I am writing to you the day before the solstice to share my reflections on the past year, including a few gifts, gift ideas, and links to things I have found interesting, helpful, and essential.
These will be shared in no particular order and will also include opportunities for you to support me, as some of these links will be part of referral programs or affiliations.
This past year has been such an intense whirlwind. There has been so much pain, grief, sadness, rage, and helplessness we’ve all been feeling and processing. Alongside this, one of the biggest things that shaped my year was my diagnosis of Bell’s Palsy at the beginning of the year, which required me to slow down, take time to rest, and reflect on my capacity and vulnerability. It helped me shift my focus towards establishing a strong foundation, fostering meaningful connections, and strengthening my bonds with the surrounding communities that support me. This enables me to engage in life with peace and presence. The process isn’t always straightforward; it can be chaotic, unpredictable, evolving, and vibrant. I am still in recovery and dedicated to continuing my healing journey into the next year.
What really helped me get through 2024 was leaning into the advice I shared with folks at the beginning of the year in the LA Times article on the Strength card:
“In 2024, we need to listen with our hearts and develop practices that help us cultivate hope, eagerness, joy, and pleasure,” Frías said. “Especially when it’s hard to do so.”
These practices have taken many forms this past year, but as you would imagine, many have involved art, magic, and witchcraft.
For example:
At the beginning of the year, I organized Portals & Pláticas: The Art of Curanderismo in the New Earth with Reina Prado and Madre Jaguar at the Philosophical Research Society.
Around the same time, my solo exhibition, the Museum of Multidimensional Mutant Maps at the Philosophical Research Society, was selected by Matt Stromberg as one of the ten shows to see in Los Angeles in February in Hyperallergic! 🥳✨
I created an indigenous futurist UFO that was installed in downtown Los Angeles in September, inspired by the fact that my artwork was placed on the moon in February of this year!
Last month, the Resurrection of Care occurred at the Philosophical Research Society and was potentially one of the last Golden Dome School events ever. It was a heartening event filled with tears and laughter. Check out the photo below by Eliza Swann, and click here for more event images.
Photo by Eliza Swann.
Last month I was also invited to participate in the Witches Confluence: Spiritual Activism, which took place at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. I presented my workshop, Tactical & Spontaneous Divination Practices. A brand-new video has just been uploaded that beautifully captures the essence of this gathering.
This past year, I was also included in several different publications that I am incredibly proud of, including:
Itinéraires Fantômes Oracle Deck, organized and edited by the artist Alexandra Grant and featuring art from luminaries like Jeffrey Gibson, Johanna Hedva, Keanu Reeves, Francisco Goya, Louise Bourgeois, and more.
Liberation Tarot Deck- A collection of 79 tarot cards and an accompanying guidebook, created over the course of four years by more than thirty artists and writers living in the U.S., Canada, France, Brazil, Palestine, and Mexico. The booklet includes an introduction from deck organizer Elicia Epstein, insightful essays by adrienne maree brown and lawrence barriner ii, and beautifully crafted card descriptions from poet emet ezell.
A Confluence of Witches Anthology was edited by Casey Zabala and features texts from a divine coven of witches.
Trans Hirstory in 99 Objects, edited by Chris Vargas, Christina Linden, and David Evans Frantz. A gorgeous video from our book release at The Hammer Museum also exists here.
Desert Forest: Life With Joshua Trees, edited by Juniper Harrower and Sant Khalsa.
My artwork was featured in Indigenous Futurisms as Planetary Assemblage by Kira Xonorika for the Hyundai Art Lab and in the article AI Incantations for Sovereignty and Gender Expansiveness in CMagazine.
I was a guest on a number of podcasts this past year that connected me with some wonderful people; a couple of highlights were:
Talking about Innovation in the Algorithmic Age with Sarah M. Chappell.
I spoke about radical imagination and resilience on the Verbal Echo Podcast with Monica Martin.
Being on the Missing Witches Podcast to discuss Indigenous Futures with Amanda Amour Lynx.
Speaking of podcasts, I’ve become obsessed with many podcasts this past year! A couple of my favorites have been:
Astrology of the Week Ahead with Chani Nicholas - Chani needs no introduction, but if you’ve missed out on her podcast, I highly recommend it! She shares powerful wisdom and reflections on the current astrological transits impacting us. Chani also has an incredible planner and Yearbook that I use to keep track of all the important Astro in my life, which I highly recommend. Also, if you haven’t checked out her holiday store, her astrological app, her workshops, and books, etc., what are you waiting for?! (Please note this is an affiliate link).
Urgent Futures with Jesse Damiani - Is a very interesting podcast with fresh perspectives on art, media, technology, philosophy, and the future—and where they intersect. One of my favorite episodes was with the divine Legacy Russell.
Art Witch with Zaneta Sykes, who delves into enchanting discussions with some of today’s most captivating witches.
