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 places. Sometimes I think about a house foyer being a liminal space - the space between where you come and go.

We talked about writing, and how it’s a form of channeling. How things just pop into our writer heads and we just have to get it out.

The liminal space and writing go hand in hand. Like peanut butter and jelly. Peas and carrots (said in the Forrest Gump voice.)

If you’d like to explore writing your way through (or just further in, if you’re anything like me) the liminal space, I encourage you to check out Amanda’s 6 month program. The application deadline is June 8th, so don’t wait!

Check out Writing the Bardo with Amanda here.

I’ve had the pleasure of being in class with Amanda, and she has such a gentle energy. It reminds me of floating on water. Flowing, not forcing, and a sense of trust. Having that experience, I highly recommend her work, and share the above link here with no agenda or profit. Just the simple trust and faith in Amanda and what she stands for.

I think it’s what the world needs. Faith. Trust. Flow. That and listening to the trees.

Coffee is my love language.☕ You can buy me one here:

Become a paid subscriber to join the monthly Show & Tell for Grown-Ups gathering (Next gathering is Sun June 7th at 1 pm EDT) and access exclusive posts like these: Nature Therapy Daily Journal and Rewild Your Heart mini-course.

Wandering onward,Sam 🌿

P.S. I totally mixed up the 4 of Cups and 5 of Cups in tarot. Oops. Shout out to 2260 Hamilton’s Lore & Shadows for telling me in the live chat. I was combining two cards and using my foggy midlife brain to try and remember something I’ve only been dabbling with for a few years. After researching, I meant the 4 of Cups, which definitely has not spilled yet. Not actual grief, just stubbornly disengaged.

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 at 1pm ET. More info is here. The Zoom link will g…

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 diagnosed with ADHD in childhood, then again at 31, and how getting outside was one of the few things that consistently helped—long before she understood why.

Together, they move through a live Pleasures of Presence invitation—bringing awareness to touch, sound, smell, taste, and the heart—then unpack what it’s actually like to try and be in your body when your brain won’t slow down.

Some threads that unfold:

* What it feels like when being present is uncomfortable or even inaccessible

* The tension between restlessness and stillness in ADHD

* Why movement can be a form of meditation

* How nature supports regulation—even when you don’t feel it right away

* The role of novelty, structure, and “both/and” thinking

* Why “just getting out the door” can be the real win

* The subtle ways nature affects attention, mood, and focus

They also touch on:

* Dopamine, cortisol, and sensory input in nature

* The difference between indoor vs. outdoor environments (for both adults and kids)

* How repetition + variation can support an ADHD brain

* The challenge (and reality) of figuring out what works for you

There’s no single method offered here—just honest exploration, experimentation, and noticing.

You’ll probably recognize yourself somewhere in it.

As you listen, notice what you notice.🌱

Thank you to Sheri Handel, and everyone who tuned into our live video! Join us for the next one.

If this resonated and you’d like to support my work, you can buy me a coffee here:

If you’d like to support my work and be part of this space more deeply, you can become a paid subscriber.

You’ll get access to perks like the monthly live gathering Show & Tell for Grown-Ups, along with paid subscriber-only posts.

Wandering onward,Sam 🌿

If you enjoyed this, a like, comment, and restack really helps support this work and this space.

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 point of making the video is for you.”

There’s a piece in here about what it feels like to not belong, and how that shows up in different ways—astrology, childhood stuff, personality patterns, all of it kind of layered together. And also this moment where I realize… 91 people watched my last video. And how that actually is something. Like a room full of people. Like a wedding.

I wander into this idea of reciprocity too—how when you see something, it might also be seeing you.

“You know, like nature does witness you.”

That turns into talking about trees, birds, my cat hanging out on the desk… and this feeling that maybe being seen isn’t as limited as we think it is.

It’s very stream of consciousness. No editing, no polishing.

“I can’t pause these videos. And I don’t want to edit.”

“I laugh at my own jokes too. And you know what? I highly encourage it.”

There are tangents. I lose my train of thought at least once. I follow threads and see where they go.

At the core of it, though, there’s a really simple invitation:

“If you just make a video for yourself, talking to yourself, that’s enough.”

You don’t have to post it. You don’t have to go viral. You don’t have to do anything with it.

Just… what happens if you let yourself be seen by you?

This was recorded on March 27th, 2026 when there was a lot of Aries energy moving through, and you can kind of feel that in the background:

“…there’s so many planets in Aries now. Does this serve me first? yes or no?”

There’s something in here about choosing yourself, even when it feels a little edgy.

If you’ve been feeling unseen, or disconnected, or like you don’t quite belong… this one is for you.

You’re not alone.

Wandering onward,Sam 🌿

If this resonated and you’d like to support my work, you can buy me a coffee here:

If you’d like to support my work and be part of this space more deeply, you can become a paid subscriber.

You’ll get access to things like my monthly live gathering, Show & Tell for Grown-Ups, along with subscriber-only posts and the full archive.

If you enjoyed this, a like and restack really helps support this work and this space.

(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 receiving joy is an exchange.That it counts for something.

Some threads we moved through:

* following intuition without knowing where it leads

* living beyond pure logic (even when that’s what we were trained into)

* the quiet ways intuition actually comes through

* nature as an access point

* grounding back into the body (even something as simple as feeling your feet)

This isn’t wrapped up neatly.

It’s something I’m still in, still questioning, still practicing.

But it feels important to name:

joy isn’t pointless.it isn’t extra.it moves.

If you want the full, unfiltered conversation—how this came through, what it felt like, and everything in between—it’s all in the video above.

Introducing Wandering Willow Speaks: The Podcast!

