The Voice I Have Been Reclaiming

The Voice I Have Been Reclaiming: Why I Am Starting a Podcast

I love writing. I always have. It is my comfort space.

Years ago, when I worked at Somerset College, I used to do a lot of writing for my boss. Not because he asked me to, but because I loved it. If something needed writing, I was more than happy to find an excuse to get involved. Over the years, I have been told many times that I have a real skill with words.

But not all my writing has been for somebody else. I have always loved journalling too. It gives me somewhere to untangle my thoughts, make sense of what I am feeling and listen to whatever may be trying to emerge. So much of my own Sacred Reclamation has taken place with a journal open in front of me and a pencil in my hand.

Whether I am writing for somebody else or only for myself, the written word is where I feel most at home. I find it much easier to express myself through writing than through speaking. It gives me time to think, choose the words that feel right and decide whether I have actually said what I intended to say. I can be more eloquent, thoughtful and measured. I can even be concise, unless I am in rambling mode, of course.

Ask me to actually speak, as in open my mouth and verbalise what I want to say, and if I am not careful, I can turn to jelly.

Later, when I worked at Hartpury College, I often had to stand in front of the higher education academic staff and deliver briefings or training on rules and regulations, exam preparation and other very exciting subjects! It was never my favourite part of the job. Luckily, I knew my subject inside out, so despite feeling decidedly wobbly, I could generally get through it.

So, why am I rambling on about this, I hear you ask?

Simple, really. I have decided it is time to step out of my comfort zone and use my voice in a different way. I am starting a podcast. Mad, I know.

It is called Coming Home to Her, and it has been brewing away in the back of my mind for a long time. I kept returning to the idea, but I never quite felt ready to do anything about it.

Do I feel ready now? Erm, I will answer that once the first episode is out there.

I have been writing about Sacred Reclamation for some time, but it no longer feels as though it should live only on the page. I want it to become a conversation. I want to be able to explore it in a way that feels immediate, personal and real, even if that means allowing my words to be a little less polished from time to time.

I believe it is very easy for a woman to lose contact with herself beneath all the roles, responsibilities and labels she carries through her daily life. Not because she has deliberately abandoned herself, but because life becomes full. Other people need her. Work needs her. There is always something else requiring her attention, and before long, she can struggle to hear her own voice beneath all that noise.

I know how easily that can happen because Sacred Reclamation is something I am living too. I am not standing at the end of the journey with everything beautifully resolved. I am learning how to care, work, create and be there for the people I love without disappearing from my own life in the process.

I am not planning to arrive each week with a perfect answer or another list of things you should be doing. I hope the podcast will create a little space in which you can pause, breathe and come back into conversation with yourself. Nothing overwhelming or momentous. Perhaps simply enough inspiration to help something new feel possible.

The spoken word feels right for this because a podcast can meet you within the life you are already living. You might listen while walking, travelling, preparing dinner, resting or sitting with a cup of tea. You do not need to find another empty hour or give your full attention to a page. My voice can keep you company while you get on with your day.

Every week, for around thirty minutes, I will be talking, rambling, reflecting and musing on what the journey of Sacred Reclamation can look like. I will have guests joining me from time to time, and there will also be some astrology each month.

I hope there will be laughter and joy, as well as wisdom, knowledge and space to breathe. Who knows, there may even be some tears from time to time. The point is that it will be real. I will be sharing as someone who is living Sacred Reclamation, imperfectly and honestly, because life is not meant to be experienced perfectly. It is meant to be lived, embodied and fully experienced, with all its highs and lows.

Coming Home to Her will launch beneath the New Moon in Virgo on Friday 11 September. Why then? Because I love Virgo and all that she represents, including daily devotion, meaningful rituals and practical, intentional living. Beginning the podcast is one practical way of giving my voice, and this work, a little more room in the world. What better way to start?

If you fancy joining me on this new adventure, you can visit the Coming Home to Her podcast page. I will add the listening links as they become available, ready for the first full episode on 11 September.

And who knows? This could just be the start.