GROUP CHAT

High-Agency-Living-Gossip.

In the comments section of our last post, a reader rightfully pointed out that I had only interviewed recent transplants for this series, and that it failed to portray the complex feelings that can come after the two-or-so-year honeymoon period wears off. But this, in fact, was the whole point. I wanted to speak to people, particularly women, who were close enough to the decision-making process to remember its intricacies; to recall the fears and the doubts, and how they moved through them anyway. To me, this process deserves as much airtime as whatever’s waiting on the other side. In a moment marked by consumption over creation, by comfortable suffering over the unknown, we need more stories of high-agency living. Of choosing to lead a life that is radically your own.

Perhaps this is the goal of the newsletter at large. My favorite interviews are with those who have a stubbornness about them; who maintain high standards for themselves, an awareness of what they are capable of, and a relentlessness in pursuing all that is good and true.

As put it in her advice to the reader: Exercise the freedom you have in your life. Wherever you are free, live it and love it.

Or as wrote, in his definition of health: …not avoiding your destiny, not distracting yourself with the wrong things. Believing in your mission, even or especially if no one else understands why you must.

Having the courage to chart your own path is probably the “healthiest” thing you can do. With that, I bring you part two of our city-to-rural series.

P.S. if you have a story to share, feel free to message me.

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“I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, ‘OH, SO I LIVE HERE NOW.’”

Blakely Spoor

Marketer, brand strategist, and writer of Cabin Nine.

Location: San Juan Islands, WA
Time there: About 2 years

Where did you move from, and why?

I was freshly graduated from college in Nashville, Tennessee, with no idea where to go next. All I knew was that I couldn’t see myself moving to New York City, where 90% of my peers were headed. I decided to spend the summer at my family’s cabin in the San Juan Islands. It turned out that the place I had escaped to in an effort to “figure my life out” was the place where my life began to take root.

How did you ultimately make the decision to move?

Coming here happened easily, and staying here happened unexpectedly. I grew up spending a few weeks every summer of my life on this island. My mom spent every summer of her life coming here with her siblings, as well. It is a place that has always felt like “home” in that it was familiar, etched in my blood and my bones. But I never expected to actually live there, especially in my mid-20s. It was supposed to be my perching spot, but a few weeks turned into a few months, which turned into many, many months. And here I still was.

One morning after a chat with my neighbors asking when I would be headed off-island next, to which I responded that I didn’t have any current plans to. I thought to myself, “Oh, so I live here now.”

What were your expectations going in? How did reality compare?

Living here is rural living, most definitely, but it is remote rural living. Its remoteness — no grocery store, no gas station, no hardware store, no ferry, no public access — has always been a part of its appeal for my family and me. It requires a generous amount of forethought, of which I am blessed and cursed to have in excess. What I anticipated being a challenge, however, was the isolation. During the off-season, the island population withers down to under 50 full-time residents, and the majority of them are at least 30 years my senior. There also aren’t any natural wine bars or specialty coffee shops to enjoy in the company of girl friends. And lord knows, I was very, very single at the time that I moved out there.

Through many baked good drop-offs, I befriended my elderly neighbors. Living in such a remote place necessitates a genuine companionship with your neighbors. They are your lifeline when there is a big wind storm, if a king tide brings water lapping at your front door, or when your heat goes out. It has become one of the biggest joys of my life to spend time with them, to learn from them, and to care for them, and them for me.

It surprised me how interesting I found the residents of the island, and how uninteresting people of “interest” subsequently became.

As for my love life, it took moving to a remote island in the middle of the Salish Sea to finally have some good luck. While living there, I met my now-boyfriend, a treehouse carpenter. I anticipated loneliness in the isolation of life here, but it only engendered connection, companionship, and love.

What does your day-to-day life look like? How do you like to spend your time?

All days are different, shifting majorly with the seasons, the tides, and the weather. But every day includes three things, no matter what: starting and ending the day with candlelight, enjoying a salted maple latte, and going out on an agate beach walk.

In what ways has rural living shaped or changed your sense of health or vitality?

Here, health is a very physical thing. Are you able to physically do what is required of you to live happily and comfortably, in a place where there is true friction of living? We don’t have the safety net of most modern conveniences here, so your physical capabilities are the first and foremost requirement of living out here.

I used to perceive health, as many of us do, in boxes. Oura rings for tracking progress, gyms for strength, yoga for mobility, 10k steps for longevity. In all of these examples — health lived in that little, contained box, with numbers, percentages, and checkmarks. You would go out of your life to accomplish them.

Here, health is not contained — it’s weaved into your everyday. It’s how you live — strength and mobility work is picking berries, lifting bags of soil, and scrubbing the underside of your boat. It’s the ability to balance on a dingy or on driftwood, to pull crab pots or swing an ax to chop your firewood. It’s schlepping grocery bags through sand and walking a mile uphill to your car. Health is having the physical capacity to move, walk, run, lift, hike, jump, bend, and pull, easily and without strain. Physical competence is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.

Since living here, I care increasingly about my actual physical strength and resilience — the kind that affords you the freedom to move as you must.

What have been some of the hardest or most surprising aspects?

It surprised me how interesting I found the residents of the island, and how uninteresting people of “interest” subsequently became.

I stopped listening to every podcast I had found necessary and enticing before. My time scrolling through the lives of West Village influencers dwindled down to none. Staying “up to date” on the recent creator events and the award show outfits and the big celebrity breakups became cumbersome.

I stopped doing all of those things, not because I had made a negotiation with myself to lower my screen time or to wrestle myself into being offline more — I simply found the people in my real life to be more interesting.

Many of my neighbors and the island residents haven’t traveled much beyond the West Coast, if the state. They never had any desire to. I love hearing the stories of how they met their partners, what it was like to be a logger, if they enjoyed living full-time on a commercial fishing boat, who taught them to mill their own lumber, which apple trees they planted, and the story behind the garden light they built for their wife.

You’d think that living in a place that is “devoid of culture” would be suffocating, and that you would fall behind in all that is important and necessary and relevant in life. It’s not like there are any museums, talks, live music, restaurant tastings, entrepreneurship summits, exhibits, or college campuses to keep you informed. Here, it’s just ordinary people living ordinarily fascinating lives.

I am not totally out of touch. But living here has recalibrated how central these things are to my universe.

Subscribe to Blakely’s newsletter, Cabin Nine.

“AT ONE POINT, I FELT LIKE I WAS ABOUT TO FORGET MY OWN NAME.”

Rachelle Robinett

Writer, herbalist, and author of Naturally.

Location: Costa Rica
Time there: About two years

Where did you move from, and why?

I left NYC (something I never thought I’d do) because I fell in love completely, and immediately, with this place. It stole my heart and changed my life. The first day I walked through this tiny beachside jungle town, I wrote in my journal, “This is it.” I also left a marriage, a career, and essentially my entire old life.

How did you ultimately make the decision to move?

I made the decision based on feeling; it didn’t seem rational, I hadn’t planned it, and I didn’t know what was going to happen. But, I did know that I had to do it. I “had” to do it because I trust myself deeply, and despite the fact that it was going to completely upend my life, I knew that I was at one of those crossroads that appears infrequently. It was an opportunity for me to live the way that I am meant, and able, to. I had to do it, because I am that kind of person — the kind who will leap blindly into the unknown if that still, small voice inside says “go.” Ultimately, I believed whatever parts of me knew that it was right, and I resolved to understand it all later.

Logistically, it went like this: I visited, fell in love with the land itself (I knew no one), happened to see a home, happened to be able to afford it, and decided to buy it. (I also wept every day, which was probably relief and anticipatory grief. I often felt like I was losing my mind.) I thought I’d spend a month or two in it during NYC winters, but on my first trip down, which was supposed to be two weeks, I stayed for two and a half months. From that point on, I haven’t wanted to leave.

I had to do it, because I am that kind of person — the kind who will leap blindly into the unknown if that still, small voice inside says “go.”

What were your expectations going in? How did reality compare?

I didn’t have any real expectations because I didn’t have any real sense of what I was doing. I didn’t know if I was fully relocating, or just spending the season here — or maybe a couple of seasons, or years, or a couple of years. I still haven’t attempted to define that for myself, but what I do know is that this is where I deeply want to be right now, and that is enough.

The “reality” of what then transpired was actually surreal. I had never before been surrounded by so much beauty, joy, health, pleasure, and vitality. I immediately forgot most of what had felt so important before: matrix things like time management and algorithms, insider-culture things like food and music trends, basic things like clothing and makeup — at one point, I felt like I was about to forget my own name. I have mostly acclimated to the new normal of living in what feels like an actual dream, but all it takes is leaving (or considering leaving) to remind me that this reality is my ideal.

I believe that my continued lack of expectations allows me to exist in a state of wide-openness, which invites constant transformation. I made some very big, very hard decisions in order to launch myself into this unknown, but other than getting out and diving in, I have directed my course very little. That feels important. It seemed unhelpful, if you will, to bring my old life or old ways into this newness. It was a chance for a completely blank page, which is an opportunity few of us get (and I’m not sure how many of us truly want).

What does your day-to-day life look like? How do you like to spend your time?

My daily life now could not be more different than it was before moving. Whereas before I was generally desk-bound and inside, I now spend most of my time outdoors and in motion (surfing, walking, cycling, swimming, etc). I work when I need to, from home, on no certain schedule, and usually a few times a week rather than for most of every day. I often have no idea what day of the week it is, and frequently forget the month as well.

All it takes is leaving (or considering leaving) to remind me that this reality is my ideal.

It’s also important to note that time is treated differently here. Punctuality doesn’t exist, making plans is generally considered absurd, and activities flow into each other in an unpredictable rhythm that is culturally recognized as subject to change down to the minute. At first, yes, this broke my brain a little bit. For the most part, I’ve acclimated. Occasionally I need to exert some rigidity in order to be productive, or to ensure that I’m not completely lost in the wind. But I also came here to both get lost and see what I would find.

In what ways has rural living shaped or changed your sense of health or vitality?

I am fully immersed in all of the elements here every single day: earth, air, fire, water. I’m highly active, because it’s simply the way of life. All of the food is local and fresh. The water is drinkable from the tap (a huge plus IMO). I’ve never slept better. The community is dynamic, joyous, and close-knit (I live in a very small town). I know my purpose in life (to write). These are the pillars of health, and always have been. Because these elements are present, which is much of what drew me here, I need very little more to be healthy, or happy — and I’ve never been healthier, or happier.

What surprised me most of all, health-wise, is how quickly and dramatically my body transformed in response to this lifestyle, which is ultimately so simple. I have never been stronger, yes, but the tells were when friends and family remarked that I was glowing, that I looked like I’d aged in reverse, that my eyes were different, that my voice was different, and — most of all — that I’d never looked more like myself. That is vitality.

What have been some of the hardest or most surprising aspects?

The first hardest part about moving was disentangling myself from the life I’d built in NYC. I own a home there, made my career there, and was married. But, I had a conviction to leave and in that sense, it was easy. The logistics of buying and living in Costa Rica were impressively simple and I acclimated to the lifestyle fairly immediately (though I had to eat and sleep twice as much in order to keep up with the physical exertion, lol).

The second hardest part for me has been the welcome challenge of choosing my own adventure. I wrote recently that “freedom is a decision tree.” Having fought so hard to be free of the ties that bind, I am now navigating anew which entanglements to welcome.

Could you see yourself living in a city again?

One thing I’ve learned through all of this is that I simply cannot anticipate what I will want — or who I will be — in the future.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of moving?

Our greatest lives depend on our living according to our deepest desires.

Follow Rachelle on Instagram and Substack, and read her Health Gossip interview here.

“I NEVER REALLY UNDERSTOOD WHAT ‘GOD-FEARING’ MEANT BEFORE LIVING HERE.”

Lauren Bailey

Birth doula and student of Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine.

Location: East Helena, Montana
Time there: A few months (2.5 years in MT)

Where did you move from, and why?

I moved from St. Louis, Missouri. It’s funny because I’ve never lived more than ~20 minutes from the Missouri River in my life, which starts its journey in Three Forks, MT, before making its way down to the Mississippi River in St. Louis. It felt like a guide to me when I drove to Montana while moving here. I would catch glimpses of it along the drive, and it oddly made the transition very simple. I’m a river person; I don’t like to live very far from a river.

I moved because my life in St. Louis began to feel more and more unaligned. Many such cases. I was working a corporate sales job, traveling a ton, and drinking a lot! I always joke that St. Louis is only good for sports and drinking, and it’s true. It’s the home of the St. Louis Cardinals and Budweiser, and lovingly referred to as a drinking town with a baseball problem.

How did you ultimately make the decision to move?

I started to feel really antsy. I had started diving more into wellness again since experiencing a bout of mono the year prior. I had grown up my whole life with a mom who was very wellness-minded and a dad who hunted, fished, and foraged for mushrooms, but somewhere in college, that had been lost a bit in me. A friend brought up the term Ikigai, a Japanese concept designed to help you find your reason for being, and I realized that becoming a practitioner was that for me. So I quit my job, moved out west, went back to school, cut some bangs, started saying howdy, and snagged the blessing of waking up in Montana every day.

What were your expectations going in? How did reality compare?

I honestly expected life to continue at a fast pace, just different. I envisioned myself swapping drinks with friends for high-adrenaline activities. But my life has actually ended up being much slower (which is what I needed). I found myself gravitating towards foraging, hiking, ski touring, some trail running, camping, and river hangs with some high-adrenaline activities sprinkled in.

I love that in Montana, seasonality is demanded of you. In the winter, the nights are very long, and I find myself naturally wanting to hibernate — sometimes getting in bed as early as 8 or 8:30! On the other hand, the sun rises so early in the summer. I’m naturally okay with only six hours of sleep in the summers, and I never need an alarm; my bedroom window is east-facing, so the sun wakes me up as soon as it crests the mountains.

You have to respect the mountain, or else you might hurt yourself. There’s a lot of getting out of the way and trusting God lately.

What does your day-to-day life look like? How do you like to spend your time?

My life is very crazy right now with full-time grad school and birth work. Every day is a little different, and I have clients up to 1.5 hours from me, so depending on the day, I have a lot of driving to do.

I generally wake up and try to immediately get some morning sun. In the winters, I turn on a chicken lamp. If I have bone broth made, I will sip on that or some orange juice with collagen. In the sun, I do the big 6 lymph routine, then a short qigong routine, which I love. I actually do the qigong routine after every meal! For breakfast, I love skyr with fruit, honeycomb, bee pollen, and a raw egg yolk mixed in — sometimes I switch up breakfast but I always come back to this.

After breakfast, I either go on a short walk to ease into the work day, or I do a strength workout. The rest of the day is work and school, and I always make sure to break it up with frequent walks. I get lazier and lazier the less I move, so I consider them essential. Lunch is almost always leftovers from the night before. When I’m done for the day, I like to go for a hike or sit by the river and knit or read if I’ve already lifted. Dinner lately has been lots of curries. I typically wind down with knitting, sometimes some trashy reality TV (I can’t help it), my legs up the wall, a small glass of raw goat kefir when I can get it, and my skincare routine. I’m on call all the time now for births, and clients sometimes text at 2 or 3am with questions, so sleep can be hit-or-miss.

In what ways has rural living shaped or changed your sense of health or vitality?

Living in the mountains has brought me closer to God, and I consider myself a Christian. My faith is only growing.

I never really understood what “God-fearing” meant before living here. I wasn’t raised religious, so the term always bothered me — I think I’d only ever heard it used in a way that made it sound like coercion. I now understand that to be God-fearing means to be in a state of genuine awe and respect. It’s like when you’re in the high country and you know you should turn around soon because afternoon thunderstorms are rolling in. You have to respect the mountain, or else you might hurt yourself. There’s a lot of getting out of the way and trusting God lately.

At the root of it, I believe connection is everything. Connection to yourself, to others, to the earth, to cycles, to God.

What have been some of the hardest or most surprising aspects?

I miss my family dearly. It’s the only thing that ever makes me second-guess my decision. They are almost all still in the St. Louis area, so visiting is made easy, but we grew up really close and still are so the distance is hard. We talk every day.

Could you see yourself living in a city again?

No! In fact, we’re probably only going to get more and more rural. My boyfriend is a wildland firefighter, so depending on what he does next year, we might go back towards the Three Forks area or to the northwestern part of the state.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of moving?

Just do it. If you let yourself, you will talk yourself out of it, or talk yourself into it being the “wrong time.” The reality is that it will never be the right time — just go!

Follow Lauren on Instagram and Substack.

Other words of wisdom…

It’s been freeing to realize that I don’t need some of the things I took for granted working full-time. We spend way less money, partly out of natural consequence of moving to a lower cost-of-living area, partly out of necessity…It’s allowed me to relinquish lifestyle extras I would have sworn were necessary when working full-time and living in the city. Turns out many of these preferences were just ways to cope with the stress of work and being at odds with my deepest values.

—Aumaine Rose Smith, Poet, Editor & Mother
Moved from Cleveland to northeast Ohio

It is easy to stay where we’ve been; there is less resistance in doing more of the same. However, I found there to be huge value in continually assessing whether where I was aligned with who I was becoming. Be willing to seek out the environment your soul — and nervous system — craves, even if it surprises you. Even if it scares you.

—Maya, Writer & Naturopathic Doctor
Moved from Vancouver to a small town on Vancouver Island

It took me over a year to finally leave. It was difficult to accept the things I wanted and needed had changed, and they were different from the people around me. Growing up, I had a very rigid idea of what my life needed to look like to be a writer, and part of that was living in the city…A month before I made the decision, my best friend said to me, “I wonder what your life would be like if you actually did the things you wanted to do.”

—Kathleen Wallish, Writer
Moved from Baltimore to Lusby, Maryland

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GROUP CHAT

Dear City Girl,

There’s a phrase I return to often: “Lying to ourselves about what we want prevents us from getting it.” In New York and London, Paris and Los Angeles, it often feels like we’re lying to ourselves about how much we actually want to live there. About how much we’re receiving in exchange for our enormous financial, energetic, and emotional investments.

This disconnect can become more pronounced as we get older, when the appeal of skipping around the city, hot, bothered, and primed to be seen, starts to fade. At the gallery openings, and the bars and clubs, a refrain starts to ring. What is this even for?

When I poll my New York friends about why they choose to stay, they offer some variation of, “All of my friends are here, how could I leave?” My reason for staying offered some variation on that, too. I had one foot out of New York long before I finally moved last year, enjoying existing in the cultural context even as I spent significant periods of time physically removed from it. There was a sense of gravity that came with living there, like everything I did automatically had meaning. Even if I was suffering, at least I was suffering in New York.

The idea for this piece came shortly before I left for a solo road trip in Washington state, an area I’ve been drawn to for years and am considering moving to. It was more fulfilling than I could have ever imagined, and surprising, too, mostly because I didn’t feel alone or lonely for even one second. Even though I knew only a handful of people there, and it was technically my first time driving alone, I felt far more at home than I do in the city where I currently hold a lease. I felt fundamentally available for the life I was being called to live.

The women featured below are at different stages of their moves, from a few months to many years. But what they share is an unwillingness to keep trading their truth for a life that only looks good from the outside. Enjoy :)

Note: this is part one of a two-part series. Next week, we’ll be hearing from three more women who left marriages, families, and dreams behind to pursue what was true for them.

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“MY LIFE BECAME VERY FULL VERY FAST.”

Surya Milner

Writer of and Creator of Empress of Ghee

Location: Montana
Time there: Two years

Where did you move from, and why?

In the most broad sense, I moved because I felt spiritually misaligned with my immediate environment, which privileged competition, a distrust in the very idea of God and also of each other, and a focus on self and pleasure as the ultimate site of inquiry.

(This is not a blanket statement about the city but rather my experience of it.)

My foremost goal in leaving was to live in a place that fostered my ability to connect with God and the Divine, because I knew that everything else (the job, the friends, the life partner) would follow. They did.

How did you ultimately make the decision?

After a couple of years of living in the city, I took a mental survey of what I call my habits of living: the activities and rituals I engage with daily. In the city, I lived in a milieu of young writers and creatives; our main activities were reading, writing, dissecting, and, when all of that proved tiresome, partying. I recall yearning to get out of my head — to stop thinking as much, and to start doing. I wanted to live in a place that commanded my physical presence.