And I’m really excited to say this is now also a podcast-Wandering Willow Speaks-and it’s living in more places, so you can listen or watch however you like: Spotify, Apple, or YouTube.

If you missed it, Pizza is a Spiritual Practice is linked below at Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.

Spotify:

Apple Podcasts:

YouTube:

If you liked this, let me know in the comments. I love chatting, obviously.

Coffee is another form of joy, and if you’d like to buy me some joy you can by clicking the button below. I appreciate every cup of joy.

Wandering onward,Sam 🌿

We talked about intuition and did some short practices to get more in touch with our inner knowing.

This video is a wealth of knowledge and a practice you can return to daily if you feel called.

I’d love to hear what comes up for you as you tune into your intuition. Let me know in the comments!If you’d like to go deeper with this intuitive practice, Diane is hosting a 6-week live Intuition Course. There is something magical that happens when two or more gather in a live container to meditate and focus on our third eye. I’ve seen it first hand. I’ve also been in Diane’s Create in Community, which has had a profound impact on my work here on Substack.

I’d love to see you join us in this exciting, new series. Click below to join us on this intuitive adventure.https://www.dianepienta.com/intuition-alignment-practice-course

Remember to drink your water, and listen to your gut.

Wandering onward, Sam

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 my face.

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. Only allowed to be hated. Only shamed for enjoying food.

It has come to my attention now that my childhood was shaped by perverts. My body image carefully constructed by the whims of pedophiles.

This is the great unpacking. A new beginning. A reckoning.

How did you meet your love?

Card of the Day: Milk Thistle — Peaceful Warrior

from The Herbal Astrology Oracle by Adriana Ayales

Milk Thistle arrives with a clear, grounded reminder: your peace is worth defending.

Themes from the card include:Peaceful Warrior, Shield, Truth Keeper, Shelter, Sanctuary, Justice.And its shadow expressions:Aggression, Impulsiveness, Harshness, Competition, Overdoing, Gossip, Self-Sabotage.

Ruled by Mars and the Moon, this plant embodies a rare blend of fierce protection and soft nourishment — the lunar “milk” and the Martian “thistle.” It holds both gentleness and grit.

A badger appears on the card as a guide, symbolizing protector energy in Native American tradition — medicine that acts quickly, instinctively, and without apology. Badger medicine belongs to those willing to defend what is sacred, including their own well-being.

And this is where today’s message lands:

Boundaries are part of your path.

You’re being asked to choose yourself first — not in a reactive way, but in the way a peaceful warrior does: with clarity, groundedness, and truth. Many sensitive souls were conditioned to stay open at all times, to make themselves easy, agreeable, accessible. But Milk Thistle is here saying:

Your peace matters more than other people’s expectations.

Choosing yourself might feel new. It might feel uncomfortable. And it may surprise those who’ve grown accustomed to your openness. But this card affirms that your boundaries are not only valid — they’re part of your becoming. They are how you stay aligned on this unfolding path.

A little cosmic note:

Today is Saturn’s day — Saturday — the planet of structure, integrity, and the sacred “no.” Let Saturn and Milk Thistle work together to help you reinforce what supports you and release what drains you.

The invitation:Stand in your lane. Hold your center. Tend your sanctuary.

Call on Milk Thistle and Badger whenever you need courage, protection, or a reminder that your inner ground is yours to guard.

☕ If you’d like to support this Advent series, you can buy me a coffee here:

💛 A Soft Invitation: Rooted Word Circle Returns December 10

As this Advent journey unfolds, many readers have shared how grounding it feels to have a daily moment of reflection. If you’re craving a deeper way to listen inward — to your own truth, your own light — I’d love to welcome you into Rooted Word Circle.

This is my monthly guided writing ritual: a soft 30-minute gathering to settle your body, open your inner voice, and write in community. No pressure, no performance — just a quiet space to hear yourself again.

This month’s theme is Return to Your Light, arriving just in time for these long winter nights.

🕯️ Rooted Word Circle: Return to Your Light

Wednesday, December 1012:00 p.m. Noon ET / 9:00 a.m. PTLive on Zoom — $10 — 30 minutes

We’ll ground together, follow a gentle reflective prompt, write in silence, and close by weaving a community poem from everyone’s words. It’s intimate. It’s nourishing. And your voice truly belongs in this space.

🌿 If you’d like to explore The Herbal Astrology Oracle deck…

Here’s the link to the deck used today (thank you so much for supporting my work in this way):Herbal Astrology Oracle (Affiliate Link)

Wandering onward,SamWandering Willow 🌿Reconnecting Through Nature

Card of the Day: The Corn — Mystical Shaman Pocket Oracle

Audio Summary (provided by AI)

The Corn arrives with a message of generosity from the natural world. In the realm of sacred symbolism, this is the moment when the seed we planted — that seed of hope we set down earlier in this journey — has already burst into life. Even though it was “only yesterday” we planted it, the spiritual metaphor invites us to receive its abundance now.

This card reminds us that life is offering more than enough. Scarcity can fall away for a moment. The natural world models this for us: air freely given, nourishment rising from the earth, support beneath our feet. The Corn teaches that your presence matters in the larger web of things, and even your small gestures of gratitude or connection with the land are meaningful.

It’s an invitation to let yourself be held, to trust that you have been supported even in darker seasons, and to remember that you will harvest what you’ve been tending inside yourself. Joy, hope, and abundance can meet you here.

May this card remind you that you’re part of a generous, living world — and that you have enough, you are enough, and you are never moving through this story alone.

✨ Explore the Deck

If you’re interested in The Mystical Shaman Oracle, you can explore it here.(As an affiliate, I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase. In which case I thank you for supporting my work.)

