beauty
The Power Of Creativity To Transform And Heal
Creative play is a crack, or a doorway into another part of ourselves… into our intuitive and spiritual nature. To explore our creativity is to open that door of possibility.
It is easy to doubt our creativity when we compare ourselves to others, and to great artists of the past. Through their life stories and work, the master artists left reminders, showing us that creativity is not something we are taught, but rather something we are. Tapping into this is about experiencing this for ourselves, in whatever form that may be.
I took up painting as a hobby in my late 20s. It began as a desire to learn to paint, although I held the belief that I wasn’t really creative, given my Finance and Accounting background. I had never considered Art to be healing, or that it held personal healing benefits.
At the beginning of my journey, I immersed myself in art books and read about other artists. I also joined a local art group. In class one day, I felt inspired to paint the Buddha. From the moment I picked up my brush to paint him, I could feel a presence by my side and I could see in the blank canvas the face that was to appear, long before it was visible to anyone else. That painting is the piece that changed the direction of my life path, as I embraced my creative and spiritual gifts.
Turning up to a blank canvas, is like saying yes to life and the unknown of what lays on our path. And there are many benefits of saying ‘yes’ to painting. Painting allows us to express ourselves through our work, it allows us a time and space to reflect on our life and the meaning we attached to our experiences.
Inner Journey To The Mystical Isle Of Avalon
Sometimes when the pressures and demands of modern life become too much, I retreat to one of my favorite places in the universe: the mythical island of Avalon.
This legendary island of Celtic mythology is steeped in legends of healing, psychic learning, sacred crafting, and the life and times of King Arthur. Its name translates as “Isle of Apples,” emphasizing its association with fertility, abundance, and otherworldly beauty.
In folklore, Avalon, or Insula Avallonis, was a sanctuary of deep spiritual and psychic knowledge and was known as a training ground for pagan priestesses dedicated to the Great Mother Goddess. These women dedicated their lives to spirituality, honing their skills in clairvoyance, herbalism, weaving, and deep devotion to the Divine Feminine.
But Avalon was not only a sanctuary for women. Men were also an integral part of its story. Merlin the magician is inextricably linked to the history of the island, having trained the young Arthur there for his kingship.
Avalon is also entwined with many other tales woven through the lives of King Arthur, Guinevere, Morgan le Fay, Merlin, Nimue (the Lady of the Lake), and others. Legend also has it that King Arthur was brought to Avalon by his half-sister, Morgan le Fay, to heal after being badly wounded in battle.
The question of whether Avalon really existed straddles the line between myth and reality. Some historians and researchers speculate that Avalon may be based on a real place. Glastonbury, England, is often associated with Avalon because of its mystical aura and ties to Arthurian legend.
The Spiritual Wisdom Of Butterflies
My grandmother was a poet. When I was a child, she wrote a beautiful poem about me. It was about a fairy girl who spent all her time outside chasing butterflies. The poem had a poignant message:
In time, the pendulum swings,
and you can’t hear the butterfly’s wings.
It was her way of reminding me to hold on to my youthful passion, to nurture the light within, and to resist life’s inevitable disappointments.
This wisdom has stayed with me long after her passing, and in the years since, butterflies have become more than a reminder of her — they’ve become her messengers.
Butterflies often appear in my life when I’m feeling overwhelmed, under attack, or grieving a loss. They flutter around me, landing gently on my skin and hovering close as if to whisper a reminder: “Don’t let anyone steal your light.”
These delicate creatures have become symbols of resilience, hope, and the enduring connection between my grandmother’s spirit and my own.
Butterflies hold deep spiritual significance across cultures and belief systems. They are seen as symbols of transformation, freedom, and the soul’s journey.
Their life cycle — from caterpillar to cocoon to winged beauty — mirrors our own processes of growth, healing, and self-discovery. They teach us that even in our most confined and vulnerable states, there is the potential for magnificent change.
The Mystical Healing Power Of Flowers
If you were to walk into my garden in England, one of the first things you might notice is a beautiful hanging basket full of purple petunias. I put it there for a number of reasons, and not just to admire its beauty. No, it is where it is because of how it makes me feel.
The energy of flowers is metaphysically powerful and can help you achieve emotional and spiritual well-being. My purple petunias make me feel motivated and full of well-being.
Okay, this may seem like a bold statement, but flowers are truly magical in that they can help increase your productivity and overall happiness, soothe any sensitivities in your life, and motivate you at the same time. And yes, they can do this for you just by looking at them.
