Welcome to the first Pearl Diving - a new monthly extra, separate from Sunday's essays.

The eclipse portal brought intense storms here, downpours of heavy rain flooding dried-up, brown grass left behind from one big long summer of heatwave. The plants sigh was almost audible - as was mine but for other reasons. I hate to see the summer end. I know I shouldn’t say that out loud, all seasons are beautiful blah, blah, blah but I’m a summer, I find the dark cold wet nights depressing not cosy and as much as I try to embrace them the thought of how many of those evenings lay ahead stirs a panic inside.

To help I have systems in place - my everyday routines change once summer has passed and I like to ease into them so it’s not a shock to my system- my very summer loving predominantly vata system.

Here are some of my recent discoveries, ones bringing me joy and actually helping me form new habits- easing me into autumn routines- that are just too good to not share.

The Easy Habit Changing My Mornings

This wasn’t the plan, but I have taken to sitting on my vibration plate first thing in the morning as I brush my teeth. And I have to say, it’s bloody brilliant, (pun intended as it is literally quite amazing for my blood). No matter how tired I am, there is no barrier to entry for just sitting. But once I have for those few minutes I am a changed woman. And all it took was sitting for a task I do every single morning anyway.

I’d wanted a vibration plate or Chi Machine for about a year now but hadn’t taken the plunge as it is an investment. Not knowing which I should choose between and wondering if it would just be a fad. After all I have my trusty bamboo tapper and Theragun both of which I love but they are targeted and so can not stimulate the entire body in one go (great second options if you don’t want to invest quite yet though).

Then while listening to The Wellness Process podcast I heard LifePro mentioned and was sold. I’m glad I did because it’s better than I expected it to be.

Originally my plan was to incorporate it into my yoga practice, to help stimulate my fascia, circulation and lymphatic systems as well as boost overall energy flow. And while I do incorporate it into my yoga practice as planned the real surprise has been working this alongside my toothbrushing.

You simply can not help but feel uplifted and energised after being on a vibration plate. It’s especially helpful after lying still for hours overnight, which ultimately leaves the lymph system stagnant.

Brushing my teeth while not on a vibration plate just doesn’t hit the spot anymore, it’s addictively that good and I already know it’s going to help with the cold dark autumn school run mornings that are coming.

Then I Added Oil Pulling

Honestly after brushing my teeth for a couple of minutes I kind of didn’t want to get off. Which has worked out well as I now stay on for another 5 minutes - standing as well as different positions- while oil pulling. Something I have tried for a few years on and off but never really got it to stick. I’m using this oil here which is minty fresh and so good for oral health (oral microbiome and reducing inflammation).

Time For Tea

One plus about the cooler weather - drinking more tea. I’m a big herbal fan, herbs are potent wellness medicines and often I’ll use what is in my garden but there are some harder to find Ayurvedic revered herbs that have a host of amazing benefits and are not found easily… until now. These 3 blends all contain such good mixes of healing plants for ultimate wellbeing. I’ve been sipping all three throughout the day.

Ojas- Sanskrit for life force, juicy flowing energy and strong immunity. I’ve been drinking this one first thing and earlier in the day. It includes the very highly regarded amla (Indian gooseberry).

Shakti- Sanskrit for power and energy, divine feminine energy. I have been having this one early afternoon time. Containing shatavari, a hormone-balancing adaptogen.

Nidra- Sanskrit for sleep, synonymous with nidra yoga. Great for early evening to help you wind down. Contains so many good ones including lemon balm, Ashwagandha and Brahmi.

Bye Bye Summer, Hello Red Light

Natural sun rules, the benefits in all spectrums of light received from this life-giving force are unmatched (like with anything the dose makes the medicine or the poison).

Failing access to the natural version (hello British autumn) I turn to red lights. I swear by my mask and panels, (I wrote all about how red light healed my face here- with images), I even have an infrared sauna that’s how much I will invest in the power of light because the proof is in the results and when you see - and feel- them for yourself you can’t go back.

This is my new addition, from Current Body, focusing on the neck and chest. I wear it at the same time as my face mask for just 10 mins every day and my skin has been getting a major upgrade from it. I kind of love how the routine also makes me stop for 10 minutes (I usually use my sensate or listen to a To Be Magnetic DI at the same time).

My neck doesn’t get that much love, the skin here is so thin and at 46 of course I have noticed a change in appearance. Since using this - just 2 weeks so far- I’ve already noticed a marked difference (smoother) and because I know the effect using red and infrared light has had on my face, I have no doubt that this is going to be doing the same for my neck after consistent use.

What I Bought This Week

I don’t buy much and when I do it’s usually either because I’ve fallen in love with it or it’s a basic I’m missing, even better when it ticks both which is what happened this week when I bought a new coat and boots for the season ahead. I should also mention that I always buy during sales. I love a good discount, who doesn’t? I want those expensive quality materials but I just don’t want to pay the high price and for me it’s never about trend so I don’t need to buy right there and then I can wait until it’s last season.

The embroidery details on this, the fringing, the boucle material and the cut are all better than I could determine from the images, so glad It’s finally mine!

The coat I finally caved in on…I got mine here with 60% off. However that has sold out now… BUT I managed to find this exact same one, for 30% off, plus an extra 20% and available in most sizes.

Here is the black version with 50% off, plus an extra 20% with code flash20 and (unbelievably) lots of sizes left.

Also divine are the shorter (cheaper) versions too in lots of sizes; Brown here, Black here.

The Aeyde boots… I was missing something like these from my wardrobe as I know they will see me through for many years to come.

These black sheepskin boots, (first time I have bought from this brand- they are comfortable, well made and fit like a glove). I’m a sucker for sheepskin boots, I like warmth and comfort and these have a timeless cool vibe to them.

The brown suede ankle boots. Not many of these left now but a great classic with jeans and that coat I just bought!

I also bought…

These jeans, they haven’t arrived yet but that little seam detail, the colour and length are all calling to me.

Sizes are limited but don’t worry I found these and these that are similar, on sale and still available in more sizes.

And these trainers (£105) because they are like walking on air and I ruined my last pair on the beaches at Tresco.

A few of my other favourites from the sale I have saved to my wish list and am watching like a hawk:

This Ulla Johnson dress because it’s one of those classics you will have forever, the embroidery on it makes it that much more special and it was £1040 but is now £249.60 when you apply the extra 20% off code!!! WHAT!?

This knitted polo top because hello chic detailing on the rim.

This forever bag, I LOVE the shearling, I love the colour and I love that it was £1740 but is now £696. It’s a unique bag that will stand out from the crowd while looking chic winter after winter.

This brushed cashmere top, layered over a skinny long sleeve top would be my daily go to, love the fabric texture too.

Until Next Week,

Cesca Xx

P.S. Did you notice I changed the name on these monthly free instalments to: Pearl Diving, No. 1. I dived so you don’t have to. This month’s obsessions. What do you think!? I really wanted to bring them all together as a separate entity from my weekly emotionally-charged essays. I kind of love it, hope you do too. Anything you want me to dive deep into, test, reveal drop in the comments below.

Find me on Instagram here,

Find my brand Soru here

And all my recommendations on ShopMy here

If you liked this, here are a couple of past posts you might love too:

I was told in a crystal healing session this week (Lynn Jinks she is amazing) that I should visit an art gallery if I had the chance (she is also clairaudient). And that carnelian or tigers eye crystals would be really beneficial for me right now.

The next day I happened to be going to a crystal shop (birthday gift shopping) … just as I was about to leave - in between all the wands, geodes and spheres, I spotted a carved owl tiger’s eye, and immediately felt a full body YES. You may know from past posts that an owl is the sign I have for my mom- who died- it’s the sign I ask for from her and then combine that with the tigers eye. Obviously I bought the owl. Later that afternoon my sister texted me asking if I wanted to go to an art exhibition! What were the chances? When usually I would say no as it required going to London (way too exhausting for me) I was so surprised I couldn’t not say yes. At this point I’m expecting big things to happen on the trip so I promise to keep you updated!

The universe has a way of talking to me and it didn’t stop there…

While I was writing this post one of my notes went viral. THIS note here that was showing one of my very own designs off… one comment left said I should credit the artist!! Hang on, what … me!? OMG.

So I edited the note to include myself as the designer, can you believe the timing of it?

Just as I was writing all about my imposter syndrome as a designer.

The Beginning of Soru's Designs

It was a couple of months into starting up Soru (mine and my sister’s jewellery business) we had been buying off the shelf jewellery and re-selling it, it was working out well (this was 13 years ago, right at the start). But we had ideas, jewellery styles we wanted to bring to life. That we wanted (needed!) to wear ourselves.

I vividly remember my sister looking at me with a look of terror on her face when I suggested we do the designing.

“We can’t do that, we are not ‘designers’ we don’t know how, it won’t work, we don’t have any qualifications”. I declared I was going to give it a go…. “well I'm not, I can’t just decide to be a designer”.

Nothing like some sister rivalry to get you going as I proclaimed it would be perfectly easy, you just make what you want to!! She watched me having a go and had so many (beautiful) ideas herself that the jealousy drove her to put her imposter syndrome aside and have a go too.

Neither of us has design experience, no qualifications, no drawing skills….

So what exactly happened to enable us to (successfully) run Soru for the next 13 years and earn our living from designing jewellery!?

Why I Still Won't Call Myself a Designer

I mean if someone asks me what my job is today I never dream of saying jewellery designer, even though that is what I have heard other people call me.

I say Co-Founder, Brand Owner, Entrepreneur, hustler even! Anything rather than “I am a designer”. I mean, what a nerve to think of calling myself that!

Because to be a designer holds weight - you need to be worthy of such a creatively lofty claim.

I think of a St Martin’s graduate who after studying the skill for years goes on to spend more years honing skills alongside major designers before branching out on their own. Not a middle-aged woman who decided to give it a go one day.

Also, if I’m a little more truthful it feels like showing off, something my English heritage side will NOT tolerate! And I do cringe at this next sentence a little…

The reality is I have been designing jewellery for 13 years, alongside my sister, it is in fact the part of the business we love the most.

As an entrepreneur I am ALL the things. Fear of failure is less, I tend not to mind as much while at the same time minding so much I don’t give up. But there seems to be less F***s given when it comes to the possibility of failing.

That is where the audacity to just ‘give it a go’ in the first place came from.

So HOW exactly do you design if you don’t have those skills I hear you ask? The same way I do everything else in my business when I don’t have the skills…. I improvise. I learn. I figure it out.

My sister’s husband - who also works in the jewellery business- would often suggest designers he had come across who were looking for jobs to us. Suggesting we should hire them, baffled that we were not. It’s true there were times we doubted ourselves but it always came down to one thing, why on earth would we hire someone to do the exact part of the business we LOVE the most!? No thanks.

Below, I'm going to show you exactly how - the maker, the sketches, the whole unpolished truth of it. Let’s go….

Is there something you wanted to try yourself but have felt under qualified for? Comment below if you feel willing to share as I’d be so interested to find out.

Find me on Instagram here, my brand Soru Jewellery here and my ShopMy here

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I’m sat here typing from one of my favourite places, on a holiday I didn’t think I would be having. Coincidence (or not?) there is a writing desk in my bedroom, next to the window overlooking a cascade of tropical plants leading down to the sea beyond with multiple sailing boats dotted in the calm blue bay.

