Joy is a Currency

(video at the top)

This started with a question I asked this morning:

If I’m in the right place, following the nudges…why isn’t the money showing up?

What came through wasn’t an answer I could logically work with.

It was this:

joy is a currency.

I don’t fully understand what that means in a tangible, pay-your-bills kind of way.

But I do feel that it matters.

That giving and receiving joy is an exchange.That it counts for something.

Some threads we moved through:

* following intuition without knowing where it leads

* living beyond pure logic (even when that’s what we were trained into)

* the quiet ways intuition actually comes through

* nature as an access point

* grounding back into the body (even something as simple as feeling your feet)

This isn’t wrapped up neatly.

It’s something I’m still in, still questioning, still practicing.

But it feels important to name:

joy isn’t pointless.it isn’t extra.it moves.

If you want the full, unfiltered conversation—how this came through, what it felt like, and everything in between—it’s all in the video above.

Introducing Wandering Willow Speaks: The Podcast!

And I’m really excited to say this is now also a podcast-Wandering Willow Speaks-and it’s living in more places, so you can listen or watch however you like: Spotify, Apple, or YouTube.

If you missed it, Pizza is a Spiritual Practice is linked below at Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.

Spotify:

Apple Podcasts:

YouTube:

If you liked this, let me know in the comments. I love chatting, obviously.

Coffee is another form of joy, and if you’d like to buy me some joy you can by clicking the button below. I appreciate every cup of joy.

Wandering onward,Sam 🌿

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wanderingwillow.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wanderingwillow.substack.com/subscribe

I had the pleasure of hosting a live video with the magical Diane Pienta. She, like me, is a Certified Forest Therapy Guide with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. She is also the author of Be The Magic: Bite-Sized Nuggets of Wisdom to Feed your Joy, Nourish your Soul and Open you Heart and writes at Be the Magic on Substack.

We talked about intuition and did some short practices to get more in touch with our inner knowing.

This video is a wealth of knowledge and a practice you can return to daily if you feel called.

I’d love to hear what comes up for you as you tune into your intuition. Let me know in the comments!If you’d like to go deeper with this intuitive practice, Diane is hosting a 6-week live Intuition Course. There is something magical that happens when two or more gather in a live container to meditate and focus on our third eye. I’ve seen it first hand. I’ve also been in Diane’s Create in Community, which has had a profound impact on my work here on Substack.

I’d love to see you join us in this exciting, new series. Click below to join us on this intuitive adventure.https://www.dianepienta.com/intuition-alignment-practice-course

Remember to drink your water, and listen to your gut.

Wandering onward, Sam

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wanderingwillow.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you Brad Did, Ana-Maria Janes, and many others for tuning into my live video with Christie Sausa, MS!

We took many tangents on this one. Pretty much how ADHD works, especially with my brain. The midlife mind ain’t doing me any favors either.

We chatted about cats, beverages, astrology, jobs, and ended up on the topic of AI.

Watch the video and let me know how many times Chewy’s tail hit my face.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wanderingwillow.substack.com/subscribe

Content note: This essay discusses body image struggles, diet culture, and the ways girls’ bodies are shaped by harmful cultural messaging.

It was the 90s. I was a teen, and the word midriff was used a lot. Mostly because we weren’t allowed to expose it in school. Not that I would have been “allowed” to expose mine.

My belly was not flat. Therefore it was not acceptable to be seen. Only mocked. Only allowed to be hated. Only shamed for enjoying food.

It has come to my attention now that my childhood was shaped by perverts. My body image carefully constructed by the whims of pedophiles.

This is the great unpacking. A new beginning. A reckoning.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wanderingwillow.substack.com/subscribe

Sometimes love stories start in the most unexpected places. Mine started behind a gas station counter with a guy who had hazel eyes that wouldn't quit. What followed: an elaborate party scheme, floor food, terrible decision-making, and a 2am text that somehow led to 15+ years of marriage. Listen to the full story of how I met my husband—buffalo chicken dip and all.

