I'd quite like to watch tv in bed...

** PLUS 24 hour flash sale on membership! **

Hello dear friends,

I’m just off the back of a week of Halloween break with my kids. I’d planned a slow, gentle, down-time sort of week. Quite the opposite happened. I’m not really sure how. One thing after another filled up the diary, and I think we are all now feeling a bit flattened. I’d be quite keen on watching tv in bed for a week or so.

So many friends I’ve spoken to say the same. It was exhausting - Costumes! Parties! Playdates! Shows! Sweets! Sweets! Sweets! And now it feels like we are being asked to hop on the express train to Christmas, let’s goooooo!

Umph. I’m not ready, I’m not in the mood, I’m tired. I want to do very little, quietly, with very few people around.

I saw someone share the idea of ‘NO’ vember over on Instagram recently. A month of saying no to too much of anything at all, of pushing back on the noise and the go go go. That feels like something I could get on board with.

This morning I shared with my paid subscriber community a deep dive exploration and series of journalling prompts on the M E T A L Element.

For those of you who have been following along, you’ll know that the framework for this year of exploration is each of the five elements of Earth, Metal, Water, Wood and Fire.

The METAL element, which is seasonally connected to Autumn, is about clarifying. Choosing what is essential, discarding the rest. Being discerning. Cutting through what is not required.

Beyond the noise, finding what is true.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently.
How much of what I am doing is noise?
How much of it is true?

The Deep Dive explores these questions in a quiet, slow way. As I wrote the prompts, and then recorded them (there’s an audio version, too), I realised how much I need this exploration myself.

I’ll be dropping a little deeper next week, too, with a live journalling session (with recording) on METAL - I think we all found the first of these sessions a wonderful way to press pause, but also connect with other like-minded souls, I’m really looking forward to this second one.

If you’d like to access these Deep Dives, I’m offering a 24 hour special offer to you. A lifetime subscription for €20 a year (versus the usual €50). Next year I’m going to be increasing the membership rates (as well as offering some sweet new membership collaborations & shares), but this price stays for as long as you subscribe. I don’t plan on running another special offer like this in the next 10-12 months.

I’m putting so much into everything I’m sharing between now and Christmas. Between you and me, I’ve felt a little overwhelmed with my own creations at time this week! But then, as I worked through my own prompts for METAL, I’ve gained some clarity - I really want to hold these deep dive, pause spaces for us as a community. I want to build this community. I also want to then take a break in January to rest, write, reset. I’ll be inviting you to do the same.

Here’s what is coming up between now and the end of the year, all included in a paid subscription. In particular, if you are feeling the need to drop down and in, to reset, refocus, the Deep Dives and Sitting in the Dark sessions will be ones to join.

NOVEMBER :
𓇸 M E T A L Element Sessions
Friday 8 November : Deep Dive written post into the M E T A L Element will land in your inboxes
Thursday 14 November : 10:30-11:30am GMT: M E T A L live call (You’ll receive a link to the Zoom the day before, recording available).

Plus you can take a listen to this moving conversation I had with Mari Kennedy on letting go, grief, stepping into the dark :

Beauty & Bone | The Element Sessions | Episode Three

𓇸 MID-LIFE Chat with Substack’s Loose Women (working title!) | part 2
Friday 15 November (this is free, but including here as it’ll be great!
19:30-20:30 GMT
Live on Zoom (link shared by email that morning, recording available)
Changing bodies, libido, how we are feeling in our skin

DECEMBER :
𓇸 W A T E R Element Sessions
Friday 6 December : Podcast will land in your inboxes with surfer, scientist and artist

Easkey

Britton (I‘ve already recorded this session and my GAWD it was powerful).
Friday 13 December : Deep Dive written post into the W A T E R Element will land in your inboxes (plus a beautiful gift from Easkey)
Thursday 19 December : 10:30-11:30am GMT: W A T E R live call (You’ll receive a link to the Zoom the day before, recording available).

𓇸 MID-LIFE Chat with Substack’s Loose Women (working title!) | part 3
Friday 11 December 19:30-20:30 GMT (again, free, but do join!)
Live on Zoom (link shared by email that morning, recording available)
We’ll be talking Rage!

𓇸 SITTING IN THE DARK
Sit with me in the dark to write and create for 4 early mornings towards the end of the year. I’m picturing a womb-space, a dark, warm holding space for us all. A way to pause, gather, reflect, hold, be held, create, move into the new year slowly, with intention.

𖥸 Friday 29 Nov, 6 Dec, 13 Dec, 20 Dec
𖥸 6-7am GMT
𖥸 On Zoom, I’ll send the link the day before. Will not be recorded.
𖥸 Free to all paid subscribers

The beauty & bone community is a small (yet mighty) gathering of like-minded souls, determinedly fumbling towards a brighter future.

If it feels right, now is a great time to join us, offer open until tomorrow, November 9th.

Layla x