11/04/2025
Weekly Roundup
When the Light Fades, Let the Darkness Teach You
Dear Reader,
Last week reminded me that even when the light fades, the Great Creator is never gone. My affirmation had been simple—I have a perpetual attitude of gratitude—yet gratitude can feel far away when sorrow strikes. I was tested deeply, brought to my knees by loss and uncertainty, and still, through that darkness, something sacred unfolded.
When my ancient plum tree fell in the storm, I wept as though losing an elder. Esmeralda had stood watch over my garden for years, her blossoms and fruit marking the seasons like a quiet metronome of grace. Her fall cracked open my heart. I’d reached my breaking point after a month of continuous blows. I felt emptied, unmoored. All I could do was whisper a prayer, over and over—“Please, Great Spirit, help me”—and trust I would be heard.
Yet even in that ache, the universe sent small messengers of comfort. A squirrel perched on my arm, near my heart, reminding me that tenderness still existed. Sunday evening, I accepted an invitation from a friend I almost declined—to sing with a crowd of strangers at Choir! Choir! Choir!. Singing is not my strong suit, though I do enjoy belting out tunes in the car and shower. I arrived silent and brittle, but as the Neptune theater full of voices rose in harmony, something shifted. When we danced and sang Bohemian Rhapsody together at the end of the show, on stage, I felt the sound tear through my grief. “I don’t want to die,…” I cried out—not in despair, but in release. It was as if Spirit sang through me, transforming sorrow into aliveness. Thanks Freddy, you’re a legend.
In the days that followed, I kept showing up. I walked through the forest, fed crows peanuts, and felt their black wings stir the air around me like a living vortex of energy. Later, I learned their medicine: creation, transformation, the magic of unseen realms. Their message was clear—the creative force is calling. My tears were not only for loss, but for all the art still waiting to be born.
Through every trial, I began to notice that I no longer resisted the darkness. I let it move through me. In that stillness, something divine awakened. The emptiness became fertile ground, and from it, a stronger light emerged—one that no longer feared the night.
By the end of the week, peace had returned, soft and steady. My work flowed again. I created, cooked, connected. Even setbacks turned into teachers. When my art display fell through before a big show, I improvised. Everything still came together beautifully. The real success wasn’t in the profit, but in the realization that I am sustained not by outcomes, but by alignment.
In Closing
This is what last week taught me: When we surrender to life’s storms, we become the soil for new growth. When we show up through grief, we find grace. Creation is the medicine.
With gratitude and light,
Jules
Art Mystic Wellness
Journal Prompts
1. When has darkness been a teacher in your life, revealing strength you didn’t know you had?
2. How can you show up for yourself creatively, even when your spirit feels heavy?
3. What old roots might you release to make space for new growth?
Affirmation
I trust the rhythm of creation. Even in darkness, I am being renewed.
Simple Practice
Take a slow walk in nature. As you breathe, notice the balance between decay and new life—the fallen leaves, the sprouting moss. Let this remind you that endings and beginnings are one continuous breath of the Great Creator.
Photo: Finding Hagstones on the beach is one of my favorite things! I found two that day.
Lincoln Park; Seattle, WA