I personally don’t buy into the idea of being able to see my future or find concrete information about who I am through astrology. That said, I have occasionally found profound insight into the kind of person I aspire to be. I’ve also found rich and meaningful sisterhoods and friendships through regular new moon circles and tarot card readings. During these circles and readings, this insight in particular always rings true (it rings true regardless of the spiritual practice - prayer, tarot, meditation, eucharist, or even a long and quiet walk): “What you pay attention to grows.”

We’ve just entered the season of Virgo. My birthday falls pretty squarely in the middle of that season. So, as I finish up my 37th turn around the sun, I am choosing to pay attention to the interpretation of Virgo that leans more into the Priestess archetype as apposed to the virgin.

These are a few definitions of a Virgo that stand out to me in this season:

• one whole unto herself.

• one grounded in her femininity.

• the place within us that cannot be shared with anyone else.

• one who is independent from the views of others when defining herself.

• one who does not define herself only as someone’s other (wife, mother, etc.)***

My partner (sbhebert.com) and I recently shared our eighteenth wedding anniversary (yes, we were wee babes when we got hitched) and I wanted to take a portrait of us to mark the day. Before I brought him into my make-shift studio, I did some test shots. Letting my Canon roll 4k video while still keeping my shutter slow gave me the motion blur I was wanting but without the expectation of an impending shutter release (that anticipation often makes a subject perform [even me]…which is not what I wanted).

I ended up really loving these images from that test and I’ll hold fast to the feel of them as I enter this 38th turn.

***while I certainly occasionally use those terms when talking about myself (and am proud of the work I do as a partner and mother), it is rare that I will only use those words. It is important for me to remember the fact that I am me. Natalie. I am not my husband’s, I am not my child’s, I am not just my thoughts, or just my feelings.

I just am.

The beautiful, hilarious, kind, and talented (her debut novel, We Can Only Save Ourselves, will be published in  February of next year by HarperCollins) Alison Wisdom.

All the flame emojis.

Juli and Santry love Houston. And not just love, like, love living here and love certain parts of the city…but love in action. Juli is often reaching out and leaning in; finding people jobs, helping friends plan killer parties, making sure her neighbors (whether they live next door or not) have groceries and supplies after a hurricane or flood, or just calling to check-in. She’s a mobilizer. Santry is a connecting maven and one of the most encouraging humans on the planet. If you’re active in Houston’s theatre scene and don’t know him, you absolutely know someone who does. They serve their communities (and beyond) so, so well.

For the couple’s 8th wedding anniversary, Juli wanted to incorporate bronze into their portraits.

With a 70-200mm lens to help keep our physical distance, off to Eleanor Tinsley park we went to shoot on and around Henry Moore’s Spindle Sculpture.

Oh, also, they have an adorable daughter. Her name is Dempsey and she makes me genuinely laugh out loud.