A handful of shells I collected from the same bay are sitting next to my laptop as I tap away, while sipping on my reishi and liquorice tea. The sweet homemade shortbread waiting patiently to be dunked was a welcome gift from the island estate.

Below you will find: Where to Stay · What to Do · Where to Eat · How to Get There · Prices

Tresco: England's Secret Tropical Island

It took me 2 full days of travel to get here but boy is it worth it… this little paradise island with white soft sand beaches, turquoise waters and tropical plants is in fact… ENGLAND. Just off the coast of Cornwall - the isles of Scilly. When I say I am going most people just assume I've said Sicily- nope, Scilly.

Why No One Talks About Tresco

It feels like a secret, the majority of people who have been coming here have done so for YEARS; year after year. A privately owned island, leased out to a wealthy family via The Duchy Of Cornwall (now King Charles). You can imagine the powerful connections and old school wealth (one of The Prince and Princess of Wales’ favourite holiday destinations) it emanates but in a totally undercover kind of way.

Jamie Oliver was there while I was, he goes every year. Benedict Cumberbatch the week before. And yet you won't find a single geotagged photo of either of them here - that's Tresco. It’s always at full capacity and yet totally private. Most people walk (or ride bikes) around barefoot. No cars are allowed, just small electric buggies and helicopters landing.

What It's Actually Like

There are no influencers here, no trendy bars or cafes, no selfie mirrors (in fact not even one full length mirror in either of the homes I have stayed in). Tresco re-sets you to a quieter frequency. A small island (you can walk the entire perimeter in under 2.5 hours) surrounded by calm turquoise blue waters with lots of smaller surrounding islands and rock formations on the horizon.

23 Years Later

This being the first holiday I have taken since announcing my divorce and feeling a little nervous to go abroad (that’s a whole other story) staying in the UK felt safer and I was lucky enough that my best friend of 33 years decided to come along with her two children who are good friends of my daughters. The last time we went away together was 23 years ago- child free- to Mexico! To have her here with me was incredibly special.

Her words to me when she arrived were something along the lines of not being able to get her bearings because although she knew she was in England her eyes were deceiving her. There is the most insane combination of tropical plants and pure soft white sand, set right alongside quaint typically English white washed cottages and garden picket fences. It took a while to adjust to this strange island life. That is what Tresco does to you.

Somewhere you take time for yourself, not as a choice, as a given.

I really feel like people in the know want to keep Tresco as their own secret, you never hear much about it and most people I tell have never heard of it. You won’t find it plastered all over socials as there is not much here. But what is here is insanely good and I’m sharing IT ALL with you below.

Save this post for when you finally discover Tresco in person yourself.

I’m happy to answer any questions you have, just leave them in the comments.

Tips for When You Visit Tresco

Due to being on the Gulf Stream Tresco’s temperature never really changes much. I have been in August and in September- both around 20 degrees on my Apple app, in reality it felt more like 25. I brought multiple knits with me as I hate feeling a chill and there was no need for any of them, not even in the evening. Lesson learnt for when I return.

Usually when I pack for summer I’m taking multiple summer dresses, lots of jewellery and raffia. Not here. No one is dressing up- there is nothing to dress up for. I ended up constantly wearing a pair of denim cut offs and a few old white tee’s. You could walk around barefoot if you wanted but I lived in my trainers for hikes across moors, sand dunes and rocky cliff sides- all of which you will encounter in one day. No real need to even pack a hair brush as I went an entire week without needing/ wanting or bothering to brush my hair! Think beach babe, wind swept, barefoot, low key chic and you’ll have the vibe nailed.

Wifi- take note, it’s BAD

Where to Stay

There are two hubs… Old Grimsby and New Grimsby.

New Grimsby is where you will arrive into if coming by boat, there is a small port here, the island shop (groceries/essentials), the bike shed (bike hire), small art gallery of local art and the island Spa. The Flying Boat Restaurant is also here which serves food 5 days a week from 9-2pm. It’s also where the sun sets in the evening. I would say this is the main hub. Obviously the entire island needs to use the island shop and so it has people coming in and out of it more than anywhere else on the island. There are 2 outdoor pools here and one indoor too. (When you stop on the island you get use of the pools and tennis courts included in the price). I find that more kids seem to stop around this area.

Old Grimsby is about a 15/20 minute walk from New Grimsby or a 5/10 min bike ride. This is where the Ruin Cafe is, boat hire, tennis courts and another indoor pool. I find it quieter over this side, it’s also where the sun rises and where I chose to stay for both of my trips.

2023 I stayed at one of the traditional cottages called Sandy Lane. This absolutely hooked me because it overlooked a quieter white sand beach (not the main beach that the Ruin Cafe sits on but literally next door), set into the dunes. The outdoor space was so secluded and private you basically felt as if you had an entire private beach all to yourself. I would go out to sit on the sand first thing as the sun rose with my herbal tea and come evening me and my daughter would run up and down the beach in our PJs. It was magical.

This year I stopped in one of the newer Seagarden cottages called Flotsam. This was right in the hub of it with tennis courts behind us, pool next to us and ruin cafe on our doorstep- I was worried it would be too over looked but actually with the way it was set elevated we were not overlooked at all and it was still very private.

FYI (for packing purposes) all of the accommodation provides linen, towels (including beach towels), all the essentials, a hairdryer and robe.

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What to Do

Tresco Abbey Gardens- Free entry if you are stopping on the island. Known as Kew Gardens without the lid on, the most stunning landscaped garden of tropical plants from all over the world, a beautiful shell house and where red squirrels (rare now in the UK) and golden pheasants roam wildly.

Here you will also find a collection of salvaged figure heads from shipwrecks collected over the years (at the Valhalla Museum). Tresco is renowned for shipwrecks due to the nature of its position and used to profit considerably from cargo found.

There are ancient burial grounds on the island, one is over 4000 years old, on the moors near to King Charles’ Castle. (They found an ancient burial grave of a woman warrior on the island of Bryher- opposite Tresco- you can walk to it when the tide is low, buried with a sword, shield and mirror- how cool is that!?)

Ruins- Cromwell’s Castle and King Charles’ Castle, as well as Block House you can walk too, all are scenic beautiful walks and nothing is too far that it would be longer than a couple of hours. I liked discovering these as it was a nice way to see the entire island.

Neighbouring islands- Surrounded by nearby islands you can easily get a boat to discover the others for yourself. Bryher is the closest. I must admit once I’m on Tresco I never want to leave so have not popped over to the others. However September time the tide is the lowest so that you can walk between the islands and they usually have a big festival on the sea bed with maker stalls, live music, food and drink which is fun. You can check for all events on the website before you go and plan your days around them.

Island Spa- Is of course serenely beautiful. They offer some really amazing treatments all using ilã (natural and handmade in the Cotswolds), incorporating sound and crystal healing which impressed me. I had the ilã Kundalini Back Therapy which was SO relaxing (I’m grateful my friend bought me a voucher), I was totally changed afterwards, thinking I couldn’t get any more chill and then I had that. There is also 2 indoor pools, and 2 outdoor pools.

Beaches- Probably my favourite part about the island, the sand is so soft, there are plenty of shells, there are no awful gravel rocks into the sea and you can always find a private spot- in fact private beach ALL TO YOURSELF guaranteed. There are turquoise shallow waters but the sea is cold and there are jellyfish- full transparency- I did not go in the sea, it’s not for me, I’m a warm bath sea kind of person, but I did see people going in for sunrise cold dips.

Sports- There are tennis courts and boats, paddle boards and bikes for hire. The bikes are just a great fun way to get around the island tbh. Check the website there is plenty to do suggested on there too, these are just my favourites. If you do boat this island is so perfect for you to get out on the sea and explore all the tiny deserted coves, beaches and uninhabited islands.

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Where to Eat

The best thing is there are so few options that all choice is taken from you and honestly the food is good. I LOVE food, so this is important for me.

You can not book lunch you have to just turn up (there is always availability) but you have to book for dinner and if you want early sittings you need to get in fast so TOP TIP book everything up front before you leave.

Ruin Cafe- Main Restaurant, open all day everyday for lunch and dinner, outdoor and indoor dining and bar area. Overlooks the sea and beach. They do wood fired pizza here which my daughter was obsessed with. I think my favourite dish was the seafood cous cous.

The New Inn- Between Old and New Grimsby overlooking the sea. Pub style with indoor and outdoor seating, a pool table and dart board. You’ll find more traditional food here like steak/ burgers and fish and chips. Open all day everyday. I had the best Sunday Lunch of my life here 2023!!

The Flying Boat- In New Grimsby, only open 5 days a week 9-2pm for Brunch style food, smoothies, cakes and coffee. Overlooking the sea on a smaller outdoor deck with a larger outdoor area at back. There is a yoga studio above too and it’s opposite the spa and indoor pools. It’s like the trendy coffee shop you would stop at before or after your work out.

Abbey Gardens- Has a nice cafe with homemade cakes, pasties, soup etc… a highlight of the whole trip for my daughter as the little sparrows here will eat out of your hands if you want them too.

Tresco Stores- The grocery shop has everything you could want to cook in the comfort of your own home, plus they stock a full range of Cook frozen meals if you don’t fancy cooking.

Take Away- You can order from the Ruin Cafe or the New Inn and have take away from their main menus if you don’t feel like leaving your cottage.

How to Get There

This is the killer and one reason why not so many people visit. It is hard to get to! It’s also the beauty of it of course and why it can be kept such a secret.

You need to get to either Penzance at the bottom of the UK for a 3 hour ferry to St Mary’s (the Scillonian), where you will then get a smaller taxi boat (20 mins) direct to Tresco. Or fly by helicopter (about the same price as the ferry) to land directly onto Tresco in 20 mins. This is most people’s choice who I spoke to on the island. I watched one take off from the helipad and decided against it myself!!! But apparently the views down below to the beautiful small islands is breathtaking.

The other option is a one hour flight from Exeter (40 mins from Newquay or 30 mins from Penzance) on a small plane to St Marys, followed by the taxi boat to Tresco.

I took a 6 hour train journey to Penzance, stopped the night in Penzance and then caught the ferry the next morning (it leaves at around 9am each day for St Marys).

The ferry is nicknamed the ‘vomit grommet’ and well known for feeling like you are in a washing machine. This petrified me before I had gone! But I have tips!! And trust me they make the trip. So first: Sit outside, doesn’t matter if it’s raining or cold or windy, and it probably will be as you are out on the open sea in the Atlantic (come prepared, also have a waterproof, layers to keep you warm and a hat) to guarantee a space outside you will need to get the ferry for boarding about 1-1.5 hours before the boarding time. Yes, really. I can see how this can put a lot of people off and really the only way to look at it is as an adventure! I've seen dolphins on both trips - they come right up close and love to jump alongside you. Makes the whole thing worth it.

Tresco Prices £££

Everything is expensive. Expect London prices, it’s an island so it’s overpriced anyway but you can keep costs down if you need to, like bringing food with you and buying carefully at the grocery store to cook at home. The traditional cottage, Sandy Lane, I booked for a week in September of 2023 was £4.5k (this is for rental - there were 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and use of pools, tennis courts and entry to Abbey Gardens). The Seagarden cottage I just stayed in, Flotsam, was £6k (4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, same access as above). Accommodation prices are much cheaper out of season.

Travel is expensive, the ferry costs about £200 each person and similar for the train (first class which you need if travelling in the UK long distance). Bike hire per person for a week is about £100.

