Grief Magic: Rituals, Stories & Gentle Conversations about Loss

In this episode, I reflect on books, learning, attention spans and the complicated grief that can live inside our educational journeys.
After falling down a StudyTube rabbit hole on YouTube, I found myself thinking deeply about desire, class, ambition and the longing many of us carry around reading and intellectual life. I talk about why “studious” aesthetics can feel so comforting right now, especially in a world shaped by burnout, climate anxiety, disability and uncertainty.
I also share parts of my own experience with distance learning through the The Open University, including how studying philosophy, mythology and creative writing became an anchor during years of illness, lockdown and isolation. At the same time, I explore the grief that can arise around inaccessible education, financial barriers, bullying, attention fragmentation and the gap between what we hoped learning would give us and the realities of adult life under capitalism.
Here is the link to the free Creative Grief Club, which includes monthly Zoom sessions and the book group on Fable: ⁠⁠⁠https://griefmagic.com/free/⁠⁠⁠
Thanks for listening!
Love,
Yarrow

A short and sweet episode this week: I'm inviting you to join me for free Monday sessions throughout July.
These sessions have been running for a year now, and to mark that I'm opening them up to everyone at no cost for the whole month. They run every Monday evening, 7 to 8pm UK time, and they are honestly one of the highlights of my week.
The structure is really simple. We open with a grounding moment, draw a card, and anyone who wants to can check in via the chat. Then we move into around 45 minutes of quiet time together. Some people draw or paint, some stitch or weave, some do tarot spreads, some just rest or read. There's no fixed schedule, no teaching, no pressure to be on video. Just a soft hour of doing something nourishing for yourself, alongside other people doing the same.
I find that slowing down with others helps me go so much deeper into my own practice. I often write more in my journal in that hour than I would alone.
In August I'm taking a break, and in September I'll be back with a fuller membership offering that builds on these sessions. But for now, July is completely free to try with no strings attached.
I'd love to see you there: https://wonderful-term-81242.myflodesk.com/tp3w2m72dc

In this episode, I explore the Hanged Man tarot card as a companion for summer and for liminal seasons in general.
Even if you do not usually work with tarot, I hope this conversation offers something gentle and spacious around perspective, rest, uncertainty, and slowing down.
I talk about:
the symbolism and history of the Hanged Man
summer as a threshold season
sacred unproductivity
changing perspective through ritual and embodiment
grief, disability, chronic illness, and surrender
what becomes possible when we stop forcing resolution
I also share simple ways to work with the Hanged Man over the summer through journaling, movement, tarot rituals, and paying attention to the changing light and rhythm of the season.
Here is the link to the free Creative Grief Club, which includes monthly Zoom sessions and the book group on Fable: ⁠⁠https://griefmagic.com/free/⁠⁠
Thanks for listening!
Love,
Yarrow

In this first “Read With Me” episode, I’m sharing reflections on I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, a haunting, deeply philosophical dystopian novel that unexpectedly became one of the most meaningful books I’ve read recently.
I read this during the winter solstice season on the Isle of Lewis, and despite rarely reading dystopian fiction, I found myself profoundly moved by the novel’s exploration of uncertainty, loneliness, curiosity, resilience, and human connection.
In this episode, I explore:
reading as a nervous system experience
suspense and anxiety in fiction
existential literature in approachable ways
how imagining “the worst case scenario” can sometimes reduce fear
the resilience of ritual, companionship, and curiosity

Here is the link to the free Creative Grief Club, which includes monthly Zoom sessions and the book group on Fable: ⁠https://griefmagic.com/free/⁠
Thanks for listening!
Love,
Yarrow

In this episode, I’m speaking with Lasara Firefox Allen, writer, educator, menopause coach, and author of the beautiful book Genderqueer Menopause.
This conversation meant so much to me personally. Lasara’s work has genuinely helped me feel more hopeful, affirmed, and curious about aging, changing hormones, and living in a body that does not always fit dominant cultural narratives around gender or menopause.
Together we talk about:
gender expansive experiences of perimenopause and menopause
self advocacy in medical systems
grief and identity shifts in midlife
hormones beyond binary thinking
masking, neurodivergence, and authenticity
This episode contains discussion of:
chronic illness
suicidal ideation statistics during perimenopause
medical neglect
grief and loss
Lasara Firefox Allen, MSW (they/them/Mx.) is a certified Menopause Doula, gender-affirming Menopause Coach, and educator specializing in inclusive midlife care. As CEO and Founder of Genderqueer Futures and Founding Coach of The Genderqueer Menopause Coach, they train healthcare providers, therapists, doulas, coaches, and other menopause professionals through the Gender-Affirming Menopause Care Certification Course, and facilitate community programs for trans and gender-expansive individuals. Their trauma-informed, evidence-based approach bridges research, somatics, and lived experience to transform menopause care. Socials: Substack: @lasarafirefoxallen Instagram: @lasara_firefox_allen @genderqueer.menopause Facebook: /lasara.wakerobin.firefox.allen (personal) and /lasara.firefox.allen (professional) as well as /genderqueermenopause TikTok: @lasarafirefoxallen and @genderqueer.menopause

Here is the link to the free Creative Grief Club, which includes monthly Zoom sessions and the book group on Fable: ⁠⁠https://griefmagic.com/free/⁠⁠
Thanks for listening!
Love,
Yarrow