths need to have the strongest boundaries; that requires preparation. But how do we prepare in advance if we don't have a crystal ball that looks into the future to warn us to prepare? For a minute, I was seeing an HSP/empathic counselor who did some visualization with me to help with the psychic protection stuff. We sure need it!
OMG, your words are so kind 🥹, and I'm SO GRATEFUL for the podcast recommendation. 2025 is the year where I take this sort of thing way more seriously and do it retroactively if I don't see the danger coming. It feels akin to waking up to the fact that I've been slowly bleeding out and deciding it's time to staunch the flow and save my own life.
Haha, it looks so dramatic in black and white, but I know you get me 💜
Baba Yaga and the Cailleach are my leads going into 2025. I’ve heard from my guides that this is a “building” year, and that 2026 will be “golden” which sounds lovely.
I love this! I'll take what you're having, please. May it be so!
Also, how do I find some guides?
I met with a psychic years ago who told me I have a group of five guides who protect me, especially from my immediate family who have passed and *still* think they know better 😂
Since then, I’ve built a relationship with the guides through tarot/oracle readings and listening to my intuition. If you listen and let them come to you, you will be taken care of.
That is wonderful and legit makes me all teary ❤️
I love baba yaga. So freeing to let her take the lead in our lives from time to time. Covid made me a wolf—sometimes I found myself backed into a domestic corner and I had to let the claws and teeth show. It serves me well to know that wild creature lives… while I comfort and care for everyone else, she fiercely protects me.
I love everything about this comment. Aooooooooooo
Thanks for what you do, Summer. I admire your balancing of humor and sincerity. If we didn't find humor in all the madness, I believe we'd go insane. I am also an open empath who has allowed the world to enter for better or worse. As a seeker and people pleaser, I have wanted to know it all and heal it all. The downside is that I often allow friends and family to derail my own emotional journey and attempts at self care. Is it bad to desire to be a little more guarded? My goal for the future is to be a tad more selfish, especially in allowing myself time to pursue my creative goals. I also want to learn some protection rituals.
Empaths have to be boundaried and guarded or we will dissolve into others. Some people call this bitchiness, or whatever. Eff them. The people pleaser in me is always "put others first," etc etc but self care if community care. 100%!
Also, thank you for your kind words <3
No not selfish or bad AT all! Sooo needed.
I have a friend who specializes in helping sensitive humans clear their field and recenter and stuff.
here is her podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1pRX6OEZSCgdFnS3xfIyHe?si=f38f64bd79714105
her site also has some pre-recorded clearing rituals for sale I think.
I love this! Imma check it out as well.
Thanks so much, Elizabeth! I'll check it out!
Summer, I appreciate the look back to 2020 from you and your children's perspective...so frustrating and terrifying! Yet you have grown from it and passed your experiences and warnings along to those who will listen. Your humor and satire are exquisitly delivered, by scalpel or by axe as the occasion calls for!
For myself and 2025, I see an approaching pestilence that is going to require many of us to look for protection that will be just as disruptive to our social fabric and Covid has been! Will there be a grass root coalition that we can look to for resistance? Am I willing to be a part and risk my own little piece of community for those at risk? Sadly I have to admit I don't know, the apparatus looks daunting and we don't yet see the full extent of the threat...
All of this. My friend and I were just talking about this. Those of us who are privileged to do so will be called upon to sacrifice a little of ourselves to help those on the margins. Yes, I believe this. For me, since I'm pretty grounded because of my kids, one of whom does not do well with crowds and noise, that will be writing and publishing pieces. I'm used to the hate mail. Although, after reading Heather Cox Richardson's post last night, maybe the apparatus will self-destruct before we know it...
We worked from home prior to the pandemic happening. That meant the bosses heaped double the work on us because we were more productive. 2020 meant herniatic disc & surgery for me. 2 weeks later the disc re-herniated & I was back in the hospital. Thank goodness I don't have kids - they would have been on their own.
Damn. I'm guessing you were an essential worker as well? This is yet another reason why this culture needs to stop prioritizing productivity and profit over people. Ugh. I'm so sorry you dealt/are dealing with that.