💛 A Soft Invitation: Rooted Word Circle Returns December 10

As this Advent journey unfolds, many of you have shared how grounding it feels to have a daily moment of reflection. If your inner voice is asking for more space, more breath, more gentle tending, I’d love to welcome you into Rooted Word Circle — my monthly 30-minute guided writing ritual.

This month’s theme is Return to Your Light, a perfect companion for December’s long nights. We’ll settle in with a grounding practice, receive a reflective prompt, write quietly in community, and weave a collective poem from everyone’s words. It’s intimate, nourishing, and designed for sensitive souls who want to feel connected without pressure.

🕯️ Rooted Word Circle: Return to Your Light📅 Wednesday, December 10⏰ 12:00 p.m. Noon ET / 9:00 a.m. PT💻 Live on Zoom⏳ 30 minutes💛 $10

This is a live-only gathering, held softly and sacredly.Your voice belongs here.

Thank you for being here. Comments and coffee are my fuel.If you’d like, you can buy me a coffee to support this Advent podcast series.Gently caffeinated, of course. ;)

Wandering onward,SamWandering Willow 🌿Reconnecting Through Nature

Card of the Day: Guardian Stone from the Ancient Stones Oracle

Audio Summary (AI generated)

Today’s card, the Guardian Stone, arrives with the themes of awakening, progress, and initiation. The imagery shows a radiant stone encircled by what feels like ancestral presence. When I look at it, the stone resembles a tulip just before blooming — a moment suspended in time, full of promise.

This card speaks to that threshold space within your own life. Transformation is taking place beneath the surface, often in ways that aren’t linear or easy to articulate. The Guardian Stone acknowledges this and invites you to trust the inner shift. You’re changing at a deep level — in your cells, your bones, your lineage.

You carry the wisdom of those who came before you. Their memory lives in you. And in this moment, you are not walking alone. Time folds here: your guardians, your elders, and the beings who support you — past, present, and future — all stand beside you now.

Stones hold memory. Stones hold presence. They steady us.You’re invited to call upon your own guardian stone today, whether it’s literal, symbolic, or an energetic support you can feel more than see.

What shape does yours take?

💛 A Soft Invitation: Rooted Word Circle Returns December 10

As this Advent series continues, many of you have shared how grounding it feels to have a daily moment of reflection. If you’d like a space to go deeper into your own voice this month, I’d love to welcome you into Rooted Word Circle — my monthly guided writing ritual.

December’s theme is Return to Your Light, arriving at the perfect moment in the darkest stretch of the year.

🕯️ Rooted Word Circle: Return to Your Light📅 Wednesday, December 10⏰ 12:00 p.m. Noon ET / 9:00 a.m. PT💻 Live on Zoom⏳ 30 minutes💛 $10

We’ll ground together, receive a reflective prompt, write quietly in community, and weave our words into a collective poem at the end. It’s gentle, healing, and meant to nourish your inner flame.

Join us at Rooted Word Circle →

Thank you for being here. Comments and coffee are my fuel.

If you’re interested in the Ancient Stones Oracle, you can explore Rebecca Campbell’s work here. (affiliate link)Wandering onward,SamWandering Willow 🌿Reconnecting Through Nature

Card of the Day: Nothing Is Impossible — Ancient Stones Oracle

Nothing Is ImpossibleOpen 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 landscape of blues and greens — quiet earth tones that feel like they’re holding you. The imagery is steady, grounded, and deeply maternal, echoing the energy of stone, soil, and time.

The message of the day is Nothing Is Impossible, and it threads beautifully into the larger theme that has been emerging in this Advent journey — a theme of adventure, of moving through a story still being written. Each day seems to reveal another step on a path that asks for trust.

This card encourages us to continue on that path even when things look dark or difficult. When life feels impossible, when the way forward seems blocked, this card reminds you that what’s meant for you will never pass you by. Detours aren’t failures. Rebecca Campbell calls them holy detours — the unexpected turns that guide you toward a destiny you couldn’t have planned.

If you’re in a heavy season, this card offers a steadying hand. It asks you to open just a little to the possibility of light. To believe that nothing is impossible, even if that belief is tender or trembling. Hope doesn’t have to be loud. It just has to be present.

A reminder: your path doesn’t need to look like the one you envisioned. Goals shift. Dreams evolve. Some days the aim is simply getting out of bed, or letting the smallest ember of hope return to your heart. Even tiny moments of peace and joy matter — they compound over time.

The activation from the deck offers a gentle mantra to carry with you:

I open my mind and heart to the unexpected.Everything is working out on my behalf.

Nothing is impossible. Truly.

Reflection

Where is hope asking to return today — even in a small, quiet way?

If you feel called to share, I’d love to hear what you notice.

Thank you for being here. Comments and coffee are my fuel.If you’d like, you can buy me a coffee to support this Advent podcast series.Gently caffeinated, of course. ;)

💛 A Soft Invitation: Rooted Word Circle Returns December 10

As this Oracle Card Advent unfolds, many readers have told me how grounding it feels to have a daily moment of reflection. If you’re craving a deeper way to root into your own voice during this season, I’d love to welcome you into Rooted Word Circle.

Rooted Word Circle is my monthly guided writing ritual—a soft, sacred gathering to return to yourself and write in community. This month’s theme is Return to Your Light, and it arrives at the perfect time: the dark stretch of December when our inner flame wants tending.

