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The Symbology of My New Logo

May 20, 2013 By Lauren 4 Comments

As you know, my blog is where I share about my path, and even since the very first post in 2009, I’ve been writing about my connections to familiar spirits, my guides at times… the ways I learn from the animals, insects, plants and trees… and all of the experiences in nature that bring light to my understanding of what I do, and the transformations I go through. I wanted to write a post to explain a few things that have been going on for me lately. I have been getting more and more busy because I will be re-Opening my Etsy shop soon, and there are just so many changes happening with it. It’s been hard to keep you all updated without giving away my big surprises… I wanted to write a bit about my NEW Logo! I LOVE it… I have had a few people tell me it’s “adorable”, which I can see, but it’s so much more than a cute little picture.

I started my business back in 2004, it was called VisionWise… I was making deerskin medicine bags (only trading them at the time), silver wire rings with crystals and minerals, lots of necklaces and other jewelry, and doing tarot card readings… I have been looking for my old business cards and the flier I had, it’s so interesting to see what it looked like then and how they’ve evolved over time. I use to use an image of an ancient owl statue. (I’ll try to find it!) Anyway, I did tutoring, and pet sitting, and also helped people clear clutter from their homes to organize and create a more peaceful space. I was doing all I could to stay afloat but without any money to invest into supplies, etc. I quickly ran out of enough to even pay my bills, so I moved home. Long story short, that is when I met my husband and went back to school and earned my Master of Education in Cross-Cultural Teaching and my Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. I also had my daughter and we moved through a few homes until finally arriving at this one that we’ve been in for 5 years now. When I started my business I had plans of doing something with it, and things started to fall into place, but financially I wasn’t ready, and I had a lot to learn about running a business. (There’s more to this story that I will be sharing when I re-Open my shop btw…)

I’ve always had lavender with me through college and in every home I’ve lived in. It’s a plant that I keep close because it speaks to me, and provides abundant medicine that I thoroughly enjoy. I recently explained a bit about my connection to lavender here, if you’re interested in reading that. Anyway, I chose lavender and roses to be in my logo because both have deep meaning for me. Roses remind me of my grandmother. She would always have rose soap in her home and she cared for rose plants near her bird bath in her back yard. Watching birds has always been my favorite pastime with my elders… My dad being an avid bird expert/watcher/hunter has taught me so much about them since I was an infant… Observing nature has been my norm for choice activities whenever I could choose what to do with my time. I love roses also for their intense therapeutic healing properties. They literally have so much potency within their essence, and they are slow growing, so are highly coveted by many… Roses are a book to be written… So much meaning… Pure LOVE and Healing… That’s the basics.

I added acorns to the logo because of my deep connection to Oak trees. I’ve written so many times about Oak trees on this blog, you could just search “oak” and I’m sure there will be pages of posts. They are a tree that grows locally where I hike in the nearby mountains and have provided me with a lifelong sense of protection, and have offered me medicine in countless ways, strengthening my spirit, and helping me calm my fears as a child and throughout my entire life to this day. I am very balanced with my masculine and feminine characteristics and Oak has helped me accept this part of me. Oaks are a very masculine tree, and I’ve learned to relate to how this energy can be used in intentional ways that are helpful to me on my path. Acorns are so symbolic. They represent creativity and fertility… concepts I work with constantly, being such a creative person. I never run out of ideas and seem to attract people to me for this reason… It has been a challenge to accept this part of me as well, because I am often taken advantage of for this abundant aspect of my personality… I give freely of information and ideas, and people feel inspired to recreate them for themselves… Sometimes it feels draining though if I’m not aligned with my higher self. Oak reminds me that I am here to help others on their path. That my gifts are not meant to be hidden or held tightly. I learn by teaching, and I learn about myself in all of the lessons that present themselves to me, even the ones that are painful and feel disturbing. Like when so-called friends turn out to be parasitic. (Like the beautiful mistle toe that grows only on Oaks). The Oak tree is a portal to this understanding… They help us get through hard times, and provide us with nourishment and shelter during those moments when we tire. I turn to Oak for the energy of keeping on my path and doing all that I can to help others while I also remain open and humble to others helping me. I may have to experience the despair of not knowing people’s deeper twisted intentions for connecting to me, but it will not stop be from fully blossoming in this lifetime. I have an endless amount of energy to give and when people try to tap into that to serve themselves, they eventually realize that they need to find it within themselves to be sustainable.

Strong within, and a softness, I am sensitive and empathic, and these things make my path a challenge, especially the clairaudience, clairvoyance, clairsentience, etc. I have learned to hone these gifts and am guided without ever questioning it anymore. Deer and hummingbird have helped me with this… So many others too, but I chose deer and hummingbird for my logo because they each represent aspects of me that I want to share with others. People have always said I look like a deer. I have big dark eyes and a skinny long neck… My hair and skin are like the deer, with many freckles when I was younger too, like deer’s spots. As the spots have faded I have learned what deer teaches me… I became a vegetarian and stepped into yoga back in 2003, right after I ended a very painful relationship. That time in my life was crucial to my path, because it is then when I dove into my spirituality and would stay up late meditating with crystals and summoning the moon. I’d go on my lunch breaks to learn about the healing properties of minerals from an elder woman in my community, who I gathered dozens of specimens from, to study… I’d started to eat mushrooms back then and it is that medicine that connected me more to deer and the woodlands like I had been when I was a child… I journeyed deep in the woods and found myself again, shape-shifted into deer and had intense visions of my human guide appear, telling me things that I’ll never forget about my path… These moments, are locked into me as tokens of sacred energy that I’ve held in humble awareness as I’ve moved forward… From a tiny baby until now I’ve always walked the medicine path… turning to nature for my guidance, knowing I was “different” or at least felt different among most of the many people in my life outside of my family… I learned to walk lightly like deer, keep my ears open and my eyes wide and alert. There is danger out there… this I have known… Deer are not fighters… they do not have sharp teeth or claws… They may know how to run, but will choose stillness when faced with dangerous encounters with others. They’d much rather stare it down and then walk away peacefully then run in fear or charge with anger. Deer is my heart. I am open and vulnerable but fully aware at all times of what is approaching. And like deer, I have a sense of what I need… I will leave what I don’t need behind quietly. Deer have been watched by Native Americans and other peoples who have learned what herbs and roots, and fungus were edible, which were medicinal, etc. I bring this energy to my path in hopes that I can share about my connection to nature in a way that provides good medicine for the people...

