One of my friends has been sharing a series on her Facebook page honoring the saints. As a former Catholic, I’ve always found these glimpses into their lives fascinating—testimonies of devotion, courage, and the way spirit weaves through an ordinary human path.
Over the summer, by what felt like happenstance though I know is anything but, I first came across Hildegard of Bingen. Since then I’ve been reading more about her—a visionary, a mystic, an artist whose creative life flowed directly from her spiritual devotion. Something in my soul sparked, and so when another saint recently appeared on my friend’s page, I felt the resonance even more deeply.
This time it was St. Teresa of Ávila. She, too, was both a mystic and a writer, carrying visions and translating them into words—even weaving stories out of her spiritual experiences. Reading about her, I realized how much that mirrors my own path, particularly with my recently-created outlet, The Mystic and the Muse.
I’ve always been guided in what I create, and I know now that my work—whether a book, a poem, or a reading or channeling—has never been random.
There’s always a purpose for it.
Stick with me a minute...
In our capitalistic society, that truth can feel buried. And I know many of you feel this too—the constant pressure to keep up, to stay visible, to measure your worth by numbers. How many followers do you have? How many views did you get? How much revenue did it bring in?
Hurry, hurry, hurry, the algorithm hums. Post the next thing. Feed the machine. Don’t get left behind.
And yet, I keep coming back to my own truth. I’ve never been satisfied with surface-level measures of success. And while I understand the importance of growth—you have to, to some degree, in order to sustain an online business—the questions that matter most to me have always been deeper ones: But how did it make you feel? How did it impact your life? How did it land in your heart?
That’s the legacy of my work. That’s why I create.
Whether I’m writing a novel or sharing a workshop or channeling, it all comes from the same wellspring. My stories—like Lilac in Winter, with its exploration of love and living memory, or East of Everywhere, where belonging and redemption carve a new path—aren’t just words on a page. They’re mirrors of the human condition, windows into hope and healing of the heart, reminders of resilience.
That soul story runs through my poetry in my new book, Searching for Icarus, channeling something both familiar and eternal. And my spiritual work carries that same heartbeat, too. A workshop, a class, a deck, or a channeling—they’re not just products and services. They’re vessels of remembrance, activations for reclamation. They’re invitations into deeper embodiment—into the sacred mystery and magic of love, union, and evolution.
My business, in the end, is simply the container for this self-expression. Because if my work is an extension of me—of my own soul’s journey—then it can only grow as I do.
Right now, I feel the call to expand not through doing more, but through living more. To return to the spaces where inspiration is born: in experience, in embodiment, in presence.
That means saying yes to life—to the events, connections, and changes that are shaping these next three months—while also honoring the equal pull to go within.
I feel called to fiercely protect my energy, to step into a kind of hermit mode where solitude and reflection make space for what wants to emerge. It’s a rhythm of both immersion and retreat, of being out in the world and then pulling back to let those experiences root more deeply inside.
And so, looking ahead...
This is why I’m stepping back into a sabbatical for the final months of the year—October through January.
The most meaningful work I’ve ever created hasn’t come from hustle or pressure—it’s come from experience, from being out in the world, from letting life move me first so that I can then translate it into words, teachings, and offerings.
These next months will be full in many ways, but they will also be sacredly quiet. A season of outward movement and inward retreat, of gathering inspiration in the world and then letting it blossom in reflection.
That’s where the truest work is born.
June reminded me of that truth. I spent the month traveling, sharing new experiences with friends, making connections, and saying yes to soul-led adventures.
And even though I wasn’t as forward-facing, I was still creating in the background—writing, channeling, creating—not because I had to, but because I was inspired. That season showed me how alive I feel when I let creation flow from living rather than obligation. It was a return to joy, and my work that came forth from it carried its deepest weight because of it.
We need art now more than ever. Literature, music, visual art—these remind us of who we are, give us permission to feel, and open us into new ways of seeing. They carry us into other worlds and deeper into ourselves. They teach us to think, to question, to grow.
That’s the core of who I am and the heart of what my work has always been.