It also struck me while living in Chicago that a lot of young people live in large urban areas because they feel like they “should” or because some widespread and cultural idea of success has been borne of the great American cities: they house our most prestigious universities and are the seat of many culturally significant industries. My generation, which was weaned on TV shows like Sex and the City, has fully imbibed the fantasy of the young and upwardly mobile woman who, with grit and aplomb, climbs to the top of her field, “makes it,” gets the guy, has the girlfriends to grab drinks with, etc.

I wanted to live in a place that commanded my physical presence.

After earning a degree from one of those universities and being immersed in all that city life had to offer, I reckoned that none of it would make me happy. I didn’t want to be an observer anymore, sipping martinis with the gals and contemplating what it means to be alive today. I wanted to press my face up against the world.

I had been contemplating moving for several months when, while on an afternoon jog, I witnessed a fatal shooting in the park near my house. It took me a while to process the senseless violence; once I did, I booked a one-way ticket to Montana.

What were your expectations going in? How did reality compare?

Montana is a fantasy-addled place, and I wasn’t immune to that. I’m still not, even though I live here. The myths of this place, and the American West more broadly, run deep in all of us. I think that can be a healthy thing if we harness that energy to create a nurturing and just environment.

When I moved here, I assumed I was opting into a more quiet life. That was only half true. Montana does not have much of the noise and chatter that burdened me in Chicago, but what I wasn’t expecting was how much easier it is to find your people when there just aren’t that many people to begin with. Here, everyone knows everyone. I always joke that living in a Montana town is like going to a liberal arts college, because you’re always running into someone you know. Some folks crave anonymity and run from that; I think being known is one of the greatest privileges of being alive.

When I told my city friends about my move to Montana, many of them served me expressions of disbelief and asked how I could live in such a place...they were of course assuming all of the unflattering things about rural folk. Inwardly, I felt like those assumptions were part of the problem and the very reason I had to leave. I’ve never felt more at home in Montana, and part of the reason is that people don’t carry those assumptions — and at the end of the day, many of us just don’t care. We care more about the land and how we treat one another.

What does your day-to-day life look like? How do you like to spend your time?

I open the day with prayer, then writing whatever thoughts come to me on my yellow legal pad while sitting on my back deck with my dog, Phil. We walk around the neighborhood and admire the mountains that cradle our town.

Then I’m often off to the university to teach, or running an errand for my business, Empress of Ghee. Sometimes I’m prepping for a farmer’s market, making a butter run, fulfilling orders to one of our local retailers, or teaching a cooking class. It varies by the day.

Social life usually consists of a wholesome activity: a bike ride through Yellowstone National Park, a run through the trails near my house, crafting with a girlfriend, attending a reading, cooking a communal meal. Last week, I met a girlfriend for a sound meditation in a yurt. Morgan, my fiancé, loves to hunt, so sometimes I’ll meet him for an evening mission, which is just an excuse to walk around the woods.

In what ways has rural living shaped or changed your sense of health or vitality?

Living in Montana has strengthened my connection with God and the Divine in an unexpected way, which has to do with the social atmosphere. There’s an open-mindedness about this part of the country that gives me hope and lends itself to seeing the divine in others. People here care less about labels: queer, straight, atheist, vegetarian, vegan, left, right, etc.

Who am I and why am I here? How can I best serve? This is the foundation of health for me.

Of course, all of those ways of being exist here, in abundance — it’s just not what people lead with. Being given permission to shed those categories has been freeing for me, and allowed me to direct more energy into being curious about the questions: Who am I and why am I here? How can I best serve? This is the foundation of health for me.

In many other ways, living in Montana has supercharged my physical health. I eat more local and seasonal food than I have in my entire life, and I know exactly where or who the food comes from. I live with a fiancé, soon-to-be husband, by whom I am cherished and protected. On any given day, I am able to go outside and run, bike, ski, forage, swim, fish, or hunt. Or sometimes I just go and sit. The literary community here is small, which makes it easier to plug in — attending readings or even leading workshops fills my cup and stokes my creative fire, which also makes me feel vital and alive.

What have been some of the hardest or most surprising aspects?

My life became very full very fast. Within one week of landing in Montana, I met the man who would become my husband. Since then, we’ve built a business together, and our lives have merged and become busy.

I’m still learning how to balance the business of the season with the reason why I moved here in the first place, which was to slow down and connect to God’s path and purpose in my life.

I suppose I assumed that life out here would be slow by default, and I didn’t expect living here to, at times, feel busier than living in a city. But this is also an extraordinary season — wedding, businesses, family moving out here, etc.

Could you see yourself living in a city again?

I can’t. The benefits of rural living far outweigh those of city living. For folks who really care about where their food comes from, the city simply can’t compete with the country.

[And] the city things — museums, art, shows, insane culinary experiences, etc — are only a plane ride away. It’s a lot easier to drop into a city for a weekend to experience city things than it is to drop into rural Montana for a weekend to ice fish, forage for wild rose, wander in the woods, dip into the hot springs. Those experiences take years of trial and error to get right.

Plus, it’s just so beautiful here, that to leave would feel like losing a cherished friend. Montana is a part of me.

Follow Surya on Substack and Instagram.

“I DON’T THINK I UNDERSTOOD HOW MUCH THE CITY WAS COSTING ME UNTIL I LEFT.”

Madison Joseph

Publicist and writer

Location: Park City, Utah
Time there: <1 year

Where did you move from, and why?

Los Angeles. I spent my twenties building a life that looked really good on paper, the career in PR, the apartment, the social calendar, etc. I didn’t leave LA because I didn’t enjoy living there. I left because I had a feeling there was something better, not better objectively, but better aligned for me.

How did you ultimately make the decision?

I didn’t wake up one day and decide to move to a mountain town. I’m way too rational for that. But I couldn’t ignore the voice that kept telling me: You don’t belong here. So I gave myself permission to experiment first. I found a site called Trusted Housesitters and started applying to housesit in small towns I’d been curious about. Low stakes, no commitment.

My first “scouting mission” changed everything. I called my mom about a week into my stay and she said she hadn’t heard me sound that happy in a really long time. That was the moment I stopped treating it like an experiment.

On feeling unaligned: I think I knew for a while before I admitted it. There’s a tiredness that isn’t about sleep; it’s about performing a life that looks good but doesn’t quite fit. I felt that throughout the entirety of my twenties.

On what stood in the way: Fear. The feeling that this wasn’t a typical path. There’s a very loud voice that says: But this is what you’re supposed to do and want. Learning to hear a quieter voice underneath that one, and trust it, took a really long time.

There’s a tiredness that isn’t about sleep; it’s about performing a life that looks good but doesn’t quite fit.

What were your expectations going in? How did reality compare?

I braced for loneliness, for the novelty to wear off, for the crash of “what have I done?” that follows a bold (some might call it unhinged) decision. But it hasn’t come.

What came instead was a feeling of peace. And no matter what comes of this chapter, I feel proud of myself for having the courage to carve my own path.

What does your day-to-day life look like? How do you like to spend your time?

My morning routine is coffee on the deck listening to the birds, then a walk on the trail behind my house before I open my laptop. I work remotely in PR, and that flexibility made this whole thing possible.

I’ve been having fun trying out the local brands, so breakfast typically includes a local sourdough and eggs paired with coffee roasted here.

Evenings look like puzzles, cooking at home, reading actual books. I got a library card within my first week here and I’ve used it more than I expected.

On social life: In LA, my social life revolved around going out for dinner and bar hopping after. Here, the social scene revolves around being active together outdoors — skiing, hiking, biking. The culture here is just different. There’s no social climbing. Just mountain climbing.

However, being new here, I don’t know many people yet. I actually took a chance and DM’d a woman I found online who lived here and asked if she wanted to go for a walk. She said yes and we ended up having a ton in common.

In what ways has rural living shaped or changed your sense of health or vitality?

Getting outside here isn’t a workout, it’s just what you do. The trails are literally steps from my door. The birds are my alarm clock. Nature is not a destination; it’s just the backdrop of an ordinary Tuesday.

In LA, stress and anxiety were my constant low-level companions. The city amplified everything — the noise, the congestion, the comparison. Here, getting out of the house alleviates it. I come back from a walk so much lighter than when I left. I think there’s something about being surrounded by nature that puts everything back into perspective.

As physical proof, within a month of moving here, my hormonal acne, which I’d been dealing with for years, completely cleared up. The only thing that changed was my environment and my stress levels.

What have been some of the hardest or most surprising aspects?

The hardest part was trusting my gut when this isn’t a typical path. There’s a version of this decision that looks irresponsible from the outside — leaving a major city, networking opportunities — for a small mountain town most people associate with ski trips.

The fear doesn’t go away. You just have to decide it’s not the one calling the shots.
The most surprising part is [that] I don’t feel lonely. Not for a single day. I actually feel less lonely than I did in a city of four million.

Could you see yourself living in a city again?

No. I don’t think I understood how much the city was costing me until I left. Not just financially, but energetically. I got so much out of that chapter, but it just wasn’t a fit for me long term.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of moving?

Don’t wait until you’re ready. By the time you feel ready, you’ll also feel resentful. I wasn’t ready, I was just willing to try.

Follow Madison on Substack.

“IT’S SO EASY TO GET SWEPT UP IN OTHERS’ WORLDS IF YOU AREN’T CAREFUL.”

Jenny Bourn

Writer, artist, and YouTuber (you may know her channel, Wear I Live)

Location: Madrid, New Mexico
Time there: 6 months

Where did you move from, and why?

I moved from Los Angeles, where I had been for four years; prior to that, NYC for six. I started to notice I had one foot out of the door in LA. I had been feeling an oncoming pivot for quite some time and was having trouble making that a reality. I was being sucked into old ways of being or pulled by distractions that weren’t lighting me up in ways they once did. Most of that work is internal, but I do find that certain places bring certain things out of us naturally. Sometimes an external shake-up is potent.

I felt intrigued to go check out New Mexico at the end of 2024, and by early 2025, I circumstantially ended up in the Southwest for about a month. I reconnected with someone I had met in New York eight years prior, who had since moved here, and we hit it off and started seeing each other. We were long distance for about a year, both contemplating which place we’d move, knowing long distance wasn’t ideal for us. I had more interest in life outside of the city, so I ended up making that decision around October 2025.

I keep coming back to a phrase, “If you don’t leave, you won’t get to go.” That kind of sums it up for me.

How did you ultimately make the decision?

I’m usually horrible at small decisions and great at big ones. I usually get a very deep knowing that I want to, and will go, somewhere, like I’m being magnetically pulled. That mechanism was pretty reliable in the past with my two other big moves. Even when they were scary, or I had no idea how it would work out, I had a deep clarity that I couldn’t really explain.

This one came with much more cloudiness. My gut feelings weren’t silent, but my mind became extremely loud. I think I was really afraid to leave the circuit I had been on since I was 19, between being in NY and LA. I had clawed my way out of a small hometown, and I felt like I was throwing away the life I had built. It makes sense; this was a much bigger difference (the town I’m in has 200 people), and there were way more variables to consider (making a decision in tandem with someone else). I think getting older has to do with it, too; it feels like decisions hold a little more weight. I also had a dreamy little back house that I lived in that felt like my soul house. I had never been so connected to a space I lived in, so that was really hard to let go. I think in the past, I was so done with the place that it made it easier to leave.

What were your expectations going in? How did reality compare?

I had pretty honest expectations. Overall, I understood that this move would be incredibly hard and wonderful at the same time. It has been both. I feel my baseline happiness has improved, but my internal stability took a big hit for a couple of months. It honestly felt like my body was confused, like it wasn’t existing in space or time. I’d lay in bed at night and a part of me was still tethered to Los Angeles, like I could feel myself laying in my old bed in my old house at the same time.

I just hit the six month mark and it’s starting to feel real now. There have been so many magical moments even through feeling a little lost at sea. It’s given me so much perspective on myself and my old lives. I can see things now that I was having trouble seeing when I was so close to them. That, in itself, has made this move incredibly worth it. My energy has been returning tenfold. I think it must be the release of letting go where my energy had been tied up unintentionally. Now, it’s coming back, available to something else.

What does your day-to-day life look like? How do you like to spend your time?

I’m just feeling like I’m hitting the point of having any semblance of a routine. I’ve been spending most of my time writing, making ceramics, or studying with my mentor in a modality she developed. I found a cheap kiln on Facebook marketplace when I moved here — something that would’ve never happened in LA — and it’s now in our backyard at my disposal. I’ve loved throwing myself into a new art form. (No pun there, I hand build.)

I’ve met a few wonderful, older women who are artists and they are so generous with their knowledge, one teaching me silversmithing just for the hell of it. I’ve been touching life in a new, simpler way. Getting back into a meditation routine and walking and hiking. We’ve taken a few roadtrips, visited hot springs, town gatherings, gone to antique and thrift stores, old bookstores, and small gatherings with some friends. It’s been pretty mellow, but I imagine much more time outside now that summer is right around the corner.

In what ways has rural living shaped or changed your sense of health or vitality?

I really believe in the power of being a hermit for some time. I feel like I am getting to know myself better than ever at an exponential rate, and the quietness is a huge part of that. It’s so easy to get swept up in others’ worlds if you aren’t careful.

I feel much more grounded and in touch with my body for the first time in so long. Messages from my God are loud and clear. (Many were the same messages I was getting in the city, but I was too stubborn or preoccupied to listen then.) Synchronicities have been off the chart. I feel like I’m constantly laughing at it.

What have been some of the hardest or most surprising aspects?

The disconnection from my old lives has been hard. I’ve been grieving. I miss my friends. I knew some tougher emotions would come up. Surprisingly, I feel more open to the world than before. It’s given me a burst of energy. Being in cities, I think a lot of that aliveness can be externalized. Here has been an opportunity to create that for myself wherever I am.

It’s so easy to get swept up in others’ worlds if you aren’t careful.

Could you see yourself living in a city again?

I’m not dying to get back to a city, but I can see myself wanting to return eventually for a chunk of time, or to just explore the world. I still kind of laugh at all the people that scoff at city living out here… I tell them I moved here from Los Angeles and they often hit me with something like, “Oh, well good for you for getting out.” The unsolicited opinions kind of annoy me; I guess I feel defensive to some degree because I learned so much from those places, too. I’m glad to know I can go either way.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of moving?

I keep coming back to a phrase, “If you don’t leave, you won’t get to go.” That kind of sums it up for me. Life will fall into place once the decision is made.

There is no running from self, either. It’s easy to think a new place will make a whole new you, and it will, if you are willing to change alongside it. Something that helped me commit to the move is committing to a time frame. I knew I could do it for at least a year or two. There was no telling if this would be my forever, and that’s fine. It could be, it might not be. I don’t know yet. But I’m glad I came.

Follow Jenny on Instagram and Substack.

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Welcome to the third and final issue of our Saturn Return series, ft. Health Gossip readers who have recently finished their Saturn Return. Today, we’re hearing about Rebecca’s elopement, Saara’s creative awakening, Shelbi’s charting of her own path, and Sofia’s search for home. (Plus: some bonus advice at the end.)

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Rebecca Catherine Kelly

Rebecca Catherine Kelly is a brand consultant living in North Vancouver, BC. Outside of her work with clients like Raimundo Langlois and Sex Magazine, she interns at a local farm.

What were your expectations going into your Saturn Return? On a scale of 1-10, how invested were you in Western astrology?

I was probably somewhere between 6 and 7, I had started seeing an astrologer in Montreal a couple years before my Saturn Return started and was pretty aware of what a Saturn return was before going into it. I started feeling major shifts internally before it officially began and was sort of excited and anxious about it at the same time. I knew that major life events were likely going to happen and I was excited for that, sort of in an adventurous way. I was already pretty eager for change in my life at that point, so I was mostly just hoping that things would evolve in a way that felt more positive and nourishing; and that the things I wanted to hold on to still wouldn’t be negatively impacted.

What house is your natal Saturn in? How did these themes play out during this period?

Seventh house, loosely conjunct my Sun (~10 degrees) and square Jupiter and my moon in the fourth.

I got engaged two days before my Saturn return was exact. It retrograded back over about six months later, when we were trying to decide how we wanted to get married. When it went direct again and passed over the last time, we had finally decided to elope in Hawaii rather than have a big event. We got married about three months later.

One of the biggest takeaways is that Saturn isn’t necessarily as bad as he’s made out to be.

Saturn in the seventh also brought me new clients and business relationships. I started a consulting business in the summer of 2023 when Saturn first dipped into Pisces, and decided to pursue it full-time as of January 2024, right before Saturn entered Pisces for good.

Perhaps due to the square to Jupiter and my moon, I also moved back home to BC in August 2023, while Saturn was first in Pisces. A few weeks before my exact Saturn return, we signed a lease for an apartment that we love and feel very at home in.

I was also pretty withdrawn from the majority of my close relationships during my return, partially due to moving across the country, but I had been craving solitude and sort of became a hermit.

What were some of the most unexpected or surprising moments?

We decided to move to BC very unexpectedly and had a lot of ups and downs at the beginning. We weren’t exactly sure how it would play out but everything worked out really nicely in the end. When I was a teenager, I had vowed to never live here again, so just processing that I wanted to move back home and then loving being here was a very surprising development in my life.

Quitting my old job and becoming self-employed was also an unexpected and scary moment. I had always tried to do things responsibly so it was hard to allow my instincts to guide me into what felt like a huge unknown. It was almost like I couldn’t stop my rational mind from dissuading me from doing it. It’s one of the most rewarding decisions I’ve ever made and has totally transformed my relationship to myself. My intuition and instinct is much clearer to me now and I trust it a lot more.

What were some of your biggest takeaways? How has your life changed?

Basically my entire life changed — relationship, job, home. I’m grateful that I went into it excited for something new, I think it helped me navigate these huge changes with an open-minded and adventurous attitude. One of the biggest takeaways is that Saturn isn’t necessarily as bad as he’s made out to be — there’s certainly been uncertainty and lows, but everything has shifted in a way that feels more aligned with how I want to live and I feel a lot more at peace now than I did before.

What advice would you give to someone newly entering their Saturn Return?

Embrace uncertainty and allow your instinct to guide you. Even if you can’t clearly visualize exactly what you want or where you’re headed, it will reveal itself with time. Saturn is all about balance and rewards humility and hard work, staying grounded and focused on my core principles was helpful for me throughout the whole experience.

Embracing my home and solitude, being in the woods or water, spending endless time with my dog, interning at a farm, gardening and growing my own food, going to the beach — these all became essential to me.

Saara Lampwalla

Saara Lampwalla is a consultant to conscious founders and brands, helping them scale through strategy, operations, and partnerships. She also coaches creatives and entrepreneurs through the lens of mystical systems and hosts Rich Souls, a podcast where the mystical meets the practical through conversations on embodying one’s essence in work and life.

What were your expectations going into your Saturn Return? On a scale of 1-10, how invested were you in Western astrology or narratives around the Saturn Return?

6 to 7.

What house is your natal Saturn in? How did these themes play out during this period?

My natal Saturn is retrograde in Pisces in the 5th house of play, creativity, kids, sex, and dating. These themes became the focal point of the last three years. Since that’s a long period, here are some milestones:

• I moved to the city of my dreams less than a month after the transit began. Within the first month, I realized I needed to stop a brief nomad-ing stint and focus on leaving a job of nearly a decade that provided security, reputation, and opportunity to play the corporate game — but at the expense of my creativity and life force.

• Several dating experiences catalyzed my move to shed the job. I went on a date with my one and only celebrity crush, who almost immediately mirrored how unhappy I was in my job (embarrassing!!). Later that year, I had a brief relationship with a man who believed in me so much that it expanded me into greater self-belief. Within a month or so of our relationship ending, along with other supportive events, I put in my notice.

• Soon after quitting, I launched several of my own business ventures, posted to nearly every social media platform after being chronically offline, started an Artist’s Way cohort, took over a local writing club, and more.

• I also met and was pursued by a ton of viable suitors within the span of a couple of weeks. They ended up being catalysts for revisiting, and really having a reckoning with, my dating history.

• It felt like a cosmic clearing of a karmic deck that’s left me much clearer and with more compassion for the inner child (mine and others’). It also forced me to own the role I’ve played in manifesting many incompatible and hurtful dating and sexual experiences in my 20s. What a gift!

• I also underwent a deep sexual and somatic healing journey, which has only opened my channel to receive more inspiration and energy to create. The interplay between play, somatics, sexuality, and creativity has never felt more clear.

  

What were some of the most unexpected or surprising moments?