I would never have been able to do this without hummingbird. A tiny force of light and all colors, not just for the colors the male’s have in their feathers, but because they go from flower to flower engaging all colors in the spectrum of light they weave through the sky. I actually connect to female hummingbirds mostly, which is why I made sure to tone down the colors of the hummingbird in my logo… It’s a common mistake for people to assume the flashy colorful feathers are of the pretty female, but naively that type of thinking is just the opposite of truth. The males of most bird species are the most colorful. Just like peacocks, another bird women love to use as a way to feel feminine and beautiful, not truly realizing that it is the male’s energy, a source of a power actually, is what they seek… A seductive energy that draws people to them… Well, I don’t seek power, and I despise lustful ego displays. I have so much inner power that I have to just let it flow constantly out in peaceful ways… and hummingbird’s heart beats so fast and they fly in every direction collecting the medicine of flowers that they just resonate with my mind and help me find the sweetness in life in those dark times, when my mind is so active… She came to me and still returns daily for these reminders… Of quiet strength, of not needing to be showy, of being amazing in such a small way, that inner bliss and joy of playful love and Being offers. I have written about hummingbird and deer so much, so I won’t repeat too much… They are both sacred to me in this way that I give of my heart and open up to others in my creative efforts to inspire and bring attention to self-healing and protecting the earth. It is all so important to me… Both deer and hummingbird as well as Oak trees and all flowers are gatekeepers to the faerie realm, a realm I relate to, and deeply respect.

The partial wreath of white sage leaves is very much a part of the roots in my name Lauren, from the roots of it’s meaning – “laurel” as in the laurel tree and bay leaves, of the crowns made for poets in ancient times… and because white sage is what I use to burn down and clear negativity… to connect to spirit, to remember my path… It is one of my sacred tools and spirit guides.

Having my shop closed for the past ~6 months has been so vital to my growth. I am so much more connected to my path and feel like I had more to learn about running my business. These things I could not have learned while struggling to keep it running. I needed to pause. So thank you for staying along for this journey. What I’m about to reveal in the next few weeks is so exciting and truly is going to take me swiftly off into a beautiful part of my path ahead. I have sensed it and have worked very hard to manifest it… From the very beginnings back when I had just opened my business until now, I have watched it unfold at a turtle’s pace… It’s interesting to me what my close friend told me the other day. We were discussing Turtle Medicine and Art… I resonate with her words so much… She is so wise…

“Art is my tool for expressing something inside me. No less. No more. I don’t have to be an “artist”. I don’t have to sell myself. I am doing it for the freedom of my own heart. Money and fame, or struggling for it, believing that it matters, would ruin it. That is what turtle is teaching me. To be content in my own house, on my own path, at my own pace.”

I’ll be sending out my long awaited newsletter once everything is in alignment and I’m finally ready to show what it is I’ve been working on. I won’t officially open my shop until June 11, but will be revealing things that will be available when the final steps are completed. Until then, I’ll be busy making and creating and writing behind the scenes. I’ve been really good about posting everyday to my Spiral Elixir Facebook page with updates and inspiration, so be sure to Like my page, if you haven’t already. That’s the best place to find me on a daily basis. Thanks for reading! ~*~

Filed Under: inner peace, jewelry, Plant Medicine & Faerie Realm, spiral elixir, Spirit Guides & Dreamtime, Transformation & Letting Go, vegetarian Tagged With: deer medicine, herbs, humble, hummingbird medicine, lavender, medicinal plants, oak tree medicine, power, roots, rose, spiral elixir logo, spirit medicine, strength, symbology of acorn, symbology of peacock, true to one's path, vegetarian animals, visionwise

Protecting the Biodiversity of Wetlands & Delicate Ecosystems

May 13, 2013 By Lauren 1 Comment

I have been a Wetland Biologist for over 7 years. I always knew I wanted to be a scientist and work outdoors, but never knew exactly what sort of profession that would be. I spent my 4 years at Sonoma State University mostly focused on running track and when I graduated with a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, I still had no idea what I wanted to do or what I was even qualified to do (the answer was nothing). So I decided to go back to school. By then I knew that I cared deeply about the environment and preserving natural and biological resources. I earned a M.S. degree in Environmental Studies at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. It was there that I took a Wetland Ecology and Management class that changed my life. I fell in love with wetlands.

What intrigued me most about wetlands was the immense biodiversity of species of microbes, plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, and mammals that can be a part of such a delicate ecosystem. I love the interconnectedness of so many disciplines and physical and chemical features such as climate, topography, geology, and the movement and abundance of water, which determines the plants and animals that inhabit each wetland. These complex, dynamic relationships are what drew me in and what continue to fascinate me.

While in graduate school I interned at the Washington State Department of Transportation as a Wetland Biologist. That experience gave me my first insight into how I could turn my passion into a career.

I currently work for an environmental consulting firm and in July became a certified Professional Wetland Scientist. My work centers on ensuring that our clients both in the public and private sectors, comply with local, state, and federal regulatory standards and requirements for environmental compliance. I work with an amazing team of biologists whose expertise range from terrestrial wildlife and vegetation, threatened and endangered species, vernal pool wetlands, tidal wetlands, estuarine ecology, marine ecology, habitat restoration, and freshwater fisheries, among others.

The laws and policies that predominantly guide our work are the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Federal Endangered Species Act, the California Endangered Species Act and the California Environmental Quality Act as well as the California Fish and Game Code. In doing so, coordination is required with a number of federal and state agencies, which include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the State Water Quality Control Board and the California Coastal Commission.

The types of work I do to fulfill the requirements of these laws and policies are wetland delineations, rare plant and botanical surveys, assessments of wetland quality and function, habitat assessments, wildlife surveys, and mitigation planning. However, it isn’t all fun and games in the great outdoors. All field work comes with its share of office work, from report writing, permit writing, data processing, meetings, etc.

I have been fortunate enough to work on projects all over the U.S. although most of my work is in California. Most recently I spent two weeks in the Tehachapi Mountains conducting botanical surveys in a wide variety of habitat types ranging from valley grasslands to oak savannah to chaparral and deserts. There are many days that I spend at work and think, “I can’t believe I am getting paid for this” because I am doing things that I would love to do anyways. However, there are also days where I think just the opposite. But I guess that’s why it’s called a job.

The thing that I enjoy most about my work is the uniqueness of every project. There are no cookie cutter answers for anything, and each project comes with a different set of challenges. The habitats are always slightly different based on any number of factors that influence a given area; climate, hydrology, soil, vegetation, current land use, surrounding land use, previous land use, topography, disturbance etc. These factors combined are what define the ecosystem and what determine our results.

Over the years, I have learned so much about the natural world and it never ceases to amaze me and yet, I still feel as though I have not scratched the surface.

xx - Shannon Lindquist, PWS

*Wetland Biologist, Shannon Lindquist (holding an endangered Red-Legged Frog)*

>>> This is a GUEST POST by my cousin, Shannon Lindquist. <<<

Since I was born, my cousin Shannon has always been my friend and we grew up with lots of things in common. For one, we share the same amazing Grandmother… Also important to me, is our love and appreciation of nature and all creatures. Shannon works hard to protect the Earth and it’s been so inspiring to watch her follow her path. She has a very unique job and I hope that by sharing her story, others will be inspired to follow their path and also consider the importance of the preservation and restoration of wild lands and the interconnectedness of delicate ecosystems like wetlands.