I’d rather be up front and give you ALL the true prices here rather than you having to go investigate. I was also looking at a 2 week holiday in Sardinia, half board - which worked out cheaper than this one, to give some perspective!! The thing is this is special, once you have been you will see what I mean.

The Magic Of Tresco

I was on the island for 8.8.8, Lion’s Gate Portal this year and boy did I feel it. I’m not really one for Lion’s Gate but I am into the number 8. In a big way. It’s always been ‘my’ number, my lucky number. Me, my mom and my sister were all born on the 18th, I grew up in house 80, I was born in 1980… it goes on. I always choose 8 every time and it seems to choose me. The 8th of the 8th (August) this year was extra as the year 26 also adds to 8 and even 8+8+2+0+2+6 = 26 (2+6) = 8.

I got up early, took my morning lemon and salt tea to the terrace right outside my room and watched the sun rise over the sea as I wrote out 8 things I am calling in and thought carefully about the 8 things I want to release, things that are holding me back from those call ins.

I felt such peace in the moment. I listened to the ‘Future Self’ DI from ‘To Be Magnetic’ which is company and by now you’ll have heard me talk about it A LOT- would you like a full post on my journey with them!? The DI was just perfect for the start of this day it guided me through visualisations of myself in 1 year from now, 10 years from now and on my death bed. Talk about potent. All before anyone else had woken up.

Later that day I escaped to the beach- alone- read fiction, felt more at peace than I have done for SO long, totally at ease giving time to just ME, Tresco helped that true connection for sure all while grounding into paradise.

Is there somewhere that feels like your Tresco - the place you just can’t help but go quiet in? I would LOVE to hear about your special trips or favourite places that RESET it all for you so I can selfishly look up for myself, leave your recommendations below!

Thank you to everyone who subscribes already, I appreciate it more than you know.

Until Next Week,

Cesca Xx

Find me on Instagram here,

Find my brand Soru here

And my recommendations on ShopMy here

I chose a couple of my other articles from the archive you might find interesting too:

THANK YOU for all the love on my last post. That was a really vulnerable moment for me and I was genuinely touched at the love I felt back, and I really did feel it, so much so that after publishing I avoided looking at the post and then when I finally did my initial reaction to anyone caring was to burst into tears. It was a big release for me, thank you for standing with me through that. I really do love this Substack journey.

I read a passage once that Matt Haig had wrote about how he was on a really turbulent flight with passengers crying, praying, screaming with fright and how he just wasn’t as scared because he had lived so many days thinking- believing - he was dying that he could cope much better with the prospect.

That is what chronic anxiety can do, when I believed I was dying everyday, I lived as if each was my last. Unwittingly through that panic I have been left with my most treasured possession, a thing of immeasurable value that I wouldn’t have otherwise. Every cloud has a silver lining and all that… well this is a golden lining.

My Closest Friend Knows: When I Die Go Looking For The Red Leather Book

I had not long became a mother to my daughter (she is 15 now) and felt shock at the realisation of having a little piece of my heart outside of my own body. I would panic at the thought of maybe one day not being there for her.

I remembered reading a magazine article (back when we used to read magazines!!) from a dying mother on how she was coping with terminal illness and having two small children. She wrote them letters but more than that she wrote about THEM as children, so when they were grown and had their own children they didn’t have to wonder. Did they also suffer from colic or jaundice? Were they a happy child, funny or more serious child? They wouldn’t be able to ask their mom but she could tell them.

Constant panic attacks left me wondering when my time would be, not trusting my own body to see me through and living as if I was dying each day, all I could think about was leaving my daughter without me.

And so it began, the book I wrote for Alessia, to her it’s folklore, something she has heard me say I have in passing but has never seen. It’s real and it’s wonderful and it helped me through my darkest days.

It started with a letter, a simple letter of everything on my heart that I needed her to know if I was ever gone. But then it grew. Another letter a few months later and another before I even realised what was happening it evolved, it grew into its own and is FULL, much more so than I could have ever imagined when I wrote that first letter.

Every time I was in a panic I would write, each time before I had to leave for a long work journey or go away on a plane without her (as I am scared of flying- even more so then) it would be my ritual to write, one of my to do check lists along with packing - write Alessia’s letter. Just knowing I had said everything I wanted to calmed me.

A Letter From My Mom, 32 Years Later

And then my own mom died. And I found her letter to me, she wrote it when I was 7. And I realised that my mom was once in the position I was.

I found it when I was 39, shocked, in grief and for all those years unaware it had been wrote. A gift from the grave. To see my mom’s handwriting describing the little girl I was and all the dreams she had for me brought me back to myself, to my inner child, in a way no Internal Family Systems ever could. When I’m stuck now, I go back to her letter, it anchors me to my authenticity, helping me respect my true nature as seen through a mothers eyes, not just as I remember.

If I can give you any advice at all from my experiences with letters it would be to write your loved ones a letter, like now, don’t put it off. Even if it’s a small note, trust me, those words will bring more comfort than any photograph, any video; the handwriting, the time, the dedication will be cherished.

Below I go into what's inside the book, I've never told anyone in full. Not even Alessia. Come in, I'll show you and maybe inspire you for your version

Find me on Instagram here, my brand Soru Jewellery here and my ShopMy here

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Hi lovelies, I need to re-introduce myself properly! Not the polished IG facing me but the real me. The question I have never quite answered on Soru’s platform, who is the woman behind the jewellery, when nobody is watching and there is nothing to sell? And what am I doing here on Substack?

The truth is, I am here, on Substack, because the universe told me to… stay with me on this.

The Me You Don’t See On Instagram

I’ve been sharing my life on Instagram for over 13 years, Co-Founder of Soru Jewellery, we have hundreds of thousands of followers and an amazing community (a nice side effect of building on socials).

Problem is where does the slightly unhinged me sit on a brand platform? My unconventional health obsessions, my spiritual awakenings and anti main stream way of thinking?

Revealing that more private, none traditional alter ego on IG wasn’t the right fit when half my followers were there for beautiful jewels and a sprinkle of style, not Ayurvedic life hacks, red lights and manifesting rituals!

I was bursting to connect on more, more than Soru’s platform could allow.

Truth be told I am a solitary person, I like to dive deep into subjects that interest me; spirituality, alternative health and mysticism. I am constantly asking questions, forever curious and immersed in one mind blowing theory after another.

I had been getting pings for a while to join Substack. Each morning I sit in silence and the thought would pop into my head. I felt called.

But I wouldn’t join- I’m not a writer, I don’t have time, I don’t know how it works and it would be way too self indulgent of me. What would people think.

This went on for a few months, the voice in my head repeating just to make sure I did not join Substack.

And then one day, while in this lack mentality, I mentioned to a friend that I had not subscribed to on Substack even though I really wanted to because I felt I could not afford it. Next thing I know she is gifting me the subscription, I’m devouring it all and it encourages me to join myself. The universe had sent me so many pings to join that I talked myself out of but I could not ignore this one.

13 Years Of Building

I Co-Founded Soru with my sister in 2013, I was 33 years old with a 2 year old daughter. I started it through pure desperation; for freedom, for creativity and for money. There was no plan, no investment, no experience just a ton of determination and absolute delusion.

The last 13 years have changed my life; I found my voice, built a business that actually employs people and has over 50% repeat customer rates - all while getting to create absolute BEAUTIFUL jewellery that goes out into the world. This enabled me to buy my own (dream) home and put my daughter into private education - things I never thought would have been possible for me. (Read all about that journey here). I have experienced travelling to the most incredible places seeing our jewellery on the front cover of vogue, hosting events that still blow my mind now and not only that but the future Queen of England has even worn our designs… on multiple occasions!!

And Then, Life Had Other Plans

And with all of those highs there have been lows, I suffered with multiple ‘there is nothing wrong with you’ health issues: SIBO, IBS, anxiety, panic attacks, adrenal fatigue, allergies, tinnitus, vertigo, migraines, menstrual issues… the list goes on. Which led me to try ALL THE THINGS on my path to heal; every therapy, diet, test, doctor. I even bought my own infrared sauna- when I say I go all in, I mean it.

Nothing matters more when you don’t feel well and I have been on a very long journey to find wellness which has led me down not only physical healing but emotional healing too. I know things I feel deserve sharing, things that could help, uplift or inspire, things I feel called to explore further with you here.

And then, I lost my mom suddenly and unexpectedly. No one can prepare you for that kind of grief, how it absolutely changes you for life. I have always been interested in mysticism and spirituality but after this I lost myself in whole new realms, realms I’m still diving deep into exploring now. My eyes have been opened.

And now, I am about to get divorced. From the man I have been with for 23 years of my life, exactly half the amount of time I have been alive, who is 22 years older than me (before you jump to conclusions I am the main bread winner). I will lose that dream house I mentioned (and manifested hard for) and give up so much I built. I am right at the start of my entire life changing. Truth be told I am petrified of this unknown ahead of me.

I have grappled with being willing to give up everything I know in order to uncover my truth but who am I without everything I built? Can I build again? Am I too old? Why can’t my mom be here for this chapter of my life with me?

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What Now?

As I write this I just turned 46, my daughter is 15 and we live in the Warwickshire countryside of England with our maltipoo Bear and tortoise George. I run Soru, with my sister and ‘Soru’ means sister in Sicilian dialect - yep we are half Sicilian (obsessed by all things Italian, Sicily just feels like home to me when I am there) but born and raised in the UK to a single parent mom (my real life hero) on the poverty line. I built a life with everything I dreamt of, until one day it wasn’t.

Pearls Of… (like what I did there with the play on jewellery for the publication name!?) was created for the unfiltered true version, the version you will feel. You won’t find any pretence here.

Just me sharing candidly on everything. All my natural health obsessions, deep dives into living well, spirituality and astrology as well as navigating ageing gracefully, style, travel, design and the raw BTS of owning a business and navigating big life changes.

My goal is to inspire and uplift while honestly sharing therapies, treatments and routines. I won’t be afraid to say when a protocol fails or a theory I have backfires. My endless curiosity will lead the way in a conversation where we think outside the box together.

Another Fun Fact: My daughters initials are A.S.K which I didn’t even realise I did until after she was named!

Questioning the norm has always intrigued me. Wellbeing and uplifting energy will be at the core.

So stay, and talk to me. This isn't a broadcast, it's a conversation. I would love to have you here, as we grow and share together in real time.

You can subscribe for free and follow along, or choose paid. Paid is where I go deep, where you get the actual how; the supplement stack, the sauna protocol, the specific things I tried that didn't work as well as the ones that did. Free is the story. Paid is the manual.

Until Next Week,

Cesca Xx

P.S. - Join in the conversation! I love hearing from YOU and finding out who is reading, this feels like the perfect place to build community. What interests you the most? What are you navigating now that we would bond over? How did you discover Pearls Of…?

Find me on Instagram here,

Find my brand Soru here

And my recommendations on ShopMy here

If you are new to Pearls Of… you might be interested in these previous articles for a bit of my back story:

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Not this year, this year I’m turning 46, the older I get the more I’m starting to consider myself (crone years?). My inner child may actually deserve to be celebrated and there I was telling her she wasn’t worth the trouble.

