It's a feast-- not a famine
Thanksgiving, gratitude and abundance
Thanksgiving is coming, and along with it a season of feasting.
But this season is not all conspicuous consumption of processed carbohydrates and fraught tensions with family. To the contrary, this season is all about reconnecting to abundance— and remembering that we have everything we need to survive and thrive.
This can seem like a tough task during times like these: high inflation, stagnating wage increases, economic and social volatility, and the overall sense that the window on the “dream” is steadily closing.
But this is also precisely when we need to reconnect to our inherent abundance.
So, how do we thread this needle? Complete an energetic task with the highest degree of difficulty? Stick the landing? Remember that this world is a feast and not a famine?
We practice active gratitude. We put our feelings and thoughts into external action:
Send a handwritten thank you note
Messages just hit different when they’re written on paper and sent in the mail. It could be the energy of the materials, the imprint of the emotions or intentions on the paper, or simply the fact that it took a bit more thought and effort than just shooting off a text message from the couch.
The Thanksgiving holiday is a great time to sit down and put pen to paper, intentionally expressing your thanks to those that have looked out for you, your family, your pet, or your business. When writing, really think about expressing to the recipient how impactful their favor or kind words were for your life.
Hand-written notes— particularly those on nice stationary— are one of the last vestiges of civility we have left. What’s more: it’s inherently human— a task immune to being replaced by AI or outsourced to a cheaper, third world country. After all: you’re the one writing it.
When doing this, operate intuitively. Odds are, you’re tuning into a moment in time when your thank you note just might turn around a bad day or offer hope to someone when they need it the most. Small, thoughtful gestures can make big differences— especially when they’re done with analogue tools like paper and stamps.
Host a gathering
You don’t have to go crazy or spend a bunch of money on a big party to host a gathering. Simply inviting a few new friends, clients, family members or collaborators over for some nosh and refreshments can loosen up all kinds of “having-ness”, instantly reconnecting you with abundance energy.
Abundance energy is like any other from of “chi”, or life force energy. The worst thing that can happen to energy is for it to stagnate. So, conversely, the best thing you can do is move it around and get it flowing again. This is easy to achieve with small acts of generosity in the home: feeding others, making floral arrangements for the table, and activating the abundance chi in your space with lively conversation, good vibes, and friendly activity.
What’s more: when you feed and host others in your home, you’re signaling to spirit that you feel confident that anything you give away will come back to you. This, in turn, facilitates a bit of an abundance circuit, often repaying you in a matter of days— if not hours— for your acts of generosity.
Putting out nosh that embodies abundance energy like figs, apples and good wine can catapult your abundance energy into the stratosphere. A tea service brings a ceremonial element to the event, particularly if you take a moment to read your tea leaves.
The key? You eat with your eyes first, so take care in making everything presentable and visually pleasing for your guests.
Gift something thoughtful
When was the last time you got a surprise gift in the mail? Like, a gift for “no reason”— other than the gifter thought of you and wanted you to have a special object?
Yah, it’s probably been a while.
This Thanksgiving holiday, considering sending or hand-delivering an expected, thoughtful gift to someone that has helped you out— or simply someone that popped into your mind. It doesn’t need to be fancy or expensive (that’s all ego shit anyways). Rather, a small, well-made and unique gift wrapped and topped with a bow is all you need to make a big splash in the abundance pool.
I cherish the small gifts I’ve received from clients (shout out to Linda, Holly, Audrey and more!), and attune to the generous, intentional energy every time I use these items. I’m drinking out of a beautiful, hand-made serpentine ceramic mug made by a very thoughtful client as we speak— and I could swear my herbal hormone tea just tastes better this way!
Buy yourself flowers
Fresh-cut flowers are one of the great but consistently underutilized energetic tools for increasing abundance energy. In Feng Shui, fresh cut flowers are major activators, bringing together earth and water energy to ignite change and invite in new opportunities.
Fresh cut flowers also tell the realm of spirit that you celebrate life despite its impermanence, a key trick to reconnecting with your inherent abundance energy. My ex-husband once famously said, “I don’t see the point of buying flowers. They just die.”
And then, so did our marriage. See the connection there?
But seriously: nothing is permanent. We’re not permanent. Money is not permanent. Our jobs and businesses are not permanent. So enjoying the beauty and aromatherapy of some stunning blooms while they’re alive and radiating their energy is one of the most powerful (but subtle) rituals you can undertake this Thanksgiving season to hone in on your connection to abundance.
Roses, peonies, orchids, sweet peas and snapdragons are particularly attuned to the vibration of havingness, and the color red is particularly activating when it comes to abundance and cashflow.
Spend your $ intentionally
Take it from a pro: running a small business— especially one in the waters of woo— is really, really hard. And, despite all of the talk of how Amazon and big box retail have gutted the customer service, quality and humanity out of products and services, most folks still pick the “convenient” choice when push comes to shove in their busy lives.
This Thanksgiving holiday, skip the easy, cheap and soulless world of big business and opt for spending your money with small businesses that focus on quality, customer service, and sustainable methods— and that align with your vibe and outlook.
I mean, to you as the purchaser it’s probably a difference of a few cents or, at most, a dollar. But, to the small business owner, your purchase could be a make-or-break transaction of incredible significance. This exponentially positive impact is what can move the needle on your connection to abundance this holiday season, ensuring that whatever you put out into the world comes back to you threefold!
