Grief Magic: Rituals, Tarot & Gentle Conversations about Loss

In this episode, I’m sharing my experience of being diagnosed with fibromyalgia in early 2024 and reflecting on what it means to live with an invisible chronic illness. So much of modern life is built around visibility, sharing images, documenting our lives online, and yet the most profound experiences often happen in places no one else can see. Living with chronic pain, brain fog and fatigue has made me think deeply about what visibility actually means, and about the strange tension between a culture that expects us to perform wellness and the reality of bodies that don’t always cooperate.I talk about the long path that led to my diagnosis, beginning with an accident at the end of 2020 and years of symptoms that I initially explained away as recovery from surgeries and medication. Over time it became clear that something deeper was happening in my nervous system, and that my relationship to work, energy and daily life was changing in ways I couldn’t ignore. Learning to pace my energy has been one of the biggest shifts, as well as navigating the shame that can arise when chronic illness collides with cultural narratives about productivity, work and what a successful life is supposed to look like.This episode is also about grief - the grief of changing identities, altered expectations and futures that look different from what we imagined. At the same time, it’s been an invitation to become curious about health in a deeper way: to learn about the nervous system, trauma, sleep, and the small everyday choices that help me care for my body with more compassion. My hope is that sharing this story might help others feel a little less alone, especially if they’re navigating illness that the world can’t easily see.You are welcome to join the spring season of Soft Monday sessions over here: https://griefmagic.com/blessings/Love,Yarrow

In this episode, I explore the idea of romantic friendship and the many ways humans create intimacy outside traditional relationship structures. I talk about how the nuclear family seems to lose its hold as a primary way of relating and about the ways in which not being able to form a traditional family can still feel like a loss. Whether you are queer or not, as always I hope that this episode feels validating to your beautiful, unique way of being in the world and forming relationships that actually work for you. You are welcome to join the spring season of Soft Monday sessions over here: https://griefmagic.com/blessings/Love,Yarrow

In this episode of the Grief Magic podcast, I reflect on what it means to live with limited capacity in a culture that constantly demands more.Looking at historical shifts in work patterns, the rise of the 24 hour information cycle, and the impact of recent UK policies around disability and employment, this episode explores how feelings of exhaustion and overwhelm are often structural rather than personal.I also reflect on how industrialisation shaped modern ideas of productivity and worth, and how these ideas continue to influence how we judge ourselves today. As always my hope is that listening makes you feel less alone and that you know you are beautiful and worthy regardless of what you produce. You are welcome to join the spring season of Soft Monday sessions over here: https://griefmagic.com/blessings/Love,Yarrow

In this episode, I’m sharing more practical reflections on making friends as an adult after a more waffly episode last week. Friendships or the lack of feeling really known can bring up grief, awkwardness, hope, and so much longing. I wanted to offer a few grounded ideas for building connection in ways that feel sustainable, especially if you’re neurodivergent, sensitive, queer, living with disability, or simply navigating a changing season of life.We explore:Doing an honest assessment of what actually makes you feel connectedCreating space to be yourself and to unmask gentlyJoining spaces where you feel welcomed and where your way of relating is understoodSpending time in nature as a relational practice, noticing who is there, watching the seasons, and becoming intimate with the landscapeHosting the spaces you wish existed, online or offlineIf friendship has felt hard lately, I hope this episode leaves you feeling less alone, and more resourced to take one small step toward the kind of companionship you want.You are also welcome to join our weekly sessions, the self-study Grief Glimmers course or my free monthly Spark sessions over at https://griefmagic.com/Love,Yarrow

In this episode, I’m in conversation with trauma-informed somatic practitioner and educator Darshana Avila about the relationship between grief, pleasure, and aliveness.We explore how pain and joy are not opposites, but part of the same spectrum of being human. Darshana shares how her work has evolved from sacred sexuality and body-based healing into a broader exploration of what she calls “erotic wholeness” — not limited to sex, but rooted in life force, creativity, grief, connection and presence.We talk about:How grief and pleasure can coexistThe idea of eros as aliveness rather than performanceThe role of community and ritual in griefMoving beyond binary ideas of “good” and “bad” emotionsTrauma-informed ways of relating to ourselvesDarshana Avila is a trauma-informed somatic educator, practitioner and international speaker who helps people reconnect with the most essential aspects of themselves — their truth, their desires, and their capacity for profound pleasure and power. Known for her grounded, candid, and relational approach, she bridges the worlds of erotic embodiment, trauma healing and self actualization.Darshana’s work has been featured on Netflix’s Sex, Love & goop, The Guardian, The New Yorker, and numerous leading podcasts.darshanaavila.com instagram.com/darshana_avilayoutube.com/@darshana-avilalinkedin.com/in/darshana-avilaYou can join monthly Spark sessions with Yarrow over here: https://griefmagic.com/free-monthly-spark-sessions/Thank you for listening!Love,Yarrow

In this short solo episode, I’m inviting you to join a soft, companionable decluttering workshop we’ll be doing together on March 8th from 4–6pm (UK time).Making space can be emotional as much as practical and doing it alone can feel overwhelming, so this workshop is a gentle spring reset.We’ll begin with a short pep talk and a simple, kind approach to decluttering, then spend time quietly clearing our spaces side by side. We’ll check in together and continue for a second session.The workshop is also a fundraiser to support a dear friend’s family in Sudan who urgently need help right now.You can sign up here: https://griefmagic.com/spring-cocoon/Love,Yarrow

