Poetry and a little shameless self-promotion

It is raining as I sit down to write this; wide, heavy raindrops rolling down the window in front of me. Splashing into puddles in the gutter next to my car that suddenly looks a lot cleaner than yesterday. I can hear the water pouring down the eaves trough, a small waterfall tumbling into the flower garden below.

These days, these cool, wet days in that liminal space between summer and autumn might be my favorite. There is change electric in the air, but the signs aren’t visible yet. The leaves are still predominantly green, the grass soft and verdant. But something is changing and you can feel it underfoot, on your skin, every time you step out of doors.

Today I write to you with a lot of love for the rain and the way it changes the mood in the house and in the garden - and a little bit of shameless self-promotion. I love my writing work - but I have to remind myself every once and awhile that it is also a business, and the business things must be tended to as well as the creative things. In the electric air of this rain storm, it feels like a good time to tend to some items of business.

As you may remember - the monthly subscription price for new paid subscribers is increasing from $7 - $10 (existing paid subscribers, this will NOT change your current subscription). If you become a paid subscriber by September 3rd - you will be able to lock in at $7/month.

If you have been on the fence about a paid subscription, I’m landing in your inbox today to explain the perks! And if you are here just for the poetry, keep scrolling down!

On to the subscription details: Free subscribers get about 2-3 pieces a month from the Ordinary Magic section and occasional audio from Tea Talks:

In addition to the above, monthly paid subscribers receive the following:

• full access to all my posts

• exclusive access to special audio/spoken word posts in Tea Talks.

• digital downloads for print - once a month I will be sending out a new download that you can print and use at home - these are poetry prompts, nature journaling templates, coloring pages, etc. (I’m excited for this one, I’ve been reaaalllly creative this summer and have a bunch of new printables for you!)

  *Existing Paid subscribers look for the link in the footer of each email that lands in your inbox to see what downloads are currently available! If you can't see it, hit reply to this email and let me know! Glitches happen.

• exclusive access to Poetic Botanica - a new series exploring the connections physical and metaphysical between poetry and the herb garden

• discount codes - seasonally I send out discounts for my shop where you can pick up stickers, art prints, notebooks and greeting cards with my nature inspired art. You can check it out here: Shop The Luminarium

  *anyone who purchases a notebook or greeting card from the shop will be automatically comped a 3 month paid subscription to The Luminarium - just leave your email in the message box when you order.

• founding subscribers get all the above perks and more, just fyi.

Okay, okay, enough of that. I love writing here for all of you, no matter what type of subscriber you are. There are over a hundred of you opening up my little essays and poems every month and quite honestly, that’s the absolute dream for a writer heart like mine. Thank you all so much for being here. I know I say it all the time, it means the world to me, it really does. I hope you’ll enjoy this little poem about rainy days and the peace they can bring.

---

Rain, by Raine Sillito

Rain has a sort of sweet
   peacefulness
that sinks into the earth
penetrating the surface
gilding the world in
  quiet

that lasts for moments
that fade all too quickly
leaving only memory of
  silence

frosted by the generous
and gentle feeling of
too oft neglected
  peace

---

A little more shameless self-promotion mixed with a little grief:

As you will remember, I lost my baby sister in an accident nearly 2 years ago (it is physically painful to write out how much time has passed without her). No one told me that grief would be like an animal, an ever evolving creature, walking alongside me for the rest of my life. Grief has needs that change moment to moment - somewhat like an emotional cat or a very small child - but bigger and more complicated. Through tending to my grief, I have come to rely on my own introspective practices, poets, and plants. These practices have held me through some pretty rocky moments (and continue to do so).

And in my offerings to you, I have decided I would like to share some of the poetry and plants that have held me through this wilderness of grief. In Poetic Botanica I’ll be sharing poetry (some original, some not) and connecting it to the physical and energetic qualities of various herbs that I’ve become very familiar with.

You may not know this, but I work part-time in this beautiful little herb store - an apothecary, if you will. I often carry home little tinctures and teas that provide extra support and uplifting through my harder days - and I’ve come to understand these plants a little deeper, and how plants can support us physically and energetically. In fact, I'm teaching a class at the shop this month called “Tending the Heart: Herbal Support for Stress and Grief ” all about how we can use herbs to support the heart and body during challenging times. Local folks put it on your calendar, September 25th!

*for far away folks, comment and let me know if you’d like to see an online recorded version of this class!

Poetic Botanica is a bit philosophical a bit poetic and a bit botanical. I hope that what I have learned an experienced will not only be of interest to you, sweet readers, but also helpful if you too are needing extra support. Poetic Botanica will be available only to paid subscribers - but a small taste will come to you all in early September.

I appreciate your presence here more than you know. Thank you for being here.

If you’d like to support my work but aren’t interested in becoming a paid subscriber, check out my shop where you can buy a notebook or card for your own writing purposes, or leave a small tip/token. Shop The Luminarium

Every ounce of support, free and paid, is so wonderful, thank you for being here.

I’ll leave you with this sweet poem about rain by Canadian poet, Emily Pauline Johnson, that so perfectly captures the cadence of a soft rain storm. If you’re curious you can read more about Emily and her work here: more about the poet

She was a really interesting person, and her poetry is just a delight.

Rainfall, by Emily Pauline Johnson

From out the west, where darkling storm-clouds float,
    The 'waking wind pipes soft its rising note.

    From out the west, o'erhung with fringes grey,
    The wind preludes with sighs its roundelay,

    Then blowing, singing, piping, laughing loud,
    It scurries on before the grey storm-cloud;

    Across the hollow and along the hill
    It whips and whirls among the maples, till

    With boughs upbent, and green of leaves blown wide,
    The silver shines upon their underside.

    A gusty freshening of humid air,
    With showers laden, and with fragrance rare;

    And now a little sprinkle, with a dash
    Of great cool drops that fall with sudden splash;

    Then over field and hollow, grass and grain,
    The loud, crisp whiteness of the nearing rain.