herbalist
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.
Honor Your Pagan Heritage This Halloween
Samhain holds special significance for those who practiced paganism in a past life, especially those who were involved in magical practices as seers, soothsayers, druids, and witches.
For us, this time of year evokes a deep sense of nostalgia, spiritual reorientation, and a return to ancient wisdom as the veil between worlds thins and we reconnect with our ancestors and the spirit realms.
Samhain is an ancient Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, traditionally celebrated from October 31 to November 1. It is one of the four great Gaelic seasonal festivals, along with Imbolc (February 1), Beltane (May 1), and Lughnasadh (August 1).
In Celtic tradition, Samhain (pronounced “sow-in”) is a liminal time when the boundary between the physical and spiritual worlds is thinner, allowing the spirits of our deceased loved ones, ancestors, and other spirits to cross over more easily.
In ancient times people would light fires and wear costumes to ward off harmful spirits, while also honoring their ancestors with offerings of food and drink.
Samhain is considered the origin of modern Halloween traditions, although Halloween has evolved and incorporated elements from other cultures to become a mostly secular and commercial holiday. For Neopagans and Wiccans, Samhain remains an important festival for honoring the dead, celebrating the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, and connecting more deeply with the spirit realm.
A Samhain Invitation From The Faeries
Fairies love fun and joyful games in the great outdoors, even during the darker seasons of the year. I am reminded of this every year at this time when the veil between the worlds thins during the mystical season of Samhain and Halloween.
If you’re currently experiencing a highly creative period or feeling called to get out into nature, even if it’s just to your garden before the weather gets too cold, there’s a good chance you’re also being invited to have some fun and free-spirited playtime with the fairies.
It is easiest for us to connect with the Faeries or Fae during the times of the year when the seasonal energy portals are open at the cross-quarter holidays of the Summer and Winter Solstices and the Spring and Fall Equinoxes.
These seasonal transitions are also traditionally celebrated in the ancient pagan festivals and religious holy days of Imbolc (St. Brigid’s Day) on February 1st, Ostara (Easter) on around March 21st, Beltane (St. Walburga’s Day) on May 1st, Litha (St. John’s Day) around June 20th or 21st, Lammas (Day of Bread) on August 1st, and Samhain (All Saints’ Day) on October 31st.
Traditionally celebrated as a time to honor our ancestors and reflect on the cycle of life and death, Samhain on October 31st marks the halfway point between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice. It is a special time that invites us to step beyond the ordinary into the realm of magic and mysticism. The lingering echoes of autumn and the approaching winter in the Northern Hemisphere also foster a sense of introspection and connection to nature, making it an optimal time to commune with the ethereal elementals of nature.
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.
The Subtle Psychic Power Of Flower Essences
Flower essences are one of my favorite spiritual resources. These vibrational imprints of flowers in water, preserved with alcohol, are a powerful tool for personal and spiritual development. They have been used for centuries to promote emotional well-being, balance and healing.
I come from a long line of female herbalists on my mother’s side of the family. They were seers, healers and mystics who combined their psychic gifts with natural healing practices.
That’s why I’ve always been interested in the metaphysical properties of plants, especially herbs and flowers. I love to alchemize them into tinctures, potions and remedies!
The main reason I love flower essences and remedies in particular is that, unlike essential oils and herbal remedies, flower essences are easier and safer to work with on a subtle energy level over the long term, making them particularly effective for enhancing psychic development and spiritual growth.
Flower essences were popularized in the early 20th century by Dr. Edward Bach. He was a British homeopath and bacteriologist who believed that the dew collected from flowers contained the healing properties of the plant. His research led to the creation of the Bach Flower Remedies, a set of 38 essences, each targeting a specific emotional state.
Bach’s remedies were based on the idea that certain flowers have healing properties that can help balance emotional states and promote overall well-being. Dr. Bach believed that emotional and mental states significantly influence physical health, and by addressing negative emotions, one can facilitate healing and prevent illness.
The Modern Practice Of Spiritual Healing
In a world driven by science and technology, the value of our spiritual health is rarely recognized or appreciated these days, yet it is an essential aspect of our holistic health and well-being.
The truth is that spiritual healing has been practiced since the beginning of time to promote physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being. Our ancestors were much wiser in this regard. They had a holistic view of health and wellness that not only focused on the physical and mental, but also honored the spiritual or metaphysical aspects of our existence.
In ancient Egypt, for example, illness was treated as a battle between good and evil, and magical remedies were used in addition to herbal medicines. In ancient Greece, holism underpinned everything, and the soul, mind, and body were considered one.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, a holistic system practiced for at least 23 centuries, healing is achieved by balancing the yin-yang life force energies that permeate everything in the universe. In the indigenous healing traditions of Native America, holistic health is represented by the four quadrants of the ‘medicine wheel’ or ‘sacred circle,’ namely the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual states of being.
In Christianity, spiritual healing is documented with many references to the healing power of faith and prayer. The Bible also refers to the spiritual gift of healing, and there are several accounts of Jesus performing miraculous healings. In Hinduism, Ayurveda is a five-thousand-year-old Vedic system of medicine that seeks to restore the balance between the body, mind, and spirit.
The Empowering Symbolism Of The World Card
The World card in the Tarot remains one of my firm favorites. I am all for personal and spiritual growth, the completion of cycles, and new beginnings. The World represents exactly that: the ending of a cycle and pause in life, before the next major cycle begins with the fool.
The journey from the new beginnings of The Fool to the fulfilling endings of The World is a constant evolutionary process in our everyday lives that is represented by the sequence of the 22 Major Arcana cards of the Tarot. The World is the 22nd trump and therefore final card of the Major Arcana.
I have reflected on the imagery of the Rider-Waite version of this Tarot card in great detail. Rider-Waite is probably the most popular and universally recognized Tarot deck. The illustrations by Pamela Colman Smith at first glance appear simple, but the details and backgrounds feature abundant mystical symbolism.
The World pictures an empowered figure within a wreath – traditionally a symbol of victory, success, achievement, and eternal life. The figure holds a wand in each hand, which is reminiscent of the Magician card and the Two of Wands. However, while The Magician holds only one wand, the two wands in the The World card represents fulfillment, wholeness, balance and coming full circle.
The card is framed by four animals on the diagonal. The depiction of these four creatures parallels the four animal symbols used in Christian art to represent the four Evangelists, namely Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The four animals also represent the zodiac signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, the four fixed signs in Western Astrology, which in turn represent the classical four elements of Earth, Fire, Water and Air.