Wandering Willow Speaks

How the natural world shows us exactly what we need, when we need it. Join me for my next online gathering July 5th at 1pm EDT, open to paid subscribers. More info here https://wanderingwillow.substack.com/p/show-and-tell-for-grown-ups This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wanderingwillow.substack.com/subscribe

Gemini season invites questions, reflection, overthinking, storytelling, and truth-telling. In this conversation with Christy of The ADHD Tarot , we wander through astrology, tarot, creativity, authenticity, nervous system safety, intuition, AI, burnout, and the courage to share your real voice in a noisy world. Expect oracle cards, neurodivergent musings, birds, cats, and reminders to follow what...

I’m not great at endings. Maybe I’m not great at beginnings either haha. I’m just out here keeping it as real as possible. In the age of AI, I’m finally ok with my flaws and imperfections, and my 10 fingers. I made the above video explaining what the heck Show & Tell for Grown-Ups is about. The anxiety it’s giving me as I type, waiting for the video to finish, is subtly killing me. Please finish u...

There aren’t enough hours in the day for me to talk about the liminal space. Good thing - for you - this video is just under 40 minutes Amanda and I chatted about the liminal space, and how I found myself there. I’m learning that I’m a liminal being at this point. I’ve fully set up camp in the in-between. Liminal simply means in between . In between versions of yourself. Transitional phases and pl...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wanderingwillow.substack.com Hello wanderers! This is me giving a mostly casual, slightly feral life update. In the video I mentioned how I’m going live with Amanda Saint on Wednesday May 27 at 11:00am ET, here is the link https://open.substack.com/live-stream/209461 The next Show and Tell for Grown-Ups gathering is on Sunday June 7th a...

In this live conversation, Sam and Christie explore the relationship between nature and ADHD—through lived experience, not just theory. Sam shares how forest therapy became a turning point during burnout and panic attacks, describing it as a heart-based, relational practice where “the forest is the therapist” and the guide simply opens the doors through the senses. Christie reflects on being diagn...

Sometimes the thing we’re craving most isn’t more attention… it’s actually seeing ourselves. In this episode of Wandering Willow Speaks , I follow a thread that started with a simple question: “Today is, are you feeling unseen? Make a video.” And it goes somewhere deeper than just “go make content.” I talk about how making a video might not actually be about other people seeing you at all. “The po...

Joy is a Currency (video at the top) This started with a question I asked this morning: If I’m in the right place, following the nudges…why isn’t the money showing up? What came through wasn’t an answer I could logically work with. It was this: joy is a currency. I don’t fully understand what that means in a tangible, pay-your-bills kind of way. But I do feel that it matters. That giving and recei...

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wanderingwillow.substack.com/subscribe

I had the pleasure of hosting a live video with the magical Diane Pienta. She, like me, is a Certified Forest Therapy Guide with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. She is also the author of Be The Magic: Bite-Sized Nuggets of Wisdom to Feed your Joy, Nourish your Soul and Open you Heart and writes at Be the Magic on Substack. We talked about intuition and did some short practices to get...

Thank you Brad Did , Ana-Maria Janes , and many others for tuning into my live video with Christie Sausa, MS ! We took many tangents on this one. Pretty much how ADHD works, especially with my brain. The midlife mind ain’t doing me any favors either. We chatted about cats, beverages, astrology, jobs, and ended up on the topic of AI. Watch the video and let me know how many times Chewy’s tail hit m...

Content note: This essay discusses body image struggles, diet culture, and the ways girls’ bodies are shaped by harmful cultural messaging. It was the 90s. I was a teen, and the word midriff was used a lot. Mostly because we weren’t allowed to expose it in school. Not that I would have been “allowed” to expose mine. My belly was not flat. Therefore it was not acceptable to be seen. Only mocked. On...

Sometimes love stories start in the most unexpected places. Mine started behind a gas station counter with a guy who had hazel eyes that wouldn't quit. What followed: an elaborate party scheme, floor food, terrible decision-making, and a 2am text that somehow led to 15+ years of marriage. Listen to the full story of how I met my husband—buffalo chicken dip and all. How did you meet your love? This...

