*play me*

🔮 September Energy Reading 🔮

TAKE WHAT RESONATES, LEAVE WHAT DOESN’T THIS IS A GENERAL COLLECTIVE READING
*side note: I really feel these readings are for some creators, artists, writers, just creatives in general. I talk more at the end but please use your gifts*

Overall Energy: THE UNSEEN – read the card description below

To Release: THE FIVE OF SWORDS – There is a call to release a lack mindset. One where you’re letting the burdens of finances or fraught connections drain your energy and consume your mind. You’re maybe stuck in survival mode or in a victim mentality when really you have the space to step out of those mindsets. Of course we cannot wish our way out of poverty by just changing our mindset, it doesn’t erase trauma or systemic oppression keeping people lacking. But where in your life can you release control, what loop of worry are you on that truly not need be? You also don’t need to punish yourself for enjoying life or spending money on what budget gurus would cite as frivolous. In this economy it is not a crime to buy an iced latte, and we’re past the point where that’ll keep you from buying a house. What outdated financial or relationship advice are you holding onto? Are you wallowing in a pit of despair of your own making? What personal power can you exercise to change a circumstance, instead of blaming other people?

To Embrace: THE ARTIST – This extra card in this deck has come out a lot lately and so has The Well which is listed next. Embrace your personal power. Create without caution. Write in your journal, write your novel, paint a picture, make a song, bring friends together, whatever it is that you create just do it. No hesitation, no worry of outcome, no expectations. Be passionate about your hobby or human rights and put it all into the world.

To Look Forward To: THE VESSEL – The Well points to the source of creativity, but it also talks about opportunities. I see here that you can look forward to new opportunities presenting themselves to you, but also divine inspiration.

Spirit Guide: ARIES – Aries is the first zodiac sign, marking the start of spring and the wheel of the year in the northern hemisphere, symbolized by the ram, Aries is about action without thought, creation without fear. Interestingly there is an Aries Full Moon at the end of the month, you may want to look up how that’ll impact you personally.

Charm: THE HUMMINGBIRD – “Despite its small size it flies [the hummingbird] great distances and even flies backwards too. A reminder to have faith and enjoy all that you do.”

SUMMARY – September seems to be a month where there are unseen forces at work. For some of you, your guides are begging for you to connect with them by working your way out of survival mode, releasing worry, and CREATING. Dancing, painting, singing, writing, doing anything to tap into creative and joyful energy can all be portals to connect with our higher selves, the universe, and guides. When we tap in, they want us to be free from the things unnecessarily draining our energy to hear or see the message, the small whisper of a new direction or creative idea. To walk the long way and run into an unexpected opportunity. This message came out really wonky and kind of all over the place when I first started pulling cards. There’s a jitteriness to the energy and maybe it’s the excitement of so many possibilities, but also all the different paths it represents for all the different people reading this. But the lesson revealed the message when I had to slow down, open my mind to more possibilities, and listen when Saturn’s Return by Zara Larsson came on and put the pieces of the puzzle together. Aries and the hummingbird are energies reminding and supporting us to create or move forward in the world without fear but with faith. Create without expectation and for the joy of it, you’ll be surprised it may turn into more that you expected.

*you probably want to listen to Saturn’s Return by Zara Larsson & I also suggest Paradise Rains by Eartheater, there may be more pieces for you*

☀️ Embracing Late Summer & The Fall Equinox ☀️

So here’s the scoop: Summer Isn’t Over Yet! Not just a cheeky title for the newsletter or a Zara Larsson reference, but the season truly hasn’t ended yet. The start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere will be September 22nd, 2026 marked by the Fall Equinox. An equinox is when there is an equal amount of day and night, we have one to mark each of the sister season’s Spring and Fall. Unlike the solstice, which in Winter marks the longest night of the year and in Summer is the longest day of the year, the equinox ushers in the in between; like a contraction signaling the birthing process has begun or when someone dying stops eating, the small sign it’ll be over soon.

I know many of us including me are desperate for Fall to arrive. Fall means a reprieve from the hot temperatures many of us have been experiencing (though thanks to climate change that will look different going forward), it also means we’re closer to the Holiday season beginning, cozy vibes, pumpkin and apple treats (I tend to be more of an apple girl), rewatching our favorite comfort movies or tv shows (look out for a fall watchlist in the October report!), a time for layered clothing, and for my spooky people a socially acceptable time to be, well… spooky. Fall is such a special time, but if we rush into it we miss the brilliance of late summer.

Late summer is it’s own sub-season in and of itself. When you look closely the animals are beginning to prepare for change, but still out and about freely. There’s still time to enjoy an 8pm sunset, go for an evening drive, and read a book in the afternoon sun. Go outside see what’s still in bloom or invite friends over for an end of summer bbq.

