On episode 11 of Living Tarot, I interview Ash Alberg. Ash is a queer femme and fibre witch who seeks to create beautiful and practical products for fellow makers using sustainable methods. They seek to nurture the skills, knowledge, and creativity of fellow fibre witches to achieve their goals. ash is a natural dyer, knitwear designer, hedgewitch, and parent to the resident coven pooch, willow. Ash and I had a beautiful conversation about the importance of managing your own energy levels and mental health and playing to your strengths in business. We discuss how business plans and promoting yourself aren’t one size fits all, and how that can change the way you show up with your clients over time.
- Ash and I discuss how they have very intentionally set their business up to support the way that their energy flows.
- We also discuss how intuition and creativity flow when creating knitwear patterns and inspiring new creative ideas like with their “Swatching the Tarot” series.
- Ash discusses their creative process and the importance of setting your business up to be sustainable no matter what is going on in your life or the outside world.
- We chat mental health struggles and how you can advocate for yourself by setting boundaries in your business.
- We also cover how Ash’s tarot practice and connection to intuition have changed over time and how they use tarot to connect in daily life.
Ads: Sign up for Tarot for Real Life : https://exciting-composer-1319.ck.page/0c2fb79240
or Join the Waitlist for Practical Tarot for Everyday Intuitives : https://exciting-composer-1319.ck.page/c2fff8e3dc
More Show Notes and Transcript
Connect with Sheila:
Book a Tarot or Reiki session at starsagespirit.com or find her on Instagram instagram.com/starsagespirit.
Work with Ash:
Ash’s website ashalberg.com or find their natural dye shed work at fromfieldtoskin.com or find them over on IG at instagram.com/sunflowerknit
Transcript:
Sheila M 0:05
Welcome to Living Tarot. I’m your host Sheila Masterson. I’m a tarot reader and teacher, an energy healer and medium and creator of practical Tarot for everyday intuitives. Each week on this podcast, I’ll share my own experience of embracing and growing intuition and interview guests about how they heard the call of intuition, embraced the adventure and embodied the tarot along the way. Join us and learn how you can stop second guessing. Empower yourself through intuition and live intentionally with the tarot.
Welcome back to living Tarot. Today on the podcast I’m so delighted to have my friend Ash Ahlberg. Ash is a queer femme and fiber which who seeks to create beauty and practical products for fellow makers using sustainable methods. Equally importantly, they seek to nurture the skills, knowledge and creativity of fellow fiber witches to achieve their goals. Ash is a natural dyer knitwear designer hedgewitch and parent to the resident coven pooch, Willow. They can be found on Instagram and online at ashalberg.com and from field to skin calm. In today’s episode ash and I really discuss how intuition and creativity come together in their work, creating different textile prints and knitwear designs and how in Ash’s work they really embody the Queen of Wands, the 10 of Wands and the Temperance card. Ash is a person after my own heart because they have a heavy fire chart like myself in astrology. And we both really spend a lot of time in the wands where we have a lot of passion projects, and can sometimes be a little bit distracted, which we’ll talk about in this episode, as well as the candid nature with which they discuss mental health issues and how important it is to manage your energy well in business, especially when you are an entrepreneur. So this episode was so much fun to record. I hope that you enjoy it. Let’s dive in.
Welcome Ash. I’m so excited to have you here today. My internet friend turned real friend asked me Ahlberg. So I asked Can you tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do in the world.
Ash Alberg 2:55
I am a knitwear designer natural Dyer by trade which is interesting little thing. Yeah. And I am a parent to my resident coven pooch Willow who will probably end up making an appearance on this track at some point, because somebody is going to park in front of the house, of course, or somebody will come to drop something off at Murphy’s Law, and, and I’m a queer femme and I’m a fiber witch and a hedgewitch and a really awkward, socially anxious creature. And I snort.
Sheila M 3:32
I love that description. So, so much self awareness. You know?
Ash Alberg 3:41
The theater years.
Sheila M 3:44
So I and I met in an incubator program for holistic businesses that started just before the pandemic kind of took over everything.
Ash Alberg 3:54
Yep.
Sheila M 3:56
was a particularly emotional time and I feel like part of the reason And why we all bonded so closely to our internet friends, as we say, is because there was all this stuff going on and so I it was so cool because we all are kind of like circling each other in these different these different elements of being similar but but a lot of differences and in particular, when we were talking about your work with creative coven, and all of your network and all of this really cool stuff that is so outside of my experience. I was like, holy shit, this stuff is so cool, and I’ve never I’ve never heard somebody talk about it the way that you that you spoke about your work. Tell us a little bit more about what you do with creative coven.
Ash Alberg 4:47
Yeah, so I mentioned theater world. I used to do theater for most of my life and then kind of switched gears in my mid 20s in textiles. But a large portion of my life in theater was also teaching theater. And so as I shifted into textiles, teaching was a very natural shift for me there as well. And so a number of years ago, I started teaching knitwear design. And initially, initially, I did it, just to kind of help people get started because our industry is one. That is, it’s great in a lot of ways, and also totally fucked in other, in that anybody can get into it. So that’s a really beautiful thing. But it’s not actually as accessible as that would suggest, because it’s very much like people don’t like to talk about things. They don’t like to talk about their process. They don’t like to talk about their numbers. It took me I think, two years to realize that tech editors even existed, and this was at a time where the industry was very different. Like when I came in, I had a pattern myself. First pattern went viral. And nowadays, like I, I have told people that if my pattern came out nowadays, it would not even make a blip on on the screen. Like, there’s just there’s so much noise out there nowadays, but there’s still just as much confusion. So when I started teaching network design, I wanted to be very transparent about what my process is about how much work is involved, and then also for folks who want to turn it into a business. Understanding that you can love knitting, but that does not automatically mean that you are going to enjoy running a network design business. And if you want to run a business that is actually there to make you money and to support you, then you need to understand how much work is involved in that that has nothing to do with knitting. And so the creative coven is the online version of that and when we went through the incubator. A big part of the shift for me with that was realizing that I’m not like, I enjoy teaching people in person just for casual fun, and, you know, just in just to help them figure out something for themselves, but online with this particular course, what I really wanted to do was focus on people who want to make knitwear design their business like a core part of their income. And who wants to do that seriously. And so I beefed up the business side of the course and added in more content and and I’m about to reopen the doors in about a month and a half time maybe like six weeks, I think from when we’re recording this and, and it’s going to look even more different because I have as of today, move on moved away from Ravelry, which is the largest color a platform for my industry. And there’s a lot of reasons behind that which my audience has been hearing about for an extended period of time. And it wasn’t a single thing that that made me choose to leave. But it’s been about six months of dealing with bullshit on my end hearing stories from friends and colleagues, and then seeing how other people were treated by the the core staff there. And realizing that if it was any other platform, I wouldn’t have even questioned it. And so the fact that it felt like there was such a, it felt like a breakup, when I decided to leave, it felt very scary, but I think also it’s important for, like, the reasons that ultimately I chose to to leave was because I had finally gotten myself to a point with my business where I could structure that shift. Also where ultimately it came down to the numbers and realizing that that I was in a position to leave the platform and not have it immediately directly impact my bottom line. And so I was very grateful to be in that position because I also have a lot of designer friends who are not in that position where all of their income comes from that platform. And so they can’t afford to make the shift and I would never want any of my students to feel like they are stuck somewhere and where they don’t have control over their own content. And so I’m going to be adding more business content to this next round of creative coven.
