Imbolc, Birthday, Costa Rica

Today marks the half way point between Winter & Spring. The light is changing and even birdsongs are sounding a bit more like a longing for the change. 

I've returned from Costa Rica with deep gratitude for the earth and it's vibrant tropical rhythms. The sounds of the jungle still ring in my ears. Cicadas, toucans, parakeets, howler monkeys sung me to sleep and hummed me awake.

Surprisingly, deep grief arose in my chest while down there. I tuned into the land and asked what was happening, why have I been called here? I offered flowers to the water and prayed for clarity. The answer was quick and clear.

We need the land as much as the land needs us! It is a reciprocal relationship. A lot of people travel to warm places in the winter to have healing experiences (myself included), but this was not the experience I expected. I believe I was called to pray for the land and its people.  Why me? No idea. We all must give thanks and show reciprocity. Although the retreat farm center was super high vibe, the land felt a bit neglected and fragmented, at least that's what it told me when I asked. 

How do we honor the land and humbly show our gratitude even while traveling abroad?

Daily flower offerings and acknowledging the land & all who came before was what I did for days. Was the grief mine? Was it collective? Not sure. Maybe both. I'm sensitive to what I call "energy dumping" in sacred places and then leaving it behind. The land asked for support clearing out this gunk and in doing so I was also receiving deep healing. We worked together and built a sweet relationship in a short time period. As I thanked the radiant green land for allowing me to visit, my heart softened.

Another pull to Costa Rica was to learn about Bobinzana (pictured left). My friend Angela (who met me there, (the same woman who helped me during the July flooding) shared how it is a heart opener, preps one for ceremony, lucid dreams, heals grief, anti-inflammatory, and cleanses the blood. We sipped the tea daily and brought back a tincture for the apothecary (don't tell customs). It will be ready to try in 4 weeks on the next Full Moon! I fell deeply in love with the flowering bush outside our bedroom and greeted it each morning. I mean, look at it! Heart bursting open energy.

Ylang Lang (pictured right) was also flowering and the air was thick with its sedating/seductive aromas. I stuck it in my bra daily and smelled like a queen! 

This experience abroad reminded me how deeply rooted I am in the soil of Ashfield. I love the land so much here! And, the tropical plants are beyond incredible, too. Ah! The plants. Each season is another opportunity to listen and learn by observation. I look forward to sowing seeds in 2024 and awaiting the harvest of radiant earth medicine for our products, for you. 

Today also marks my return around the sun. As I sit here, I am filled with gratitude for the many blessings in my life. Thank you all for being with me on this journey!