Letters From a Selkie Witch were sent out at the end of last month. This is an offering for my paid subscribers. Each letter is written to a certain theme — elements, seasons, folklore, personal mythology, etc. Email me at caitgemmell@gmail.com if you wish to be added to the list for receiving these seasonal, magical, handwritten letters.
Hello darling friends,
Before I get into today’s post, I have some exciting news to share. Recently, I made the decision to travel a new path — a path leading to me becoming a librarian or archivist.
A couple days ago, I received news that I was accepted into the graduate school program I applied for. Remember in Harry Potter when he received his offer of admission into Hogwarts by Owl Post? I felt some of that magic when I logged into my application after receiving an email saying it had been updated. When I opened my acceptance letter, an explosion of blue confetti graced my computer screen, and I felt how I always assumed I would feel if I had received my letter telling me I was offered a place at Hogwarts.
This new path feels magical. It feels right. And the way my application came together all at once on the anniversary of my dad’s death, my dad who was an incredible scholar and always encouraged me to be a lifelong learner, seems like a sign that everything is going to work out. Less than a week later, I received my acceptance letter.
Some of you already knew through my Instagram stories that I applied for this Master’s in Information and Library Science program, but for those of you who aren’t on Instagram, I basically said that this path is one that speaks to me. It feels like I have finally found a greater purpose. But I am a wee bit worried about the financial aspect of pursuing this degree. I’m still not out of debt from my earlier degrees and this will just add to it. I am in the process of applying for every single scholarship I can find that I am eligible for, but realistically I’ll have to take out some loans to cover the cost.
If you would like to help support me in this new career path, I am offering donation-based tarot readings. Two of you have already contributed to my grad school fund by booking readings with me and giving generous donations. I am so very grateful! If you’d like to do the same, you can book a reading by emailing me at enchanted.caitlin@gmail.com
I welcome donations via PayPal or Venmo (my email for both is enchanted.caitlin@gmail.com), purchases from my bookstore @icapturethestory on PangoBooks, or paid subscriptions to this Substack newsletter.
As a single mother who currently homeschools my son full time while working incredibly hard on all of my freelance work, it’s a struggle trying to save money. This degree in library science will enable me to find a good job and have a stable income doing something I enjoy and am good at. But in the meantime, I’ll have to cut back on some of my freelance jobs to make time and space for my studies. If you feel called to help support me, thank you in advance. And if not, that is okay too.
I will continue to write these regular Substack newsletters. When evaluating what I can do to free up time for pursuing my graduate degree, I determined it was important to follow through with the promise I made to my Substack subscribers. I’ll still write at least one newsletter a month for all subscribers and two or more for paid subscribers.
And now for the post on letters from love…
Today, I wanted to share something I just started incorporating into my life. One of my favorite people to follow on Substack is Elizabeth Gilbert. Her Substack, Letters from Love, is a place for this community to share the love letters they write to themselves. The moment I realized an author I greatly admire was on Substack and doing something I appreciate, I wanted to participate by writing my own letter from love. But, somehow, I couldn’t bring myself to actually sit down and write one of these letters until the anniversary of my dad’s death, and then the words just flowed.
Even though this is way out of my comfort zone, I am sharing my second letter from love with you, because the practice was incredibly healing for me, and I’d like to encourage you to try it too. The first one was one I wish to keep private, so although I would appreciate reading your letters too, I completely understand if the practice is one that you’d like to keep close to your heart. If you’d like to adopt this practice, whether to share the letters or just to write them as a tool for healing and personal growth, head over to Elizabeth Gilbert’s Substack to read some of these letters and see how you can write one (or many).
Dear Love — What would you have me know today?
My dearest little dove,
It’s okay to have moments of self-doubt. We have to spend time in the depths of the cave before finding our way back into the light of the world. Such is the way of life. Shadow and light are stitched together. Each plays a part in our stories.
Darling Caitie-Cait, you are brimful of magic. It’s so beautiful the way you get excited over little miracles others often take for granted. Your childlike sense of wonder at the first snowfall. A visit from a snowbird who you know in your heart is an ancestor come to say hello on Samhain. The way you see magic in soft clouds outlined in the sun’s gold, bright blue hydrangeas on Halloween, and snow fluttering down like feathers from Mother Holle’s pillows. You see stories in every encounter and file them away in the chalice of your imagination.
Lovely Cinderella, your ability to recognize the fairytale threads woven together to create your personal mythology — the way you see the threads that make up the stories of the lives of the people closest to you — is one of your greatest strengths. Witchery is in your blood and bones. You breathe magic into the world. Never forget that the world is miraculous but so are you. So are you.
Sending love to each of you,
Cait
p.s. If you like receiving magical letters in the mail, you can read about an offering for my paid subscribers here.
..
Wishing you all the best in your pursuit of your new goals. The thing is though, I already believe in you and am convinced that you will succeed and go to new heights as you travel to the stars. Nothing can hold you back Caitlin. The love letters are a wonderful idea!! If I did write one, I'd never be brave enough to share though.
Congratulations! How exciting! I minored in library science many, many moons ago. I still think that being a librarian or archivist is what I want to do when I grow up. 🤗 Enjoy every magical moment of it!