The holidays can get hectic, so make a list of the individuals, practitioners and small businesses that you would like to support ahead of time. Then, as you start thinking of potential high-impact gift options for friends and family, see if you can tap these artisans and providers instead of shipping them something from f*cking Amazon (unless, of course, it happens to be an unnamed self-published tarot deck).
Pro tip: even if it’s not on a website or Etsy, almost every small business has a way of generating gift cards, so don’t be shy— just reach out and ask!
Give your crew a shout out
Remember: it’s a feast, not a famine.
So, promoting others’ work and products and services is not taking away from your share— that’s the race-to-the-bottom, zero sum thinking that pushes us further and further into rigidity and scarcity.
This Thanksgiving season, try expanding. Give the people around you a shout out. Support their small business or Etsy shop or podcast. Get the word out.
I promise: it takes nothing away from your endeavors and, in fact, will only redirect some good vibes your way.
Above is a photo of Colleen Soisson of Feather Mountain Ayurveda & Massage and I at our TOTEM Fall Equinox shindig. She is incredibly supportive of what we do here at TOTEM, and is a true exemplar of real abundance energy, as are the others on this starter shout out list:
Please check out these great small businesses and consider tapping them for a gift this holiday season. And while this isn’t a complete list, I’m going to keep the shout out “thread” going into the winter season.
Feel free to share your own list, or tag your favorite businesses, practitioners and small business-made products on Instagram— and tag me in the mentions. I’ll repost in the spirit of abundance. Let’s see if we can get #itsafeast trending!
And don’t dismiss the power of writing a review or rating a business, service or podcast— it makes a HUGE difference for small businesses, and helps us stand out in an ethical and aligned way. You know. Instead of doing shady shit like the other guys.
If we’ve worked together and you want me to write your business a review, email me to remind me: rachel@totemreadings.com Just make sure you share your business info and what platform (Yelp, Google, IG, etc.) you prefer. You’re not imposing— we’re so busy, we honestly sometimes need the reminder— and I’m more than happy to help!
Channel your inner Empress
When all else fails, archetypes are here to help.
In this case, the Empress from the Major Arcana of Tarot is the perfect embodiment of real, rooted and resilient abundance. In Tarot, the Empress is often depicted in a garden, or surrounded by thriving plants and animals, or indulging in abundant joys.
In our TOTEM Tarot Deck, The Empress is reimagined as Mab: an ancient Scottish fairy goddess that animates and governs all living creatures. She embodies the supportive, life-giving love of the natural world, reminding us that we are surrounded by all of the resources, tools and energies we need to thrive.
Get out your favorite Empress Tarot card and give it place of prominence in your home, perhaps on your altar or in your meditation nook. Or try bringing more Empress energy into your daily wardrobe, opting for rich fabrics, colors and patterns that evoke the imagery of a lush garden. Slow down. Sit and enjoy a cup of tea in the afternoon.
There’s nowhere to rush to. There’s nothing urgent that needs to get done. Because you already have access to abundance— and will be receiving wonderful gifts.
TOTEM Feast Flower Essence
In a hilarious plot twist, Etsy will not allow us to sell our new TOTEM Flower Essence: Feast. You might be wondering why, and it’s a pretty stupid (and AI-based) reason: Mesquite, the tree from which we make this Flower Essence, is considered an invasive species in Texas. And, because Etsy (like many other technology companies) doesn’t really employ human beings to manage this issue, the bot in charge just shut our listing down without further investigation or conversation.
But, in keeping with the very abundance energy that Feast Flower Essence is supposed to help with, I will simply flow around the algorithmic obstacle. If you’re interested in purchasing Feast or adding it to an Etsy order, just shoot me an email: rachel@totemreadings.com. I’ll honor the current sale prices and shipping terms on Etsy and just ship to you directly. I can easily add this to an Etsy order and just shoot you a PayPal request for the additional bottle.
As for what Feast Flower Essence does, it offers an energetic reminder that life is a feast-- and not a famine! Feast is an ideal flower essence for anyone struggling with staying connected to abundance, having-ness, and feelings of plenty. Feast Flower Essence is the energetic remedy to zero sum thinking, offering users a steady influx of confidence in their own abilities to do, grow, and achieve.
Feast can also support workaholics in slowing down from aggressive schedules and tasks, infusing the energy body with the realization that much has already been done-- and abundance will continue in the future!
Not that I need any help with that…
The treasure chests
No joke, something amazing just happened as I took a break from writing this abundance-themed post to slowly walk my mildly-injured and limping dog for a very short and slow walk on a nearby street.
I found two tiny, golden treasure chests (pictured above).
They were accompanied by a child’s note, asking folks to please take one plastic golden coin (with googly eyes glued on) while leaving the others for other people.
So, I’m now the proud owner of a plastic golden coin with eyes, and I couldn’t be happier.
I realize a plastic coin or fake treasure chest isn’t exactly real abundance, but this uncanny synchronicity occurring just after I had been super tuned into the vibration of abundance while writing this post is a little wink from spirit, letting me know that good things are certainly coming my way.
This kid is doing exactly what I was just recommending above— sharing a little weird gift in the spirit of generosity, expecting nothing back in kind.
So, it’s time to pay it forward and watch as the abundant miracles roll in.
And, if nothing else, please remember: it’s a feast, not a famine.
-Rachel
Why is Gus limping is my take away query and is he okay?! 😉 This is an awesome way to think about the season and life - thank you!
Love this post, thank you! Those figs in the pictures look incredible, and cheers to the little kid / fellow weirdo who thought to put silly treasures on the sidewalk, so hilariously perfect!