In February and March, I attended an intimate Spirit Warrior class taught by Victoria Lagerström (of Soul Garden Companion, where she offers intuitive guidance, life coaching, and energy healing).

At our session in March, we set up the altar as a group, to dive deeper into ceremony. (Note: Victoria studied Peruvian shamanism, which I believe is where the following rituals come from.) Before any cloth was laid, we consecrated the ground, drew a circle of blue cornmeal to symbolize humanity, laid down sage in a cross—north to south, east to west—and then we did a little ritual with bay leaves.

We each selected three bay leaves of similar shape and size from a tin, and held them up one at a time.

Into the first bay leaf, we blew a prayer for ourself.

Into the second, we blew a prayer for a loved one.

And into the third, a prayer for the world.

Then we held all three leaves and touched them to our mind, our heart, and lower belly, before placing them near the blue cornmeal and sage.

I loved the simplicity and accessibility of this act. You could do it anywhere at anytime, with whatever’s near you: three blades of grass, three stones, three twigs, three pens.

***

Last weekend, I shared this practice with some friends via watercolor postcards.

I cut some watercolor paper into postcard-ish size pieces, and painted three leaf shapes on each using my two shades of green and sometimes a little blue.

While the paint was still wet, I sprinkled on some salt. Salt is a fun, easy tool to make some interesting textures with watercolor.

Once the cards dried, I scraped off the salt and painted a stem down the center with dark green.

Here’s what my table looked like that morning:

On the backs of each, I wrote a short message explaining the bay leaf ritual I’d learned from Victoria. Then it was just an address and a postcard stamp, and I had magnificent mailings to drop off at the post office.

***

I invite you to take part in this ritual now, if you’d like to, just as you are.

Take a deep breath. Feel your seat on the chair, feet on the ground, or whatever position you’re currently in—feel your body making contact with other objects.

Close your eyes and make a wish, intention, hope, prayer (whichever term resonates with you) for yourself.

When you’re ready, blow it into the world.

Now think of someone close to you, and make a wish for them.

When you’re ready, blow it into the world.

And finally, think of a hope you have for our planet, feel it in your heart, and once again when you’re ready, blow it lovingly out into the world.

Deep breath.

***

Thanks for being here today!