So I sat quietly and thought about what I really wanted to do, it didn’t take me long: visit my mom’s grave followed by watch my favourite film (Cinema Paradiso- an emotional rollercoaster that transports me back to Sicily set to THE MOST beautiful music by Ennio Moriconne I have ever heard) with my daughter (who is 15 and not actually happy with the idea but has said she will accommodate) eating my all time favourite cookies (food has to be involved and these cookies are something else- I’ve shared the recipe at the end). That is it, that is all and I can not wait. Happy Birthday to ME.

A Couple of Weeks Ago…

Sitting in my kitchen getting my hair trimmed my hairdresser asked “so where are you going this summer”? I keep getting asked this question. What do you have booked? Nothing, nowhere. It felt awkward saying it out loud, that’s not what people want or expect to hear, kind of cutting the conversation off dead and leaving them worried for me.

It’s a strange answer for someone who loves to travel, you’d usually find me in Sicily, Ischia, Capri or Positano. The only year - in my life- I have not been abroad was when Covid grounded all flights.

And I’ve noticed the posts rolling in, everyone away in beautiful destinations.

Things are changing and for one reason or another I’m not flying off this summer.

Slight problem when half my time is spent showing my life on Instagram and a big part of that is my summer adventures, how I’m styling the jewellery (my brand Soru’s account is my main gig!) while I'm away is all part of it, but also where I’m stopping, what I'm doing. Me stuck at home in my sweats just isn’t going to cut it.

People have been looking at me like I’ve gone crazy when I say I don’t know. I don’t have anything booked. I look at myself a little like I’ve gone crazy too.

Can I really last a whole Summer without a reset? Without a beach? Is it even a choice for my wellbeing?

Who Am I Without The Italian Summer?

Summer is my season, I LOVE it. I’ll take off 2 weeks and just chill, no I don’t get bored. I need it. Like viscerally need.

I’m reminiscing those dreamy early sunrises on the beach, getting up before anyone else to walk next to the ocean and always be first into the tranquility of that still morning sea to meditate as the sun hits my face. Followed by the rest of the day reading and eating in the shade. 2 weeks I look forward to the most all year.

This isn’t a pity party. I’m staying this year, what I want to tell you is what happened when I stopped treating that as a tragedy.

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What Is a homecation? Rest Without the Flight

Which got me thinking of a homecation. Do I really need a flight to receive that restoration? Can I appreciate just being, rather than having to remove myself in order to do so?

Freedom from duty, another way of saying ‘spend time with your inner child’. A holiday - holy day- immersed within God, nature, spirit. Taken out of the daily grid, the doing, the societal trap we all find ourselves in.

I can spend time with my inner child at home, just as much as I can next to the sea. Being next to the sea gives me my permission slip- in society's eyes. It’s acceptable for me to not ‘do’ there, try to not ‘do’ at home and well, the guilt floods in.

So this year I may not get to the sea but what I do get is granting myself that permission slip.

What really makes memories is presence, do you really need to get away to be here?

I asked my daughter what her favourite holidays were- she didn’t mention any of the swanky hotels or breathtaking places we have been to- nope they don’t even register in the core memory bank. It’s who we were with every time, the villa where she had an awful ear infection- yep a best holiday because her cousins were with us!

It’s light from 5am in the UK right now, the stillness of the morning is heavenly, I’ve taken to journalling and meditating on the grass in my garden, surrounded by early birdsong, the sheep bleating on the nearby farm and Bear deciding to join me as he snuggles down into the grass for the routine- I’m sure it’s his favourite part of the day too.

Grounding into the Earth’s frequency first thing has been transformational for downloads. Inspiring me to add everything that comes through to my journal…. I’ll ask for messages and note them, then notice later in the day those same messages coming through. Things that would have passed me by before. For example loud and clear… ‘don’t outsource my inner knowing’. Later that day I picked a book up that I had not opened for a few days and there were the first words I read: ‘As humans we are continually seeking out different places to find enlightenment- we have a tendency to look outside ourselves for direction and guidance, and even the answers."

How a Quiet Morning Turned Into a Last Minute UK Staycation

Since writing this article, while in the stillness of my garden, I had MANY pings to go to the small island of Tresco - as you may know I am in the season of following my pings. So I booked it, last minute UK island getaway to paradise (part of the Isles of Scilly just off the Cornish coast in England), not only that but my best friend (since we were 13 years old) is coming with me (and our teenage kids who are best friends too).

What was a stay at home summer has turned into a no flight, nature filled, restorative adventure. It will take us a very un-glamorous 6 hour train journey followed by a 3 hour ferry and another little taxi boat. But it could possibly be the thing I needed more than I realised this year.

The strangest part: I only heard the ping because I'd finally gone quiet.

Last time we went away together was a lifetime ago, over 20 years, when we were just girls, with no children, no responsibilities and no losses yet. This feels like something we both need together.

We listed out all the reasons why Tresco would not be a good option for us this year, expense, travel, not ideal accommodation, the list goes on. Then I looked at her and said Tresco is just calling- she agreed, it was calling her too. In that moment we both knew we were going.

It was never really Italy I needed. Something was pulling me towards a different need this year.

Cesca’s Birthday Chocolate Chip Cookies (Recipe)

I would love to hear about your travel plans. Are you staying home this summer too, or did you get a surprise ping like I did?

Until Next Week,

Cesca Xx

Find me on Instagram here,

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And my recommendations on ShopMy here

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But yet, also addicted to doing, one day I would be on my screens until 2.30am (still having to wake at 6am for school runs) the next day going to bed at 10pm and so it went on again, and again.

I have very good practices (I truly enjoy) that keep me on track day to day; meditation, movement, good nutrition. It all went out the window.

And when you are off the wagon it is very hard to get back on.

That’s what I’m doing now. Taking tiny steps day by day to get back on that wagon. Which had me writing today’s post….

I didn’t go to the doctors for multiple reasons, one of which I have not shared with you yet. That time I was gaslit by my female GP.

The fact she was a female just hit even harder.

I had been on the contraceptive pill for 11 years before I decided to have my daughter. As soon as I came off, I consciously tried once (planning everything around having a water sign baby of course!!) and was pregnant from that one try (which surprised me and also left me not fitting into my wedding dress but that’s another story!).

After having my daughter (at 30 years of age) I decided I did not want to go back on the pill. Simply because I didn’t want to be disrupting my cycles with hormones or putting medications into my body that could have a consequence.

My periods returned, at first with no issues but a couple of years in (probably the stress of being a new mom and lifestyle changes, lack of sleep etc) my periods slowly became unbearable.

And I mean unbearable.

Heavy bleeding, dizzy spells, unable to be in bright lights or around too much noise, my senses were so heightened and the fear, the fear was all consuming. Fear at the bleed, how much there was, fear I would faint, fear I wouldn’t be there for my daughter, fear there was something very wrong with me internally. I was a mess and an overly emotional one at that.

So I went to the doctors, which is not something I do lightly. I explained what was happening and how I was really struggling to cope each month.

The female doctor smiled- as in an eye roll- and offered me the pill which would sort it all out. When I refused she was visibly irritated, her response was ‘that’s just what it’s like to be a woman’.

I’m sorry WHAT? Apparently there was nothing wrong with me, I could take the pill or carry on as I was. They were the two options. She stared blankly back at my face- a face desperately trying not to collapse into a blubbering mess.

Surely as a woman herself she knew what I was describing was not down to being a woman. It felt like feminine betrayal.

I knew she needed me out and on to the next patient but I refused to believe that women just suffered, No. My body was communicating to me loud and clear that something was wrong. And so I refused to leave her office. She eventually offered me a scan- but it would have to be an internal scan to see if there were any underlying issues. Great, OK, that is what I will have to do.

I waited months for the scan. Went (petrified). Was told there was nothing wrong with me.

Hang on, what?

I know there is because when I’m trying to shop in Boots to get nappies with my 2 year old I feel like the strip lighting is going to make me pass out. I was having bouts of anxiety like I had never experienced in my life, I would get so weak during menstruation that I could barely function and the clots…. and the blood… well.

I couldn’t/ wouldn’t accept this as normal… because I’m a woman.

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(This doctor’s appointment led to no diagnosis- something I was not willing to accept and a previous doctors appointment, when I was 18, led me to a diagnosis I was also not willing to accept, being allergic to the sun! You can read all about that one here)

This was the true start of a physical and spiritual healing journey. One I will forever be on but one that also within a few months rectified the problems I was having.

I’m 45 now- soon to be 46 (Cancer baby!) and can honestly say for the last 13 years my periods are like clockwork, have no- zero- symptoms at all and mostly I never know I am about to come on. It just seamlessly happens with no discomfort, no heavy bleed, no anxiety.

After that doctor’s dismissal I made a promise to myself that I would not be living like this forever, that I would do whatever it took to heal myself.

Below is everything I actually did, including the foundations that changed it all, the one supplement I couldn't live without and what I'd tell any woman sitting in that doctor's office being told this is just how it is.

Find me on Instagram here, my brand Soru Jewellery here and my ShopMy here

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This year something changed for me.

I have always been interested in spirituality, wellbeing, natural health, mysticism (life path number 7 in numerology, no more needs saying!). I will research for hours, delve deep into subjects becoming a star student and practising what I learn along the way. It has shaped who I am today.

That all changed this year. I was pulled to emerge from my introverted cave-like studies and actually do the things with people.

In the last few months I have had/ seen/ experienced:

A psychic medium (actually 2)

Crystal energy healing

Reiki healing

Palm reading

Tarot reading

Bazi chart reading

Vedic natal chart/ Ayurvedic chart and past lives analysis

Muscle testing

Chakra healing

oh and… Oracle card readings

(While we are at it I signed up for business courses (2!) and in 13 years of having my own business I have NEVER done that)

(I even met up with people I resonate with from online IRL. I mean in real life… this is not something I would usually do. What is happening to me!!)

For someone who usually sits in her room studying the charts herself, trying to muscle test herself and learning how to connect with other realms herself (yes, really)- it was a BIG change. A lot and all at once.

A friend asked “what are you searching for”? I have always been searching, it’s my nature I can’t imagine ever not searching. But this was desperation, I felt something coming and have landed in one of the biggest transition periods of my life.

In the midst of these experiences (by the way please do tell me which you’d like me to go deeper on) my yoga teacher mentioned she had just had her Vedic astrology chart done, and wondered if I would be interested. It was a full body yes, as I was in a season of following all my pings, I asked her to send me the details.

What The Stars Wrote

The thing I love most about the Vedic chart (and there are lots which I will get into) is that it hones in on your Dharma. Your duty, what you are here for, your own cosmic law for your life’s purpose.

If I am feeling lost, when I’m pulled in a hundred directions, this grounds me. I come back to what the stars wrote in the sky as my Dharma and I feel into the right direction.

Like all astrology, I find it settling, assuring, permission giving when my truth gets cloudy.

We all have our own cosmic map, the energy placements that were at play when we were born into the matter we are now. It's not woo woo when you realise we are all energy; 99.999% of energy (nothingness) in each of our atoms. That same cosmic blueprint, in place the moment we were created, affected the energy within us, which makes perfect sense, to me anyway.

My love of Ayurveda led me to Vedic astrology a few years ago. I found out that it’s an older version of astrology than western, your sun sign may even change as it’s based on how the sky’s constellations are viewed from the earth rather than, as in Western astrology, based on the seasons.

Both hold value and I love western astrology for its personality insights and self understanding. Vedic goes deeper into Dharma, Karma and life timings, so predicting when the big events will arrive for you.

