Hello long-time readers and new friends!
My December break dragged on much longer than I would have liked, and ngl, I’ve hated myself for it. I LOVE writing this newsletter but 2023 has been more than a little demanding so far. Astrologically, my sweet baby moon is going through some serious cosmic ass-kicking and I’m not a fan. But, we soldier on, scented candles at-hand.
Enough about me. The season of the crab is here and it’s now time to tend to our home life, perhaps keeping the tissues close. Here are some crustacean sign quick facts.
🌊 Cancer is a cardinal water sign, denoted by the symbol ♋︎
🏠 It’s associated with home, family and our private space.
🌘 As the sole sign ruled by Lady Luna, it’s v emotional.
💕 Are you or someone you love a Cancer? How do you see yourself or people born under this sign? Tell me in the comments! 💕
To celebrate this season and my personal urge to hide until the cosmic storm kicking my behind passes, I thought I’d talk about domestic quilts. Some people say they’re the closest things humans have to shells. The “some people” are me.
Calling it quilts
Quite simply, a quilt comprises sandwiching some filling, knows as wadding or batting, between two layers of fabric, and securing it with stitches. It’s near impossible to trace the origins of the craft but every culture in the world has its own version.
As I see it, quilts are more than a little Cancerian. They have a significant history of being made in domestic settings, sometimes with community. “Quilting bees”, for instance, formed an important part of women’s history in America where the gals would come together to get their stitch on. During the Civil Rights Movement, Black women in Gee’s Bend, Alabama would organise Freedom Quilting Bees to make works they could sell to gain economic independence. The quilting techniques used to create these pieces were passed down over generations, exemplifying their links to family and heritage.
Another powerfully political quilt that represents the bonds of family and community is the AIDS Memorial quilt of 1987. This colossal work commemorates the lives lost to the epidemic, made by those who loved them. Quite ♋︎ imo.
Long Distance Friendship with the Sun
The sun and the earth are currently as far away from organising their own quilting bee as they could possibly be. This week, Gaia reached the farthest point in her orbit around Sol, known as aphelion. Their bond can only get closer from here.
Listen: Skyline Drive
Fellow podcast superfans, this one’s for you. Skyline Drive is a fascinating show about the cultural impact of astrology and why people turn to the stars for guidance. The show takes some unexpected turns, from examining Nixon’s zeal for the zodiac to a BTS superfan’s curiosity about the boyband’s wellbeing.
If you enjoy reading this newsletter, I can imagine it being right up your alley.
Bits and Bobs
If you’re a fan of inconsistency and chaos, please follow me on the ’gram. I post about my creative misadventures and potentially, some TSIS stuff too. Who knows.
Just a PSA: the next issue will deviate from my current format. I’ll be talking about Saturn, a planet I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.