Grief Magic: Rituals, Tarot & Gentle Conversations about Loss

Content note: this episode discusses pet loss, including the death of my dog Orlando and some details about how he died. There are also brief mentions of losing my mum and a friend. Please take care of yourself and choose another episode if today isn't the right day for this one.This week I'm answering a listener question about grief and pet loss, and I'm sharing the full story of Orlando, my dog of 15 years who passed away this winter.I talk about how I adopted him at 25 and what those years together really taught me about love, responsibility, presence and care. I'm honest about the things I got right and the things I regret, because I think we need more truthful conversations about the relationships we have with animals and what we owe them.I also share what the last months of his life looked like, how he came to my 40th birthday and seemed to hold on just for that, and how he died peacefully at home with me beside him.In the second half I reflect on what grieving him has felt like, especially sitting alongside the loss of my mum in 2024. I think about the difference between anticipatory grief and sudden loss, why pet loss often goes unrecognised as a real grief, and some of the small rituals that have helped me carry him with me.If you've lost an animal companion, I hope this gives you a little space to feel it.You can send me a speakpipe question over here: https://speakpipe.com/yarrowm and you can join the free soft grief space here: https://griefmagic.com/free/Love,Yarrow

In this episode I'm in conversation with dia of everyday writes, a queer Black embodiment practitioner, creative collaborator, and community tender of English, Sudanese, Syrian and Scottish heritage. This is actually our second conversation on the podcast, and returning to this space two years on felt like its own kind of ritual.We talk about what it means to live inside the fullness of our experience without waiting for things to get easier and what it looks like to rest, play and receive lavish care inside the systems and responsibilities we're already carrying.We also get into the slow, invisible labour of being a carer and a community holder, how embodiment practice builds responsiveness and intuition, the gifts that can come from difficult experiences, and what it means to create spaces where people can finally feel welcome and witnessed exactly as they are.There's a beautiful thread running through our conversation about time travel, somatic practice, and what it means to become a good ancestor. If you've been looking for permission to simply show up and be present, this one is for you.Resources mentioned:dia's website and newsletter: https://everydaywrites.com/Our first conversation on the Kind Business podcast: https://pinkwellstudio.com/2024/09/19/123-embodiment-integrity-business-joy-with-nadia-of-everyday-writes/Blue Nights by Joan DidionThe work of Francis Wellerdia Karim is a Black queer embodiment practitioner, creative collaborator, parent & community-tender of Engish~Sudanese~Syrian~Scottish heritage. The kind of healing they’re interested in takes it beyond the edges of our own bodies, into our relationships with beings, land, systems, ancestors, time, cosmos and and and. They combine somatics, expressive arts, group gatherings & close partnership, and center the alchemy of queer, Black and BIPOC experiences… so we can be with what's present, act in alignment, root into the collective soil and become the ancestors we want to be.Learn more about their work and get on their beautiful newsletter here: https://everydaywrites.com/

In this episode, I reflect on books, learning, attention spans and the complicated grief that can live inside our educational journeys.After falling down a StudyTube rabbit hole on YouTube, I found myself thinking deeply about desire, class, ambition and the longing many of us carry around reading and intellectual life. I talk about why “studious” aesthetics can feel so comforting right now, especially in a world shaped by burnout, climate anxiety, disability and uncertainty.I also share parts of my own experience with distance learning through the The Open University, including how studying philosophy, mythology and creative writing became an anchor during years of illness, lockdown and isolation. At the same time, I explore the grief that can arise around inaccessible education, financial barriers, bullying, attention fragmentation and the gap between what we hoped learning would give us and the realities of adult life under capitalism.Here is the link to the free Creative Grief Club, which includes monthly Zoom sessions and the book group on Fable: ⁠⁠⁠https://griefmagic.com/free/⁠⁠⁠Thanks for listening!Love,Yarrow

A short and sweet episode this week: I'm inviting you to join me for free Monday sessions throughout July.These sessions have been running for a year now, and to mark that I'm opening them up to everyone at no cost for the whole month. They run every Monday evening, 7 to 8pm UK time, and they are honestly one of the highlights of my week.The structure is really simple. We open with a grounding moment, draw a card, and anyone who wants to can check in via the chat. Then we move into around 45 minutes of quiet time together. Some people draw or paint, some stitch or weave, some do tarot spreads, some just rest or read. There's no fixed schedule, no teaching, no pressure to be on video. Just a soft hour of doing something nourishing for yourself, alongside other people doing the same.I find that slowing down with others helps me go so much deeper into my own practice. I often write more in my journal in that hour than I would alone.In August I'm taking a break, and in September I'll be back with a fuller membership offering that builds on these sessions. But for now, July is completely free to try with no strings attached.I'd love to see you there: https://wonderful-term-81242.myflodesk.com/tp3w2m72dc

In this episode, I explore the Hanged Man tarot card as a companion for summer and for liminal seasons in general.Even if you do not usually work with tarot, I hope this conversation offers something gentle and spacious around perspective, rest, uncertainty, and slowing down.I talk about:the symbolism and history of the Hanged Mansummer as a threshold seasonsacred unproductivitychanging perspective through ritual and embodimentgrief, disability, chronic illness, and surrenderwhat becomes possible when we stop forcing resolutionI also share simple ways to work with the Hanged Man over the summer through journaling, movement, tarot rituals, and paying attention to the changing light and rhythm of the season.Here is the link to the free Creative Grief Club, which includes monthly Zoom sessions and the book group on Fable: ⁠⁠https://griefmagic.com/free/⁠⁠Thanks for listening!Love,Yarrow