Thank you for reading…

Filed Under: hiking, Interviews & Guest Posts, Plant Medicine & Faerie Realm Tagged With: bakersfield cactus, biodiversity, botanical survey, calico monkey flower, California, clarkia, delicate ecosystems, downingia, endangered animals, endangered plants, fresh water wetland, frog, kalamazoo river, red-legged frog, tarantula, tehachapi mountains, tejon ranch, wetland biologist, wetland ecology, wetland preservation

Solar Eclipse, New Moon, & Turtle Medicine

May 9, 2013 By Lauren 3 Comments

I knew that today would be eventful, but could never have guessed that we’d be rescuing a turtle… I have had the most intense PMS this week. I know that sounds totally random to say right after I mention the turtle rescue, but let me explain (which is rare, since I never talk about my cycle). I have had two pregnancies both which have resulted in a healthy naturally birthed child. Each time I became pregnant I knew from various signs that I was… One of the physical markers for me is feeling nauseous. I have felt nauseous for 4 days straight now. It was concerning, because I knew I was about ready to begin my cycle and the timing seemed like it was a possibility. I have no desire to be pregnant right now though, but of course I would adjust and be grateful… I just honestly felt very anxious all week, and even last week had some anxiety and had to seek counsel from a woman who helped me ground out and re-center (which I never do either… I’ve been allowing myself changes and shifts in how I reach out and recoil). It all was stemming from this amazing astrological shift going on and the timing of my moon cycle and Moon Sign, which is Taurus. I have had terrible headaches this week, especially last night, border line migraine sort of pain and irritability. I was still waiting for my release… And then after a night of dreaming about dogs and homes and losing my grandmothers gold diamond ring to a strange gypsy man on a dirt road, I woke up to finally have some relief and I let go into feeling peace once again in my mind… After the children woke up we went to play outside for a bit and then I started getting us ready to go mail a package. Right before we were ready to leave the energy started to build.

I had just finished explaining to ISIS what a Solar Eclipse was. I then stood in the kitchen thinking about how grateful I was to have started my moon on this New Moon… and the synchronicity of this amazingly powerful time we’re in… and the cycle from the Solar Eclipse in the North Node from November 13, 2012 (2 days after my birthday), and now today this Solar Eclipse in the South Node in Scorpio (all this Scorpio from the past 2 weeks ~ my Sun Sign, dude…….. seriously), bringing with it completion in many ways… If you haven’t listened to the Astrological Report for this week, click here. So much going on with our experience with the “mother” aspect, our childhood, emotions… Letting go of fears… Oh my this has been a deep time for me… And it aligns perfectly with our month’s theme in IHS too.

Feeling it all… So much insight, so much inner workings, I know you’re feeling it too…

So the 2 pit bulls next door started barking loudly suddenly and I assumed there must have been a cat in front or a pedestrian. There was nothing there… I paced back and forth a few times because my kids were outside and I felt like this barking was different, it sounded more aggressive and wouldn’t stop. I walked outside and saw my kids standing next to the fence and waved them down to come inside so we could get going… But ISIS said, “Mom the dogs are fighting!” (Which I didn’t think was accurate because they didn’t sound like they were fighting, which I have heard and know what it sounds like unfortunately.) Then baby Z said “Mama!” And he waved me down to come look through the crack in the fence, but I was determined to just go and pick him up and take him inside. He said, “Dog!” And I said, “yeah baby I know… I know…” But then I thought maybe there is something strange going on here… so I got down and looked through the fence… To my surprise I saw the dogs crouching down and moving around and trying to strike something and bite it. It was very difficult to see so I finally adjusted myself and took a good look scanning the area, and that is when I saw the big turtle terrified and nervously trying to run and then going in its shell while the dogs were trying to bite it and barking over it. It was sad… I grabbed Z and ran with ISIS through the house and went to my neighbor’s house (they just moved in couple months ago)… I got the woman’s attention and told her quickly what was going on and she looked completely shocked and as if I was the wild witch from the west (this was our first conversation, Hi there, nice to meet you.) Super random conversation, loved it. So she screams for her son to go get the dogs and they struggle, and I’m so worried watching, and the guy finally grabs the turtle and just handed it over the fence to me, never even making eye contact. I said thank you and quickly left the scene, grateful to have convinced the woman to give it to me in the flurry. She was very cooperative and I’m sure wanted nothing to do with the large reptile in her backyard. She may have wondered about me too… It was really random and awesome.

We went straight to the back yard and put it in a big tub so I could examine it for injuries. It was totally fine, but shaky and scared. We sat with it for a while and I gave it Reiki and it finally came out of its shell and I could tell it was not content. I noticed the scratches on it’s back and knew what had happened. I had heard the lady say, “Yeah those dogs have been digging a lot out there.” Which to me meant that this poor turtle had been hibernating for who knows how long (because the yard is all dirt and compact)… Those new dogs must have smelled it and had been digging and digging and finally scratching it’s shell and then it must have eventually emerged for the stand off. I bet those dogs had no idea what they were unearthing… A Red-Eared Slider Turtle… covered in dirt and hungry.

I cleaned off the turtle and we put it into a different tub with a shallow dish of water. (I didn’t know yet what to do with it exactly). I needed to wash my hands and go on the internet for a minute. I confirmed that it was indeed a semi-aquatic turtle, which made me even more puzzled because there is no water any where around here, and trust me, no one has any money to have a nice pond around here either. I have yet to find out what really happened, and I may never know, but I think she buried herself in the yard after it rained some winter, and she finally came out and was meant to meet us today.

I have a connection to turtles from long ago. I manifested one into my life when I was 16. I had spent years begging my parents to let me have one, and the day they finally said ok, I ended up changing my mind because the one I tried to pet in the shop snapped at me and almost bit my finger. I thought I could find a nicer pet. I did find them very interesting and awesome though, and never stopped thinking about how I wish I could have one as a pet… A nice one. Well, one rainy day when I was 16 I found one while on my way to a soccer game. I was by myself in my Toyota pickup truck, had just learned how to drive and was on my own. I brought the turtle into the car with me, not realizing that it was not going to sit still like a good turtle It started trying to get my hand when I would shift gears… I was driving a manual truck, so I had to keep putting my hand there and anyway, I tried to push it down really quick and veered off the road over the curb into some bushes scraping an electrical box and almost hitting a pole, and then a tree, within inches. I was beside myself. Completely shaken up and sick to my stomach. I thought I was going to get followed and questioned for being drunk or something. Which I of course wasn’t, I was just a teenager driving with a big turtle as my passenger! Haha! No but it was bad… I could have been badly hurt and it was very naive of me. I felt horrible.