Like Hildegard of Bingen, whose visions became music and medicine, and Teresa of Ávila, whose devotion became story, I see now that the creative and the mystical have never been separate.
At least, not for me.
Their lives remind me that art and spirit have always walked hand-in-hand, and that creation itself can be an act of devotion. My own work is simply one small way of carrying that truth forward—through story and poetry, workshops and classes, and the spaces I hold for our individual and collective transformation.
As I step into these next few months, I do so with a trust that what’s lived and embodied will naturally flow into what’s written, spoken, and shared. That art and spirit aren’t separate, but threads of the same tapestry.
And that my path continues to lead me back, again and again, to the mystic as the muse.
What this means...
So here’s what this means:
In practice, this sabbatical doesn’t mean anything stops—it simply means I’ll be showing up in a more intentional way and with more of a focus on my first love: writing. You’ll still have access to everything I’ve already created, as well as the spaces we continue to share together.
I’ll still be offering collective readings, but when I feel called versus routine weekly check-ins. You might also notice these shifting. Rather than focusing as closely on the masculine, feminine, and counterpart energies as I’ve done in the past, the guidance now is pulling us towards a broader perspective—one that explores how sacred union is shaping us collectively, and how it weaves into the greater path of ascension.
Which, if you’ve taken advantage of my full offerings and channelings, is what we’ve always done. See some of that collection in our Free Resource Library.
We already have a wealth of timeless readings and resources to support you through your sacred union path of ascension, but this next chapter is about deepening into what it means to anchor that union, embody it, and allow it to move us further into service and mission—in authentic expression and in love.
It’s an expansion of what’s already here—an opening into the larger picture of how love transforms not only our connections but our world.
Here are the details:
The Unity Code Intensive: My work with 1:1 clients continues uninterrupted.
Higher-Heart Academy: The Academy remains open with a full collection of resources to guide you deeper into embodied union with yourself, a counterpart, and your spiritual journey. New content, including workshops and topical mini-channelings, will continue to be added, so be sure to join the Higher-Heart Community as part of your membership for updates.
Sacred Circle Community Livestream: Our monthly livestream gathering on YouTube continues as usual.
Due to a scheduling conflict, we’ve had to skip this month’s Sacred Circle, but we’ll resume in November.
Services: Select services remain available for one:one single-session guidance.
I’m still debating on Year Ahead readings and/or a fundraiser reading special to end the year. I’ll have a final decision in November.
YouTube: Readings are shared as I feel guided, with a focus on soul path, ascension, and the embodiment of sacred union. I’ll add occasional Sacred Union Energy Updates for additional support of your collective journeys as I’m called.
Social Media: I’ll still post on Instagram and Facebook, but my other platforms will be moving into legacy mode (still available, but inactive).
Substack: The Mystic and the Muse will continue to be my main outlet for writing, reflection, and sharing the deeper currents of this journey. Writing is where I’ll be focusing my attention over the next three months, so be sure to subscribe for essays, behind-the-scenes, personal stories, and reflections.
As you can see, on the surface it might not look like much has changed—and that’s how I want it. Our journey and the work we share together remain mostly uninterrupted.
But beneath the surface, I’m returning to the heart of my writing, engaging in collaborative projects, and listening deeply for what wants to emerge next.
This time of reflection isn’t just about me—it’s about making space to receive what will serve you, our community, in the deepest way as I explore and anchor this next evolution of our work together.
What comes next—whether masterclasses, sacred channelings, or an exciting new collaborative endeavor—will be shaped with you, and for you.
Wherever you are on your journey, know that you’re never walking it alone. My deepest hope is that you find what you need here—whether it’s comfort, clarity, inspiration, or the reminder that you’re not only loved, but love itself.
As I take a step back in this season of creative reflection, my prayer is that you, too, give yourself permission to live, to embody, to let your own soul guide you. And when I return with all that comes next, I trust it will meet you in the perfect moment, just as you are.
Until then, may the path continue to unfold with grace, may your heart remain open to its own wisdom, and may we continue—together—to remember the truth of this sacred love.
With love,
Susan