Before this transit, I didn’t think I was creative! Realizing I was, and launching so much in such a short time, has been one of the most unexpected and fulfilling parts of this period. Now I believe that every human is creative. That making something, really anything, no matter how “good”or “bad”; is simply good energetic hygiene. I am so grateful to have been simultaneously stripped down and expanded into my own creator-hood.

Restructuring your life for the better is actually kind of hot.

Being gobsmacked by numerous karmic dating opportunities. Being pursued en masse expanded me to see it was possible despite a core wound of rejection. That said, the process of healing the related wounds has been long and arduous. I overcame several rapidly and festered in a few for far too long.

Having initiatory experiences into the divine feminine, which goes hand in hand with all of the themes of the 5th house.

Meeting several of my creative heroes in person.

What advice would you give to someone newly entering their Saturn Return?

I’m sharing this gently: you are not going to figure out how your Saturn RX will affect you until it plays out — plain and simple.

Astrologers may not really be able to predict anything that actually happens (they didn’t for me anyway), but you can learn more about the themes of Saturn, Aries, and your affected house and placements. That will give you a sense of the life areas that may come into play. That knowledge was enough to raise my awareness amidst destabilizing experiences so I could actually see the lessons. Perhaps that’s all there is to know.

At the end of the day, this transit is said to earthquake whatever does not serve our evolution. That is something that must be lived. Metamorphosis cannot be expedited. Let Saturn work you.

This transit is said to earthquake whatever does not serve our evolution. That is something that must be lived.

In the process, invest in yourself on every level so you’re resourced — so that you can self-source. My go-to practices: daily morning journaling followed by meditation and/or breathwork. Thoughtful diet and fitness choices. Near-daily earthing, prayer, time in nature, good sleep. More time in resonance — with people, environments, routines, studies. Quicker ego-checking and pruning of people and things that do not vibe. Investment in select coaches and programs to support specific goals. Then just trust the process and that you’ll make it through, higher than ever. Restructuring your life for the better is actually kind of hot.

Shelbi Jones

is a Brooklyn-based writer and the creator of Hi! I’m Here, a publication and community exploring what it means to stay true to ourselves and each other.

What were your expectations going into your Saturn Return? On a scale of 1–10, how invested were you in Western astrology or narratives around the Saturn Return?

Probably an 8. A group of my college friends all have Saturn in Aquarius, so they started their Saturn Return during the pandemic. I watched them make major life shifts. People bought houses, got married, moved cities, started jobs, and left jobs. There was a lot of visible change. So I was expecting that my life would probably shift in a big way, too.

What house is your natal Saturn in? How did these themes play out during this period?

My Saturn is in the 6th house, which covers work, routines, and health. That showed up very directly. I was laid off for the first time in my career in March 2023, as my Saturn Return was beginning. I took another job in August 2023, then quit in February 2024 to start my own company. I also started lifting weights and focusing more on how I want to feel as I age. Not just aesthetically, but physically and energetically. It felt like rebuilding my life with purpose rather than expectations and societal pressures.

I’m much less attached to institutions and much more committed to living my purpose.

What were some of the most unexpected or surprising moments?

Getting laid off was surprising. How much fun I had that summer without a job was also surprising. I thought I would be much more anxious, but honestly, Severance Girl Spring/Summer was exactly what I needed. I was also surprised to find the courage to quit my job at Adobe. It was a very stable tech job during mass layoffs, and I knew how rare that was. But I also knew I wanted something different for my career. I also lost a few long-term friendships during this time. They were no longer aligned, but letting go was still hard. There’s this idea that it’s a success story to keep friends from childhood into adulthood. Sometimes that’s true, and sometimes you outgrow each other. I had to accept that shared history is not the same as shared values.

What were some of your biggest takeaways? How has your life changed?

I’m much less attached to institutions and much more committed to living my purpose. It’s still nice to be recognized by notable names or organizations, but I don’t need that validation to feel grounded in my work. I feel deeply connected to my mission and values, regardless of who acknowledges them.

What advice would you give to someone newly entering their Saturn Return?

Let go. For me, it felt like being pushed into reality and alignment at the same time. I think it would have been much harder if I had tried to resist the changes. Feel your feelings about what is changing, but stay open to who you’re becoming. I feel much more aligned with my life now than I did before. Also, find a friend who is going through it. One of my best friends, who is going through his Saturn return at the same time as me, quit his tech job and started a company months before I did. It was lovely to commiserate together as our lives shifted so much.

Any other reflections or insights?

I grew up going to church twice a week. Most of what I knew about astrology came from horoscopes in Seventeen magazine. I don’t treat astrology as the only truth, but I do see it as another modality that gives me information about myself. I also have strong pattern recognition, so I like seeing how themes show up across signs, transits, and life stages. I don’t see Saturn Return as negative. It will remove anything that isn’t structurally sound. That can be uncomfortable, but it’s also honest.

Sofia D.

Sofia is a Health Gossip reader living in London.

What house is your natal Saturn in? How did these themes play out during this period?

My natal Saturn is in 4 house (family, home, roots). My family is fragmented because of the [Russo-Ukrainian] war; my parents are divided by borders. There were attempts to reunite in another country, but they didn’t work out (perhaps for the best). I personally have no stable sense of home: not where I was born, not where I grew up, not where I’m registered, not where I rent now. Since Saturn is about pressure, I feel it physically in the flat where I live with five people and no living room. The search for comfort had to be postponed, because all my focus went into survival in a foreign country where you can rely only on yourself. There were painful situations within our immediate family, and within our extended family too, where ideological and worldview ruptures were happening. My parents and I managed to remain a family, not to turn away from one another despite all these trials.

What were some of the most unexpected or surprising moments?

It was unexpected to realize that I had an incredible level of naive illusions about life. The way I imagined life at 27 (and by then I already knew quite a lot of hardship) now feels almost like a joke compared to how I see it at 31. The surprise lies in the paradox: in some sense, after such heavy years, you begin to feel lighter. And wiser!

What were some of your biggest takeaways? How has your life changed?

Learning discipline. Setting priorities.

I once heard that Saturn gives you an extremely difficult task so that you build a lasting foundation you can grow from. If you complete this task, Saturn rewards you with an even more difficult one (hehe). At the beginning of my Saturn Return, I was working for minimum wage, standing on my feet 8–10 hours a day, while dedicating my weekends to academic work. I stopped looking for another job because I devoted that time to academia instead. For a period, I survived on £20 a week. But my article went through peer review, and I was also invited to write a book review. So by the end of my Saturn Return, I will have two academic publications. That feels like a foundation.

I think it’s important to cultivate the courage to have your own experience.

Through this came the realization that the situations I went through took enormous strength and energy from me but they also trained me to take myself seriously. That understanding had to be suffered into being. Life throws difficulties harshly, and fighting yourself does not make it easier. Escapism won’t help.

What advice would you give to someone newly entering their Saturn Return?

I think it’s important to cultivate the courage to have your own experience. Whatever happens during this return, even if life doesn’t come together the way you hoped, not like other people’s lives that may seem better, this is still your life, and it is only like this for a short period of time. It will change.

A lot of the useful and practical advice I learned came from this astrological video. I’m especially drawn to one idea: that under Saturn’s influence, we sometimes feel we can choose between depression and tiredness, and if a person doesn’t want to feel miserable and useless, it’s better to choose tiredness more often.

Other advice…

Amanda says to give yourself permission to depart from distractions if you see one aspect of your life desperately knocking at your door. Reed got really into film, which will pull you out of yourself for a while, take the ground out from under you. (You need that.) Hate your friends? Make some new ones, says Veronika, who also recommends a chi machine, acupressure mat, and one of this lady’s videos.1

Katie adopted the following schools of thought:

One is whenever I’m witnessing a situation where I feel rejected and powerless, I say to myself, “this is the absolute perfect version of what could be happening.” And it calms me because I believe that sometimes my own negative feelings can be in service to the greater good. It is a chance to learn and expand. God works in mysterious ways…

The other is for when I’m feeling stuck. It’s the idea that any desire has an answer that already exists somewhere in the ether (or maybe even closer than that). I think of the answer like I think of gathering the ingredients for a recipe. I believe that once I have the desire, my subconscious goes to work on collecting the ingredients for me. After that my only job is to put in the work of following any whim that pops into my head, and being vigilant about staying healthy and mentally and physically strong.

Note: some of these responses have been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Welcome back to our Saturn series, featuring Health Gossip readers who have recently finished their Saturn Return. Today, we’re hearing from Savannah Galvin, Chelsey Forbes, Francesca Kritikos, and Tess Manhattan. Read the previous edition here.

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Savannah Galvin

is an artist based in New York City. She writes the health, wellness, and beauty newsletter, Seasonally.

What were your expectations going into your Saturn Return? On a scale of 1-10, how invested were you in Western astrology?

Going into my Saturn return, I had heard a lot of stories from friends who had already gone through theirs, so I had a general sense of what to expect. It made sense to me that it tends to happen right before entering a new decade, especially your thirties when so much naturally begins to shift. I enjoy Western astrology and find it fun and insightful, but I don’t hold it too tightly. If I had to rate it, I’d say I was about a 6 out of 10 invested in the narratives around Saturn returns.

What house is your natal Saturn in? How did these themes play out during this period?

My natal Saturn is in Pisces, conjunct my Sun, and the beginning of the return was definitely the most intense. I experienced a lot of anxiety around my identity, who I was becoming, and which parts of myself I had outgrown. There was a noticeable energetic shift before it even fully began. It’s hard to describe, but suddenly I was questioning everything: whether I was doing anything “right,” if I had made the wrong decisions, or if I had somehow messed things up. There was a lot of overthinking and self-doubt, and even moments where I wished I were less creative and more logical.

What were some of the most unexpected or surprising moments?

One of the most surprising moments was getting a dog. I had always wanted one, but I didn’t expect it to happen during this period. In hindsight, it makes complete sense. Saturn is about responsibility, commitment, and care, and that choice reflected all of that. Over this past year, I also made new friends, which can feel surprisingly difficult as an adult. Those friendships have become incredibly meaningful to me, and I cherish them deeply.

You can either sink or swim through it, and honestly, I’ve felt both.

Another major theme was the evolution of my relationship with religion. Over the three-year span of my Saturn return, that relationship became much more honest and peaceful. It also helped me clarify what kind of girlfriend, wife, and partner I want to be, and what kind of partner I want in return, how I can show up for others without spreading myself too thin, and what balance actually looks like for me.

What were some of your biggest takeaways? How has your life changed?

One of the biggest takeaways has been making peace with endings. I feel genuinely okay about past relationships and friendships that have ended; they all brought me to where I am now and were part of the journey. That said, old memories would surface and sometimes send me into a panic, this fear of I’ll never experience that again. At times, that realization felt heavy and depressing. But with time, a calmer voice emerged that could say: No, you won’t experience that again — and that’s the point. You’re meant to stretch and grow during this period. You can either sink or swim through it, and honestly, I’ve felt both.

What advice would you give to someone newly entering their Saturn Return?

If I had to give advice to someone entering their Saturn return, it would be this: don’t compare your timeline to anyone else’s. Everyone’s path unfolds differently. Social media can make this especially hard. It feels like every other week someone is announcing an engagement or pregnancy, which is beautiful, but can also create a strange sense of pressure that you should be “there” too.

A Saturn return doesn’t mean everything falls apart but it does ask you to grow up in a very real, honest way.

Practically speaking, journaling helped me a lot. I know everyone says that, but unedited, stream-of-consciousness writing especially first thing in the morning was grounding. Create some sort of morning routine or some time in your day that is dedicated to exercise, whether it’s 30 minutes, is better than nothing. Through this period there were points where I was so in my head and not in my body enough; movement would’ve been beneficial. Having a few close friends and family I could talk things through with made all the difference.

The end of your twenties can be unexpectedly hard. You think you’ll be in them forever, and then suddenly you’re 27 or 28 and thinking, what is happening? A Saturn return doesn’t mean everything falls apart but it does ask you to grow up in a very real, honest way. And on the other side of it, there’s much more clarity, self-trust, and peace.

Chelsey Forbes

Chelsey (@goodcheech) is a Katonah yoga teacher and spiritual storyteller. She has been featured on the newsletter before.

What were your expectations going into your Saturn Return? On a scale of 1-10, how invested were you in Western astrology or narratives around the Saturn Return?

I’m at an 11. I’m at a 22. I have always been witchy and of the spirit. I’m Caribbean. I feel like my Saturn return started when I was 13.

What house is your natal Saturn in? How did these themes play out during this period?

Saturn in Pisces in the 10th. I feel immediately, deeply. I’m going to pull a bit from CHANI [Nicholas] because I just love her:

I am extremely mistrustful of traditional forms of authority, I have an insane work ethic, I am charming, capable, I often get in my own way. I do not appreciate being told what to do and I get sensitive when other people’s restrictions are placed on me. A lot of dreams came true when I leaned into devotion and being myself; a lot of nightmares came true when I took illusionary investments personally.

Saturn was retrograde when I was born, so this is the work of my life. I am constantly revisiting, reviewing, revising — setting boundaries (mostly for myself) and then remembering that I am human and allowed to allow. My commitments are heavily informed by my political, philosophical, and spiritual beliefs.

All of these themes played out for me to eventually understand that these are not the ways of the world and that it’s okay to be disliked or to disagree. Saturn really demands focus and hard work, not perfection. Self worth is a huge thing for me and I think understanding that my superpowers lie in my own truths as well as owning them by going after what I want puts me in charge of my life. Acceptance is a really beautiful thing. Staying curious is the portal to being. CHANI — please call me, I need to record some meditations.

What were some of the most unexpected or surprising moments?

To be totally honest, no real surprises. Desires that didn’t come to fruition, sure, but nothing phases me anymore. Love was lost in a lot of ways but I’m finding real love by not seeking. No outsourcing. I have so much love around me and it is a reflection of my heart. It’s fucking incredible! It makes life surprising and magical.

My resilience often surprises me. Life experiences are not malicious and they have to run their course. Breaking up, burning out, rebuilding, and being in bliss. That is life! Savor every second and then really let shit go. What’s real will return. I may feel like my world is ending in the moment, but it never does because I have something called integrity.

The only thing that has changed is my relation to privacy. Intoxicating intimacy is no longer for everyone.

Breaking up, burning out, rebuilding, and being in bliss. That is life!

What advice would you give to someone newly entering their Saturn Return?

Stay in the body. Stay dedicated and you will create whatever you want in life. Be authentic regardless of the communal applause. Lean into your creativity. Center your humanity by starting with yourself. Communicate clearly by talking as well as listening. Be open to the fact that there are people that have done this before and there is no original thought, sure. You also know what you know and there is value in that. Don’t doubt it. More listening, though.

Be open to rejection. Welcome rejection with OPEN ARMS. Rejection is your BFF.

When people want to be around you, they will show you. Then you get to decide who’s in or out.

Be open to receiving love. The more you give, the more you get.

Francesca Kritikos

Francesca Kritikos (@fmkrit) is a Greek-American writer based in Chicago. She is the editor in chief of SARKA, a journal and publisher focused on works of the flesh.

What house is your natal Saturn in? How did these themes play out during this period?

Saturn is in the third house for me, “the house of siblings.” I’m the eldest daughter in my family, and there’s been this immense pressure to keep it together, to be the responsible one, for as long as I can remember. To stay shrouded, private, quiet. The most important thing I learned during my Saturn return is that I want to be the one who gets to let go, who gets to be taken care of. My life, to be what I want it to be, had to completely invert.

What were some of the most unexpected or surprising moments?

The moments that I learned I can laugh instead of cry when being confronted or attacked, because I know that I am right, and that is enough.

What were some of your biggest takeaways? How has your life changed?

I learned that just because you do something for someone else, it doesn’t mean they’ll do it for you. And there’s no point in trying to force them to reciprocate that care or devotion or attention or love. It’s like that saying, Never wrestle with pigs, you both get dirty and only the pig likes it.

Now I extend to people the grace of giving them the opportunity to show up for me. I won’t force it. Sometimes, I’m pleasantly surprised. The other times, that’s information, and information is currency.

What advice would you give to someone newly entering their Saturn Return?

During confusing periods in life, I think that dreams are some of the most fertile grounds we can look to. I started writing down my dreams every night, and looking back at them days or weeks later. What seems insignificant upon waking may turn out to be symbolically potent, crucial even. I don’t know that we should let our dreams lead us, but they without a doubt have much to teach us about ourselves, what we value, what our fears and desires are. We don’t have to subscribe to the versions of ourselves represented in our dreams, but we should know who they are. Keeping a dream journal is like carving a sculpture of your unconscious, in a place where you can finally hold it up to the light and see it for what it is.

Tess Manhattan

Tess Manhattan (@the.realrealreal) is an artist living in New York. She hosts the Narrative Podcast.

What were your expectations going into your Saturn Return? On a scale of 1-10, how invested were you in Western astrology?

I was pretty invested, maybe an 8 out of 10. I was positivity-pilled at the beginning of my return and thought the whole experience would be amazing.

What house is your natal Saturn in? How did these themes play out during this period?

My natal Saturn is in the second house, so the themes center around wealth, stability, and self-worth. In both my 9–5 job and my artistic practice, I realized how much I was doing for other people and not for myself. I would agree to things I didn’t want to do because I felt bad saying no. I didn’t want to lose opportunities, so I took everything that came my way, which often led to burnout.

For most of my twenties, my coping mechanisms were weed and shopping. During my Saturn return, I realized how both were preventing me from building value in myself. Shopping in a literal sense, and weed in a spiritual sense.

Lead with your heart. Trust yourself. That’s the only way things really happen in this crazy, beautiful life.

What were some of the most unexpected or surprising moments?

During the first week of my Saturn return, I posted this crazy list of people I wanted to have on my podcast, which didn’t even exist yet, and tagged a bunch of people, from Lil Xan to Farrah Abraham. The painter Josh Smith responded and said he would do it. That recognition inspired me to keep pursuing podcasting and also pushed me to begin painting.

There were a lot of surprising moments. I was able to predict that a Kanye West concert would happen in Miami before it was announced, and ended up in the front row. I was chosen to ask a question during the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson press conference. I met Trisha Paytas, and she got down on her knees to pose with my tattoo of her. All of these moments taught me to follow my intuition and not doubt myself.

What were some of your biggest takeaways? How has your life changed?

I realized it’s not what you do, it’s how you do it. The energy you bring to anything, work or play, is what you take home. Lead with your heart. Trust yourself. That’s the only way things really happen in this crazy, beautiful life.

What advice would you give to someone newly entering their Saturn Return?

I did The Artist’s Way, which really helped me see where I was holding myself back, as well as celebrate what I was already doing for myself. After finishing the 12-week course, I kept up with morning pages, which are three pages of handwritten stream-of-consciousness writing every morning, and artist dates, which are weekly solo adventures.

Birdwatching has also been really grounding. A good pair of binoculars is life-changing. It’s literally like watching bird TV. Holotropic, or a similar breathing practice, was something I began during my Saturn return, and it helped me move past certain traumas and thought patterns that were holding me back.

Birdwatching has been really grounding. It’s literally like watching bird TV.

Just because you don’t solve all your problems during your Saturn return doesn’t mean you’re doomed. Saturn encourages slow growth. Be patient with yourself.

Note: these responses have been edited and condensed for clarity.

For much of 2022, I was living in a way that could only be described as “dog like.” Eating purely utilitarian meals consisting of some variation of ground beef, rice, and olive oil. Taking myself for regular walks in the neighborhood. Fitting in a daily afternoon nap.

It was an approach that felt perfect at the time, an antidote to the somewhat extravagant vegan x gluten-free lifestyle that I led before. I liked not thinking too hard about what I would be eating; the sense of vitality that eating simple, meat-centered foods gave me. I felt clued into a world that many women my age had no idea existed. I felt based.

This was around the same time as I first got the idea to start Health Gossip, when I was at my most impressionable (and least dogmatic). I was healing from various diagnoses, including “PCOS” and “hypothyroidism,”and trying as many approaches as felt right (acupuncture, muscle testing, high carb, no carb). With time, I found that the biggest needle mover was predictability. Rather than surprising and delighting my body with new foods and bedtimes every day, I locked in on the essentials — movement, rest, sleep, etc — and forgot the rest.

(Spoiler: it worked.)

Over the past few weeks, while in the throes of some sort of Mono situation (extreme fatigue), I’ve intuitively returned to a similar approach. With pure restoration as my goal, I’ve prioritized gentle movement, long stretches of rest, and real, nutrient-dense, easily digestible foods. Ripe fruit. Raw honey. Homemade bone broth. Local, regeneratively raised meat. Japanese sweet potatoes with generous amounts of salt and butter. Vegetables occasionally (always well-cooked, save for my daily raw carrot salad).

