Seeking Enchantment in July
a list of glimmers to seek and create (and an update on my published poetry)
Welcome to Ink-Stained Compass, the weekly newsletter by poet and witch Caitlin Gemmell. This is a newsletter for seekers of stories and magic. If you enjoy these letters, please consider hitting that heart button or sharing on Substack so it can reach more readers. You can also show your support by buying me a coffee or my poetry book—True North.
Seeking Enchantment in July: A List of Glimmers to Seek and Create
Hello you!
My least favorite month has arrived. July is typically the hottest month of the year—a sticky, sweltering kind of heat that drains my energy and darkens my spirit. But as one who romanticizes everything, I decided to come up with a list of glimmers to seek and create this month so that July is transformed from a month I dread to one I look forward to.
If you missed June’s list of glimmers, you can read that post right here.
If you missed May’s list of glimmers, you can read that post right here.
April’s list of glimmers can be found here.
March’s list of glimmers can be found here.
February’s list of glimmers is here.
January’s list of glimmers is here.
Feel free to borrow from my list or create your own list of enchanting things to make your July a magical month too.
But first, a poem to say farewell to June…
a storm is rolling in
and i have my rituals—
a mug of tea
my seashore quilt
the company of a new book
necessary for my cocooning
memories of June
are fading
on the cusp of July
as the sky releases years
of bottled tears
washing the ink
from the old month
creating room
for a new calendar page
where anything is possibleSeeking Enchantment in July: A List of Glimmers to Seek and Create
Leave offerings for the crows nesting in the pines outside my window.
Make sun tea and ice-cold pitchers of lemonade, don a white dress, and sit outside.
Continue befriending the lady robin who hops along beside me as I’m out walking.
Sort through my sea treasures and arrange sea glass on my altar.
Escape to the English seaside through watching Mapp and Lucia. Have you watched this? It’s been on my watchlist forever, and I’m determined to watch it soon.
Slip into my silk robe each morning and drink my tea from the window seat.
Write summer letters from a selkie witch and mail them to my paid subscribers. Enjoy finding little treasures to tuck into each one—stickers, tea, pressed flowers, antique photographs, snippets of poetry. *edit: these went out at solstice, and it did bring me great joy curating these for each of my paid subscribers who opted in. I’ll continue to write letters to kindred spirits throughout the summer.
Plant the ivy I’ve been propagating, preferably in a swan-shaped planter. Bury my wishes in the soil.
Enjoy being barefoot outside. Notice the texture of grass, of soil, of gravel.
Continue finding and identifying plants for my botanical journal.
If blessed with rain, go on a rain walk. Allow the rain to bring life to my selkie-locks.
Explore my current personal fairy tale in more depth.
Read and discuss books with I Capture the Story Book Club. Read delightful books with my dear soul sisters in Girls in White Dresses Book Club.
Spritz perfume on my wrists even if I have nowhere to go.
Go on a quest to find butterflies.
Add flowers, herbs, lemon slices, fruit to my water. Pretend it is a magical potion. An elixir.
Read my tea leaves to understand what comes next. Think of my Nan who read tea leaves too.
Journey to my Wishing Tree, not to leave a wish but to say hello to an old friend.
Find meaningful gifts for friends with upcoming birthdays.
Write poems on my arm and contemplate getting them tattooed.
Stitch poetry spells into clothing to add magic to my life anytime I wear them.
On days when it is too hot to be outside, enjoy the air conditioning as I needle felt tiny creatures to keep me company.
Make fruit smoothies and drink them from my fanciest, pink glass.
Visit a secondhand bookshop and discover a new favorite book of poetry.
Wear seashell earrings and glitter eyeshadow. Embrace my inner mermaid.
Stop to smell all the roses. Remember one of my favorite books from childhood—When the Sun Rose. (and my house was full of roses)
Nurture my female friendships. Adore the women in my life.
Go on a wonder walk. Allow the magic to unfold in its own way.
Surround myself in blue and white. Wear these colors. Eat meals from blue and white china. Notice the Chicory embracing the Queen Anne’s Lace.
Devour watermelon. Tomatoes. Fresh basil. Appreciate in-season produce, whether from my own garden or the farmer’s market.
Bring a wicker basket with me for doing my shopping—not just to the farmers market but to the grocery store too.
Will you borrow any of these? What glimmers do you want to seek and create this month? Let me know.
Latest Published Poetry
I made a goal at the beginning of the year to have 10 of my poems/articles accepted for publication by the end of the year. Right now, I am halfway through this goal.
Here’s what has been published this year so far:
“Dark-eyed Juncos in January” in Kind Over Matter
“Sleeping Beauty Returns the Goddess to the World” in Spring/Summer 2025 issue of The Fairy Tale Magazine
“Caught in Decisions” in Kind Over Matter
“A Survival List for Landlocked Mermaids” in issue 44 of Bella Grace
“The Sea is My Church” in issue 19 (Spring 2025) of Blue Heron Review
(republished) “A List of Enchanting Uses for Ribbons” in A Romanticized Life issue of Bella Grace.
Much love,
So many beautiful glimmers here, thank you
L o v e l y…. However as I am the Winter cycle where the rain has beaten relentlessly, I would need to rethink my Julyness. Today, temporarily the sun shone and there is warmth in the air, the grasses have grown and are silver tipped, the river has risen but the ducks are happening. I am coming from being in a hiatus of unwell ness, so I need to plan. Thank you for your lovely itinerary, my is not touched yet.