Love this Alyssa thank you. I’m so curious about how the demands of motherhood impact the inner life. My inner life is a huge source of vitality for me, but I also don’t want to be unable to participate in the wider world in the fearful preserving of it.
Yes, that's the tension!! It's undeniable that parenthood radically changes and reorganizes one's inner and outer life. The reality of that can be really painful and hard to reconcile, especially if your resources are stretched thin while caring for a child.
With my first, the adjustment wasn't as extreme. With two of us to raise her and share the load, I still had a lot of time for myself, my work, for sleep, etc (we did shifts!). With my second, it's been much more tricky. It's particularly pronounced because the baby is still so young. In just a few months, life will look very different.
With all that said, for me, it is worth it. I've been amazed how much having children has changed my inner life. I might not be dreaming as much, but what is arising within me has taken on such a new and fascinating quality. I'd like to write more about it. And if you have any specific questions about motherhood and inner life, do let me know.
Arran and I chatted about parenthood on a podcast ep, you might find it interesting as we explore a lot of these themes!
Thank you Alyssa for sharing your story and motherhood journey, I remember those sleepless nights and hazy days of early motherhood fondly (my boy is now 27!). I love how you returned to the pendulum amidst a lack of dreams. I too used the pendulum many (many!) years ago and haven't thought of it in ages, so thank you for this beautiful reminder!
I recall I had a special weathered stone that I found on the beach with a natural hole in it from erosion, it was perfect for my pendulum and I loved the connection to earth and the elements. I also wore it as a necklace often. Somehow I lost it over the years, but perhaps I will find a new object to use and will give it another try!
Could you also remind me, with the pendulum we are asking yes/no questions correct? Would it be useful to follow up with a tarot pull for more depth and insight after using the pendulum for a yes/no answer? Thank you!
i don’t dream nearly as often as i used to either, which has made each one feel almost sacred when it arrives. my last dream yesterday centered around a pendant, so i smiled when you reached for yours as a form of divination. thank you for sharing, i will definitely try dowsing with it for the next big question i have.
What's striking about the suncatcher moment is that it wasn't really a different source being consulted. It's the same somatic unconscious that was generating the dreams, just finding a different door once the usual one got sealed off by broken sleep. The pendulum isn't a separate oracle handing down information from elsewhere, it's your own body's micro-movements making something already forming inside you visible enough to actually read.
Love this Alyssa thank you. I’m so curious about how the demands of motherhood impact the inner life. My inner life is a huge source of vitality for me, but I also don’t want to be unable to participate in the wider world in the fearful preserving of it.
Yes, that's the tension!! It's undeniable that parenthood radically changes and reorganizes one's inner and outer life. The reality of that can be really painful and hard to reconcile, especially if your resources are stretched thin while caring for a child.
With my first, the adjustment wasn't as extreme. With two of us to raise her and share the load, I still had a lot of time for myself, my work, for sleep, etc (we did shifts!). With my second, it's been much more tricky. It's particularly pronounced because the baby is still so young. In just a few months, life will look very different.
With all that said, for me, it is worth it. I've been amazed how much having children has changed my inner life. I might not be dreaming as much, but what is arising within me has taken on such a new and fascinating quality. I'd like to write more about it. And if you have any specific questions about motherhood and inner life, do let me know.
Arran and I chatted about parenthood on a podcast ep, you might find it interesting as we explore a lot of these themes!
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7ri0T1CwIAsxF8S3xQFNp8?si=oxy4K3BNRB6WpUib4jeTqA
Thank you Alyssa for sharing your story and motherhood journey, I remember those sleepless nights and hazy days of early motherhood fondly (my boy is now 27!). I love how you returned to the pendulum amidst a lack of dreams. I too used the pendulum many (many!) years ago and haven't thought of it in ages, so thank you for this beautiful reminder!
I recall I had a special weathered stone that I found on the beach with a natural hole in it from erosion, it was perfect for my pendulum and I loved the connection to earth and the elements. I also wore it as a necklace often. Somehow I lost it over the years, but perhaps I will find a new object to use and will give it another try!
Could you also remind me, with the pendulum we are asking yes/no questions correct? Would it be useful to follow up with a tarot pull for more depth and insight after using the pendulum for a yes/no answer? Thank you!
I wish I'd had you as an online companion in 1984 and 86 when I was a mother-in-a-struggle!
i don’t dream nearly as often as i used to either, which has made each one feel almost sacred when it arrives. my last dream yesterday centered around a pendant, so i smiled when you reached for yours as a form of divination. thank you for sharing, i will definitely try dowsing with it for the next big question i have.
What's striking about the suncatcher moment is that it wasn't really a different source being consulted. It's the same somatic unconscious that was generating the dreams, just finding a different door once the usual one got sealed off by broken sleep. The pendulum isn't a separate oracle handing down information from elsewhere, it's your own body's micro-movements making something already forming inside you visible enough to actually read.