What to do when the world feels like it’s burning (and you’re still doing the dishes)


Hi Reader,

On the surface, my days look pretty normal: I make coffee, do laundry, stare at a screen for inhumane lengths of time (we call it work), and try to squeeze in the gym, the grocery store, and maybe, if I’m lucky, catch up with a friend.

And then, the headlines hit:

Another antidemocratic law passed quietly while everyone was asleep.
Another school district pulling books by Black authors off the shelves.
Another protester tackled, arrested, disappeared.
Another billionaire lobbying to dismantle what’s left of the safety net.

All while my inbox fills up and the dishes still aren’t done.

It’s easy to look away. To tell yourself you’ll think about it later. That’s the plan: flood your life with chaos so you don’t fight back. So you convince yourself that what you see isn’t really happening.

But you know better.
Because you’re not paranoid. You’re awake.

And being awake isn’t the problem. It’s the solution.

Authoritarianism doesn’t arrive like a thunderclap. It seeps in slowly. It disguises itself as “law,” and feeds on your doubt. It whispers: Keep your head down. Don’t make noise. You’re imagining things.

But you’re not imagining it.
And you’re not powerless.

Being awake is a sacred responsibility. And one that comes with choice. With clarity. With magic.

Magic isn’t about pretending everything’s okay.

It’s about refusing to accept a world that was never built for our thriving.
It’s about choosing a future on purpose, even when the present feels impossible.
It’s about remembering that the world has never changed by accident. It changes when people like you decide it must.

If you’ve already been protesting, organizing, educating, donating, voting, praying, protecting, calling, and showing up over and over again, I see you. I honor you. And this moment is asking for something more tender and more dangerous: to keep going with your soul intact. To stay connected to spirit and community. To let your inner fire stay lit, not just for outrage, but for love, vision, and regeneration.

If you’ve been wondering what else is possible or where to start, here are some ways to begin or deepen your practice:

  • Make signs with your kids and show up at the next protest.
  • Host a teach-in in your home or community space about what’s really going on.
  • Set up a recurring donation to a grassroots organization doing frontline work.
  • Call your city council or state rep every week. Yes, every week.
  • Write a letter to the editor when the media gets it wrong.
  • Cook extra and bring a meal to an organizer who’s stretched thin.
  • Wear a shirt that tells the truth and lets others know they’re not alone.

And also:

  • Light a candle and ask your ancestors what they would have you do.
  • Build a small altar with your intentions for justice and clarity.
  • Send protective energy to those risking their safety for our collective liberation.
  • Start a banned book club and invite people into conversation.
  • Take a walk in nature to remember what’s worth protecting.
  • Set aside one quiet hour each week to ask yourself: What am I being called to do next?

You don’t have to do all of these things. But you do have to do something.

Because looking away is a luxury, and it’s time to choose differently.

Stay anchored in spirit. Stay clear in vision. Stay relentless in your commitment to liberation.

We are not here to go back to sleep.
We are here to remake the world.

Courage, truth, and infinite love,


I don’t believe in magic, but I know that it works!

Magic is not a belief system, it’s a practice that works. Don’t believe me? Come try it out. If it doesn’t work, you lose nothing. But if it does… your dream life is about to begin!


“El poder está en la acción.”

— Maritza Schafer

4083 24th St #460861, San Francisco, CA 94146
Unsubscribe · Preferences

Maritza Schafer

Read more from Maritza Schafer
Crissy Field East Beach, San Francisco, CA

Have you ever had a moment so beautiful it made you believe again? I just returned from Europe, and in the midst of global chaos, I got to experience something that reminded me of what's real and holy. The nearly finished Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is this wild, towering church that’s been under construction for over a hundred years. It was designed by Gaudí, who was kind of a mystical genius who saw the divine fingerprints of nature everywhere. He once said something like, “Nature is...

“I only ended up there because of you.” That’s what my friend said after attending a reunion at the school that changed her life. She told me how powerful it was to be back—seeing the students, reconnecting with her teachers, and feeling the love of that community. She was glowing. I had no idea what she meant. I didn’t even remember she’d gone to that school, let alone that I had anything to do with it. And I was like, “What are you talking about?” According to her (and we’re gonna trust her...

Hi Reader, The other day, I watched a little girl fall while running around in the park. For a split second, she looked shocked. And then she exploded into tears and ran to her mom. That was her first instinct: to express her pain and ask for care and comfort. And she received it. Instantly. That moment stayed with me because of the simple truth it held: a child knows what they need and deserve. She didn’t calculate whether her pain was valid enough to warrant attention. She didn’t say...