@babblingss

late summer slowly becoming my fav sub season genre 🌟 #babblings #nature #mothernature #walkwithme

♬ original sound – Wisdom Keepers

Intentionally living with the season has been one of the most helpful tools in my mental health toolbox to combat my anxiety and depression. When you look at civilizations before us, many indigenous communities used these days to navigate how they lived, what they planted, or what they celebrated and honored. Not because they were marked on a calendar, but because they lived in harmony with nature, noticed small changes, or big ones like the equinox or solstice. I notice that when I tune myself into the cycles of nature instead of capitalism, I’m more present, mindful, intentional, and feel whole. This is most important when it comes to winter, because if we rush into fall, we rush into winter, leaving us desperate in February when we think it should be spring already. The thing is Fall also doesn’t end well into December on the Winter solstice, which this year is on December 21st. Many of us believe we’re in winter well before it happens, but it’s energy is distinctively different from Fall. Fall is a time of harvest, gathering together, and sharing. Winter is a time for seclusion, to go inward, and rest.

This year I’m forcing myself to enjoy every drop of late summer, which means no fall decor or Twilight marathons until the equinox! Like cultures all over the world and throughout history, honoring these days of transition with rituals can help bring purpose and a sense of connection to the world around us. Here are some ideas to celebrate the Fall Equinox and ring in Fall on September 22nd:

• On any equinox or solstice, lighting a candle or bonfire can honor the transition, celebrate life, and bring light into the dark or welcome it back.
• Get into nature! A walk or picnic are great ways to put yourself in the middle of it all and watch as the world subtly changes around you.
• The Fall Equinox is a great time to gather your loved ones, reminisce on summer, what you enjoyed, what you want to leave behind, and set intentions for the next season.
• Bake a sweet treat with seasonal produce like apples or pumpkins.
• Decorate for Fall! Bring out the spooky and autumnal decor, now is the time to embrace the Fall vibes!!
• Watch your favorite Fall comfort show or watch your favorite comfort movie or begin a book that reminds you of Fall.
• Create a personal ritual, like creating an altar, or meditation practice, intention setting for the Fall season, or a personal spell to bring protection and abundance as the temperatures get cold.

And of course you don’t have to listen to me, but if you do anything, stop buying pumpkin spice lattes before September even begins (and from starbucks at all!) because these companies only cue you that fall is coming 2 months early to make more money off you.
Follow the cues of nature not capitalism.

🌛 Movie(s) of the Month 🌛

{the cost of perfection}
Virgo & Libra
Black Swan (2010) & The Stepford Wives (1975)

I honestly went back and forth for quite a while trying to come up with a theme and then narrowing it down to two choices once I had (so honorable mentions at the end). Ultimately, I decided on the cost of perfection for September and the overlapping energy of Libra and Virgo. Last month I focused on Virgo’s eagerness to seek knowledge, this month we’re looking at the shadow side of Virgo where it can be an obsessive sign. Because it’s ruled by Mercury, this sign is a thinker, and the negative side of that can be overthinking, overanalyzing, overly critical, and perfectionism. Libra likes balance and harmony, but in the shadow it can be a people pleaser, lose a sense of self, and it’s association with Venus can mean a fixation on beauty or aesthetics. Both of these signs can tend to rely on the head over heart, and both easily fall into the trap of chasing perfection.

In Black Swan we watch Nina spiral and psychologically break as she chases perfection required to have the leading role in Swan Lake. The Stepford Wives is commentary on the societal expectations and gender roles of the time, when the novel it’s based on was published in the 70s. Women were expected to be the perfect housewife, beautiful and subservient. These ideals can still be applied today especially as we see the influx of “trad wife” content. While the wives in Stepford are coerced and forced to replace their identities by their husbands, Nina in Black Swan is not so dissimilar as she’s egged on by outside forces and the unattainable standards of ballet. I also chose both of these movies because they have a nod to Libra’s ruling planet Venus, circling around beauty, indulgence, and art. The cost in both these movies is the loss of self whether willing or not to serve another’s idea of perfection.

Honorable mentions (movies I almost chose): The Prestige (2006), Amadeus (1984), The Phantom Thread 2017), I, Tonya (2017), The Substance (2024), Valley of the Dolls (1967).

🌸 reading club! 🌸
summer curriculum: My Dark Vanessa Review & Starting Beloved

“Staring unflinchingly into the abyss of slavery, this spellbinding novel transforms history into a story as powerful as Exodus and as intimate as a lullaby. Sethe, its protagonist, was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She has too many memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. And Sethe’s new home is haunted by the ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved. Filled with bitter poetry and suspense as taut as a rope, Beloved is a towering achievement by Nobel Prize laureate Toni Morrison.“
– goodreads

Curiosity Questions:
(reminder these are questions I use to guide my reading, to learn how to follow babblings reading club read here)

1. How does Morrison depict sex throughout the novel?
2. How is sex and gender used as a means of control and power during and after slavery?
3. How do these systems of power still show up today?
4. How does sexual violence effect multiple generations?
5. How does Morrison use memory as a device to haunt the characters?
6. What does this story tell us about generational trauma that’s applicable today, especially for those that are descendants of the enslaved?
7. What through lines from our past 2 books Nasty Work and My Dark Vanessa can we connect to Beloved?

