June's Glimmers, Poetry Prompts, & Journal Pages
Ink-Stained Compass is the weekly newsletter by poet and witch Caitlin Gemmell. This week’s letter is for paid subscribers but there is a little something for everyone. If you enjoy these letters, please consider hitting that heart button or sharing with a friend so they can reach more people. Thank you for being here.
June has been a full month. It was a month of applying for graduation (I’m close to completing my master’s in library science), of devouring books for my Resources and Services for Young Adults class, of noticing the abundance of blooms everywhere (including the most magical red roses discovered downtown). The following are just some of my top glimmers from this month. I hope they inspire you to reflect on your glimmers and maybe even think about what glimmers you’d like to seek and create next month.
Beyond the list of glimmers, I’ve included poetry prompts for all of you and journal pages and secret surprises for paid subscribers.
June’s Glimmers
Receiving Issue 44 of Bella Grace Magazine in the post with the absolutely pleasant and unexpected surprise that my article was published in it (somehow, I never received the acceptance email, so it was 100% a surprise)!
The female American Robin, so like my dear English blackbirds from back home, that follows me when I’m out walking.
My sweet teenage son who still wants to be a kid and asked if he could take Hobbes (his tiger) with him on our walk.
Getting to read my poem “The Sea is My Religion” in Blue Heron Review alongside so many other amazing poems by talented poets!
A visit to a comic book store with my kid followed by ice cream.
Tending the garden and feeling like a Practical Magic auntie thanks to my linen clothing, whimsical straw hat, and visits from wildlife who seem to understand when I speak to them.
Slipping into silk pajamas, champagne colored, in the evening and feeling like a 1930s era Hollywood starlet.
Baking snickerdoodle cookies to make summer a tad cozier.
My childlike sense of wonder at the crows nesting in the pines just outside my bedroom window. I’ve always wanted crow friends and have had three incredibly memorable experiences with crows thus far during my 40 years here on Mama Earth. I’m still holding out hope for a crow familiar.
The feeling of warmth and connection when neighbors pulled some strings and reached out to the right people so I could finally get the class I’ve been trying to register for ever since I started my MS in library science degree. In the nick of time too. Fall semester is my last in this program.
Running into a neighbor who coincidentally also used to be a neighbor at my favorite apartment ever (18 years ago) and seeing he has a brand new baby. Something about cycles and new beginnings and revisiting story threads I’d dropped long ago.
The lady snapping turtle laying eggs in the mulch that was intended for our community garden but will now remain untouched until her eggs hatch. She’s our community mascot now.
Watching my son’s sheer delight at finally discovering a four-leaf clover after years of hoping.
Registering for my portfolio course and “applying” for graduation and feeling excited that I’ve almost reached the end of my master’s in library science.
Walking in the fog after the rain.
Sweet texts from friends.
Keeping our traditions alive, with Pixie.
Receiving two magical letters on Summer Solstice.
Having an easy time of it with the course I dreaded the most.
Delving into the world of fairy tales, fairy tale analysis, and the mythopoetic once more.
Indulging in a Solstice season ritual bath complete with orange blossoms and a special seashell.
Catching fireflies and witnessing bats on our evening walks.
What glimmers did you notice or create this month?
Poetry Prompts
You know the drill by now. Use these prompts in whatever way calls to you. Perhaps you are writing a play and can weave these prompts into it somehow. Maybe you want to choreograph a dance. Paint a painting. Sculpt a sculpture. Collage bits of magazine. Or use them as I do—as poetry prompts.
Ouroboros. Consider the symbol of this snake devouring its tail and how it relates to cycles.
Empress Tarot Card. Consider the Empress archetype in tarot and write a poem in honor of her.
Solstice. What does the energy of solstice (whether winter or summer) mean to you?
Twinkling Fireflies and Childhood. What does this imagery suggest?
Feel free to share your creations with me! I’d love to know what you end up with.
Journal Pages for Paid Subscribers
Behind the paywall, I’ve included the regular monthly journal pages which is a once a month offering for paid subscribers. I’ve also included a special bonus treat as a thank you for continuing to support my soul’s calling.
Letters from a Selkie Witch went out to paid subscribers around Solstice. If you are a paid subscriber and haven’t received these seasonal letters yet and want to start, just email or message me with your mailing address and you’ll be added to the list for Autumn Letters from a Selkie Witch.
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