who’s afraid of the dark?
Mon 25 May: a tawny frogmouth, returning to our yard. Our newest pet? 🦉
I’m Phoebe, and I make sounds that help people settle their nervous systems - sometimes it’s at a sound bath, sometimes it’s amplified and live looped. I also love photography and bad jokes. IKSRE stands for I Keep Seeing Rainbows Everywhere 🌈
Last night’s free online sound bath streaming here until the next one, on 24 June x
As Autumn draws to a close in the southern hemisphere, and winter looms on the horizon, I’m feeling the darkness and quietude. And it’s lovely.
I used to fight the onset of winter, distract myself by travelling to Europe every couple of years to escape midwinter. Last year, I tried to escape it completely.
But alas our winter here in SE Australia doesn’t last three months anymore. It lasts five if we’re lucky. So returning from four months on the road last year to the supposed last month of winter? It wasn’t. I landed in the middle of the worst part of winter. The coldest. And it kept going til December. And it hit me. Hard.
I worked out why. It’s because I didn’t have the gradual shift. The gradual slowing. The gradual darkening.
This is what the seasons do. If we allow them to.
This year, I’m sinking into it. It’s easier than fighting it. Because now that I live away from the city, I feel the darkness WAY more.
Once the sun sets, the blackness enfolds you. There’s less street lights. Less house lights. And no billboards, illuminating the ink.
The dark is deep. And wide.
As I lean in, I feel a sense of alignment. And it feels good.
For those of us in the southern hemisphere, this is our invitation to slow down. Our invitation to conserve our energy over these colder months. Our invitation to go into hibernation. To rest, deeply.
So this week’s email is all about embracing some practices to help with the winter months. And for those of you friends who are in the Northern hemisphere, may these serve as moments to pause and rest amidst the building energy of the warmer months.
breathe like a wave: Whatever you’re doing, stop right now, close your eyes and take three long, slow, conscious breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth (with an audible AHHHHH if you can)
worship the sun like a cat: if the clouds part and the sun appears, take a moment to pause - close your eyes and put your face in it and soak up its radiance.
go see some live music: live music is healing. Being with other people, too. This week I’ll be heading along to Abbotsford Convent for Warm Mids Afternoon, watching my mates Ruby Ester Mae Clariloops, Willebrant and My Lovely Haunting play while I lie down and zen out. If you’re there, come say hi.
be like a dog: smile at a passing stranger in the street. You never know how much of an impact you may have.
start reading a new book: I’ve just finished Sonic Youth legend Kim Gordon’s excellent bio “Girl in a Band” and am now onto Andy Beta’s brilliant Alice Coltrane bio “Cosmic Music”. I also just devoured “Don’t Believe Everything You Think” by Joseph Ngyuen.
go for a walk: right now. Ideally somewhere where you can hear a bird or the sound of leaves or feet crunching on gravel. Keep walking til the noise in your head quietens down a little bit.
go discover some new music: Two that I’m currently rinsing are Zoltan Fecso and Anna Morley’s gorgeous “Desire Path”
..and Barry Can’t Swim’s’ Late Night Tales
I’d love to know what you’ve got on repeat too
call someone you love: not a text. Not a voice note. Call them.
hug: and be hugged.
support the greatest radio station in the world: sign up to PBS 106.7FM. I cannot overemphasise how instrumental their support has been to me. They’re truly one of a kind. Subscribe or donate this radio festival and help support real music and the humans who make it (and play it)
til next week friends. embrace the darkness, the stillness and the peace
xx P
Ps. massive love to the eight beauties who spent Saturday with me, diving into the world of sound and sound healing. It was an honour as always. If you’re keen to join the next one, email me and I’ll add you to the earlybird notification list.
SOUND BATHS this week - just at Grassroots St Kilda, this Sunday at 7pm! Full moon AND last day of Autumn. Massive vibes! BOOK/INFO