Embracing Peace: Guided Meditations for the Spiritual Person
Change is a Constant - A Life Update
May 11, 2024
Well, it's been a minute since I've written a blog post or uploaded a video on my channel. It's been even longer since I've uploaded a podcast episode. I finally had some time to sit down and chat about what's going on with me, where things are going from here, and everything that's happened in between. So, sit down, grab some coffee, and let's have a chat, shall we? Also, if you prefer to watch or listen instead, head over to YouTube or Spotify (or scroll all the way down for the video).
Moving Was Horrible
It's been almost five months since our move, which is hard to believe in the first place, but here we are. Five months living in a state we had never been to. Five months in a place where we know absolutely no one. Five months in a house we didn't really want to choose.
It was my feelings that spurred our move to begin with, so I suppose I should start there. Florida was wonderful for many reasons but it is also a horrible place, and those reasons are bigger. The main things that made me feel like Florida wasn't home for me were the politics, the people, and the nature. I know, nature? What? Well, when you come from places where stepping in any body of water wasn't a risk of your life, it is hard to go somewhere and realize you can't just step into the river. If you follow the politics of the United States, I'm sure you're also aware of how absolutely batshit crazy the politics and people are in Florida. Raising my child in a place where she might end up fearing for her safety one day was a no-go for me.
I got the itch to move back to Oregon (*but wait, Megan, aren't you in Maine? Yes...yes I am*) one day and it never really left. I had a complete breakdown one day while sitting at my desk working. I couldn't get it out of my mind and I also couldn't stop crying. I talked with my fiance about it. We then talked with my parents. Then, it was decided. We were moving out of Florida and back to Oregon. Then all kinds of other stuff happened and we switched trajectory. My parents moved back to Oregon and we moved to Maine.
The entire moving process was a nightmare. It took two months to sell our house in Florida, which doesn't surprise me because everything is expensive, but then that threw a wrench in our home-buying process in Maine. See, we were in a contingency contract with a seller in Maine, meaning our contract with them was contingent on our house in Florida being sold. As soon as we accepted an offer on our home, the seller in Maine changed their mind. It was taking too long for us to sell our house and she couldn't find accommodations for herself and all her cats. Anyway, we ended up with roughly two weeks to find a new house or we wouldn't have anywhere to go once our house closed. Luckily, we were able to figure something out. It wasn't what we wanted and this house needs structural work -- we just got a quote for fixing our foundation at $14,850... so that's fun -- but it's a place to live.
The drive up here was horrible, too. We followed that freak storm that hit the entire East Coast in mid-December. It rained the entire three-day drive. It was windy the whole time and my poor fiance had a terrible time with the trailer in the wind. Then when we go there? Roads were washed out, power was gone, and streets were flooded. We couldn't even take a hot shower after being in the car for days because the hotel we stayed out before our closing date was running on half-power from a generator!
But we are here. We are surviving and trying to make a home. It's been rough, I'm not gonna lie. Nothing went the way we wanted it to, nor did we plan for any sort of backup. But we are making the most of it.
Whispers of the Soul - My New Book
I started writing this book in 2020, and trust me, the irony is not lost on me that the reason I put off publishing this book and workbook is that I was afraid.
I was scared of what the wider community would think about another book of shadow work being put out there. I was afraid of what people would think and what people would say. It’s one of those things that is in my shadow. So the irony is not lost on me that it took me this long to publish this book.
Honestly, I’m partially kicking myself in the ass because in the last several years, shadow work has become this huge market that authors and videographers, and other creators are capitalizing on. Also, a couple of years ago, I was approached by Callisto Media to write a book about sigil magic. This is a publishing company that uses AI to generate book outlines and then they hire people to write the book for them. I didn’t feel like I could do that book justice and they kind of wanted me to use another more popular sigil book as inspiration which honestly felt super sketchy for me.
Anyway, in the phone call I had with the rep from that publisher, I had mentioned to her that while I didn’t feel like I could do an entire book on sigils, I was working on a book about shadow work and a subsequent journal to go along with it. Lo and behold last year, the same publishing company released a book that was basically my idea written by someone else. Moral of the story there? Don't talk about your ideas with a publishing company unless you're already under contract with them or have some sort of agreement.
Fast-forward to now and I have the book all published and out in the world! I'm really horrible at marketing and doing book launches and stuff so I wouldn't be surprised if everyone missed it. It's available in paperback, eBook, and Kindle Unlimited!
"Shadow Work is a journey into ourselves to unveil the "darkness" within. Through exploring the repressed parts of ourselves, we can heal and become better people. This book aims to give the reader a basic overview of shadow work from both a psychological and spiritual perspective. Guided meditations and journal prompts are then available to help the reader discover their shadow at their own pace."
Etsy Shop Shutdown
To add to the nonsense that has been the last few months, I got a random email one day that my Etsy account was permanently suspended for policy violations. What policy violations, you ask? I have no clue because they literally wouldn't tell me.
I filed an appeal, of course, because I didn't break any rules. I followed all of their policies, kept my address up to date, and had an active payment method on file. The biggest issue for me is that even when I appealed they still wouldn't tell me what happened. Their words were something like, "We can't discuss our methods and won't discuss this issue further." I mean... come on now, really? To top it all off, I had just completed a custom order and shipped it out. Even now as I write this (it's been about two months) Etsy is still holding on to my funds from the custom order. I have not been paid for my work even though the package was shipped, and received, by the buyer!
I always knew Etsy was going downhill. It used to be a great place for creators to sell the things they make. Now, it's full of drop shippers and scammers trying to make a quick buck and capitalizing on the general population's ignorance of their schemes. I don't know if I will ever open another shop. I may sell things randomly through social media or even eBay. But Etsy? Never again.
Back to School
The last thing I want to mention in this huge life update blog post (sorry it's so long lol) is that I am going back to school in the Fall. I am going into the RN program here at a local college and I am so freakin' excited! For some background, I have tried to do this several times in my life. Each time it always went up in smoke because life got in the way. Right out of high school, I went to University. I was almost done with my prerequisites and then moved to a different state. I tried to go back to school in the new state and couldn't because I had to work two jobs at 19 to help pay for the house we lived in. I moved back home and wanted to try again but then I got pregnant...so now that my child is older, it's time for me to give it one last try. This is something I have always wanted to do and I am so ready to get it done right this time!
So...what does that mean for 'Round the Cauldron?
Honestly, I don't know. I haven't had the energy or motivation to create much lately. The weather has been terrible, our move was terrible, and I've honestly been pretty stressed and depressed. I know that starting school while also working full-time is going to be an insane amount of work. Add on to that we are going to homeschool again because there's just something wrong with the school systems everywhere we go. So, will I have the time and energy to create videos and podcasts? Maybe. I can't make any promises. Will I have the time and energy to create blog posts? Also maybe, but these are much easier than videos and podcasts, that's for sure.
One thing is certain - I always feel like a broken record with the number of times things change here 'round the cauldron. But you know what? That's just life as a modern witch, I suppose.
If you enjoy my writing, why not buy me a coffee? ☕
Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel and my newsletter.
Disclaimer: This website takes part in affiliate marketing. Any purchase you make through a link on this page may earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.