“I am a vulnerable being living with ME/CFS who is currently surrendering…allowing grace, love, ease, fluidity, forgiveness, and kindness into this space between, the intersection of acceptance and change…on my journey there will be “in between times” of transition… At these times I often feel lost, angry, confused, frustrated, unseen and empty… I promise myself to not confuse these times of transition as a forever state of being or being broken… I am simply breaking away from what was, creating space to welcome what will be”.

— © Astarté Earthwise


Yesterday I threw a real pity party for myself, after so many setbacks this week, I felt so overwhelmed. I’m exhausted on many levels; I am currently fighting a serious neuro immune illness called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). It’s truly taking its slow yet steady toll on me for the last 3 years now, each day I understand it a little more, I have to accept and surrender to its callous claws that grip so tightly and keep me currently bedridden for 98% of my time. Sadly, there is no cure.

Some days I struggle more than others to remain above the waters of this disease that wants to take me to the obsidian darkness, smash its chards of pain and nausea into my weakened body and chain me in its gloomy depths. Yet I continue to unshackle myself, and swim to the light of the surface amongst the dirt, dust, and disgust of my surroundings. I remain hopeful placing my faith central to the belief that awareness will continue to grow. There are 250,000 people in Australia with this.

Doctors, nursing staff and carers around the world compare living with ME with the last stages of cancer, they say it’s worse than the last stages of renal failure or HIV Aids, yet we live years just like this. The depth of my soul and positivity keeps me going, I am forever grateful for my inner strength ❤ I hope that my fellow sufferers find their inner strength too, I wrote the quote above for all of them, as they are my sisters and brothers on this complicated journey ❤