Just to help people so that like right from the get go instead of being in my position where it took, you know, many months of me deciding Okay, this is the thing I need to do and at least I’m in the position to start to do this. And it is still scary but I’m I’m able to shift myself away. And for my students to be in the position to right from the beginning structure things in a way where they always have at least one place where they contain all of their content that is with fully within their control. And not rely on time because you know, like, so it’s same with like, like, you know, with, with Tarot and with wellness industries, like we spend so much time on third party platforms, including on social media platforms. And we don’t always especially for those of us who get into business, because of our love for something else, and don’t come at it immediately from a business position. Yeah, that kind of learn business along the way. It’s it can be really easy to kind of build up a reliance on a specific platform that ultimately we don’t have control over. And then when you know like when Instagram changes their algorithm like businesses can go under because the algorithm changes the way that they’re able to interact with their customer base. So it’s like, it’s a lot of that like weird stuff that we don’t talk about, especially in Creative Industries. And that is also really important if you want this to be something where you are, you are able to craft a life that supports you and, and allows you to live a life of abundance and that doesn’t just mean a life of like making you know, six figure blah, blah, blah. Like that’s not what I’m talking about, but living a life where you are comfortable and where when a pandemic hits, or when shit hits the fan that you’re not immediately in like terrified mode. Yeah, I think that was a weird thing when the pandemic hit and realizing like oh wait for the first time ever. I am the person in my you know, social group who has a stable job and to be like the self employed Boyd, creative small business owner who’s like, I’m the one who has actual control. And this time I got my shit together, right? Like That was a weird thing. But it was like it was because ultimately we have all the control, right? Like you control how you respond in situations like that, like you control how you pivot and all of these things. So I think weirdly enough, launching relaunching creative covenant and revamping it turning a pandemic was actually really useful, because I was actively putting into practice the lessons that I think are most important for creative biz owners.
Sheila M 12:40
Yeah, and I love that you’re speaking to that too, because I think that’s something that’s really important that can happen a lot. When we are doing something creative or something that we really like something very heartfelt. And because when you turn it from this is my hobby. I really enjoy doing this thing. This is my outlet it’s where I like burn off all my crazy energy or whatever. And you take it and make it the thing that you are reliant on in order to make money. It first of all to can take away that outlet that you initially had.
Ash Alberg 13:17
Yes,
Sheila M 13:18
I think there is a real resistance especially when it comes to creative work to talking about the business side of it that is so important because especially when you’re working creatively and with creative energy, you really need to be efficient with the way that you’re managing your time and energy. So that you can show up as your best self when you’re trying to be creative.
Ash Alberg 13:39
Totally, because it’s also like we I mean, for me, especially I also I’m Venus Pisces so like there’s that. Like, I personally and I think a lot of us take things so personally, in terms of whether or not somebody likes our work, like when you get you know, a shitty comment on Social media or somebody sends you a mean email or even like a you know, not even a mean email just one that’s like no, I didn’t love this thing, or you know somebody unsubscribes to you like, that hurts at your core because it feels like somebody is rejecting you, which is bullshit, but and may actually be the case like maybe they are rejecting you, but that is, you know, part of businesses really honing in on your niche, which means you’re going to repel people that you don’t want, which is also something that I have done very intentionally and actively choose to do on an ongoing basis. Like, you know, I don’t want Nazis liking my work. So I’ve made calling them Nazis and being a bitch to them. Instead of pretending like oh, yeah, no, this is okay. And then like all being like, by the way, like, here’s one post about something like no, I’m actively talking about my values all the time, which means that I have a much smaller audience than a lot of us. Folks, but also a much more committed audience, and one that shares my values, which is great when shit hits the fan for me personally, because I can be like, hey, shit hit the fan and they’re like, cool. We understand we’ll be here when you need like when you come back. Yeah, but it’s it’s doesn’t stop me from I think the only time that I have ever not taken negative feedback, personally to some extent was last year I ended up on a boycott list with a number of other knitwear designers for Nazis like not Nazis and white supremacists were like boycott these people. And I was on that list. I was like, cool, that sounds good. Like I’m alright with this.
Sheila M 15:42
You’re making it Yeah.
Ash Alberg 15:45
Like I’m a company on this list too. But and that also then had to like go and make sure that I was doing some like, safety things for myself because I was like, cool. I’m on people’s radar. That’s this particular situation is not necessarily one where I want to be on people. Are and since I am, let’s make some shifts in terms of just like online safety not in terms of the way that I share my views or my values. Right, right. sort of made me double down, actually, but normally, you know, somebody will, you know, I’ll go into MailChimp to like, tidy up and archive people who have unsubscribed so I’m not paying for them. Which means you’re manually checking and seeing every single person who’s unsubscribed and it’ll be like five people and it feels like suck. It feels like you’ve broken up with five people at it.
Sheila M 16:35
Yeah I have Venus in cancer, so I get it.
Ash Alberg 16:38
Yeah. Feels all the time. Not Yeah.
Sheila M 16:43
And it’s funny because I have I feel like I have both sides of it because I’ve also kind of been a polarizing person my whole life and had a very hard time not just saying what I think about things like that’s very hard. It’s very hard for me to hold back and opinion Even when it’s not requested, right? Yes. And so I’ve always been kind of polarizing, but then like, I still would have that reaction sometimes. But I think, you know, there definitely comes some wisdom with age and also some thicker skin, I think with running a business where you do recognize that, like, there are plenty of people whose work I don’t like, and it’s not that I don’t like them personally. I mean, some of them, it’s I don’t like them personally, but
Ash Alberg 17:25
but for the most part,
Sheila M 17:26
yeah, for the most part, it’s just like, I just don’t really connect with the way they speak about it or its just not myexperience or whatever it is. And, and I think that’s important to recognize, too, that for the most part, it’s not personal. It’s, you know, it’s like dating or anything else. Like, it’s just not that person’s cup of tea.
