I certainly can’t tell you what my biggest challenge will be over the next six months. I mean, if anyone could do that accurately, then life would be a heck of a lot easier, wouldn’t it? Oftentimes, the biggest challenges are things that we didn’t (and couldn’t) plan for.
With that said, if history is any indicator, I do know that at some point, there will probably be slumps. There are always slumps.
Do you know what I’m talking about?
Slumps are those moments where you just start to doubt most of the things around you. In the creative process, it’s a real killer… everything starts to feel dry and uninspired. You might look at your art, writing, or music and say “this is garbage!” In the spiritual realm, it’s equally terrible. Things might generally feel “less interesting.” Maybe you just don’t have that spark for learning anymore. You might even start questioning why you have a spiritual practice at all.
Chances are, at least one person reading this is going through something similar. Don’t worry, friend. We’ve all been there. Hell, I’ve even written songs about it (but never finished because I was too uninspired).
There’s always a way out. Of course, I can’t tell you exactly what form that way out will take, but I do have some tips…
- Back to basics – maybe it’s time to go back through some of the things you first learned. Only this time, with a more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter, I can almost guarantee you’ll pick up on some interesting nuances. If you feel lost here, try starting out by re-reading a book that was important to you. Books are different the second time around.
- Narrow your focus – maybe you’re overloaded, overextended, or just otherwise feeling burnt out. Try to hone in on one particular detail that still interests you and expand on it. I mean, really dive in. Become an expert on that one small thing. You might uncover a whole new world.
- Take a break – this should be obvious, but sometimes we don’t cut ourselves enough slack to allow for breaks. It’s okay to step away from something you love for a while, knowing full well that you’ll come back to it with fresh eyes and renewed interest.
- Keep up with the routine – contrary to the above suggestion, sometimes the only way out is through. In our moments that lack fulfillment, a daily routine can become even more important to focus on.
- Try something brand new – nothing is stopping you from picking up a new instrument, trying out a new form of artistic expression, or investigating an entirely new religion or spiritual tradition. Sometimes we just need a temporary change of direction to get us back on course. Do you have a thing you’ve always thought about doing? Great. Go do that thing.
I’ve used all of the above for music more times than I can count. That’s at least part of the reason why I play multiple instruments. Recently, I’ve even re-incorporated basic scales and drills into my practice routine. And you know what? It works.
Anyway… I’ve gone over most of this information before. And I’m sure I’ll go over it again in the future. Here’s hoping you are slump free!
Good morning and happy Monday, friends!
It’s been an interesting week.
First, let me show you the cool runes I made.
So… these are small slices of antler, which I burned using a pyrography tool. I actually made two full sets — one is up on Etsy right now looking for a new home. I might bring some to Phoenix Festival, where I’m also going to experiment with offering readings. We’ll see how it goes!
On Friday, we had coven night. We went over one of our Wicca 101 lessons on meditation. It was fun, but the power went off for a few minutes. We almost though we were going to have to go all old-school and teach witchcraft by candlelight.
On Saturday, we went to Loggerhead Marinelife Center for TurtleFest, an annual event that promotes ocean conservation, has lots of activities, and is also free… You can’t really find a lot of free stuff in South Florida anymore, so it kind of stands out. There’s lots of vending, too, including food and drinks. Although the admission is free, there are plenty of ways to donate… you can even adopt a sea turtle if you’d like to help out.
It was crowded. Like, Disney-World-on-a-bad-day crowded.
But we did get to see some big turtles!
They’ve got turtles of all sizes! Some were found in poor health and just need a little rehabilitation before being released back into the wild… but others are missing a limb (which is heartbreaking) and, as such, have made a permanent home there.
As you leave, there’s a little path that leads you down some stairs and next to an entire wall of art made from trash found in the ocean.
Earlier in the week, I interviewed Rev. Emily Guenther. You can watch that right now on Patreon… but give it a few weeks and I’ll start releasing Season 3. I also posted a festival recap for Turning the Tide 2025.
Oh… and our soaps are now on Etsy, too!
Well… that’s all for now. But as usual, stay tuned for more soon!
Aerik Arkadian 
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