Hey Reader,
This week, I stepped back into something I didn’t realize I’d been missing: volunteering in the school library. I skipped it last year because life was full of other changes, but walking back in reminded me why I love it so damn much.
My favorite task? Being a book doctor. That’s right — Ally, CBD (Certified Book Doctor) at your service. Not an official degree, but pretty sure it should be. I patch up aggressively loved books that land in the book hospital, anxiously awaiting repairs. Some need a little glue, some just need tape, and some need both... and maybe a wish from a genie.
There’s something oddly soothing about it. Slowing down. Focusing on exactly one task. Using just enough brain power to decide what a battered spine needs to live another day on the shelf. And it hit me: this isn’t just about fixing books. It’s about fixing me. Doing something quiet, satisfying, and restorative for myself. While exuberant children benefit from my work, it feeds my inner book dragon and gives me a dose of the nurture I didn’t know I’d been craving.
Weekly Tarot Card.
The Empress is your reminder to slow down, notice the good stuff, and put some care into what’s already here. It’s not about running faster, producing more, or proving yourself. It’s about tending, nourishing, and remembering that small, intentional acts matter.
Just like a library book patched up with glue and tape gets another shot at being loved, we do too. The Empress calls us to look at the places in our lives that could use some nurture — not to fix what’s broken beyond repair, but to support what’s already growing.
This card can show up as a nudge to care for others, to pour into your projects, or to take better care of yourself. It’s not about doing it all or being perfect. It’s about growing what you’ve got, one step at a time, and letting that be enough.
If the Fool is about starting the journey, the Magician is about using your tools, and the High Priestess says you already know the answer, the Empress says: “Don’t just rush ahead — pause and nurture what’s here.”
Shameless reminder: I love reading Tarot. My readings don’t stop at “here’s what the cards say.” You get Ally-style coaching baked in, so you can take what you learn and actually do something with it. Because what good is clarity if you don’t use it? Book yours here: 3-Card Tarot Reading
A Powerful Question.
What’s one small, nourishing ritual I can add back into my days?
See ya next time.
Keep patching the pages that matter.