Ash Alberg 17:42
Yeah. And like, you can also change your mind about somebody and that’s okay, too, right. Like, it’s, I feel like it’s harder when somebody who has been following you for a while, is like, I don’t want to continue and then that feels hard. But then it’s also like, Oh, that’s like we’re also allowed to change our minds. I’ve totally done that with people. And then there’s also the people were like, I haven’t I no longer open their emails, like I don’t follow anything about it, but I won’t like officially unsubscribe or like stick them on mute just so that I might like, you know, there’s that like, kind of a weird thing to have, like, maybe I’ll change my mind. But right now, you’re not somebody I want to be seeing. And I also like, I am a huge fan of the mute button on Instagram because it like, one thing that I noticed is that when I am in a not good headspace, especially like when my anxiety is is spiking. Then I also will notice that other negative emotions are not automatically negative, but like my jealousy will spike, which for me is always like if I’m scrolling and three photos in a row. I’m like, I’m grumbling to myself about whatever it is I’m like, Oh, no, this is this is me. I need to take a break and get off the fucking app. But also, if there’s like a specific person And who is triggering those reactions and me, I’m like, okay, for whatever reason, this person who normally I like their content, or who even I like as a person, and they’re a good friend of mine, for whatever reason right now seeing their content is making me feel insecure, which means that I need to do some work in that little area. But also, I don’t need to be exposing myself to these triggers while I’m doing that work. And then like having negative feelings associated with that person who isn’t doing anything wrong, like they’re just doing their shit. Yeah, so then I’ll just, you know, pop them on mute for a little while and I have definitely made more use than usual of the mute button since pandemic kicked in. I’m like, my, my boundaries are very, like, it’s not black and white, but like that line has become very thin. It’s like, I have energy and then all sudden, it’s like, I have no energy. There’s Yeah.
Sheila M 19:55
And I think recognizing that I think that the bar is lower for for feeling overwhelmed. Then it would normally be, yeah. And I think, um, you know, we talk to the rest of our friends who were in that incubator with us. And it’s such a nice opportunity to get feedback from other people that are going through the same thing and normalize some of that. It’s normal to feel especially overwhelmed right now. And like one person speaks up, and then like four other people are like, Oh, my God, thank God, me too.
Ash Alberg 20:25
Yeah, I also really appreciate that there’s so many astrologers in our group, because like, that’s something that I’m not that my skills in that area are not that strong, fully believe in it, but I just don’t understand else. But it’s like, I’ll be like, I’m having these fields. And then like, Davis will pop up and be like, this is what’s happening. And you’re like, oh, cool, not just me. Good to know.
Sheila M 20:44
Yeah, exactly. Exactly. So I love that. So, can you talk a little bit more about how and how things have kind of evolved for you over time and what your relationship is like with intuition, because I Know that there is like a deep connection between you kind of almost like channeling something that goes into this creativity and I so strongly believe that that like artistic creativity and like crafter creativity is like a a type of intuition that some people have very strong and some people have very gentle and the intuition is more than just like psychic stuff which I really want to normalize.
Ash Alberg 21:28
Yes. And yeah, so I have always been I’ve always listen to my gut and trusted it. And I think like throughout my life there have been times where I’m more and less, more or less in tune with it. And, and where I have applied it in different ways. But I like from a young age I knew that linear time didn’t really exist for me and in particular when shit was hitting the fan that like there, there was a chunk of time where I was very scared when time slowed down drastically because it meant something really bad was actively happening. And now with the pandemic, literally all the time, like linear time has not existed for me for about six months, which is frustrating. Also sort of gratifying because there are so many other people who are like, yeah, like that feels like blah, blah, blah. And I’m like, yeah, this is my life all the time. So I’m glad that now other people are cluing into this. But also being a very emotional creature, and also being a very anxious creature, like my baseline is a pretty high level of anxiety and I do a lot to be actively working with it and keeping it at a low enough baseline where my body isn’t just constantly vibrating, because that’s not healthy for me. And also my anxiety manifests itself very physically in my body. body so that’s always a fun time. And by that, I mean not at all. So I, I would say that like energy in my body has always been something that physically I am very attuned to, and I have to be. And in my, like now I’m 30, but throughout my 20s I’ve learned to become extremely attuned to it. And my years in theater definitely helped me to become more self aware. Also, once I became aware of my birth chart had made a lot more sense. Like I said, My Venus is in Pisces, and then my three main signs are all fire so it’s just like all the feelings all the time. There’s not really I don’t I don’t do chill.
Sheila M 23:46
That’s why we get along so well
Ash Alberg 23:52
Yeah. But But yeah, it’s become really interesting because all So then running a business when you don’t do chill, and when all of your feelings, especially the negative ones can drastically impact your ability to get work done. And I’ve had to become a lot more in tune to my intuition. And, and to my body and, and what it is feeling. And then also just like trusting the universe, like, I fully believe in the rule of three, which is also why I don’t spell cast. And when I throw hexes, I do it completely unintentionally. Because I don’t actually want to do that. Like, I don’t want to put that energy out into the world. And just in case it goes wrong, like even like love spells and shit like that. I’m like, a if that, like, if the universe wants it to happen, it’s going to happen. If the universe doesn’t want it to happen, and you try and force it, you’re going to piss somebody off, and then you’re going to get in trouble. So let’s just avoid that. So but then the way that I do my magic instead is very much just like working with clothes. And working with stones and working with the earth and, and spirits and cosmos and everything and just kind of like being open to them and listening to what they want and what they’re willing to offer. And then working with those things accordingly. And so it it’s become really interesting to because with the divination side of things like with Tarot and astrology, and that, sometimes I’m like, I’ll feel like something is not good. And I have to remember to trust that the like, I’m also Sagittarius rising and Moon so like, ultimately, I am an optimist at heart, which I think helps. But I have to, like remove the anxiety from my intuition sometimes. And, and usually, that’s actually when I go to my tarot deck like when I’m starting to feel really overwhelmed and like, I’m terrified that something bad is gonna happen. I go to my deck, and I will pull cards and like 99% of the time, it’s like, No, you just need to chill the fuck out. which I appreciate because I need that lesson. But then the 1% of the time where it’s like, nope, this is going to be hard, then I’m like, okay, at least I feel prepared for the fact that it’s going to be hard.
Sheila M 26:20
Yeah. And you’re speaking something that, that I experienced so much. And one of the things that I I literally, like, teach it in my free Tarot for Real Life training, because I think so many people struggle to tell the difference between anxiety and intuition, because you don’t have the same embodied experience that you’ve worked so hard to have. It can feel very real. And it can be hard to hear anything other than anxiety.
Ash Alberg 26:50
Yes.
Sheila M 26:50
So I think that’s really important. And I love that you’re talking about how Taro can help with that too, because that’s like, it’s literally one of like, the main things that I focus on because I’m like I said, As soon as you look at the card, your brain has to switch out of anxiety mode to interpret it. So it has to!
