When I’m feeling lost in transition and uncertain which way to go, can I rely on Donkey magic to carry me?

Can I trust my instinct?

Yes, I can. And so can you.

For the wild child inside

​2026 is the year of the Horse. It’s solar, fire, yang energy, which directly relates to the Sun card of tarot. In the card, a golden-haired baby rides a white horse. He sits bareback, arms open wide, soaking in the sunlight.

He contains your wild wisdom. Innate intelligence. Instinct.

The part of you that contains your spark of genius. The one who ignites your creative fire.

In Afrikaans, the word is “Gees,” which translates to “spirit.” As in a vibrant high, excited energy, enthusiasm, and a positive palpable vibe.

In Yiddish, the word is “chutzpah” – audacity, nerve, and extreme self-confidence.

In the card, this baby is the one who has saved you, directed you, and gotten you to where you needed to be. Not the white knight on his stallion, or the prince on his white horse, like in the fairytales, but little you. Bravely galloping ahead with arms open to the world. Pulling back the curtain to reveal the naked truth no matter what.

“This is who I am. Here I come!”

He is always with you, deep inside.

I’ve always related to the Sun’s baby because I let that innocent instinct guide me. It’s the impulse in me that sparks clown joy.

For the Wild Child.

In this year of the fire horse, the sun card is most fitting. So I’ve wondered how a free spirit can relate to the steady, stubborn nature of a donkey? An unsustainable sprint versus the everyday trek.

Are they at odds with each other or compatible in the best way, as most paradoxical creative elements are?

Is the donkey the sober version of the white horse?

The horse is for the adventure. The donkey is for the journey home. Recovery.

In Greek mythology, I’ve connected to the god Dionysius, god of wine, ecstasy, and liberation. The godfather of excess. My guy!

Sometimes, when you’re a wild child, this turns into a party girl in adulthood. I told myself that I just had Dionysian energy! It was part of my theatrical, dramatic vibe. Of course, wine was a big part of it.

I live for a good day. Preferably nothing less than euphoria, please.

But in the past, that’s tripped me up, taken me off track, and I slipped into chasing oblivion. It’s a very different direction from freedom-seeking. Mixing chaos and drama on a spin cycle is not fun. Jumping on Dionysus’s bandwagon derailed me.

Now, years later and over eight years wine-free, I still love Dionysian energy.

It’s just that for me, ecstasy and liberation come with emotional sobriety.

​
So, instead of getting swept up in the spin, I stop and ask myself,

“Am I steady? Is this situation, place, or person solid?”

‘Cause if I have to tread carefully, or walk on eggshells, I’d rather not continue.

And I’ve realized that I need some steadfast donkey magic in my life.

So imagine my delight when I researched donkeys and discovered:

The donkey is the sacred mount of Dionysus!

Here we have wild wisdom carrying Dionysian energy.

The Fire Horse energy of 2026 is a little too close to unbridled Dionysian energy for me. It’s heat, and it’s heart rate. That breathless yes that can lead me to burnout or relapse. Too fast, too soon. “More, please, thank you, yes!” I want to say yes to it all. Arms wide open, “Give it ALL to me!”

I was built for pleasure. Yet, life has tested my endurance.

So the embodied wisdom of the Donkey reminds me to trust my smart feet. Even when my head pulls me in a million different directions. I get to remain grounded instead of flying off the handle with “Gees,” and crashing down. Listen to my soul, from the soles of the feet. Through a well-trodden practice, they know how to lead me.

The protection magic from donkeys is a high attunement for safety. A slow and steady safety is exactly what my inner wild child needs to stay alive.

So now I get donkey support to lift me and carry me all the way home, when I’m too weary to figure it all out alone.

Without the donkey mount, I wonder:

Can you survive freedom when you’re not prepared for all it entails?

For me, freedom was easy to mistake for recklessness. When I look at some of my favorite pop stars’ trajectories, I see I’m not alone in this regard. Too fast, too soon, even if it’s freedom, can wash you out to sea. And it takes a wave to dump you on shore to get you on solid ground again. You’re lucky if you make it alive.

Or your survival relied on a cage, like a job, study, or family, the open world can feel terrifying, and so you’re paralyzed by choice. Sudden riches bring the freedom to spend. But often, this destroys the freedom to secure wealth, and you lose it.

So, how do you prepare yourself for a life of freedom?

With Donkey Magic! It’s the perfect carrier. A prevention for burnout, instead of a cure.

Dionysus teaches surrender to sensation, grief, and pleasure.

The donkey teaches when to stop and how to speak the truth, even if it’s not polite.

The pair teaches that liberation is both about breaking free. And then surviving freedom without losing yourself in the process.

Donkey magic keeps Dionysus from burning the house down. And Dionysus keeps the donkey from mistaking numbness for endurance.

Without the god of ecstasy, the donkey can become a beast of burden in a gray world.

When destination no longer matters, and you’re dragging your feet through life, instead of dancing through it, depression has become functional. You’re more dead than alive. Surviving isn’t living, and we all deserve to thrive because we are alive. That’s what living things do: they grow.

So the pair need each other.

Together, they teach embodied wisdom:

Feel everything and don’t control

Carry only what is yours

Let transformation arrive through lived experience

What do you want to bray?

Speaking the unspeakable is how we rid ourselves of shame. The donkey disposition is an excellent teacher in this department.

The donkey’s bray is unmissable. Loud, raw, and as unapologetic as a lion’s roar – just not as commanding and intimidating. Their bray is often mocked. It’s unmusical, awkward, and even called ugly and stupid. But the donkey doesn’t care if it sounds pretty. Her need is utilitarian: to be heard.

There is a vulnerability of being unpolished. Most authentic expression is.

The donkey bray is a great example of the quote,

“Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes,” by Maggie Kuhn.

Donkey Magic invites the question: What do you want to bray?

What awkward, uncomfortable truth could you say? Even if it comes out wonky and imperfect. Even if you are misunderstood. Do you trust yourself to try anyway?

When you have something to say this year, say it loudly, even if it isn’t pretty.

Never silence yourself to fit in. And remember that silence is often considered compliance.

Your safety and your life aren’t worth your silence.

If you’re a donkey person, the truth will choke you, so let it out before it does. Bray it loud.

***

Love, Lauren

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