This is a reality I witness a lot of people struggle against. Wanting a straightforward path to follow their hearts. A clear step-by-step A to Z process. They feel confused and disappointed in search of their hearts in this way.
Over the years I’ve been asked the same question in different forms. The essence of this question is how does the spirit world connect to our practical everyday life? And recently someone asked me this question about plant spirits.
When I follow the thread of when poisonous plants showed up in my life, I continue to discover that they called me much sooner than I consciously recognized. In fact, every few months they show me another moment in time when they called me and I wasn't quite ready to say yes. For example, recently my husband started reading a book that I read not quite a decade ago. And guess who stars in the first chapters of the book? Poisonous plants :)
From the impact of childhood traumas to the ancestral burdens we carry, there is wisdom in the poison of our wounding.
Recently I was catching up with a dear spiritual friend of mine that I haven’t spoken to for quite some time. But we’ve had deep spiritual conversations and attended retreats together on and off for the last eight years.
Bridgekeeper. This is a title I heard given to me from the Spirit world many years ago on retreat. It’s a word that keeps returning time and time again. During meditations. During dreams. Synchronicities. And during sacred reflection time.
As I’ve turned this word over in my mind, heart, and soul, I’ve come to know that part of my sacred work in the world centers on bridge keeping. Which of course makes me a bridgekeeper.
I was attending a sound bath. Something I had done many times before. But this sound bath was unlike any other. Because it opened me to remembering my childhood sexual abuse for the first time.
Once opened, memories continued to emerge for weeks. And nightmares became a regular occurrence.
Magical butterfly creatures beckoned her to leave her friends. And head into the forest. As they sprinkled her with magic dust, she felt herself come alive. Fearing she couldn’t take more of this expansive feeling she ran away. On all fours.
Who she met surprised her. A powerful old woman who said she had a gift and a potent message: “open your heart.”
Yet so many of us miss these messages and visitations. And the plant spirit's deep call to develop a meaningful relationship.
Dreams are one of the most powerful portals for clarity and healing. One of those purposes of dreams is to receive messages.
Recently while hiking in the woods with my husband I suggested we play a game. I’d had a rough day, feeling pretty exhausted and down after weeks of big health challenges. You know those times where you feel like you cannot win in life? It was one of those.
When I first started doing inner child work many years ago I instinctually started a nightly ritual. Each night before sleep I’d drink a cup of chamomile tea. The warmth felt soothing. I found the herb helped me wind down for sleep.
Over time, my nightly cups of chamomile inspired me to bring the plant into other parts of my day. Chamomile became my go to tea before I taught a group class. What I sipped as preparation for a difficult conversation with someone. And the favorite beverage I reached for on a tough day.
As I continue to learn about the lost ancestral folkways of my European ancestors, it’s clear my ancestors viewed the plants as spirits. This isn’t a unique idea. In fact, this concept shows up in most folk plant healing traditions in cultures throughout the world. Each having unique relationships growing out of the landscape where people live.
Children know this too. Many instinctually speak to plants. Automatically drawn to the beauty and wonder of flowers.
Watch my complimentary masterclass to learn how to trust your intuition more and follow your inner guidance.