Here’s what’s happening this month:🕯️ Rooted Word Circle: Return to Your Light📅 Wednesday, December 10⏰ 12:00 p.m. Noon ET / 9:00 a.m. PT💻 Live on Zoom⏳ 30 minutes💛 $10

Together, we’ll open with a grounding practice, ease into a reflective writing prompt, write quietly in community, and weave a shared poem from everyone’s words. It’s gentle. It’s nourishing. It’s a moment to come home to yourself.

This is a live-only space to keep it intimate and sacred.Your voice belongs here.

If you’re interested in the Ancient Stones Oracle, you can explore Rebecca Campbell’s work here. (This is an affiliate link, which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase. I appreciate the support.)

Wandering onward,SamWandering Willow 🌿Reconnecting Through Nature

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 this one deepens yesterday’s invitation: Will you embrace the mystery of life and step into the unknown?

The Key reminds us that every closed door holds something unseen—an aspect of self, a truth, a possibility. The tool itself is neutral; the transformation begins when you decide to turn it.

I also share a Breton fairytale from the guidebook, where a young girl is given two keys: a stone key that guides her inward into shelter and safety, and a gold key that opens the way back into sunlight and a new chapter of life. Each key marks a passage, and each passage requires trust.

Day 2 asks us to double down on mystery. To recognize that the unknown isn’t an obstacle—it’s a doorway.

Reflection

What key are you holding right now, and where does the door it unlocks lead?

If you feel called to share, I’d love to hear what you notice.

Wandering onward,SamWandering Willow 🌿Reconnecting Through Nature

Thank you for being here. Comments and coffee are my fuel.If you’d like, you can buy me a coffee to keep me caffeinated for this podcast. Gently caffeinated, of course.

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 brace against it. The imagery of the relaxed figure and the two ravens reflects how life becomes gentler when we stop resisting what we can’t yet see. The message that came through for this Advent season is “let the wonder unfold — let life surprise you.”

The guidebook deepens this with a ritual called Trust Your Flow, an 11-minute movement and breath practice in darkness or dim candlelight. It encourages you to move slowly, feel what arises, and let your intuition guide your body. If tension appears, the mantra “I trust the mystery of life” helps bring you back to center. Afterward, the practice closes with child’s pose and a moment of reflection on your relationship with mystery.

This opening day sets the tone for the Advent journey: trusting the unseen and welcoming the magic hidden inside the dark.

This card feels like following a raven through the winter hush, trusting it knows the way even when the path isn’t illuminated yet.

Wandering onward,SamWandering Willow 🌿Reconnecting Through Nature

Thank you for being here. Comments and coffee warm my heart AND my hands.If you’d like, you can buy me a coffee to warm up. (It’s really cold here in Wild and Wonderful country!)

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. It highlights transformation around money, boun…

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 softened.

As TeriLeigh said, “Losing the color outside, I feel like something is getting more brittle and getting more shard-like inside my system, and then it’s harder to go be in the world.”

Many of us feel that brittleness—especially those who carry the “too much” labels the world has velcroed onto us.

The Season of Sensory Overwhelm

For sensitive souls, winter is not just cold and dark. It’s loud.

Fluorescent grocery store lights.Shrill jingle bells hiding beneath every song.Products and holiday sales that feel like they “grab a piece of my hair and pull.”

The holidays amplify everything—noise, expectations, family dynamics, internal pressure.

It’s no wonder so many of us want to retreat. As Sam shared, “All I want to do is go to bed and stay there and get up late.”

And yet, underneath that exhaustion is wisdom.

The Quiet Turning Inward

This time of year pulls us into liminal space—those thresholds between seasons where the world hangs in gray.

As TeriLeigh beautifully noticed:“We’ve hit the liminal space of the shift of seasons… and that middle space is exhausting.”

And for many of us, exhaustion brings clarity.

We begin to recognize the pace our bodies actually want.We start questioning the traditions that drain us.We notice the subtle guilt that rises when we choose rest.

But we also begin to notice something else:

We are not alone in these feelings.

As Sam reflected, “I’ve been getting more curious about why this is coming up for me now… why I’m feeling like I’m not doing enough.”And the more we talk about it, the less we judge ourselves for being human.

The Power of Saying No (And Yes)

This year, both of us made a shift: choosing small, quiet holidays over big gatherings.

TeriLeigh shared the simplicity of it:“Less is more. You can go do that (gathering). I don’t want to.”

TeriLeigh shared a breakthrough many sensitive souls will recognize:“I always got the contagious energy of ‘no one wants me.’But this year? I don’t want to be welcome. I want to be home.”

That is the voice of a sensitive soul reclaiming their truth.

This is the work our community is doing—rewriting old narratives, shedding the labels, choosing rest over performance, and allowing slowness to be sacred instead of shameful.

A Mycelial Network of Sensitive Humans

Something magical happens when sensitive souls reflect together.

As TeriLeigh said, “I think this shift in me is because I’ve been talking to you.”And Sam added, “Thank you for naming it… I’m noticing it too.”

This is the mycelial network of sensitive humans:quiet, underground, interconnected, passing wisdom gently from root to root.

When we speak our softness aloud, it stops feeling like weakness.When we witness each other in our truth, we remember our own.

Join Us in the Glow of Community

If you’re craving a pocket of warmth in the grayness… if the world feels loud… if your sensitivity feels heavier this time of year—the door is open.

We’re gathering next Monday for a Free Community Chat for Sensitive Souls, a gentle space to explore how we’re navigating the dark days together.

🌿 Join us for the Candlelit Soulstice Circle Community Chat📅 Monday at 12 p.m. Eastern💻 Free on Zoom

Come rest in a room of people who feel like you.Come be witnessed.Come be held in softness.

You don’t have to walk through this winter alone.

