Love Letter to Sevilla 🌹

There’s an invisible thread connecting me to Andalusia…

When I was a little girl, I spoke fluent Spanish and English. However, by the time I was five years old, no one else around me spoke the language so I lost the ability to speak Spanish. At times, I'm still able to understand small snippets of conversation, so of all the languages that I come into contact with, Spanish sounds (and feels) the most familiar.

Years later, when I first began my spiritual journey, I read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, which has roots in Andalusia. The book follows the transformational journey of an Andalusian shepherd who embarks on a search for a "treasure" — which leads him to Egypt — whereas he discovers the "Soul of the World." Although fictional, The Alchemist  touched me profoundly, especially once the protagonist (Santiago) masters the art of alchemy and transforms into the wind.

I’ve always deeply resonated with the wind; on both a spiritual and symbolic level. In my spoken word poem, Twilight, I speak about "[wanting] to be like air, everywhere and nowhere at the same time" and "[feeling] most at home when I’m thousands of miles in the sky, flying from one place to another." I suppose that sense of buoyancy and ethereality is where my passion for travel comes from... The feeling of weightlessness; of being in the air, and in no man’s land, is comforting to me. 

Additionally, my Orisha, Oya, is the goddess of the wind, lightning and storms… She's revered for her ability to usher in change and transformation, and she came into my life at a pivotal time of ascension and life-changing transitions.

In my book, The Muse's Guide to Reinvention, I write about how I navigated the alchemical process of divine feminine mastery, and underwent a reinvention rite of passage, to bring harmony, softness, grace, alignment, fulfilling relationships, sovereignty, shadow-self integration and spiritual attunement into my life.

Aside from personal anecdotes, I also share glimpses into some of the most beautiful, desolate, rewarding, challenging, and vulnerable moments of my life via 12 “diaries,” or lessons, that are designed to help other women navigate through their own transformative process. Furthermore, there are creative exercises, spells, coloring illustrations, writing prompts, rituals, artwork to create a vision board with, and affirmations that accompany each diary. Read the prologue for FREE here.

I digress though; back to Sevilla. On top of the aforementioned, there's also Flamenco 💃🏽

I never knew I could fall so madly in love with a dance. It’s not just the hypnotic music, the sensual, intricate movements; and the stomping, but the intimacy between the singer, dancer and the guitarist… It’s the strong eye contact – and long gazes – held by each of the performers, and the harmonizing, and movement in sync (and in step) with one another.

Flamenco is a heady blend of seduction, enchantment and a musical and theatrical experience steeped in ancient history. It merges the ancient cultures of Greek, African, Arabic, Andalusian and Romani, with the roots of each contributing to a different pattern, sound and/or step.

I started taking Flamenco lessons almost 12 months prior to visiting Sevilla (of course, not knowing that I ever would), so experiencing the authenticity of the dance in its birthplace magnified its magnetism. Now that I've seen the techniques, passion and sophistication of Flamenco in Sevilla, I feel a new connection to, and zest for, the dance, and I'm excitedly looking forward to resuming my lessons.

However, I wouldn't be true to my "Muse by Midnight" nature if I didn't mention the deliciously vibrant nightlife of Sevilla. Generally, whenever I travel solo, I do all my exploring during the daytime and I'm snuggled safely in my hotel by the time nighttime rolls around. In Sevilla though, I often ventured out well into the night – and once stayed out to 1am chatting with new friends on a rooftop bar. The reason for this is two-folds. For one, many of the stores and restaurants adhere to a "siesta," which means that that they close during the afternoon and don't reopen until around 7pm/8pm. This naturally pushes most people to eat late dinners, and thus, the generally activity in the streets to be much livelier – for much later. For dos, the streets were never truly deserted, and were all brightly lit, so with lots of people around, I felt comfortable staying out after dark.

Then, there's the last (and final) thread connecting me to Sevilla: Dressage.

I'm currently learning dressage as well (though not in the "old way," but in a style that has integrity for the well-being of the horse). Given the Sacral Alchemy Coaching that I provide to women (with the support of horses), it's very important that I honor this sacred work, which at times may be in contrast to the practices of the broader equestrian world.

However, as I shared, in Sevilla – and in Spain in general – there's a very strong connection of Spanish horses to the dressage sport, and in a way, it’s almost as if everything I love (and everything which is familiar and interesting) has converged in one place…

From language, to literature, spirituality, dance and horses... Elements of each of my loves exist in this place, and it’s magical, vibrant and alive.

I've made some beautiful memories in Sevilla, and Spanish in particular, has come back to me very naturally. It’s like I already know the flavor of the words, but have simply forgotten the recipe… Therefore, that too, is yet another lesson I'll take with me, and I've already made plans to hire a Spanish tutor to brush up on my skills.

Thank you, Sevilla, for the vibe and the splendor.

This is my love letter to you ❤️

*All photography was shot by me. © Muse by Midnight