The Faerytale Apothecary

I am humbled to co-create once again with my dear friend Leah Barnes.

After we finished the Tea Transmission, I sat silently with jewelled tears nestling in my eyes. Not because there was anything wrong or upsetting but because of how cracked open to Beauty I felt from listening to her speak True Words.

What is especially astounding, it feels to me, is that Leah and I have known each other for about 7 years (I think) and have only ever met in person once, earlier this year in Camden. There were tears in my eyes then too. It reminds me that in amongst all the crazy, unsettling, overwhelming noise of an online life, there are pockets of deep connection, sovereignty, positive impact, inspiration and genuine connection. I think perhaps we just need to get still enough to be cracked open by it.

Leah describes herself as a curator of wearable art.

Which is another way of saying much of the jewellery, clothing, bags or shoes she’s fallen in love with and bought over the years were all made by individual artisans or small businesses who bring a vision to life with their own hands.

As the world speeds up and homogenises, buying things made solely by human hands feels like an important act of resistance.

We invite you to pause, rest, be, and listen along with us to the Hummingbird Moon Tea’s still voice amongst the chaos…

I was delighted when a few days ago, BBC Radio Nottingham, Derby, Lincoln and Leicester all shared one of the Faerytale Apothecary stories.

As the themes for this month’s super full moon in Aquarius are around the encouragement of releasing emotions, humanitarianism, honesty and innovative thinking, it felt apt to share it with you all here too.

It is one of my favourite of the Faerytale Apothecary stories, and I always Love-swoon a little when it finishes!

The tale often makes me think of kindnesses, what does it make you think of?

A LEO NEW MOON NIDRA:

Thank you so much to those of you who got in touch with feedback following my first New Moon Nidra that I sent out last month (The Resting Tea).

You asked, and so here it is, a New Moon Nidra for the season of Leo.

It felt most apt to put in the pot alongside the Courage Tea.

Please read before listening:

Yoga Nidra is a form of Deep Rest where nothing is asked of you. A practice of relaxing your state of awareness and entering into a dream-like comfortability. When listening to the recording, please make sure you can be somewhere that you will not be disturbed, and that all devices are on airplane mode with no vibrate, or turned off completely. Create yourself a luxurious and cosy nest - this can be on a bed, in a chair, on the floor, outside in the grass - whatever place will work best for you to feel comfortable and secure. You may want a favourite blanket to cover yourself with, a soft pillow for your head and under your knees. Experiment with what will help you feel as relaxed and comfortable as possible. Likewise, wear whatever will help in this regard too. There will be a series of invitations but everything is open to what feels alive for you in each moment. It is okay if your attention wanders away from my voice, let it land for you as feels right for you. If thoughts come up that feel disruptive, gently guide yourself back into an awareness of my words. There is no way to get Deep Rest wrong! Each experience is uniquely for you. The recording will be about 25 minutes long and there will be moments of silence to give you a sense of spaciousness and unhurried time together, know I am still with you. If you need to move your body because you are in discomfort, please do so. If anything said in the Nidra feels uncomfortable for you, you can stop at any time. All you have to do, is return to the sensation of your breath, wiggle your fingers and toes and feel the ground beneath you as you open your eyes. Drop in and out as feels good for you to do so. If you fall asleep, don’t worry at all. This is your practice to engage with as you wish, and perhaps sleep is exactly the rest you need right now. The New Moon Nidra invites you to create an intention to help support you for this coming moon cycle. Start to have a think about what you might wish this intention to be, but hold it loosely, don't let it be too rigid. Walk with it and see what simple sentence or word comes back to you time and again. The New Moon is in the astrological sign of Leo, which manifests itself with asking how we can feel safe in the moments when we want to impress, how we can fill ourselves with courage as we step into the spotlight. How we might graciously accept the feedback offered to us from others. It invites us to find the connections to our own brave hearts. The invitation is to use these manifestations as a potential container for your intention. The New Moon Nidra will take us on a little journey with our breath, around our body, out into space, and home to ourselves. Everything with Deep Rest is an offering and there is never any enforced way of engaging with the Practice, it is not something you can ever get wrong. Have a journal and pen ready for if you wish to take any notes afterwards. Also have a favourite mug with your favourite tea ready for straight afterwards too.

Get yourself comfortable, and we will begin.

I was equal measure delighted and daunted when the most marvellous Sarah Mooney asked me if I could provide holiday cover for her podcast, and I wanted to share with you all the story that came to sit with me as I attempted to fit into Sarah’s shoes, the delightful Cobbler, his wife and the Elves.

You can listen to the whole full shebang podcast on Spotify here - https://open.spotify.com/episode/4pO09imnTFN5ZMjdH90LUZ?si=Qe7eZpPxTP2gszR9YX9_tA

A WILD HEART SIPPING A CUP OF A PERSONAL KIND OF COURAGE TEA

I came to the idea of a Wild Heart Tea when the Faerytale Apothecary first launched in 2019. The story of the Courage Monster had appeared under the bed and, having read Alice Hoffman’s The Rules of Magic, where characters are asked to choose between Courage or Caution Tea (though there is only ever Courage Tea in the pot no matter what you choose), I got curious as to what a Courage Tea might have in it.

I created it, packaged it with love, and sent it out to some folks alongside the story.

You can listen to it here -

https://thefaerytaleapothecary.substack.com/p/wild-hearts-sipping-cups-of-tea

My thoughts of late began to turn again to the idea of Courage Tea.

What would it contain now, I wondered, and how would a personal tea differ from one available to all?

Press play to find out…

PLEASE READ BEFORE LISTENING

To celebrate my successful completion of Yoga Nidra Level One, Level Two, Scriptwriting and Further Studies Training, this Moon Cycle’s Wild Heart Tea is a very specially created Yoga Nidra.