There’s a rhythm to this Advent journey — each day revealing a new facet of the path you’re walking. Some days move you outward, toward wonder and possibility; others draw you inward, inviting steadiness, clarity, and truth. Today’s message meets you right in that inner terrain. If the previous days have encouraged trust in the unfolding, Day 6 offers something essential for the adventure ahead: t...

Today’s message moves us deeper into the unfolding journey of this Advent season. If the past few days have invited you to step into the mystery and plant a tender seed of hope, today brings a sense of nourishment — a reminder that something ancient, generous, and wildly abundant is already supporting your path. Card of the Day: The Corn — Mystical Shaman Pocket Oracle Audio Summary (provided by A...

Today’s message moves us deeper into the unfolding journey of this Advent season. If the past few days have been about entering the unknown and trusting what you can’t yet see, today offers a sense of grounding — a reminder that you are held, supported, and accompanied by something ancient and steady. Card of the Day: Guardian Stone from the Ancient Stones Oracle Audio Summary (AI generated) Today...

Today’s card invites us to stay open to the unexpected and trust the path that’s unfolding beneath our feet. Card of the Day: Nothing Is Impossible — Ancient Stones Oracle Nothing Is Impossible Open to the unexpected. You’ll find a way. Audio Summary (provided by AI) Today’s card comes from the Ancient Stones Oracle by Rebecca Campbell, with artwork by Katie Louise. This deck carries a soothing la...

The key is asking us to double down on the message from Day 1. Will you embrace the mystery of life and step into the unknown? Card of the Day: Key from The Fairy Tale Heroine Oracle Audio Summary (provided by AI) Today’s card from the Fairytale Heroine Oracle is Key , a symbol of thresholds, portals, and the power to choose what you open. Keys in fairytales carry us from one world to another, and...

The day arrives with that subtle shift in the atmosphere — the moment before snow, the moment before dawn. Ravens appear in these in-between spaces, carrying messages you only hear when you stop trying to control the outcome. Card of the Day: Mystery from The Moon Deck Audio Summary (AI generated) Today’s card from The Moon Deck is Mystery , inviting you to soften into the unknown rather than brac...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wanderingwillow.substack.com Astrology Check-In: New Moon, Retrograde Lessons, and What’s Shifting Beneath the Surface The days around the new and full moons tend to heighten everything—intuition, emotions, clarity, and the urge to recalibrate. This month’s New Moon in Scorpio brings a strong sense of completion before a new beginning....

Winter has a way of stripping life back to its bones. This season arrives quietly at first—the leaves thinning, the mornings darkening—but then one day you look outside and realize, “there’s no color left.” This was the heart of the conversation in our recent live chat: two sensitive humans naming the truth of what this season does to our bodies, minds, and spirits. And in the naming, something so...

🌙 Replay: Cold, Dark, & Sensitive Souls Mercury retrograde, time changes, and gray skies — oh my! In this candid and cozy chat, Sam of Wandering Willow and TeriLeigh of HUSH ~ Highly Unapologetic Sensitive Humans dive into how sensitive and neurodivergent souls feel the shift into the darker season. From tech glitches to chilly bones, they explore what it means to move gently through late autumn’...

Wandering Willow is a space for reflection, rewilding, and deep connection—with yourself, nature, and the stories that shape your life. Rooted in Forest Therapy and a passion for storytelling, you’ll find musings on nature’s wisdom, the heart’s wild truth, and the journey of remembering who you are. 🌿 Freshly foraged each Wednesday🌿 🌿 The Trees Are Talking (and So Are We) I missed this live whe...

Thank you Salwa , Teri Leigh 💜 , Sherry Taveras , Rhiannon , Eddie Burns , and many others for tuning into my live video with Jeannie Ewing ! In our conversation, we explored how grief shows up not only through loss, but also in life’s transitions, shifting identities, and unexpected moments. We shared stories, laughter, and the importance of tending grief in community rather than alone. This is...

Live Reflection: Community, Nature, and Creativity In today’s spontaneous live, I shared about the beauty of gathering in community and how vulnerable it can feel to be seen while creating together. From conversations with trees and birds to noticing how nature holds us without judgment, I reflected on how connection—both human and more-than-human—helps us feel less alone. I spoke about the ritual...