Ash Alberg 27:07
Exactly like again, during pandemic, I’ve just had a lot of feels over the last six months. And, and been kind of like forced to look at some things head on that I was avoiding for an extended period of time like years. And just kind of like face some stuff that I was just casually working, like do choosing to do work, not on it, but in in order to avoid us, and was just like, I’m busy all the time. I don’t have time for this. And now it’s like, No, you actually need to deal with this shit. And so there have been a number of times during the last six months where I have been like extremely anxious about something and been either crying or on the verge of it or not realizing actually a number of times it’s been that I don’t realize I need to cry. And so But I can feel that I’m just like getting way too overwhelmed and so I will go and I will take my deck and I’ll pull cards and then I will start crying because it’s it you know tells me that I need to chill the fuck out and to just like trust what’s happening and that because my anxiety is very good at making up stories that don’t exist in real life and and then I you know, do my little spiral as a result and catastrophizing and all those fun things that are part of anxiety and the cards will help me to calm down and kind of pull myself out of that catastrophizing. So, so yeah, I’ve really come to rely on my deck in the last little while in a way that I didn’t add that I didn’t before.
Sheila M 27:46
I love that I think. I think that is certainly my experience right now is is relying in I think a different way than I had over the past even since because it’s been about a year and a half. Now that I left my corporate job and when I was going through that transition again, similar energy where I was like, ooooh I’m so anxious and it was like, every day, I was like pulling cards and every day I was crying. And I had a couple episodes, but I’m like, just because something is in alignment doesn’t mean that it feels good when you’re doing it
Yes, it’s man
It’s still uncomfortable. Yeah. And I’ve noticed too, that I think even just up to like, last week, and right now we’re in I don’t even know, it’s the first of September when we’re recording this. So when we, when, when I kind of hit like the last week of August, I don’t know what it was. I don’t know if I was super busy up until then, like doing all kinds of stuff and working on projects and working on my course and everything or, or if it was just like, I kind of reached my threshold of like six months and like my body was finally like, okay, like, we can’t be in emergency triage mode anymore. Like just like complete shutdown. Yeah. For the past like week and a half. I’ve been like very much in a mode. have like, Okay, let me just pull and pull and pull and like cry and deal with things. Yeah,
Ash Alberg 30:06
Exactly.
Sheila M 30:07
Let me process six months worth of trauma in one week.
Ash Alberg 30:11
That’s the thing too though. Like, I think that this is something I mean, I’ve definitely recognized it because I have trauma brain from other things – yay life. But pandemic mode has absolutely kicked trauma brain into gear for so many of us. And I think I mean, I honestly believe that those of us who are anxious are going to be like the most useful creatures in the apocalypse, because we’re highly attuned and we’re also terrified of shit going wrong all the time. So we’re like, very aware of like, what’s our escape routes? How do we do it? Like, you know, you’re you’ve got like, six different trains on any given track at any given time, ready to go, which I think when the zombies come will be really useful. But it also has been like, during pandemic, I feel like those of us with mental health issues for like, who have been actively working with our mental health, prior to pandemic, are, are actually the least fucked up as a result of pandemic because we already were working on tools whereas everybody’s being impacted by this whether they acknowledge it or not, like there’s a low key shift in the baseline of anxiety for everybody and in the states like I can’t even – I’m in Canada right now like, watching shit, I was literally like, I’ve stopped being able to consume most news content beyond just like what gets shared between podcasts I listen to and, and social media and all that but like I have stopped watching or reading the news, because I just can’t. And I consume enough of that content through the channels that I choose to be consuming it through. But like the only way that I’ve been listening to day to day news has been Trevor Noah and I was like I can do with this like the satire level. I can do this It’s fine. And then I think it was like, four nights ago, maybe it was after Jacob Blake. And then after that piece of shit went and shock protesters and he was talking about it. And my problem is that I listened to Trevor Noah as I’m going to sleep, I’m like, this is a good thing to listen to before I go to bed. So I’m literally lying in bed, listening to this, and I was like, there’s gonna be a war, there’s gonna be a war. This was not helpful. not helpful at all.
And so yeah, I like can’t even imagine, because Canada has got its own shit. But like, I actually cannot imagine what my baseline would be if I was living down there right now. Yeah.
Sheila M 32:44
I mean, it’s true. And I think there’s there’s a lot of truth to what you said too about. It’s, it’s this interesting paradox that comes up that I noticed anyway, as somebody who has struggled with mental health issues for more of my life than I haven’t, you know, I will Yeah. And where people know that about you and then we’ll like doubt your ability to know where you are because you ahve been vocal about it and I’m like, yep. Are you kidding? Like, I am the one person that seems to know how to fucking handle my shit right now and Yes,
Ash Alberg 33:19
exactly.
Sheila M 33:20
I am like, you know, I’ve learned enough how to express it doesn’t mean that you need to advocate for me, I’m actually doing a better job advocating for myself. It’s this really frustrating thing that comes up do you experience that also?
Ash Alberg 33:35
A hundred percent and also like for folks who don’t, especially with anxiety, right, because I think that it’s on the one hand, it’s like massively minimized in our society and then also so normalized in other ways that people don’t like folks that don’t live with anxiety on an ongoing basis, at all, uh, don’t understand like how debilitating it can be, and especially when aren’t like I am a high functioning anxious person. So it looks like I have my shit together. And also, part of how I control my anxiety is by channeling it when I’m doing well, when I’m not doing well, I can’t eat. And my emotions run amok, because my emotions are already just like simmering right underneath my skin, and then they just burst forth. And it’s not fun for anybody including me. But the folks who don’t have like have not lived with anxiety for an extended period of time. And who don’t understand that like, like, for me, I’ve spent the last decade plus of my life learning how to actively be managing my anxiety. Yeah, and so the fact that I am in kind of a constant trigger mode lately because of pandemic and because of other things and I articulate that to people makes it seem as though I don’t have my shit together. And I’m like, No, the reason that I am articulating this Because I have learned the language of it and because I am actively consciously constantly working on keeping it at a low enough level, and because it physically manifests itself in such extreme ways, when it does that, I know that I also cannot afford to indulge it right. Like, I have spent years of my life at much worse levels of anxiety, where I was extremely unhealthy, and also allowed it to, to continue. And now, I don’t do that. But yeah, a really bad day of anxiety. Like I will tell people like this is where I’m at. And then it seems as though like, Oh, well, your anxiety like I don’t know if I can handle your anxiety and I’m like, I’m not asking you to. I’m just telling you that this is where my baseline is at today, so that when I snap at you for no reason, and then I apologize. 20 minutes later. You also know that when I snap at you, it’s not your fault like that. That’s me And I will, I am, at least at the point now in my life, where I have it under enough control that I can recognize that it’s my anxiety that is at play, and then apologize after the fact like I am still responsible for my actions, regardless of what my level of anxiety is exactly. Possible means also then articulating to you like, by the way, I’m very anxious, that thing that you did, it’s not your fault. I’m just letting you know that the reason I did that is because of this. And I am sorry that you are getting the brunt of it.
