Hello
and welcome to my newsletter, Letters from Lavender Oasis
I’m not sure exactly what this newsletter will look like, but I figured it would be nice to have somewhere to write about things I care about that isn’t just trying to appeal to the algorithm of Instagram and other social media (and in general trying to move away from constantly being on my phone and social media). Going to aim to write something every week or fortnight and see how that goes.
Content may include:
Tarot and astrology
Kitchen witchery, gardening, herbalism
Judaism
My personal experience being queer, trans, disabled/chronically ill, and autistic
What I’ve been reading/listening to/watching
Just trying to find joy and build community in our dystopian world as we work to build something better
A little bit about me! My name is Mina (she/her), I am 29 years old, grew up in Arizona (in the unceded territory of the Tohono O’odham nation), and have spent my adult life in the UK, living in Glasgow and now Edinburgh for the last 9 years. I am a lesbian trans woman. I am autistic, and I have lived with chronic illness (CFS/ME) for nearly 5 years, mainly manifesting in chronic pain and fatigue.
Spiritually, I consider myself a “Jewitch”. I am Jewish, and converted a few years ago after reconnecting with that part of my family history. I love the Jewish cycle of the year, with a calender that is linked with both the cycles of the Sun and the Moon, and so many different gorgeous holidays. I love so many things about Judaism, like the importance of resting on Shabbat, of caring for marginalised people (the stranger, the widow, the orphan), the focus on learning and study and questioning, of taking responsibility for any harm we’ve caused and always trying to be better.
But I’m also a witch. I try to live intentionally, to make magic where I can, to do things in a ritual way (and yes, there is so much overlap with my Judaism). I especially consider myself a kitchen witch, and love creating food to nourish me and friends and build community. I am also a tarot reader, and use tarot as a tool to help myself and others find new perspective and guidance and navigate life.
Finally, what is Lavender Oasis? It’s my home. It’s a council flat in Edinburgh I moved into earlier this year, and have since been working to make it the home of my dreams. I want to to be a place overflowing with joy and magic, an oasis from a world with so many horrors. A place where I can have friends over to share food and build community. I hope to share a little of that with you on this newsletter.
This is so gorgeous Mina! Can’t wait to read future instalments 💕💜