In this first “Read With Me” episode, I’m sharing reflections on I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, a haunting, deeply philosophical dystopian novel that unexpectedly became one of the most meaningful books I’ve read recently.I read this during the winter solstice season on the Isle of Lewis, and despite rarely reading dystopian fiction, I found myself profoundly moved by the novel’s exploration of uncertainty, loneliness, curiosity, resilience, and human connection.In this episode, I explore:reading as a nervous system experiencesuspense and anxiety in fictionexistential literature in approachable wayshow imagining “the worst case scenario” can sometimes reduce fearthe resilience of ritual, companionship, and curiosityHere is the link to the free Creative Grief Club, which includes monthly Zoom sessions and the book group on Fable: ⁠https://griefmagic.com/free/⁠Thanks for listening!Love,Yarrow

In this episode, I’m speaking with Lasara Firefox Allen, writer, educator, menopause coach, and author of the beautiful book Genderqueer Menopause.This conversation meant so much to me personally. Lasara’s work has genuinely helped me feel more hopeful, affirmed, and curious about aging, changing hormones, and living in a body that does not always fit dominant cultural narratives around gender or menopause.Together we talk about:gender expansive experiences of perimenopause and menopauseself advocacy in medical systemsgrief and identity shifts in midlifehormones beyond binary thinkingmasking, neurodivergence, and authenticityThis episode contains discussion of:chronic illnesssuicidal ideation statistics during perimenopausemedical neglectgrief and lossLasara Firefox Allen, MSW (they/them/Mx.) is a certified Menopause Doula, gender-affirming Menopause Coach, and educator specializing in inclusive midlife care. As CEO and Founder of Genderqueer Futures and Founding Coach of The Genderqueer Menopause Coach, they train healthcare providers, therapists, doulas, coaches, and other menopause professionals through the Gender-Affirming Menopause Care Certification Course, and facilitate community programs for trans and gender-expansive individuals. Their trauma-informed, evidence-based approach bridges research, somatics, and lived experience to transform menopause care. Socials: Substack: @lasarafirefoxallen Instagram: @lasara_firefox_allen @genderqueer.menopause Facebook: /lasara.wakerobin.firefox.allen (personal) and /lasara.firefox.allen (professional) as well as /genderqueermenopause TikTok: @lasarafirefoxallen and @genderqueer.menopauseHere is the link to the free Creative Grief Club, which includes monthly Zoom sessions and the book group on Fable: ⁠⁠https://griefmagic.com/free/⁠⁠Thanks for listening!Love,Yarrow

In this episode I'm sharing one of my favourite quiet practices: using tarot as a companion for journaling, especially through grief and times of transition.This is not about reading the cards correctly or having the right tools. It's about giving yourself a gentle structure for self-reflection, a way to move past the blank page, and permission to make your inner life feel beautiful and worth documenting.What I cover:Why journaling with tarot doesn't have to be daily, elaborate, or precious and how simplicity is actually the whole pointHow to create a dedicated writing space that makes showing up feel easySimple habits that make journaling richer: dating your pages, adding stickers and images, romanticizing the ordinary details of your lifeHow I use a single drawn card as a writing prompt, including a short body-based meditation for going deeper with the card's energyHere is the link to the free Creative Grief Club, which includes monthly Zoom sessions and the book group on Fable: https://griefmagic.com/free/Thanks for listening!Love,Yarrow

In this episode, I talk about how to approach the summer season with intention, especially if you're living with grief or chronic illness. Winter often gives us permission to slow down and rest. Summer asks something different of us. So how do we create a summer that feels nourishing rather than demanding? I explore practical rituals for seasonal transition, from organizing your home and wardrobe to curating your summer reading list. We also talk about calendar planning, protecting your energy, and checking in with the people you love about what you all need this season. This episode is an invitation to design a summer that honours your body and your capacity.What we cover:The practice of intentional seasonal transitionsHome rituals: organizing wardrobes, rotating seasonal items, stocking essentialsCurating your summer reading list and letting go of books that aren't serving youCalendar planning as a form of self-careChecking in with your community about summer hopes and needsPermission to do summer differentlyHere is the link to the free Creative Grief Club, which includes monthly Zoom sessions and the book group on Fable: https://griefmagic.com/free/Thanks for listening!Love,Yarrow

In this episode I'm reflecting on my relationship with screens, rest, and the quiet ritual of reading. I open with an honest look at my own winter screen habits and what it felt like to step back from Netflix and return to books. From there I explore why reading matters so much right now, and why fiction, romance, and healing stories in particular are having such a significant cultural moment.What I cover:Why audiovisual media can be dysregulating for sensitive and neurodivergent people, and what reading offers as a gentler alternativeThe beauty of reading spaces, pink bookshelves, and healing fiction as nourishment for the grieving bodyFour reasons fiction is so powerful right now: narrative repair, imaginative justice, emotional rehearsal, and representation as regulationPractical ideas for building a gentle, sustainable reading practice including the Fable app, Libby, and why one page always countsWhy romance is one of the fastest growing publishing genres globally and what that tells us about what we collectively need right nowHere is the link to the free Creative Grief Club, which includes monthly Zoom sessions and the book group on Fable: https://griefmagic.com/free/Thanks for listening!Love,Yarrow

