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kae3g 9968: Letter to the Wild Priestess — On Sacred Work and Thriving

Timestamp: 12025-10-07–rhizome-valley
Series: Technical Writings (9999 → 0000)
Category: Sacred Economics, Embodiment Practice, Divine Feminine Path
Reading Time: 25 minutes
Author Voice: Contemporary sovereign, descendant of ancient lineage
Format: Personal letter of guidance and recognition

"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be."

"The supreme good is like water, which nourishes all things without trying to."

"She who is centered in the Way can go where she wishes, without danger."

Dear One,

I write to you from a place of stillness, though my days are full of movement. You don't know me, but I know something of you—not the details of your life, but the quality of your seeking. I recognize it because it's ancient, and it's urgent, and it's appearing now in this time for reasons that matter.

You pour tea at a sanctuary—a place that honors all living beings, where plants are medicine and no creature is exploited for human comfort. You craft elixirs from herbs and flowers. You serve others in a quiet, beautiful way. And you make twenty-five dollars an hour, which is honest work, and there's grace in that. But something in you is restless. Not the restlessness of discontent, but the restlessness of a seed that knows it's meant to grow into something the gardener hasn't imagined yet.

You feel it, don't you? The pull toward something wilder, more alive, more true to what moves in your body when you're alone in the forest, or by the ocean, or in that moment just before sleep when you remember who you really are.

I'm writing because I see you. And I want to tell you: what you're feeling is not madness. It's not corruption. It's not the thing that others have tried to shame out of you your whole life.

It's devotion taking a different form.

Let me explain.

On the Wild Path You're Sensing

There's a kind of knowing that lives in the body, below the level of words. You've felt it—in dance, in breath, in the way energy moves when you're truly present. This knowing is older than temples, older than scriptures, older than the names we give to the divine.

In my tradition, we say: the body is sacred ground. Not metaphorically. Actually. The skin, the breath, the pulse—all of it is where the infinite meets the moment. This is not taught in many places anymore. People have forgotten. Or they remember, but they're afraid.

You're not afraid. Or if you are, you're willing to move forward anyway. That's courage.

What you're sensing—this call toward sacred embodiment work, toward teaching through presence, toward offering what cannot be taught in words but only transmitted through being fully alive in a body—this is a legitimate path. It's not new. Women have walked this path for thousands of years, in different forms, in different cultures. They've been healers, priestesses, guides. They've understood that sexuality and spirituality are not separate. That the body's aliveness is a doorway to the divine.

You live in Northern California—forests, rivers, lakes, ocean, towering cities, tech temples, ancient redwoods standing witness to all of it. You have access to both the wild and the civilized, the natural and the technological. You live in alignment with the earth, honoring the plants that nourish you, refusing to participate in the exploitation of sentient beings. This compassion is not separate from your path—it's foundational to it. You understand that the body is sacred, and so is every body. This is not accident. You're meant to bridge these worlds.

The work you're being called to—bodywork, energy transmission, sacred sexuality guidance, creative expression through image and sound—this is priestess work. Not in the sense of a title you claim, but in the sense of a function you embody. You create space for others to remember their own aliveness. That's priestessing, whether you call it that or not.

And yes, it can be monetized. Should be, actually. Because if you can't sustain yourself doing this work, you'll have to do something else, and the people who need what you offer won't receive it. Money, in this case, is just energy exchange. They receive transmission from you; you receive resources to continue. It's simple. Clean.

But let's be practical about how this actually works.

On the Path from Twenty-Five to Thriving

Right now: twenty-five dollars an hour at the tea bar, part-time. Maybe twenty hours per week. That's two thousand dollars a month before taxes. After federal and state taxes, call it fifteen hundred. After rent (probably sharing a room with housemates), groceries, phone, health insurance, subscriptions (Spotify, iCloud, Netflix—the small things that add up), transportation—you're living month to month. Maybe breaking even. Maybe going into debt.

You can survive on this, but you can't thrive. And more importantly, you can't build on this. Can't invest in your training, your practice, your presentation. Can't create the space and time you need to develop what you're being called toward. Can't afford a studio or dedicated space for the work your soul is calling you to do.

