Nikki Starcat Shields's Blog

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Here, There & Everywhere

I know I haven’t shown up here regularly in a while. Don’t be jealous, dear blog, but it’s at least in part because I’ve started a Substack. Actually, it’s me and my Muses, no matter the platform, so you’re not missing out.

I’m loving the way it feels over on Substack. It’s like when I started this blog, on Blogspot, way back in the early 2000s. It feels fun and light and meaningful. There are a bunch of writers, bookwyrms, and other story lovers writing about almost any topic you can imagine. ...

Starcat’s Favorites: The Upgrade

photo from my summer retreat by Brent BlackLion Nelson

Last week I ran my annual in-person writing retreat on the coast of Maine, with a group of wonderful folks joining me. It was a week full of creativity, transformation, and laughter.

I also had an appointment to tour a potential new retreat venue. We love our gathering spot, but we’ve been outgrowing the place a bit. The new place is absolutely perfect for us. It ticks all the boxes of what we love about these summer gatherings, and offers e...

One Word, Redux

Dryst and I dancing at his wedding!

I was searching my blog for something else and found this fun “one-word” post from back in 2011. I decided to do it again, in 2024.

If you want to try it, just add one word to each of the prompts, and post it on your own blog or on social media. It’s fun!

Yourself: priestess
Your partner: multiple
Your hair: wild
Your mother: wonderful
Your father: gone
Your favorite item: FitBit
Your dream last night: interrupted
Your favorite drink: cranberry-seltzer
Your dr...

Lessons From the Sea Turtles

It’s been a few weeks since I had one of the most powerful experiences of my life, and it has taken me a while to even attempt to write about it. It’s weird, because writing is my main form of creative expression. Usually, if something magickal happens, I long to try and capture it in words. But not this time.

Have you ever had an experience that was so over-the-top special that you can’t even find the words for it? Yeah, that. It took a while to integrate.

I’ve given birth twice – once via an e...

Green Tara Is Calling

I’m reading a fascinating book called Tara: The Liberating Power of the Female Buddha by Rachael Wooten, PhD.

I first encountered the Goddess Green Tara when one of my mermaid besties did a program for our Goddess group in the fall of 2022. At the time, I was actively grieving the recent loss of my Dad. 

My friend led us through a guided meditation, based on the Tara book, to meet Her. I felt a strong connection, and it was comforting and nurturing. In my journal, I captured the experience: 

Ta...

Letting Go of Compartmentalizing

One thing I’ve learned during my five-plus decades on Earth is that we human beings like to make things way more complicated than they need to be. This is especially true in regard to our biggest goals and dreams.

Six years into building my dream career, I’m slowing down and relaxing into my entrepreneur life, rather than trying to hustle and be frantic about rocketing growth. I’m seeing more clearly how my work as a writing coach and retreat leader is meant to support my own career as an autho...

Starcat’s Favorites: Wellness Upgrades

I’m on a new leg of my health journey. I haven’t talked about this much online up until now, but I’ve lost 26 pounds over the last three months.

I’d been steadily gaining a bunch of weight throughout perimenopause, though I hadn’t really changed my diet much. My amazing doctor retired a couple of years ago, and I hadn’t found a new one yet, plus I felt fine and wasn’t sick, so I didn’t address it for a while.

In November I found a wonderful new doctor, and when my cholesterol numbers came up hig...

Starcat’s Favorites: Mindset, Mindset, Mindset

I’m practicing the art of consciously choosing my mindset, these days. I’m aiming for vibrant health, wealth, and joy. BlackLion chose the word MINDSET as his Word of the Year, and I’ve been seeing and hearing it everywhere. It certainly supports my own intentions for 2024.

I’m also enjoying expanding my horizons with new mini-adventures. The wintry weather has cancelled or shifted some of my plans. But so far this month I’ve gotten to co-host a Mermaids & Pirates birthday party (for 10 adults) ...

Starcat’s Best Books of 2023

Just what my fellow bookwyrms need during this wintry month: my annual Best Books post. Once again, I couldn’t pick just 10, so I’m featuring my 14 favorite books from 2023.

As always, please note that these aren’t necessarily books that came out in 2023, just ones that I encountered and very much enjoyed.

I read 84 books in 2023. Like last year, this is more than usual – in the past I’ve often averaged about a book per week. I’m not sure what made this such a great year for reading, but I’ll ta...