Beauty Against The Machine

These are a few of my favourite things 🎶 Also, a personal curriculum, feminine mysticism and the French countryside.

Hello Everyone,

Have you heard of a personal curriculum? I was introduced to this idea by Alexis J Cunningfolk early this year and was immediately taken by the idea. In case, like me, you’re new to the concept, the premise is simple. A personal curriculum is a self-directed course of study that you personally design to explore specific topics, hobbies, or skills for personal enrichment. It’s a great way to educate yourself on things that matter to you, but it’s also a way to keep your mind engaged and stop the scroll that is slowly rotting our brains.

What intrigued me most about this idea was the thought of deep-diving into the obscure things that light my fire. Plus, there are no grades, no tests, no need to perform, just a chance to follow threads of my own consciousness. I’m convinced this type of study will suit my neurodivergent mind, as I’ll be free to follow tangents and embark on side quests related to the subject matter as they come up.

As we speak, I’m putting together a 6-month deep dive into feminine mysticism, a subject I’ve been quietly studying for years, but this personal curriculum I’m designing will pull me deep into the depths of mystery itself, into the places where plants, soul, beauty and the feminine meet. I’ll share more on that later, but for the next few weeks, I’m focusing my attention on beauty. You may remember a while ago, I shared this note:

But with everything going on in the world, it’s not an easy task to avoid slipping into fear, is it? So I’ve put together a short personal curriculum to keep my eyes and heart focused on beauty. Not beauty as decoration or escapism, but as medicine, a counter-spell to cynicism, numbness and the feeling that the world is an ugly place.

John O’Donohue wrote that beauty is a “call to awaken” and a kind of homecoming of the spirit rather than merely prettiness. I can’t begin to tell you how much that resonates with me. So, today, as my first letter exclusively for The Liminal Space Members, where I share the things inspiring me on my wise woman journey, I will be sharing the first part of my personal curriculum on beauty. But before I share that, here are a few things I’ve been enjoying lately that keep my heart open to the beauty that is around me. These creations have helped me lean into the truth that life is beautiful and good things are all around us, if we only keep our hearts open to receive. I hope they bring you as much pleasure as they have me.

1) Between by Rebecca Jones. I’m not sure how Rebecca made it into my Substack feed, but I’m so glad she did. This is a personal diary of French Chateau life, filled with all the glorious visuals, comfort-food recipes, and stories of long, flower-filled walks you’d expect from a life in the French countryside. Rebbeca’s weekly diary feels like a balm to my soul, so far removed from the frenetic angst of modern life that it inspires many daydreams about what I could do to make my hundred-year-old home feel less old and draughty and more romantic. Rebecca doesn’t sugar coat everything, often her diary entries detail the extensive amount of work needed to restore a chateau, and I find these posts the most inspiring because they remind me that beauty requires participation. I recently upgraded to a paid subscription so I could support (in a tiny way) all of this beauty and inspiration, and also because I need more French countryside in my life!

2) These card collages from Caitlin Gemmel. The creative spell of taking ordinary things, then adding little bits of found beauty to create something original and bespoke. I can’t get enough! I also love Caitlin’s romantic vibe; she makes me want to romanticise my life in the most beautiful way.

3) This YouTube channel chronicles the restoration of an Italian palace by 2 obviously very well-educated young men. I’m astounded by their depth of knowledge, their dedication to their craft, their vision for the palace and the unusual descriptive words the narrator often uses, which have me pausing the video to look up their meaning. So, visually pleasing, educational and inspirational. 😊. Also, the love the young men have for each other is evident, and if there’s one thing we need more of, it’s love, am I right?

And now, back to my personal curriculum focused on beauty, or as I like to call it:

Beauty Against The Machine.

It’s a short, one-month curriculum, which I’ve split into 4 distinct areas of focus:

Beauty in the natural world.

-learning to pay attention

Beauty and the Soul.

-beauty as a way of returning to ourselves.

Beauty and the Feminine.

-beauty as devotion rather than appearance.

Beauty as Resistance.

-refusing to become hardened.

Each week, I’ll share with those of you in The Liminal Space what I’m reading, watching, listening to, the plant ally I’m working with and a gentle practice to tie it all together.

I’m feeling quite inspired already, just putting it together! if you decide to come along on the ride with me, please let me know, we could have a little chat about what we’re learning, noticing or feeling in the private chat.

And for my dear Wise Women, I will be in the chat throughout the month sharing pictures, stories and reflections on beauty.

So here it is:

Beauty Against The Machine Personal Curriculum.

Week 1. Beauty in the Natural World

Learning to pay attention