So the question is: how do you transition from part-time tea service to full-time sacred work, with a proper space and legal protection?

Not overnight. Not recklessly. But deliberately, with both practical strategy and legal foundation.

Phase One: Keep the Tea Bar, Begin the Practice (Months 1-6)

You don't quit your day work yet. You need stability while you're building. But you start offering what you're called to offer, in small ways, to see what resonates.

What you might offer:

Start with one or two sessions per week. That's an extra $300-600 per month. Not enough to live on, but enough to prove the concept and refine your offering.

Where you find first clients:

What you invest in:

Phase Two: Grow the Practice, Reduce the Tea Bar (Months 7-12)

By month seven, you should have served 20-30 clients. You know what works. What people respond to. What you actually enjoy offering versus what you thought you'd offer.

Now you start to formalize:

This is when you reduce tea bar hours. Maybe drop to 10 hours per week (from your original 20). Your tea bar income drops to $1000/month, but your practice income is now $3200-6000/month. Total: $4200-7000/month gross. After taxes (you're paying quarterly estimated taxes now): $3500-5800/month net. After business expenses (space, insurance, subscriptions): $3000-5000/month take-home. You're thriving now, not just surviving.

What you invest in (business expenses, tax deductible):

Phase Three: Full Transition (Month 13+)

By month thirteen, if you've been intentional and the work is flowing, you can leave the tea bar entirely. Your practice is generating $5000-8000/month gross. After quarterly taxes (federal, state, self-employment): $4000-6500/month. After business expenses (studio space, insurance, continuing education, subscriptions, marketing): $3000-5000/month take-home.

You're working 15-25 hours per week offering sessions, plus time for your own practice, rest, creation. You have a dedicated studio space that's yours—sacred, beautiful, professional. You're not working harder than before. You're working more aligned.

On the Creative Elements You Mentioned:

You spoke of visual work, of sound, of aesthetic expression, of the ethereal and experimental. This isn't separate from the bodywork and coaching—it's integrated. The way you present yourself, the way you create atmosphere, the aesthetic choices you make—all of this is part of the transmission.

If you choose to offer visual content (photography, video, soundscapes) through a platform where people can support you monthly, this can be additional revenue. Let's be practical:

This isn't the primary path, but it can support the primary path. Some people will never book a session with you but will support your creative work. That's okay. Both are valuable.

Conservative Estimate (End of Year Two):

Generous Estimate (End of Year Two):

Both are possible. The difference is usually consistency, visibility, and the quality of your own embodiment (people feel when you're authentic; they can't be fooled).

On the Practical Mundane Details

You asked for numbers. Here they are, simply:

Current: $2000/month gross (20 hrs/week × $25/hr), $1500/month after taxes, barely sustainable after rent and subscriptions.

Six months in: $1000 tea bar + $1500 practice gross = $2500/month, slowly building but not yet sustainable.

Twelve months in: $1000 tea bar + $4000 practice gross = $5000/month, ~$3800 after taxes, ~$2500 after business expenses (studio space starting), comfortable.

Eighteen months in: $0 tea bar + $6000-8000 practice gross = $4500-6000 after taxes = $3000-4500 after business expenses, thriving, freedom.

Two years in: $6000-12,000/month gross from work you love = $3000-6600/month take-home after taxes and business expenses.

These aren't fantasies. These are what happens when someone offers something real, that people need, with consistency and care.

On Legal Structure and Protection

Before we return to the spiritual heart of this, we need to address the practical foundation: How do you structure this legally?

You have several options. Each has advantages and considerations:

Option 1: Sole Proprietorship (Simplest)

What it is: You operate under your own name (or "doing business as" - DBA). No separate legal entity.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

When to choose this: Months 1-6, when you're just beginning, revenue is minimal, and you're testing the model. Or if you maintain excellent liability insurance and are comfortable with the risk.

Option 2: LLC (Limited Liability Company) (Recommended)

What it is: Separate legal entity that protects your personal assets.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

When to choose this: Months 7-12, when you're formalizing the practice, have consistent clients, and want protection. This is recommended for bodywork/touch work because of liability concerns.

