Fern Marshall
On the new moon in Leo, go to the park. Meet a friend who practices shamanic healing and sit awhile talking on the soft grass dotted with clover as storm clouds slowly cover up the blue summer sky. Watch swallows dart low over the grass and feel the expectant energy in the air. Walk up to the little hill by the quarry, through a narrow path overgrown with grasses and thistles and brambles and rosebay willow herb abuzz with bees. Sit on the earth, take off your shoes and socks and breathe in the fresh air, surrounded by prickly gorse bushes and light brown grass. Lay out feathers and crystals, scatter creamy rose petals and lay a rose beside a small glass jar with a lit candle inside, tiny flame golden and protected from the gentle gusts of wind. Daub rose oil on your wrists and breathe in the heady sweet scent. Listen to your friend open the sacred space, close your eyes and let your palms rest open on your crossed knees. Raise your head and look up at the clouds which feel close now. Feel the first gentle drops of rain falling on your skin, hear them patter on the leaves which surround you. Set intentions starting with I am. I am a writer. I am giving myself permission. I am brave. Watch a tiny bird dip and dive above your head. Lay your hands on the earth. Feel the rain get heavier as your friend closes the space, the drops big and fresh and cleansing. Draw cards from a pack, choose No.2 Acceptance – The Cycle of Life. Read the affirmation, I sit peacefully in the acceptance that all is change. Scatter the rose petals in the gorse bushes and scramble back down the hillock, hair matting to your head, glasses covered in raindrops, clothes wet and warm in the summer air. Pick a sprig of yarrow, take it home and place it in a tiny jug filled with water next to the amethyst you brought to the ceremony, to remember.
Fern Marshall
Fern Marshall (she/her) is a writer and welfare rights worker based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Writing is a source of solace and escape for her, with a focus on nature and mental health. Her work has appeared in Little Livingroom, BlueHouse Journal and Wild Greens. She is on Instagram @fernmarshal.