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So many people have been asking me, “How was the UK? What was that like? And what was your favourite part?”. My answer is not what you’d expect.
I haven’t visited Europe in 23 years, and the 21-year-old Tammy that last visited was very different. I saw the world through a different lens. Now, having my 44-year-old eyes on it, I noticed some really different things in my recent visit in early 2023.
My favourite bits were definitely in the interactions I had, rather than the places I went. Regardless, I thought I would give you some insight into a part of my diary, which really reads a lot like a chapter of The Chronicles of Narnia or something similar, which actually has a connection to one of the places that I went, Malvern Springs. The author was originally from there!
So here it is, reflections on London and my UK trip…
As the sun set over Heathrow and the full moon in Sagittarius rose, I reflected on what a serendipitous and magical journey I had abroad. I booked my flights thinking I’d be going to Morocco to make paint out of earth and then my travel buddy mentioned that she had had her travel plans changed and wouldn’t be speaking at a conference. She mentioned that maybe, just maybe, she felt drawn to Wales and we would have quite a few days overlapping. Why wouldn’t we go together?
My plans for my book launch were transformed and it converted into a really magical adventure, and one I so desperately needed. The miracle of Malvern Wells was the place that we began our journey. I booked an Airbnb, unknowingly, at a place that had 57 magical and sacred springs. Holywell and St. Anne’s Well was the beginning of our journey, and it was fortuitous because my travel buddy has an amazing sense of holy waters. We got used to one another with our food, our nuances, our ways of driving and navigating, and our fatigue patterns. And after the first couple of days, we found ourselves in Snowdonia.
Our intentions to get as many sacred sites in North Wales became an initiation into a very, very sacred land. When our hike from Cairn Witch – which is actually like the Castle of the Witch, but that’s the name of the farm – to the Bryn Cader Faner Crown of Thorns, became a journey of trust and endurance. Our gatekeeper, Gandalf, we called him, an octogenarian with an amazing sense of direction, bright eyes and a lovely way of being, reminded us, “You’ve come so far, it would be ashamed to turn back now!”, as we were just about to give up on our little trek.
The goddess’s crown, the Crown of Thorns, appeared on the horizon once we had truly given up on what was meant to be a two-kilometre trip, ended up being 13 kilometres up a goat track down bog and marsh. And just as we’d given up looking with comedic timing, the Crown of Thorns appeared on the horizon. We met the Green Man in Upton upon Severn and we got our medicines for our trip there too – an amazing and beautiful herbalist who we met in perfect timing amidst of our adventures. Then our sanctuary of Blayney in South Wales, created a lovely spot mid-journey to stop at and find an 11th century castle.
We spent the day pretending that we were the ladies of the house and enjoyed the medicinal garden. On our way, we stopped at Bath and took in the waters of the Roman Baths and the places that have been healing waters for many a year. We bought one of the best, most amazing burgers at one of the oldest markets in Newport in South Wales. Then we went on to explore the Roman Latrines, let’s say, at Caerleon. Bizarrely, I was there with one of the world’s best, astronomical experts! Then on to Glastonbury and the Isle of Avalon, the Chalice Well was irreplaceable. We got to meet some very, very unique ladies (also gatekeepers), who shared all their sacred insights into the hikes, up the tour, the Pilgrims Way, and down Paradise Lane.
We also met some beautiful, wise women, and they reflected our journeys in a really similar way, even though they were a little older than us. We also took in the ice bath that was Arthur’s Court. The Chalice Well has an opportunity to be in the waters, and we took every chance we got. Back to London, and I caught up with some friends from Australia.
It’s a really interesting experience when you see the people that you’re used to in a place that’s out of context.
Meeting other herbalists in the 350-year-old Chelsea Physic Garden saw the onset of my epiphany to possibly go back into private practice. My love of plants, trees, herbs, and the identification of Doctrine of Signatures (DOS) was a true remembering. I feel as though looking down the barrel of the surgery to remove my final ovary really opened a gate to eldership, to my wise women years, and to legacy. I’m also remembering Claire, Rach and some of my other friends that have had the devastation of death, diagnosis, and disaster these past few years. It makes me all the more willing to utilise my gifts and talents and direct them to helping clients in the way that my brain is best built.
Lastly, I spent my last day at the Tate Modern, an extraordinary hub of art. I spent it with three people: an astrology, a herbalist, and a psychotherapist. It sounds like the beginning of a very interesting joke, but in truth, it was an amazing day of art and conversation, quite symbolic really! On our last day at the Chalice Wells, my travel companion introduced me to the astrology notion of North Node and South Node, and essentially the destiny line of what we are here to do in this lifetime and where we might have come from in our past life.
I had a bit of an epiphany, you might say. I figured out that in my past life, I was all about looking after family and care and nurture and home. And I kind of nailed that! It gives me an insight as to why I became a step-mum quite easily and with fervour, one might say. It also gave me an insight into the direction I might head, and it gave me confirmation and permission to something that was already there.
My biggest lessons in leadership, career and business and finding my voice are the ones that I’m here for. It’s given me full permission to take centre stage again. This has made me so happy for the next phase.
I guess in sharing all of that, I wanted to give you permission to go on a trip. If nothing else, pick a date! If you’d like to come on any of my trips, I’d love to have you. We’ve got our Maverick Mastermind that ends with a trip to Bali. And so many times when I take people away, they say, “Oh, I didn’t think I could afford it. I didn’t think I could take the time out! I didn’t think I could be away from my family, my business, my ex, my why, my XYZ for too long. But in actual fact, it was the life-changing week that I needed!”
And similarly, I didn’t think I could take those 10 days out to go to the UK. I didn’t think that I had the time or money. I didn’t think I could squeeze it in before my surgery. I had actually had COVID two weeks prior to getting on the plane. There are so many reasons that get in the way of what seems like an illogical decision. I’m not trying to take a trip. But every time the travel news comes to play, I am always enlightened. And the people that I take away on the trips that I go with always seem to be enlightened also. And by enlightened, I mean, you have insights (“in light of”), but are also lightened. You’re lightening your load and seeing the view of the world and the global sphere and how it is something so much bigger and from such a higher perspective.
It reminds us of the overview effect – the one that our amazing humans that have gone to space have been able to relay back to us. Take a moment to think about how small and insignificant we actually are on this big, amazing sphere. And in actual fact, how incredible it is that we get to live on here together for the short period that we do and make the most of it. How often the things that we seem to get tied up in knots about, are actually things that we don’t need to, when we get that bigger perspective.
I hope you enjoyed a little insight into my adventure away. Please take the time to consider going away for yourself and for your business and make sure to check out the retreats that I have coming up here. If you have found this blog interesting and you’d like to share it with somebody who also might find it interesting, please do so!
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