How to set up:

  1. File Articles of Organization with California Secretary of State (online, ~$70 filing + $20 annual fee for most states, or $800/year for California)
  2. Get EIN (Employer Identification Number) from IRS (free, online, takes 10 minutes)
  3. Open business bank account (bring Articles of Organization and EIN)
  4. Get liability insurance in LLC name
  5. Optional: Operating Agreement (template online or $200-500 from lawyer)

Option 3: S-Corporation (For Higher Earners)

What it is: LLC that elects S-corp tax status. You become an employee of your own business.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

When to choose this: Year 2+, when you're consistently making $6000+/month and want to optimize taxes.

My counsel:

Months 1-6: Operate as sole proprietor. Get excellent liability insurance ($200-400/year for $1-2 million coverage). Keep meticulous records. Save 30% of all income for taxes.

Months 7-12: Form LLC. File with state, get EIN, open business bank account. Continue liability insurance (now in LLC name). Budget $100-150/month for accounting software + quarterly CPA check-ins.

Year 2+: Consider S-corp election if making $6000+/month consistently. Hire accountant to advise.

Contracts and Client Agreements:

Regardless of structure, you need:

1. Client intake form (name, contact, health conditions, emergency contact)

2. Liability waiver and informed consent (template available online or from lawyer for $200-500)

3. Payment agreement (can be simple)

4. Privacy/confidentiality (especially if you're doing any coaching/deep work)

Where to get these:

The investment in legal foundation (~$1000-1500 first year) protects you from a lawsuit that could cost $10,000+ in legal fees even if you did nothing wrong.

But legal structures are not the point. They are the container. Let me return to what matters.

On What I See in You

I don't know your face. I don't know your name. But I know something essential about you because you're reading this with recognition, not skepticism.

You carry something that most people have forgotten. A kind of remembering. The ancients called it Sophia—wisdom that lives in the body, that knows without thinking, that responds to beauty and truth and aliveness.

Others may have told you that this quality in you is dangerous. Too sensual. Too wild. Too much. They've used words like "lost" or "confused" or "seeking attention." They've tried to shrink you into something manageable, something that doesn't threaten their own numbness.

But I see differently.

I see someone who has the courage to honor what's alive in her. I see someone who would rather risk being misunderstood than live a small, safe, deadened life. I see someone who knows that the body is not an obstacle to the divine, but a doorway.

There's a figure from old stories—she was devoted, she was misunderstood, she was accused of possession when really she was filled with something holy. She loved so fully that it scandalized the people who'd forgotten how to love at all. She anointed with precious oil what others said should remain untouched. She understood that sacred and sensual are not opposites.

I see that quality in you. Not imitation, but essence. The same devotion. The same willingness to be present with the holy in unexpected forms.

And here's what most people miss: that devotion, that full-bodied aliveness, that willingness to meet the divine through beauty and sensation and presence—this is not corruption. This is a path. A legitimate, ancient, necessary path.

The world needs people who remember this. Especially now, in this time of so much disconnection, so much numbness, so much fear of the body and of aliveness itself.

You're not here to be small. You're not here to apologize for the fire in you. You're here to tend that fire carefully, offer its warmth to those who are cold, and let it illumine what's been hidden.

On the Goddess You Worship

You mentioned her, though not by name. The one who moves in waters and grows things from earth. The one who knows that creation and destruction are both sacred. The one who is fierce and soft, wild and tender, who holds life and death in the same hands.

I honor her. Not because I worship as you worship, but because I recognize that the divine appears in many forms, and this form—the wild, the embodied, the creative, the destroying-to-recreate—this is needed. This is true.

In my tradition, we say: all things that are, are expressions of one source. The water and the fire, the moon and the sun, the stillness and the storm. If you honor the goddess in the forest, in the ocean, in your own body's knowing—you're honoring the same source I honor, just by a different path.

This is not heresy to me. This is beauty.

And the work you're being called to do—helping others reconnect to their bodies, to their aliveness, to the sacred in the sensual—this serves the same source. It's not opposed to my path; it's parallel. Different terrain, same mountain.

On Who Will Help You and Who Will Hinder You

As you step into this work, you'll encounter both. Let me give you signs to watch for.