How did you meet your love?

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wanderingwillow.substack.com/subscribe

There’s a rhythm to this Advent journey — each day revealing a new facet of the path you’re walking. Some days move you outward, toward wonder and possibility; others draw you inward, inviting steadiness, clarity, and truth. Today’s message meets you right in that inner terrain. If the previous days have encouraged trust in the unfolding, Day 6 offers something essential for the adventure ahead: the courage to protect your peace.

Card of the Day: Milk Thistle — Peaceful Warrior

from The Herbal Astrology Oracle by Adriana Ayales

Milk Thistle arrives with a clear, grounded reminder: your peace is worth defending.

Themes from the card include:Peaceful Warrior, Shield, Truth Keeper, Shelter, Sanctuary, Justice.And its shadow expressions:Aggression, Impulsiveness, Harshness, Competition, Overdoing, Gossip, Self-Sabotage.

Ruled by Mars and the Moon, this plant embodies a rare blend of fierce protection and soft nourishment — the lunar “milk” and the Martian “thistle.” It holds both gentleness and grit.

A badger appears on the card as a guide, symbolizing protector energy in Native American tradition — medicine that acts quickly, instinctively, and without apology. Badger medicine belongs to those willing to defend what is sacred, including their own well-being.

And this is where today’s message lands:

Boundaries are part of your path.

You’re being asked to choose yourself first — not in a reactive way, but in the way a peaceful warrior does: with clarity, groundedness, and truth. Many sensitive souls were conditioned to stay open at all times, to make themselves easy, agreeable, accessible. But Milk Thistle is here saying:

Your peace matters more than other people’s expectations.

Choosing yourself might feel new. It might feel uncomfortable. And it may surprise those who’ve grown accustomed to your openness. But this card affirms that your boundaries are not only valid — they’re part of your becoming. They are how you stay aligned on this unfolding path.

A little cosmic note:

Today is Saturn’s day — Saturday — the planet of structure, integrity, and the sacred “no.” Let Saturn and Milk Thistle work together to help you reinforce what supports you and release what drains you.

The invitation:Stand in your lane. Hold your center. Tend your sanctuary.

Call on Milk Thistle and Badger whenever you need courage, protection, or a reminder that your inner ground is yours to guard.

☕ If you’d like to support this Advent series, you can buy me a coffee here:

💛 A Soft Invitation: Rooted Word Circle Returns December 10

As this Advent journey unfolds, many readers have shared how grounding it feels to have a daily moment of reflection. If you’re craving a deeper way to listen inward — to your own truth, your own light — I’d love to welcome you into Rooted Word Circle.

This is my monthly guided writing ritual: a soft 30-minute gathering to settle your body, open your inner voice, and write in community. No pressure, no performance — just a quiet space to hear yourself again.

This month’s theme is Return to Your Light, arriving just in time for these long winter nights.

🕯️ Rooted Word Circle: Return to Your Light

Wednesday, December 1012:00 p.m. Noon ET / 9:00 a.m. PTLive on Zoom — $10 — 30 minutes

We’ll ground together, follow a gentle reflective prompt, write in silence, and close by weaving a community poem from everyone’s words. It’s intimate. It’s nourishing. And your voice truly belongs in this space.

🌿 If you’d like to explore The Herbal Astrology Oracle deck…

Here’s the link to the deck used today (thank you so much for supporting my work in this way):Herbal Astrology Oracle (Affiliate Link)

Wandering onward,SamWandering Willow 🌿Reconnecting Through Nature

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wanderingwillow.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s message moves us deeper into the unfolding journey of this Advent season. If the past few days have invited you to step into the mystery and plant a tender seed of hope, today brings a sense of nourishment — a reminder that something ancient, generous, and wildly abundant is already supporting your path.

