Flat surface space is at a premium with a toddler running around, but I turned my dresser top into an altar focused on being the kind of mother I want to be. The cloth is a hand-crocheted nursing wrap that I never used for nursing, but stitched during the long wait for M., years before he was conceived. My desire for him and for motherhood are channeled into every stitch. There’s @bakaraw’s #wtfistarot, of course, and my Tarot of Cats deck. The cats help me feel closer to the memory of W’s cat, who left us in June. The mermaid and baby picture was in the delivery room as I went through my long cave-labor with M. The cards tucked into the mirror are Bast and Aphrodite, fierce and soft moms. (Venus Genetrix has been my favorite aspect of Aphrodite since I played her in the 10 Minute Aeneid my sophomore year of high school.) There’s a stuffed manatee, bringing in my patronus and the nature of manatee moms, and a pomegranate candle, as a reminder of my maiden season, which stretched longer than I ever expected it would but gave me many gifts. ******* This space is sure to be covered in dirty tissues, hair elastics, and half-empty seltzer cans in a matter of days, but for now it’s #magiceverydamnday.