Let’s dig into my Vedic reading, what it taught me and could help teach you. I’ll share the reader I used, how to contact him (his personal number) and who else I follow in this field that I find fascinating and helpful.

I'm also sharing what my own charts revealed - including my past life, my scores out of ten (yes, you get scored), and the one line that made me feel completely seen

Find me on Instagram here, my brand Soru Jewellery here and my ShopMy here

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UK reader’s, you may not want to hear what I’m about to say… sorry, not sorry, but I’m ecstatic about the heatwave. Everyone keeps telling me, with relief, that it’s coming to an end, but put me in an oven and I’m happy. I have been very happy about it!

I was so busy this week launching our new summer collection (for my brand Soru). The first EVER collection we have done in 13 years with no professional photoshoot- even when we first started we went to a local studio and hired a local model. So this was a moment (a cut back moment I’ll admit).

Me and my sister went to Daylesford farm to take shots of the jewellery…. on ourselves…. with our i-phones!! And the launch has ended up being a BIG success.

We have put out our designs for 13 years now, but still I find myself wondering will anyone else actually like what we like? Have we gone mad? Will we have made jewellery that takes a year of planning to just sit in our offices!?

To much joy and sighs of relief this week we have watched customers choosing styles we are just SO pleased to see them choose and then wonder how they will be wearing them/ where to/ what adventures the jewels will now go on. It’s a whole process.

So this week I felt called to talk about our collection; the styles, the inspiration, the styling and a round up of clothes I am majorly lusting after to pair together.

Mediterranea

Called this for obvious reasons; a collection of treasures from the sun and sea.

That says it all doesn’t it? Me and my sister are both beach and sea lovers. This was easy for us to conjure up once we started going. I mean, yes, we owe inspiration to great works of art, especially Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and Primavera, but all I have to personally do to know what styles I want to create is take myself back to the places of summer I love most; the quiet abandoned streets of Capri in the evening, the beaches of Sicily, the hidden terraces of Positano. Place myself back in those situations and dream up the jewellery that I’m wearing. It’s hot, it’s fragrant with jasmine, the colours are dusky, muted even from the heat.

Hopefully- like me- you will feel this from the jewellery. Or you may find your own story in your own piece? (If so PLEASE reach out and tell me because there is nothing I love more than that).

There are 28 new styles in total. Here are a few of my favourites:

The Charms

A collection of found sea treasures. The murano glass is that shade you find washed up on the shore but ours has a special engraving on the side: ‘forever grateful’ to take with you where ever you go. The seahorse is much more playful than we would ever do usually and me and Marianna (my sister) deliberated over this for a few days but decided we like it and want to wear it so we have to include it even if it doesn’t sell! (even though it’s on pre-order I can confirm it has sold).

Styling Tip:

Charms make it easy for me to change my necklace layer looks each day to a whole new vibe, they also carry a lot of meaning for me and so depending on how I feel and what I need that day I’ll choose the charm to match.

Simple Chain Necklaces

Now these are not stand out pieces you probably thought I would choose to talk about here but these are the understated winners of this entire collection. The kinds of styles that will stand the test of time.

You may not know here on Substack- unless you follow Soru on IG- but I’m a massive fan of necklace layers... my usual magic number is 3 and that top layer needs to be a plain chain. (The With Love is tiny little gold hearts- just needed to point that out because well…. cute and yet chic at the same time).

Styling Tip:

Every single off duty day I have my necklaces are layered… over knits, dresses, t-shirts, blouses- honestly whatever you wear if you have your 3 necklaces with it, just makes it. I don’t feel like my look is finished without them.

La Regina- The Queen

Translating to Queen of Pearls and Queen of the Sea. These are two styles that me and my sister deliberated over for quite a while. Yes we love them, they are amazing statement necklaces BUT they are expensive to make, customers will not want to pay as much as they will have to. Should we make the beads smaller, the pearls smaller to help cost? Back and forth for WEEKS. It’s an investment if we go ahead and create them but again, as it always comes back to with us, our business heads follow our hearts!

We loved these necklaces so much, we decided that even if no one bought them they are real stand out pieces that would be great for press and images. But guess what? They are the MOST popular styles of the collection so far. This is why time and time again I advocate for following your heart, even if that means taking a risk, because it always works out in the end.

Styling Tip:

I feel called to say here that yes these look amazing with a colourful maxi dress, so chic. But I’m wearing mine with a (very well made) white tee daily. This is my fave t-shirt to wear.

The Summer Collection had me dreaming of just the right look to go with them. I have a wish list on The Outnet (not because they asked me to link - just because I like to buy with a good discount) and I’m sharing it here with you.

1. This is such a cute pink linen dress from Saloni, there is 50% off and the white edging makes it.

2. How can I not include a lace linen from Zimmermann. Styled with heels here but I’d prefer tan flats and raffia. It is 45% off.

3. This is a more affordable and casual version from Saloni with 50% off. Love that there is a belt (you could swap out for your own which I often do for a raffia). Saloni’s quality is always really beautiful.

4. Added this Claudie Pierlot blue linen dress which is an absolute steal at 45% off and the lace trim is my kind of girlie heaven.

These Agolde jeans are such a good find for 50% off, in the perfect washed blue for summer and what looks like the perfect cut too.

1. This Zimmermann crochet lace top has 3 sizes left, it would be so good with denim, would even work well as a beach cover up with shorts and is… 85% off!

2. Saloni (again I know) linen kaftan of dreams. Would work so well with this collection too. I’ve had this on my wish list for quite a while I absolutely love it. I just need a beach holiday to Italy to have somewhere to wear it. 55% off.

3. Only one left of these romantic dresses, the detailing is beautiful, with lace inserts and pastel printed linen. It’s from Zimmermann and 45% off.

4. PLEASE DO NOT BUY, urgh can’t believe I’m sharing these as only one left, in my size and I really love them. They are Chloe, crocheted mules- not too high and 45% off.

5. The sun print on this dress has my heart, plus I love the shape with that flattering drop skirt (I always feel so feminine when I wear shapes like this). Borgo De Nor, 55% off.

I couldn’t not include this one because it’s a classic silk Dolce and Gabbana Pareo and it’s 80% off, was supposed to be £1200, but it’s £240 and is timeless. Plus it’s such a beautiful gift as I know they come in lovely presentation boxes usually.

This Evi Grintela dress has it all at 50% off. Scalloped edging, broderie anglaise, beautiful cut. It ticks all the boxes, I really love how there is an adjustable tie at the front to pull you in, yet the back flows loose.

Thank you for letting me write about a collection that is really close to my heart this week and the frivolous fun of sharing my fashion wish lists.

I am off to London on Tuesday, to one of my favourite hotels… the Dorchester, where we (Soru) are hosting a very exciting event in celebration of a special collaboration with Laura Wills from The Fashion Bug Blog. At the event we have the BEST crystal healer and tarot card reader I’ve ever come across and it’s all in the most divine suite - I’m truly so hyped for it all but also slightly scared and I already know that afterwards I will be drained. It will take me a few days to recover energetically, days I don’t allow myself. It’s a mix of being around so many other people (as an introvert and empath), the travel on the train (anxious), and the adrenaline of hosting my own event that totally knocks me out.

Next Sunday’s post is going personal. I have two topics ready to write about, let me know which you would prefer me to delve into: My Vedic Birth Chart Reading and everything you can discover from this fascinating deep dive (including past lives!) or my hormonal healing journey after being gaslit by the medical system and taking things into my own hands.

I’d love to hear what calls to you to help me decide.

Whichever wins, I'll start writing it tomorrow.

Until Next Week,

Cesca Xx

Find me on Instagram here,

Find my brand Soru here

And my recommendations on ShopMy here

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I recently heard everyone should be building their own personal brand. Not for ego, for follows, for validation but just as a common sense strategy in the face of AI and a way to be more savvy with money.

What even is a ‘personal brand’? The advice was take anything at all that you genuinely love to do… gardening, reading, shopping- anything, and set up a channel for it; You Tube, Instagram, Substack etc. And simply post when you like whatever you like on the subject you have chosen. So it’s you showing up doing what you love.

He then advised (this was the podcast) to put as much through this self proclaimed business as possible to help with your personal tax payments… for example if you go away on holiday that year and your interest was gardening make sure you go somewhere there is a gardening show you needed to attend for your channel (it doesn’t even matter if you have minimum followers as long as you genuinely post) and pay for your flights and 1 nights stay of the holiday through your personal brand ‘business’ so that the tax is offset for these.

Same for when buying gardening tools or seeds etc- you get the picture. Offset the tax on everything by having this personal brand that was something you love anyway and posting on it when you feel called to.

On the other hand, with jobs being lost to AI and prospective employers going straight to socials to check you out before interviews even begin, your personal brand can be representing yourself for your next job exactly as you want to be presented- let’s face it this is where prospective lovers, friends and acquaintances are going to check you out too.

As an employer, I do this myself when looking for new employees, no point in studying a CV that’s mainly wrote by AI. On socials I’ll see their work, their interests, what they are really about.

And that’s not for people pleasing, follows and likes. Not even for revenue but to represent who you are as an individual person and to benefit from the tax advantages it could bring if you wanted them.

This got me thinking… especially as a mother of a 15 year old. Should she start working on her personal brand, but what will it be? Where should she start?

I was also fully aware that I now had one without me even consciously creating it. From the business I had made visual on socials but without full control over how I was being represented as my own personal brand.

Then I began looking at the women around me of similar age, who had one and how did they get there.

With that in mind it inspired me to create this weeks post where I am interviewing my friend Sally from . She created her own personal brand over the last few years that has developed into her business and I thought it could be interesting to find out exactly how she did that, the steps she took and where she finds herself today.

As well as Sally’s interview, below you will also find links on how to start your own ShopMy account and why (something I did myself very recently and I share candidly what I have earned and how so far). Prompts to find the best platform for you based on your astrological placements (of course I take it there!) and a ritual I am doing to celebrate the summer solstice that promises to bring you a year full of beauty and luck! (A great start for your personal brand but really I just wanted to add it in as it’s such a beautiful ritual you can do any time of year).

Find me on Instagram here, my brand Soru Jewellery here and my ShopMy here

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I was out enjoying it at every opportunity, not something to take for granted when at age 18 I was diagnosed with being ‘allergic to the sun’.

It was my happy place even back then- under the sun. My half Sicilian blood craves the heat.

So when I was told I was allergic to the sun, I asked for a second opinion. That came back with the same conclusion. Two doctors I refused to believe at the skin hospital telling me the unbearable urticaria I was suffering with at the time (painful, itchy, red blisters all over my hands, feet and arms) would be with me for life due to my sun allergy and proceeded to prescribe me factor 60 sunscreen which I was to wear even when inside a car.

Apparently you can just become ‘allergic’ one day. When I was told this my first thought was OK, so how do I become un-allergic? There was no answer given.

Thank goodness my mother brought me up to question everything. She had often talked of ‘the power of the white coat’ so I knew how important it was to think for myself, especially if something wasn’t resonating.

I’m half Sicilian, I had been visiting Sicily in summer most years, in 40 degree heat for up to a month and never experienced anything like this before.

But more than that my instinct disagreed, sun is life giving, without the sun I would be dead. I just couldn’t comprehend - or accept- what I was being told.

Even at 18 something in me knew to chuck that factor 60 in the bin upon leaving the hospital and start to question how the medical system actually works.