…all without realizing that this was technically an animal-based diet — and that it may just be the most sustainable way for me to nourish + support my body in the long term.

A QUICK ASIDE

In the culture at large, there’s a lot of noise around what we “should” and “shouldn’t” be eating. Entire food groups are demonized. People are quick to push their opinions onto others. From MAHA’s updated food pyramid (which I’m personally a fan of) to the ever-evolving peptides conversation, what we’re eating — and, more often, what we’re not — has quickly become a collective fixation.

Some people avoid meat and dairy because of a perceived connection between that and environmental destruction (when in reality, industrial agriculture is largely to blame); others follow whatever their favorite influencer is eating that month. I’ve moved through many of those worlds myself, and it’s honestly a disorienting place to live — constantly outsourcing something so deeply personal, disconnecting yourself from your body and its cues in the process.

I’m not here to tell you what to eat, simply to tell you what’s worked for me — with the hope that it may challenge some of your preconceptions around true nourishment (and that maybe it will work for you, too).

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What is the Animal-Based diet?

As the name suggests, it’s animal-based, not animal-only. This isn’t the carnivore diet, where people snack on sticks of butter and eat steak twice a day. It’s using high quality, responsibly sourced animal foods as the basis of one’s diet, with plenty of room for easily-digested carbs (ripe fruit, raw honey, sweet potatoes and rice on occasion), herbs, and occasional, well-cooked vegetables.

An animal-based approach prioritizes nutrient density and bioavailability, with the goal of improving energy, vitality, digestion, and body composition. It also naturally minimizes the amount of anti-nutrients that you’re taking in, which are mostly present in raw vegetables, grains, and legumes. Animal foods also provide highly bioavailable protein, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12, nutrients that are often harder to obtain in sufficient amounts from plant sources alone.

In my experience, going animal-based works particularly well for those who are weight training regularly, living an active lifestyle, OK cooking most of their meals, and have a source for high-quality meat and (ideally raw) dairy.*

Lately, I’ve been ordering meat from Apsey Farms — a family-owned farm located in lower Michigan. Code HEALTHGOSSIP for 10% off :) Seriously the best ground beef I’ve tried.

It’s also great to try if you’re feeling low on energy or having digestive issues. I know that was the #1 thing that I noticed once I started eating meat again — the difference in energy! And I feel satiated for far longer when eating this way.

Other benefits I’ve noticed:

• No bloating

• Faster metabolism (i.e. higher resting temperatures + cold tolerance, weight loss - though that wasn’t my goal)

• Stronger nails + hair

• Less cravings for snacks/processed foods

• Less “decision fatigue” around what to eat

For paid readers: a loose meal plan + my favorite recipes…

• Organ blend tacos

• Slow cooker bone broth

• Gelatin cacao latte

• Supplements

• Etc.

Read more

Among both professional astrologers and skeptics alike, the Saturn Return is one of the most talked-about transits: a time of great initiation, clearing, and major, seemingly inevitable, transformation. For those of us born between ~1997–99 (and ~1967-69; check your exact birthday here), this transit officially begins tomorrow, February 13th, as Saturn re-enters Aries, where it will stay until 2028. Next Friday, February 20th (three days after the Lunar New Year), Saturn will conjunct Neptune at 0 degrees — a transit that many are calling the Great Reset. Suffice it to say, change is in the air.

Our first Saturn Return generally marks a time of great maturation, when one fully enters the rungs of adulthood. Saturn is the planet of tough love, of accountability; the “Dweller on the Threshold,” writes Alice Bailey in Esoteric Astrology, “who tests the soul before it can pass into the higher mysteries.” The fog of youth begins to lift. Our coping mechanisms no longer work. We’re forced to take a cold, hard look at how we’ve been choosing to live our lives; to face the areas we’ve been avoiding, the structures we’ve built out of pure survival — not necessarily because we want to, but because we have no other choice.1

There’s a lot more I could say here, but in true Health Gossip fashion, I figured it best to chat with those who have direct experience.

Below, three readers reflect on their own Saturn Return: what it taught them, how their natal placements influenced the journey, and their advice for those with Saturn in Aries.

Given the number of responses, this will be a multi-part series, with a few different issues released during the first weeks of Saturn in Aries. I hope it serves you.

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Charlotte Spencer Jackson

is a writer and holistic nutritionist based in East Sussex, England, where she spends much of her time tending to her plot of land. Read more on her Substack, Here, We Tend.

What were your expectations going into your Saturn Return? On a scale of 1-10, how invested were you in Western astrology?

I wasn’t as invested in astrology in my late 20s as I am now. In hindsight, I wish I’d paid more attention! I knew Saturn Return was a rite of passage, but I didn’t fully grasp how transformational it could be, or how deeply it could rearrange a life. At the time, astrology felt interesting but surface-level — something I was aware of, rather than something I was consciously working with.

It was really through lived experience and a constant what the fuck is going on?! feeling during my Saturn Return that I began to study astrology more closely. Learning that I was in the middle of this huge, archetypal life transition gave language to what I was already living through in my body and nervous system. It wasn’t until I sat down with some close friends, who are astrology whizzes, that it felt like a mirror being held up to my life at that moment. I’d say it was about midway through my Saturn Return that I truly adopted astrology, and since then it’s become a powerful tool — helping me make sense of the chaos and navigate the twists and turns of life with more trust and perspective.

What house is your natal Saturn in? How did these themes play out during this period?

My natal Saturn is in the sixth house, and those themes played out with almost textbook precision. My Saturn Return arrived through health, work, and daily structure. Almost overnight, I went from being a social, busy, fun-loving girl in her 20s to being basically bed-bound with post-viral fatigue, and it stripped away everything in my life as I knew it. I’d spent most of my late teens and twenties as a type-A overachiever and perfectionist, running on adrenaline and convinced I was invincible, so what followed felt like a major death / Tower tarot moment — a complete ego death, identity crisis, dismantling, and starting over.

The peak hedonistic experiences my identity had been built around couldn’t last forever.

At the time, I was working in what I thought was my dream job in the music industry while also running a business on the side, and looking back I can see just how burnt out I was and how deep in denial I’d been. I was a yes person, saying yes to plans, opportunities, and requests when my body was saying a firm no. At first those signals were gentle and easy to ignore, but the more I pushed through, the louder they became, until eventually enough was enough. Just as my Saturn Return began, burnout, illness, and nervous system collapse forced me to confront the way I was living and working in a very real way.

What were some of the most unexpected or surprising moments?

The most unexpected part was how completely my brain chemistry shifted. Before my Saturn Return, my identity was tied to being the life and soul of the party. The idea of a weekend doing nothing sounded unbearably boring. And while I still love music and dancing, my idea of fun has done a complete 180. I never thought I’d be the kind of person who treasures nine hours of sleep over working late or partying, but here I am. And even though I sometimes pine for my younger self’s fearless, hedonistic approach to life, I now know what’s actually aligned for me.

Reaching a point of extreme burnout forced me to stop and rest, to take a hard look at where my energy was going and which friendships were no longer healthy or sustainable. I became mostly sober during this period — not because I had a “problem” with substances, but because I could see that the peak hedonistic experiences my identity had been built around couldn’t last forever. I quit my job and spent most days in bed recovering from illness, and during that time I had what I can only describe as an awakening: the realization that I’d been living in deep misalignment, and that I’m actually a very sensitive soul who values slowness, solitude, and softness.

When we’re off course, we’re given gentle nudges at first. If we ignore them, those nudges get louder.

That came with a wave of grief. I missed the carefree, risk-taking version of myself who seemed to bounce back from everything. Over time, that grief softened into gratitude, and a sense of relief that I’m no longer living like that — alongside admiration for my younger self, who was fearless, alive, and fully in the moment, not worrying about her HRV or sleep score!

What were some of your biggest takeaways? How has your life changed?

My Saturn Return was an absolute doozy, but my biggest takeaway is that Saturn isn’t here to punish; it’s here to clarify. It stripped away what wasn’t aligned and forced me to look at my life without the stories or bravado I’d relied on for years. Looking back, I can see just how out of alignment I was living, even when things appeared good from the outside. I’ve come to believe that the universe wants the best for us, and so do our bodies, which carry deep intelligence. When we’re off course, we’re given gentle nudges at first: subtle signals, resistance, fatigue. If we ignore them, those nudges get louder. My Saturn Return felt extreme because I ignored those signals for too long.

The biggest lessons for me have been to spend time really getting to know myself, stop people-pleasing (it pleases no one), stop shrinking myself, stop living so apologetically, learn what a firm no feels like in my body and what a true yes feels like too, and take my body seriously when it speaks. I trust my body in a way I never did before. As my Saturn Return comes to an end, my mantra is to honor my authentic no and live by my full-bodied yes, living in alignment with my true, authentic self.

What advice would you give to someone newly entering their Saturn Return?

As I write this, I’m very close to my Saturn Return ending, and while that feels comforting, I’m also deeply grateful for the past four years. I’m probably the happiest I’ve ever been in my almost 32 years of life. It’s been an initiation — stretching, shedding, growing, and learning in ways I couldn’t have chosen consciously. It’s not for the faint-hearted, but I do believe that if you’re already living in alignment, it can be gentler. Mine wasn’t, because I wasn’t. I was living far from my authentic self.

So my advice is this: if you feel out of alignment or sense a pull to change, follow it — but don’t try to optimize your way out of the experience. As a Virgo with a lot of Scorpio in my chart, my instinct was to analyze, perfect, and throw everything at getting better. I chased fixes, protocols, and healing modalities without leaving space for integration, and in hindsight that was the work I was avoiding. What actually changed things was slowing down and working consistently with support I trusted.

Don’t try to optimize your way out of the experience.

I’ve been incredibly lucky to work with a transpersonal therapist and a Five Elements acupuncturist throughout this period, and those are the modalities that have stood the test of time for me. Somatics has also been a game changer — coming back into my body and spending as much time offline as possible.

True healing, for me, has been less about fixing and more about remembering who I am.

Stephanie Rose-Colette

Stephanie is a New York-based tarot reader and intuitive with a background in spiritualism. She writes the Substack, .

What were your expectations going into your Saturn Return? On a scale of 1-10, how invested were you in Western astrology?

I was a tepid 6.8. For me, ages 20-26 felt like a bulbous lead weight I was shouldering uphill — tragic and consuming. Part of me heard internet astrologers warn of Saturn and expected the incline to get steeper and the weight heavier, but the road flattened and I realized I could just drop things if they were too burdensome. I had a reading with my astrologer — an incredible elder named Robert Glasscock — just before my return began. He reassured me, “your life only gets better from here,” and he was completely right. In my natal chart, I have a grand mutable cross between Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, and my Sun, so I am used to tension on this planet and in this house.

What house is your natal Saturn in? How did these themes play out during this period?

My natal Saturn sits in my fifth house. The first part of my return focused on romance — I quickly met and fell in love with a flamenco guitarist who lived in Spain, and we started a long-distance relationship that would ultimately unravel but act as a playground for understanding my needs through others. After this experience, I felt called to sunset dating and seeking romantic love for the foreseeable future. Working as a psychic medium, I’ve always felt devoted to mystical pursuits, and the desire to marry and have children has felt far from my path.

My current project is to tend to my physical form with the devotion of a gardener.

I then turned my focus towards dissolving my creative blocks. Born into a family of artists, I have a natural predisposition towards visual arts, and yet, I always felt like there was something blocking the conjuring of these talents into physical reality, like I was a bottle full of all of my creative visions and my cork kept me from spilling any of it outside of myself.

What were some of the most unexpected or surprising moments?

Losing my day job twice at the beginning of the transit. Studying mediumship at a spiritualist college in England. Learning I had hyperthyroidism and using TCM to recalibrate my body. Re-learning French. Joining an organized religion for a bit. Posing nude as a figure model. Learning to play the Native American flute. Sitting in ceremony with ayahuasca in the Peruvian Andes. Rebuilding my relationship with my parents. Meeting members of my soul family that unlocked the portals where these happenings took place.

What were some of your biggest takeaways? How has your life changed?

I am finally working towards harmony with my body. For many years, I felt like I was hovering just above my crown — great for projecting into the spirit world, very poor for my health. To be so disjointed from my vessel meant that I couldn’t hear or honor her needs. Only now that I am in tune with her cues do I realize how much stress and anger I was locking inward. My current project is to tend to my physical form with the devotion of a gardener.

What advice would you give to someone newly entering their Saturn Return?

Your Saturn return path might not make sense for a while — experiment with surrender knowing that this is a language which can only be read backwards. Keep a journal and find resonant anchoring practices — dance, meditation, breathwork, cooking, primal screaming, etc. I recommend thorough documentation and archiving. Gather as much data about yourself during these ~3 years. This knowledge will allow you to make aligned decisions when change flies at you.

Free will exists. If you do not like the projections you are shown, change them.

It is fruitless to buy into the collective ideas about Saturn because all of our chart placements and aspects are so vastly different. Consult a professional astrologer if you want to know how it will affect you. The person on your FYP is not reliable here. I always remind my tarot clients — ultimately, you carve your own path. Free will exists. If you do not like the projections you are shown, change them.

If you’d like to book a session with Stephanie, reach out to her here (paid Health Gossip readers may show their most recent Substack receipt for a discount).

Ella M.

Ella is a writer living in California. You find more of her work on .

What house is your natal Saturn in? How did these themes play out during this period?

My natal Saturn falls in the 12th house, highlighting my relationship with limitation, fear, and discipline. Unaware that I was in my Saturn return until the tail end of the year, I moved blindfolded through much of it, letting lived experience reveal the astrological undercurrents — through spurts of depression, limerence, friendships that forced my hand at vulnerability, and long stretches of solitude.

What were some of the most unexpected or surprising moments?

Because I was unaware of my Saturn return until the tail end of the year, I was surprised — almost moved — to read about it and see how far I’d come, how much I had already navigated without knowing I was in such a transgressive state. I remember being quite emotional as I read. The universe really does have a funny way of communicating with you.

Rather than creating work, this transit revealed what was already asking to be met.

What were some of your biggest takeaways? How has your life changed?

What if the void I’ve been afraid of is actually my most fertile ground?

For most of my life — especially in my late teens and early adulthood — I understood my void as a cold, cavernous, unforgiving darkness. A place I would slip into by a siren call, only to regain self-awareness and find myself enveloped in its snares, blinded by its violence. To fear something within yourself is an unnerving place to be, so you suppress it. And because you’re suppressing, you don’t know when or where the feelings — the thoughts — will find you again. On a walk. With a friend. Alone. In your happiest moment.

You live in a constant state of fight-or-flight; your nervous system is never fully at rest.

Solitude is not punishment; the stories I inherited do not define me; I can’t live from lack.

Only in recent months have I become aware of the fertility of this “unforgiving place.” While the feelings and thoughts still occasionally intimidate me, I no longer fear this part of myself — it is one of my best, deeply attuned to my creativity. With awareness, I can alchemize pain into wisdom. Solitude is not punishment; the stories I inherited do not define me; I can’t live from lack.

What advice would you give to someone newly entering their Saturn Return?

Without overly identifying with astrological transits — especially narratives that frame Saturn returns as purely punitive — I’ve come to see that Saturn didn’t arrive as punishment, but as a reckoning. One that asked for responsibility toward my inner life rather than fear of it. Rather than creating work, this transit revealed what was already asking to be met.

Note: these responses have been edited and condensed for clarity.

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The x Health Gossip sauna hats are now LIVE. This collaboration naturally rose out of our event at Crystal Spa last fall, and the hats are as practical as they are cute. 100% felt, embroidered in Los Angeles, and in a very limited run of 15…so grab one while you can! (1 per person, please.)

For those of you who are curious about sauna hats, or unsure if you need one, I spoke to S.P.A.’s Courtney Wittich — fresh off the Great Northern Festival Sauna Village in Minneapolis — for her take (and then some). Enjoy!

Courtney Wittich on Sauna Hats & Best Practices

Courtney Wittich is a Los Angeles-based thermal journalist, sauna sommelier, water gourmand, and bathing connoisseur who is distilling all of her thoughts on (salus per aquam,“health through water”).

To start, what are the benefits of wearing a sauna hat?

There are two main benefits: 1. One more layer of protection for your head, allowing you to stay in the sauna longer without overheating, and 2. Adding a protective layer for your hair against heat damage, dryness, and stress.

At what temperature do you usually recommend wearing one?

Traditional saunas generally sit between 150-200 degrees Fahrenheit (infrared is less — and, in my opinion, it’s more effective to refer to them as an “infrared cabin”). If you have brittle, dry, or dyed hair, you can likely see benefit from any temperature. Other factors to consider are: is the stove electric or wood powered? Is there steam from water being thrown on the rocks? How often are you sweating? What is your natural hair quality? If you want to look cute, you should always wear one :)

How often do you personally wear a sauna hat?

I wear my hat when I know it’s going to be intense and generally bring them for vibes anyway. Russian-style banyas get HOT and a hat is essential. Lately, I’ve been attending sauna conferences where my sauna time is 3+ hours a day with lots of rest and recovery in between, but still! That’s a lot of dehydration and heat! If I forget my hat and need a little extra protection in a pinch, I try to add some conditioner and wrap it in a towel. Wool (woven or felted) is my go-to choice.

Are there any other protective measures that people can take when enduring an XL sauna sesh?

A new fact I learned this weekend is that wet or damp hair is generally less vulnerable to drying damage but compared to dry hair, it is more fragile and prone to breakage. I’m obsessed with the Saint Lucie Sauna Serum — it’s natural, oil-based and great for lymphatic drainage + hair protection against heat and moisture loss (plus the scent is just enough to infuse some intention into the act of application yet doesn’t overwhelm the senses).1

Heat plus plastic/chemicals is bad for us. Sauna is a high-heat experience where your pores open up and you breathe deeper and more intensely (it’s like a light cardio workout), so paying attention to what I’m wearing, drinking, and soaking in is important. A fresh water rinse is so essential to get off any lingering chlorine — it’s a huge no-no to go from a chlorinated pool or hot tub into high heat.

If I were a man trying to start or grow a family, I’d be prioritizing cotton boxers and maybe icing my balls with a cold pack & cotton towel in peak performance weeks.

Currently, I’m leaning into functional sauna wear and a bit of fun. Brands I’ve been trialing include:

• Saunamekko: 100% merino wool, I just heat tested their vintage-style bath suit, so cute.

• Downtown Betty: 95% cotton with a bit of stretch — fabrics feel thick and supportive, plus fun colors and cuts.

• Saade: markets as a sauna swimsuit, made of mostly plant fiber lyocell (88%) and elastane (12%). Super thin and breathable with a very timeless low back design, making for the easiest one-piece for sauna, swim, or surf.

• Ruby Ray & Suay for recycled towel and terry cloth pieces to chill in between rounds of hot and cold.

100% cotton is my go to if I need to be clothed — Turkish towels, spa towel, Brandy Melville, Hardtail…I’d like to get some of the Hommegirls x Fruit of the Loom sports bra and boyshort sets.

And LOTS of WATER!!! Sometimes with a sprinkle of salt or other botanicals — Sauna Water recently blew my mind. Nordic and Superior Coast are tied for my favorite.

Besides the S.P.A. x HG hats, what are some of your other sauna hat grails?

I love our collab <3 and got to wear her for the first time at the Great Northern Festival Sauna Village in Minneapolis — a really sweet new memory in a city dedicated to melting ice. I’ve found a few Etsy master felters in Eastern Europe with designs perfect bluebell flower, clouds, and even antlers. I’ve been playing around with cyanotype printing with dried flowers and plant clippings and (soon) dip dying some SPA hats.

If you’re ready to spend, Bondon makes BEAUTIFUL sauna hats of fine fabrics that can flow from the outside world into the sauna without looking theatrical.

I’d like to see a wool and mulberry silk bonnet in this space for textured hair soon.

Buy your hat

Related reading:

When Sofia pitched this to me late last year, she described it as a “love letter” to her city. In typical Health Gossip fashion, these picks aren’t strictly limited to juice shops and infrared saunas; below, you’ll also find recommendations for the very best coffee, vintage sunglasses, crystal shops, and swimming coves…

I hope this offers the Northerners a welcome winter reprieve (it certainly did for me).

