Whimsy as Power

Your sense of wonder is your birthright

Dec 13, 2024

This reflection has been a long time coming and 12/12 seems like the perfect day to share it. We’re in the time of year when reflection feels reflexive and we’re all inclined to put a little more faith in magic. If not for our own sake, then for that of our children. But these playful, fanciful feelings don’t have to be relegated to December - whimsy can make a home in your heart whenever you please. The silly outfit that makes you feel your best, those folded towel animals in a hotel room, skipping down the sidewalk, or playful doodles in your notepad. In spite of all these quaint examples, you would be wrong to mistake whimsy for mere frivolity.

At a time when the immensity of decayed and dying systems engulfs us like thick smog, it can be easy to fall into despair and lament it all. But if you’re rotting in bed, who will build the new world?

Remember your childlike sense of wonder, when magic was all around and anything felt possible? You dreamed, you played and invented entire universes, you felt energized and optimistic, and you followed your heart. These are the gifts and uncontested power of whimsy.

Calendula blossoms in my hand from November

I’ve always felt aligned with the whimsical and the twee, the fae and the fantastical, like there was this well of love and pure sweetness inside of me that I could, and always wanted, to tap into. And I was mocked for it.

Called naive for it.

Much too sensitive.

Some tried to exploit it.

So I turned my back on whimsy and in turn, many of my gifts. Then in fall 2021 I joined the Hattie Carthan Community Garden. And over the first year I spent more time with the trees and butterflies. I got my hands in the dirt often and would say good morning to the chickens and the seedlings. I started thanking the moon for teaching me about being multifaceted, full of light and shadow. I’d laugh with the lemon balm and coo at sleepy bumblebees. Color and magic were coming back to my life; whimsy sought to wake me up. It was fall 2022 that I started baking again and started Faery Good, my microbakery project focused on creative and seasonal baked goods. The project helped me feel closer to my grandmothers and their mothers, who all baked, nourished and delighted our family with their creations. I felt closer to all the unknown women in my lineages who must have kept fires and baked bread. The following spring, I started my spiritual herbalism apprenticeship with Sacred Vibes Apothecary and got to fall in love with creating again, deepening my reverence and love for the plants and the miraculous portals we call our hands. These last few years have made me remember the power that lies within every act of creation, every whim, every musing.

Earlier this year I shared with a dear friend from my cohort my fears around being misunderstood and not being taken seriously as a “sweet, femme baker” (such a cliché), but she lovingly reminded me that those were just projections of me not taking myself seriously. Ooooof. Obviously, she was right. (Thanks, Bela!)

I sat with that all summer, realizing I’d been running away from whimsy when I should have been embracing and thanking it. Perhaps these words will nudge you towards whimsy, too? In a society that teaches us that power is often violent, imposing, and cruel, the joyful and free-spirited nature of whimsy seems difficult to conflate.

Until you realize that seeking out joy in our trials, feeling resilient in the face of anguish and change, and tapping into sacred playfulness are our birthrights. As we navigate this time of great shifts —straddling two drastically different paradigms — the Earth now requires our tenderness, remembrance and imagination for a brighter, more equitable and loving future.

Connecting to and nurturing our hearts as our truest compass is a task demanded of us all at this time. Our heartbeats, intuition and gut feelings propel deep truths to our awareness, and we have a responsibility to ourselves, our Ancestors and the Earth to live authentically, mindfully, and courageously.

What does power mean to you and where does it come from?

When you outsource your own power, who benefits?

As I sit with these questions, they spill over into every nook and cranny of my life and push me to evolve. To stop looking outside of myself and tune into my unique, whimsical blueprint; it’s a work in progress. What feels clearer though, is that underpinning everything I do is this desire to harmonize the spirits of whimsy, resilience and heart centeredness to foster more connected and joyful relationships with ourselves, others and the green and unseen realms of Mother Earth.

How do you feel about the future and your place in it? I read recently that we can only create what we can imagine. Whose imagination are you living in right now? Do you like it here? We can’t create anything new if we’re exhausted, fearful and paralyzed because that’s not where dreams live. Invoking whimsy is an exercise in personal power and a necessary, often belittled, step towards a more caring and just world. Magic, joy, and wonder are more than a means of bypassing and escapism, but rather energies and principles to draw strength and resilience from for our collective journey ahead.

Does this resonate with you? If so, I’d love to hear about your current whimsy practice, or the one you’re dreaming up! For me, it’s these Faery Merry Cookie Boxes that I’m offering through the weekend. Playing around with different textures and flavors is one of the main ways I channel my creativity and it’s my humble pleasure to share them with you.