In this episode of Grief Magic, I explore scent as a gentle companion during slow, tender, or inward seasons of life. We talk about how smell can support emotional regulation, memory, and meaning making, and how working with scent can become a quiet ritual rather than another thing to get right.I share a simple introduction to aromatherapy, including what it is and what it is not, and how to approach essential oils in ways that feel intuitive, sustainable, and accessible. We look at how scent can act as an anchor through grief, burnout, recovery, and periods of change, offering continuity and comfort without requiring words.If you like, you can join our Monday sessions here: https://griefmagic.com/blessings/and you can join my newsletter over here: https://griefmagic.com/Thank you for listening!Love,Yarrow

Enrollment for Rooted 2026 closes this Sunday, January 25th, and I would love for you to join us. In this short episode, I’m sharing what to expect inside the program and a few new updates that make it an even more beautiful experience.You’ll hear about:🌿 The six themes we’ll explore together in Rooted✨ The new series of short pep talks you can download and listen to anytime🕯️ Two new Sunday co-working sessions for peaceful focus and accountability💛 The new six-month payment plan and sliding-scale options (starting at £50/month)If you’ve been thinking about joining but haven’t said yes yet, this is your moment. Rooted begins on Saturday, February 1st, and I can’t wait to get started.👉 Learn more and enroll here: https://pinkwellstudio.com/rooted

I'm delighted to greet the new year by sharing a beautiful conversation I had with Eileen March of My Luminous Life. Eileen brings such a rich background and really touching insights to the table. Here is some of what we talked about: Simple ways to live a more magical life Slowing down enough to notice what we actually want Embracing what we can learn from loss and good griefListening to our bodies even if we don't always get the message we want to hearEileen March is a spiritual coach, energy healer, podcast host, author, and slow-living witch devoted to helping women reclaim their power, reconnect with their bodies, and re-enchant their everyday lives. With a background in both midwifery and religious studies, Eileen bridges the sacred and the practical—weaving together science, spirit, and soul.Eileen is the founder of My Luminous Life and the creator of Unleash Your Inner Witch, a powerful program designed to help spiritually curious women remember their magic and live with more meaning, fulfillment, rest, and peace. She’s passionate about dismantling hustle culture, listening to the body’s rhythms, and creating brave, nurturing spaces where women can feel held, seen, and safe enough to transform. When she’s not coaching or holding ceremony, you’ll find her reading stories of hope and healing, tending her garden, or snuggling her sweet kitty.Connect with Eileen on IG Download Awaken to the Magic Within (free eBook) Follow Eileen on Insight Timer Send Eileen an Email eileen@myluminouslife.caYou are still welcome to join in the winter season of weekly glimmer sessions over here and here is the link to Rooted, my business group program over at Pink Well Studio. Thanks for listening,Yarrow

In this solo episode of Grief Magic, I share some gentle reflections on protecting your time and energy in the year ahead, so there’s room for meaningful connection with your grief, your body, and your creativity.I talk about how we can be intentional with the spaces we inhabit, both physical and digital, and create an environment that supports healing and rest. You’ll hear about:Making physical space in your home by decluttering gently and reconnecting with what you already haveReviewing spending and prioritising experiences and community over buying new thingsCurating your digital world by choosing what you engage with and using blockers or breaks to make space for stillnessSpending social time more intentionally and finding joy in making things togetherAsking what your grief actually needs from you right now, and creating rituals that allow it to move through you with tendernessThis episode is also an invitation to join the winter season of glimmer sessions, which start next week: https://griefmagic.com/blessings/ This is a beautiful space for creativity and renewal and there are sliding scale options available. We would love to have you!Thanks for listening,Yarrow

Misha of Hafez Death Care, my guest for today's episode, has a really beautiful podcast I hope you will check out too - it's called Halva for the Heart and I was honoured to be on episode 14. In this conversation for Grief Magic, we went both deep and wide into some really meaningful topics that I hope you'll enjoy too: Dying and grieving in diasporaSmall and big rituals that help us navigate lossesListening to our bodies in the face of deathContinuing connections with people we have lost Misha (she/he/they) is an Iranian-American death doula and grief tender whose work honors the sacredness of death and the political power of mourning. Their path into this calling began at the tender age of twenty, when they were blessed with the gift of witnessing their mother’s death. Today, through Hafez Death Care, Misha offers culturally-rooted, anti-imperialist support for dying people and their loved ones before, during, and after the dying process.They also provide grief tending for personal, collective, and ancestral grief, teaching that grief is both an emotional process and an act of resistance. They facilitate community grief events, offer one-on-one death midwifery and grief support, and host Halva for the Heart, a podcast exploring death and grief through a diasporic lens. Misha’s work is grounded in the belief that by caring for our Dying and tending to our grief in community, we strengthen our movements for justice and deepen our capacity for collective care.https://hafezdeathcare.com/You are invited to join the Winter Magic retreat here: https://glimmerportal.com/tarot-for-grief-winter-solstice-retreat/Thanks for listening!Love,Yarrow

I am so honoured to share a beautiful conversation with Gabriela de Golia, who was also on episode #158. This time, we had a chance to go deeper and check back in on how the last few years have shaped us. Here is some of what we talked about:Discerning our unique relationship with the divineGrief and mortality as a gateway to understanding the mysteryThe politics of spiritual careRitual practice for tending, resilience and resistanceGabriela De Golia is the amalgamation of many beings, experiences, and possibilities. Weaving from a wide range of ancestral, spiritual, intellectual, political, and creative lineages, she serves as a spiritual care provider, ritualist, artist, writer, and a devotee of the mystery from which all things emerge and to which all things return. They support people in accessing the holy depths within and beyond us, to help co-create a world where all beings can be truly and deeply free.https://gabrieladegolia.com/Join us for weekly sessions here: https://glimmerportal.com/blessings/Receive a grief blessings tarot reading: https://glimmerportal.com/grief-blessings/Thank you so much for listening!