In this episode, I am in conversation with boundary coach and author Kami Orange, whose book Say the Thing offers practical scripts and phrases for communicating clearly and setting boundaries with kindness.We talk about what it really means to advocate for yourself and others, especially in moments when words feel hard to find. Kami shares how her work began, how her background shaped her relationship to boundaries, and why having language ready can be so powerful in everyday life.This conversation is both practical and deeply reflective. We explore how boundaries intersect with grief, people pleasing, relationships, and the stories we carry from the past.Kami Orange (she/her) is a boundary coach, author of Say The Thing, and a fat, queer, autistic, white, cis woman with over 19 years of experience helping people to set boundaries, speak up in defense of others, and say the things that need to be said. An international keynote speaker featured on BuzzFeed, Upworthy, CNN Health, television, radio, and various podcasts, she can also be found on TikTok @kami_orange, Instagram @kamiorange, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kamiorangeboundarycoach, YouTube @kami_orange, and kamiorange.com. You can join Yarrow free Soft Grief Club over here: https://griefmagic.com/free/Thank you for listening!Love,Yarrow

In this solo episode, I share ten things I have bought or invested in to support myself through grief and chronic illness.For a long time, I hesitated to make recommendations because what we need is so personal, and we all have different budgets. This podcast is also ad free, and I want to keep it that way. But over the past few years, I have become more intentional about what I bring into my home and I have noticed a real shift in my comfort, my nervous system, and how I relate to daily life.I hope some of these hacks and ideas feel supportive to you too!You can join the Soft Grief Club over here: https://griefmagic.com/free/Love,Yarrow

In this episode, I’m sharing my experience of being diagnosed with fibromyalgia in early 2024 and reflecting on what it means to live with an invisible chronic illness. So much of modern life is built around visibility,  sharing images, documenting our lives online, and yet the most profound experiences often happen in places no one else can see. Living with chronic pain, brain fog and fatigue has made me think deeply about what visibility actually means, and about the strange tension between a culture that expects us to perform wellness and the reality of bodies that don’t always cooperate.I talk about the long path that led to my diagnosis, beginning with an accident at the end of 2020 and years of symptoms that I initially explained away as recovery from surgeries and medication. Over time it became clear that something deeper was happening in my nervous system, and that my relationship to work, energy and daily life was changing in ways I couldn’t ignore. Learning to pace my energy has been one of the biggest shifts, as well as navigating the shame that can arise when chronic illness collides with cultural narratives about productivity, work and what a successful life is supposed to look like.This episode is also about grief - the grief of changing identities, altered expectations and futures that look different from what we imagined. At the same time, it’s been an invitation to become curious about health in a deeper way: to learn about the nervous system, trauma, sleep, and the small everyday choices that help me care for my body with more compassion. My hope is that sharing this story might help others feel a little less alone, especially if they’re navigating illness that the world can’t easily see.You are welcome to join the spring season of Soft Monday sessions over here: https://griefmagic.com/blessings/Love,Yarrow

In this episode of the Grief Magic podcast, I reflect on the relationship between grief and the changing seasons.As spring returns, we explore what happens in nature during winter dormancy and how the quiet preparation of plants and trees mirrors many human emotional processes.The episode introduces gentle practices for connecting with nature, including seasonal observation, small acts of ecological care, and growing flowers such as cosmos and sweet peas.Rather than expecting nature to “heal” grief, this conversation invites us to experience the natural world as a quiet companion through cycles of loss and renewal.You are welcome to join the spring season of Soft Monday sessions over here: https://griefmagic.com/blessings/Love,Yarrow

In this episode, I explore the idea of romantic friendship and the many ways humans create intimacy outside traditional relationship structures. I talk about how the nuclear family seems to lose its hold as a primary way of relating and about the ways in which not being able to form a traditional family can still feel like a loss. Whether you are queer or not, as always I hope that this episode feels validating to your beautiful, unique way of being in the world and forming relationships that actually work for you. You are welcome to join the spring season of Soft Monday sessions over here: https://griefmagic.com/blessings/Love,Yarrow

In this beautiful conversation with Skylar Rose we talk about aging, identity shifts, and the quiet, often unacknowledged grief that can accompany transitions like career changes, menopause, empty nests, or letting go of versions of ourselves that no longer fit. Skylar speaks beautifully about what it means to cross these thresholds with intention, and about the importance of feeling held as we move from one chapter of life into another.What stayed with me most is Skylar’s description of midlife as a kind of unveiling. The coping mechanisms and expectations we once relied on can begin to fall away, inviting us into a deeper relationship with ourselves. We speak about the possibility that can emerge in this time of life, the courage to live more truthfully, to release external approval, and to imagine new ways of being. It’s a gentle, thoughtful conversation about aging, grief, possibility, and the beauty of allowing our lives to hold many truths at once.Skylar Liberty Rose is a meditation teacher and pro-aging advocate who helps midlife women embrace aging with confidence and purpose. Her work has reached thousands of women worldwide, inspiring deep transformation. Through her signature Elevations — personalized guided meditations for life transitions and goals — Skylar offers tailored support that delivers tangible results. Her clients move beyond ageist stereotypes, challenge anti-aging culture, and step into purposeful, empowered change. https://www.skylarlibertyrose.comYou are welcome to join the spring season of Soft Monday sessions over here: https://griefmagic.com/blessings/Love,Yarrow