Card of the Day: The Corn — Mystical Shaman Pocket Oracle

Audio Summary (provided by AI)

The Corn arrives with a message of generosity from the natural world. In the realm of sacred symbolism, this is the moment when the seed we planted — that seed of hope we set down earlier in this journey — has already burst into life. Even though it was “only yesterday” we planted it, the spiritual metaphor invites us to receive its abundance now.

This card reminds us that life is offering more than enough. Scarcity can fall away for a moment. The natural world models this for us: air freely given, nourishment rising from the earth, support beneath our feet. The Corn teaches that your presence matters in the larger web of things, and even your small gestures of gratitude or connection with the land are meaningful.

It’s an invitation to let yourself be held, to trust that you have been supported even in darker seasons, and to remember that you will harvest what you’ve been tending inside yourself. Joy, hope, and abundance can meet you here.

May this card remind you that you’re part of a generous, living world — and that you have enough, you are enough, and you are never moving through this story alone.

✨ Explore the Deck

If you’re interested in The Mystical Shaman Oracle, you can explore it here.(As an affiliate, I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase. In which case I thank you for supporting my work.)

💛 A Soft Invitation: Rooted Word Circle Returns December 10

As this Advent journey unfolds, many of you have shared how grounding it feels to have a daily moment of reflection. If your inner voice is asking for more space, more breath, more gentle tending, I’d love to welcome you into Rooted Word Circle — my monthly 30-minute guided writing ritual.

This month’s theme is Return to Your Light, a perfect companion for December’s long nights. We’ll settle in with a grounding practice, receive a reflective prompt, write quietly in community, and weave a collective poem from everyone’s words. It’s intimate, nourishing, and designed for sensitive souls who want to feel connected without pressure.

🕯️ Rooted Word Circle: Return to Your Light📅 Wednesday, December 10⏰ 12:00 p.m. Noon ET / 9:00 a.m. PT💻 Live on Zoom⏳ 30 minutes💛 $10

This is a live-only gathering, held softly and sacredly.Your voice belongs here.

Thank you for being here. Comments and coffee are my fuel.If you’d like, you can buy me a coffee to support this Advent podcast series.Gently caffeinated, of course. ;)

Wandering onward,SamWandering Willow 🌿Reconnecting Through Nature

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wanderingwillow.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s message moves us deeper into the unfolding journey of this Advent season. If the past few days have been about entering the unknown and trusting what you can’t yet see, today offers a sense of grounding — a reminder that you are held, supported, and accompanied by something ancient and steady.

Card of the Day: Guardian Stone from the Ancient Stones Oracle

Audio Summary (AI generated)

Today’s card, the Guardian Stone, arrives with the themes of awakening, progress, and initiation. The imagery shows a radiant stone encircled by what feels like ancestral presence. When I look at it, the stone resembles a tulip just before blooming — a moment suspended in time, full of promise.

This card speaks to that threshold space within your own life. Transformation is taking place beneath the surface, often in ways that aren’t linear or easy to articulate. The Guardian Stone acknowledges this and invites you to trust the inner shift. You’re changing at a deep level — in your cells, your bones, your lineage.

You carry the wisdom of those who came before you. Their memory lives in you. And in this moment, you are not walking alone. Time folds here: your guardians, your elders, and the beings who support you — past, present, and future — all stand beside you now.

Stones hold memory. Stones hold presence. They steady us.You’re invited to call upon your own guardian stone today, whether it’s literal, symbolic, or an energetic support you can feel more than see.

What shape does yours take?

💛 A Soft Invitation: Rooted Word Circle Returns December 10

As this Advent series continues, many of you have shared how grounding it feels to have a daily moment of reflection. If you’d like a space to go deeper into your own voice this month, I’d love to welcome you into Rooted Word Circle — my monthly guided writing ritual.

December’s theme is Return to Your Light, arriving at the perfect moment in the darkest stretch of the year.

