Can the Sorrow and the Soaring Belong to the Same Story?
ahhtherapy ~newsletter ~october 2026Living Better. Living well. It begins with the exhale ~"Ahh"
“So, if we’re paying attention, there is grief, but there is also so much beauty that remains.” ~ Terry Tempest Williams, The Hawks Keep AppearingHave you ever had a week where the universe keeps tapping you on the shoulder? This week, for me, it's been hawks. Four so far, to be exact. Hawks aren't usually the birds who show up for me. I tend to get other messengers, so seeing this many, one after another, crossing my path, made me pause and wonder what they might be trying to tell me. The first flew overhead while I was with a friend. The second sat in a tree, literally five feet from me. One was at the beach, and another soared above my car while I was driving. All red-tailed hawks. Something felt intentional about this, as if I’d been invited to stop and pay attention. What the hawk means to me…Symbolically, red-tailed hawks are tied to keen vision, clarity, and spiritual messages, a bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds. They ask us to step back and see the bigger picture when we’re so caught up in the details that we lose sight of where we’re headed. They also carry strength and courage, the kind that takes a chance without rushing in blindly. In some energy-healing traditions, that red tail connects to the root chakra: grounding, safety, belonging. I love that contrast, a bird that soars so high while reminding us of our connection to the earth. To me, that’s the hawk’s message: look a little closer, stay grounded, and trust your own vision. You don’t have to know the whole journey to take the next step. The sign I asked for…There's another side to seeing these birds. The last time I remember seeing one was right after Litha, when I was looking at a space for my business.I was having one of those heart-wrenching, soul-searching conversations with myself, asking the universe for a sign about whether I should take it. I was so worried about my son. He's autistic, and I've been afraid to expand my business because of what he needs from me. Every time I've stepped toward growth, something in his life has come at us, and we've had to take five steps back. So I asked. And a red-tailed hawk flew overhead and seemed to follow me for at least a mile. I took it as a sign. The space didn’t work out, but I believe it opened a cosmic window for another one. Sometimes an ending arrives before we’re ready, before we can see what comes next. With that in mind, I’ve been trying to remember that something not working out doesn’t mean the hope behind it has to end, too. So this “revisit” was a little reminder to keep that hope alive. When a familiar sign brings sadness...And then, yesterday, my heart fell when I found what seemed to be the remains of a baby bird. There was no body, just tiny feathers scattered across my yard, ending in a small clump. I wondered if a hawk had been involved, though I hesitate to say “my” hawk. Or maybe the owl in our neighborhood, the one I hear every night, another animal I feel so connected to. With a heavy heart, I gathered a few of the feathers, including a couple of tiny red ones. If you’ve been following along, you know I’ve been collecting feathers for the last five or six months. I used to find heart-shaped rocks, and somewhere along the way the feathers took their place. I find them every single day, and each one has felt like a little gift. But these feathers were different. They carried the feeling of an ending, and they stirred up sadness, a loss of hope, and a deep worry for those who are fragile. Maybe they’re asking me to pay attention, too: to notice what feels fragile in my own life, what I’m afraid of losing, and what still needs my care. Life isn’t black and white, and neither are the signs. The hawk and the feathers both belong to the same story: one of hope and loss, of expecting one thing and receiving another, and of learning to keep my heart open anyway. October’s Endings and Beginnings...What I want to impart is that not everything we hope for is exactly the way we think it will be. Our dream house might have a leak. Our dream job might have weekend hours. Our perfect relationship with a perfect person might include a really dysfunctional family. There’s a darkness to everything. And that’s okay. That’s part of the balance. We shouldn’t lose hope because of it. We can try to alchemize it, to transmute it so that darkness becomes something we can handle while sustaining some sort of balance, without drowning in it. That’s why we get to celebrate the darkness. It’s the underbelly of all of life, and rather than fear it or try to escape it, embracing it is a much more practical way to live. And isn’t that exactly what this time of year asks of us? At Samhain, we honor those who have passed, and we also welcome beginnings: a new season, the dark half of the year, the quiet turn inward. Things end so that new things can be born. What I found deserves a moment of reverence, and I’m letting myself feel the sadness, too. I know the hawk or owl was simply following its nature, but that doesn’t make this little life feel any less precious. There’s room to understand the cycle and still feel tender about the loss. If you’re somewhere in that in-between place, too, I’d love for you to give yourself a little tenderness. Grieve what you’ve lost, what you hoped for, or what didn’t work out. There’s no need to rush toward hope. When you’re ready, it may return the way it so often does: quietly, in something small, like a little curiosity, a new idea, an unexpected sign or the desire to reach out and connect. It might not look like what you first hoped for, but it can still be real. Connection, comfort, and gathering together...When I read tarot for the group on Sunday, I was reminded again how thin the veil can feel. There were moments of connection that felt deeper than the cards themselves, and there’s real comfort in knowing we’re not alone. Maybe some of our endings are beginnings taking a different shape, one we can’t quite recognize yet. That’s part of what I’m looking forward to exploring at our October 29th Samhain Sacred Circle: a little divination, a little mystery, and time to honor those connections, our ancestors, the season, and whatever each of us is moving through. October 29th: Samhain Sacred Circle As the nights grow longer and the Wheel of the Year turns toward Samhain, we honor those who came before us, release what is ending, and welcome a season when the veil is growing thin. Join us for a women’s circle of ceremony, connection, and good old-fashioned witchy curiosity, with room for remembrance, magic, and laughter. Together, we’ll explore Samhain traditions, ancestor remembrance, meditation, movement, journaling, oracle cards, and some witchy Ouija exploration. 🍂🔮 A seasonal dinner will be provided, with warming soup, salads, charcuterie, fruit, cookies, and pies, plus one glass of mulled wine or cider. Tea and water will also be available. This spiritual, seasonal gathering is limited to 13 guests in our host’s private home, so I recommend reserving in advance. You are welcome exactly as you are, whether you practice regularly, are simply curious, or want to share a magical night with good people. 💞 Samhain ~ A Witchy Ouija Circle 📅 October 29, 2026 Seven Spots Left! I hope to see you around the fire!
Whatever the hawks, feathers, and quiet endings are asking of you right now, may you meet them with an open heart. Stay grounded, trust your own vision, and know that you never have to see the whole path to take the next step. The circle keeps turning, and so does the light. With love and magic, P.S. Have a question about the circle, something you’ve been noticing as a possible sign, or an interest in exploring some deeper work together? Just hit reply HERE. I’d love to hear what’s on your mind. |