In this episode of the Grief Magic podcast, I reflect on what it means to live with limited capacity in a culture that constantly demands more.Looking at historical shifts in work patterns, the rise of the 24 hour information cycle, and the impact of recent UK policies around disability and employment, this episode explores how feelings of exhaustion and overwhelm are often structural rather than personal.I also reflect on how industrialisation shaped modern ideas of productivity and worth, and how these ideas continue to influence how we judge ourselves today. As always my hope is that listening makes you feel less alone and that you know you are beautiful and worthy regardless of what you produce. You are welcome to join the spring season of Soft Monday sessions over here: https://griefmagic.com/blessings/Love,Yarrow

In this episode, I’m exploring journaling, narrative psychology, and the idea of romanticising everyday life.This winter I returned to journaling in a more visual way and began noticing how colour, collage and imagery can reveal emotional patterns that text alone sometimes hides.From there I became curious about narrative psychology, the idea that we understand our lives through the stories we tell about our experiences. Research suggests that consciously revisiting and reshaping these narratives can support healing, especially for trauma survivors and neurodivergent people.I also reflect on a recent conversation about romance and how I realised that I want to be romantic with everyone I love, not only in the context of partnership.You can join our free monthly sessions here: https://griefmagic.com/free-monthly-spark-sessions/Love,Yarrow

In this episode, I’m sharing more practical reflections on making friends as an adult after a more waffly episode last week. Friendships or the lack of feeling really known can bring up grief, awkwardness, hope, and so much longing. I wanted to offer a few grounded ideas for building connection in ways that feel sustainable, especially if you’re neurodivergent, sensitive, queer, living with disability, or simply navigating a changing season of life.We explore:Doing an honest assessment of what actually makes you feel connectedCreating space to be yourself and to unmask gentlyJoining spaces where you feel welcomed and where your way of relating is understoodSpending time in nature as a relational practice, noticing who is there, watching the seasons, and becoming intimate with the landscapeHosting the spaces you wish existed, online or offlineIf friendship has felt hard lately, I hope this episode leaves you feeling less alone, and more resourced to take one small step toward the kind of companionship you want.You are also welcome to join our weekly sessions, the self-study Grief Glimmers course or my free monthly Spark sessions over at https://griefmagic.com/Love,Yarrow

In this episode, I’m talking about loneliness, the lingering impact of lockdown, and what it can feel like to make friends as an adult.So many of us experience loneliness at least sometimes, especially in a world shaped by social media, remote work, changing friendships, and the long imprint of the pandemic.I reflect on how disability, chronic illness, and neurodivergence can make conventional social scripts harder to follow, and how our nervous systems can hold both a need for connection and a need for solititude.I also share a little about moving to Scotland without an established social network, and what helped me slowly rebuild connection in ways that actually felt good.Here is the sign up for the decluttering fundraiser workshop I mentioned: https://griefmagic.com/spring-cocoon/Love,Yarrow

In this episode, I’m in conversation with trauma-informed somatic practitioner and educator Darshana Avila about the relationship between grief, pleasure, and aliveness.We explore how pain and joy are not opposites, but part of the same spectrum of being human. Darshana shares how her work has evolved from sacred sexuality and body-based healing into a broader exploration of what she calls “erotic wholeness” — not limited to sex, but rooted in life force, creativity, grief, connection and presence.We talk about:How grief and pleasure can coexistThe idea of eros as aliveness rather than performanceThe role of community and ritual in griefMoving beyond binary ideas of “good” and “bad” emotionsTrauma-informed ways of relating to ourselvesDarshana Avila is a trauma-informed somatic educator, practitioner and international speaker who helps people reconnect with the most essential aspects of themselves — their truth, their desires, and their capacity for profound pleasure and power. Known for her grounded, candid, and relational approach, she bridges the worlds of erotic embodiment, trauma healing and self actualization.Darshana’s work has been featured on Netflix’s Sex, Love & goop, The Guardian, The New Yorker, and numerous leading podcasts.darshanaavila.com instagram.com/darshana_avilayoutube.com/@darshana-avilalinkedin.com/in/darshana-avilaYou can join monthly Spark sessions with Yarrow over here: https://griefmagic.com/free-monthly-spark-sessions/Thank you for listening!Love,Yarrow

In this gentle solo episode, I’m sharing some thoughts about how I’ve slowly shaped my home into a place that feels like a cocoon, somewhere to truly rest.I talk about why cocooning begins with decluttering rather than buying more, how choosing a simple colour landscape (for me, green and pink) creates visual calm, and why I love filling my space with natural textures like cotton, linen, and velvet (often second hand).We explore how light moves through a home, how to create different zones for work and rest, the magic of soft lighting, scent, and a few small rituals that help a space feel protected and intentional.This is not an episode about perfect interiors, i’s about tending to the space that tends to you.Here is the sign up for the decluttering fundraiser I mentioned: https://griefmagic.com/spring-cocoon/https://griefmagic.com/spring-cocoon/Thanks for listening!Love,Yarrow

In this short solo episode, I’m inviting you to join a soft, companionable decluttering workshop we’ll be doing together on March 8th from 4–6pm (UK time).Making space can be emotional as much as practical and doing it alone can feel overwhelming, so this workshop is a gentle spring reset.We’ll begin with a short pep talk and a simple, kind approach to decluttering, then spend time quietly clearing our spaces side by side. We’ll check in together and continue for a second session.The workshop is also a fundraiser to support a dear friend’s family in Sudan who urgently need help right now.You can sign up here: https://griefmagic.com/spring-cocoon/Love,Yarrow