Sheila M 36:30
Yeah, yeah. And I think I think it’s so important to, to differentiate between the two because like you said, if you see somebody who has high functioning anxiety, or high functioning depression, or whatever it is, and they just tell you in a calm way that that’s what’s going on. People don’t quite, they don’t quite understand how to handle that. And then and then it becomes like, well, you seem okay, so like, do I need to keep asking, Are you okay? And so It’s very it’s very interesting that experience
Ash Alberg 37:03
Yeah. And it also then becomes interesting because like when you do have really under control, then it’s like oh well you’re better or it’s like oh well this is not as big of a deal it’s like no it just means that for this week if I’m lucky, I managed to keep it much more under control and that’s but that’s not because I’m not actively working on it like the amount of labor that I am constantly doing to keep my anxiety in a reasonable spot is massive and also like part of why it is just constantly there’s because I’m choosing to not numb it whereas I’ve done that before too right where it’s like right Lloyd the situations that are going to bring it more to the forefront which are also generally the situations for me at least that are making me more complete human right like interaction Yeah, like care about are more likely to bring up feelings of anxiety because I care about them. Like I could easily just avoid those situations and just focus on work. And then I’m, you know, the roller coaster becomes much less of an up and down. But that’s because I am not adding in stimuli that could cause it to go up and down when it’s the up and down that makes us humans. Yeah.
Sheila M 38:22
And I think that’s important too, because I think that avoidance is rewarded.
Ash Alberg 38:26
Yeah,
Sheila M 38:28
like, Oh, I’m so busy, like, I’ve got so much going on. And it’s constantly an end in our generation as well. Also somewhat normalized, because there’s like this hustle culture that has been there. I graduated school in December 2007. I graduated college, and you know, like three months later was the market crash and like just disaster. And so, for so many millennials Our entire careers have been okay I work this job and also I work this side job and then I also work this night job
Ash Alberg 39:10
yeah and it’s so unhealthy like the I I recently – so with our incubator, you know, we were learning launch skills and I did a second launch about a month ago and that launch happened to overlap with like, a massively bad week of anxiety for me like I was a fucking mess. And because I had structured my launch because I knew what to do and because I you know, followed our formula, I right before it started, everything was ready and pre scheduled and set to go. And I knew like what I needed to do and I had made a point because I don’t like showing up online for people- I don’t like customer service, which is funny considering my business, but I do I really, really dislike customer service. And so I had set up my launch so that I needed to do as little active interactions with people as possible. And so then, as it started, and as money started to roll in, and my mental health went through the shitter, I was suddenly in a position where I was able to take the time I needed whenever a moment happened, that my mental health really went through, like, down into the toilet because it was a very up and down week with a lot of downs and I was able to be like, Okay, I’m signing off of Instagram for the rest of the day. It’s like two o’clock in the afternoon. I’m in a launch week, and I am getting my ass off of social media. And I’m putting on Netflix and I am bingeing some show. I don’t even remember what the fuck I binge that week, but I’m going to binge something and I’m going to read books and I’m going to have bath, and I’m going to be taking my tinctures constantly and I’m going to be in my kitchen and making things that like I was able to do whatever my body felt like it needed. Again, following intuition, like what does my body need? What it is, what is it craving right now, and I would do whatever that thing was, which thankfully, generally, my body craves healthy things for me. So I am grateful to it for that and, and, and the money was still coming in. And so having that experience of like not being in scarcity mode and not being in fear mode on top of then also dealing with my mental health, separate from work was massive and made me realize just how fucked up, I mean, like, we know capitalism is fucked but especially like hustle culture and gig economies. And this idea I think, especially like I’m, I’m in the queer community, so like this idea. That we need to be constantly struggling, and that if you ever find a place of like, you know, we’re always going for the ideal of like, abundance in a broader term than just financial sense and, and ease and peace, but to actually achieve it is now you’re a bad person because you must have sold out something in order to get to that point. And it was like No, I actually have just learned the skills to be able to put this into place and, and be able to offer something that I really care about, and that I think has value to my audience and my audience also sees value in it and in, appreciates it and enjoys it and wants it and that they then pay me for it and that that then gives me the space living under capitalism to be able to take time to take care of my body and myself and my mental health because I’m not worried about whether I’m going to be able to pay my mortgage this month or not?
Sheila M 43:02
I think that’s so important. So, a lot. What I appreciate and what I admire so much about your business is how intentional you’ve been about what your values are what you won’t do and what you will do. Was that always the case? Or is that your kind of learning experience over time?
Ash Alberg 43:23
I mean, it’s a bit of both, but mostly, like mostly Yes, that is the case. And it’s, I’m an Aries sun, so I don’t play well with others if I don’t want to. So and I’ve worked traditional jobs sort of traditional, like I’ve worked in nonprofit worlds, and before that, in arts world and both of which are notoriously underfunded, and notoriously good at taking your passion and sucking you dry out of it. Because my Aha, that like, there’s not the funding for it. But we still expect you to like, give your body and soul for it because you care about it. And you’re passionate about it. And the only reason that you would accept these shitty working conditions is because you’re passionate about it.
Sheila M 44:13
Yep.
Ash Alberg 44:14
I think that that’s bullshit. And I yeah, I also don’t believe in hierarchies, which has actually served me very well when I worked in traditional businesses, because, you know, I remember going to work at one job. And the very first day my boss came in and yelled at me and I yelled back at her because she yelled at me for no reason. Not as far as I was concerned. I was like, that’s not a good reason to yell at me. I’m gonna yell back. It’s my automatic response. Again, Aries Aries. So like, Yeah, kind of like at the tone of like, oh, okay, like, this doesn’t work. But I’m also like, Yeah, I don’t believe in artificial hierarchies. I think it’s bullshit. Like you don’t get to just automatically demand respect and treat people like shit and I think Like, if you’re going to be treated like shit, it’s because you deserve to be treated like shit because you are doing something shitty that harm somebody else. And then that if you get respect it is because you have shown that you are offering respect as well. Like I don’t think that just because you have X amount of money or you hold a particular position or your, you know, whatever number of years old that you automatically deserve more respect than somebody else does. I think we all deserve like a baseline level of respect. And if you show that you are not going to give that to others, then I’m not going to automatically respect you. Yeah. Until you until you prove to me that you don’t deserve it, and then I will happily remove my respect. And but I think that very strong opinion about how I am willing to engage with other people. And then also the fact that I am a very emotional creature. I do take things very personally. And I know that my emotional space impacts my ability to do my work. And so I don’t have much patience for generally like honestly it’s people who are really entitled or people who are rude and who like for me my business has always come from my core values. And so if you come at me and are complaining about you know, well I don’t want you to be so political about something I will tell you to fuck off. Because I don’t want your money be I would rather get like, I think for me, a big part of it is that I I have always believed that and this is absolutely coming from a place of privilege because I grew up middle class and I do have a safety net. In terms of if she were to truly hit the fan. I have, you know, people and family and chosen family around He would be able to support me if she had truly hit the fan. So there’s absolutely privilege within that, that gives me them the space to be able to say, you know, you being an asshole to me, does not mean that I have to take you being an asshole to me. And, and the emotional labor like also generally in my experience, the people who are the worst customers are also honestly customers who are not willing to spend that much money on me. So I’m like the emotional labor that is involved in me dealing with you in any sort of ongoing basis is not worth whatever money you could give me even if you like, I will be your silent patron, and I will float ever I don’t have one of those but like, if somebody was to come to me and say, you know, like, I will cover all of your basic expenses and more. But you need to, you know, listen to whatever I have to say and what I have to say is shitty I would tell you to fuck off because ultimately I would rather hustle and work hard and feel good about my choices than to take money.
