Dear reader,

This month I turned 40. We welcomed the new decade in Maine, Penobscot Bay, where I celebrated my first birthday in Camden with my parents and godparents, my thirteenth in Acadia nestled in marine biology camp, and my thirtieth in a Castine cove jumping off the deck of a schooner after a poignant send-off with one of my closest friends. My twenties had been a blur of my dad’s whirlwind death from terminal cancer followed by a harrowing medical ordeal of my own, and that impromptu plunge into the chilly sea was an act of defiance. I’d survived, and was so, so grateful to be alive. Triumphant, I would lead my life in honor of my father.

I believed the worst was behind me, but little did I know it was yet to come 🤦‍♀️ Oh, the naïveté … my thirties were a brutal decade of unspeakable betrayals that shattered me to my core— yet created the anguishing crucible from which my spiritual direction practice emerged. I’ve not only met, but befriended, my soul. I know who I am. I know my power. And I feel the life force, both within and around me, that animates it.

As the daughter of a commercial swordfisherman, receiving the gift of a dozen lobsters is our annual birthday tradition. Surrounded by the industry this year up in Maine, I couldn’t help but relate to the crustacean. Sometimes I’ve felt like a hunted lobster that’s not quite a keeper— perhaps I’ve been trapped and hauled up, yet thrown back in, safe for the time being. Or maybe I’ve been caught but blessed to shimmy my way out of a ghost trap’s biodegradable gear. Somehow I’ve narrowly evaded death, and it’s that SOMEHOW I’ve pledged allegiance: to a mysterious life force that’s kept me alive. I’m devoted to that mystery now.

Young lobsters shed their exoskeleton quite often as they grow. They hide in crevasses while molting, fragile and vulnerable. I’ve also been in retreat this past decade listening deeply to my soul. This sensitivity has opened me to a whole new world. Of remarkable signs, symbols, synchronicities, number sequences, coincidences. Wild animal encounters and communication from invisible dimensions: ancestors, land spirits, historical figures, spirit guides. Attunement with these energetic forces through surprising mystical experiences has shaped my faith in extraordinary ways. So long as I’m connected to the life force that I believe pulses between us all, I still feel young, and in way, reborn.

So if my thirtieth birthday plunge felt exuberant, my splash into the cold sea at full speed the morning of my fortieth— in waters that have held so many milestones, in a place where so many of my past identities intersect with people I’ve dearly loved— felt calm, content, intentional. A right, aligned choice jumping over a threshold honoring my past, present, and near future. I’m in awe that I’m still here— still kicking, still swimming. I’ve not only survived, I’ve arrived. To a state of being and feeling alive– a true friendship with my soul.

40’s round zero feels like an invitation to keep living wholeheartedly. Continue savoring glimmers of wonder, beauty, whimsy, delight. Carry on making peace with the unfortunate reality that profound losses have chiseled my humanity. Because I’ve truly met my pain, crawled through the muck of rock bottom, scuttled sideways on the seafloor, it’s a privilege to serve those also familiar with these depths through my tarot readings, grief companionship, and spiritual direction sessions 🔱

Cheers to becoming mythical sea creatures,

Haley Smith Kingsland

🎴 OFFERINGS

If you’re approaching a milestone birthday and would like to contemplate and/or celebrate the occasion with a tarot reading, spiritual direction session, or private event, please reach out!

🛍️ UPCOMING EVENTS

Come receive your fall tarot reading! Hit reply to sign up in advance for your preferred 15 minute or half hour time slot 🙂

September 10, 17, 24 (Thursdays), 2-6pm: Cohasset Farmers’ Market on the Common … I’m so excited to return to this charming small town market in such an idyllic setting. Pick up one of Tessahoc Candle Company’s hand-poured fall scents named after beloved Cohasset and Scituate locales, and be sure to grab Seashore Gourmet’s delicious focaccia.

September 20 (Sunday), 10am-5pm: Shanti Shala’s Fall Fair @ Shanti Shala Yoga & Wellness Center in Plympton … a welcoming gathering on an absolutely stunning property. Click the event “Discussion” tab to see all the participating artisans, energy healers, mediums, massage therapists, astrologers, and readers ✨

September 26 (Saturday), 3-7pm: Fall Sip & Shop @ Camp Kiwanee in Hanson … soak up the gorgeous water view from the wraparound porch, and relax with a glass of wine by the fire pit 🔥

📚 STORIES TO SAVOR

I’m halfway through a half dozen books about lobstering, and I think Linda Greenlaw’s memoir The Lobster Chronicles: Life on a Very Small Island is a guiding introduction to the industry. My dad swordfished with her off the Grand Banks, and they both transitioned back to shore, and society, around the same time. Peek into her restless mind during a lobstering season in her home waters surrounding Isle Au Haut. There’s a historic shipwreck and even a surprising scene with tarot cards!

In memory of Dolly Parton joyfully singing Celebrate the Dreamer in You at Dollywood’s 25th anniversary party 🥳