In this Ask Me Anything episode, I’m answering some personal questions about my life, my history, and what feels meaningful to me right now.I talk about what I was like at school, my relationship with work, gratitude, grief, and the quieter rhythms that support me.If this episode sparks questions of your own, you’re very welcome to send them in for future Ask Me Anything episodes: https://speakpipe.com/yarrowmYou can join the Monday sessions here: https://griefmagic.com/blessings/ and sign up for the grief glimmers course here: https://griefmagic.com/courses/Sending love,Yarrow

In this episode of Grief Magic, I explore scent as a gentle companion during slow, tender, or inward seasons of life. We talk about how smell can support emotional regulation, memory, and meaning making, and how working with scent can become a quiet ritual rather than another thing to get right.I share a simple introduction to aromatherapy, including what it is and what it is not, and how to approach essential oils in ways that feel intuitive, sustainable, and accessible. We look at how scent can act as an anchor through grief, burnout, recovery, and periods of change, offering continuity and comfort without requiring words.If you like, you can join our Monday sessions here: https://griefmagic.com/blessings/and you can join my newsletter over here: https://griefmagic.com/Thank you for listening!Love,Yarrow

In this beautifully imaginative conversation, I’m joined again by Zoë from The Runa School to explore how ritual and play can come together to help us navigate grief, transformation, and everyday life. You can listen to our first conversation on the Kind Business podcast over here. Zoë shares how her work designing ritual games grew from her studies in rites of passage and her deep interest in how we can bring the sacred and the playful into conversation. We talk about the ritual game she created for me, The Grandmother’s Quilt, and how this experience opened a space for healing, intimacy with the land, and a sense of being witnessed in grief.Together we explore:How ritual games bridge devotion, creativity, and playWhat it means to be seen and held in moments of transformationThe healing power of simple, repeated acts of presenceWhat it looks like to root into community, ancestry, and the landHow we might bring ritual and reflection into workplaces and everyday lifeZoë also shares her vision for the future of The Runa School: bringing ritual games into collective spaces and reimagining our relationship with technology, storytelling, and community care.Zoë Ackerman is a co-founder of Mycelios, a game design studio, and Runa, a school dedicated to teaching and learning animist ritual. Zoë draws on over a decade of experience in participatory design, rites of passage, and embodied storytelling. Originally from Charlottesville, Virginia, Zoë now lives in Curitiba, Brazil, on the ancestral lands of the Guarani, Kaingang, and Xetá peoples.You can find Zoë’s work and sign up for her newsletter at runa.school.You can join our weekly glimmer sessions here: https://griefmagic.com/blessings/and this is the link to my business group program Rooted: https://pinkwellstudio.com/rooted/Thank you for listening!Love,Yarrow

Enrollment for Rooted 2026 closes this Sunday, January 25th, and I would love for you to join us. In this short episode, I’m sharing what to expect inside the program and a few new updates that make it an even more beautiful experience.You’ll hear about:🌿 The six themes we’ll explore together in Rooted✨ The new series of short pep talks you can download and listen to anytime🕯️ Two new Sunday co-working sessions for peaceful focus and accountability💛 The new six-month payment plan and sliding-scale options (starting at £50/month)If you’ve been thinking about joining but haven’t said yes yet, this is your moment. Rooted begins on Saturday, February 1st, and I can’t wait to get started.👉 Learn more and enroll here: https://pinkwellstudio.com/rooted

Today I want to talk to you about something really simple but surprisingly life-changing:  the emotional support bag.I started this practice in 2021, after my friend Francis died. I was deep in grief, and at the time I was mostly homebound due to an accident and lockdown. My days blurred together and it was just hard to keep track of things. I noticed that the things that could give me comfort, like a soft blanket, a lip balm, my stimmy toy or a good smell were always scattered around the house. So I began gathering them into a small zip pouch that I could keep near me at all times. Over time this became what I call my emotional support bag. It’s small enough to fit in my backpack, but full of things that make moving through the day easier. I know this is super simple, but its also great magic. Here are the two links I mentioned: Weekly Glimmer sessions https://griefmagic.com/blessings/Rooted group program https://pinkwellstudio.com/rooted/Thanks for listening!Love,Yarrow

I'm delighted to greet the new year by sharing a beautiful conversation I had with Eileen March of My Luminous Life. Eileen brings such a rich background and really touching insights to the table. Here is some of what we talked about: Simple ways to live a more magical life Slowing down enough to notice what we actually want Embracing what we can learn from loss and good griefListening to our bodies even if we don't always get the message we want to hearEileen March is a spiritual coach, energy healer, podcast host, author, and slow-living witch devoted to helping women reclaim their power, reconnect with their bodies, and re-enchant their everyday lives. With a background in both midwifery and religious studies, Eileen bridges the sacred and the practical—weaving together science, spirit, and soul.Eileen is the founder of My Luminous Life and the creator of Unleash Your Inner Witch, a powerful program designed to help spiritually curious women remember their magic and live with more meaning, fulfillment, rest, and peace. She’s passionate about dismantling hustle culture, listening to the body’s rhythms, and creating brave, nurturing spaces where women can feel held, seen, and safe enough to transform. When she’s not coaching or holding ceremony, you’ll find her reading stories of hope and healing, tending her garden, or snuggling her sweet kitty.Connect with Eileen on IG Download Awaken to the Magic Within (free eBook) Follow Eileen on Insight Timer Send Eileen an Email [email protected] are still welcome to join in the winter season of weekly glimmer sessions over here and here is the link to Rooted, my business group program over at Pink Well Studio. Thanks for listening,Yarrow