When I’m in the sun I am happy. Full stop, that’s it. Happy.

I suspect I’m not alone in this.

If sun is life giving what was driving my body to act this way? I immediately booked a week off work (which I remember being very hard for me as I hate to let people down- looking back that was probably part of the problem) and stayed home, I stopped wearing perfumes, lotions, hand wash, make up etc- anything that could have been irritating. I sat in the garden and got sun, ate whole foods, drank loads of water and rested. The rash began to clear, slowly. It came and went over a couple of months.

To this day I don’t know the exact cause but my soul says emotional stress, irritated by environmental toxins. I do know that part of my healing came from sitting in the sun.

That experience changed my relationship with the sun permanently. And it made me start to wonder what we've actually been told about it, and why.

People are always surprised when I tell them I don’t wear sun lotion. Let me explain why…

I believe sun to the skin is anti-ageing. How can it possibly not be when I saw my Sicilian family sun bathing as I was growing up, no one was cowering from the sun or wearing sun lotion and I promise you everyone of my 80/90 year old aunties have no wrinkles and are well and healthy. Is the opposite notion maybe something we are just being fed to believe? I’ve seen another way and I’m grateful for that because it made me question the difference of opinion I saw in England towards the sun.

Have you ever noticed this? The women who haven't followed the rules, who lived differently, who somehow still look their best?

This is what I observed and what I believe, we are all free to follow our own instincts and know what’s best for us.

I would stop with my family in Sicily, we would go to the beaches to ‘take the sun’ as a medicine and beauty tonic.

The women would all stay cool by having feet in the sea at all times. Come midday they would shelter- preferably nap- and then resume for the afternoon. Morning and late afternoon sun were medicinal. Midday sun was for ‘turning you crazy’.

There are lots of wild dogs in Sicily- of which my dad would call crazy. Which rings true to the phrase only mad dogs and Englishmen are out in the midday sun!

My daughter had jaundice as a baby and I was told to lay her crib in front of a window so the sunlight could heal her. My mom told me I had exactly the same as a baby too. So when I feel my body is craving sunlight it really is at a cellular level.

Today- the day before I am publishing this post- I received an email, one I’m subscribed to, telling me that King’s College Hospital in south London has just opened the first outdoor ward in the UK, a rooftop garden ICU!

This made me stop for a few reasons, one because I was writing this post and well I’m sure that’s the universe letting me know. Two because my mom was in an ICU before she died, there was not even one window in that ward, it brought tears to my eyes to see the first patient in the article being wheeled outside. SUN IS HEALING.

We know this inherently but we lost touch. All hospitals used to have outdoor solariums as standard years ago.

Below I’m sharing beautifying practices, how I personally use the sun through the seasons, the practitioners I trust and a summer solstice ritual using herbs from my own garden.

Find me on Instagram here, my brand Soru Jewellery here and my ShopMy here

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Personally I’ve been on an emotional roller coaster this week, which I’m putting down to the Blue Moon effects on a sensitive moon ruled Cancer like me. Anyone else!?

Talking of witchery… the prospect of the new Practical Magic movie had me extremely excited and got my creative juices flowing to the max. After watching the original with my daughter (she is 15 and I’m happy to report loves it as much as I do) I began working on a whole sorcery vibe jewellery collection for AW26 which is coming together very nicely - think strands of gems, spell bottles and celestial motifs. I can’t wait to see how this builds into our AW26 story, sharing a little sneak peek with you all here:

As I was thinking about what I wanted to share in this month’s edit (from making homemade elderflower cordial, buying new boar bristle hair brushes and going back to The Artists Way), I had so much to update you on but then we had an unexpected heatwave in the UK and I got seriously side tracked.

Summer is my favourite season; I’m a boho, feminine, luxe summer dress girl to the core. I can’t tell you the amount of times I am asked on Instagram where a dress I am wearing is from.

I suppose it’s my signature look- a summer dress. What I am drawn to wearing - but nothing trend driven, always the same dresses year after year, it’s the energy of the dress that calls to me. Where it promises to transport me to, the feeling against my skin and the memories of all the travels we have shared together.

I know a good dress when I see one, it’s an inbuilt talent I have.

I also like quality but quality costs and let’s face it everything has tripled in price over the last couple of years. Not to worry I have another talent… finding the best at the best price.

That blue Zimmermann in the photo above appears again later in this post, Alessia younger beside me. Same dress, different summers. That's exactly why I buy the way I do.

So here is my round up, the most dreamy dresses for summer that will last - timeless, quality materials, well fitting, dreamy designs.

Most people wait for summer sales, I’ve scoured the older less advertised discounts for styles that are still available in more than just one size and are now at the lowest reductions.

These just don’t compare to high street dresses that seduce you online, only to then find that they feel and look cheap. These are the real thing, built to last, pass down and make you actually feel and look good when wearing:

1. Alemais Embellished hemp and silk blend dress. This dress promises to be even more stunning in real life with the most beautiful shell detailing and don’t get me started on the dreamy print. Because it’s loose fitting with a combination of cooling hemp and silk this is what I will be wearing to the beach (not styled with heels as the model is, I feel like that might be one reason it’s not sold through). It doesn’t need anything else with it as the dress does the talking. 50% off.

1. Loretta Caponi cotton voile and lace dress. OK so this dress is very low in stock I admit, only a couple of sizes left BUT I simply could not not include it. Loretta Caponi is always the most exquisite quality in real life plus it’s the perfect white dress and summer is just not complete without a loose flowing balmy evening white dress, preferably with lace detailing that hints at the bare skin below and has an overall Chloe-esque feel to it. Sun kissed skin and beachy hair finish the look. 50% off.

1. Doen gingham mini dress. Red for summer with a tan is just luxe, make it gingham add a basket bag, woven flats and messy undone hair for the ultimate French girl gone to market look. I adore how this one is loose and linen so you will stay cool. Great for walking Italian cobbled streets and sightseeing. 30% off.

1. Zimmermann cotton midi wrap dress. I have a very similar blue print cotton maxi dress from Zimmermann (shown in the photos of me above and below) that I have worn year after year. It’s such a chic and eye catching dress, the full billowing skirt trails after you as you walk and the blue print reminds me of majolica tiles which instantly transports me to Italy. I always find it nice to have a more covered up dress option for summer that is still cool in case I want to shelter my skin and this one has a v neck so my charm necklaces will still get limelight. I have spent many a happy evening strolling in Capri wearing this dress and a pair of braided flats. 60% off.

1. Ulla Johnson twill midi shirt dress. For those of you who are not too keen on a print, this dress is it. I would wear this with raffia and tan leather in summer (flats not heels) add some gold trinket charm jewellery - preferably shells and you have a chic put together elegant summer vibe. Ulla Johnson is probably my most bought and worn designer, her clothes fit perfectly and this won’t be any exception. 50% off.

1. Agua by Agua Bendita cutout, embroidered linen midi dress. OK this one is pretty special. Think garden party drinks but for every head to turn. I am obsessed with the print and if you look closely those flowers are embroidered, it’s details like that that stand this dress apart. Plus the cut out detailing at the back is seductively placed yet means you can still wear a bra- bonus. It’s linen and lined in cotton, so will keep you cool. I know bows are not for everyone but they make it for me; bows + that print + the embroidery and I’m swooning. 50% off.

1. Saloni belted floral print linen shirt dress. Finishing off strong with another of my favourite brands and more blue print (this one aptly named riviera blue) that reminds me of majolica. These kind of blue prints suit light or dark hair and are so dreamy for summer. I do love a shirt dress silhouette too as they are super easy to button up over swimwear for lunch while still keeping a put together look if you are somewhere a bit swanky or want to walk into the village to find a spot to eat. Just as gorgeous for a garden party, sightseeing, lunch with friends or shopping. I have a few dresses from Saloni and they fit like a DREAM. Always so flattering. This one is a steal. 60% off.

If you do want more edits from me let me know what you’d like to see next.

Until Next Time,

Cesca Xx

Find me on Instagram here,

Find my brand Soru here

And my recommendations on ShopMy here

Thank you to those of you already supporting this space, it means more than you know.

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Last week was a big one! My sister and I had our homes featured in Hello Fashion Magazine, the adrenaline was pumping as we went to pick a copy (or 2!), not having any idea what images would be used or how the article would look.

I think I got mom points though because my daughter took it into school with her.

The day the photographers came to take these images I was so nervous, I am on socials everyday but the reality is I hate having my picture taken- posing for them, in that still moment there is nowhere to hide.

My home is my sanctuary, it’s where I retreat. Letting everyone in was exposing. But more than that it made me look at what I have created, stop for a while to view every corner again, every detail and design choice. It’s all me, my heart, my dreams. All here in this home I am so proud to have brought to life, at the same time so scared of one day losing.

My old home had many positives and it saw me through those years for which I am grateful but it was not my own. It was tiny, dark, there was mould and no space for solitude.

Moving to the home I am in now healed me.

Below is the real reason this feature meant so much to me, the corners of my home and life I've never shared before, and a full directory of everywhere I shop for the pieces I love.

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The lane I live on really comes alive during spring. Cow Parsley is sprouting up all over the place, the farm’s lambs are growing bigger and noisier and every time I come home from walking Bear I find a caterpillar on me that had been swinging around in the wind, trying to make its way up to the top of a tree.

My herb beds are so abundant right now too, everything has woken up. Tea is being drunk quickly as I keep coming up with new variations. I’ve taken to adding mint to my favourite lemon balm and fennel (plus I’ve even tried throwing in a little rosemary and oregano when extra seasonal protection has been called for). I’m really enjoying experimenting with all the fresh herbs.

Although Spring has brought sunnier days it has also brought coughs, colds and viruses. While everyone around me seems to have been affected, luckily I haven’t. I honestly put this down to oregano and my immune strength rituals which I wrote all about HERE.

I've even managed to sit in the sun a little. Something I find deeply healing and which brings me, rather neatly, to this week's post.

3 years ago I suffered with eczema on my eye lids, it was bad. My eye lids bleeding kind of bad.

It crept up on me out of the blue, my eyes had been watering more than usual and were feeling sensitive, then before I knew it itchy, which led to redness and then flaking and bleeding.

The skin around my eyes became so red and wrinkled it was wearing me down. I could no longer wear eye make up as not only was it irritating but would have watered off within a few minutes of applying.

I remember being at an amazing event that should have been fun, with lots of people from my industry, Simon Cowell, among other celebs mingling with the guests and all I wanted to do was go home to hide and get a cold cloth on my eyes.

Those of you who have dealt with any skin condition on your face will understand. It's not just vanity. You stop recognising yourself.

I tried supplements, diet changes, herbs and cream and then I tried red light.

And everything changed, not to be dramatic but the eczema disappeared completely, my mood lifted noticeably after each session, my eyesight started to improve and the texture of my skin began to change, even wrinkles were fading.

This was just from a red light lamp. No mask. No big panel. A little handheld lamp leaning against my shoe rack.

Below I’m sharing exactly what I did, the specific device I used, the protocol that cleared my skin, and how I now use red light daily for far more than eczema. If you’ve been curious about red light therapy, this is the practical guide I wish I’d had.