Good signs, good omens, good allies:

Bad signs, bad omens, people to avoid:

On finding good clients and partners:

Look for people who are genuinely committed to their own growth. They might be tech workers who've realized their six-figure salary doesn't make them happy and they need to reconnect to their bodies. They might be artists who need help accessing creative flow through somatic work. They might be therapists who know they need what you offer but can't offer it to themselves.

The Bay Area has many such people. Affluent, educated, often already aligned with plant-based living and consciousness, but disconnected from their bodies, hungry for something real. They'll pay well because they value what you offer. They'll be grateful because they know they can't find this everywhere.

You'll also find allies in other practitioners—massage therapists, acupuncturists, yoga teachers, herbalists. Build relationships with them. Refer to each other. Create a web of mutual support.

On beginning:

Start small. Offer a few sessions. See what resonates. Trust the feedback—not just what people say, but what you feel. If something lights you up and serves them, do more of it. If something drains you even though people say it's helpful, consider whether it's actually yours to offer.

Be patient. This isn't a sprint. It's a gradual unfurling, like a flower opening. You can't force it. But you can tend the conditions: show up consistently, price fairly, honor your own boundaries, keep developing your practice.

And remember: you're not trying to be successful by someone else's definition. You're trying to be aligned. Success is when you're doing work you love, serving people who value it, and sustaining yourself in the process. That's it. That's the whole thing.

On Your Thriving

I believe you will thrive. Not because you're special (though you are), and not because the universe owes you (it doesn't), but because you have something real to offer and you're willing to do the work of offering it well.

You have the fire. You have the capacity. You have the calling.

What you need to develop is the discipline to honor it—not rigid discipline, but the kind that comes from love. The discipline to show up even when you're tired. The discipline to charge what you're worth even when you're scared. The discipline to say no to what's not yours even when saying yes would be easier.

You have access to the wild, and that's essential. But wildness without container is just chaos. What you're learning now is how to be wild and boundaried, free and responsible, devoted to the goddess and practical about money. This is the art.

And you can do it. I know this because you're still reading. Someone who wasn't ready would have stopped pages ago, dismissing this as too idealistic or too pragmatic or too something. But you're here. You're considering. You're feeling the yes rising in your body.

Trust that.

Closing

I write this to you as someone who carries responsibility for many people, many decisions, many structures. My days are full of the weight of that. But I never forget: all of it—the systems, the governance, the practical necessities—all of it is in service of people being able to live fully. To thrive. To offer their gifts.

You're one of those people. The work you're being called to—it's not frivolous. It's not indulgent. It's necessary. We need people who remember how to be alive in their bodies, how to connect to the earth, how to hold space for others to remember too.

So I encourage you: take the leap. Not recklessly—keep the tea bar until your practice is strong enough—but deliberately. Begin offering what's yours to offer. Price it fairly. Show up consistently. Trust the process.

You will stumble. You will have months where clients cancel and you wonder if you made a mistake. You will have moments of doubt. This is normal. Don't let it stop you. Let it refine you.

And remember: you're not doing this alone. There are others walking similar paths, in different forms. Find them. Support each other. The rising tide lifts all boats.

I see you. I honor what you carry. I trust that you'll steward it well.

The goddess you serve—she's watching too. She delights in you. She's been waiting for you to step into this fullness.

Go well, priestess. The forest and the city both await your service.

May you thrive. May you serve with joy. May you remember, always, that the body's aliveness is holy ground.

With recognition and respect,

One who sees you clearly

Released to Public Domain with Grace and Recognition.
For those who carry the wild wisdom and dare to monetize the sacred.
For those who know the body is temple, not metaphorically but actually.
For those who bridge the ancient and the contemporary, the forest and the city, the goddess and the market.

🌿🔥💃🌊✨

Timestamp: 12025-10-07--rhizome-valley
Iteration: 9968 of 10000
Voice: Contemporary sovereign, gentle guidance
Preceded by: 9969: The Land Speaks, The Body Remembers
Related Essays:

"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. The supreme good is like water, which nourishes all things without trying to. Trust the path that honors the body's wisdom, the goddess's wildness, and the practical necessity of thriving while you serve."

🌿✨💚

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