Happy New Year! I wanted to share a few small and gentle rituals for the beginning of 2026, little ways to mark this moment without rushing toward big resolutions or putting pressure on ourselves to reinvent everything overnight.I am still hibernating over here, so all I am trying to do is to prepare the soil for what will grow later in the year.I’ll walk you through a few of my favourite winter rituals: clearing and tending to your home, creating more space in your calendar, and checking in with friends who might need extra care this season. I’ll also share a reflection practice around defining your own sense of enoughness so you can move into the year with a little more peace and clarity.Finally, I’ll guide you through a simple ritual of writing a prayer for the year or the season ahead. It can be something short and personal that you keep close to remind yourself of what you most want to feel.This is also an invitation to join the winter season of our weekly glimmer sessions. These are beautiful drop ins on a Monday where you can be creative or do little rituals with other like minded people who want to begin the week (and the year) as they mean to go on: https://griefmagic.com/blessings/Thanks for listening,Yarrow

In this solo episode of Grief Magic, I share some gentle reflections on protecting your time and energy in the year ahead, so there’s room for meaningful connection with your grief, your body, and your creativity.I talk about how we can be intentional with the spaces we inhabit, both physical and digital, and create an environment that supports healing and rest. You’ll hear about:Making physical space in your home by decluttering gently and reconnecting with what you already haveReviewing spending and prioritising experiences and community over buying new thingsCurating your digital world by choosing what you engage with and using blockers or breaks to make space for stillnessSpending social time more intentionally and finding joy in making things togetherAsking what your grief actually needs from you right now, and creating rituals that allow it to move through you with tendernessThis episode is also an invitation to join the winter season of glimmer sessions, which start next week: https://griefmagic.com/blessings/ This is a beautiful space for creativity and renewal and there are sliding scale options available. We would love to have you!Thanks for listening,Yarrow

I wanted to close out the year with one more solo episode, talking about how I am celebrating and keeping things soft and simple. I am also sharing ideas for including loved ones we lost into our rituals, setting boundaries with family and making travelling more comfortable. Finally, there are some rituals for the winter solstice and a Rauhnaechste practice I am doing in here. Whatever you are up to, I hope you are ending the year with lots of rest and permission to dream. ✨ The Winter Glimmer Sessions begin in early January: weekly creative and ritual circles where we can rest, create, and tend to our inner worlds together. You can find all the details at https://glimmerportal.com/blessings/Love,Yarrow

Misha of Hafez Death Care, my guest for today's episode, has a really beautiful podcast I hope you will check out too - it's called Halva for the Heart and I was honoured to be on episode 14. In this conversation for Grief Magic, we went both deep and wide into some really meaningful topics that I hope you'll enjoy too: Dying and grieving in diasporaSmall and big rituals that help us navigate lossesListening to our bodies in the face of deathContinuing connections with people we have lost Misha (she/he/they) is an Iranian-American death doula and grief tender whose work honors the sacredness of death and the political power of mourning. Their path into this calling began at the tender age of twenty, when they were blessed with the gift of witnessing their mother’s death. Today, through Hafez Death Care, Misha offers culturally-rooted, anti-imperialist support for dying people and their loved ones before, during, and after the dying process.They also provide grief tending for personal, collective, and ancestral grief, teaching that grief is both an emotional process and an act of resistance. They facilitate community grief events, offer one-on-one death midwifery and grief support, and host Halva for the Heart, a podcast exploring death and grief through a diasporic lens. Misha’s work is grounded in the belief that by caring for our Dying and tending to our grief in community, we strengthen our movements for justice and deepen our capacity for collective care.https://hafezdeathcare.com/You are invited to join the Winter Magic retreat here: https://glimmerportal.com/tarot-for-grief-winter-solstice-retreat/Thanks for listening!Love,Yarrow

I loved the chance to talk to Alexis Cunningfolk again - we did an interview back in 2019 for episode #82 (in the before times!) and now got to catch up about their new book and expansive, beautiful and inspiring magic. Here is some of what we covered:Building a collective library of plants, magic & spellsEconomic justice & supporting access to community education Slowing down and setting a place for grief at the tableBuilding sustainable and magical creative practicesAlexis J. Cunningfolk is creating plant-led spaces of healing because none of us are meant to do this work alone. Practicing as an intersectional herbalist for over fifteen years and as a witch for nearly three decades, her work has led her around the country, presenting at various magickal, herbal, and academic conferences, as well as facilitating rituals for groups ranging from a handful of folks to hundreds. Alexis focuses on evidence-based and embodied plant healing while drawing on her experiences as a lesbian, a woman of mixed ancestry, and a third culture kid to create practices that help folks re-enchant their world and call themselves back home to their bodies. In addition to working with plants, she has been reading tarot since she was twelve, teaching since she was nineteen, and sneaking off to places in-between since she could walk. Alexis offers much of her work for free or low-cost, wild seeding wisdom as an act of gratitude and a spell of collective liberation.Find her work at www.wortsandcunning.com.Join my virtual winter solstice tarot retreat over here: https://glimmerportal.com/tarot-for-grief-winter-solstice-retreat/Thank you for listening!Love,Yarrow

I am so honoured to share a beautiful conversation with Gabriela de Golia, who was also on episode #158. This time, we had a chance to go deeper and check back in on how the last few years have shaped us. Here is some of what we talked about:Discerning our unique relationship with the divineGrief and mortality as a gateway to understanding the mysteryThe politics of spiritual careRitual practice for tending, resilience and resistanceGabriela De Golia is the amalgamation of many beings, experiences, and possibilities. Weaving from a wide range of ancestral, spiritual, intellectual, political, and creative lineages, she serves as a spiritual care provider, ritualist, artist, writer, and a devotee of the mystery from which all things emerge and to which all things return. They support people in accessing the holy depths within and beyond us, to help co-create a world where all beings can be truly and deeply free.https://gabrieladegolia.com/Join us for weekly sessions here: https://glimmerportal.com/blessings/Receive a grief blessings tarot reading: https://glimmerportal.com/grief-blessings/Thank you so much for listening!

