hello and welcome to my official first substack entry.
I’m trying something new. don’t worry, I won’t be sending you two of the same newsletter - just one from either source (here or the usual squarespace). I’m not sure if I’ll like this platform, but something has been tugging at me to give it a try so here I am. maybe it sticks, maybe it doesn’t. thanks for bearing with.
:: the real reason i’m here →
recently, I introduced ara’s first flower & gem essence blend in a very diy fashion, fit with a handwritten label - Light Under the River Bed. this essence was created for meeting a time of change, a portal of transformation, a walk amongst the spiral - with courage, curiosity, and fierce protection.
truly, I did not know why I was creating it at the time. truly, I did not know that I would need it, in many iterations through the curlicue journey the past few months.
this became more apparent when a friend reached out last week to inquire about the essence. they asked why I chose those specific plants & stones and if I could share a little more about my experience with it.
while I am absolutely aware what each plant and stone evoke for me and strongly recall my process of making each one, the culmination of their meeting was a working of their own. looking back I can’t deny that it was intuitively constructed for what I subconsciously needed at that time.
originally, I came to the essences with the intention of seeking help after losing a job and though it did touch on those wounds, it also brought other portals of change that I wasn’t anticipating. consequently, it laid down the foundation of trust for the many unravellings that ensued.
even though I stopped taking Light after 3 months of daily dosing, it still pulses on within me. I love this about essences. how they continue to work on us beneath the darkness of bramble. like a track woven through the meadow, we can re-trace our steps again and again if we need to. it’s a story embedded in the body, in the psyche, in our relationship with earth, with ourselves, with each other.
::
I’d love to share the ingredients of this special formula with you, and some insight into what each essence contributes to the whole -
cottonwood bud: riptide in the underworld, shadow and light, the river bed calls and I see its glimmer on stone, beaches are home, facing fears while holding hands, cleansing timelines, clearing out the mud, meeting the devil
dandelion flower: bravery! joy! solar plexus beam, childlike curiosity, unabashed courage, being yourself, doin’ a funny dance, nothing is scary nothing is bad, wooden chimes, freshly cut grass, a mother’s love
spring equinox: holding the precipice of change, sunlight moonlight, wheel of fortune, turning the spoke, holding your breath, both and, calm before the storm, the joy of possibility, “fear is excitement without the breath” (a combination of: usnea, ivy, holly, alder, nettle, western red cedar, oregon grape, trillium, daisy, blackberry, violet, madrone, oso berry, periwinkle, clam shell)
raw oregon carnelian agate: grounding new thought patterns into the physical, doing the thing - with vitality and flow, creative solutions, scar tissue, healing within, the work of time and patience, layers of soil hold us, illumination of the work, clearing the path, feet on dirt, warm earth
in a hawthorn flower infused brandy & organic honey to open the heart, to receive with acceptance.
::
if you’re feeling called to work with this essence, there are still some available. since this formula is still on trial, it’s being offered at a discounted price and, if you care to share, I’d love to hear your thoughts and noticings during your journey.
thank you for being here.
xx
britt