The Hit List - I’m down with CBD

Other than a wee stint of stoned late-night Gumby viewing back in the day, pot has never really been my thing. It makes me tired and non-productive, two states of being that I prefer to avoid.

Yet a few months back, I took a weed mint on a whim. It was a necessary panacea at a time when I didn’t need to give a rip. In other words: it helped me chill and forget about some email nonsense.

Despite that feel good moment, I wasn’t compelled to become a chronic mint-popper. Like Cersei Lannister, wine is my go-to relaxant. It works like a charm to take the edge off and help me melt into the couch cushions with a book or fresh episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race (can’t find Gumby on the tube these days).

But something has changed in the last year. Namely, me. I’ve gone through the “change of life” and although I didn’t get the typical symptoms (hot flashes, night sweats, crankiness), my sleep world got robbed. I became an insomniac for the first time in my life.

Every night like clockwork, I was wide-eyed and fully awake around three in the morning, mind racing. Thoughts about work, my schedule, projects I wanted to work on, or other such things ran through my cranium like a freight train. If I listened to a song during the day, I also ran the risk of that song looping over and over in my head, keeping me up and driving me mad.

Something needed to give.

A friend of mine said I should try CBD. CBD is some natural compound stuff found in cannabis. It’s supposed to relax you without getting you high. I was skeptical of it until that friend sent me a bottle of CBD oil from Hemp Joy, a company in California that makes high-quality products for humans and pets. She also sent me some oil for my cranky cat – and some Healing Cream for muscles and joints.

What did I have to lose? I decided to give the oil a whirl.

Lo and behold, I actually had a great night’s sleep on the first go. I still woke up in the early morning hours but fell back asleep relatively fast. INSTANT CONVERT.

Convinced I was onto something, I also started to use the cream on my arthritic hands. Stiff thumbs? NO MORE. Which means my writerly days are ON.

And get this: a few days ago, I tweaked my knee going down the stairs (getting old = fragile). I was sure that my knee was screwed until I remembered the Hemp Joy Healing Cream. Slathered myself up and went to bed. Next morning? Good as new.

Dudes…this weed/hemp/cannabis/CBD stuff WORKS.

While I have no desire to go full-on Willie Nelson over here, I’m totally down with CBD (yeah you know me). Because getting tired is now a good, good thing.

These are the products I’ve been using. They are miracle workers, I tell ya!

Other Stuff:

I LOVED chatting with Joanna DeVoe of Kickass Witch about Tarot For Troubled Times, shadow work, and more over at her Hippie Witch podcast.

Whatcha making for Easter? The Simple Classic Easter Menu I Want to Eat Every Spring.

Worthy Stokes shares her story of the 7 spiritual teachings she learned from her near death experience.

Black Nerd Problems has the best Game of Thrones recap!

Is Prison Necessary? Ruth Wilson Gilmore Might Change Your Mind.

The second full moon of the year happened yesterday. Here’s what you need to know – and some free mini tarot readings for each zodiac sign!

Loving this from Jeanna Kadlec: I Didn’t Manage to Publish a Book by 30, and That’s Okay.

Interesting: Here are 12 quirky mental disorders you’ve probably never heard of.

The science and mystery of energy healing.

Cool: Polaroids From Gucci’s ’80s Disco Party.

LOL: What does being basic mean in 2019?

Learn how to combine tarot and talismans with Lori Lytle.

Great tarot post from Jenna Matlin: Why you want the sure thing.

How to catch a cheater (hit: look at their eyes).

‘Neo Tarot’ Author Jerico Mandybur On Queerness, Mysticism & The Connections Between The Two.

We need to pay attention to this: A crisis in Kentucky shows the high cost of clean drinking water.

How the Parkland Students Helped a Columbine Survivor Find Her Voice.

From Teen Vogue: How April 1968 Changed the United States Forever.

Here’s Why Big Tech Wants in on the Current Astrology Craze.

Why we still need to talk about Alice Guy-Blaché, the first woman filmmaker.

Voices of African Photography: Picturing Ghana’s middle class.

Wondering what it’s like to work on a book with a co-author? Shaheen Miro joins Talking Shop to chat about it.

13 Tarot Cards For Moms To Reflect On, Because We Need All The Help We Can Get.

Here’s a cool new book coming out from Aliza Kelly: Starring You: A Guided Journey Through Astrology.

I love manifesting books: Unleash Your Inner Money Babe: Uplevel Your Money Mindset and Manifest $1,000 in 21 Days.

I have a nice collection of crystal salt flakes but didn’t know that there was a wild garlic one! That’s going in my basket!

Looks interesting: The Book of Ceremony: Shamanic Wisdom for Invoking the Sacred in Everyday Life.

This planner is SO cool.

The Tarot Coloring Book is for people who want to learn about tarot in a creative, experiential way.

You can preorder Tarot For Troubled Times – it’s my latest with my co-author, the wonderful Shaheen Miro!

Love astrology but can’t make heads or tails out of it? My third book will help you out: Astrology for Real Life: A Workbook for Beginners (A No B.S. Guide for the Astro-Curious). You can pre-order it now!

Classes:

I’m teaching at New Renaissance Books in Portland, Oregon on July 2nd at 6:30. Tarot Cards for Shadow Work – Together we’ll explore shadow work, Tarot archetypes, Birth Cards, finding the good in “bad” cards – and the dark side in the “good” ones. You’ll come away with knowledge about your Tarot Birth Card and some suggestions for making peace with your shadow.

If you’re in the Bay Area, join Chris Zydel and me on July 7th for Brushes + Cards + Shadows An Intuitive Painting and Tarot Workshop. It will be EPIC! ONLY THREE SEATS LEFT!

Join me and Shaheen on Friday, July 26th for a Tarot For Troubled Times event and book signing! Where: Free Spirit Crystals in Butler, Wisconsin. What time: 7 PM. Cost: Free!

Tarot for Troubled Times with Shaheen Miro and Theresa Reed. Learn about shadow work, archetypes, tarot birth cards, and remedies for tough times. Boston Tea Room in Ferndale, Michigan. Details coming soon!