I pulled over and saw the huge scrapes on my truck. What would I tell my parents!? (We’ll save that part of the story for another day…) Anyway, I didn’t think I should bring lil’ turtle home that night after I almost killed myself and f-ed up my truck that was just given to me. I took it to the nicest house I could find (energetically) and put it in their front yard… Praying that it would be found and given a good home, I drove away crying… I had finally manifested my turtle but nearly died trying to rescue it. That was 15 years ago…

Fast forward a month or so ago… my mother manifested a Red-Eared Slider into her life. Found it near her home in the dirt, and gave it to her friend who has a nice pond in her back yard. What are the odds of me finding this same species of turtle weeks later…? Super charged alignment. Wow.

So, Mother Earth Turtle Medicine… Ancient Feminine Strength… The turtle… Oh, it’s just perfect. The red ears… Root chakra, security, home… Hearing with my inner ears… (if you only knew how divine this timing is for me and my heart). I am going to meditate on turtle medicine for a while now… I feel so blessed, and in tune with what my guide is showing me… I’ve been going slow to open my shop, but I am sure that it has been wise of me to take each step with awareness… There is this constant urge to rush and I can barely contain my self with all of the new things I want to share… But Turtle has told me to keep moving at my slow pace… That I have all the time in the world… That my senses are being cultivated during this rest period… I have done a lot of inner work to get to where I am now…

Turtle, the gate keeper between land and water worlds… The faerie messenger to new realms of long-lived grounding for what is ahead… An emotional life on Earth… Mother Earth provides… She is so comforting… And just last post I was talking about SHELLS and Crabs, and Hermit, and Ocean Medicine… the water and the shoreline… THE IN BETWEEN.

We are in a TIME OF TRANSITION…

Hold on for the ride folks… We ain’t done yet.

Give thanks for what is to come and what we have. There is so much abundance and many good things unfolding…

Now is the time to release those patterns that have not been serving you…

Enjoy this little video of our friend, “Eclipse”… And know that I will update you as we build her a better pond… This is just temporary.

Want to read more about Turtle Medicine…? I’ve written about them several times…

Here, here, and here, and there… Oh and here too…

More soon! Enjoy the energies of the shifting planetary workings. Bless!!

P.S. My family loves pit bulls. My husband has raised several of them, and his 2 brothers and father all have at least one of their own. I in no way am trying to single out this breed as a turtle attacker, just stating facts, and some dog breeds can get more protective than others… and just so you know… My dog, who is not a pit bull but is very protective… has found her new best friend… She has been sitting with Eclipse ever since we introduced them. It’s so adorable. When she was a puppy she was around turtles on the ranch where she was born. It’s a beautiful connection to her mother as well… Loving my dog’s tender curiosity. It’s almost too much! What a trippy day… Out of hibernation for sure now.

Filed Under: abundance, Conscious Parenting & Pregnancy, Plant Medicine & Faerie Realm, Spirit Guides & Dreamtime, Transformation & Letting Go Tagged With: astrology, childhood, dreamtime, hibernation, letting go, moon cycle, mother, mother earth, new moon, red-eared slider, rescued from pit bulls, saturn, scorpio, solar eclipse, south node, synchronicity, taurus, turtle medicine

Shoreline Spirit Guides & Rugged Terrain

May 6, 2013 By Lauren 1 Comment

I have always lived near the sea, not foot steps away but minutes.

I smell her salty waves and she beckons. I know she is there, I know why I Am.

When I collect shells for my altars or jewelry I do so as a meditation and great honor. The spirit of the ocean and all of the creatures that I am blessed to learn about are guides… I observe the behavior and see my reflection. The little neck clam shells on my fingers below are reminders of my need to bury myself under the sand at times, and my balanced ways… Of coming to the surface feeling torn apart, and radiant too, that there are 2 sides to things… The Sand Dollar, which I urge you only to collect if they are white or light grey, as they may still be alive if they’re purple, please let them be. (By the way I didn’t take this one home.) I just love them. They remind me of that same part of me that blankets down in retreat from the outside to let the sound of the crashing waves of awareness around me move into the dreamlike background noise, so I can nourish myself and do my works beneath the surface of things… I have been feeling intense energies lately and the ways I choose to ground that energy always involve the medicine in Nature. This past week I felt strongly that I had to go to the ocean…

I recommend listening to Bjork’s song, “Desired Constellation” while you look at these pictures. I had her lyrics in mind while writing.

We are not superior to any other non-human being… There is divine intelligence in every being. Even a drop of water contains the mystery of life’s wholeness. The mystery of life is revealed in the continuous shifting of the ocean’s ways… along her shore there are reflections of light and beauty unlike any other ecosystem, and yet perfectly reflected in symbolic simplicity too. Simple concepts that come from the immensity of the sea, and from the universe it self…

There is no urge for me to collect as many shells as I can or even return often for more and more. I take only what I need, and those that speak to me. In this way I feel quietened by the respect as I walk, and vibrations from my heart are more able to connect peacefully to each offering. There is more than meets the eyes… There is so much knowledge in the ancient sea… We carry the wisdom within our very blood. We are born of water, earth and stars…

I find it interesting that I found this tiny black crab. They have this energy about them that is so unique as they walk sideways and have their fists up ready for action, yet truly only seeking peace among the hard places, the cracks where others would fear dwelling, the dark places that hold them in their watery dreams.

Hermit like at times, I’ve discovered that it’s because of my sensitivity to the magnitude of energy I pick up on, that I must retreat to center in this huge spiral of info and egos, and just go with the flow… Using what comes natural for me, going within… This is what shell medicine teaches… They give us the gift of rejuvenation, becoming new again, inward and energized… in contact with the Source.

Holding watery emotions in a purple exoskeletal shell… my crown chakra bursts as I dream up the ways to soothe the tides of my heart and all I see around me.

Shells help us release stress in the body… Tension that has built up is massaged by waves of nurturing reminders of the essence of power within… They facilitate heightened awareness of our nature, and inspire harmonic vibrations between our mind, body, and heart. They are tools for transformation. Like mussels, sometimes we need to hold onto our rock, our anchor, to stay still and grow without moving too much… Slowing down to do our works where we are, instead of always trying to get some where. Valuable lessons for each moment as they shift from one to another… The cosmic dance is whispered about…

Like this sea bird, the sanderling, wading in the shallow waters, looking for crabs to eat, we have to see ourself in her too… The search to fulfill our hunger, and the need to dig below the surface to find what we are looking for. It won’t be looking for you… But you know you’ll get what you need. Relax and enjoy the process as you move along the In Between area… Tender footsteps in an alchemic pathway, the shoreline trail to divine bliss and self-awareness…

Gain a new perspective as you sit down and humble yourself. Realize what you are here to do… Let the spirit of the ocean reside in your heart as you go inland.