I am falling back in love with the tarot at the moment, as is custom each fall, and wanted to share some ideas and inspiration. These practices are sweet and simple to easily fit into your life and hopefully bring you some comfort and insight as we go deeper into the cozy season. Here are the spreads I mentioned:Daily CardsDrawing Closer - intentionally choosing a card and then drawing cards to explore what to release or invite in order to bring more of this energy in Past, Present, Future on specific areas of lifeA relationship spread: 1. How to stay grounded in my centre? 2. What do I have to offer? 3. What do I really want? 4. What might come up?The deck I told you about is the Nova Witch deck by Suki Ferguson and Ana Novaes and the two books I mentioned are She is Sitting in the Night by Oliver Pickle and All of our Stories by Beth Maiden. If you'd like space to practice, come join us for weekly Fall Blessing sessions: https://glimmerportal.com/blessings/or request a reading here: https://glimmerportal.com/grief-blessings/Thank you for listening!Love,Yarrow

Welcome to October! This is a beautiful interview with Charlene Lam, a creative and thoughtful voice whose work weaves together storytelling, curation, and deep personal reflection.Charlene speaks with honesty about the sudden loss of her mother and the early days of navigating grief and shock. We talk about how she approached the emotionally complex process of going through her mom’s belongings, and how her background as a creator shaped the way she honoured her mother’s memory. She offers practical, meaningful tools that can help anyone who is navigating grief to move forward with more ease and gentleness. Charlene Lam is a certified grief coach, TEDx speaker and the founder of The Grief Gallery. After her mother died suddenly in 2013, Charlene leaned into her creativity and instincts as a curator to guide herself through grief. Her Curating Grief® framework is a creative, accessible way grievers can navigate dealing with the physical stuff and the emotional stuff. Her first book, Curating Grief: A Creative Guide to Choosing What to Keep After a Loved One Dies, is out now. Website www.charlenelam.comLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/charclam/Instagram ​​https://www.instagram.com/curating_griefYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@thegriefgalleryJoin Fall Blessings: https://glimmerportal.com/blessings/Get on the waitlist for ROOTED: https://pinkwellstudio.com/rooted/

Friends, I am so happy to share this beautiful conversation with Uma Girish with you. We talked about loss as a portal, honouring all kinds of grief, letting relationships evolve and transform and finding ourselves in a steady and loving way in the process. Uma Girish is a Grief Companion for women who feel lost as they’re grieving a loss. She serves as a loving witness and companions them on their journey so they can feel seen, heard, and supported as they heal.Her Substack publication is called “Light After Loss.”Uma is also the author of four books, the latest being “Sacred Fire: Memoir of A Marriage” which speaks to the grief in a long-term partnership when two people who love and respect each other deeply choose to walk different soul paths.You can learn more about Uma and her work at https://umagirish.comJoin us for Fall Blessings sessions here: https://glimmerportal.com/blessings/Thank you for listening!Love,Yarrow

This episode is an invitation to join me for supportive, affordable sessions every Monday this fall. We continue on from the summer blessings series, every Monday from 7-8pm UK time, with gentle space to write, make art, do rituals or dream. No pressure, come as you are and use the code FRIENDS to join for free if you can't afford the normal price of 60 GBP. Sign up here: https://glimmerportal.com/blessings/and join the branding & canva fundraiser workshop over here: https://pinkwellstudio.com/fundraiser-workshops/Love,Yarrow

What happens to the poetry, the paintings, the sketches and songs of our loved ones when they pass? In this beautiful conversation with Sarah Sawyer we talked about her friend and award-winning poet, Andrea Werblin Reid, who left us a stunning collections of poems called To See Yourself As You Vanish. It gave me so much precious food for thought about final wishes, the things we leave behind and what we can do for those we love as we say goodbye. In the last 3 years of her life, Andi 150 fierce, frank, witty poems on living with ovarian cancer and end of life. Before she died she asked a group of friends to do what we could to get it into the world. Sarah Sawyer is of those friends and is thrilled to share that this, her 3rd and strongest book yet--To See Yourself As You Vanish--is being represented by Rob McQuilken and will be published by Wesleyan Press September 9th. The book: https://www.weslpress.org/9780819502070/to-see-yourself-as-you-vanish/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrea_werblin_reid_poetry/ Sarah Sawyer is a writer and a chaplain specializing in psychedelics and end of life. She lives in Boulder, Colorado and is proud to be helping to shepherd Andi's work to publication. Sarah's work: https://www.sarahksawyer.com/ You can join Fall Blessings over here: https://glimmerportal.com/blessings/Thank you for listening!Love,Yarrow

Last week was the first anniversary of my mum's passing, so I wanted to share an episode on what surprised me, what I needed, how I changed and what we did to mark the day. I hope this episode will offer you some space to reflect on your own grief and feel less alone in the process <3If you have a question, you can send me a voice note here: https://speakpipe.com/yarrowmMuch love,Yarrow