A Preview of What’s to Come

This free community chat is a small taste—a soft doorway—into the deeper work we’ll be doing inside Candlelit Soulstice Circle, our 4-week gathering for sensitive souls during the darkest stretch of winter.

If the conversation resonates…If the exhale finds you…If being in community feels like medicine…

Then the Candlelit Soulstice Circle may be exactly what your sensitive system is asking for.

🕯️ Candlelit Soulstice CircleFour Sundays • Nov 30 – Dec 21A sacred, intimate container for empaths, sensitives, and tender hearts longing for a gentler winter.

Join us for forest-therapy visualizations, somatic grounding, honest sharing, and the kind of slow, quiet ritual your nervous system has been begging for.

✨ Learn more & register here:

If something in you is whispering yes, trust that.Your inner light deserves tending this season.

Wandering onward,SamWandering Willow 🌿Reconnecting Through Nature

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’s sensory overload.

Together they unpack why this season can feel extra intense — brighter headlights, louder noise, sharper air — and how our bodies and nervous systems crave softness, warmth, and slower rhythms. Sam shares about taking the Monotropism Questionnaire and the insights it gave her into her own sensitivity, while TeriLeigh describes how even the cold can be a mirror for how we process the world.

This chat is equal parts laughter, empathy, and validation — a reminder that you’re not alone if you’d rather cocoon under a weighted blanket right now.

✨ Want more of this?Join Sam and TeriLeigh for Candlelit Soulstice Circle, a four-week gathering beginning November 30th at 7:00pm EST/4:00 pm PST to help sensitive souls stay rooted in light through the darkest nights of the year.Four Sundays. Forty-five minutes. One cozy candlelit community.

Stay tuned, more details soon! Subscribe to stay in the loop!

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 when I first meant to post it — part perimenopause brain, part Substack changing the layout and me still not fully recovered from it. But when I found it a month later, I realized it was one of those conversations that deserves to be shared again.

This live was with my anniversary friend (9/23!) Cali Bird , and it was her very first Substack Live. We talked about trees, burnout, long-COVID, body wisdom, and the strange, healing friendship that forms when you start listening to the land.

Becoming a Tree Hugger

Cali began by laughing about how far she’s come:

“I first started coaching 20 years ago… and I used to say, yeah, I’m not a tree-hugging life coach.”

Now she smiles at that sentence.

“Let’s fast forward 20 years because in the last five years, I definitely am a tree hugger. I love trees. I have my favorite tree, which is called Granny Oak… When I used to lean against her, it felt like she was giving me a hug and saying, ‘don’t worry, everything’s going to be okay.’”

Granny Oak became her touchstone — a presence she returned to every Monday morning through the hardest season of her life.

Listening When the Old Ways Stop Working

Cali spoke about how illness and menopause shifted everything she knew about herself.

“What used to work to get you through stops working… your strategies don’t work anymore and you need to find new strategies.”

That struck me deeply. I shared how, for me, 2020 and 2021 were the same kind of breaking point.

“In 2022 I walked away from my job because I was having panic attacks… the only thing that could help was to get in nature, like on the ground, literally, lay down and feel the earth beneath me.”

We both reached the trees at the point where our bodies stopped letting us push through.

The Trees as Teachers

Throughout the live, we kept circling back to how nature teaches in small, quiet ways. Cali described holding one leaf in each hand “like completing the circuit,” feeling herself “plug in” to the tree’s energy.

“It’s not that it gives me a boost of energy, but it is energizing or I’m… taking it. It’s like when you’re on a battery, you connect positive and negative.”

I shared how messages come through when I let my mind empty:

“Stuff will just come in… whether you want to say I cleared my mind and was able to hear my higher self or it was from the trees — everyone’s welcome to interpret that however they feel.”

We spoke about the feeling of “home” that trees give, and how even parking-lot trees deserve a greeting.

“I always make it a point to touch any tree that my car is parked near and just say hello… because they’re literally ignored all the time.”

Reciprocity and Trust

Both of us returned again and again to the idea of reciprocity — that the relationship has to go both ways.

“Even a simple thank you is reciprocity,” I said. “Because we’re talking about talking to trees and gaining the wisdom and all this stuff and it’s like get, get, get. And it’s just like, okay, well, what am I giving back?”

Cali added:

“I do frequently thank the trees… but yeah, that’s a good point — how can we give back to the natural earth as well?”

Trust was another thread. Both of us left jobs without knowing what came next.

“My heart says trust,” Cali said. “I have no proof… but I feel like my body won’t let me do otherwise.”

“Trust has really been the theme of the past three years for me,” I said. “I walked away from my job, I don’t really have another income stream. But the only other choice I had was to keep going and have a panic attack every day. And I really feel like that would have led to like serious consequences. It felt like I was having a heart attack every day. That’s not healthy. That’s not a way to live.”

Re-Learning How to Be in Our Bodies

We both spoke about learning to stop cursing our bodies and start listening to them again.

“For all my adult life, I cursed my body… and I’ve learned totally to change that and have that loving spirit to myself.” (Cali)

“When you’re able to listen to your body more, you’re able to listen to the nature that’s around you because your body is nature.” (Sam)

That’s really what the conversation kept circling back to: that the trees aren’t separate from us. We are part of the same breathing system, the same nervous system of the planet.

Closing Reflections

By the end, we were laughing about how we both talk to trees in parking lots, and how the simplest “thank you” to a leaf or a breeze is its own form of prayer.

This live reminded me why I started Wandering Willow in the first place — to remember that we belong to the world that holds us.

The trees are still talking.And we’re still listening.