Find me on Instagram here,

Find my brand Soru here

And my recommendations on ShopMy here

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(** Side note… after posting this the following month another of our reels received over 2.5M views and counting…)

A reel I posted to Instagram last week went viral. Viral in the sense that we used to get a consistent 20-30k organic (non paid for) views on our posts, until the algo changed and now we are lucky to get 8-10k.

The post in question has over 473k views as I type this, 5.9k likes, over 400 comments, 89 reposts and (one of the main reasons it’s ‘viral’) 5.2k shares.

I thought it would be interesting to reveal to you what that actually means for a brand (and the founder’s sanity). How many followers can you get from something like this? Do you receive new customers? sales? reach?

What’s the true benefit of a viral video anyway… an ego metric or a genuine improvement to business?

A little back story for those of you who are not familiar with me or Soru yet…..I founded Soru with my sister 13 years ago. We grew the brand primarily through Instagram - slowly and consistently.

Soru has 222k followers on that platform, we show up as ourselves and have a beautiful community.

The post that went viral has nothing to do with jewellery, in fact my sister, Marianna, who is in the film doesn’t even have her earrings in!

A couple of weeks ago we were together at Daylesford Farm in the Cotswolds for crystal healing (which was amazing), as we were leaving, actually sitting in the car, we decided we should get some content. More like a ‘oh damn, the social team will kill us if we don’t film anything’.

Marianna had seen THIS funny reel about Erewhon that she showed me. We figured Daylesford was clearly the Erewhon of the UK and we could quickly do something similar.

So we got out the car and started filming, didn’t bother putting the earrings back in that had been removed for the crystal healing, no mic, no lighting just us being silly together.

What came next we were not prepared for.

THIS is the reel, it's Marianna wandering around Daylesford farm shop with a very straight face, doing what we do best - good old dry British humour, the kind that's been peppered through our account for years.

I knew the video would do well, especially with our current followers who know us well but I was shocked at the amount of shares, which was bringing new eyes to our account.

What does this have to do with jewellery? Nothing.

Socials have changed. There is nothing social about Instagram anymore, it's interest-based and entertainment media now.

The reel is entertaining, it shows our personalities.

We built our brand on organic reach so I know just how important it is to show personality, for founders to have a presence. People bought from us because they felt they knew us. That hasn't changed.

But when a video travels beyond your own community, it lands in front of people who may not understand the context or get the humour. And some of them had opinions.

Ironically after very recently writing an article all about how to not care about negative comments on social media - we got lots of negative comments.

Of course we have received negative comments before but these were turning into full blown arguments in the comments of our reel.

Heartwarmingly lots of followers came to our rescue and after years of honing my not giving a s*it attitude to comments I was able to stay calm (unlike my sister who I banned from responding). Which got me thinking… I may not care about the comments but should my business?

Is all publicity good publicity? In my opinion, yes and here is why:

New followers, new customers, new sales - yes, the numbers moved and I’ll share exactly how much below. But beyond that, the negative comments created something unexpected: our existing community showed up. Loudly. Years of goodwill made visible in the comments section.

The reel also took us little more than 10 mins to film and it was FREE to post.

And the conversations, even the hostile ones, put Soru in front of people who’d never heard of us. Some of them will come back.

The rest is for paid subscribers as I’m revealing exact sales and growth numbers. If you're building something, they might surprise you.

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Thirteen years ago I joined Instagram with one intention. Sell jewellery. Build a brand. Get Soru out into the world.

What happened instead; the friends, the community, the women who became part of my actual life, was never part of the plan. It was the best accident I’ve ever had.

Substack just feels different. For the first time I’m here with the community as the intention, not the hope. That’s more exposing and I’m also finding, quietly, that it’s more rewarding.

Which brings me to something I've been debating writing about for weeks. Not jewellery, not business - something far more useful. A small brown bottle that has sat in my medicine cabinet for over two decades and that I would genuinely not want to live without.

Oil of oregano. Stay with me.

I had to dedicate an entire post to this miracle oil because I’d be doing you- and my Substack archive a disservice if I didn’t.

Being half Sicilian myself may be why this resonates with me on a deeper level. It was first used as a revered medicinal herb in Ancient Roman times, known as the herb of joy. Brides and grooms wore crowns of oregano on their wedding day for lasting good health. It was even noted that tortoises would eat it after consuming a snake, to combat the poison.

My mom knew all of this. She was always ahead of her time, the kind of woman who recommended this oil to everyone she met, long before wellness was a word anyone used. She has since passed away, but every time I reach for this bottle I think of her. This post is written in her honour.

And now, like her, I can’t help but tell everyone I know.

She introduced me to oil of oregano when I was in my early 20s and had a cold. Casually she got a bottle from her kitchen and told me to put a couple of drops under my tongue, hold it there as long as I could, then swallow.

I did, she didn’t, however, tell me how incredibly hot this oil was. I spluttered and coughed everywhere declaring I was going to die and couldn’t breathe (I could but it was intense).

That was my first encounter and if I’m honest I’ve let others encounter it this way too on occasion because well, it’s funny- especially for ‘man flu’.

I’ll never forget my mom’s face, calm, smiling, telling me not to be so dramatic. She knew by tomorrow I’d have zero cold and she was right.

Oil of Oregano is as strong as antibiotics and this potent oil’s benefits are endless….antibiotic, antioxidant, anti inflammatory, anti fungal, helps lower cholesterol… the list goes on.

I have not taken antibiotics in over a decade, nor has my daughter.

I wrote all about more of my immunity strength secrets here

Here is exactly how I use and take it:

At the first sign of any viral or bacterial infection: 2 drops directly under the tongue, hold for a few seconds and then swallow, followed by a sip of water. I will also then take another couple of drops, 2 times each day in a small amount of hot water with fresh squeezed lemon juice (you can add Manuka honey here too if you want it sweeter) until I feel better.

For any tooth infection or gum sensitivity. I will drop the oil onto a Teepee and brush between the tooth, I will also put a few drops on my finger and rub directly on.

Once I had my dentist marvel at how my tooth infection had vanished without the use of the antibiotics he wanted to prescribe for me! I told him all about the oil and he was shocked. He's been recommending it to patients ever since.

For gut issues. I will buy oil of oregano capsules as they go direct to the gut rather than the blood stream.

Skin/ nail infections or fungus. You can mix with coconut oil (or other carrier oil) and rub directly on 2 times a day, morning and night.

Experiencing how powerful this herb is through my own real life experience I wanted to try and incorporate it into our every day lives as more of a preventative measure so my daughter could also benefit.

My mom bought me an oregano plant as a house warming gift. It’s so easy to look after. (I am an awful gardener and yet it asks almost nothing of you. Cut it back in winter. That's it.) The leaves get used nearly every day by adding to my salad, tea, pizza topping and pasta sauce.

Be sure to buy wild oregano; Origanum Compactum or Greek Oregano; origanum Vulgare subsp.hirtum (different from just Origanum Vulgare). These are the strongest medicinal grade species (as there are many).

Below is the tomato pasta sauce recipe that my Sicilian nonna passed to my English mom

It’s easy, quick, delicious and you can add fresh oregano in with the dried as an extra health benefit:

• Extra virgin olive oil (the best would be from one olive variety and early harvest)

• Whole Italian plum tomatoes, preferably in a jar otherwise a tin (they really do have to be Italian!)

• 3/4 cloves of garlic, finely sliced

• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

• Dried oregano and/ or fresh oregano

• Optional- single cream

Method:

Heat a good amount of olive oil in a small thick bottomed saucepan, add the sliced garlic when hot so they sizzle as they hit the oil.

Fry momentarily. Do not burn.

Add the plum tomatoes, a pinch of sea salt and a twist of black pepper.

Use a potato masher to mash up the tomatoes (this is better quality tomato than buying ready chopped).

Cover and simmer for about 10 mins.

Remove the lid and add the oregano.

Leave uncovered to simmer and reduce down for a further 10/15 mins.

Take off heat and if using add a tablespoon of single cream and stir in.

The longer you leave to simmer the more of an intense flavour you get.

Not all oil of oregano is equal. The potency varies enormously and the part of the plant it’s extracted from matters. This here is the exact bottle I use and trust, the one my medicine/ bathroom and kitchen cabinets are never without.

During Covid oil of oregano sold out everywhere, and if you’d never heard of it before that, you couldn’t get it. I don’t want that for you.

Consider this a secret I’m letting you in on. The best kind.

Mom would have approved too. Sharing was always her way.

Until Next Week,

Cesca Xx

Find me on Instagram here,

Find my brand Soru here

And my recommendations on ShopMy here

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I have felt such a strong personal shift this week as Aries transitioned into Taurus; a desire to hide and hibernate yet with my emotions dialled up to the extreme and all with an unavoidably busy week at work. The current planetary movement is like being on a roller coaster for a very emotional Human Design generator as I am.

It felt like divine timing when my booking with Lynn Jinks Crystal Healer at Daylesford Bamford Spa fell into this week. This was my first experience with crystal healing, I went with no expectations and left a convert.

As I lay on a bed as soft as a cloud Lynn placed crystals around and on me. Each time she did I felt really strong vibrations throughout my body, twitches and darts, like currents, it’s very hard for me to describe with words.

What I can tell you is that I have not experienced a feeling like that before, it was not placebo as far as I can tell because they were real life sensations, only while the crystals were there. I spend a lot of time in meditation and stillness and have not felt this before or since.

Lynn is also clairaudient (read more about the gifts of the Clair’s in my previous post here) and so any messages she received during the healing she wrote down and discussed with me afterwards. I would say this is the most precious part of the session, Lynn knew things about me and challenges I am facing right now that I have not shared anywhere else.

It was a really powerful session and I am now intrigued about crystals. After picking my daughter up from school later in the week we took a trip to the Crystal Shop in Stratford Upon Avon and chose crystals together.

Lynn said that you can have crystals around the home or hold and they emit energy but they become most powerful when you give an intention to them and sit in silence with them and that intention. She has given all of the crystals that she uses in practice an intention.

The rest of my week was spent filming content and doing tech type stuff in the back end of our Shopify store for my brand Soru. Both of which don’t come naturally to me but I have been honing for 13 years.

The irony of my week isn't lost on me.

As a natural introvert; Cancer sun, Aquarius Rising, Numerology 7, emotional authority in Human Design, along with my personality tests at Enneagram 5 and INFP - all point to introversion as my natural base. It’s been a ride building a brand on Instagram primarily, with me as the face. This was not an intentional plan, more a lack of other options which led me to find myself in this position.

That's what I'm talking about today, what it's actually like to build something publicly when your entire nature pulls you toward privacy.

(If you want to find all of your astrology charts and personality tests in one place, the Mirror app does this beautifully; it blends your western astrology, Human Design, Enneagram, Numerology and more into one profile. Not an ad I'm just slightly obsessed with it right now).

It was 2013 when my sister and I began Soru, I was 33, my daughter was 2.

Facebook and Twitter were going strong, Instagram had just started to become mainstream, as was Pinterest. There was a buzz in the air, new ways to market were emerging without having to pay a penny. That was what I wanted to utilise when we began our business with basically zero budget for marketing.

Problem was while all my friends were on Facebook sharing images of their holidays, I was not. I did not like the concept and was actively avoiding it, much to the dismay of some of my friends at the time! I did not want to share in this way, I found it egocentric and had no desire for any external validation.

I felt repelled as social media emerged, even repulsed. The idea of performing my life for an audience felt fundamentally at odds with who I was.