Sheila M 48:14
Hey there, I want you to be the first to know that I am offering a free training Tarot for Real Life Get your Shit Together with the Tarot on Sunday, September 20, 2020 at 12pm ET. This workshop is extremely powerful. It talks about the top mistakes that new Tarot readers make. We’ll cover the neuroscience of Tarot and how it can stop the anxiety cycle and the exact steps to follow to start reading effectively and efficiently for yourself. This is where the spirituality of the Tarot meets real life situations. And my goal is to have you leave that workshop either with a reboot to your tarot reading or if you’re a brand new beginner with a good idea of how to get started. So you can sign up for that free workshop in the show notes today. Or if you already know that you are really interested in signing up for a tarot course, I will be opening the doors for my Tarot course for the last time for 2020 the course is called Practical Tarot for Everyday Intuitives. It is a seven week Tarot course that takes you from a brand new beginner to tarot reading Pro, and helps you learn how to bring that practice into real life, how to use the Tarot to help you make complex decisions effortlessly. So if that sounds good to you, you can sign up for the waitlist in the show notes today.
We were talking a little bit about setting boundaries with the type of customers that you want and I think you make a really good point, too because I had that experience somewhat early on where because I am a medium I think people think that that goes across to everything, but I how it works for me and this is not true for everyone. So I understand the misunderstanding that exists is valid but I’m very intentional and in my offerings about what each thing is and the fact that when I read Tarot, I typically am not doing mediumship because, yeah, I consider Tarot to be like the human channel, and to be like a slightly different channel. And I don’t really do them both at once. They’re kind of different for me. So every once in a while somebody will pop in, because that’s just like my experience, but for the most part, I’m just reading for a person and last year when I did my New Year’s offering, I did like a new year like you’re a head Tarot offering and I had a woman, who I think was expected Because I was a medium I was going to give her a mediumship reading but that was not
Ash Alberg 51:04
not what you paid for like it says Tarot reading
Sheila M 51:09
Yeah. And like literally, like was so specific in the language around it because I had found that some people got confused about that. So before you order something with me literally have to click a box that like says that you understand that that is not what you’re getting. And she still was not happy with it and it was like the strangest experience because she kept being like, No, no, no. And I was like is what I’m saying not accurate. And she was like, no, it’s no you’re 100% right. Like all of that is true. But like I thought because you were medium like you would talk to like the spirits or whatever. And I was like well I am kind of talking to spirit.
Ash Alberg 51:49
like yeah, like but it’s like a different thing but you’re like you’re speaking to like the general universe
Sheila M 51:54
And I was so frustared him and so I after 20 minutes I just ended the reading and just told her I would refund her and told her to go back to whoever she went to before because she kept saying like, “Well, when I got this done before”, and I was like, well, we’re all different, like, yes, it’s not interchangeable. And I was so like, it was such a bad experience. And I was really like, I took it like really personally, and I was like, Oh my gosh, like, What if she wakes me up crappy reviews, like all of this? Yeah. Because when you’re like service based, it is scary because you’re like, at the mercy whatever shitty thing people want to say.
Ash Alberg 52:32
And reviews are bullshit like reviews. I can’t remember I was listening to I think it was a podcast recently and the person was literally like, Do not leave a four star review. You either leave a five star review or you don’t leave any reviews, which is true because it’s like, realistically with reviews. The only things that get left are either really shitty reviews, or really great reviews and there are not that many great reviews and we need them to then offset the shitty ones. But like anybody who has had an OK experience is not then going to go and leave an okay review. Like they’re not going to take time out of their day to be like this was this was what I needed like this was adequate. Like, you’re not going to this was the thing that I requested nothing more what
Sheila M 53:19
Yeah. And funny about reading Tarot too and it’s one of the things that I’ve talked about in some of the online in one of the online communities that we’re in together is that, um, so often when I am doing the reading, it’s not that it’s terribly predictive. It’s just that it’s usually kind of, it’s usually a little ahead of when the person is experiencing that thing. So we’ll kind of see like the current picture, but sometimes I’ll say something and people are like, I mean, that sounds like it could happen, but like they leave the reading and they’re like, yeah, I mean, that makes sense. And then like a month later, they’re like, holy shit, it makes so much sense now, but like I didn’t really realize what was going on and I think especially when you’re in Newer reader, it can be really like stressful because you feel like so much of like your worthiness as a reader is tied to people’s experience of what you’re doing.
Ash Alberg 54:13
Yes, yeah. 100% I mean, it’s also why like, I basically only read for myself and yeah, occasionally I will read for other people, but I’m like, I because yeah, it is that thing of like, if you if you read something, and then you express it in a way where it doesn’t resonate with the other person immediately, then it feels like you’ve done a bad reading, which is not like that’s not necessarily the case. You may have like, you may have read it wrong. That’s entirely possible. But like, it’s more likely that you’ve either expressed it in a way where it’s not hitting home for that person, or that you it just hasn’t happened yet.
Sheila M 54:53
Yeah. And I think it’s like it’s a different level of intuition to be like, Okay, I’m just going to be open because it’s not a message for me, it’s a message for who I’m reading for. And so it just like kind of allowing yourself to be the channel that things run through is hard for people because you -and especially hard if you are a fire sign because you have to take your ego out of it completely and just be like, it’s not about me, it’s not about me, it’s not about me.
Ash Alberg 55:22
I’m just, I don’t even know how to do it.
Sheila M 55:27
I mean, and it’s also a shit ton of practice, you know, I mean, it’s a lot of practice. So on the topic of Tarot, let’s talk a little bit about Swatching the Tarot, which I love so much, can you tell us what it is what it is and and what was kind of the genesis of creating it.