Thanks for inspiring a trip back to Emerson, Lake, and Palmer’s performance of Pictures at an Exhibition which included the performance of “Baba Yaga” - I was introduced to ELP in 1973 as a college freshman and experienced a live performance of same soon after, no doubt under the spell of some mind-bending substance…which gave me a mind-set appropriate for the intake of your real-life experience as exposed in digital form here. Love & Empathy
Haha, omg, that sounds amazing! Full on quantum connection with the Yaga herself! So cool.
I am constantly so impressed by your writing, Summer!! I have deeply, longingly, desperately ACHED to have my kids in a forest school, and to live in the forest. This was a potent reminder to me of the urgency to listen to these inner pangs.
Looking back, I know it was the right choice, because we were destroying ourselves on Zoom school much in the way my daughter was crumbling at public school this fall before I pulled her out. But it also made us totally feral, which made re-entry into school/society so much harder. One night I was feeling wild and decided to look at the comments on that piece. HuffPost comments are the meanest, btw. It's total brainrot. Anyway... the comments were like, "You are so irresponsible for letting your children become feral. How the hell are they supposed to live in civil society," etc. Full-on flash-backs to colonizer mentality - "Kill the Indian, save the man" bullshit. Eff them, lol.
"My body is a dilated pupil. All the stuff gets in."
I totally relate.
I am sorry you relate but also feel seen <3 Maybe we need to dive more into this in a future post....
Amazing idea
hah yesssssss as a Medium and life coach for postpartum mammas, I have to constantly be cleansing and resetting.
I bet! I'm so curious about your work as a Medium!
Dude me too. The gift is constantly showing me how it wants to be used.
one of my objectives this year should probably be entering a poetry contest.
any advice?
Also, read a ton of poetry!
Ooooh yes! Advice. Okay. Find some poetry feedback partners. In-person or online. Or a poetry workshop class. Unforunately, you usually have to pay for these. I did a couple with Kim Addonizio. As far as contests, you can find opportunities through submittable. Also, google helps. Google newsletters where they post this. I'm sure through Substack as well. Good luck!
Baba Yaga has been a major influence in my life for a while now. Its so nice to read of other women's journey with her...how different AND how similar.
I love that.
"My body is a dilated pupil. All the stuff gets in" is one of the best (and most relatable metaphors) I've read in a minute. uh, YEP.
also, i have one of the raddest handmade baba yaga dolls ever made and wanted to share a photo with you but it doesn't appear that's a thing on substack 🤔
What?! I must see this!
i have a video i took for you but it seems i'm not able to direct message you 😬
It’s weird how some people can and others can’t. Can you email it to summerkoester@gmail.com?
i can. it looks like your settings are such that only paid subscribers can direct message you. which i can understand and appreciate the benefits of out here on the interwebs 😬
Yeah, I was getting DM‘s from random guys so I limited it, but some people can still message me for some reason
I'm glad/not glad you relate!
Fellow empath here. Neglecting to do any sort of psychic protection, I was a devastated wreck after the election. So, “my body is a dilated pupil” is a truly brilliant metaphor that I might be stealing. So cool to hear the origin of a pub I’ve always been curious to hear about.
Speaking of psychic protection, Elizabeth Langston noted above a podcast that is helpful for this, ICYMBI :-)
Thank you, Jennie! It's wonderful to meet a fellow empath. And with your brilliance and creativity, I'm not at all surprised. Empaths need to have the strongest boundaries; that requires preparation. But how do we prepare in advance if we don't have a crystal ball that looks into the future to warn us to prepare? For a minute, I was seeing an HSP/empathic counselor who did some visualization with me to help with the psychic protection stuff. We sure need it!
OMG, your words are so kind 🥹, and I'm SO GRATEFUL for the podcast recommendation. 2025 is the year where I take this sort of thing way more seriously and do it retroactively if I don't see the danger coming. It feels akin to waking up to the fact that I've been slowly bleeding out and deciding it's time to staunch the flow and save my own life.
Haha, it looks so dramatic in black and white, but I know you get me 💜
YES