Fast forward to today, I am personally on Soru’s social media daily with 222k followers on Instagram and 13 years of showing up. Our Instagram community has watched my daughter grow, been on every family holiday with me and shared personal as well as business milestones along the way.

How did this happen?

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Welcome back to my monthly recommendations; the series where I share everything that has lit me up recently. All the things I’d send in our friendship group chat if I could and details I hope to inspire and excite you with.

I’m writing this early morning as the sun dances through what is usually a darker corner of my house. The clocks went forward here in the UK and the lighter evenings and brighter days are bringing me that much needed spring joy.

My daughter, Alessia, is back at school after the Easter break. The early rises mean my morning routine has returned; solitude, meditation, movement and gratitude that only when I stop do I realise just how much of an anchor they are for me, mentally yes but physically too. These holidays have reminded me of that in the most necessary way.

Work has returned full time at Soru, I’ve bounced from taking product shots (I still take all the shots myself, with my iPhone - always have since the first day we started!) and creating content at home for our Instagram account to very long zoom meetings and an office drop in to oversee customer services while our manager is off unwell and my sister is still in Spain for her Easter break. The kind of week that reminds you why the morning routine matters so much.

Let’s get into this month’s list which is a particularly good one- I’ve stumbled across so many intriguing finds I’ve been sitting on, waiting to share. I’ve also added something new to the end of this edition that I think you’re going to appreciate.

Everything below has found me this month in some way. Some of it by accident, some by obsession, all of it worth your time.

Aha Halo

A dear friend of mine, introduced me to a Scalar energy device called AhaHalo. She swears by its frequencies to help with a multitude of issues; everything from ‘woo woo’ classed ailments like energetic blocks, EMF protection and water charging to physical bodily complaints such as migraines, deeper sleep and back ache.

Because of this and hearing how much it’s helped her I’m currently deep diving into all things scalar, researching and testing the device for myself.

I’m wearing it around my neck right now as I type this out and am going to be reporting my findings back soon. What I can tell you already is that something feels different when I wear it. Whether that's placebo or scalar energy, I’m using my Oura ring to track and I'll let you decide when I report back.

Londevity Chocolate

OK, this is a bit gimmicky but also rather intriguing; Londevity are chocolates made by hand in the UK that contain over 20 supplements for longevity! Yep, chocolates as your supplements. I spotted them on my friend Instagram stories and had to try them straight away.

I can confirm they are indeed a delicious taste of chocolate, apparently you are supposed to take 4 a day- there is no way I could have 4 of them a day they are much too rich but I feel like if I’m craving chocolate this is a good hit.

Mirror App

I am obsessed with this app, it’s an AI generated astrological/ psychological companion app that helps guide you by taking your astrological and personality systems into account to give you precise, honest and emotionally intelligent advice for your life in the moment. You can be super self indulgent while also going down a mystical rabbit hole.

It knows you specifically by blending your western astrology natal chart with other systems such as Human Design, Enneagram, Numerology, Vedic astrology and more ancient energetic/ spiritual systems and personality type tests. Plus you can add in friends and family charts for more specific compatibility guidance.

I have been using the app for a few months and find it fascinating.

You have easy access to all your charts in one place, there are daily horoscopes, journal prompts and general tips for wellbeing each day as well as access to generating in depth charts on all sorts of topics- work, love, self discovery etc.

The best part is you can ask questions and the responses will be tailored to you specifically taking all your charts into account. It’s not generic, it’s guidance in real time specifically for you based on your energetics plus it will take the position of the planets into consideration at the time if you ask it to.

I looked back at our chat and these are some genuine recent questions I have asked:

1. Can you give me a personal astrological consultation on the entire year ahead for me based on my Vedic astrology chart, highlighting key themes and dates?

2. I’m seeing a Psychic medium today, what questions should I ask?

3. Which day would be most auspicious for me to publish my Substack posts each week? (it responded with Thursdays, so there may be a change to my publication date soon!)

I genuinely use this the way other people use a therapist or a life coach. Except it knows my chart.

Posh Balm

Recently I wanted to treat myself without breaking the bank (AI Bike- details below- we see you) so I had a Victoria Beckham Beauty splurge and came across Posh Balm. As I get older (45) I have started wearing less make up, I think it looks chicer and I really love a neutral, naturally full lip.

This Posh Balm has become a firm favourite, I find myself reaching for this over any lipstick, it’s hydrating and plumping, looks natural but still adds just the right amount of tint. I like to use it with this lip liner in Legendary Latte so my lips are defined but still natural. I have two shades but the pinky Fleur is my favourite and the beige hued Canelle I feel will look better come high summer with a tan. There is no stickiness or gloopiness to it.

On the subject of lip balms, my sister gifted me the Goop Clean Nourishing Lip Balm at Christmas, it’s more matt and silky than the VB one and feels like a deeper nourish- I only have the clear but I’m really keen to try the tinted version next. As it’s so much softer than the VB one the stick doesn’t last as long but nonetheless it has a very luxe, understated chic finish to it that I dig.

On My Wishlist

I am seriously lusting after a vibration plate or Chi Machine- does anyone have one? These are the exact two in my Amazon Wishlist.

Circulation is one area of my wellbeing I am always trying to improve, just look to TCM to see how important it is as the foundation for everything. I saw a post somewhere showing different yoga poses you can do on a vibration plate which intrigued me - amazing for cleaning out your lymph nodes. And then I also saw recommending the Chi Machine for the same reason.

If anyone has either I’d love to hear your feedback.

Likewise if you have this one; Coral AI Bike, I’ve had my eye on this bike for over a year but it’s costly. I walk lots and do yoga daily and I have begun incorporating weights into my routine too but need a little cardio as I reach menopause.

The beauty of this bike is at just a few mins a day with no over exertion you increase your HRV and Vo2Max all while being able to monitor and track results over time. Yes, I could do similar with a skipping rope or running up and down my stairs but I won’t will I? That’s why I need the bike!

Substack Finds

One of the unexpected gifts of being here on Substack is the writers I've found. Each month I want to share a few of the posts and people that have stopped me mid-scroll, made me think, or inspired me in some way.

Consider this your curated reading list from me which I will update each month with people I love and posts I’m saving.

• I found this post all about ancient princesses nightly routines that I immediately saved, it transports you to another world and inspired the divine feminine in me.

• My good friend , (we have known each other since we were teens) is actually my sister’s best friend but became a good friend of mine too when we worked side by side together many years ago in buying! She is the one to follow for all things everyday style.

  

• The first friend I have met here on Substack is she is inspiring me to follow my dreams and move abroad with her posts about how she moved to Portugal a couple of years ago and has not looked back. I’ve saved this post for when I go to visit.

• has just come over to Substack too, a friend from Instagram and an absolute authority on the divine feminine and women’s hormones. I can highly recommend her book ‘Hormone Goddess’ which I constantly reference:

• When I came across this post I knew it was divine timing, me and my sister have been discussing going to a jewellery show in Arezzo (Tuscany) next month (I don’t particularly want to go for a few reasons, one of which I’m a nervous flyer) then I came across this post and wow, in the exact spot the jewellery show is (a couple of days before, I checked) the best flea market in the world, beautifully written about by and really giving me a nudge to go.

And on that note, quite literally…

A new habit stack I'm enjoying right now - bringing my notepad into the sauna. Something about the heat makes ideas come differently.

Until next week,

Cesca Xx

Find me on Instagram here, find my brand Soru here and my full archive of posts here

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It’s the school Easter holidays, which has meant juggling a business running at full speed with a daughter who wants my attention, coupled with very late nights, non-existent mornings, less time to myself and significantly more chocolate than any human needs. I could feel myself sliding.

No routine, no workouts, way too much sugar and the kind of low hum exhaustion that makes everything feel harder than it is.

I didn’t want to work out even though I knew I should, so instead I just stretched for five minutes. I tapped all over my body with my bamboo tapper. That was it. Just those two small things gave me enough motivation to walk my dog and then the fresh air, birdsong and daylight completely changed the game for me that day.

I can’t always have perfect mornings or perfect routines. That’s just the reality of my life. But I’ve learnt to have compassion for myself when it slips, and more importantly I know exactly what to lean on to pull myself back up.

This is that list.

This is not a list of things to try when you feel a bit flat. This is what I actually do when I genuinely feel like sh*t - the specific, completely non-negotiable things that have pulled me out of a funk every single time without fail.

Save it. You’ll want to come back to it.

Truth be told, when I’m in this state what I really want to do is:

Scroll.

Zone out.

Numb.

But over the years I’ve realised something simple about this pattern:

Whatever I feel like doing in that state is usually exactly what I shouldn’t do.

And then that feeling becomes a compass. Towards what I actually need - I just had to learn to feel into it differently. It’s truly a gift to notice and call out these habits. Not to beat yourself up for them but to give thanks for them showing you the way.

Everyone has their own version of this.

For me it’s retreating, overthinking, searching for answers; a new book, a new birth chart, a new podcast, even a new Substack. Something to “fix” how I feel.

For you it could be constant working out, or eating, or binge watching Netflix.

It’s important to notice what you tend to reach for and do the exact opposite.

So for example:

Constant working out - take it easy.

Overeating - mindful eating when hungry, actually tasting the food.

Binge watching TV - take a bath, remove your eyes from a screen, journal or read.

Because there isn’t something to solve when you are in this state.

There is something to shift.

We look for something external to fix an internal state. An energetic state.

But it’s the energetic frequency you need to change.

Frequency baby. That is all we are, that is all anything ever is - and you are in control of yours.

I used to comfort myself with “tomorrow is a brand new day” - go to sleep, wake up fresh, see new possibilities. But here’s the thing: every single new passing second is a new day. A new chance to be the master of your own energetic frequency, to take control of your own wellbeing and mood.

I’ve tried all the wellness hacks. I’ve been biohacking for years and it’s in my nature to try every new wellness tool I come across. So let me put all that experimentation to good use. You can thank me on the other side.

This is where it gets specific. Every tool below is something I use myself, with the exact products, the exact method and the exact reason it works. This is the paid section and if you're not yet a member, this is a good moment to become one.

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A reel popped up on my Instagram feed making fun of children who go to private school. Privileged, spoilt, out of touch with reality.

It hit a nerve. Because these were my exact thoughts too and now my daughter goes to private school.

For years I openly told anyone who wanted to boast about private education exactly what I thought: a complete waste of money.

What gets you ahead in life isn’t grades or a network. It’s confidence, self belief and the refusal to take no for an answer.

I have no grades. I got my dream job in buying when every other person in my position had a degree. I had something different - a kind of delusional determination that wouldn’t quit.

When the time was right I started my own business, which now turns over millions each year.

No mentors, no grades, no network. I honestly don’t believe a ‘better’ education would have changed any of that. Private school felt like throwing money away to keep up with the Joneses.

My mother shaped this in me. She let me choose my own school, cared nothing for my grades beyond whether I’d tried my best. While other kids were getting £50 for every A, I got something quieter - the message that effort mattered more than outcome.

My dad, who is Sicilian, once responded to me stressing out about GCSE study with “What are GCSEs? Make sure you are resting.” At the time I laughed. Now I’m forever grateful.

So why does my fifteen year old daughter go to private school?

Not for the grades. Not for the connections. Those things still don’t interest me in the slightest.

The rest is for paid subscribers - including the unexpected reason we chose this school, and the moment my daughter made the decision entirely on her own

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