This is a little waffle about who I used to be when I was younger and what it was like to slowly but surely slow down to honour my health and be honest about who I actually am (not a super charged over achiever). I hope it helps you make space for your own grief around abilities, health and past versions of self. You can join my free monthly Spark sessions via Substack: https://yarrow.substack.com/This is the sign up for Summer Blessings, which starts tomorrow: https://glimmerportal.com/summer-blessings/And this is the sign up for my next fundraiser workshop on July 17th: https://pinkwellstudio.com/money-workshop/Thank you for listening!Love,Yarrow

I have two invitations for you:1. Please join me for a fundraiser workshop on money, shame & pricing: ⁠https://pinkwellstudio.com/money-workshop/⁠2. Come make weird & beautiful art with me in weekly creative sessions every Monday in July & August. Come as you are, work on your own project and enjoy gentle togetherness. GBP 40, no one turned away for lack of funds: ⁠https://glimmerportal.com/summer-blessings/⁠Hopefully see you soon!Love,Yarrow

In this episode I am sharing a few ideas to help us remember loved ones we have lost. It was my mum's birthday last week, so this is fresh on my mind and I hope that some of these ideas will feel sweet for you to try. If you'd like to send me a question, you can do so here: https://speakpipe.com/yarrowmHere is the sign up to the fundraiser workshop on money, pricing & shame: https://pinkwellstudio.com/money-workshop/and here is more info about grief companionship: https://glimmerportal.com/companionship/Thank you for listening!Love,Yarrow

Firstly, thank you so much for the warm reception, support and encouragement for this new podcast chapter and business adventure. I appreciate all the feedback and reviews so much! In today's episode I am offering five ways to connect in grief, organised in an introvert-friendly way by amount of social energy required. Here is the link to send me a voice note question: https://www.speakpipe.com/yarrowmHere is my Substack (which includes free monthly Spark sessions): https://yarrow.substack.com/and here is the link to my new Grief Glimmers course, on pre-sale until June 11th: https://glimmerportal.com/courses/The books I mentioned were The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Frances Weller and Bright Hour by Nina RiggsThank you for listening!Love,Yarrow

This episode is a reflection on how grief moves through the body with a guided meditation practice at the end. All you need is a quiet space to sit or lie down. Enjoy!More episodes are over here: https://glimmerportal.com/and you can send me a question over here: speakpipe.com/yarrowmThank you for listening!Love,Yarrow

I'm so happy to share my first interview in this new podcast chapter with you! I spoke to the wonderful Lynn of Full Circle of Love, who has also been touched by grief and shared lots of her insights & magic. Here is some of what we talked about: Navigating the depth of grief & letting it change us Building community in which we can fully be ourselves Slow stitching and art practices that gently slow us downBeing sensitive and living a creative, resilient & connected life Lynn Salmon-Easter is a Reiki practitioner and artist living and working in Minneapolis, Minnesota USA. Lynn finds deep purpose in guiding individuals home to their heart and body using energy work and art making. She finds slow stitching to be magical in bringing mindfulness and awareness alive through its practice, and she vows to bring this experience to life for others through her artwork and classes. Lynn has trained in the Usui lineage with David Kaley of Minnesota. Her website: https://www.fullcircleoflove.cominstagram: @fullcircleofloveFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/fullcircleofloveRest advocate Octavia Raheem mentioned in the episode: https://www.octaviaraheem.com/And her books: Pause, Rest, Be https://www.pauserestbe.com/Rest Is Sacred https://www.octaviaraheem.com/rest-is-sacred Thanks so much for listening!Love,Yarrow

Today is the new moon in Taurus, international grieving in public day and time to launch a new chapter on the podcast. This space is called Grief Glimmers now and I have a whole new website over at GlimmerPortal.com that you can check out. In this episode I am re-introducing myself, telling you more about how this project came to be and what to expect. You can send me a question over here: https://speakpipe.com/yarrowmand join my Substack & Spark sessions over here: https://yarrow.substack.com/Grief Companionship: https://glimmerportal.com/companionship/Grief Glimmers course: https://glimmerportal.com/courses/Custom grief quilts: https://glimmerportal.com/custom-grief-quilts/Thank you so much for listening!Love,Yarrow

I am finally back with an interview for you! This was a real balm to my sore heart -  lots of textile explorations, community arts magic and just true delight with Cordy of Transmissions Quilts. Tune in for encouragement, giggles and a gentle restoration of faith in humanity. Cordy says - I am a white trans quilter living in the East Bay. Alongside my quilts, I work as an arts educator and childcare worker primarily with trans teens and queer families. I hope to exist in a lineage that sees quilts as radical objects that not only represent our collective hunger for freedom but also, through making them, allow us to take active steps towards that freedom. I come from a bloodline that has largely forgotten its creativity and I am interested in resuscitating that, starting in myself. I’m trying to move slower and talk less. One current poetic guide is Chessy Normile.https://transquilts.net/https://www.instagram.com/coanofsilence/

Welcome back, I'm still here and still grieving, thank you for joining me in this weird and wonderful process. For this episode I had a beautiful listener question about finding balance and seeking simplicity when you're also kind of a maximalist in some areas of your life. You can send me a question over here: https://www.speakpipe.com/YarrowMAnd you can join my Substack and Spark sessions over here: https://yarrow.substack.com/Love,Yarrow