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Valley Jane · Jul 24, 2026

Dark Night of the Soul

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Valley Jane · Valley Jane

Instead of sharing a pic that might feel in any way relevant to this post, here’s one of me and Cosmo meeting his adorable new 18-week old whippet cousin Piper!

The first incident occurred in the parking lot of the social security administration in Farmville, VA on the way to DMV where I’d driven as part of the wild goose chase of getting my name changed.

The second incident was clocked after 3 sweaty hours in my storage unit/crime scene, bushwhacking through the jungles of suitcases and boxes and rainbow bags from Ikea that have been hauling the weight of all my moves and changes with me.

The following incidents blur together after that...one wave of nausea crashing into the next, an infinitely ripping, roaring, roiling purging, screaming wave: anything that enters must immediately evacuate!

But that was only when I was awake. At night: tossing and turning, sweating, cooling, burning, freezing, shivering, boiling, tossing turning, hot, cold. REPEAT.

Anyone who knows me will know how bad it is when I say I couldn’t even drink coffee. A-puke-alyptic bad.

And so, I closed out one of the most transformational years of my life with 2 weeks of non-optional, non-stop purging. From any and every possible direction. Letting go of more than I even knew I could possibly hold onto. I’m still in that limbo between sick and well, waking and sleeping, wounding and healing.

I’m sure this is a time is tests and initiations, karmic cleansings and sliver linings blah blah blah but I really just want to eat food without imagining what it will look like if I ever have to see it again.

My heart really and truly goes out to all of the other sufferers of the great 2026 lettuce armageddon….as well as their partners. Maybe especially their partners. Prayers are currently being accepted for my own partner, bless her heart, the true survivor of this story.

Want to hang out more??

Hello friends…. I’m excited to be approaching the ancient work of my heart in an expansive beautiful new way and I would love to share this transformational work with you— in small group series, or in the budding new Writing Fire community on Skool.

If you are interested in learning more about all the juicy new pop-up classes, guest teacher workshops, community writing shares and the growing library of guided writing activation videos, join for $33/month before my birthday on July 18 or $44/month after and you can cancel anytime! I’d love to see you there!

Valley Jane

Writing Fire on Skool!

In this special in-person writing activation ceremony, enter a sacred circle to travel through body, mind, and spirit, discovering wisdom, awareness, and memory hidden below the surface of our awareness.

Sat, Aug 15, 2026, 1:00 – 5:00 PM EDT
River House in Varina, Virginia
Sliding Scale: $ 144 / $188/ $122

Book

A 6-Week Writing Activation Series with Valley JaneBeneath the stories you tell about yourself, there is another story. Older. Truer. Waiting.

Thursdays, Aug 13 - Sep 17, 2026
10 AM - 12 Noon EST

Sliding scale: $333/ $444/ $555
Zoom

Learn more and register!


Your life is stranger, wilder, more mythic, and more meaningful than any fiction you could invent. Are you ready to write it?

A 12-Week Writing Initiation with Valley Jane of Writing Fire
Tuesdays | September 1 – November 17
11 AM- 1 PM PST / 2-4 PM EST

Not sure if this is right for you? Book a free 20-minute discovery call with Valley.

Learn more and register!

HI BRAVE WRITER!! Subscribe to my new dispatch, Letters from the Fire, to receive workshop and retreat updates, as well as a Sacred Circle Writing Oracle card and prompt in your inbox twice a month!

Letters from the Fire!

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Read the original on valleyhaggard.substack.com

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