In honor of Oceania and all her earthly children.

I love the variety in the scallop shells I found. They are one that I’ve been working with over the past few years. Seen here, and there in my works…

The land can be rough and the path may be rugged… Sometimes we have to be very cautious among the thorns of life. There are warnings everywhere though, we just have to heed the signs. It also helps to take time to try and understand why there are hard shells, and sharp thorns. What is being protected. Why do we hide like the hermit? There is a sweetness… A raw beauty and purpose.

The fleshy fruit of the opuntia cactus can be eaten raw, and tastes like a pear or water melon, kind of sandy and subtle. They have the tiniest little slivery thorns that stick to skin like magnets looking like fuzzy hair almost undetectable… and yet with this small delicacy they are harsh and sting horribly. They change color, they grow quickly, they appear in places that are hard to reach too… But if you must have them, do give thanks and enjoy every bit of their medicine.

Living where I do in this urban desert oasis of concrete jungle and ocean breezes, I find my lessons in nature squeezed between structure and resilience. The single pallet that we planted 6 years ago, has grown into 2 giant prickly pear cacti twins next to our garden along the outside of our yard. When they flower I am in awe… They have the most amazing orangish pink flowers… Supple petals infused with natural grace as they open to the sun.

Cacti are succulent water keepers as well… They help us discover the elixir of life within no matter what type of outer circumstances we are experiencing. They know how to adapt to the harshest of environments, and have shown me what it takes to deal with the cycle of life and death, overcome hard times, remain true to my self and the direction I have in life and allow my inner gifts to blossom through all necessary adjustments, respecting the water element, retaining what I need to survive. The journey within can move us through various terrain, finding relaxation and messages, uncovering our deeper truth and activating our awareness to all that is and all we are. I’ve learned to be resourceful and patient as I journey forward. To see the blessings in it all. To appreciate what I find, and that if I take something from the earth, or the ocean, that I must tell its story, and share what I feel… I must go beneath the surface and reveal what is really important. I continue to cultivate my awareness of our connection, and pass along this information with hopes that others will as well. With love…

Filed Under: abundance, alchemy, chakras, community, detoxing, Health & Healing, inner peace, jewelry, ocean, Plant Medicine & Faerie Realm, San Diego, spiral elixir, Spirit Guides & Dreamtime, Transformation & Letting Go Tagged With: bjork, clam, crab symbology, desired constellation, emoitions, hermit, inner peace, navigating rugged terrain, ocean medicine, oceania, opuntia, prickly pear catus, sand dollar, sanderling, scallop, shell medicine, transformation, wading bird, water keeper

Jasmine Dreams

April 29, 2013 By Lauren 5 Comments

The Jasmine flower is small but powerfully aromatic and blissed out with its 5 starred petal arrangement and white light bursting energies, that travel straight to the heart, embracing the spirit in such a way that it instantly eases our troubles away and brings clarity to the ups and downs of life. A masterful wise flower with elder faeries to guard and protect it like the ancient mystery school portal it is… As I sat in a light meditation last night, which turned into a dreamy nap before going to bed, I hovered from flower to flower… all of them white. I was drunk off the essences and felt high on the beauty of each species in my dream, as I went to one after the other, simply enjoying them. Spring is intense for me because I am outside nearly all day with our plants, and my children. I pick up on so much more energy than the colder seasons… Energies that are lively and spirited, new life is everywhere. This Jasmine flower plant shown above was a gift from my husband. He always gives me plants and stones for my birthday. This past year I received this Jasmine and a Hibiscus. The Jasmine finally flowered this week. What an amazing gift. I stand at the doorway of the kitchen and from 6 feet away I smell Jasmine’s sweetness…

As many of you know, I have been using Jasmine as my essential oil of choice for the Dream Pillows I make. I also use Jasmine with my children. It has been a special medicine for our family… My family is going through a major shift, that I have not been able to speak openly about yet, since so much of what is to come is still not fully known. I have been having the most intense and vivid dreams though and many of them have been playing out in our days thereafter. I’m used to this happening, but it’s been very intense, and a lot of the things I’m seeing in my visions are all pointing to similar signs and answers to some of our questions. I have a strong premonition of certain aspects that will unfold in the next couple of months, and Jasmine happened to bless me with the strong medicine it holds at this most divine time. Every time I’d see a new bud form and then start to open, my dreams would become more and more telling…

As I always say, medicine will show up for us when we need it… Our true GUIDE is within… we just find ourselves in all of the beautiful reflections before us… We are all connected and there for each other, through all of the hard times, and fear, and with all of the joy and our deepest aspirations, there is understanding… Pure flower essences affect our body, mind, and spiritual perception…

Like the blue scrub jay that has been visiting me this past week as well… making a nest in the pine tree behind our lot with its mated partner, I have also recognized my need to assert myself in what is already there within me as a nestled power. There are parts of myself that have known that they’d be open to expression, they just needed to simmer and alchemize in humble waking… Scrub Jay showed up to remind me to embrace life to the fullest and do what I love at all times with enthusiasm and strength of character.

I am so grateful for the experiences I’ve had with, and have been inspired to share more of my connection to, plants, and trees, and their flowers, like I have been throughout the life of this blog, and as I do more with the winged ones, the four-legged, the two-legged, and the scaled… just in a more intentional way, as to highlight the medicine of the essence in spiritual ways. It is my pleasure to pass along what I have learned and what is being transmitted to me. What has always been deeply personal for me is beginning to rise into my public work more and more, and the time is nearing when I will have more ways of expressing this love with everyone here as well… Some things take time.

“Humanity will be saved through the flower.” – Huvenol, Mayan elder

Filed Under: Essential Oils & Aromatherapy, Plant Medicine & Faerie Realm, Spirit Guides & Dreamtime, Transformation & Letting Go Tagged With: aromatherapy, dream catcher, flower medicine, fortelling, healing properties of jasmine, jasmine flower, mated pair, prophetic dreaming, pure flower essences, scrub jay, spirit guide, transformation, transition, white flower

Healing With Magnolia Trees & White LIGHT

April 24, 2013 By Lauren

Magnolia trees (Magnoliaceae) are an ancient species, arising before bees, they do not produce nectar, but carry a medicinal energy and essence. They are pollinated mostly by beetles. Over 200 species in the world, and often known as “Champa“, this tree bestows blessings of feminine strength and faith in our deepest ideals, as we open our heart and remember to stay true to ourself no matter how much pressure is placed upon us… I’m sharing about Magnolia medicine today because it has been one of my favorite trees since I was a child, as I’ve watched two Magnolia trees grow over the course of my life that are next to the house where I lived. I once explored the layers of the large white flower, peeling it apart petal by petal, immersed with the softness and pleasant aroma. My sisters and I would also collect the huge pods decorated with red smooth seeds. Last Friday I took my children on a walk by my childhood home, where my parent’s still live, and although only one of those beautiful Magnolia trees still grows there, we always stop underneath it, to connect and admire it’s shady branches and evergreen leaves. She always picks up a pod to take home and put on her altar. I took a picture of these giant Magnolias at Balboa Park, San Diego, CA not too far from our home… It was on the same day we went to the Friendship Garden. They’re much older than the ones I grew up next to, but have the same calming energy about them… so high the branches are, and it’s not like the smaller trees that you can touch and see closely what the features look like, and smell like… but the essence is evident in its entire aura, and can be felt upon approaching.