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Sofia’s Guide to San Diego

San Diego is an enigmatic seaside suburbia with a sprinkle of city life. As one of the biggest cities in the U.S., it requires intention and patience to break through and unveil its warm treasures. Here, we find luxury in leisure and golden sunsets, sweetening each day passed.

Wellness = weather.

I’ve never met another population so concerned when it’s not warm and sunny, myself included (I’ve gotten better). This isn’t necessarily a strength...But I do think it indicates our source of health; we prefer wearing minimal clothing so that we can feel the sun directly on our bare skin. When you live in an environment where the sun is accessible pretty much year-round, wellness rituals become far less embellished and more effortless, such as fresh air and green tea. To me, there is nothing more healing and regulating than a good day spent near the water, seaside hysteria-style.

This guide will provide you with my lifelong wisdom, gained from living here my whole life as a romanticizing local. You’ll discover the delicate elements that saturate my memories, adventures, and rituals. Consider this a sensual experience, drifting into the different atmospheres of simple days well spent.

01. Morning Light

The cafe scene has truly become a ritualized component of San Diego outings. For me, cafes are my home away from home, where I can slip into solitude or engage in an energized conversation. There are many to choose from, but I prefer ambient or natural lighting with plenty of seating and a soft aura.

Il Giardino di Lilli
La Jolla

Inspired by Italian tradition, the space is romantic and fresh. Their pastries are to die for, and their food menu is a special and light curation of Italian cuisine. Occasionally, they host a Vino & Vibes event where an exclusive one-night-only menu is served and a DJ plays vinyl. Just another short saunter away from the beach.

Pannikin Coffee & Tea
Encinitas

An iconic San Diegan staple that bakes all its own goodies and roasts coffee in-house. It’s perfect to stay and get cozy, or choose your own adventure by getting takeout and meandering to the beach, just a couple of blocks away. It’s also on the same street as plenty of yoga studios and spas.

Kettle on Grand
Escondido

For many years, I lived 5 minutes away from the Kettle and would be a regular. They genuinely offer the highest quality and best coffee. During college, I would treat myself to an espresso, mostly to save a couple of dollars, and I learned to love the bitter but buttery palette of good espresso. For that period of life, I embodied that slightly intimidating girl sitting (almost always) alone in the corner, sipping espresso from a lipstick-rimmed tazinna. The interior is airy and minimal, against a brick wall with air plants hanging around. Without this place, I’d still be fighting to pass calculus. The Kettle somehow allowed life to become a clean slate as I tended to my work.

The Yellow Deli
Vista

Open 24 hours, this number is pulled from a storybook with its complete woodwork interior. Owned by a commune [Editor’s note: technically the 12 Tribes], the entire vibe is mystical and health-focused, serving organic meals with local produce grown on their own ranch.

02. Altars

To me, certain spaces and shops serve not just as entertainment or consumerism, but as collections — an altar of a specific time and place. An opportunity to notice what the pieces reflect in your inner world and engage your senses in an unexpected way. These places are thoughtful curations as a gateway to the gentle San Diegan style.

La Paloma Theatre
Encinitas

Built in the 1920s, it is an incredibly sentimental and lovely cinema. I’ve been going here my whole life. Its dimly lit, whimsical Spanish-colonial interior is like a time machine. They have an amazing range of showings, from indie art house shorts to seasonal throwbacks, including The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and of course, new silver screen releases. One time, they did a Wes Anderson marathon.

Second Act West
La Jolla

One day, I unassumingly wandered in here, not realizing it was a luxury consignment store that exudes a gentle backroom energy. I was pleasantly surprised at the boxes of Chanel on display everywhere. You’ll just have to see for yourself and hope they have your size... like if you’re a size 6, please get these Chanel pumps because I can’t.

Little Italy Farmer’s Market
Little Italy

One of, if not San Diego’s largest, farmers’ markets, happening every Saturday morning in the Little Italy cultural neighborhood. It features all the organic local harvests, flowers, and special small businesses that create really thoughtful treats. You’ll find kombuchas, dried fruits, nut butters, handmade jewelry, and almond milks in 10 different flavor variations, including mermaid milk. During my last visit, I got an empanada and a spicy watermelon lemonade.

Revival Eyewear
North Park

I don’t know why it took me as long as it did to go in here. Pretty much since I started dating my boyfriend, he has recommended I go here. All are deadstock vintage sunnies!! Fabulous and perfect. Any frame can be customized to the lens of your choosing. (Check out the adjacent store, Hunt & Gather, for a fun yet ultra chic vintage clothing collection).

RANSACK
Oceanside

Coastal cowgirl heaven. The most gorgeous selection of vintage denim, silks, turquoise, leather, and lace goods for the wanderlust westerner.

Urban Barn
Escondido

A little maze of everything old and charming. I’ve been coming here with my mom since I was a little girl and started fantasizing about a French chateau at an early age. This store is comprised of small booths curated by various individuals, each with a distinct aura. You never know what you’re going to find here.

Crystal Blue Vibrations
South Park

Once upon a time, I had an obsession with coming here almost every week. Situated in the charming South Park neighborhood, Crystal Blue gleams with the finest assortment of precious gems and crystals in San Diego, for reasonable prices. The workers here are the sweetest, and they also provide tarot reading services — a nice way into an esoteric community.

Museum of Contemporary Art
La Jolla

Equally elegant and avant-garde. Contemporary art is something I’ve grown into over the years, as I love the romanticism in classical fine art, but this place can be really inspiring. The pure white building has a lustrous ambiance that warps time clean into serene contemplation, especially as it opens out toward the blue ocean; a sort of symbolism of creative expansion.

03. Water & Earth

Beaches are the bread and butter of San Diego. For San Diegans, wellbeing is very intertwined with connecting with the elements. I’m very passionate about spending long days at sea, fully engulfed in a book, lathered in SPF, with fresh fruit. I find that the ocean is so medicinal, and you leave glowing and dewy. Hiking is another big lifestyle essential, as is any opportunity to get outside.

Leucadia
Encinitas

Leucadia is exactly what it sounds like, a secret cove where the mermaids hang out — tucked away in a quaint neighborhood. The sand glimmers with golden specks, and if you get lucky, you’ll find beautiful turban snail shells. Even in the peak of summer, this beach manages to preserve its privacy, making it a very intimate experience. You end up in conversation with the sea. It’s our little secret.

Terramar
Carlsbad

Before my best friend and I had our driver’s licenses, we would go here together with our moms. Usually, the street is lined with van-lifers and other kooks, giving anyone a chance to hone in on the culture. The entrance is easy to miss, but find the surfers descending the cliff’s edge as a guide. You’ll quickly begin to soak in the essence of local life, aka wondering how people can be so leisurely on a random Tuesday afternoon. Terramar is unique because the actual beach is quite tiny, which is why, after following the stairs down, most people trek the path on the cliff’s plateau to lounge on, where you can listen to the waves crashing below.

Fletcher Cove
Solana Beach

Serenity. There’s something about the wide stretch of white sands and an infinite blue, making God/The Divine feel so much closer here. How tender it is to just be.

La Jolla Coastal Trail
La Jolla

Popular, but dreamy. One of the most stunning ocean views you’ll ever see. The world cascades into infinity, and you feel your smallness. This path is short, and I recommend continuing your walk down through La Jolla Cove, where you’ll find cute sea lions.

San Elijo Ecological Reserve
Cardiff

Picturesque lagoon that seamlessly blends into the ocean like a peace offering. Being one of the largest wetlands in Southern California, there are numerous trails and terrains for your frolicking desires. During October-November, you can watch the baby leopard sharks have their first swims. My favorite thing to do is walk to the very end of the path toward the train tracks, lay a blanket, and idle in the sea breeze.

Elfin Forest
Escondido

An old myth says a white witch haunts this land in search of her family, tragically murdered. Another myth talks of little elves that live here. Whatever the story, this place is inherently magical and grounding. With miles of trails and even a waterfall during the rainy season, you can capture the essence of the natives that once thrived off of this land. Never forget to honor the tribes that were here before us and respect our Mother Nature for nourishing our mind, body, and spirit!

04. Renewal

Although nothing makes me feel healthier and more supple than daily sun and saltwater, dedicated wellness spaces add a little sparkle to my regular sunshine regimen. My recommendations are on the affordable side, as they are more accessible and functional. Honorable mention for a more luxurious option: Four Moons Spa in Encinitas.

The Green Nook
Escondido

A newly opened plant storefront & wellness studio. I may be biased because I work here as a yoga instructor (I’ll see you Thursday morning for Hatha & Vinyasa flow). Still, this place offers a lovely range of small group classes from yoga to barre to dance classes, including heels, twerk, and burlesque. It’s a beautiful community of grounded individuals where we can strip ourselves of ego and be present in our bodies.

Blu Life Wellness Studio
Escondido

I love this place for color therapy saunas. They have one-person sauna rooms equipped with a TV (I like to play meditation frequencies on YouTube), temperature controls, and an informative sheet on how each color offers nourishment. You can choose and change the color that you’re under. Being in your private room is extremely meditative; you sit there completely as you are, no phone, no clothes, and no distractions. Blu Life also offers various services, including IV therapy, cold plunging, and medspa treatments.

Energy Works Healing
Encinitas

Marcela Alva is the Reiki therapist of Energy Works Healing. My bestie gave me a gift card for Marcela as a birthday gift, and I had my appointment scheduled months out, aligning right after the unexpected passing of my dad. She is the most gentle soul, and her practice is incredibly soothing, regenerative, and affirming.

Deer Park Monastery
Escondido

When I was younger, my mom would sometimes coax me to go with her here on the occasional Sunday. At the time, I didn’t look forward to being in silence for hours at a time; now that I look back, I’m so grateful that she revealed the magic to me early in my life. Sitting on top of a secluded mountain, you easily tap into a strong sense of harmony and equilibrium. Sundays are open to the public for a Day of Mindfulness, which begins with a meditation walk around the property, transitioning to a guided meditation, a Dharma talk, and ending with a provided vegetarian lunch. You must register online, but it’s free! And you leave feeling so connected to yourself and the world.

05. Sunset Seductions

Places that feel personal and slightly mysterious, like there’s a secret to uncover.

Lafayette
North Park

If you’ve heard anything about San Diego, you’re probably like, ok, duh, but it’s worth visiting. Nowhere else in San Diego makes me feel the heat of the West Coast glamour like the Lafayette. Another historical icon, it’s not just a luxurious hotel but also home to my favorite jazz bar, Lou Lou’s, where musicians play inside a golden seashell and the dance floor feels like you’re inside the sun (every Thursday is jazz night, btw). It features a pool, multiple bars and restaurants, each with a distinct interior design, yet all equally erotic and classy.

Wildland
Carlsbad

A true favorite. Doubling as a day bakery and a place for chic dinner & drinks with a unique and hearty menu. Reminds me a lot of Copenhagen’s food scene with its Scandinavian interior.

We Olive
La Jolla

Wine + ocean views + gourmet foods. This place is what you make it; it can be sexy, it can be serious, or it can even be an impractical meal, leaving you slightly tipsy before sundown.

The Living Room
La Jolla

A little slice of Europe meets the Californian coast to form a homey yet sultry day-to-night cafe. This place is fab for parallel play with friends, working on your computer, or indulging in a post-dinner affogato. They have an amazing tea selection, and I love getting a pot to share. On weekends, they feature live music, transforming into a late-night lounge.

The Silo Room
Logan Heights

I find that cool people come here. An ex-grain silo turned into an “experimental music space” – quote from their website. I’ve never experienced a venue like this before. The way the high ceilings naturally reverberate the music transports you to another world. The twin silos are transformed into small rooms like a lil rocket ship with seating. It’s also a very intimate space, so naturally, you’ll meet said new cool people, of all ages. Right next to the Bread & Salt art gallery.

Ranchos Cocina
North Park

Arguably, you can’t find better Mexican food than in San Diego. There are so many amazing options, but let me say Rancho Cocina is special. They’ve been around for decades, and from the beginning, their entire menu can be made vegan. Everything tastes homemade and cooked with care. The Frieda Kahlo wall altar is beautiful. 💋

Seneca Trattoria
Downtown

Art-deco rooftop restaurant serving Roman-fusion dishes. Coming here for the first time is like a little quest, trying to find where it’s located and which elevators to take. Yummy espresso martinis. At the end of the meal, the bill is left in an abalone seashell with candied almonds. A fun girls’ night option overlooking the San Diego harbor and city lights. Situated in the heart of downtown, the night can easily continue in the Gaslamp neighborhood clubbing scene.

More from the archive:

One theme that keeps coming up is the need for more discipline around our creative practices — a masculine container for the feminine flow, if you will. So often we over-identify with certain astrological transits, or stages of our cycles, to the point where they become excuses for avoiding the work that we must do. It’s okay if I stay indoors all day and mope, I’m in my luteal phase (even if we know fresh air and sunshine would make us feel better). Or, Everything’s retrograde; there’s no way I’m going to the party (even if we’ve been craving community). The work is in learning how to use the systems that support us, while also participating in the beauty, discomfort, and (inevitable) mundanity of daily life.

As AI and transhumanist technologies continue to accelerate, and we find ourselves more enmeshed than ever with our digital selves (a trend counterbalanced by the rise of analog culture and going offline), EMBODIMENT is certainly top of mind. By “embodiment,” I don’t just mean being present in our bodies, but also operating from a place of coherence and truth. Bringing in the energy we want to see in the world, in every single moment — from how we respond to a friend’s text to how we decide where to travel or move. As Human Design teacher often mentions, every decision we make is an opportunity to contribute to the elevation of human consciousness.

Some questions to ask yourself:

What type of world do my daily actions and choices reflect?
When or where am I operating from a place of fear or scarcity, rather than a place of love and full expression?
What are some small things that I can tweak to better align my external with my internal?
What have I been avoiding, and why?

On that note, I’m excited to bring more of my own voice into this newsletter. Guest interviews have long been the backbone of Health Gossip, and a few readers have (rightfully) mentioned my relative absence (is it giving Gossip Girl?). And I was so inspired by our recent Instagram Q&A that I wanted to start a more in-depth version on Substack.

Below: notes on endometriosis, mindful content creation, becoming a morning person, and more. If you have questions for the next one, feel free to respond to this email.

As always, thank you for being here. So loving what we’re building together xx

How to be a morning person? I’m always snoozing but I hate waking up late. I don’t know how to start building this habit.

The equation here is actually quite simple: prioritize your bedtime over your waking time, and do everything you can to get good, high-quality sleep.

I truly believe that no one is innately a “night owl,” they’re just dysregulated and/or running on stress hormones (I say this after working until 11pm last night). By toggling habits around light exposure, meal timing, caffeine intake, and movement, we can transform our sleep and, effectively, our lives — waking up without an alarm clock, feeling refreshed, energized, and excited to start the day.

Here are some practices to consider:

• Get sunlight exposure within 30 minutes of waking.

  This primes your circadian rhythm and tells melatonin to shut off so it can rise again in the evening. It’s also an instant energy and mood booster; in the winter, I’ve found that morning cold exposure feels almost like caffeine.

• Live a full day, whatever that looks like for you.

  Movement, connection, spontaneity, laughter — the quality of our days affects the quality of our sleep. This is why we never have an issue sleeping when we’re on vacation.

• Eat only when the sun is up.
  Eating a proper breakfast and lunch means less nighttime cravings, which can disrupt sleep. Early dinners are also paramount. Your body has a hard time sleeping when your stomach is full of food!

• Post-sunset, start minimizing blue light.
  This is a great time to switch to candles and warm incandescent bulbs/infrared lighting, and generally make your space darker (darkness signals melatonin production, while artificial light tells your brain it’s still daytime). I also like to turn off my Wi-Fi router around this time.

  • Use tools like f.lux and blue light blockers if you need to do computer work or watch TV.

• Create a series of rituals that signal to your body that it’s time to unwind. Some ideas: taking a bath, reading, journaling (I love doing a “brain dump” before bed), putting your legs up on the wall, hopping on the Shakti mat.

• If needed, incorporate supplements like magnesium glycinate, l-theanine, and glycine. A bedtime snack of gelatin, or a spoonful of honey, can also stabilize your blood sugar throughout the night.

• Aim to get to bed by 9-9:30pm. This is the golden standard, according to circadian biology and TCM principles. Grandma-maxxing.

• Try to be consistent with your waking and bedtimes, even on the weekends. Otherwise, we can experience a sort of “jet lag” effect.

For more on the importance of our light environments, I’d recommend checking out , , and (this podcast with Tristan Scott is also great). Seriously such a gamechanger, and something that I think even more people in the health space will be discussing in 2026. (Huberman already has.)

Advice for the girls just starting their 20s?

There’s a specific tension that characterizes our early 20s, a time when we simultaneously feel like children (pre-frontal lobe development) and like we know better than anyone who has ever lived. At this age, I was dead set on doing the opposite of whatever person in authority wanted me to — leading a more bohemian lifestyle, working the easiest job I could, moving through the world as if certain rules didn’t apply to me — while also assuming that if things truly got bad, someone would step in and take the wheel. The naivete of youth paired with the confidence of someone not yet proven wrong.

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Merry Christmas, everyone. Happy solstice. It’s certainly a big week for winter heads, and as good a time as any to round out our winter series. Read part one, with Reyjkavik-based healing arts practitioner, Erla Sól, here:

My relationship to winter has always been a bit complicated. In college, newly landed in New England after 18 years in the Midwest, I was braggadocious about my cold tolerance, often stepping out of my dorm in nothing but a tank top and jeans.

Later, living in New York, the pendulum swung hard in the opposite direction. I became a bit obsessed with circadian biology and TCM, faithfully heating up my Kettle & Fire bone broth every morning before heading to the neighborhood park. Morning sunlight was a non-negotiable, and I often went to bed as early as 8pm — practices that sound great on paper, but also never really had a place to land (more on that in Health Gossip #100).

These days, I fall somewhere in the middle, maintaining routines that I know serve my highest good while also allowing room for contradiction (a marker of good health, IMO).

Wired headphones and Future. Gelatinous breakfast soup and nicotine. Microdosing the tanning bed responsibly.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been referring to this approach as “Girl Winter” — a playful nod to Carlisle Studer’s Girl Science, which favors intuition over biohacking, n=1 experiments over linear logic.

Girl Winter applies that same approach to the season itself, honoring nature’s initiations while also creating the conditions to stay warm, vital, and connected. In practice, this looks like:

• Defining “health” as our capacity to receive and participate in the world around us.

• Treating beauty and adornment as life-giving practices.

• Prioritizing warmth (physical, communal, energetic, and otherwise).

• Loosening the grip on outcome-based routines, instead focusing on rituals that support our energy levels and sense of feeling alive.

These principles aren’t limited to winter, or women, but are particularly relevant to both.

With that said, let’s dive in…

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Confession: for most of December, I’ve been wearing essentially the same pair of Uniqlo HEATTECH leggings. They’re warm, lightweight, and, of course, entirely synthetic (35% acrylic, 34% polyester, 23% rayon, 8% spandex, to be exact). Wool and silk thermals really aren’t hard to come by, so I don’t have much of an excuse; I’ve mostly just been too cold to make a change. But after some late nights spent browsing eBay, Etsy, and a few very Scandinavian corners of the internet, I’m more than ready to toss the HEATTECH altogether…

If you feel similarly, dear reader, fear not. Below, I’ve compiled 30+ ideas to fuel your natural fiber winter wardrobe — from indoors to out, sauna to après.

(And, if it happens to be warm where you are, read this.)

First, A Quick Primer…

Synthetic materials might be the norm for winter clothing now (see: Patagonia, Arc’teryx, North Face), but historically, winter sports and cold-weather work relied almost entirely on materials like wool, silk, waxed cotton, and fur.

• Merino wool was the original performance fabric, used by Nordic skiers, Alpine mountaineers, and cold-climate laborers for its ability to insulate even when wet. Today, it’s one of the most common natural materials you’ll find, thanks to its versatility and longevity.

  • You’ll also see some alpaca wool picks in this guide, which is softer than traditional wool and hypoallergenic.

• Silk also appeared in early mountaineering and military cold-weather systems as a lightweight insulating layer that added warmth without bulk. It’s often pricier than wool options, and can be more prone to ripping. For added warmth, sometimes you’ll see it combined with cashmere.

• Cotton & Tencel are great for midlayers and casual cold weather, especially in blends or brushed fleece. They’re both quite breathable and soft, though not warm enough to wear as thermals.

• And, of course, animal furs and hides have been used by nearly every culture throughout history for protection against extreme cold. I recommend buying these secondhand and ideally trying them on in person. They can hold onto scents more easily than some of these other materials, so be picky!

