ValerieJohnsAshes

Age is just a number when your spirit stays timeless. 🌟 #sneakpeek #nightflights

Close-up of a thank you note with a heart and pen on colored paper.

⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ So descriptive of a very interesting woman’s battle with emotions and deciding what is consistent with her priorities and goals. A fascinating life.
~ Denise via goodreads

Thank you, Denise, for this thoughtful review. 

#PoeticMemoir #Grateful #Author #Goodreads #Review

8️⃣ Revisit Recurring Dreams

🌙 Recurring dreams aren’t just mental reruns—they’re invitations. Your subconscious is waving a flag, asking you to pay attention. In this 8th tip, we revisit those recurring dreams. 

Instead of brushing it off, try gently asking:
➡️ What are you trying to show me?

my heart breaks for you
for our country
for the post-pandemic
dysphoria
that looks more and more
psychotic
with each passing day.
may we hit a bottom
may we all awaken
back to kindness!
may your husband be returned to you
safely! ❤️‍🩹

Please enjoy this sneak peek of my work-in-progress, Night Flights. 
Running free along the coast, where dreams are strung like gems. 🌊✨

A Prayer from an Elder Here, listen now:

If you are a creative
Read me
If not, read me anyway. #poetry #addiction #recovery
open.substack.com/pub/johnsv/p...

While the world feels heavy, it would be wonderful to look back at October and realize we did better. 🍁

7️⃣ Invite Your Dreams 

🌌 Dreams love an invitation.

Before you sleep, whisper:
 ✨ “Tonight I welcome any dream that wants to guide me.”

▶️ Intrigued by dreams? Be sure to watch my latest podcast guest episodes. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeKe-UYHNOhNDvvBaPYyDdv9phVlW6-4q&si=yAi85Lp9qDTjBYMr

#FlashbackFriday 🎙️✨

Last year, I had the honor of joining the Therapist Expanded podcast to talk about poetry, trauma, and the deep work of soul retrieval.

If you missed it then—or want to revisit the conversation—
you can watch it here: 🔗 https://youtu.be/IrvPG912MC0?si=FETT_nr3oh_3ERIE

Puppies
Fill a god shaped hold
In some hearts
Like mine #love #puppies

Continuing in the fascinating world of dreams.....

6️⃣ Notice the Feelings, Not Just the Plot
🌊 Your dream isn’t just a story. It’s a feeling.

 The flying part? Cool.
 The talking raccoon? Adorable.

But it’s the emotion that reveals the real meaning.

 💬 Do you remember the mood of your last dream?

maybe it's foster time #puppies

🎧 Did you know?

There’s also an audiobook version of Ashes in the Milk—
and yes, it’s me reading it. Not AI. Just me. 😊
My voice, my breath, my story… in my own words.

Recording it was more work than I expected,
but it felt important.

💜 Get your copy here: 📘 https://a.co/d/7c4RySN

me too

boycott disney

A stylish thank you card paired with purple flowers, a gift box, and pen on a marble surface.

“To write a memoir worth reading you have to have lived a life worth living… Valerie Johns has lived the life and has the writing chops. Insightful, sometimes painful, always gripping.”
J. Van Kirk via Amazon

If Ashes in the Milk has moved you, I’d be so honored if you’d leave a review.

koan work
hasn't made me laugh
with joy
yet
#poetry #koan #fireflies

5️⃣ in our dream series.....Talk to Your Dreams
💌 What if you could write back to your dream?

If a dream character or scene lingers in your mind, try this:
Write a letter to it.

Let it “reply.”

 🖊 Tonight, give it a try—you might meet the wisest part of yourself.

 💭 Who or what would you write to?

✨ I can’t quite believe it—
Ashes in the Milk was launched into the world one year ago today.

Thank you for reading.

Your support, messages, and shared moments over this past year have meant more than I can say.
Here’s to the stories still unfolding. 💜

The Medicine of Nightmares God, I wish for the world to wake up...

Read me:
open.substack.com/pub/johnsv/p...

Some books stay on the surface.
Others reach in and rearrange something quietly inside you.

If you've ever longed to feel seen,
to remember yourself again,
this book might find you the way it found me.

🖤 Order your copy of Ashes in the Milk today: https://a.co/d/7c4RySN

What does your dream MEAN?

4️⃣ Use Symbols, Not Dictionaries

🔑 Your dream symbols don’t need Google.

Water might mean peace to one person… and overwhelm to another.
Ask yourself: “What does this symbol mean to me right now?”

💡 What’s one dream symbol that’s stuck with you?

🌿 Craving more calm and meaning?
Join me on Substack for reflections on intentional living, creativity, and soul care.
Let’s create a life that’s not just lived—but cherished.
🔗 https://f.mtr.cool/ajlwxucdfz

Thank you, Eliana, for this stunning review of Ashes in the Milk:
“Roars and whispers… a tapestry of spellbinding images.”
Your words moved me deeply.
Grateful beyond measure. 💫
#PoeticMemoir #AshesInTheMilk #ValerieJohns

There's A Horse Upstairs Upstairs: a colloquial term for the mind

There is a horse upstairs
a young foal
is it a dream? #horses #poetry #dreaming
open.substack.com/pub/johnsv/p...

HOW MUCH TIME DO WE HAVE TO RESIST? On Writing, The Story That Must Not Be Told

Please read Deena!
URGENT.
open.substack.com/pub/deenamet...

Let's continue our dream series. 
3️⃣ Create a Gentle Wake-Up Ritual
☀️ Don’t jump out of bed just yet. When you wake up, stay still for 60 seconds. Ask yourself:
➡️ “What was I dreaming?”

🛌 Try it tomorrow morning—your dream might be waiting for you. Don't forget to write notes in your journal.

🎧 You might not know this…
But Ashes in the Milk is also available as an audiobook—and I recorded it myself.

If you've been meaning to read it, this is a beautiful way to experience it—
before Night Flights arrives.

Get the audiobook now, wherever you listen. And thank you, truly, for listening. 💜

🐴✨ Reader Gratitude ✨🐴

Thank you, Emily, for these beautiful words about Ashes in the Milk:

To be witnessed in this way is deeply humbling.
To share that space with others on their own journey? That’s everything.

💜 Read more reviews or order a copy: 📘 https://a.co/d/7c4RySN

In continuing our dream series, we are moving on to the second tip. 

2️⃣ Name Your Dreams

🖊 Every dream deserves a title.
It sounds simple, but naming your dream can reveal its central theme in seconds.

Suddenly, it’s easier to revisit later—and harder to forget.