Rooted Word Circle

Rooted Word Circle is a monthly gathering of writers, seekers, and story-weavers. Through gentle prompts, shared reflection, and nature-inspired ritual, we create space to put words to what’s stirring within. Each circle is an invitation to slow down, listen, and write in community. We meet every 2nd Wednesday of the month at noon Eastern.

November’s theme is Gratitude & Gathering.

The next circle gathers on Wednesday, November 12th at 12 pm ET/ 9 am PT

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed, let me know by sending me a metaphorical tree postcard via the nice button below:

If this resonated and you want to further support my work, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription. By doing so you gain access to perks like access to the archive, Nature Therapy Daily Journal and Rewild Your Heart mini-course. Your generosity allows me to do what my soul came here to do, and for that I am immensely grateful.

Wandering onward,SamWandering Willow 🌿Reconnecting Through Nature

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 exactly why we created Journaling Through Grief, a 4-week series beginning Tuesday, October 7 at 6:30 p.m. ET. Each week, we’ll gather on Zoom for grounding, writing, and gentle reflection. Together we’ll move through four arcs of grief:

* Week 1: Presence — meeting what is here

* Week 2: Process — moving through the unknown

* Week 3: Transformation — what shifts within us

* Week 4: Integration — carrying love and loss together

Your grief, your pace, your presence—exactly as you are—are welcome. The space is confidential, unrecorded, and guided by our community agreements of safety, compassion, and choice.

✨ Sign up by clicking the button below

Need more info? Here is a PDF for frequently asked questions. Feel free to reach out via comments or DM to either of us.

We would be honored to walk with you.

With gentleness,Sam & Jeannie

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 of simply greeting the world—sky, trees, flowers, air—and how even that small practice can ground us in belonging. Community can be found in so many forms, and when we gather to create, something magical happens.

✨ Rooted Word Circle — The Second Wednesday of Every MonthEach month on the second Wednesday at noon ET, I host Rooted Word Circle: a 30-minute guided writing ritual where we ground, write, and then weave our words into a community poem. It’s short, powerful, and open to all who want to root into presence and creativity.

📅 Next gathering: Wednesday, September 10 at 12 pm Noon ET/ 9 am PT💻 Live on Zoom | 30 minutes | $10

🌿 You can find this event—and all of my offerings—on my Buy Me a Coffee page.

I’d love to see you there. Together, we’ll create something beautiful.

Wandering onward,SamWandering Willow 🌿Reconnecting Through Nature

Exploring Tarot Reversals: Light, Shadow, and Intuition

This conversation dives deep into the practice of reading tarot reversals—those moments when a card appears upside down in a spread. The group reflects on the hesitancy many beginners feel, often avoiding reversals out of fear of negativity, and instead begins exploring them as invitations to nuance and balance.

Key themes that emerged:

* Light and Shadow: Inspired by Chris-Anne’s Light Seer’s Tarot, participants shared how reversals can represent both shadow and light, much like astrology’s dual nature. Rather than “bad,” reversals may reveal too much or too little of a card’s energy.

* Intuition over Rules: While guidebooks are valuable, intuition is emphasized as essential. Reversals are best understood not as rigid opposites but as textured, layered perspectives that shift with context.

* Internal vs. External Focus: Many noted that reversals often highlight inner dynamics—self-perception, growth, resistance—more than external prediction. This makes tarot a tool for reflection and self-inquiry rather than fortune-telling.

* AI as Companion: Some shared how they use AI to help process card meanings, validate interpretations, or organize deck energies. This blending of ancient archetypes with modern tools sparked thoughtful discussion.

* Personal Stories: The conversation included anecdotes about deck inventories, surprising year-long readings, and even neighborhood interruptions during calls—reminders of tarot’s place in everyday life.

Ultimately, reversals were framed not as something to fear, but as doorways into deeper understanding. They offer texture—a fuller spectrum of meaning that supports both shadow work and creative growth.

Reversals remind me that nothing is ever just one thing—light or dark, beginning or ending. They’re invitations to sit with the wholeness of our experience, even the parts that feel messy or uncertain.

I’d love to hear how you approach reversals (or if you avoid them altogether). Do you lean into guidebooks, intuition, or a mix of both?

If this conversation resonates, you may also find meaning in the upcoming Journaling Through Grief series with Jeannie Ewing. Together, we’ll explore how writing can hold space for both the shadow and the light of loss. You can sign up to be notified when registration opens here: Journaling Through Grief waitlist.

Wandering onward,Sam 🌿Reconnecting Through Nature

I had the pleasure of going live with Christie Sausa, a writer from Medium who shares powerful insights about ADHD and neurodivergence. What started as a conversation about diet and ADHD became a deep dive into authenticity, friendship challenges, and finding tools that actually work for our brains.

The Power of Food as Medicine

I shared my journey of discovering that my debilitating migraines were connected to wheat sensitivity—something my neurologist dismissed but that transformed my health when I trusted her own experience. We both reflected on how elimination diets in childhood helped with ADHD symptoms, and how the medical system often jumps to pharmaceuticals before exploring lifestyle interventions.

The conversation reminded me that healing isn't just about what we eat—it's about sleep, movement, community, and yes, even spirituality. As Christie beautifully put it:

And as I get older, I realize more and more that it's not just what you eat. It's not how you move, but it's also how you feel in the world and in your body.

The Friendship Struggles of Neurodivergent Adults

One of the most resonant parts of our conversation was about friendships and ADHD. We talked about rejection sensitivity, the constant apologizing, and that feeling of being "too much" or "not enough." Christie shared how she used to chase anyone who would put up with her, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of relationship strain.

The solution? Learning to stop apologizing for who we are. As one of my friends told me: "Love means never having to say you're sorry"—not about mistakes, but about being your authentic self.

