“The underworld is woven with contaminated culpability and messy mutual aid. And it is in this biotic slush that beings bump and clump into the multicellularity of new mythologies. The underworld is a womb where the above world is gestated, as demonstrated by Persephone’s creation of the seasons.” -Sophie Strand
Blessed dark moon friends. The season of slowing down and taking more articulate care of ourselves, one another and the lands we tend. Times are tough — and as many activists, Black radical feminists, and queer and Trans kin have generously taught us, we the people hold the power to rest, to regroup, and to reimagine new ways of relating.
To instigate change with our creative life force is the sacred responsibility at the root, in the Earth, of our body.
Today’s episode of Mother of the Sword explores all things sacred sexuality, right relationship and creating with mama Kat. Kat Mills Martin is a critically acclaimed film director and writer from Hawai’i. She is also a writer, actor, secret yogini and has studied tons of experimental theater which y’all know we love. Let us know what you hear below!
When we take the risk to create, we’re learning how to relate beyond empire — how to bring soul back into a culture that would rather us feel nothing. Because when we can’t feel, we can be more easily controlled.
The power of our no is holy.
It’s the boundary that cleans the altar, the sacred pause that makes space for what is real. Saying no and learning to hear it is not just painful rejection—it’s devotion to what matters most. It’s the cauldron that creates the courage you need to keep creating against all odds. It is an act of protection when we are authentic and listening.
‘Tis the season to cleanse away the demons that say…you are unworthy to create a life that reflects your true felt sense, your soul.
The act of aligning our energy with what our body, soul, and creative spirit actually consent to take community and care beyond what we’ve been taught. When we honor the no, we re-enter right relationship with life itself—no longer leaking power into patterns of people-pleasing, overextending, or performing for love.
In this way, no becomes an ecstatic union ritual—a meeting point between self and Source where integrity births creativity. It is a rite of passage from survival to sovereignty, from obligation to authentic offering. Our no makes room for a truer yes, one that emerges from the body’s wisdom, the erotic pulse of creation, and the courage to be fully alive.
Extra love to Jeff from Cosmic Cousins for editing Mother of the Sword! Go follow them on IG for astrology magic.
PS. We have one space left for our India Pilgrimage January 2026. Here is a photo of us in ecstatic ritual (Body Temple Dance) on an Aryuvedic farm in silence for three days…
