The Phoenix Soul. We are truth-speakers, heart-on-our-sleevers, love-believers. You are. I am. We are The Phoenix Soul (indie digital magazine & community).
The Phoenix Soul:
WILD JOY
(issue 58)
Phoenix, when did you last feel wild joy?
Happiness is fickle and fleeting--here one minute, gone the next. Wild JOY, though, exists even (especially) in the midst of deep ache. She is salve for our sensitive souls. She blooms even in the weedy and neglected spaces of our being.
What if wild joy could become a living, breathing presence in your daily life?
Joy is already here, hidden in the uninhibited and free places of our hearts. She is waiting only for our invitation and gentle attention.
Let your joy grow wild.
“The most powerful art I’ve made is when I just couldn’t really function because I was so depressed or in such deep emotional pain. Pick up a pen, doodle, journal, find a safe way to ‘dump out’ what you’re wrestling with. Make an effort to witness color as much as you can, whether in a blooming flower, in a tree, or with crayons on paper. ”
in every issue:
60 full-color digital pages (PDF)
vibrant art, intimate interviews, revealing essays, gaspworthy poetry, soul-stirring prompts
handcrafted mixed media backgrounds, handwritten love notes
interactive features honoring our #thephoenixsoul gathering
Amanda Fall: editor, publisher, creator, chief gatherer of good
May you feel seen. Heard. Loved. Just as you are.
“Joy now burns bright. When shadows gather, when despair threatens, I need only consider the colors of my life—outward evidence of inner liberation. Bold beauty calls me back into the light.”
“There was this tiny aching whisper. This subtle tug on the thinnest of frayed threads that hung from my heart. I even heard a muffled echo of my own voice gently calling me near.”
The Phoenix Soul: Wild Joy
We may not always recognize joy or feel her near. But when we dare to show up wholly in our lives (as we are), we discover wild joy in our unashamed fullness of feeling, the depth of our Be-ing. Experiencing wild joy doesn't mean we don't also travel through deep sadness, grief, anxiety, or any number of other difficulties. In fact, staying open to this pain is vital in finding our way back to wild joy. If you are hardened to one, you cannot be soft to the other. Be unashamed in your embrace of wholehearted living: this is the authentic, winding path of wild joy.
Step into the circle, where we celebrate both our individuality and our oneness as a soul-flock. We honor both our mourning and our celebration, the rich complexity of our lives. How can you align with wild joy more often? Find out with us in The Phoenix Soul: WILD JOY.
1. Amanda Fall, VersAnnette Blackman-Bosia, Carly Mojica. 2. Shawnta S. Barnes, Mandy Saile, Laurinda Lind, Annie Lampman. 3. Maria Venditozzi, Maureen Helms Blake, De Jackson, suzanne l. vinson. 4. Laurie Blackwell, Nolwenn Petitbois, Melissa Fernandez, Kyeli Smith.
guests in this issue:
VersAnnette Blackman-Bosia, Truth Tribe interview
Shawnta S. Barnes, Mandy Saile, Laurinda Lind: Grit & Grace participants and guest contributors
staff contributors: Maureen Helms Blake (Bitter & Beautiful column), De Jackson, suzanne l. vinson, Laurie Blackwell, Nolwenn Petitbois, Melissa Fernandez, Kyeli Smith (Embody your BRave column)
additional guests: Carly Mojica, Maria Venditozzi, Annie Lampman
“A magic stirs in the air and we both come alive just a little bit more.”
“I don’t know WILD Joy, but I want to. [...] I desire to let WILD Joy move through my body, dancing with exuberance. I want her to grab hold of me in my boots as we twirl in freedom song. I want to see my self as pure light and true beauty, with WILD Joy as witness.”
“This is a dark time for the US. It’s a dark time for the world. Things are difficult all over—I don’t have a single friend who’s having a wild time of it right now. And I, being empathic and oh-so-very-highly sensitive, am finding joy nearly impossible to find. This is when our brave is most important. This is when loving our self becomes our most vital work. This is when being a light in the darkness is our very most critical job.”