Finding Grounding in Ritual

Christie introduced me to her newest project: using tarot cards as a morning ritual and self-care tool for ADHD brains. Not for fortune-telling, but as a way to slow down, connect with emotions, and start the day with intention instead of racing anxiety.

This resonated deeply with my belief in the power of ritual and community practices to ground us in our increasingly disconnected world.

The Creative Process with ADHD

We also dove into the practical side of creating content with ADHD. Christie's approach to writing long-form articles? Breaking everything into small pieces, giving herself permission to stop when needed, and editing ruthlessly. Most of her writing time is actually editing—cutting out repetition and rambling to serve readers who, like us, have limited attention spans.

What Surprised Me

Throughout our conversation, what stood out was a commitment to authenticity. I realized that I’m not trying to be like everyone else online—I am intentionally creating calm, grounding content in a world that's "loud and heavy."

This reminded me why I love the Substack community. We're not chasing viral moments; we're building genuine connections and sharing what actually matters.

Join Me for Rooted Word Circle

Speaking of grounding practices, if this conversation resonated with you, I'd love to have you join my next Rooted Word Circle on Wednesday, August 27th at 12pm EDT.

It's a 30-minute live guided writing exploration where we start with grounding, create a community poem together, and often discover writing topics for the week ahead. It's become a beautiful monthly practice of creativity and connection.

You can sign up through buy me a coffee here.

Thank you Sherry Taveras, Shruthi Vidhya Sundaram, Andy Eberwein, and many others for tuning into my live video with Christie Sausa, MS! Your presence and comments make these conversations so much richer. You can always join me for my next live video in the app.

What resonated most with you from our chat? Any topics you’d love to hear Christie and I discuss? I'd love to hear in the comments below.

If this resonated and you want to further support my work, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription. By doing so you gain access to perks like my Nature Therapy Daily Journal and Rewild Your Heart mini-course. Your generosity allows me to do what my soul came here to do, and for that I am immensely grateful.

Rooted Word Circle

🌿 The next Rooted Word Circle is coming soon!Join me on Wednesday, August 27th at 12:00 p.m. EDT for a 30-minute guided writing exploration.August’s theme is “Joy as Service”—an invitation to explore how joy can be both sacred and supportive, a gift we offer ourselves and the world.

Bring your journal, a cozy drink, and your wild heart. 💫

Click the button below to find out more and sign up for Rooted Word Circle :

Wandering onward,SamWandering Willow 🌿Reconnecting Through Nature

Earlier today, I gathered live with the radiant and wise Sherry Taveras from Momtemplative for a special live video conversation on writing, community, and the tender act of being witnessed. This gathering was part of a heart-led offering that blooms into the upcoming Rooted Word Circle—a space for gentle creativity and shared presence.

✨ You're invited to join the next Rooted Word Circle on Wednesday, May 21st at Noon EDT. Sign up here ⬇️⬇️⬇️

We gathered to talk about something close to both our hearts: writing, community, and the tender act of being witnessed.

It was part laughter, part truth serum, and entirely nourishing.

We talked about how writing often begins in solitude—in those quiet rooms inside ourselves, in the corners where no one else looks. And yet, something extraordinary happens when we step out of that solitude and into shared space. When we write together, something takes root.

Sherry spoke beautifully about returning to writing after becoming an empty nester, how Substack has become a place of reconnection for her. She reminded us that even if we feel rusty or unsure, our words still matter. That longing to be heard? It's sacred. And the courage to show up anyway? That's where transformation begins.

For me, writing was always an inner pull. A compulsion I didn’t fully understand but followed anyway. I began with what I now know as prose-poetry, soft and unstructured, more feeling than form. Substack felt like an unexpected gift—a space where I could simply show up and share, without needing a niche or polished plan. Just stories. Just truth.

We laughed about how hard it is to food blog (seriously—major applause to anyone who does!) and how surprising it was to discover we could simply... write our lives. And people might read. And respond.

That led us to talk about what it means to be truly witnessed. Not critiqued, not fixed—just seen. We both shared how transformative it was to receive a comment that felt deeply felt, like someone had taken our words into their own heart and let them bloom there. (Special shout-outs to Keith Fey and Alexander Lovell, PhD, whose generous words gave us both the courage to keep going.)

This is why I’m creating the Rooted Word Circle. A quiet, nourishing space to gather, write, and share (or not share) what arises. No pressure. Just presence. Just being together.

Writing can feel like a solitary climb—but when we add in a little play, some curiosity (and maybe even a few metaphorical bubbles along the way), it becomes something else. Something softer. Lighter. Maybe even joyful.

Sherry and I both agreed: writing is a path toward healing. Not because it fixes us, but because it makes space for us.

Because when we write alongside others, we start to realize we were never alone to begin with.

Thank you to everyone who joined us live. And to those who couldn’t make it, I hope this post feels like a cozy seat in the circle.

If you’re longing for a space to write and be witnessed, you're warmly invited to the next Rooted Word Circle. Come exactly as you are. No experience needed. Just bring your heart…paper and pen couldn’t hurt either.

With bubbles and bouncy-house dreams,

SamWandering Willow🌿 Reconnecting Through Nature

PS: Got thoughts on writing in community? Ever been surprised by what comes out when you write with others? I'd love to hear in the comments.

PPS: You can support my work (and coffee habit) here:

PPPS: Thank you Libby Walkup, Deanna Thomas, j.e. moyer, LPC, Neil Cunningham, and many others for tuning into my live video with Sherry Taveras! Join me for my next live video in the app.

