Living Gently

21/12/2025

The medicine of a Daughter. She’s only here for 12 days, but they are precious and full of hugs with so much family to share with.
Deep Summer Solstice Blessings to those that witness the moment, sharing the turning.
It has been a while since I have shared my progress on the journey of cancer, mostly because it got real s**t for a bit there and now seems to be turning a corner… always feels nicer to share better news.
So, just over 12 weeks without chemo looks good on me!
My kidneys took a beating, got as low as 34% functionality, but now back up to 49%. Blood/hormones all over the place. Deeply fatigued and still needing a nap each day, but doing better each week, generally.
There is no more chemo options for me, and the kidney dysfunction means I am no longer eligible for the trial I was on the list for. This gives me the freedom to begin TCM alongside the acupuncture I am having weekly. I am in my hands, creating daily, all manner of beauty which is another type of medicine also, a very Katherine way of being in the world, sewing dragons and mermaids.
I have a wonderful year planned for 2026, and more on that after the turn of the year, but this year in front of me, would not be possible if I didn’t have the profound love of my family and dear heart family to love and support me throughout 2025. As s**tty as the year was, I am deeply grateful to still be here, in such good spirits.
Seems there is a whole lot of intense states to navigate in front of us all as the wheel turns. May your capacity to LOVE, in the face of all the chaos and pain, grow and hold you.
The first picture is me, Simon and Jasmine admiring my baby tomato plants (another medicine, planting a garden is an act of hope), and the second is Jasmine and I at the Arts Centre to see the marvellous Robbie do his magic on stage!! YAY for feeling well enough to be there!
Deep, Loving and Respectful Blessings to ALL.
With Love, Katherine.

19/10/2025

I’ve been writing over at substack… I like it, I hope you do too! I will try and get a link in the bio…

21/10/2024

This was just before she got on a plane and went home. So deeply grateful for all the LOVE and care and organisation Jasmine brought to my recovery.

Here we are, 8 weeks since surgery and I am nearly off all the pain meds, eating ok, pooping mostly well, digestion seems to have continued with my new digestive system all intact.

THANK YOU! Thank you to everyone that lit a candle, engaged with the sigil, sent kind thoughts in my direction. I certainly felt it and the high level of wellness and wholeness I am feeling only 8 weeks out of such a major surgery is testament to this wonderful healing… ALL that LOVE.

So, time to turn to the next chapter of living beyond pancreatic cancer. Chemotherapy. I get the port installed tomorrow, and the chemo should be started soon. There are 12 cycles, over 6 months, every 2 weeks, to experience.

I am reaching for a fear free, effective application of this medicine. Learning yesterday that the Poison Path is also held sacred by Hecate and her daughters Medea and Circe, makes this whole notion more accessible. As the Ancient Greek word for witch is Pharmakis…

I am calling Hecate and her daughters, to hold this poison with me. To walk with me through each cycle, stronger and stronger as we clear all traces of this pancreatic cancer from my body. This is the magicks I conjure next.

This journey ahead of me will be a long one, but will also fly by too, then, all going to plan, cancer free, I get to move to Scotland to be with Jasmine as she becomes a Mama.

As I prepare for Chemo I am considering a practice for getting out of town, either to a beach, a river, a cool wet forest, each fortnight for a night or two to get my feet, my body, in touch with earth. This feels deeply important to the healing process.

SO, if you have access to anywhere like this… please let me know if myself and perhaps my partner Simon can come along for a night or two to rest and recuperate each cycle. I do Love my city home, and it’s very close to Peter Mac where my treatment is, but some nature bathing will be needed.

Again, THANK YOU, EVERYONE!!! For ALL the love. I am sorry it’s been so long in writing, but glad I have now caught you all up.

If you have had direct experience of chemo, and lets face it, many of us have, I would appreciate any supportive ideas of living well through this experience.

Big Katherine Hugs Wonderful Ones.

20/08/2024

A tool to use if you feel that way inclined. It says….

Katherine Cunningham Breaks Through.
By Hecate’s Blade She Chooses the Flows that Heal.

Grateful for any focus before, and particularly at the time of surgery, from 8am to 2pm the 27th of August RMH… and beyond that as the recovery in ICU for three days is going to be intense too.

