Slow Reads #2

What do a cup of cacao and a book recommendation have in common?

Well the book in question is Simple, Soulful, Sacred by Megan Dalla-Camina and today had a beautiful moment of cacao-shaped serendipity, which I'll get into later.

This is my third or fourth reading of the book and I always take something new from it, which is why I return to it time and time again.

The premise of the book is simple (no pun intended) - a gentle reminder to sit a little deeper in the everyday as a an act of feminist resistance. It invites you to rediscover the magic in the everyday and reflect on how you want to show up as a sovereign woman.

The phrase ‘sovereign woman' often grates on me, with visions of antivaxers and MLMs (to which I've fallen prey to in the past), but having looked a little more deeply the phrase is intrinsically feminist in it's want to be one’s own, outside of the patriarchal systems in which we live.

However, the idea of caring for oneself and releasing the shackles of the system that we're in (hello beauty standards, the wounded healer and the all-giving wife and mother) sounds pretty good to me. It's invitation to set boundaries that support you and nurture your mind and spirit is one that I often need to hear. (Here, dear reader, I was whisked away for the third Gruffalo reading of the day, a nappy change and more books)

Whilst the chapters are short, they are packed with wisdom. My favourite of these tidbits of wisdom is “What if you did know?” a question I often use in sessions and one I come back to in my own journaling practice. It allows space to get curious and creative - something we could all do with doing a little more.

It also invites us to add a little ritual into our days, which is where the cacao comes in. Cacao is a steadying presence in my days but with the whirlwind that is a one year old, it has been scarce. That is until yesterday, Eir & Earth sent over a sample of their cacao. It was the nudge I needed to find that moment of ritual again.

All in all, it is a book that gently nudges you to reclaim your version of womanhood in all it's guides and one that is well worth a read.

Let me know what you think about it if you read it or have read it.

With love x