Yoga Nidra is a form of Deep Rest where nothing is asked of you.

A practice of relaxing our state of awareness and entering into a dream-like comfortability.

When listening to the recording, please make sure you can be somewhere that you will not be disturbed, and that all devices are on airplane mode with no vibrate, or turned off completely.

Create yourself a luxurious and cosy nest - this can be on a bed, in a chair, on the floor, outside in the grass - whatever place will work best for you to feel comfortable and secure.

You may want a favourite blanket to cover yourself with, a soft pillow for your head and under your knees.

Experiment with what will help you feel as relaxed and comfortable as possible.

Likewise, wear whatever will help in this regard too.

There will be a series of invitations but everything is open to what feels alive for you in each moment.

It is okay if your attention wanders away from my voice, let it land for you as feels right for you. I

f thoughts come up that feel disruptive, gently guide yourself back into an awareness of my words.

There is no way to get Deep Rest wrong!

Each experience is uniquely for you.

The recording will be about 33 minutes long and there will be moments of silence to give you a sense of spaciousness and unhurried time together, know I am still with you.

If you need to move your body because you are in discomfort, please do so.

If anything said in the Nidra feels uncomfortable for you, you can stop at any time.

All you have to do, is return to the sensation of your breath, wiggle your fingers and toes and feel the ground beneath you as you open your eyes.

Drop in and out as feels good for you to do so.

If you fall asleep, don’t worry at all.

This is your practice to engage with as you wish, and perhaps sleep is exactly the rest you need right now.

The Resting Tea invites you to create an intention to help support you for this coming moon cycle.

Start to have a think about what you might wish this intention to be, but hold it loosely, don't let it be too rigid.

Walk with it and see what simple sentence or word comes back to you time and again.

The New Moon is in the astrological sign of Cancer, which manifests itself with feelings of safety related to the home and family. It offers the opportunity to forgive and forget, to let go of overthinking, to distance ourselves without feelings of bitterness.

The invitation is to use these manifestations as a potential container for your intention.

The Resting tea will take us on a little journey with our breath, around our body, out into space, and home to ourselves.

Everything with Deep Rest is an invitation and there is never any enforced way of engaging with the Practice.

Have a journal and pen ready for if you wish to take any notes afterwards.

Also, have a favourite mug with your favourite tea ready for straight afterwards too.

Get yourself comfortable, and we will begin.

(Image by Daniel R. Solfeggio Frequency 639Hz for the Heart Centre by Siddharath. Both available via Pixabay)

It is such a deep honour to have co-created with the incredibly talented Vicki Burke this moon cycle. I first worked with Vicki when we created a Selkie Deep Dive journey together, still one of my most cherished points of making.

Vicki began her life journey as a musician, a saxophonist and teacher. Vicki began her life journey as a musician, a saxophonist and teacher. Just before the millennium she had a beautiful awakening that opened her like a flower and her creative journey began to blossom. She discovered the art of healing using both sound and energy. At first she used her voice for sound healing. Then she received a healing that healed a creative block she wasn't even aware of and she began to write songs. This led her to the harp.

As she continued to say ‘yes’ to the universal guidance she received, she realised she was being asked to find her voice. She also knew she was being fully supported in this.

She started with the spoken word, as a storyteller, creating journeys with her songs for harp and voice. Then she discovered herself as an author and playwright. Finding her singing voice, she believed, was the most challenging for her until she realised she was being asked to speak for the feminine, for the part of ourselves that has been repressed for eons.

The song she sings for this particular story, ‘A Girl Blowing a Bugle’ was written after she discovered her Sabian Symbol (an aspect of astrology) for her Pisces Sun was ‘Summons, a girl blowing a bugle’. It has taken her over a decade to discover the full meaning of what this is asking of her. And yet, there is probably still much more to learn.

We invite you to join us with a brew and listen as she shares what happened to her when Elizabeth Jane first asked her to bring a story here…

Please visit her website, www.keystothegoldencity.com

or listen to her songs and stories www.vickiburke.bandcamp.com or find her on social media

An old Lincolnshire Folktale newly spoken in the Rutland countryside

It is fair to say that this moon cycle's co-creator is one of the key instigators of The Faerytale Apothecary. In an arts hostel of a bewildering Marrakech several years ago, Damian saw something in my, frankly not that great, telling of an old Lincolnshire folktale The Buried Moon. Over the years he has gently nudged me in my story work and this is something I will forever be grateful to him for.

Damian Draven is an Irish designer in the TV & film industry. He is also a film director, contemporary artist and exhibiting member of the RGA (Reading Guild of Artists). As a journeyman he takes great inspiration and perspective from his travels for which he cites ‘Momentum is king because inspiration can come from anywhere or anyone but the trick is to look behind the curtain for a different narrative, a different energy...’.

Damian’s work can be found here www.instagram.com/damian_draven

I am honoured that my first 'human' shamanic teacher Willow agreed to be a co-conspirator for our newest medicine trail. The foundations of all my Spirit Work are grounded in my year-long one-to-one training and continuing friendship with her. It is a juicy treat indeed that she wove for us, and one I am eager to encourage you to see what would happen if the shoe or boot did fit...

Willow is a Shaman, a Hedgewitch, Tree Witch, a Wisewoman and Druid. She is also a Shamanic Teacher of Healing and the Old Ways.

Willow loves nothing more than to be deep in the mysterious Wildwoods connecting to ancient Ancestors and the magic and mystery. She is a Mother of 2 and Grandmother of 6...who delight in her magical nighttime fairy tales! You can find out more about her on her website -www.shamanicwillow.co.uk