Off The Grid: A Podcast for Small Business Owners Who Want to Leave Social Media Without Losing All Their Clients, this podcast by Amelia Hruby of Softer Sounds Studio has been a Goddexxsend as I have felt the pull to step away from social media (more on this to come) and have felt called to create other ways of connecting that do not involve algorithmically driven social media sites. Many thanks to Eli, The Gender Doula, for this wonderful recommendation!
Third Eye Drops - a podcast about consciousness, reality, and the mystery of existence. Specifically, his most recent episodes are on remote viewing, out-of-body experiences, and UFOs. 👽
This past year has also been a big year of growth for me in managing my businesses and finances. I took an incredibly powerful Money Skills for Therapists training at the beginning of this year to support my therapy practice, which has been profoundly impactful and helped me gain a better overall sense of my finances in both my therapy practice and my art business. Two tools that I use every day that have come out from this training and that I HIGHLY recommend are:
YNAB - YNAB stands for You Need A Budget, and if you’d told me last year I’d love a budgeting app, I wouldn’t have believed you! But it’s true. While budgeting isn’t my favorite thing in the world, YNAB gives me peace of mind by showing my financial values, priorities, and limits. For the first time, it has enabled me to stay one month ahead on bills and focus on saving for retirement. Most importantly, it has shown me that budgets are not simply about restrictions but rather about setting priorities and gaining clarity! (Referral Link)
Profit First is an important book for anyone starting or running a small business. Written by Mike Michalowicz, it shares a simple money management method that helps you save and make good decisions. By following this method, I always make a profit in my businesses while offering helpful services and making a positive difference in my community.
One last financial tip:
Speaking of Savings, I have been slowly putting money away in my Acorns Account and have been thrilled to watch it grow over time. Acorns makes it easy to save for retirement and to invest as well. And if you sign up for it using this referral link, you get a free $5 investment!
I’ve read several books this year that have been incredibly impactful, and I wanted to share a couple of them. But before I do, I want to make sure you know about Libby and Hoopla, two free apps allowing library cardholders to borrow digital media from their public library.
Incantations Embodied: Rituals for Empowerment, Reclamation, and Resistance by Kimberly Rodriguez, published by Spirit Bound Press.
Craft Your Own Magic: Reawaken Your Intuition, Understand Magical Correspondences, and Create a Meaningful Personal Practice by Cassie Uhl is a breath of fresh air for those of us feeling called to embrace our own unique kind of magic. Cassie shares generous guidance on forging an ethical, reciprocal path in a way that honors your imagination and celebrates the ever-evolving nature of magic.
The Institute for Other Intelligences by Mashinka Firunts Hakopian connects speculative fiction and media studies to an envisioned future where artificial intelligences gather each year for lessons on algorithmic fairness.
Loving Corrections by adrienne maree brown is a generous and easeful entry into the conversations that will transform our relationships.
Brown Neon Essays by Raquel Gutierrez is a beautiful reflection on southwestern landscapes, the dynamics of intergenerational queer identities, and the visibility of brown artists, traversing both physical and conceptual boundaries.
Womb Consciousness by Tabita Rezaire is a stunning art book with essays, spells, and so much more! I am obsessed and deeply inspired by Tabita and her practices!
I’ve also had the joy of connecting with several new tarot and oracle decks this year that I’ve truly loved, including:
The Borderlands Tarot by Enid Baxter Ryce and Luis Cámara is a beautifully hand-painted bilingual (English/Spanish) deck that is inspired by the ecosystem of the border between the U.S. and Mexico, complete with a bilingual guidebook for card readings and housed in a keepsake box.
The Lineages of Change Tarot by adrienne maree brown features the wisdom of Black changemakers throughout history, including Octavia E. Butler, Audre Lorde, June Jordan, Lucille Clifton, James Baldwin, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, and more.
Missing Witches Deck of Oracles - I made a whole video review of this gorgeous deck!
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for joining me on this journey. I have a few other precious and invaluable things from this past year that didn’t fit neatly into any of the above categories, which I wanted to share here.
Taking part in SunSong’s SSEED program this year was truly life-changing! In it, we learned how to create our own water spells, aka flower/crystal/energetic essences. Unfortunately, this workshop is over for now, but those of you who want to work with Saewon are in luck because her SSEER program is underway.
Speaking of flower essences, Milk Thistle Yucca Valley is hosting a free/donation-based in-person Solstice Flower Essence Ritual and Astrology Talk on the solstice!
I have been leaning into my “writing era” and have started working on a couple of books I hope to complete next year. Scrivener is the perfect place for me to do this! It is a software that you can have both on your computer and even on your phone, and it helps you organize all your writing, research, and notes in one place. It has all the tools you need to create your book’s first draft!
Would love to hear your reflections and recommendations! Please leave a comment on this blog post.