Supplemental Material:

–The Story of Margaret Garner: Inspiration for “Beloved”
–Depiction of themes ‘Sex, Loyalty and Drugs’ in Morrison’s Beloved
–‘I wanted to carve out a world both culture specific and race-free’: an essay by Toni Morrison

📝 Tips To Actually Use Your Planner 📝

Stationary lovers rejoice! *drum roll*……….. I got a new planner!! One of the series I have been doing on my TikTok are monthly “plan with me” videos. I took a couple months off, which I’ll talk more about it a sec, but I always get comments like, “What planner is that”, “I need to use my planner more!”, or “What do you put in your planner?”, so I thought I’d put all the details in one place:

@babblingss

plan September with me in my new planner 💕💕💕 #plannertok #planwithme #babblings #journaltok #journaling

♬ original sound – Fiona Apple Official

My Planner Details:

The first time I ever made it through a planner was in 2025 when I first got my Sterling Ink, Common Planner. (Well not 100% true I did finish a planner years before when I designed and bound it myself while I was a realtor, but sooo much work so little time ya know.) I had been on the hunt to find the perfect planner, from designing my own I had an idea of features I like and knew I wanted to be able to incorporate astrology along with events, daily tasks, etc. I had my eye on a Hobonichi for a while, but when I stumbled upon Sterling Ink I found the same layout but without all the extra frills and adornments. I used that planner in 2025, but missed the deadline to order 2026 in time, so I copied the templates for a while and used up a month I hadn’t filled out to keep up with the practice I created in 2026. Eventually that got kinda tiring drawing it out from scratch and resulted in me not doing my planner ritual the last couple months.

I was looking to get a 2027 common place planner, but realized since I’m going back to school and start classes soon in September, it would be a good idea to get the academic version which runs (June-July) so that I could get started now and have it once school gets started again.

One of the main things I love about this planner is having a blank monthly spread, vertical (i don’t vibe with horizontal) weeks with time stamps, and a blank daily page to use as I like. I use my physically planner in conjunction with my google cal. On my google calendar I keep track of future and long term plans so things like events, trips, appointments, school due dates, etc. That’s where I plan months in advance and then record them in my planner when it’s applicable. Here’s how I use the physical planner:

Planner Tips

• Spend the time to figure out what layouts work for you: vertical or horizontal weeks, do you need a monthly spread, do you want there to be pre-printed trackers or do you want to space to freeform your layout? All of this impacts how often you reach for it or don’t.
• What do you want to put in your planner?: Do you need to copy down what’s already in your google calendar? Do you want to track astrological events or daily tarot card pulls? Maybe you just want to habit track or mark down big picture things instead of the daily nitty gritty. Do you want to use it for work, play, hobbies, personal, finances, all of the above?
• Make it a ritual: Set aside time each month and then week, to put to paper everything going on in your head. Light a candle, listen to a good playlist, or watch an astrology video like me. I use this time to ground and orient myself in the direction this month is taking me spiritually and realistically. Make it intentional. You’ll find it’s more useful and that you crave that time dedicated to yourself.
• Be flexible!: Plan one way this month and another the next. Use it unconventionally, write down bills in the habit tracker and your to do list on the monthly spread. Try all the different ways until you find the one natural to you and that keeps you returning to it daily, weekly, monthly. There is not one way to use any planner and you don’t have to play by the rules, it’s yours to use as you please and as needed.

planner inspo:

@wordlayout

Feels like an apt time to post this one. 🤭 No need to stress on this launch day because at the end of the day it’s just paper! Will I still be on Hobonichi’s website on the dot buying a minä perhonen piece A5 cover? Absolutely. But if I don’t get it in time I’ll have plenty of other covers to choose from. #journaling #journaltok #creativejournaling #hobonichi

♬ Sun – Hania Rani

@scorpiorisingmedia

At the start of every month, I like to do a rough outline plan in my common planner ✨ My digital calendar handles the time-based stuff like hard deadlines, appointments, or anything that needs a reminder. But my monthly spread on paper is where I map out the shape of the month so that I can get clear on my energy and focus. Just a nice way for me to feel grounded for the month ahead 💫 #cozydesksetup #aestheticdesk #planwithme #monthlyspread #monthlyplanner

♬ original sound – Lindsay │ Scorpio Rising Media

@hannahplanstheday

new month, fresh planner spreads ✨ this one goes in my daily pocket planner. #plannertok #journaltok #planwithme #plannercommunity #stationeryaddict

♬ Cute Little Twinkle Sound 6(1624087) – AMAGURINEKO

@mellovesreading1

Plan with me!!! I’ve been loving these vids sm lately!!! #TikTokCreatorSearchInsightsIncentive

♬ Honeyed Pear – Jillian Laine

IF YOU SOMEHOW MADE IT THIS FAR LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS!!
xoxo,

Ali Ann