Note: If you’re confused about the benefits of opting for natural materials vs. synthetics, check out this rundown. In general, the biggest impact comes from pieces worn directly against the skin or exposed to body heat — so I’d recommend making swapping your thermals a priority :)

Read on web

Merino Wool Sauna Wear

Starting off with a new discovery: merino wool sauna wear.

According to Superior Saunas, these garments may be FSA/HSA-eligible — which feels like a total hack, given that clothing typically isn’t covered.*

The SaunaMekko Merino Wool Bath Suit ($180) is one of my favorites from the collection, essentially a winter-proofed version of the Los Angeles Apparel biketard we all know and love. Also cute: the Merino Wool Pocket Shawl ($128), easy to toss in your bag for holiday travel and post-sauna hangs.

Both are made from 100% merino wool — important, because we already know that if you’re sweating in the sauna, you’ll either want to do so in the nude or in natural fibers (I should gift the girls at my gym some pieces).

And if you’re looking for a sauna robe or hair wrap…may I suggest Rento?

*Caveat: you’ll need a doctor’s letter stating that sauna therapy is medically necessary, and approval ultimately depends on how your plan administrator classifies the purchase (i.e., as sauna therapy vs. everyday apparel).

Dilling Striped Thermals

Dilling is the real deal: a Danish, family-run company that’s been making wool clothing since 1916. I joked in the subscriber chat that this top ($70, 100% organic merino wool) and these leggings (ditto) would be my new winter running outfit — and honestly, why not.

You really can’t go wrong with anything here. Honorary mentions: the Merino Wool Wrap Top ($120), Merino Wool Pointelle Tank Top ($50), and Merino Wool/Silk Bralette ($62). All of these are basically the same price as Intimissimi, just way better quality. They even do merino wool activewear and baby balaclavas.

Vintage Shearling

In keeping with the sheep theme…my Kenzo shearling coat that I bought in Paris for €100 a few years back (s/o Come on Eileen) has been an actual Godsend. I feel chic and protected.1 Sometimes I even drape it over me like a blanket.

Unfortunately, a lot of shearling coats out there look a bit busted or boring. My advice: don’t go too oversized, make sure it’s real shearling, and avoid light brown/khaki if you can.

Some ideas from Etsy:

• Vintage Mongolian Shearling Lammy Coat ($350)

• Overland Outfitters Shearling Sheep Skin Jacket ($475)

• 1980s Black B-3 Sheep Skin Shearling Flight Jacket ($256).

This sheepskin box hat ($70) is also a vibe.

I’m also excited to invest in more sheepskin/animal hides for my home and sleep setup. Nose-to-tail living extends beyond just what we eat, ladies…

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Keeping that in mind, I tapped the Health Gossip black book for a list that you simply won’t find anywhere else. Keep reading for picks from , , , Petra Cortright, Carlisle Studer, , Victoria Vyraeth, and more.

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Note: the following picks are organized roughly by price.

Curating a mystery stack at a library for a friend

“I did this on accident recently at the Philosophical Research Society Library by requesting a couple books on floral symbology and then immediately leaving for dinner (lost track of time),” says Lex G., brilliant baker and friend of the letter. “It’s free and facilitates deep presence. Cue Simone Weil: ‘absolutely unmixed attention is prayer.’”

On the more material front, Lex recommends a combination of Leonord Koren’s Undesigning the Bath ($26) and Binu Binu’s Korean Kiln Sauna Candle ($75).

“Better yet would be a voucher to an actual Korean sauna or banya,” she adds. “But maybe this helps recreate the experience at home.”

(Hit up for the best spa recommendations in your area.)

Mario Testino’s Mario de Janeiro, $20

“Images of healthy, energetic young people in the height of summer are the best gift you can give someone about to enter a dark January-April period,” says writer Johanna Hatlem, who purchased the book after seeing it on a friend’s coffee table in NYC. “I look at it every time I need inspiration to go to the gym.”

Similar, but different: old Abercrombie quarterlies (everyone’s favorite: the 2003 back to school issue edited by Slavoj Zizek).

Heritage Store Rosewater and Bach Rescue Remedy, $11-15 each

Artist Petra Cortright describes these stocking stuffers as “massively basic,” but in moments of crisis or upset, they can truly be life-saving.

“I have like 3 bottles of each at all times,” she says. “I think the secret is to use them in a schizo tweaker way, just spraying and dropping every 5 minutes.”

Celluverse by Alannah Connealy and Lily Mavis, $27

I’m such a fan of Alannah Connealy’s work, both with Raena, her women’s hormone solutions company, and the Celluverse Podcast, co-hosted with her mother, Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy, and Jess Donovan.

If you’d like to impart a different perspective on cancer on a loved one in your life, consider picking up a copy of her latest book, Celluverse ($27) — “a manifesto of everything in the health world through the lens of cancer,” she told me earlier this year. “Everything comes down to the level of the cell.”

Pairs nicely with Dr. Connealy’s The Cancer Revolution ($19) and a Raena Female Hormone Testing Kit ($199).

Calisthenics rings, $29

“The list of things you’re supposed to do or buy to get strong can feel kind of endless,” says Sami Reiss, writer of SNAKE SUPER HEALTH. “But the nice truth hiding behind all of the advice is to get there you really don’t need very much.”

Case in point: calisthenics rings, which work equally well for those who are more advanced as they do for beginners (“though I bet anyone with a decent yoga/pilates practice is North of that,” he says).

“Most importantly, they have an aesthetic appeal that runs past fitness and right into slick,” Sami adds. “I think the artist Isa Genzken hung a pair at her studio.”

For a beginner set with added grip, Sami recommends these, but Gornation’s Workout Rings Set ($62) is another popular pick.

GoFit Stability Ball in White, $30

“It’s the best,” says Rummage Stretch’s Isabella O’Day, who uses one as part of her daily work setup. There are so many options, but I’m partial to the white; it looks almost pearlescent.

For the Prada Sport-inclined fitness lover in your life, I’d suggest pairing it with something from Isabella’s world, like her recent collab with Gumi ($83) — 92% cotton!

Eau de Zwitsal, $43

I’ve retired the Journal Olfactif column, and my own conventional perfume use, due to concerns around the xenoestrogens present in most formulations (buzzkill, I know). But Eau de Zwitsal, marketed for babies and discovered via a Dutch Twitter mutual, is a welcome exception.

“It is very non-offensive and hypoallergenic, and it smells sort of like violet, but not too powdery,” says Maya, who also uses it as deodorant. “When I wear it, people seem to be a bit calmer around me. Maybe they are reminded of their infancy.”

A few countries over, there’s also a whole genre of Spanish baby colognes, most notably Agua de Colonia Nenuco ($15), which has a neroli scent. Also curious about Nature Mamãe e Bebê ($38), said to “convey love, care and affection.”

Helios Basic 18 Homeopathy Kit, $38

“Anything you might need on the fly,” says artist and Health Gossip columnist, Moselle. “Really good for travel and they work strong & fast.”

(For those in London, she recommends visiting their shop.)

The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook (1954), prices vary

“Adorable gift for a friend, mother, for the Alice to your Gertrude, whoever acts as your personal chef…,” says Paris Reid of . “Or, eat with the imagination and savor the titles alone: special mention to Virgin Sauce and Bavarian Cream Perfect Love.”

Cookbooks came up a few times in researching this year’s gift guide…

Rebecca Kelly recommends gifting Ruth Reichl’s My Kitchen Year ($35). Also top of mind: Pamela Anderson’s I Love You: Recipes from the Heart ($35) and Susan Cianciolo’s This Cookbook is Made For the 5th Dimension (out of print and rare as ever).

Katonah Yoga Magic Calendar, $54

I haven’t quite started drinking the Katonah kool-aid (friends who practice it have lovingly described it as “breaking your body”), but for the yogi in your life, this might just be the perfect gift.

“Basically, time management is a personal religion,” says Chelsey Forbes. “Get off of the tiny shiny box and write it all down so you can follow through. I’m traditional in that way.”

Some added wisdom from Nevine Michaan, founder of Katonah Yoga and Chelsey’s teacher:

“Do not think of your practice as your life. It’s your housecleaning. If you’re cleaning your house seven hours a day, you have an issue. If you think what’s going to make your life healthy and happy is cleaning your house, that’s an issue. But if you don’t know how to clean your house, that’s an issue too.”

A Brick, $59

A gift that probably everyone could benefit from.

“Brick your phone, leave the brick at home, go out and experience a heart and mind frreeee from the shackles of technological demons distractions,” says , writer of Esoteric & Based. “Changed my life.”

La Manso Crystal Ring, $65

An indirect recommendation by Substack user . “My hair is piled up on top of my head in a French pin and I am wearing a transparent crystal La Manso ring on my left index finger,” she wrote in Liveblogging My Breakup: Part Three. “Everything outside is blanketed in a big dreamy fog.”

Direct recommendations by Girl Insides: the Chateau Marmont Alessandra Candle ($88), Living Libations All-Seeing Opulent Eye Creme ($29), Bless Nº12 Couple Print Bedsheets ($323), and an Albino Pekingese Puppy (priceless). “Kisss!!!”

A Medical Pedicure, prices vary

Consider gifting your city-trotting friend a medical pedicure — “essentially a facial for your feet,” says artist and health/wellness/beauty writer, Savannah Galvin.

Also on her list: leather gloves (“the key to surviving East Coast winter”), the Hatch Restore Clock ($170), and a vibration plate (big 2025 trend; I like this one).

Shakti Mat, $74

Shakti mats have long been a favorite of Health Gossip girls, recommended twice in last year’s gift guide and once more this year.

“I endorse the Shakti Mat as a gift for anyone who finds enjoyment in mild suffering,” says writer Adina Glickstein. “I lie on mine every night.”

“Love to combine [with] legs up the wall,” added Emma in a thread from the subscriber chat. “It can also put you in a strange not awake not asleep place if you stay on it long enough,” says writer Emily Sipiora.

Extra cute in pink (sold out for now, unless you’re willing to go off-brand).

Miyabi 7” Santoku Knife, $185

“If the person is into cooking (or wants to be), a Japanese santoku knife is such a beautiful first ‘real’ knife,” says sneaky chef Victoria Vyraeth. “Santoku means ‘three virtues’ or ‘three uses’ for slicing, chopping, and mincing. Perfect for everyday.”

An iPod Shuffle or iPhone 11, prices vary

My prediction: downgraded tech is going to continue to trend as people wake up to the devastating effects of “smart” devices, from higher EMF load to increased surveillance.

In this category, Carlisle Studer recommends opting for an iPod Shuffle (the clip is convenient for running and lifting) and an iPhone 11, “pre-flicker rate nightmare.”

Similar, but different: the Daylight Computer ($729), which is on my personal wishlist. Anjan Katta, the founder, is an incredibly bright soul and I love what he’s doing.

Nic Nacs, $35 for a six-pack, and a vintage jewelry box to hold them in, prices vary

Nic Nacs have been on my radar since I discovered the life-changing magic of nicotine pouches for focus, mood, and even histamine issues. They’re essentially a clean version of Zyns, with just six ingredients — none of which are micro-plastics or known carcinogens. I like the Blood Orange flavor.

For an upgrade, consider pairing the Nic Nacs with a vintage jewelry tin, like this one ($80), courtesy of friend-of-the-letter Jenna. Chic!

A perfectly fitting bra, prices vary

“This is a gift that has the power to change a woman’s life — coming into one certainly changed mine,” says American Style writer . “You look and feel better in and out of clothes.”

Her tips:

• “Find a boutique that specializes in bra fitting (this is essential!), make an appointment for the lady in your life, and pay up (the fitting itself is always free, so the gift is helping coordinate the service plus a fab bra or two).”

• “The key is that the shop does fittings by sight rather than using a tape measure. It may seem intimidating to get naked from the waist up in a fitting room with a sales associate but this is how the pudding is made.”

Also a great present to give to yourself, though I have the luxury of being team wireless/no bra these days…

Woolshire Pillow (from $180) and Quince 100% Mulberry Silk Pillowcase ($44)

Bedding is an underrated gifting category, especially when you consider that we spend more than a third of our lives asleep.

For the natural-fiber devotee in your life, considering pairing a 100% organic cotton and virgin wool pillow with a silk pillowcase — a combo recommended by Carlisle, who says that Woolshire pillows are truly the best. To round it out, might I suggest adding a Mulberry Silk Eye Mask ($20)?

A Kika Pauen skirt, $275

I’ve been eyeing these skirts after seeing actress Lauren Servideo mention them on multiple occasions. While the style is what pulls me in (a great last-minute Christmas or New Year’s look), there’s also something quite “healthy” about wearing skirts and dresses as a woman. Promotes better blood flow and ease.

Plane tickets to Paris for private classes with Ty Watson

“For someone you really, truly love,” says writer Kate Riley, whose Health Gossip is forever imprinted in my brain.

(Ty previously taught at SkyTing NYC and has run retreats with Toni, Berlin’s favorite Katonah instructor…)

Also on Kate’s list: these Pearl Blossom Spiral Earrings (from $37) — “a perverse combination of ‘wedding cake’ and ‘Tank Girl’” — and Privacy by Molly Young ($15), “the exact opposite of staring at your phone” (I second this).

A stay at the Westin Bonaventure, rates vary

Why book an Airbnb when you could immerse yourself in the enchanting, disarming energy of Downtown Los Angeles for under-$200?

“It’s a space that de-centers you, makes you feel dislocated,” says urbanist Ed Soja of the Bonaventure Building, which has the appeal of both a business hotel and long-deserted shopping mall. Aka, it’s perfect, not only in terms of design (rotating bistro, indoor-outdoor elevators) but also proximity.

During your giftee’s stay, they can pay a visit to friend-of-the-letter, Apogee Graphics’ Bonaventure building office for a copy of the Kaliflower Cookbook, then cross the sky bridge to the Ketchum-Downtown YMCA for a discounted $10 day pass.

Be-Shen Face Reading, $350-$400

For the person who’s already maxxed out on astrology readings and tarot pulls: a two-hour video session that “maps” your face to reflect patterns, strengths, and the throughline of your life’s mission (plus a channeled guided meditation at the end).

Mockmill 100 Stone Grain Mill, $363

Another very wholesome recommendation from Vancouver-based brand consultant Rebecca Kelly, who got the idea while visiting Cedar Isle, an organic grain farm, this summer.

“They sell wheat and grain berries whole to customers and encourage people to mill them at home to prevent oxidization and preserve the nutritional value,” she says. “They had a different home mill on their farm that they encouraged us to look into but it was like $1500. I discovered the Mockmill as a more budget friendly option.”

Giovanna Flores Cross Dress, $750

While waiting for official Health Gossip merch, why not pick up something…less official?

I’ve been wanting a piece of Giovanna’s for forever. The ecru-cream version of the dress — which synchronistically mirrors the design of the @health.gossip icon — has sold, but word on the street is she takes commissions.

More unofficial merch:

• Vintage Ring ft. Aqua Chalcedony Stone Cross Set in Sterling Silver ($53, grab it before I do)

• RARE Vintage Medical Black Cross Flag WWI? WWII? ($99.99)

• Vintage Medics Arm Band ($10)

• Vintage First Aid Kit ($82)*

*Be discerning with the first aid kits, some of them seem a bit haunted.

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Honorary mentions:

Artist Lola Dement-Meyers recommends a White Lululemon Define Jacket ($40) and Camel Bone Beads (prices vary). (See Lola’s full list here.)

Writer recommends “artifacts discovered in the homes of people older than fifty” (i.e., Italian drama masks, angel candles, royal honey).

My aunt’s friend Jean recommends a two-person low-EMF near-infrared sauna and “any face oil based upon Seabuckthorn oil for massive organic hydration” (cue: Living Libations Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever).

I recommend logging off.

Below, you’ll hear from seven Health Twitter anons (and my teenage brother) on their most gift-able health and wellness items, from the bedroom to the kitchen. Their approaches skew bioenergetic, but there’s a bit of something for everyone…enjoy.

For the Underslept and Stressed Out…

Does your giftee dream about living in the mountains? Do they crave the clean, electric rush of being at a higher altitude, or seek to mitigate their high-stress lifestyle…?

If so, then look no further than the SIERRA 100 Altitude Generator, a personal use CO₂ machine recommended by @cynomaxxx and many others in the Health Twitter space. Controlled CO₂ exposure — whether through machines or practices like Buteyko-style breathing — may improve sleep, boost metabolic rate, and enhance mental clarity. A study from the 1958 even suggested it could be used to address conditions like irritability and tension.

This specific device is “ideal for fitful nights sleeping at simulated high altitude as the system pumps deoxygenated air through the sleep-friendly mask,” says @cynomaxxx. “Their hemoglobin will love their newfound improved CO2 transport abilities,” he adds. (Brian Johnson be damned.)

Speaking of sleep…many gentlemen of Health Twitter are proponents of nighttime caps, which not only are incredibly cozy but can also “increase the metabolic rate of the brain, improve energy production, and help with restorative sleep,” says @T3MaxxiAlt, a bioenergetic researcher who also publishes on Substack.

T3’s preferred cap, the 100% Cotton Men’s Sleeping Cap, offers a classic, sleepy-time-bear look, while @cynomaxxx likes the LL Bean Classic Cashmere Beanie, a stylish option that can work just as well in waking hours.

“Essentially, any one will do,” adds T3. “It mostly depends on taste and preference.”

This holiday season is also the perfect excuse to incandescent light-pill your friends. By now, you probably know the benefits of opting for candles, incandescents, and red-light panels over LEDs (if not, read this). Two standout options, courtesy of heliotherapist @zaidkdahhaj:

• Chromalux Incandescent Bulbs, which “provide a balanced spectrum of light” (very important for our circadian rhythms and general biology).

• The EMR-Tek Red Light Panel, which offers both red and near-infrared light therapy. I personally have and love the Firewave panel. A very helpful tool in not being a victim this winter.

@ProjectImpero, an “Aspiring Renaissance Man” and bioenergetic researcher (check out his Substack), suggests something a bit less fancy: monochromatic, flicker-free red LED lights.

“These are not meant to be red light therapy devices, just ambient lights that minimize circadian disruption,” he says. “They also make your neighbors think you are running a brothel, which is a plus.”

You can find these bulbs online or at your local hardware store (sometimes, they’re called “party lights”).

For the Man Who’s Starting to See Beyond Supplement Stacks and Cold Plunges…

On the reading front, Impero recommends Gerald H. Pollack’s Cells, Gels and the Engines of Life — “a surprisingly engaging and light read, all things considered,” building on the ideas of Gilbert Ling, Albert Szent-Györgyi, and other Peat-aligned thinkers.

“Water is central to the bioenergetic view, but its role can be hard to grasp for newcomers,” Impero adds. “Pollack first dismantles the ‘pump-channel—membrane—liquid cytoplasm’ model of the cell, and then rebuilds an integrative picture from simpler premises, all whilst tracing its (many) biological implications.” Perfect for your esoteric male friend.

For EMF mitigation, we have two recommendations. First, your giftee will want to assess their EMF situation with the TriField Meter Model. “The price range of EMF detectors is quite large,” says @T3MaxxiAlt. “I have seen people use the TriField and Safe and Sound Pro 2 with good results.”

Once they’ve measured their EMFs, they may want an EMF-Blocking Blanket, which “is specifically engineered to stop harmful 5G radiation,” says @MyFitnessFeelingz, “Perfect for cuddling or working on your laptop.” On the more affordable side, I’ve been enjoying the Yarrow Environmental Solution and Orgonite Andy’s Orgone Generators for on-the-go support.

Depending on how well you know your giftee, @MyFitnessFeelingz recommends gifting Peptide Bioregulators and Camphosal — two substances that you might otherwise need a prescription for. I have a very limited understanding of both, so I’ll let MFF take it from here:

• Bioregulators: “Pioneered by Dr. Vladimir Khavinson, peptide bioregulators are short-chain amino acids that target specific organs. They restore normal genetic expression, removing epigenetic stress and restoring normal organ function. Bioregulators have been used with great success in Russia for decades, by both the military and medical establishment. Best practice is to run these for one month and stack them. Start with the blood vessel and central nervous system bioregulators, and add a few more from there.”