Thank you. Thank you ALL for the LOVE and Support. I won’t be able to, but shall ask that someone updates this post as they can.

20/08/2024

A tool to use if you feel that way inclined. It says….

Katherine Cunningham Breaks Through.
By Hecate’s Blade She Chooses the Flows that Heal.

Grateful for any focus before, and particularly at the time of surgery, from 8am to 2pm the 27th of August RMH… and beyond that as the recovery in ICU for three days is going to be intense too.

Thank you. Thank you ALL for the LOVE and Support. I won’t be able to, but shall ask that someone updates this post as they can.

29/07/2024

Before I was in hospital, I was in Scotland and on the way out, London. I had just spent 2 weeks with my wonderful Jasmine and was excited to get home and do all the things to make moving to Scotland, in the next 2-3 years, happen.

There is a bump in the road right now, and I will be seeing her before we had planned, which I am deeply grateful for. My surgery, the Whipple, is now scheduled for the last week of August, date to be confirmed. That will have given me 5-6 weeks recovery from the stent procedure, and some time to get my affairs in order. This surgery is not the end, but the beginning of meeting what is. I am still playing the Schrödinger's tumour game, so until we cut it open and have it tested I am not confirming nor denying it is cancer… but I am also listening to my doctors and preparing for chemo after this surgery, probably 2 or so months after. The lung biopsy has been inconclusive, so we don’t know what the two, smaller than 1cm, spots on my lungs are, and I don’t care till after the Whipple.

This is a marathon that many don’t finish, but I intend to get to state of health that has me bouncing great grandchildren on my knee. There is far too much on my to do list to be stepping off anytime soon. I know I can’t do this alone, and I am deeply grateful to the wonderful humans that surround me, hold me, love me. We shall meet what is with ALL this Love.

The RMH is incredible, and my doctor amazing.

I am finally home in my own bed tonight. I have 4 or so weeks to get ready for a 6-8 week surgery/recovery process. I will keep everyone up to date with details here. I will have limited spoons, but wanting to be able to share time with beloveds too in this window we have to prepare within.

Thank you for all the love and support.

16/07/2024

My beautiful brother Guy Cunningham took this picture last night. We were trying to capture just how yellow my skin is, and the best was to contrast it from my mother’s very white skin. I am feeling really loved and supported by a deeply wonderful family, and to be honest, I need it. All going to plan, I am having surgery Thursday or Friday to remove the whatever it is blocking my duct in my pancreas. I understand that most will recognise the term, Whipple.

Whether by nature or nurture,
I haven’t been in hospital before.
I haven‘t had surgery like this before.

The team at Royal Melbourne Hospital are incredible, I do feel very safe in their hands.

Please forgive me, all those wonderful humans that know me and love me, please forgive this public announcement, but I don’t really have the spoons for reaching out and letting people know individually.

I shall be more specific when I have more specific’s. Probably keep it all here. I would ask that you send a bunch of love, not questions. Cancer is a fu**er, and I don‘t intend to give it much power in this conversation, but yes, that’s what it‘s being called.

If you feel the desire to assist, perhaps you can spread the love of my work, found as it has been for 20+ years, @ www dot livinggently dot com dot au.

08/07/2024

THIS. Just found it. LOVE It. Share the LOVE.
https://youtu.be/QeswZNIxgjw?si=x2E4KO6ThZN0oOso

06/06/2024

HOWLBACK… that place where when I know you are open to it, I can build more. The power of sales is that when I get sales, I know that the work is valued, and all of a sudden more value arrives to share and put into the work.

Today’s addition, Riding Your Menstrual Cycle Ritual Practice Map tool. When we learn what it is we want to do to support our practice, it helps to make a map of where it is that you want to go, regularly.

Loving what it is to share the Love of the Blood. Riding Your Menstrual Cycle is about building a map to share first with the self, then becomes an excellent tool to share with those close to you, that they can love your blood too!

Find out more from website, link in bio.

30/05/2024

THIS is ME, being the MOST me I have ever been. THANK you so very very much Fleassy Malayfor everything that Speak Up is.

Speak Up Showcase performance night on the 20th of May 2024. One of the two offerings made that night, my primary piece, Invoking The Blood Witch Poet. This ...