Welcome to my newsletter!

If you recently signed up -- thank you! If you're a previous client, welcome back! I created this newsletter with the hopes of sharing as much knowledge and love as I can to Black + brown women, and the people who love them. May you find inspiration, hope or whatever else you need in the message below!

I finished writing this newsletter a few hours before I planned to send it because I’m a master procrastinator who tends to wait until the last minute to do important things—

Actually, I don’t want to hold myself in that light — let’s start again.

I finished writing this newsletter despite being busy af and going 58 rounds with seasonal depression. Everyday I beat her ass like Tesehki did Diamond, and everyday she bounces back like Slim. If you’ve been watching Baddies Midwest, then you know that like Slim, seasonal depression eventually goes away. If you’re a SAD hoe like me, check out these tips to help you in your fight for joy!

(Read til the end for intuitive guidance for the month ahead😉)

Seasonal Self Care

Last year, my sistergirl Millie and I hosted Loving Yourself Better, a workshop focused on mental health and self care for WOC. The one thing I hoped our attendees remembered was the need to put their physical + mental health above all else, especially during the winter months. As women of color, wintertime can be especially difficult for us — iron deficiency symptoms are heightened in the cold, and our darker skin makes us more prone to low Vitamin D levels (ha!) which leads to reduced focus and an overall funky mood. Add this to any preexisting neurodivergence or mental health issues, and you’ve got a recipe for SAD, or seasonal affective disorder. And if you’d like a little bit of icing on your SAD cake, PMS and PMDD happily appear to make SAD symptoms even worse. For these reasons and more, it’s hella important to take steps to care for your mind, body, and spirit.

Happier than funky ass Pharrell
Light therapy is my number one tool in fighting off seasonal sadness. I turn on my Happy Light for 15-30 minutes each morning to help energize me. Check out this blog post from Harvard Medical School + these reviews on light therapy lamps (I have a basic Verilux HappyLight and it works great!).

Gifts from da Earth
Roots like ginger help to give your immune system a boost, while botanical herbs like calendula and rose can help to elevate your mood and soothe a weary heart. Try adding these herbs into your daily routine and let me know how you feel over the next month.

Get ya mind right
Meditate, journal, and speak to a mental health professional if you’re really suffering. Create a community of care by checking in with your homies and offering reciprocal support as much as possible — being in service to others is it quick way to bring light and warmth into your life.

Move dat ass
You might be starting to falter in your ‘new year, new me’ goals, and that’s okay — it’s hard to find the motivation to workout when you’re in a mental funk. Moving for 30 minutes a day (cardio, strength training, yoga) can help to improve mental health, plus you end up looking the fuck good. And you know what helps me to not be depressed? Looking the fuck good.

Put some D in ya mouth
As women of color, our darker skin makes us more prone to low Vitamin D levels leading to reduced focus and an overall funky mood. Speak with your doctor to get your levels tested, and try out an over the counter Vitamin D supplement daily.

4 da fellas
Yup, seasonal depression hits them too. And you know how they show it? By getting on your last damn nerve. Remember to give grace to the men in your life (but do NOT accept abuse!) and gently suggest (or secretly incorporate) some of the above tips for their daily life.

Divine Guidance from the Hoochie Priestess

What to Release: Knight of Cups
Right Now: Five of Pentacles
Later On: Ten of Pentacles

If you’ve just found out some new dirt about old relationships, don’t trip — it’s in the past! The Knight of Swords shows a shift from forward thinking to go back to past scenarios with new information. Don’t get caught up fighting the ghosts of relationships past, just let it go. It’s time to move forward.

It’s cold, it’s bleak, it’s winter, and you’re right in the middle of it. That fuck ass groundhog saw its shadow, so get ready for a couple more storms before fate changes in your favor — that’s the message from Five of Pentacles. It’s okay to seek safe spaces to ride out the blizzards blowing through your mind — don’t suffer alone. Look to spring for the financial comfort and physical warmth you seek.

If it’s one thing we can learn from the Ten of Pentacles (and the white man), it’s that patience, diligence, and hard work eventually pay off, even if the rewards aren’t exactly what you imagined. Whomever you started the current chapter in life with might not be there once the seasons change, but at least you have wisdom, growth, and new determination to keep with you. Surround yourself with elders, your ride or dies, and other loved ones to celebrate how far you’ve come and all you’ve gained.

To get personally read for filth, book a 1:1 reading.

Upcoming Events — come see me and my people!

Feb 6th, 6pm:Women on Womenexhibit opening at Brooklyn Art Haus — I’ll be displaying artwork and participating in the artist panel

Feb 15th, 6pm: Spoken Words Black History Month Showcase at Purple Waves — Poetry feature

Feb 20th, 6pm: Mocha Mic with Millie at Light Rail Cafe, Jersey City — Eyerene feature

Feb 21st, 7pm: Spoken Moon Open Mic at Brooklyn Art Cave — Selling cakes (not ass — at lease not yet)

March 29th, 1pm: The Twerkshop at the Common Earth Company — I’ll be teaching about the healing art of throwing ass! (alternative link: https://thetwerkshop.eventbrite.com)

Aiight, that’s it for now! If you've made it this far THANK YOU for reading! If you try something and ya dig it, use hashtag #emmetaughtme so a bad bitch can continue spreading the good news of love, healing, and joy ✨

Take care of yourself,

-Emmé