• Camphosal: “Even the healthiest man can benefit from a cleaner GI tract. Less endotoxin produced by harmful bacteria means less inflammation and estrogen, and thus better metabolism and well-being. Inspired by Dr. Ray Peat, Haidut created Camphosal, a mixture of camphoric acid and salon (an ester of salicylic acid with phenol), to help people with exactly this. This product is designed to penetrate deep into the small intestine, removing excess bacteria and breaking up biofilms. Mix with coconut oil and activated charcoal, or place inside an enteric-coated gelatin capsule for even deeper cleansing.”

Reminder: This content is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only.

For the Amateur Chef…

First up is a Le Creuset Dutch Oven — “The crème de la crème of traditional kitchen hardware,” says @ProjectImpero, “perfect for rich collagenous broths and stews.”

“Some people are concerned about heavy metal contamination in enamel-coated products, but these have only been found on the outside coloring of Le Creuset’s products (i.e., not the surface you cook with),” he adds. “They are significantly more durable and reliable than most glass-based options, so they are my personal go-to.”

(With proper care, a Dutch Oven can truly be a heirloom piece…I love my Staub.)

For coffee lovers, @BrainEnergy4Me is partial to the Chemex, a choice has also been evangelizing.

“The genius that are the Chemex branded paper filters help ‘clean’ the coffee,” Lee says. “It is one of the only brewing methods that never sends my adrenals into overdrive…”

“Chemex is a great option to make coffee without your boiling water leeching microplastics into your cup,” adds @BrainEnergy4Me.

And when it comes to the milk that they’re putting in their coffee, Brain Energy suggests using a Milk Cream Centrifugal Separator — particularly if they’re on a lower-fat diet.

“It’s almost impossible to find low-fat milk without added vitamins, or raw low-fat milk, so a cream separator allows you to make your own,” he says.

They can use their newly low-fat milk in the Ninja Creami, a crowd favorite that yields endless amounts of sorbet, ice cream, gelato, and milk shakes. It “enables you to make tons of delicious ice cream flavors from whatever milk and cream you want,” says Brain Energy. The TikTok girlies also love them.

For the Young Man…

@___perfectbody, who isn’t explicitly a part of Health Twitter but seems sympathetic to the cause, recommends gifting a classic car from the 80s or 90s.

“I’ve always thought this would be a fun gift for a young niece or nephew who otherwise might not get a chance to drive one,” he says. “Keep it a secret until they’re 21 and then surprise them. I suppose the parents might be a little upset at the outlandishness of it all but I think it would be pretty special.”

Other suggestions via my brother Jack, who is around this age and has been known to sport mouth tape:

• Blue light-blocking glasses

• Face wash + moisturizer (like this or this)

• Electrolytes

• “Some type of calendar or planner” (may I suggest Rollbahn?)

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In the northern hemisphere, there’s a lot of programming around this time of year — not only in terms of the holiday commotion and its attending baggage, but also around the art of maintaining a baseline level of mental and physical wellness amidst seasonal changes (and, for many, a mostly indoor lifestyle). Mainstream health advice pushes vitamin D, cold plunges, sometimes even SSRIs. Circadian experts insist we watch the sunrise and sunset religiously — which, while aspirational, isn’t always realistic.

I originally planned for this to be a simple “survival guide,” an expanded version of a Twitter thread I wrote a few years back.2 But, after speaking with friend of the letter, Erla Sól — who lives in Reyjkavík, one of the world’s northernmost cities — I began to rethink things.

So, this guide will be more of a series…

First, we’ll hear from Erla on her approach to winter in Iceland and her take on the circadian conversation.

Next, I’ll walk you through some of my seasonal “hacks” and essentials — everything from hydration to micro-dosing the sun bed (a trick I learned from a former friend-of-the-letter, who swore by it for her eczema).

Above all, Health Gossip is a place for differing opinions. I hope this inspires you to be present in whatever journey this season is inviting you on.

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Erla Sól is an herbalist and healing arts practitioner living in Reykjavík. She runs the spiritual community, Soul Sanctuary and (spoiler) will be a guest on the newsletter very soon…

Note: The following conversation was conducted over text and edited for clarity.

What are your views on circadian rhythms and winter biohacking?

With the dramatic climate and sporadic weather patterns amidst absurd changes in light every day — living in utmost yin + yang — I feel so numb to the topic of circadian rhythms and sunlight. Almost as if it literally doesn’t apply to us here. Yes, we would ideally slow down and descend into deeper yin flow, but don’t really. People tend to work really hard in the winter and enter Winter Arc. But in summer, when we have zero darkness, we definitely attune to major yang and become hyperactive.

Are there any specific practices that you incorporate in the winter?

My way is lots of candles in the winter and cultivating our own inner flame, building heat from within, radiating out from the Hara as we bridge a deeper bond with nature and Shen spirit.

What I don’t “buy into” is the idea that we have to have certain glasses and lamps and gadgets, and that we have to see the sunrise and sunset first thing every day. That’s very hard to abide by for most of the year.

What would you say to those whose moods and energy levels get very affected by the darkness of winter?

[There’s] so much I could say around the seasons and the importance of having an upward spiral mindset.

Not feeling like a victim to the weather patterns and seasonal shifts but rather feeling a sense of humility and gratitude to the experience of being transmuted and transformed by the consciousness of nature.

To be thankful for the opportunity to evolve and move with the patterns of nature, rather than fighting them or blaming nature for our downfalls.

Acknowledging that the highest intelligence comes from living according to the Way of Heaven and Earth in full surrender through the resonance of the heart.

Allowing the spirits of the elements to move us and expand our awareness in an upward spiral throughout the course of our lives. Inviting them all the way in and letting these energies of change course through our lives and elevate our souls…

I think people get sick and depressed in the winter when they agree unconsciously or consciously to the narrative that S.A.D. is something that we all experience; that lack of sun is something to fear.

How does your spiritual practice fit into this conversation?

If we remember our Buddha nature, we remember that we are nature and there is no separation from nature even when we are inside. We are the earth and the only thing we need to ground ourselves in nature is to be present and in our bodies, connected with our hearts.

I think we really psych ourselves out when it comes to weather and the seasons. We are of the earth, have always been, and our work is to continue deepening into relationship with our bodies and the earth as consciousness on the planet rises.

We can acknowledge that our ancestors endured these hardships. We can handle it and we have the tools in our cellular memory and inner knowing to navigate the rhythms of nature with grace.

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Victoria and Lu’s Guide to Toronto

Toronto isn’t always easy to pin down. It constantly changes with you — depending on the season, the people you’re with, or, naturally, your mood. There are so many ways a day in this city can stretch and unfold. Sometimes it’s loud and strange; other times, it’s just you and a corner that feels like a secret.

In this guide, you’ll find places that are special to us, tied to precious memories, celebrations, and moments of quiet rest. We’ve organized the city loosely by categories. Think of it as slipping from morning to night, and you can mix, match, linger, or run. A day in the life, if you will.

– Lu and Victoria

View on Google Maps

Coffee and Tea

VV: The perfect morning in Toronto has to start with meeting a friend for coffee. No exceptions. That is what Lu and I did the first time we met — the first of many coffees! It is a Toronto initiation. And if you’re on your own, a book and a good corner seat feels just as social.

LR: In terms of cafés, I like quiet places that are not too crowded. Pleasant, low-volume music and natural or dim lighting are essential for me to enjoy my time and engage in conversation. Also, I judge a place by their cappuccinos; nobody gets the froth right these days.

Rooster Café across from Riverdale Park
Café

VV: Their café terrace gives you a full skyline view without even trying. Lu and I have spent so much time here this summer. I recommend the olive oil–orange muffin. I like to walk my coffee across the street to Riverdale Park and sit on the grass. The park has a track, tennis courts, a pool, and trails that wind toward the Don Valley. There’s even a calisthenics playground, which I think is pretty cool. It’s my favorite place to spend a day off, and one of the best spots in the city to catch an epic sunset, since it sits on a hill.

The Company We Keep
Café

LR: My go-to spot when I want to get work done. They use Hewitt’s Dairy, which in my opinion, foams deliciously. They also have a great selection of healthy food. My typical order is the smoked trout salad and a double latte, extra foamy.

Bampot House
Tea House

LR: A wholesome, self-proclaimed “anti-café” serving a wide variety of teas. They have low tables and floor seating, so you can take your shoes off and linger over a cup of tea.

Rooms
Café (“They have multiple locations. My personal favorite is 915 Dupont.” – Lu)

LR: Maybe the best quality coffee and matcha I’ve encountered in the city. The space is inviting and tastefully decorated. This specific location closes around 4:30pm, then reopens as a listening lounge + cocktail bar until late, if you’re into that.

Forest Bathing

LR: I don’t think I got to truly love Toronto until I started spending more time in nature. Known as “a city within a park”, Toronto is shaped by a wide network of parks and ravines that weave through the city and make it easy to stay active and grounded. Whether that’s jogging, walking, biking, or meditating under the morning sun. Vic and I can easily spend hours sitting on the grass, moving in-between conversations and quiet moments of parallel play.

VV: The city is home to over 1,500 parks and 160 km of trails, from the ravines that slice through neighborhoods to the waterfront paths along Lake Ontario. Urban forests, secret wetlands, and community gardens are an essential part of how Torontonians live. It reminds me how to breathe. I feel most at home when I am outdoors.

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About a month ago, following a frustrating pursuit of repeatedly deactivating and reactivating my personal Instagram, starting another personal Instagram, returning to my original personal Instagram, only to archive all of its posts, I had an idea: what would it look like to “sage” an Instagram page?

Many of us have been in a process of purging, most recently with the eclipse portal (IYKYK). Personally, after embarking on a cross-country move and its attending shifts, I have a level of spaciousness in my life that almost feels scary. My closet is lighter, my life is lighter…yet when I log onto my personal Instagram, I feel dragged back into the old.

Enter: digital feng shui.

Like its physical counterpart — writes beautifully on this — digital feng shui invites us to treat our online environment as energetic terrain: sensing what nourishes our life force versus what depletes it, and acting accordingly.

Tracey E. McDowell, a practicing digital fengshui expert and one of the first to use the term (she hasn’t yet responded for comment), described it as “creating balance and harmony in the digital world.” Instead of decluttering your office, maybe this looks like decluttering your inbox. Balancing yin and yang in your bedroom? Try balancing yin and yang in your feed.

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Digital Feng Shui: A How-To

The following are some steps and suggestions for purifying your online presence, drawing on Buddhist and Taoist cosmologies, as well as principles of energetic hygiene (reading list below). They are organized in a suggested order but can be used out of order. They are open to interpretation.

1. Set your energy before engaging

How am I presenting and communicating? Does my presence invite connection, clarity, and respect — or does it feel scattered, heavy, “energetically chopped”?

Spiritual teacher David Ghiyam speaks about the importance of “auditing” yourself before entering a room. Am I whole inside? Do I feel like a channel for light? These same principles apply to the digital realm, mitigating the chances of reactivity or unconscious engagement.

⤷ Practice logging on from a state of wholeness, rather than a state of extraction.

Be mindful of the triggers that cause you to go online in the first place, and write down a list of practices that might restore you to a state of fullness first. (Perhaps that’s going on a walk in nature, or allowing yourself to rest if you feel depleted.)

Then, your digital presence will become less about extracting and more about radiating — a channel for light in the virtual as much as in the physical.

2. Sow seeds that align with your values

What am I signaling to the Universe, God, my Higher Self when I post or engage with a piece of content? Does it reflect the life I’m cultivating?

From food to information, what we consume creates subtle imprints in our mind-stream, contributing to programming that shapes our subconscious (or conscious) fears, desires, and drives.

⤷ Practice unfollowing anyone or anything that no longer resonates with the life you’re creating.

You could even take this a step further by blocking certain words or phrases that don’t align with your highest good (think of it as a social media elimination diet). Curate your intake to nurture the energy you seek to embody.

3. Feed your Qi

Which apps or interactions leave me feeling energized? Which leave me depleted or scattered?

Qi is the vital energy that animates life, flowing through the body, environment, and relationships. Every interaction holds a subtle current of energy that either harmonizes with your life force or disturbs it — including those that occur online.

⤷ Practice curating your environment to reflect balance, inspiration, and flow.

Identify apps, feeds, and contacts that energize vs. drain you. Home screens, passwords, folders, and alert sounds are all an opportunity to “furnish” your digital environment in an aligned way.

4. Banish digital ghosts & demons

Which accounts or apps feel heavy or stagnant when I engage with them? Are they aligned with the person I’m becoming?

Old social media profiles, unanswered emails, and unaligned posts can hold stale energy, keeping you stuck in outdated identities or beliefs. Just like opening a window or blind can revitalize a dark, stuffy room, so too can archiving posts or deactivating profiles.

⤷ Practice auditing your accounts, deleting, deactivating, or archiving anything that no longer serves your growth.

This is a nice ritual to tie into your other seasonal resets.

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Suggested reading:

• Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu (Trans. Ursula Le Guin)

• Energetic Boundaries by Cyndi Dale (See also: The Subtle Body)

• The Minimal Self by Christopher Lasch

• Kate Van Horn’s Substack

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Alannah Connealy (@alannahconnealy) is the founder and CEO of Raena Health, a company offering clean, bioidentical hormone solutions for women.

When I first discovered her work, both through Raena and her writings for her mother, Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy’s, blog and social channels, it sparked a genuine feeling of hope. Here were resources that might seem esoteric to some (both Alannah and Dr. Connealy frequently drawn on bioenergetic concepts, the kind that you’re more likely to find in an out-of-print book than on WebMD), presented in a clear, tactical way. See: Dr. Connealy’s breakdown of methylene blue and aspirin, or Raena’s guide to bioidentical progesterone.

And with early-onset cancer rates climbing,1 American fertility rates at an all-time low,2 and environmental stressors bombarding us from left and right, it’s clear we need to rethink how we approach our health.

I’m truly so excited and honored to have Alannah on the newsletter today. You can preorder her book, Celluverse, here.

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Your mother, Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy, MD, has been a leader in integrative medicine since the 80s. How did that influence you growing up?

I definitely grew up with a “weird mom.” She was always into infrared saunas, and even when I was little we drank Gerolsteiner water. She never let our sandwiches touch plastic — it was always wax paper or glass. We never took antibiotics, I didn’t even have braces... I thought it was normal, but it was definitely what people would call “alternative health.”

In college, I studied corporate finance, then I worked in tech in San Francisco and hated it. I had a six-figure job at Twitter, but I was like, “This is not what I'm meant to do. Someone else would be way better at this.” So I literally moved home with my parents. Everyone thought I was crazy, but I felt pulled to do something different. I started writing for my mom, getting into social media, and researching health in a far deeper way. Just hours and hours of reading and writing.

When did you first get into Ray Peat?

My mom has made hormones for most of her career, literally making them for patients at her clinic. When I was researching how she did that, I found Ray Peat’s work and was truly enamored. I immediately read everything I could get my hands on and started emailing him while he was still alive. It changed everything.

He was the first one to connect existence with health and the actual structure of the body. For me, it clicked everything into place. I read it and thought, thank God this exists, because otherwise we’d be left wondering these questions.

With Peat, everything comes back to biology. The biology of the body’s finite, so the answers are finite. You’re not left guessing.

He lays out all parts of disease perfectly. There’s really nothing he didn’t think of. He had a very grand understanding of life. Most people aren’t blessed with that. And if you are blessed to find Ray Peat, you’re blessed with a lot of answers.

I remember when I first found him, it almost felt too good to be true.

And it is. With other health gurus it’s very much shots in the dark — “try this, maybe it works.” But with Peat, everything comes back to biology. The biology of the body’s finite, so the answers are finite. You’re not left guessing. From that clarity, you have hope.

Has your mom read his work? I’ve noticed lately she’s been getting a little Peatier.

That’s heavily influenced by me and the team. We try to credit Ray Peat every chance we get. A lot of our ideas are influenced by him but filtered through our own lens — mine especially with animals, the environment, trees, and plants.

Life isn’t random. All of us are united from the same place.

I was watching your first podcast episode and loved the graphic with the eye and the earth. It felt like such a reflection of how innately intelligent and perfect our bodies are.

Exactly. I designed the book to encapsulate that. The universe isn’t an accident — it’s orderly and pattern-oriented and beautiful. And that’s what I hate about healthcare, it feels random. But life isn’t random. All of us are united from the same place. And that's why our patterns look very similar through animals, through trees, our interactions… Obviously, we need plants to exist. We can't survive without them, they can't survive without us, and that's just a testament to the origin of existence.

Can you speak a bit more to Celluverse? It’s the name of your podcast, but also the title of your upcoming book.

It's going to be everything. There's so much more planned. It takes so long to create good things, it's like a slow burn — slowly, then all at once.

The book is a manifesto of everything in the health world through the lens of cancer. Cancer is seen as this extreme disease, but all diseases look similar. Everything comes down to the level of the cell. That’s why the name is “Celluverse,” because every cell is its own universe; its own innocent, perfect place where life happens.

The book goes into everything: the meaning of cancer, the causes of cancer, how to solve cancer, and then the history of cancer treatments and how to think about treating cancer differently (more effectively, we hope). We wanted it to be a magnum opus. Truly no stone left unturned.

How did you first connect with your co-author, Lily Mavis? You also wrote The Essential Guide to Lasting Health together.

We actually met through Instagram years ago. And we started collaborating more on Connealy, MD to help my mom get these ideas out. We got so many questions like, "What do I do about my cancer diagnosis?" And it's like, if I can understand it, others could too. I'm really not smarter than anyone. It didn't feel fair that I could see a path to healing but they couldn't.

It’s tough because [the book is] very long and very technical. But we've been translating complex science topics into understandable ones for years. We pray that it's the right balance of technical meets not-too-clunky.

What would you say one of the most common misconceptions around cancer is?

There are so many. The number one is that cancer is a genetic disease, when it’s not. It's a metabolic disease; the metabolism of the cell is disrupted.

There are lots of misconceptions around the treatment of cancer, too. People think that chemo, surgery, and radiation are going to cure them. And it's absolutely not; it's going to buy them time, it may even kill them. These are very intense treatments and they don't address the cell or the true root of cancer.

Why would anything change if nothing changes? It logically doesn't make sense.

And that’s why recurrence is so high. Most people, when they get cancer, are so afraid it will come back because the stats are so grim. But why would anything change if nothing changes? It logically doesn't make sense.

So you basically buy the body time until something is found again. And usually, it comes back more aggressive, because you've poked the bear and made your body more immunosuppressive. The treatments are so horrendous. Some respond, but it's mostly just getting rid of the actual cancer, not changing what causes it.

It just falls in line with this very allopathic view of medicine: dividing the body into parts and treating it like a machine. And then doctors will remove an organ like it’s nothing.

It's absolutely barbaric. It used to be much worse, you know; historically, they used the radical treatments to remove the breast. They thought that that would lead to better outcomes when you remove every part of the breast. Unfortunately, it absolutely did not.

How did Raena first come to be?

I truly believe progesterone is the most underutilized drug in the world. It just made me mad that people don't use it. It can treat breast cancer, PCOS, PMS, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis... It's cheap, it's un-patentable, has no toxic downsides. It's just like, why don't people use this more? Even in menopause, a lot of the times it's hard to just get progesterone, because they want to give it to you with estrogen.

So we basically made progesterone as easy to get as possible: as capsules, which are a prescription with us, and over the counter. And then we sell other hormones, like thyroid and pregnenolone and DHEA, just because a lot of people ignore the other hormones. In menopause, you need them all.

What role does pregnenolone play in all of this?

It’s a beautiful hormone, the “grandmother” hormone in the steroid pathway. It’s really similar to progesterone structurally. Like progesterone, levels decline with age, but most doctors don’t test it because it’s expensive. Still, it’s essential.

A lot of what Raena and Connealy MD stand for differs from the conventional, estrogen-focused approach to menopause and women’s health. Have you faced any pushback? Do you have haters?

Oh my gosh, it’s been horrible. We have haters, but it's more so problems with just operating a business. Starting a company is more brutal than you can even imagine. You don't have people helping you. You're scared. You don’t know what’s going to happen. We’ve been through hell and back, many times.

How big is your team?

We have about 20 people that help us every day. They're fantastic. I feel so blessed by an amazing team.

Every part of you elevates when you’ve done hard things and suffered.

And once you get through the first few years, it becomes part of your skin that you're more competent. Every part of you elevates when you’ve done hard things and suffered so much. It's not to say there's not more suffering ahead, or that we've even reached what I think is our potential. But you just become a more tolerant person to the problems. I still erupt a bit, but I just move on faster.