On Earth Day, I found myself in good company: Corie Feiner, some beautiful humans from Substack, and the quiet companionship of poems, memories, and the hum of the forest within me.

I shared a bit about how I became a Forest Therapy Guide—not because I had a grand plan, but because the internet whispered something sacred into my soul one day during a desperate rabbit hole dive. Forest bathing. I’d never heard of it before, but something in me said: this is for you. And just like that, the path unfolded. Or maybe I wandered off the path and found something better.

Wandering Willow—the name of my Substack—emerged from that moment of remembering. Remembering writing, remembering nature, remembering myself. I had written as a teenager, scribbled poems through my twenties, but somewhere in my thirties, I got lost. Forest therapy helped me return. Or maybe writing returned to me, like an old friend showing up at the door with a flask of tea and a story to tell.

Before this, my path was winding: pastry school, food service (which will absolutely humble you), an office job, and a soul-numbing position in the title industry that had me helping banks reclaim homes. I thought I could separate myself from the weight of that work. I couldn’t.

And then came nature—soft, persistent, and wildly honest.

Forest therapy doesn’t require a deep forest. A single tree in a parking lot will do. It’s about presence. Slowing down. Listening. Letting a dragonfly guide you to the mud.

“Recipe for Good Mud” was born during one of my solo wanders in training, a poem that practically wrote itself as I followed the signs—literal and metaphorical—left by nature. It’s a reminder that we can return. That even in a world of notifications and noise, there is a quiet place waiting.

Another poem, “Letting Go”, came from my window—ivy clinging to trees, showing me what I needed to learn about clinging, releasing, and becoming water again. Nature doesn’t always require our physical presence. It meets us where we are. We are nature. Drinking water, eating food, existing in a body—we are already participating.

And “Any Wings Will Do”—a simple longing to fly, inspired by watching vultures (which, yes, took me a minute to identify—your forest therapy guide is still learning, okay?). It was my reminder that no matter the shape or color, flight is flight. We just need the willingness to rise.

I’m not in the woods every day. Sometimes I’m curled up inside, letting the basil plant by my desk remind me of the sun. And that counts. A houseplant. A cat. A breeze through an open window. The earth isn’t asking us to be perfect. Just present.

We ended the gathering with a quote from Robin Wall Kimmerer that still lives in my chest:

“Knowing that you love the earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate.

But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond.”

If you’ve been feeling far from the land, or far from yourself—know that it’s okay to start small. A breath. A window view. A poem. A seed.

You are already part of this world, wild and precious.

And if you write a Dear Dirt poem (thank you, Sharon Olds, for the prompt), tag me and Corie Feiner . We’d love to read it. Let’s remember together.

Wandering onward,

Sam

PS Thank you Tamy Faierman M.D., Tim Jagodzinski, Andrew Shell, and many others for tuning into my live video with Corie Feiner! Join me for my next live video in the app.

The Power of Conviction: Investing, Balance, and Trusting Your Choices

In any journey—whether in life, investing, or personal growth—conviction and balance are critical. Throughout our discussion, a recurring theme emerged: the ability to trust in well-reasoned choices despite external pressures and uncertainties.

If you are convinced and convicted, this is what I believe in.

-Dr. Axel Meierhoefer

That belief, that deep-rooted confidence, is what sustains us when doubt creeps in. It’s easy to be swayed by fear, by the noise of the market, or by the opinions of others, but if our choices are backed by solid reasoning, we can stand firm. This applies not just to investments, but to every decision we make.

Yet, conviction must be paired with strategy.

Hope is not a strategy.

We can’t rely on blind optimism to carry us forward. A solid plan, a deep understanding of risks and rewards—these are what provide true security. In investing, this means knowing why we hold onto something, recognizing when to buy and when to sell, and understanding that dips and fluctuations are part of the process. In life, it means setting intentions and following through, rather than merely wishing for outcomes.

Equally important is balance.

Balance is key.

Placing everything into one stock, one belief, one path, leaves us vulnerable. Diversification—whether in investments, in how we spend our time, or in the dreams we pursue—creates resilience. When we spread our energy wisely, we allow ourselves the flexibility to adapt and grow.

And in all of this, we must remember to celebrate progress.

I think what we are often missing is to celebrate our small wins.

It’s easy to fixate on what hasn’t gone right, on what still needs to be done. But taking time to acknowledge even the smallest victories builds momentum. It shifts our perspective from scarcity to abundance, from fear to trust.

Life, like investing, is a long game. Some days the market dips, some days we stumble, but if we hold onto our convictions, if we move with strategy and balance, we are always moving forward.

Axel said it best when he said that this chat was just the tip if the iceberg. If you feel called to go deeper into your relationship with money, join us at The Abundant Money Mindset.

Click below to join us! 👇

May all your wanderings lead you back to your true nature, one of abundance.

-Sam

Playing around with the live feature from the Substack app. Watch if you are bored and want to see my cats.

See how ridiculous I am.

Should I do more live videos? What do you wanna chat about?

Let me know in the comments.

Join me for my next live video in the app

This past week has felt very heavy. ... My season of winter, of rest and of doing nothing. Which is really, truly something.

If you are interested in a Nature and Forest therapy session, I am offering a remote session on Saturday August 5, 2023 at 1:00pm EDT via Google Meet. Click here to register and look for 05-Aug-2023 | 1 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern (EST) | English | Guided by Samantha Messersmith

If you are interested in a nature and forest therapy session, I am offering a remote session on Saturday August 5, 2023 at 1:00pm EDT via Google Meet. Click here to register and look for 05-Aug-2023 | 1 pm - 2:30 pm Eastern (EST) | English | Guided by Samantha Messersmith