🕯️ Rooted Word Circle: Return to Your Light📅 Wednesday, December 10⏰ 12:00 p.m. Noon ET / 9:00 a.m. PT💻 Live on Zoom⏳ 30 minutes💛 $10

We’ll ground together, receive a reflective prompt, write quietly in community, and weave our words into a collective poem at the end. It’s gentle, healing, and meant to nourish your inner flame.

Join us at Rooted Word Circle →

Thank you for being here. Comments and coffee are my fuel.

If you’re interested in the Ancient Stones Oracle, you can explore Rebecca Campbell’s work here. (affiliate link)Wandering onward,SamWandering Willow 🌿Reconnecting Through Nature

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wanderingwillow.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s card invites us to stay open to the unexpected and trust the path that’s unfolding beneath our feet.

Card of the Day: Nothing Is Impossible — Ancient Stones Oracle

Nothing Is ImpossibleOpen to the unexpected. You’ll find a way.

Audio Summary (provided by AI)

Today’s card comes from the Ancient Stones Oracle by Rebecca Campbell, with artwork by Katie Louise. This deck carries a soothing landscape of blues and greens — quiet earth tones that feel like they’re holding you. The imagery is steady, grounded, and deeply maternal, echoing the energy of stone, soil, and time.

The message of the day is Nothing Is Impossible, and it threads beautifully into the larger theme that has been emerging in this Advent journey — a theme of adventure, of moving through a story still being written. Each day seems to reveal another step on a path that asks for trust.

This card encourages us to continue on that path even when things look dark or difficult. When life feels impossible, when the way forward seems blocked, this card reminds you that what’s meant for you will never pass you by. Detours aren’t failures. Rebecca Campbell calls them holy detours — the unexpected turns that guide you toward a destiny you couldn’t have planned.

If you’re in a heavy season, this card offers a steadying hand. It asks you to open just a little to the possibility of light. To believe that nothing is impossible, even if that belief is tender or trembling. Hope doesn’t have to be loud. It just has to be present.

A reminder: your path doesn’t need to look like the one you envisioned. Goals shift. Dreams evolve. Some days the aim is simply getting out of bed, or letting the smallest ember of hope return to your heart. Even tiny moments of peace and joy matter — they compound over time.

The activation from the deck offers a gentle mantra to carry with you:

I open my mind and heart to the unexpected.Everything is working out on my behalf.

Nothing is impossible. Truly.

Reflection

Where is hope asking to return today — even in a small, quiet way?

If you feel called to share, I’d love to hear what you notice.

Thank you for being here. Comments and coffee are my fuel.If you’d like, you can buy me a coffee to support this Advent podcast series.Gently caffeinated, of course. ;)

💛 A Soft Invitation: Rooted Word Circle Returns December 10

As this Oracle Card Advent unfolds, many readers have told me how grounding it feels to have a daily moment of reflection. If you’re craving a deeper way to root into your own voice during this season, I’d love to welcome you into Rooted Word Circle.

Rooted Word Circle is my monthly guided writing ritual—a soft, sacred gathering to return to yourself and write in community. This month’s theme is Return to Your Light, and it arrives at the perfect time: the dark stretch of December when our inner flame wants tending.

Here’s what’s happening this month:🕯️ Rooted Word Circle: Return to Your Light📅 Wednesday, December 10⏰ 12:00 p.m. Noon ET / 9:00 a.m. PT💻 Live on Zoom⏳ 30 minutes💛 $10

Together, we’ll open with a grounding practice, ease into a reflective writing prompt, write quietly in community, and weave a shared poem from everyone’s words. It’s gentle. It’s nourishing. It’s a moment to come home to yourself.

This is a live-only space to keep it intimate and sacred.Your voice belongs here.

If you’re interested in the Ancient Stones Oracle, you can explore Rebecca Campbell’s work here. (This is an affiliate link, which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase. I appreciate the support.)

Wandering onward,SamWandering Willow 🌿Reconnecting Through Nature

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wanderingwillow.substack.com/subscribe