It's amazing and inspiring to see you still keep at it. There’s so much noise in the women’s health space, and you present these concepts in such a digestible way.

I never want to put something out there that I really don't understand. But you know, it's still very niche. Progesterone's so under-adopted. It's about, how do we bring awareness to this more people?

And then because we have coaches rather than full OBGYNs, our customer just has to be so smart and savvy. And honestly, they inspire me every day. I think it's so cool that they’re taking care of their life, their health, their body… They're so amazing.

Where do you see Raena heading in the next few years?

We have a few cool products on the horizon, but we’re mostly trying to encourage women to test their hormones. Not that you have to, but for some markers, like TSH or DHEA, it’s useful.

If you could leave readers with one piece of health advice, what would it be?

I think the first step is learning and reading what you can. Getting engaged and involved in your health journey, because there's truly nothing more important. It’s your birthright to feel good. It’s your birthright to thrive, to take on life's biggest challenges and exciting moments, and you can't do that if your cells or hormones aren't working.

And there's just no shortcut to your health. So I would spend a little bit of time reading from people you trust. Hopefully, it’s us; we work 13-hour days to get this information out to people. But whatever resonates in your heart, is something you have to start experimenting with. If you don’t, someone else will experiment on you — your doctor! So you have to be prepared.

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Suggested reading:

• The Essential Guide to Lasting Health by Alannah Connealy and Lily Mavis

• The Cancer Revolution by Leigh Erin Connealy, MD

• “Cancer is a Failed Healing Process” (Connealy MD)

• “Progesterone Deserves More Than Just a Supporting Role” (Connealy MD)

• Nutrition for Women by Ray Peat

• How to Heal Your Metabolism by Kate Deering

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City Guide: Portland

Our first stop is Portland, Oregon — a city so easy to caricature that I’ve always wondered if there’s more to the story. In my Wesleyan days, I associated it with Reed, house shows, and the Goodwill Bins. Today, writing from Chicago, I’m more so drawn to the surrounding nature: the Pacific Northwest at large, the prospect of maybe living not in but near a city, one that’s within reach of the ocean, and the mountains, and California…the list goes on.

Before we dive in, here’s a little background on our guides — Bella, who I actually went to college with but only recently reconnected with through the newsletter (she cites Nora’s interview as the reason behind here wanting to go to acupuncture school 🥹); and Alessandra, a talented nail artist and recommendation by way of Maggie.

Enjoy ⛰️☁️🍃

Meet our guides

Bella Wiener (@forestgrapes)
Time in Portland: 6 years

How does Portland’s health + wellness landscape compare to other places you’ve lived?

I grew up in Bend, Oregon. Health was the air, runners on every road, bikes leaning against trees, Subaru’s with kayaks strapped down. In my memory it was casual, a little ragged, a little homemade. People were dedicated, yes, but always in hand-me-down fleece.

Now, when I go back, it feels different. Health is the performance, the whole identity.

Connecticut was the opposite. Four years on a college campus, health was a chore you scheduled between obligations. We walked everywhere and ate well enough, but there wasn’t much time to notice the world.

Portland feels closer to the Bend I knew as a kid. Slower, softer. Plans revolve around the outdoors, but no one’s making a religion out of it. Wellness exists, but as a backdrop, not the main event.

What first drew you to living here?

After college I nearly joined the Wesleyan-to-Brooklyn pipeline. But in one of those moments that feels like someone cracked a window in your brain, I realized I wanted Oregon back. Portland gave me both a city with food and art, and the ability to vanish into the forest in under an hour.

How do you most like to spend your days?

Fall / winter (rainy /dark):

Mornings start with the red light panel. Weeks can go by without sun. I get (decaf) coffee or matcha from the shop where my boyfriend works. My hands and feet run cold from Raynaud’s, so before walking I rub in a cinnamon oil blend and do the “hot feet” dance my naturopath, Cari, taught me. Then I set out: Laurelhurst Park to watch the ducks, the rose garden circles, or Mt. Tabor park, where the trees mute the rain.

Warm pilates and hot yoga keep me afloat in the rainiest months. For an hour it feels like Costa Rica, and it only costs $20. Modo is my favorite — especially Cara’s pilates classes. Other days I disappear into a sauna. Some nights I go to Barn Radio and dance until the fog machine chokes the room and I have to step outside.

Winter is heavy, but you learn how to carry it.

Spring / summer (warm / light):

I love Portland spring. The world just breaks open, spilling a kind of amnesiatic light that makes you forget the last weeks of rain. The first magnolia bloom is enough to make me believe again. I wake early, water the garden, read, pet my cat, drink warm water. I sit on the porch with my neighbors. I play with the four-year-old two doors down. I was laid off in June, so for the first time in years I have a true summer. Water is the center of everything. I swim until my skin prunes, walk the same routes but lighter now — no oil on my feet, no extra layers.

Evenings stretch: cooking with my boyfriend, long after-dinner walks, ice cream-bound walks.

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Alessandra Rosette (@rosettetoes)
Time in Portland: 5 years

How does Portland’s health + wellness landscape compare to other places you’ve lived?

First thing’s first: the elements. The minute you step out of your car or plane for the first time out here is such a shock in that way. You immediately realize you’ve been missing out on something — the air's smell, how crisp it is, how suspiciously good it feels to take a deep breath. Water is second, best water I’ve ever tasted. I’ll never forget drinking well water in Olympia the first time — there’s lore surrounding it, which I always thought was cute: you drink from it, you stay forever. Portland’s is definitely up there. I can only describe it as sweet. It can be easy to forget how special it is until I go back home to Paterson, New Jersey, where they just recently experienced a large water main break which led to a water boil advisory, and generally lacks an abundance of green — not to mention resources. The amount of green out here is abysmal, it also does something to you. Colors help — as bleak as it is for most of the year in the Northwest, you can still feed your eyes with all of the moss and tiny flowers and succulents growing out of every tiny sidewalk crack.

Naturally, the Northwest’s general culture (outerwear is definitely favored over designer bags) and all the people who feel drawn here make Portland a mecca for all kinds of wellness-related things: saunas, soaking tubs, hypnotherapists, float tanks, Lacanian therapists, sound baths, naturopaths, etc. It’s actually incredible — I struggled with digestive issues for so long, and out here was the first and only place where I had as many options for functional medicine care covered by insurance (!) as I ever did in my life. It was the first and only place I felt like I didn’t have to constantly push and advocate for myself and finally be given the space, information, and tools to heal, be that physically or mentally. You can ask virtually anyone on the street for an acupuncturist recommendation, and probably something like 85% of people will have one for you. Easy access to mountains, lakes, rivers, etc is also another huge one. I've only ever swam in the clearest rivers here, never the shore like back home. Only ever camped at the most picturesque locations, too — it's almost like you don't have an option.

What first drew you to living here?

This is the perfect place to experience a Saturn return. A general lack drove me to living here. I was in New Jersey still, where I had lived my whole life since I moved to the US. I had a car, transferable job, a lot of environmental stress, and a good friend who needed a roommate. There’s only so much romanticizing and exploring you can do after 20 years in such a small state. And sure, New York was New York, and right there, but I never shared the same young drive to move there. It felt like I'd seen enough, even at 23. I now realize I was secretly seeking a different type of discomfort – people would often warn against the constant clouds and rain, and I knew I would struggle with it too, but also knew I would only allow myself to find that out (and actually listen) through my own uncomfortable experience. I’d say at first, I wanted to get as far away as possible from everything I knew. I always felt best outside of my element anyway. Growing up where I did was particularly difficult. If I wanted to go on a pretty walk, I’d have to drive around 20 minutes to the nearest upper-middle class town or drive up to my favorite state forest. Splurging on bergamot candy or fancy chocolate at an upscale grocery store (shoutout Providore) wasn’t an option.

Living here also significantly regulated my nervous system. The stereotype of everything being a little on the slower side is very real. After 5 years, my driving has become less aggressive, I don’t honk, I’m late (very unlike me) to everything. I sometimes find myself beginning to miss loud music from every car and people yelling out of their windows to their friends on the sidewalk, but it takes about 2 days of being back home to experience the constant chaos and remember why I left. Life in the Northwest can easily put you “in a bubble,” but I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing for some. I think I needed it, even though it was such a challenge. It now feels like an exercise in how “good” I have it. It has taught me to appreciate the things I take for granted more than anywhere I can imagine ever could.

How do you most like to spend your days?

I work a 9-5 at a mushroom supplement company. Most if not all the free time I have in everyday life is dedicated to very long walks, phone calls, nails, sewing, or surprise mail for my friends. Hobbies are important when you have clouds most of the year. Every second the sun is out is spent outside. Exploring all of Washington and Oregon is all I would do if my schedule wasn't so restrictive. It's so much fun to drive through all of the quaint coastal towns and pretend you're Bella Swan.

Portland Recommendations

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Wellness + Spa

Knot Springs

BW: At Knot Springs, everything gleams — polished concrete, brushed metal, the kind of sterile luxury that smells like eucalyptus and cedar and someone’s idea of the good life. Everyone wears swimsuits. Everyone seems laminated. Like they exfoliate twice a day and cry only during sound baths.

Everett House

BW: Everett House is older. Softer. It’s an actual house. People walk around naked or wrapped in towels that don’t quite hold. It smells like old wood and human steam. A woman in the cold plunge will start humming, sighing, singing to no one in particular. Men with thousand-yard stares — like they hiked here from Canada.

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Like any beloved brand, Living Libations has become a world unto itself — with each gem-colored tonic and tiny amber bottle representing an investment in the boundless cosmos of your being (borrowing Nadine’s words).

“Living Libations bottles line my shelf like tiny stained-glass windows,” says Victoria, last week’s guest. “She really helped me minimize my beauty care by being multifunctional whilst still being daily luxuries…I have many favorites.”

“I could live without LL but it makes me feel like a princess and makes the appearance shine more,” added Anna in last winter’s gift guide. “There’s a magical and divine quality to their products.”

Though the first libations were poured long before the brand launched in 2004 (more on that below), it was Nadine’s fateful meeting with her now-husband, Ron, that sparked the true impulse to share them.

As an old company blog recalls:

Ron and Nadine embody a bliss that is caught rather than sought, the alchemy of their cosmic communion pours the levity of life into the sacred and the secular. Out of this play with pure-plant wonders their luxurious skin care [and] restorative essences are made, tuning people’s senses to the adventure of living.

From those early experiments, to becoming a mainstay of medicine cabinets and morning rituals worldwide — read on for a closer look at the magic that started (and sustains) it all…

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I love how you described your younger self: There once was a girl with a wild look in the corner of her eye… pockets filled with acorns and twigs… Can you tell us more about that girl, and how Living Libations first came to be?

As a little girl and a teenager, I had a desire to concoct mixtures and cosmetics. By the time I was eighteen years old, aromatic essences had already brought a new dimension of delight to my life. In university, I collected every essential oil book and gathered from far and wide the oils described in these books, and this led me to in-depth studies of botanical-constituent chemistry.

I began making honeyed perfumes, practical potions, and skin care products, and my friends and family loved them. When I graduated college, I opened Osmosis, North America’s first full concept brick and mortar aromatherapy store. After a few years, I longed to leave the city and needed space to rethink and rejuvenate, so I closed the store. That’s when I met my partner, Ron, and together we launched Living Libations.

A few years ago, our home and business headquarters burned to the ground in the middle of the night. We lost everything. While it was scary and deeply overwhelming to experience so much loss, we were astonished to witness the strength of our Living Libations team and business rise to the challenge. We were amazed that we could rise out of the ashes so quickly and strongly.

Walk us through your current morning and nighttime routines.

As the sun rises, I contemplate all the blessings in my life, and if my family is around, we like to shout out all the things we are thankful for.

Every sunny day I spend at least a few minutes sitting outside keeping company with the Sun to let the warm rays reinvigorate my creativity, and then I go for a walk in the woods or swim in our lake. In the evening, Ron and I will sit outside in the moonlight as we brush our teeth and catch up with each other for the day.

This morning, I washed my face with Immortelle Best Skin Ever and rolled on Sunrise Poetic Pits for the sunny, summertime citrus aroma. I am going to sunbathe and swim in the lake, so I have drenched my skin with Everybody Loves the Sunshine to harmonize my skin with the sun.

I really dig mint in the summer, and I enjoy brushing my teeth with Triple Mint Enamelizer on the Sonic Shine Toothbrush. I clean my tongue with the Tactical Tongue Scraper with a drop of Happy Gum Drops, and I always floss with Smart Floss because it is gentle on my gums and never gets stuck in my teeth.

Tonight I will treat my skin to the Triple Crown: wash with lovely Rose Best Skin Ever, smooth on a drop of Rose Glow Serum, and seal all that moisture in for the night with Castor + Rose Otto. I will probably wash my hair with Seabuckthorn Shampoo, and to keep my curls together, I always use Calendula Comfort: Curl Crème + Conditioner.

While I could never pick a favorite Libation, our Best Skin Ever serums and Happy Gum Drops are staples in my beauty routine. I use them every day to keep my skin and gums healthy. And for days that I want to keep it super simple, those two products are all I need to be fresh and clean!

What do you do when you need to reset your energy?

When I need to reset, I set mighty sights on the Sun!

Being outside in the sun, among the flora and fauna, revitalizes me. I love to walk on our land and admire the abundance of life in the forest, in the lake, and in the swampy places in between. On my walks, I take photos to capture the wildflowers and creatures that I encounter. Enjoying a beautiful sunrise and basking in the sun to dry off after a swim also recharges my battery.

What does beauty mean to you?

Beauty, to me, is renegade!

Beauty is innate — it is something we ever-bloom into, not something applied to the skin. Renegade beauty is surrendering to the seduction of doing less and allowing the elements and the life force of nature to revive the body, skin, and spirit.

Healthy is always beautiful and true, cell-deep health is the wellspring of natural, lasting beauty. It is expressed from within when we are tissues and strong and our cells are properly nourished. When everything artificial and synthetic falls away, the breathability and the beauty of our own nature can shine through.

Our present-day perception of beauty is parched. Big beauty urges us to chase unrealistic perfection and prop up these excessive ideals even when we know the standards are unreal.

Over the last thirty years, thousands have brought their beauty questions. Many are distraught with dermal dilemmas, and the nature of their questions is complex, and much of modern day “beauty” has led us into this terrain… This is why I wrote Renegade Beauty.

How do you hope people feel when they encounter Living Libations?

When people use a Libation, I hope they experience jouissance, a French word without an English equivalent. Jouissance is the rapture of all the senses, a pleasure without opposite and without equal. It is an exquisite juiciness that lubricates the soul and brings dewy freshness to life, creativity, and health.

Botanical oils are the infinite intelligence of the universe and the boundless glee of the cosmos, and I want Living Libations to be an invitation to join in this cosmic communion.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

If I could whisper words of wisdom to my younger self and to others, I’d say, “Rose-colored glasses are an essential accessory in life. Don’t leave home without them! Trust life, engage in the glory of gratitude, and count your blessings — and bless life back!”

The very best advice on anything always comes from within, from inner intuition anchored into our beings.

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A note on essential oils & sensitive skin…

Nadine’s libations play with many essential oils, some of which can irritate sensitive skin. As Nadine alludes to in Renegade Beauty, and Olivia Burr mentions below, different oils may be better suited to us depending on the season we’re in.

A bit more context from Olivia, who runs the divine Earth Archive:

I’m not necessarily an essential oil-free kind of person. They provide such a beautiful experience. But something that I’ve noticed is when I turned 30 my skin got way more sensitive. I’ve really had to reevaluate my skin and body care situation. I love the Poetic Pits (that is super, super strong) and have been using it the past few days because it smells so good and I’ve had no reaction. But then in the fall, I was using it and got rashes.

She continues:

I feel like we really live in a day and age where people want to demonize particular ingredients. But it’s not black and white in terms of sensitivities. It really feels, especially as women, our bodies move through such diverse seasons that I’m curious if at certain points in my cycle my body could topically handle things that at other points it can’t. Our bodies are constantly in flux and changing…

Another perspective, from Victoria:

I would say I have quite sensitive, acne prone facial skin. I think some essential oil can definitely be aggravating and I would solely keep around for body or for scent, such as: many citrus and mint oils. I found specifically with her products, for the face, I stick to ones sans coconut oil, which I find comedogenic. For her BSE, I stick to either the Immortelle or Sandalwood. Immortelle (helichrysum) is such a wonderful, antimicrobial plant that has helped my breakouts! I have also had good luck this summer with her zinc sunscreen despite it containing coconut, thankfully!

The consensus: choose your own adventure, dear reader…

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Please note: I may earn a commission from any products linked above. Thank you for supporting Health Gossip ❤︎

Many past (and probably future) Health Gossip guests maintain a gelatin habit. Lauren makes bovine grape jelly. Eyren adds it to her ceremonial cacao. Olivia makes marshmallows. Carlisle’s preferences vary.

In the Discord, people are experimenting. Maggie added chlorophyll (“which turned out to be a not awesome addition taste wise but still very nice”):

Alex used a tea base:

Personally, I’ve grown fond of incorporating gelatin into nearly everything I can, from coffee and smoothies to scrambled eggs and pancakes. When I consume it consistently, I notice stronger nails, faster-growing hair, bouncier skin, and better digestion. What once was an ingredient that I avoided as an (emaciated) vegetarian is now a daily staple.

Whether you’re looking to incorporate more gelatin into your diet or curious to learn more, here’s a breakdown (plus some recipes at the end).

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My favorite gelatin (code: LILY)

What is Gelatin?

In simple terms: a protein derived from collagen, extracted from animal’s connective tissues (bones, skin, cartilage). Rich in amino acids, particularly glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, which are essential for building collagen in the body and can help balance out the amino acid profile of muscle meats.1

It’s the main ingredient in marshmallows and jello, and often used as a thickener in sauces and gravies. It’s what makes bone broth jiggle.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, gelatin is known for replenishing yin and blood. People use eijao (derived from donkey skin) in cakes, porridge, and more.

Gelatin vs. Collagen

Both collagen and gelatin come from the connective tissues of animals. Collagen is the raw structural protein — the scaffolding that holds skin, bones, and joints together. Gelatin is simply its cooked form, what happens when collagen is broken down with heat (like when you simmer bones into broth).

Health Benefits of Gelatin

Skin + hair: Gelatin stimulates collagen production for firmer, more elastic skin.2 With consistent use, it can reduce fine lines and dryness; it also strengthens nails and helps support keratin formation and hair growth.

Digestion: Helps seal and heal the gut lining. Soothes inflammation and supports a balanced microbiome.

Healthy joints: Strengthens cartilage and supports bone density. Protects connective tissues. Helps reduce stiffness and pain in active individuals and older adults

Sleep: Contains glycine, which promotes relaxation by lowering core body temperature and calming the brain. (Glycine also boosts glutathione, a powerful antioxidant in the liver that boosts the body’s detox pathways.)

Further explorations: “Gelatin, stress, longevity” (Dr. Ray Peat); “The Anti-inflammatory Effects of Bovine Bone-Gelatin Derived Peptides…” (Pubmed).

Recipes

Hibiscus Green Tea Beauty Jelly

This is a version of my most commonly made gelatin recipe, using a tea base (juice or coffee also work). Hibiscus is high in Vitamin C, which boosts collagen synthesis. For extra Vitamin C and hormone-balancing magic, I’ll add rose hips and green tea.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. loose leaf tea
12 oz. filtered water
3 scoops (30g) grass-fed gelatin
Honey or sweetener of choice
Optional: trace minerals, blueberries, powdered acerola or vitamin C*

Instructions:

1. Combine the tea with 6 oz. of water in a small saucepan and heat.

2. While the tea is steeping, whisk gelatin into an equal amount of cold water in a glass container of choice.

3. Once the tea is ready and the gelatin has bloomed (at least 1 minute), combine the tea with your bloomed gelatin. Whisk to dissolve.

4. Add sweetener to taste, and stir in any optional ingredients like blueberries or trace minerals.

5. Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator and let it set for at least 3 hours.

6. Once firm, enjoy your tea jelly as a snack or dessert.

(Another hibiscus recipe, courtesy of Weston A. Price.)

Skin Glow Berry Smoothie

Fruit and minerals are a great way to start the day. While I’ve been leaning more towards warm meals, in the summertime, I do love a smoothie. This one is satisfying and keeps me full for hours. It’s also a nice way to incorporate some gelatin into your diet without much extra effort. (Just make sure to wash your blender straight away — hardened gelatin can be a bit difficult to clean off.)

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