I'd apologize for not sending one of these out last week but, well, I'm not sorry. I had the opportunity to go to a waterpark with my son and a good friend and we spent the day splashing, day drinking and having fun quality time with our kids. I left my laptop at home.
It. was. magical.
This Week's Card: The Bark
The Bark card from Herbana Witch Oracle
This week is all about boundaries, babe.
Where do you end, and where does the rest of the world begin?
What is the part of you that you consistently show to the world, the part of you most other people interact with? That's your bark.
Boundaries, you see, are not just barriers. They are barriers with personality.
Focusing on the bark can be a "fun" exercise for the ego. It's not our prettiest, showiest part (flowers), it's not the work we put our energy into, that brings values to others (fruit), and it's not us on our best hair day (leaves). It's not even the safe, secret part that hides under the ground, nourishing us from the inside out (roots).
The bark is the everyday, essential "me"-ness of you, the part that is always there, and can be tough, wrinkled, and even sometimes falling off and still be beautiful.
Apple tree detail (taken by my son! Awww!)
Things to think about this week
Your skincare routine! This one might be obvious, but if you're a tree, your skin is the bark. Don't think about your makeup this week, but what more can you be doing to nourish and protect this boundary? Things like hydration, exfoliation, etc. Did you know your skincare needs might change depending on the season of the year, or the season of your life? What does your skin need, right now, to feel nourished and strong?
The front door or front exterior of your home. I know it's about time to pull out the fall decorations, but even without those, think about what your front door says about you. Is it an accurate reflection of your personality? Your family? If not, what's one small thing you could do to change that?
How, where, and when do people get access to your energy. I actually made an email course for this once, so if you need help figuring out better communication boundaries for work, family, etc. you're going to want to check that out!
If you'd like, you can go down a quick little rabbit hole with me about how to identify different trees by their bark! Think about it as a metaphor - what kind of tree have you been in the past, and does your bark need to be a little different in this season of your life? Do you want to be easily identified by your "bark"? Or do you want to blend in to the forest and stay a mystery during the winter?
This is one of my favorite books I read in the past year. If you know me, you know this is a departure from my normal fare of fantasy and escapism, but it almost wasn't. Learning about how trees "think", and how they "communicate" ended up making my whole world feel a bit more magical and fantastic.
You can also now find it in a graphic novel format, which I can't wait to check out. It looks beautiful.
(psst, I don't get commission on these links, but I *do* hope if you choose to buy the book you'll choose to do so in a way that supports local independent bookstores like bookshop.org or libro.fm, or that supports your local library!)
Oh, right, and if you're enjoying these emails, don't forget to forward them to your absolute favorite people. There's room for everyone to feel better <3
