Grief Magic: Rituals, Stories & Gentle Conversations about Loss

Hello my fellow grievers and soft folks, here is another chapter for you - this one is about building your whole life around your nervous system and what that looks like for me at the moment.  Also, feel free to send me a little voice note if you want to say hi and/or wish to request a topic for the podcast: https://www.speakpipe.com/YarrowM Love, Yarrow

Welcome to a new format on here - little weekly check ins about grief, process and slow seasons. I promise it wont all be sad, it will also be weird, expansive and sometimes wonderful.  I know a lot of people who lost really significant loved ones this year and I know that we all need to feel less alone in that strange adventure. I hope these episodes can be with you and your sadness.  I will stil...

In this episode I am chatting about a few simple ways in which I am staying connected with creativity while my brain is adjusting to the loss of my mum. In short, it's about lowering the bar, being realistic and appreciating a wider net of expression. I hope it feels helpful! Love, Yarrow

This episode is dedicated to my mum Marina, who passed away suddenly at the end of July. She was incredible - resilient, creative, full of life and hands down the most loving person I know. She taught me how to live a good life full of pleasure and connection even in late stage capitalism. I had 38 years with her and am so proud to call her my mum.  The wonderful Narinder Bazen joined me for this...

The world is a lot, but then what's new? In this episode I wanted to share a few ways in which I am staying grounded this summer, including excellent book selection, gentle rituals and activism that is doable and kind on my nervous system. I hope it's a helpful space for you to think about your own summer and orient towards the pleasure & joy that is available to you. Here is info abou...

Patient and appreciated listeners, I am bring you another wonderful conversation with Lara Irene Vesta. I hope this find you well, with a bit of sunshine on your face and a quiet moment to dive in. Here is some of what we talked about: Writing beautiful books from bed Growing wild gardens that tend to themselves  Rites of passage and spiritual sinkholes  Finding ways to stay connected to enchantme...

This episode is such a heartfelt deep dive into grief, creativity & enchantment with the wonderful Narinder Bazen. Here is some of what we talked about:  The space that death awareness inhabits in our lives Making simplicity & minimalism our own Thresholds & finding a place in the world  Meaning making and ritual through hard times Narinder Bazen is an artist, death midwife, enchanted...

I've been such a fan of Christi's work and especially her book Mystical Stitches for ages and so it's a real joy to bring this beautiful interview to you! Here is what we talked about:  Finding one's own voice with shapes, colours and composition  Rituals and creative process Writing books and sharing skills The beauty, magic and resilience of textiles Christi Johnson's persona...

In this episode I am sharing five sweet & simple things I'll be doing to make the month ahead more beautiful. Think home spa, love letters, self-commitment and flowers. I hope you'll feel inspired!  You can join my monthly Spark Sessions for extra ritual support via my Substack here: https://yarrow.substack.com/ and here is more info about the upcoming donation based workshop on ethica...

This episode is a dream come true for my nerdy heart - I had a chance to talk to Dr. Isabella Rosner, whose podcast Sew What? I've been a fan of for years. We talked about how she got into textile histories, her PhD research and work at the Royal School of Needlework, about what textiles can teach us about what it means to be human and making time to create.  Dr Isabella Rosner is the Curator...

This episode is my first interview with a guest in about eight months and I could not feel more excited & honoured to speak to Chaney Williams. There was so much in this conversation that was a balm to my soul - we talked about life-changing moments and accidents, listening to the whispers of your ancestors and our bodies, quiet spaces to create and dreaming new dreams. I hope you love it as m...

In this episode I'm sharing more about an oral history project I'll be running this year - I want to find out how people with disabilities, like myself, used needlework to explore a sense of place and heritage during lockdown. I'm excited to explore topics like resilience in isolation, material and making vs consumption, connection with family stories and more.  This of course relates...

Happy new year! In this episode I'm talking about how I am centring mental health & wellbeing in my creative practice this year - removing barriers, creating space for accessible participation & dreams, finding the sweet spot of gentle accountability and indulging wildly in flow states!  More info about my web design work is here: https://pinkwellstudio.com/ and you can join Stitching...

Perhaps an odd day to publish a new episode, but I thought this might be nice to share today for anyone who also feels a little overwhelmed with the festivities at a time of so much uncertainty and upheaval. Finding and exploring one's creative voice is something I have been thinking about a lot this year - I explored stripping back the media overwhelm, identifying core messages and symbolism...

If you're like me, having gentle accountability to slow down & be creative makes it much more likely for you to do things that bring you joy. Maybe you too feel that you need it more than ever.  After a bit of a break I am bringing my Patreon back, because I miss our creative time together and also because I am excited to share my research on radical needlework with you. In this episode I...

In this episode I am talking about what slowness means to me in my practice right now and how I've learned to still appreciate the process when chronic illness and disabilities slow me down. I'm taking a longer view on things, thinking about how slowness makes space for observations and stories to be woven into my work and how stitching and carving supports my wellbeing in so many ways. I&...

In this episode I am talking about taking a specific question into the darker time of the year, thinking about what spiritual practices I want to commit to this season, trying something new & gathering tools that are meaningful to me. You can join my Substack here if you like: https://yarrow.substack.com/ Love, Yarrow

In the second instalment of my Getting Ready for Winter series I am sharing things that have helped me pay more attention to what I love - making, cooking, wandering and having conversations. As the days grow shorter many of us feel we want more of those things, but it can be so so hard to make time. If you feel the same I hope this episode will offer you some ideas & inspiration.  You can joi...

Hey friends, I'm so excited to be back here with a little series on getting ready for winter, seasonal rituals & living a soft & creative life. In this first episode you'll hear more about how I inhabit my home and make it a place of easy, playful and accessible creative expression. You can join my Substack & the Spark sessions I mentioned over here: https://yarrow.substack.com...

This episode is such a wonderful note to end on before I am heading into a little break - it was a true joy to talk to Justine & Larisa who wrote the wonderful book called The Grieving Therapist. I hope listening will feel as comforting as it did for me. Here is some of what we talked about:  Diving deep into collaborative creative projects Processing pandemic grief and making meaning from wha...

For this episode I had the honour of talking to Joelle of Butch Yoga again - we had a great first chat for episode #159 and so in this one we got to dive a little bit deeper. Here is some of what we talked about:  Finding time for stillness in one's body Bringing in joy, self-compassion and playfulness  Letting things move through our bodies Joelle is a non-binary butch lesbian who is really i...

Hi sweet listeners, I am delighted to bring you a charming, inspiring and joyful conversation with the wonderful Melissa Word. I have loved her Grief Threads program so much and could listen to her talk about bodies, grief and art forever. Here is some of what we explored: Approaching dance & movement in a totally new way Listening and learning from our grief Opening our arms wide wide wide to...

In this episode I am sitting by the river with you to think about the summer ahead. Three different ideas made me feel that approaching it as a season of creative recovery would be a really good idea on so many levels. I am also sharing two practices that might help you get intentional about the next few months in your own way.  I decided not to start a private podcast in the end, but might do in...

I recorded this episode by the river this morning and talked about the why & how of small ritual quilts. My little waffle includes thoughts on the meaning of ritual and what has changed for me three years after publishing my book Rituals, what I love about working with reclaimed materials and how I use these small ritual quilts in my day to day for beauty & inspiration.  The workshop on Ma...

This is an episode I recorded by the river this morning, I am talking about what might happen when we die - why I think it's an important question, what dreams have to do with it and what I love about not actually knowing.  I hope it gives you some food for thought!  Here is the Create & Launch program: https://pinkwellstudio.com/create-launch/ Thank you for listening! Love, Yarrow