This episode is a follow-up to one of the most popular episodes I've ever made, on queer friendship and romance. So many of you got in touch after that one, so I wanted to go deeper and talk more practically about how we can bring more intimacy and romance into all our relationships.I start by thinking about where our expectations of relationships come from, because I think that's where it all begins. For me that means looking at growing up in Germany, the legacy of wartime survival in my family, and the very specific ideas about marriage and commitment that got passed down to me. When we can see where those expectations originated, we get more space to figure out what we actually want.From there I talk about tracing your current relational landscape: who is in it, what different friendships offer, and how to get honest about where you want more. I share some of the questions I love asking friends across seasons, like what do you want from this season, and what relational landscape do you want to grow old in.There's also a thread about the different dimensions of intimacy I've come to value: talking honestly about our bodies, being transparent about hard times, building a shared imagination for the world we want to live in, swapping skills, and normalizing the hard conversations that make the warm ones feel safe.This one is for anyone who wants their friendships to feel a little more intentional, a little more tender, and a lot more real.You can send me a question here: https://speakpipe.com/yarrowm and you can sign up for our free July sessions here: https://wonderful-term-81242.myflodesk.com/tp3w2m72dcLove,Yarrow

Content note: this episode discusses pet loss, including the death of my dog Orlando and some details about how he died. There are also brief mentions of losing my mum and a friend. Please take care of yourself and choose another episode if today isn't the right day for this one.This week I'm answering a listener question about grief and pet loss, and I'm sharing the full story of Orlando, my dog of 15 years who passed away this winter.I talk about how I adopted him at 25 and what those years together really taught me about love, responsibility, presence and care. I'm honest about the things I got right and the things I regret, because I think we need more truthful conversations about the relationships we have with animals and what we owe them.I also share what the last months of his life looked like, how he came to my 40th birthday and seemed to hold on just for that, and how he died peacefully at home with me beside him.In the second half I reflect on what grieving him has felt like, especially sitting alongside the loss of my mum in 2024. I think about the difference between anticipatory grief and sudden loss, why pet loss often goes unrecognised as a real grief, and some of the small rituals that have helped me carry him with me.If you've lost an animal companion, I hope this gives you a little space to feel it.You can send me a speakpipe question over here: https://speakpipe.com/yarrowm and you can join the free soft grief space here: https://griefmagic.com/free/Love,Yarrow

In this episode I'm in conversation with dia of everyday writes, a queer Black embodiment practitioner, creative collaborator, and community tender of English, Sudanese, Syrian and Scottish heritage. This is actually our second conversation on the podcast, and returning to this space two years on felt like its own kind of ritual.We talk about what it means to live inside the fullness of our experience without waiting for things to get easier and what it looks like to rest, play and receive lavish care inside the systems and responsibilities we're already carrying.We also get into the slow, invisible labour of being a carer and a community holder, how embodiment practice builds responsiveness and intuition, the gifts that can come from difficult experiences, and what it means to create spaces where people can finally feel welcome and witnessed exactly as they are.There's a beautiful thread running through our conversation about time travel, somatic practice, and what it means to become a good ancestor. If you've been looking for permission to simply show up and be present, this one is for you.Resources mentioned:dia's website and newsletter: https://everydaywrites.com/Our first conversation on the Kind Business podcast: https://pinkwellstudio.com/2024/09/19/123-embodiment-integrity-business-joy-with-nadia-of-everyday-writes/Blue Nights by Joan DidionThe work of Francis Wellerdia Karim is a Black queer embodiment practitioner, creative collaborator, parent & community-tender of Engish~Sudanese~Syrian~Scottish heritage. The kind of healing they’re interested in takes it beyond the edges of our own bodies, into our relationships with beings, land, systems, ancestors, time, cosmos and and and. They combine somatics, expressive arts, group gatherings & close partnership, and center the alchemy of queer, Black and BIPOC experiences… so we can be with what's present, act in alignment, root into the collective soil and become the ancestors we want to be.Learn more about their work and get on their beautiful newsletter here: https://everydaywrites.com/

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 Mansummer as a threshold seasonsacred unproductivitychanging perspective through ritual and embodimentgrief, disability, chronic illness, and surrenderwhat becomes possible when we stop forcing resolutionI 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 experiencesuspense and anxiety in fictionexistential literature in approachable wayshow imagining “the worst case scenario” can sometimes reduce fearthe resilience of ritual, companionship, and curiosityHere 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 menopauseself advocacy in medical systemsgrief and identity shifts in midlifehormones beyond binary thinkingmasking, neurodivergence, and authenticityThis episode contains discussion of:chronic illnesssuicidal ideation statistics during perimenopausemedical neglectgrief and lossLasara 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.menopauseHere 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 sharing one of my favourite quiet practices: using tarot as a companion for journaling, especially through grief and times of transition.This is not about reading the cards correctly or having the right tools. It's about giving yourself a gentle structure for self-reflection, a way to move past the blank page, and permission to make your inner life feel beautiful and worth documenting.What I cover:Why journaling with tarot doesn't have to be daily, elaborate, or precious and how simplicity is actually the whole pointHow to create a dedicated writing space that makes showing up feel easySimple habits that make journaling richer: dating your pages, adding stickers and images, romanticizing the ordinary details of your lifeHow I use a single drawn card as a writing prompt, including a short body-based meditation for going deeper with the card's energyHere 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 talk about how to approach the summer season with intention, especially if you're living with grief or chronic illness. Winter often gives us permission to slow down and rest. Summer asks something different of us. So how do we create a summer that feels nourishing rather than demanding? I explore practical rituals for seasonal transition, from organizing your home and wardrobe to curating your summer reading list. We also talk about calendar planning, protecting your energy, and checking in with the people you love about what you all need this season. This episode is an invitation to design a summer that honours your body and your capacity.What we cover:The practice of intentional seasonal transitionsHome rituals: organizing wardrobes, rotating seasonal items, stocking essentialsCurating your summer reading list and letting go of books that aren't serving youCalendar planning as a form of self-careChecking in with your community about summer hopes and needsPermission to do summer differentlyHere 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