Happy Monday, my friends! It’s been a busy weekend as we start packing up our house and preparing for the move. I’m gearing up for my last week at the day job, as well, so life feels a bit like a whirlwind. But in a good way. Probably.
Nevertheless, I’m making good on my promise to be more consistent with this newsletter and bringing you more reading recs & Tarot goodness. Let’s get to it!
Book Rec of the Week
I just finished Matrix by Lauren Groff and I’m going to go out on a limb and recommend it even though I don’t think it’s for everyone. It’s a weird book about a lesbian nun who becomes the powerful leader of her abbey. It’s also one of those that takes the “not using quotation marks is Literary” approach, which I’ve never really understood.
Even so, I personally found the close look at daily life in an abbey fascinating, and really enjoyed the story once I settled into the style. It spans a great deal of time over the course of Marie’s life and is a quiet meditation on life and womanhood and faith.
If you’re into weird books about unusual women, you can grab this one on Bookshop.org or Amazon.
Tarot Reading of the Week
Card of the Week: King of Cups
Deck Used: Journey Tarot (from Zenned Out)
This card is all about taking control of your emotional self and stepping into compassion. The King of Cups suggests that you are in a place where you’re able to weather your challenges with relative grace. Things may not be easy, but you are taking it a step at a time. This is a good time to get clear about your emotional boundaries and the steps you need to take to maintain this period of steadiness.
Words from the Web
We’re just two weeks into the year and already I’m forgetting to bookmark wonderful stories throughout the week to share in the newsletter. Going from memory, I’m sharing this hilarious maple syrup boob story from Aimée Brown Gramblin. Breast Stories is, incidentally, a phenomenal publication centering stories about breasts and our relationships to them.
As for me, I’ve been reflecting on my resistance to change as I settle into the reality that this year is going to be a massive shift for me. This essay “If Change is the Only Constant, How am I Still so Bad at It?” is an exploration of what it means to settle and when we should shake up our roots.
And that’s all I’ve got this week! Don’t hesitate to send a comment my way if you’ve got something to say about our card of the week, the reading recs, or any feedback.
(Amanda Reads uses Bookshop.org and Amazon affiliate links. If you choose to buy anything mentioned here, your purchase supports my work at no additional cost to you!)