The bark of the Magnolia tree is also used medicinally. Like the flower it is also aromatic, and has a calming effect that counteracts depression and anxiety. The leaves are often used to wrap food and the flowers steeped with tea. Magnolias have varying attributes dependent on species and region, but the most common in the United States has white flowers. In contrast, we witnessed our first white rose of the season blossom yesterday. It reminded me of the dream I had yesterday morning of 2 of my main spirit guides showing up in animal form and completely white. A white owl and a white wild cat (my familiar) similar to the look of a slender leopard or panther, and huge domestic cat, but with no spots and a fluffy tale like a fox. It was amazing, and very comforting… As all of my dreams like that are, except with an added power with the white fur and feathers… Normally my dreams of owls are of barn owls and great horned owls, but this one was large like a snowy owl. White symbolizes the truth, purity, and the soul star chakra above the head linking us to the universal intelligence available at all times as a continuous light source.

Magnolias have a way of enhancing the psychic energies and intuition. I’ve been working with this medicine lately as I’ve been dealing with emotions about new shifts in our life, and a recent neck injury. Attention to the color white has also helped me to find balance as I nurture the part of me that has had to learn repeatedly not to overextend myself to others, which is reflected now in the physical with my strained neck muscles… I feel so much less scattered, and have had several nights in a row of prophetic dreams, I’ve been humbled and sorting through the visions and happenings that have played out.

As you can see, the roots of the great Magnolia rise out of the earth lifting whatever is placed upon it. It can lift heavy concrete and walkways of cement where people trample on. If you plan on planting Magnolia trees give them ample space to spread out and grow. The fact that they can rise no matter what type of pressure is applied to them represents a deeply rooted strength that can be harnessed and appreciated in their presence and essence. Magnolias remind us of the sweetness and beauty of nature. A pure loving energy…

Interestingly enough, I was attracted to the scent of Magnolia flowers in my teenage years as well. I began burning incense in my bedroom, almost always Nag Champa… a scent that both my husband and I still to this day adore, and burn often in our home. Most people assume that Nag Champa is made with the essence of the fragrant Plumeria, however it is actually from “White Champa” – Magnolia.

Once you’ve experienced the healing properties of this tree, you’ll remember it always… and I’m quite sure it will help you remember other things as well. It helps me recall those scattered thoughts that I’ve needed to regain my deep centeredness and balance. I’m so grateful for the spiritual connection to this plant medicine. I find myself moving into new rhythms and patterns of silence to meditate and do inner soul work, and it may actually stall my shop’s reopening. I’m not sure… I’m just noticing myself and how I feel. I’m wide open to what Spirit is telling me and where I’m being guided… embracing the unknown with trust.

Filed Under: Essential Oils & Aromatherapy, Health & Healing, Plant Medicine & Faerie Realm, San Diego, Spirit Guides & Dreamtime Tagged With: aromatherapy, aromatice bark, auras, christ vibration, dreamtime messages, edible and medicinal plants, evergreen trees, giant magnolia trees, healing properties of magnolia, healthy relationships, heart chakra, higher self, intuition, magnolia essential oil, magnolia tree medicine, nag champa incense, psychic abilities, snowy owl, soul, spirit essence, spirit guides, spirit of trees, symbology of the color white, symbology of the magnolia tree, tree roots, white champa, white light, white magnolia flowers, white power animal, wild cat

Signs and Symbols in Nature: A Reminder

April 20, 2013 By Lauren

Nature communicates to us through the physical and Intuitive senses. All people have the ability to communicate with Nature. You do not need to be a certain kind of person with “special abilities.” You have those special abilities already in you, they are innate. The more time you spend in Nature the more your senses will heighten. Interpreting and translating messages is an intuitive process that requires introspection and awareness. If you are looking for answers they will come to you, you just have to keep all channels open in your mind for the guidance to surface. You will know, and it will make sense, but you just have to be open to the information even if it is not always pleasant or what you want to hear. You will also have to accept that your Spirit Guide or Messenger may not appear in the form you are expecting.

When you start something new or feel a transformation coming on, look for guidance and confirmation on your path in nature or otherwise. The messages will come. Stay open and aware… If you rely on books or websites for all of your information you are missing the key element and the most important messages deep within. To understand a message from Spirit you have to experience Being with your guides, familiars, and allies. Seeking guidance from those more experienced than you is fine, but do not revere them as more able than you… They may simply have more confidence. Don’t be fooled. You are so powerful. You have so much wisdom tucked into every cell. Awaken to the Universal Intelligence within… Open up to all channels of communication.

The planet is shifting. We are truly reaching new heights of awareness and the the earth is feeling it too. There are amazing alchemic changes happening in nature and within us that are best understood in a subtle state of meditation or peaceful awareness. Even in times of great chaos you may find a quiet moment and have a glimpse of immense beauty, inspiration, or affirmation. There are messages for you. There are signs and symbols that show up and we only need to accept them into our psyche and welcome the transformations as they move within us…

The path of Nature is open to everyone, always… In waking, dreamtime, astral travel, and journeying within… We can walk as a mystic through this life and expand our consciousness, and awaken our potential by doing so. Studying the meaning of signs and symbols in nature is one part of this awareness… it can take time and patience to cultivate. Often times you will only need to surrender to the feelings that you are left with after an experience, but sometimes you will be challenged to make sense of multiple signs, and it will appear like a calculation of mathematics, working out an equation, or a flash of insight will appear in reflection. Understanding the language of Nature helps one to develop the art of reading signs and messages that come to us every day from the natural world… If we need support in any endeavor, simply open up to the idea of the Universe showing up, and you will be comforted in ways that serve you on your path…

No matter how you define the Divine you are are able to speak with this force through nature. Nature holds the key to all of the problems we think about solving. Nature is where we turn for healing, spiritual guidance, and communications. By understanding nature we understand the world, we will find answers to our questions, even those deeply spiritual ones. Nature provides gifts for our journey as we walk the earth. Give thanks for the abundance. Trust your higher self. Calm your mind to LISTEN… FEEL… and ACCEPT what is near and around you… Begin Within. You are your own healer.