Ash Alberg 55:45
Yes, I’m having a lot of fun with it. Okay, so it’s had sort of like a few different things that have kicked it off. But when I relaunched creative coven six months ago, or whatever was now five months ago maybe I the thing that kind of relaunches it for for people, other people is the creative coven challenge, which is a five day free challenge that I lead people through you get homework each day and by the end of the week, you go from having no idea because I ideally would like people to come in just like totally blank slate open to whatever ends up happening. And then by the end of the week, you have a swatch, which for you non knitters is just like basically like a doodle with yarn. And so it’s like the the very beginnings of an idea that will be has the, the ability to become a new knitwear design. And, and so, when I was doing it for myself, because I also do the creative govern challenge alongside alongside participants, I ended up being inspired. So the deck that I use, I have my dad’s rider Waite deck actually, which is pretty cool. I love that. I love that. It’s like generational. Yeah. Yeah, it was my first deck. And I asked him one time actually a side note but like my so my grandma is my dad’s side is Eastern European. And my grandma is Polish but grew up with her and in what was then Czechoslovakia, and much to her aunt’s chagrin, she spent basically all our time running around with gypsies and so learn a lot of their magic from them, which was super fucking cool. Unfortunately, she died before I really kind of like tuned into she was extremely powerful. Yeah, not realize. Like I sort of knew it in terms of like, you know, you ask grandma to interpret some dreams and then other dreams. You know, just don’t ask her because you don’t want to know and but she passed away before I was really kind of getting into my own magic, and so I, I don’t do any of that work myself. So I don’t know what her experience was with cards. But considering her ability to read dreams, I feel like she would be very good at it. But so my dad just like randomly taught himself how to read cards. So I got his deck, but then the deck that I use most frequently, like 99% of the time is the Wanderers Tarot, and I’ve always just found it like a very easy deck to read. I love the artwork on it, I have one of the first decks so it’s just this like beautiful black background and white line drawings. And I’ve just always found it a very easy deck to read, which is also why I don’t really have that many decks, including Oracle decks, because that’s not really been my experience with basically anyone any other one that I’ve picked up. And so I just don’t use them, so don’t collect them. But I decided to – when I was doing the challenge I like went and I was taking you know going through the the inspiration portion of it and I was pulling Tarot and I was like, I want to make a collection inspired by Taro and I did the math and like I knit and design at a ridiculous pace like I, I do it at a at a pace that is not sustainable, and not healthy. And I’m aware of this fact and even at that pace to create a collection that is inspired by every card in the Tarot would take me about six and a half years, so like, probably not the most sustainable thing. I will probably hate both the Tarot deck and my knitting by the end of that six and a half years. But I can make swatches because swatches take me about three weeks at a time or three weeks, three hours. to knit up a swatch. And then I can kind of take it from there. But I was like, I, this is the thing that I’m really enjoying. I’m inspired by it right now. Like, I want to play with it right now, I don’t want to spend six and a half years hoarding ideas away, and then release them. Because that just is not as much fun because there is that bit of like, when you’re working on it on a collection itself, you know, you keep it under wraps while you’re working on it. And then eventually, once you’re close enough to the end, then you can share it, but I’m like, I don’t want to do that for six and a half years.
Sheila M 1:00:30
Yeah, that’s a long time to be doing that.
Ash Alberg 1:00:34
Yeah, knitting is a slow, slow beast.
Sheila M 1:00:37
I think I’m speaking to something that’s really beautiful about the tarot too, and that I’ve used for writing projects that are private right now, but maybe at some point become a little more public, but is that it really is like 78 prompts for creativity.
Ash Alberg 1:00:55
Yes!
Sheila M 1:00:56
It’s so potent to you that way.
Ash Alberg 1:00:59
Yeah, it’s so cool because there’s just so much potential. And I’m sure that if I were to revisit the exact same things in a year, I would come up with things totally different. But then I also last year and kind of, ya know, last year on my side project from field to skin, which is where I do fiber shed advocacy, most explicitly. I was doing a natural dye study of the natural dye plants in my region, which I live in a northern climate are our plants are not particularly well documented specifically for their uses in dyes. There are like some things that you can kind of glean over time. And depending on which sources you’re working from, and all of that, but like kind of the the mainstream natural dyeing resources that are available right now, do not talk about plants in our climate. And I was like, well, I want to play with my knowledge. color palette from my region. And I don’t necessarily want the plants that I’m using to have to be very good consistent lot like I just want to see what the colors are, I don’t care if they last five years at the exact same level of vibrancy, which I do I have to care about when I’m doing the commercial side of my business, but the personal side of my natural dyeing practice is much more interested in playing with local colors. And so I had started recording that and and I was doing this Saturday study where each week I would have you know, a mini skein that I had dyed and I would talk a little bit about the plant and I would do basically like an Materia Medica for each of these dye plants and then also include the information about them as a dye plant. And then I you know, I lost track of that and I’m a very good areas. I start a lot of projects and Follow through is not always my best strength. And, and so I was like, Well, I have these many schemes I want to continue doing this work. I also want to use these mini skeins somehow. And so I’ve started, I combined that project into swatching the Tarot, so each week and I was like, IGTV as a thing that I don’t really use, but I feel like it’s something I could use. And I want to do a little bit more video work, although to be totally honest, there’s very little it’s like, I take photos and then it’s like, the video portion is the fact that there’s like a voiceover to mostly photo images with captions underneath so that they’re more accessible. But each week this week, I’m taking a break because there’s way too much work so swatching, the tarot Episode 5? whatever episodes coming up next, we’ll be back next week. No fuckin clue where I’m at. But so I make a swatch inspired by I’ve decided I was like, I will just do the major arcana to start with. And it’s an excuse for me to learn more about my tarot deck and more about the cards and the ways to read the cards.
Because also, as a queerB that I’m like, I queer my readings. And I also really like like, I know a number of queer readers who choose not to read reversals, whereas I think, because I am queer reversals are actually really interesting. And so I used to, you know, read my reversals as well. And so I then make a swatch using a mini skein that has been dyed with a local dye plant. And so I each week, I got to talk about a little bit about the card and a little bit about the stitch that was inspired by the card and then also about the plant. That was used to do the dyeing those like ties my herbalism studies in and ties in my natural dyeing studies and ties in the the magic side and the divination side through the Tarot. And yeah, it’s been a lot of fun. And it’s been really interesting too, because, honestly, before this year, Major Arcana did not show up in my readings, and now they are consistently showing up in my readings. Like it’s very weird to me. And I think that’s a really cool part about Tarot is seeing like, what are the trends of what you’re pulling? Yes, lately, like with my wanderers deck, it’s, it’s different suits, but I’ve been pulling a lot of moons, and I’ve been pulling a lot of major arcana and it’s like, oh, okay, cool. And I remember when I was first really starting to work with my deck about four years ago, probably the three of feathers just kept on showing up over and over and over again. It was like What the fuck, which is the three of wands I’m pretty sure is what that correlation is. It just kept showing up. Like for months, it was in almost all of my readings, which was like, Alright, the universe is telling me a thing. And it’s just gonna keep telling me the same thing because it’s still relevant. And so yeah, lately it’s been interesting to be pulling, especially as the High Priestess has been showing up a lot for me, which is really interesting. And which I’ve actually got associated with, with a dear one, which is kind of funny. Yeah, but yeah, it’s I just, it’s been a lot of fun. It’s like extremely nerdy, but it’s fun for me because it’s like, you know, it’s nothing that is going to bring me money anytime soon, officially at least, but I get to pull all of my like nerdy interests together into a single thing. And between now and Christmas like that, well now in the end of the year, it should be done by the end of 2020.
