April Alignment
Connection, Constellations, and Cosmic Growth
Hello Friends,
As our only month with no major celestial retrogrades begins, I’m thinking about the positive influences and people in my life and how to keep the flow of energy aligned with goals and dreams.
Supportive friendships certainly can make all the difference in good times and not so good times. But, the loss of these friendship can derail life and trigger profound grief. When my friend Eithne died onboard Air France 447 when it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean between Rio and Paris on June 1, 2009, I crumbled, then spiraled. One loss became every loss.
I was a Wall Street lawyer. Yet desperate. I spent countless hours and thousands of dollars seeking a way out of my pain through sessions around New York City with a psychic, a famous clairvoyant, an angel card reader, an astrologer, a numerologist and past-life hypnotists, and more psychics. I even traveled to an ashram in India because they told me that my friend wanted me to go. Over two years after the crash, I traveled to Rishikesh and attended an 11-11-11 yoga retreat. While there, I found closure but not in the way I expected.
The yoga retreat was comforting on many levels. So much so, it inspired me to create a retreat for grief. I wanted to create a safe and nurturing place where others could go as they grieved, something I needed much earlier in my grief process, but I didn’t have or even know where to look for it as I waited for my friend to be found.
At Sewall House in Maine in August, a long-term hope will align with a present opportunity, and I’ll lead Navigating Your Way through Grief: A Healing Retreat. (See more below.)
For some, like me, friendships are our chosen family. For the Independent, I wrote an essay about this very thing:
“After my parents died, I cut my siblings out of my life for good. I don’t regret it”
Friendship also inspired the latest novel by author Nicola Harrison. I’m thrilled to feature her in this edition of Tess Clarkson’s Newsletter in “Beyond the Page with Nicola Harrison.” I first met Nicola in a Mediabistro workshop in New York City. A few years ago, I interviewed her for Literary Mama (“A Conversation with Nicola Harrison”).
Beyond the Page with Nicola Harrison
TC: What’s your story?
NH: I’m the author of four novels, MONTAUK, THE SHOW GIRL, HOTEL LAGUNA and THE ISLAND CLUB (coming April 28, 2026). I’m from England originally, spent 15 years living and working in New York City and now reside in Manhattan Beach, California with my husband, two boys and a very anxious chihuahua named Lily.
TC: What inspired your fourth novel?
NH: I wrote The Island Club after a small but surprisingly transformative moment in my own life. Around age forty, I found myself reluctantly roped onto a tennis lesson with a group of new acquaintances despite having never played a sport before. What I quickly discovered wasn’t just a love for the game, but something far more meaningful, a deep sense of connection, community and fun that came from showing up as a total beginner alongside other women. As humbling as those first few weeks and months were, pretty quickly friendships formed across different ages and backgrounds, and it reminded me how powerful it can be when women come together determined to succeed. I wanted to capture that feeling and explore the power of female friendships in The Island Club . My goal was to bring together three very different women, whose lives were falling apart in very different ways and see what happened when they found each other.
TC: What is your hope for readers of you The Island Club?
I hope readers of The Island Club come away feeling both absorbed and understood. I try to write women’s lives with as much honest emotion as possible and my greatest hope is that someone recognizes a piece of themselves on the page and feels a little less alone.
NH: What have you learned as a writer that can help other writers?
My best advice to other writers is to find, or form, a writing group that meets regularly and shares work. A weekly rhythm has been invaluable for me over the years. It creates accountability, provides built-in deadlines and offers thoughtful feedback while a project is in the works. Writing is pretty solitary but I find this is a really good way to keep going and feel supported through the difficult parts when you’re stuck. And honestly, I think a writing group is what helps people go from starting a book to actually finishing it.
TC: How do you balance your many roles?
NH: These days I do juggle many roles – author, mother, wife, daughter, friend, even captain of my tennis team - and in many ways my life feels richer because of it. The key has been protecting my writing time amidst all the daily demands. One way I do that is by getting up at 5 am when the rest of my household is asleep and writing for two uninterrupted hours. I still write throughout the day but knowing that I’ve already made some progress, started a new chapter or scene, it just sets me up for the day with a boost of confidence. I am not a morning person at all, but that pre-dawn time, when it’s still dark out feels absolutely glorious, and incredibly productive. I don’t even reset the alarm for five more minutes. I make my tea, light a candle and get to work. I realized I was never a morning person when it meant going to the gym, or getting into the office early, but when it’s for something I truly love, my body doesn’t mind at all.
Preorder now by tapping here: THE ISLAND CLUB: A NOVEL
Meet Nicola at the St. Louis County Library with The Novel Neighbor:
St. Louis County Library - Clark Family Branch
1640 S Lindbergh Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63131
📖 Monday, May 4
7pm - 8pm
Intentional Living with Moon Cycles
Using the moon cycles as times to release and reflect (full moons) and set intentions (new moons) helped me transform my life. I changed my path as a lost and lonely lawyer in New York to a much happier life with my love in the Midwest. My astrological discovery story is at Yourtango:
“I Thought Love Was Lost To Me Forever, Until An Astrologer On New Year’s Eve Gave Me A Way Back”
One goal I have is to teach others how to tap into the energy of the moons to release, reflect, and align with their best path.
The full moon on April 1 is in Libra at the degree 12’ 21’’. Here’s a mantra to use:
I let go of people-pleasing. I stand in my truth, attracting relationships that reflect my inner peace and balance.
If you’re curious where Libra is in your chart and life, join one of my events. See
Jour Our Community For Cosmic Connection, Contemplation, & Alignment (& Fun!)
Dates to Remember - PAID MEMBERS
Thanks to all who joined our events last month. Here’s our schedule for April:
✨Friday, April 10 at 2 pm CT - - - Astrology Workshop - - - Join me via Zoom for an interactive workshop on the basics of astrology and the current energy.
✨Thursday April 30 at 1 pm CT - - - Cosmic Connection Hour - - - Join me via Zoom for conversation and connection. We will start with a short meditation to ground. Then we can discuss the full moon and more.
✨✨✨✨✨Zoom links are sent via the group “CHAT” for paid subscribers.✨✨✨✨✨
BONUS GIFT - All paid members get access to my online, live vinyasa yoga + guided meditation classes on:
🧘🏻♀️Wednesday, April 1 at 8:00 am CT
🧘🏻♀️Thursday, April 9 at 7:30 am CT
🧘🏻♀️Thursday, April 23 at 7:30 am CT
🧘🏻♀️Thursday, April 30 at 7:30 am CT
Grab your coffee and mat, and find a cozy space at home to Zoom with us. We will check in and discuss what we need from our practice. The flow serves as a moving meditation, preparing you for a final guided journey into stillness.
Discover A Healing Retreat
Navigating Your Way through Grief Retreat
🪷 August 19 - 24
Using gentle yoga, guided meditation, astrological insights, and creative expression, we will cultivate a sanctuary for grief in serene Northern Maine. Optional reiki and personalized astrology sessions are available too.
Nourish your soul, connect with your inner guru, and enhance your wellbeing.
Space limited. Register today.
Sewall House Yoga Retreat, Island Falls, Maine.
Wishing you a happy April!
Grateful to be on this journey with you as we tap into our inner guru and tackle taboos.
xoTess
Beautiful, Tess.