I hope you’re all doing alright, and the beginning of your year has been good. There’s a few things to cover since I last updated here, so grab yourself a beverage, get cozy, and let’s catch up.
I haven’t written since the beginning of July 2025, so I’ll summarise the last six months or so, because it’s been a roller coaster.
July
A few friends of ours went with us to attend the Distant Worlds concert that was held here at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Played by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Arnie Roth, Distant Worlds is based on the video game series Final Fantasy, and is usually coupled with iconic scenes throughout the games. As a long-time fan, FF music is emotionally charged, chaotic, and holy, all at once. While the concert shows up quite often, we haven’t seen them in over a decade, so it was such a treat to be able to watch them again. If you’re interested in the music of FF, my personal favourites to recommend are Suteki Da Ne, Dancing Mad, and Prelude.
August
We took the god-kids to their first anime convention, AniRevo 2025. They’re finally old enough that we can take them out on their own, and they’re turning into huge nerds (like their auntie and uncle), so they were pretty stoked to go. It was also an exercise in money and spending, as the youngest spent all their money on a Labubu within the first ten minutes of being inside 😂 We spotted them both, and we spent most of the day wandering up and down the stalls, deliberating on stickers, posters, and figurines. I spent an unholy amount of money on Love and Deepspace artwork (IYKYK). Both the kids and the hubby cosplayed, and the kids want to go back this year, so I’m determined to join them.
We attended our first family reunion at the end of the month, on the hubby’s mom’s side. We’ve been together nearly fifteen years, and I know his family is extensive. But when I say the turnout was massive, it was massive. There was good food and beverages, games had been set-up so that everyone could hangout or participate. A few of the elders had meticulously set out the family history in beautiful binders and posters, and there was an auction for homemade items. It definitely healed something in me, seeing that many family members just getting along and having a good day.
October
I turned thirty-three!
November
I was let go from my job the first week of the month. They didn’t provide a reason why, and I received severance, but I can’t say I saw it coming. No warnings, didn’t have an annual review in over a year (they weren’t doing it for everyone), no prior meetings about expectations. The whole experience feels like a fever dream, even today.
December
Christmas was at my sister-in-law’s home, and all the parents were able to make it this year! Since hubby’s dad and stepmom retired and moved north around six hours, it’s not easy to get together for holidays or hanging out, so when they’re able to come down to see the family, it’s really special to me.
Which brings us up to today, the beginning of February.
They say silence is a response all on its own. I may not talk about it on this forum, but I’m absolutely horrified at what is happening in the US. The grief and rage and stress, worrying about both international ties as well as the lives of my American friends. I don’t know how to coherently discuss it, but I do know that living through history is awful. And to ensure there is no doubt, FUCK ICE. I do not support anyone who treats other humans like garbage, full stop. My work and space will always be for human rights.
Forging onward.
With the job market pretty scarce here right now, and the prospect of going back to school this year, I’ve started working on my shop again, starting with a re-branding! What was once The Plutorium is now the Witchwife Works, and I’m working on rebuilding the shop with new updated designs and products, with a cozy, dark humour vibe. I can’t wait to share more with y’all! Here’s a small idea of what will be available:
I haven’t touched Women of the Eternal in months. The direction I need to go is clear, but I am struggling to stay focused on anything important to me with everything that is happening in the world. The hard thing to remember when writing is that you have to get something down, because there’s nothing to edit or refine if it doesn’t already exist. Too bad I can’t just transfer thoughts to paper, I’d have a lot more done by now. I’ve started re-reading my existing work to get the vibes back, and I made a little fanart for myself of Espe and Erolith as motivation.
I started working on the second edition of Veins of Pluto, which will be entirely reworked: cover, layout, size, and updated poetry. Currently in the midst of editing and updating, but I’d like to have it done by the end of spring.
Audio Delights
I’ve been listening to a lot of what I affectionately refer to as “eclectic bog fog vibes” (if you know the actual genre, please do share). A lot of Starset, Cryoshell, Kerli, and Poor Man’s Poison have been on rotation, along with more Dark Paranormal podcasts. Here’s a link to my playlist that the music is on.
READING PLEASURES
It’s been mostly the news, but I would love to recommend signing up for both V.E Schwab and the Stars & Sabers newsletters! I love the voice V.E. has in their updates, it’s cozy-feeling and I feel like I learn something about writing management every time. Stars and Sabers has a phenomenal array of authors that they work with, I enjoy reading about their line-ups.
MAGIC MUSINGS
Another thing I am going to revive this year is being more active in my practice. I’ve been incorporating the gods into the smallest of things: building things in Minecraft and Sims, dedicating an outfit, coffee, or food to them, just little things. Sometimes doing the Big Things feels impossible, so turning “modern” things into connection is an easy way for me to keep in touch without feeling overwhelmed.
Thank you for reading to the end of this letter. Be safe out there, friends.
the baleful primal 
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