For the major acrana at least And then I got to move on to the suits. Yeah, it’s fun.
Sheila M 1:07:04
I think that’s so cool and I love that you’re blending all of these different interests together when I I’ve done a couple of these like smaller workshops that are like Tarot embodiment workshop is is like what I call them and I’ve done a couple different cards, but that’s what it was born out of is wanting to combine like all of these things that I love, which is like talking nerdy stuff about the Tarot and, and yoga type movement and meditation and journaling. And it was kind of like, all of these things coming together where I was like, how can I combine everything in a way that people get to engage with it slightly different than they normally would? So I love that you’re doing that. I think it’s so cool. And every time you’ve put one up, I’ve been like this is so cool. I love because I just I love seeing people’s interpretations because they are so different. And because all of us are so different and have such different backgrounds, whether we’re Canadian or American or queer or straight or Cis or gay, like, whatever. Everybody brings a different understandin and they’re all so valid and so interesting. So I follow – like you were saying I follow all sorts of other readers and I think it’s so fascinating to see people write about different cards and and to break things down and I’m like, Yes. Like, that makes so much sense to me. Yeah. Yeah, it’s so cool. So I did want to talk – that kind of takes us to our next thing and about what cards I really see you embodying and I had a little bit of trouble at the beginning, but as we were talking, I literally had like six cards sitting out because I was like, I think it’s like somewhere in here. And I think it’s a combination. I think that’s why I was like struggling a little bit. Um, so first of all, I think it was funny that you were saying like the High Priestess because I actually I had pulled out the Queen of Wands, which I love because it’s, it’s Kind of a similar energy in in the way I read to the High Priestess. But there is something in there about your ability to kind of like, channel this creative, like inspired energy into something that is more physical. And I think that’s like what’s really interesting about a lot of what you do. But it’s also about like the authority to decide what that is for you and to do things that are different. So even like leaving Ravelry and stuff like that like to really be able to advocate for yourself in those projects, which I think is so cool. And then also, so I pulled two other ones – the 10 of Wands -Yeah, I can relate to all of these cards basically, like, Are we the same person? But 10 of Wands is kind of like you were saying about the amount of work that it takes you to really show up and be present in these ways and the amount of advocacy that you’ve had to do for yourself in terms of, Hey, I don’t want to be, I don’t like customer service, I don’t like front facing customer service. Like I really just I want to write about stuff, I want to record videos, and then I want to be done. And where you’ll take on a whole bunch of work to not have to do that. And, and also to be maybe just a teensy bit of a control freak.
Ash Alberg 1:10:22
Yep! 100%!
Sheila M 1:10:25
Which I only know because I know you personally and like I said, very relatable on all of these. And then finally, Temperance, which I talked up and down about how this is the cards that I I- consider this to be my most challenging card. It’s a lovely card, but like I’m just not a moderate person. And I was really thinking about this before we got on and I was like, I’m not really sure why exactly and then when you were talking about the anxiety piece and how much you have to participate in moderating your experience and tending to yourself and taking care. And that even though we might feel like we are not doing a good job, like you said, I’m not great at self-care. I’m not great at advocating and all these ways. I do think that in order to have the self awareness of exactly what’s going on and to not numb out and choose to avoid, is a huge, a huge embodiment of the temperance card because you’re having to participate in in your own healing and your own well being in a way that can be extremely confronting and challenging, but also, like this beautiful medicine that only you can provide.
Ash Alberg 1:11:37
I love that so much.
Sheila M 1:11:42
But I was like there’s a lot of fire in here and then I forgot until you started talking about it that that you were like a triple fire sign. There’s like, Oh, this makes more sense why I’ve got a bunch of ones guards sitting here now.
Like I said, I’m in the ones too. So I got it. I’m With you, but I really love that and I’m like now it’s all making the more we talk, the more it’s making sense why? why we’re friends. And I read your stuff. And I’m like, Yes, yes, absolutely. Hundred percent on board with this. So with all of that, I know that you have creative coven opening up very soon. So I would like to talk a little bit about how people can work with you. If there’s something in our conversation that sounds really interesting to them, or if they just want to buy your shit.
Ash Alberg 1:12:35
Yeah, you got it. Yeah, so as long as COVID is happening without a reliable vaccine, I am not traveling to teach. Once it is safe to travel again, I love travel teaching. So if you own a store and you want me to come and visit you in like 2024 send me a message totally down and in Meantime, you can actually get I’ve because of COVID I have moved a lot of my teachings online. And again, I don’t like customer service. So there are no live aspects to any of my teachings. My Courses are self paced, pre recorded videos, work at them through your own thing. Pay me once or if there’s a payment plan, pay me through your payment plan and then you just work through your content. There’s no expiry date, do shit according to what you need in your life. And so you can find those at ash alberg.com. And then my side project if you’re interested, more so in the fiber side of things and textiles and and local economies and Sustainable Economies for that, that can be found at from field to skin calm. And then you can find me on the Instagrams at sunflower net and add from field to skin. I have been neglecting from field to skin for like half a year. Basically since dedikate and I feel really bad about it and I want to get back to it. But right now my energy is definitely limited. So you can absolutely find me at sunflower net. And eventually you will find me again at some field to skin so you can follow it and eventually when I start posting on there again, it’ll show up in your feed. And but yeah, and I have stock on my website basically all the time. There’s herbal remedies for makers and natural dyed goods and loads of patterns. If you’re a knitter and fun little ziens because I’m a nerd like that. And then yeah, each week for the most part, you can find swatching the Tarot and you can go to the igtv channel for it, which is on my feed, and binge watch all of the current episodes if, if you’d like to do that sort of thing. Think of it like Netflix – just for Taro.
Sheila M 1:14:54
I love that. I love that. That’s, that’s so cool. And I think it’s, you know, true To the COVID-19 attention span to another short little episodes, you know, I can, you can sit down and go through it. So I love that and I will link everything up in the show notes. So if you if you’re looking for that you’ll be able to find links to all of Ashley’s work in the show notes. But thank you so much for being here today and for bearing with me through some tech issues.
Ash Alberg 1:15:23
Thank you for having me.
Sheila M 1:15:24
Yeah, this was such an easy conversation to have and so wonderful to have you. So I really appreciate it and all of you can find Ash’s work online.
Ash Alberg 1:15:36
Thank you. Yeah.
Sheila M 1:15:40
Thank you so much for listening to Living Tarot. If you loved today’s episode, please leave us a review and subscribe so that you never miss an episode. This helps us reach even more budding intuitives. Feel free to share on Instagram and tag me @Starsagespirit and let me know what you learned, what surprised and what you’d like to hear even more of, as always, if you want to hear more about my courses, or book a reading with me, or for full episode show notes, you can head over to starsagespirit.com