solar returns, favorite things, and a gift for you

hello, friends. today is my birthday. and while i don't typically do much to celebrate beyond trying to take the day off (laughs darkly in self-employment), i did want to tell you about a few of my favorite things to read and enjoy every day, and also offer you a little gift.

with tomorrow's election looming (i'll be dropping a special CARD TALK episode tomorrow to offer some extra support) and media in its usual frenzy, here are some books, practitioners, projects, objects, and offerings that give me joy and help me slow down. i hope exploring them offers you some joy too.

(because we're right at the end of election season, i'm not filling this with donation links — i am trusting that y'all are giving what you can to the causes that matter to you already. there have been so many demands on your time and money this last year, and i don't want to add to the pile. but if you have something extra to spend and want to share it with a good cause, i always recommend donations to world central kitchen.)

let's start with something for you. i recently created a new tarot journaling workbook exploring the thresholds of grief and hope, and i've gotten so much incredible feedback on it. folks are calling it phenomenal, necessary, and profound. one user shared that "the magic here is palpable." i priced it at $33 in the hopes that this would be affordable for those who need it — but as a gift from me to you as we prepare for tomorrow's election, you can use the code SOLARRETURN to take 33% off this workbook for the next 48 hours. i sincerely hope that this new resource offers you some structured care and compassion over the next few weeks.

for the readers: two brilliant authors whose work i have learned so much from have books out today! siri plouff is a nordic witch and teacher with a truly astonishing amount of knowledge, and their new book queering the runes provides supportive, contemporary guidance on using this beautiful divination tool. if you've been looking for a way to learn runes from a queer, trans, experienced practitioner, order this gorgeous book now.

for any astrologers in the house, the brilliant pallas augustine released a substantial work on the IC earlier this year — and if you missed the kickstarter, additional copies are being made available to the waitlist today. click here to learn more about the ic: an astrology of coming home and support pallas' ongoing work!

and of course, my own book finding the fool: a tarot journey to radical transformation is available at bookshops and libraries everywhere. if you're interested in building a personal relationship with the cards that integrates individual experience, numerology, astrology, and journaling, this is the book for you. i hope to have updates and pub info on my next books for you very soon!

if you're looking for folks to work with, there are so many brilliant practitioners offering gorgeously supportive readings right now. eventually i will make a full permanent webpage with recommendations, but for now i want to give a special boost to maeg keane's dionysian fifth house astrology readings, cassandra snow's tarot study hall series, and tehlor key's new community action tarot readings. highly, highly recommend checking these out if you're looking for supported ways to show up for yourself and those around you right now.

speaking of amazing people, earlier this year i launched a second podcast with two of them: my wonderful partner, astrologer and memoirist jeanna kadlec, and my dear friend, numerologist and teacher bee scolnick. CALL YOUR COVEN feels like a love letter and gift to our shared communities, and has been such a joy to create and collaborate on. listen for free with your favorite podcasting app, watch us on youtube, and if you love what you hear, sign up for our patreon for episode updates and upcoming perks.

to spend an extra moment on my partner — if you're not on instagram, you might've missed the news that we got engaged a few weeks ago! although we plan to create custom forever rings together eventually, i proposed with a gorgeous devotion ring from bloodmilk, and we've gotten so many compliments and questions about the rings. if you're in the market for beautifully witchy, thoughtfully handmade jewelry, don't sleep on bloodmilk.

i also wanted to shout out two of my favorite north carolina-based small businesses, who make beautiful products and could use your support in the aftermath of hurricane helene. i'm obsessed with everyday oil for face and body, which is gentle enough for my terribly fussy, sensitive skin. i'm a particular fan of the mainstay scent. also based in north carolina is odin's daughter: ruby creates the most gorgeous ritual candles, housed in reusable vessels with a lovely long burn time. in my dream future i always have a two faces of hel candle burning somewhere.

and finally, one of my absolute favorite tarot decks, the spacious tarot, is soon going to go out of print. i love recommending this deck to beginners and experienced readers alike, as it's both gentle and immersive, joyful and clarifying. if you've been thinking about picking up a copy, i would encourage you to do it ASAP as carrie is not sure if/when this deck will ever be printed again.

i hope exploring some of my favorite things has made your day a little brighter, and given you some fun corners of the internet to explore! as one final gift, remember that i have plenty of free resources to explore for building up a personal tarot practice of your own. make sure to listen to my CARD TALK and CALL YOUR COVEN podcasts, explore the archives here on my newsletter, try out my free email courses, and check out the spread archive on my website. and during the last week of november, i'll be sending out five days of offerings including new tarot spreads, simple rituals, original writings, and special offers to access my work at a rare discounted rate.

3am.tarot is my full-time business and sole source of income, so paid newsletter subscriptions and purchases from my website help keep the lights on. and if you feel so inclined, i always accept tips (and contributions to my tattoo fund) through ko-fi.

thank you for being here, for reading and subscribing, for trusting me to be part of your personal tarot practice. here's to a safe, healthy, and care-oriented trip around the sun for all of us.