Filed Under: Health & Healing, hiking, mushrooms, Plant Medicine & Faerie Realm, Spirit Guides & Dreamtime, Transformation & Letting Go Tagged With: animal medicine, communicating with nature, cooper's hawk, enhancing self awareness, faith, familiar spirits, flowers, hawk feather, healing yourself, higher self, hiking, how to interpret symbolic messages, Hummingbird Moth, intuitive guidance, making sense of the world, messengers, omens, plant medicine, signs and symbols in nature, solving problems with nature, Sphinx Moth, spirit guides, spiritual guidance, strengthening intuition, transformation, trusting, understanding messages in nature, white mushrooms

The Beauty and Balance of Lavender Medicine

April 15, 2013 By Lauren

Lavender comes in many varieties, and some are more fragrant than others. The lavender we have growing at our home is a Spanish Lavender hybrid called “Otto Quast” – Lavandula stoechas. This plant has the fragrant buds and hardy shorter shrub foliage that is considered ‘the best of both worlds’ I suppose. We were just drawn to it a few years ago. It finally needed to be pruned, which is common for lavender plants at this time of year. As long as you don’t cut down into the woody branches you can’t go wrong… Lavender is an evergreen shrub that has a sacred flower, and is a hub for much faerie activity and nature spirits.

I’ve always loved the scent of lavender, while I know many don’t. It has a soothing affect on me, and I have gone through several bottles of lavender essential oil throughout my lifetime. It’s been my staple essence, and a plant that I adore. There is a strong magical energy that surrounds lavender… It puts off a very protective vibe as well… Planting them in places near the entrance to a home is wise (which we had done when it was potted) but we have this plant in our backyard next to our Clary Sage and white rose bush in one of the side garden beds. The bees love lavender! The fragrant blossoms waft through our yard and the children are naturally attracted to it, and can often be found near it, picking off buds, squeezing them between their fingers and rubbing them as they sniff the good relaxing aroma.

My husband and I went out to the lavender bush in the morning time after the morning dew had dried but before the sun started to beat down… That is usually the best time to harvest flowers for it keeps the essence at its strongest before the sun draws it all out. We gave thanks to the lavender spirit and the asked the plant for permission to make some cuts, which seemed fine and appreciated… so we worked together to give it a nice trim for the summer. I collected all of the cuttings with my son, and we filled our basket with the beautiful herb.

Lavender is a powerfully healing flower, most notably for it’s ability to restore physical and emotional balance. By aligning with lavender’s high vibration, lower thought forms and unwanted entities are kept back while the crown chakra is activated for clear vision, spiritual growth, and the ability to overcome emotionally stagnant karmic issues. As my husband and I have been on a deeply healing path together for nearly 7 years, we have used lavender for times of stress, pain, insomnia, or for any type of depressing vibe that may arise. Lavender is so nurturing and calming for the children as well. Everyone should have lavender medicine of some kind. We are always drawn to the medicine we need and this was what we needed last week, as we were given some intense news that shook us up and got us thinking in overdrive. Working with the lavender took a lot of time, but it was much needed and very much a blessing to have the wonderful abundance at our home when we needed it.

I decided I would use the lavender that we gathered to make bundles. The buds that fell off, or that I couldn’t fit into a bundle, I saved in a smaller basket to use for the sachets I make in my shop, Spiral Elixir. I separated the pieces by size and manicured them all by hand, enjoying the oily resin on my finger tips and the softness of the flowers and leaves as I watched my children play under the shady tree. It was such a relaxing day!

I made the lavender bundles the same way I make my White Sage bundles except I only wrapped around the base of the stems, instead of all around and up to make smudge sticks (Which I use red yarn for). For the lavender bundles I used hand spun wool yarn from a sheep named ‘Roxy’… I had been saving the yarn to use for something special ever since I got it a few years ago. I loved how they turned out… There were 18 total, a number that was also significant for us at the time as well, of course…

We’ve been letting the bundles hang dry upside down, and the extra lavender buds are drying in a special tray I have. To preserve the colors its best to keep them in a cool dark space, but make sure they get enough air circulation to avoid mildew from the moisture. It has been so amazing to have the scent of lavender flowing through our home each day. I am so grateful for this medicine as we are finding ways and being assisted by lavender to maintain emotional balance during a time that seems bumpy and mysterious for our family. We are facing our fears head on, and giving thanks for the opportunities ahead, while making the best of what we have… and sharing what we can as we move forward. With love!

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Spiral Elixir

My shop is still closed, and will remain closed until an unknown date. I had been planning to re-open my shop the first day of June (which may still happen!), but now we are unsure if that time frame will work due to “the news” (I will explain more soon). I am working on restocking my usual items, and have been developing new products that I am so excited to finally share. Part of my emotions have been tied to the odd feeling of having my shop closed for this long, but it has been a humbling experience and has given me much needed time for reflection and learning. Thank you for your patience ~ I truly appreciate everyone’s continued support. I’m posting a lot now on my Facebook page. Every day I’m trying to check in there with updates about my works and my path.

Like my page to stay connected…

Filed Under: abundance, Essential Oils & Aromatherapy, Health & Healing, Plant Medicine & Faerie Realm, Unschooling & Family Tagged With: aromatherapy, crown chakra healing, emotional balance, faerie realm, harvesting tips, healing properties of lavender essential oil, karmic issues, lavandula stoechas, lavender, lavender pictures, lavender sachets, magic, making bundles, nature spirits, otto quast, sacred flower medicine, spiral elixir, spiritual growth

Friendship Garden Healing

April 8, 2013 By Lauren

Wisteria floribunda hung over the patio cover with a scent so inviting, as the small blossoms gently fell to the ground and into the tranquil koi pond at the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park, California… A place my family enjoys from time to time. It’s a somewhat secret spot among many in the area that offer beauty, peace, and good medicine. My children and I spent the day walking around Balboa Park last week, and our journey began in this friendship garden. I was there to give thanks and meditate on the abundance and beauty in my life, as I also felt like I was healing a part of my heart that sometimes need replenishing.

Wisteria is a known as, “the poet’s ecstasy”… a powerful plant that awakens much inspiration to those in its presence, flowering for a few months during spring and early summer. Overall, Wisteria just has good vibes. The flower’s scent activates the heart and throat chakra in ways that soothe and comfort, and also help align the two chakras for clear communication and understanding. These two energy centers pass through the Higher Heart Chakra, represented by the color turquoise, which I have written about here last year. Sometimes the power of words can transform a situation for better or for worse. Smelling the sweet aroma of the Wisteria helped clear my aura of cloudiness, and the psychic fog that had accumulated last week between conversations. Seeing the good within all of the lessons was humbling and reassuring, as Wisteria lifts the spirit to higher realms of consciousness and awakens the inherent Divinity within us. As we sat there and enjoyed the blessings, we watched as the blossoms landed on the pond and floated in slow motion.

