Hi friends! After some lovely responses to my first moon-thly roundup, I’m happy to continue sharing some of the bits, bobs, and bites that I’ve enjoyed in the past moon cycle!
What I’m reading
I’m currently devouring The Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (expect a #spellbooksaturday when I’m finished!), but this month I enjoyed…
The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Beautifully written, moving, and utterly necessary for the moment in which we find ourselves.
“Why the War on Empathy Is Really a War on Humanity Itself” by Kateie Jgln of The Noösphere
“Empathy — the ability to recognise [sic] and understand the feelings of others — and compassion — being moved by their suffering or distress — have practically become controversial nowadays.”
“Do you keep mistaking the women in your life for sexy lamps?” by Celeste Davis of Matriarchal Blessings
“You’d be surprised just how many movie makers, authors and content creators struggle with this very same conundrum!”
I’m still re-reading Bethany’s beautiful feature for Tending the Hedge— so inspiring!
What I’m watching
Few things give me anxiety quite like fast fashion— the environmental impact, the truly craven labor practices, the gross over-consumption— it’s a nightmare. While I’m not in a financial position to source all of my clothing strictly through small-scale, sustainable designers, I try to do what I can to reduce my impact by buying second hand, mending, etc. I appreciated Bernadette Banner’s “How to Identify Quality in Clothing (A Rant)” video for highlighting what to look for in a garment, and how we might be better stewards of our wardrobes.
In the world of cinema, this month I enjoyed Heretic, but really, nothing I say here could top reviewer Katie Walsh: “It actually IS my greatest fear to be trapped by a man into listening to his monologues about culture and philosophy.”
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What I’m listening to
I found so much value in this discussion about anarcho-tradwives from radical love letters. As someone who believes in the radical potential of slow living as a rejection of capitalist culture, I get incredibly irritated when my hobbies, skills, etc. are mistakenly identified as “trad.” My desire to grow our own food, for example, or the pleasure I’m taking in sewing a quilt, does not stem from some nonsense belief in heteronormative gender roles— far from it— and I appreciated this discussion for so clearly distilling something that I’ve felt: Christian fascists do not get to lay claim to slow living and domestic stewardship.
What I’m eating
I often find myself stuck in a rut with my cooking, reverting to the same old recipes out of ease. To spice things up (pun intended), this month Garun ordered two new cookbooks for us, Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables by Abra Berens and Indian-Ish: Recipes and Antics from a Modern American Family by Priya Krishna. I love the formatting of the former, and am excited to learn new things from the latter!
What I’m doing
In addition to finishing the quilt I started last month, in my free time I have been playing the most delightful video game! As an elder millennial with a soft-spot for the old 16-bit Super Nintendo games, I was introduced to more contemporary games when I moved in with my then-boyfriend, now-husband and he brought his X-Box. I still enjoy more cozy, non-competitive games, and recently have fallen down the rabbit hole of Potion Craft, because of course I like pretending to be an old-timey alchemist!
And speaking of stirring the pot, lately I have been distributing pro-choice fliers within my community— it’s super easy to carry a handful in my purse and then leave a few in public places like restrooms, community cork boards, etc. Yes, I’m sure a bunch end up in the garbage bin, but on the off chance that one finds its way into the hands of someone who needs this information, I feel it’s a mitzvah. Download the printable “Your Body, Your Choice” flier below (PDF linked below image):
