A few weeks ago

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to join a lovely group of women in the south of France as we journeyed together retracing the footsteps of Mary Magdalene when she visited the holy waters and the Cathars. During this amazing trip, where we saw and experienced so many things, we also visited a fairy forest at Nebias. Here, the moss-covered stones, and jostling trees created stunning landscapes which conjured imaginings of fae folk, divas and earth spirits. Indeed, the energy offered a purity that seems to have been lost in the world outside where we spend most of our time.

Although fairy forests may seem to be only a place for childish heads and beneath the concerns of the adult world, they offer keys for change and hope by awakening our memory of ancient connections with the life force in everything. They are not just potential portals to the Otherworld but provide a dream-like opportunity to connect us to the very psyche of the earth once more – if we are open to the possibility. Embracing this mysterious and liminal nature allows us to be grounded in our 3D matrix whilst experiencing so much more with our other senses.

These beautiful yet intangible qualities have largely attributed to forest bathing becoming immensely popular in recent decades as the Western world continually embraces spiritual practices from those of the Eastern. The physical benefits of improved mental cognition and cardiovascular health have been well documented as a result and now include the combined alleviation of depression and stress. You do not need to understand or believe in fairies or forest spirits to gain the health benefits and experience the peace that walking in nature can provide but, who knows, along the way there may be unexpected discoveries if your mind is open.

Connecting with something that has remained so largely untouched by humans provides a breath of peace within our soul; a magic, an essence so that you really do believe there are, undoubtedly, faces peering from behind the stones and moss.