Beneath the water were elder koi fish, swimming peacefully near us. We all were quiet and went undisturbed for a while… It was so pleasant and wonderful…

This big golden koi kept surfacing where I sat, and was tenderly eating the wisteria blossoms one-by-one. Koi, nishikigoi – a Japanese term for “colored carp”, are an enchanting fish that swim in such ways and with much grace that observing them helps one to transcend into higher realms of consciousness and altered states of perception ~ as watery emotional, dreamy states are explored with a fluidity and deep awareness. Golden koi represent prosperity…

We walked around the pond to the display of carefully manicured bonsai. They are so interesting and hold so much wisdom in a tight form. Bonsais became well known by the way that Zen Buddhists made the practice into an art form interwoven with philosophy… closely tied to nature. Each bonsai tree represents the spirit of the tree. It takes a long time for the bonsai trees to develop their shape and stature. All of these were quite old. There was a wide variety of pines, maple, and cyprus trees, but my favorite was this bougainvillea vine…

A thorny woody vine, with “paper flowers” – which to be exact, are not the flower petals… the pink petals shown are a variation of the leaves, and the actual flowers are tiny and white. I have always admired this plant throughout my childhood, and have always felt drawn to it… We all were also captivated by this beautiful Princess Lilly… The flowers were so amazing and bright with beaming radiant energy… The voice of sweet whispering song was joyously heard.

We felt full with the experience of walking around such a place. The pond especially, which is a feminine symbol in nature, was my favorite area… There beneath the Wisteria I felt the feminine aspects of myself raise in awareness and healing. One of Carl Jung’s 7 main archetypes, The Feminine symbolizes the part of us characterized by: acceptance; beauty; intuition; creativity; birth; mothering; and receptivity. All of these things were brought to my attention in mystically potent ways throughout my journey. And as we left the Friendship Garden, a monarch butterfly with a broken left wing flew in front of my path onto an Echium flower.

The presence of this brilliant butterfly felt like a gift to my psyche… My entire life has been a deep exploration of my inner world… opening up to the constant abundance and beauty, mending wounds, and learning what it all means to me. The bent left wing, although painful looking, did not deter the butterfly from dancing flower to flower. It was a sight to behold as I felt the weight of my own mental burdens lift and dissipate as I watched. My heart, and third eye, and crown chakra were bursting with light and love. This medicine way keeps me manifesting, and fresh in expression.

Filed Under: chakras, community, consciousness, Essential Oils & Aromatherapy, Health & Healing, inner peace, Plant Medicine & Faerie Realm, poetry, San Diego, Spirit Guides & Dreamtime, Transformation & Letting Go, Unschooling & Family Tagged With: aromatherapy, Balboa Park, bonsai, bougainvillea, butterfly medicine, California, Carl Jung, crown chakra, echium flower, essential oils, feminine archetype, golden koi fish, healing in nature, heart chakra, higher heart chakra, inner peace, Japanese Friendship Garden, koi fish symbology, meditation, pineal gland, poet's ecstacy, pond symbology, princess lilly, prosperity, San Diego, spirit guides, third eye, transformation, wisteria, zen buddhism

Herb Fairies!

April 4, 2013 By Lauren

The Herb Fairies Book Series is back which means lots of learning about herbs and fun with the kids outside! I’m really excited that my daughter is finally ready to enjoy this annual celebration of plants and the faerie realm in this way, with this awesome “book club” made specifically to compliment the wonderful game we play all the time… You know, the one I wrote all about… Wildcraft! An Herbal Adventure Game. Yep, this is the genius sequel to this well loved children’s game, and it only comes around once a year, so we’re on board this time around for sure!

I’ve heard so many great things about the Herb Fairies Book series! Each issue of Herb Fairies helps children (and adults alike) identify herbs, explains what they’re used for, and offers ways to use them. The story has fairy characters that show the readers all about the magic and medicinal properties of herbs in a way that is easy to understand and integrate right away, with engaging activities and beautifully illustrated pages, photography, and videos. This is the exact thing you’ll start to wish you had when you’re playing Wildcraft! – and here it is manifested! So cool…

What an impressive supplemental learning tool… If you’ve read my review of Wildcraft! An Herbal Adventure Game, you know how much my family loves herbs and learning about them. Herb Fairies is Wildcraft! Part 2. Here’s what the set includes…

Herb Fairies is an entire learning system, steeped in storytelling, games, activities, and fun. You can learn more about Herb Fairies here…

Herb Fairies has downloadable audio books, as well as printable PDF books, a print on demand option, and versions for Kindle, iPad and other mobile devices.

If you’re interested in some fun activities to get you and your kids involved with the Fairy ~ Herbal ~ Fun, check out these lovely offerings that Learning Herbs has allowed me to share with you all for FREE!! Look for the Folder below the image to download instantly.

Just click on the folder below to download your *Free Activities Pack* ~ and enjoy!

Also be sure to check out the Free videos that Learning Herbs is offering in preparation for the Herb Fairies official launch! There is a cute video tutorial about how to make Candied Violets, how to make Dandelion Flower Cookies, and a really entertaining & very sweet video that shows lots of the children’s personal video documentaries that they have shared to explain some of the things that they learned last year through the Herb Fairies Book Club. The Herb Fairies series journeys through the seasons, which is why you have to get in at the beginning, or else wait until next year. Go see what it’s all about, and give thanks for all of the free information! Once you’re there, sign up with your email address to be updated about Herb Fairies!

I am happy to offer all of this to you as an affiliate of Learning Herbs. Thanks for reading and be sure to share with your friends & family! Much LOVE…

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You’re welcome to join me and the many other women who have gathered together at the Intuitive Heart Sanctuary, An Online Retreat For Enhancing Self-Awareness Within Community And Nature… Each month we go in depth about various themes, and this month’s Theme is HERBALISM! Join for FREE!

Filed Under: Organic Gardening & Food, Plant Medicine & Faerie Realm, Unschooling & Family Tagged With: a magical tale of plants & their remedies, children's learning materials, faerie realm, free activity pack, fun activities for kids free, herb fairies, learning about herbs, learning herbs, medicinal plants, teach children about herbs, tutorial about how to make candied violets, unschooling, Wildcraft!

The Symbology of My New Logo

Protecting the Biodiversity of Wetlands & Delicate Ecosystems

Solar Eclipse, New Moon, & Turtle Medicine

Shoreline Spirit Guides & Rugged Terrain

Jasmine Dreams

Healing With Magnolia Trees & White LIGHT

Signs and Symbols in Nature: A Reminder

The Beauty and Balance of Lavender Medicine

Spiral Elixir

Friendship Garden Healing

Herb Fairies!

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