So, how do flowers work their magic on us? Mother Nature puts a lot of time and effort into creating beautiful flowers. In fact, a single flower can take weeks or even months to fully develop, making it the part of the plant with the highest energy vibration. When you work with such masterpieces of nature, you are indeed working with the most powerful and purest of energies.
Each flower carries its unique vibrational frequency, which interacts with our own energy fields. This interaction can lead to subtle yet profound changes in our mental, emotional and spiritual state. For example, the vibrant purple hue of petunias resonates with the crown chakra, enhancing our connection to higher consciousness and promoting a sense of peace and clarity. Similarly, the delicate structure and soothing colors of flowers like lavender can harmonize our energy, reducing stress and fostering relaxation.
Invoking The Power And Beauty Of Freya
The goddess Freya has a special place in my spiritual self-care routine. I often turn to her when I need extra guidance and support.
Freya is the ancient Norse goddess of love, beauty, fertility, and war. She is one of the most important deities in Norse mythology, embodying the ultimate ancient archetype for ‘girl power’ and ‘boss lady’ energy.
She is traditionally revered for her deep wisdom, boundless compassion, and fierce protection. Invoking her divine feminine power has brought much transformative and empowering energy to many aspects of my life.
In Norse folklore, Freya rides a chariot drawn by two large, powerful cats and is often depicted wearing the Brísingamen necklace, a symbol of her power and beauty.
The Brísingamen was created by four dwarves known for their exceptional craftsmanship. The necklace symbolizes beauty, desire and the power of attraction. It also represents Freyja’s connection to the earth and its fertility.
Freya is the leader of the Valkyries, the warrior maidens who choose those who may die and those who may live in battle. Freyja is said to receive half of the slain warriors in her heavenly field, Fólkvangr, while the other half go to Odin’s hall, Valhalla.
This dual role highlights her authority and revered status among the gods, bridging the realms of life and death. The Valkyries, under her guidance, serve not only as fierce selectors of the fallen but also as protectors and guides for these chosen souls, ensuring their honored place in the afterlife.
The Mystical Secrets Of Flowers
Like all living things, flowers and plants carry unique energy signatures and metaphysical properties. It’s easy to overlook them as sentient entities, but these natural wonders do possess energetic auras and have even been shown to have remarkable abilities to perceive, respond to, and remember their environment.
Although they do not experience emotions or memories in the way humans do, their complex responses to their environment suggest a form of intelligence that we are only beginning to understand.
Whether you believe in the sentience of flowers and plants, or simply appreciate their sophisticated survival strategies, plants undoubtedly play a vital role in our ecosystem and our lives.
If you’re serious about esoteric practices, energy work, and a spiritual lifestyle, familiarizing yourself with various plants and flowers is essential. Including them in your spiritual practice and self-care routine can bring immense benefits, from energy cleansing and healing to protection.
Flowers and plants speak to us in ways that transcend words. It’s no wonder that they traditonally play a significant role in our lives, marking celebrations from birth to death and everything in between.
Whether used for their aromatic qualities, symbolic meanings, or energetic properties, plants and flowers have also long been cherished as essential elements in spiritual and holistic practices. Their beauty, symbolism, and perceived energetic properties make them powerful tools for enhancing spiritual experiences and rituals.
My Mystical Encounter With A Music Box
I go through my house at least once a year to get rid of some of the clutter. I even have a large bin labeled “donate,” and when stuff has outlived its usefulness, it goes in there.
Recently, I took some of these unwanted items to the charity thrift store they were intended for.
Whenever I go into an antique or thrift store, I immediately lower my psychic awareness and energetically shield myself as a precaution. I have to, or the energy residue and imprints in those places will wreak havoc on my auric well-being and state of mind.
Not protecting my energy and not blocking out incoming psychic impressions in such an energetically dense environment would be like hanging out at a funeral home, absorbing everyone’s sadness and grief and then taking it home with me. It is basically the psychic empath equivalent of sunbathing on the beach for hours without sunscreen!
Before I learned how to “unplug” and “shield up,” I would feel so unbalanced and completely drained afterwards that I would lie in bed for days to recharge my batteries. I would feel overwhelmed with emotional and psychic overload, which is both mentally and physically toxic. Fortunately, over the years I have learned how to protect my auric energy and “turn off” my psychic abilities to use at my discretion only when needed.
After dropping off my bags at the store, the man behind the counter went into sales mode and excitedly informed me that he had just received a ton of cool new items. His sales pitch was charming, and I decided to poke around the store for a few minutes to see what I could find. I had no intention of buying anything, and thankfully I didn’t. I didn’t need any more clutter!