Sundays for me are hiking day and have been for 7 years. It is wild to me that we have had a standing hiking date for 7 years. We have our go-to spots, especially now that fire season is so intense, and many of our once a year spots have been destroyed due to arson and climate change. One of our go-to spots is Lacamas Lake, and that’s where we went today. It was a gorgeous, late spring morning. I expected to see plenty of salmon berries, but I forgot that we would be blessed by the presence of foxglove as well.
Foxglove is a flower that I have grown up with and have experienced every year of my life. It has taken me a long time to appreciate foxglove because for a long time, I was terrified of it. When I was very young (between 4 and 6), my dad saw me looking at the 5 or so stalks that were blooming in our backyard… the plants that he had planted. I was probably about to touch one, I don’t remember why I got the reaction I did. All I remember is the threat of a painful death and my heart stopping if I so much as touched it, let alone ate a bloom. That was enough for me. I cried, said I was sorry, and went off to safer plants. Truly, they are poisonous. Please do not eat them or ingest them.
Now, as an adult, I understand why every garden I lived with had them. They are beautiful. They are regal, enchanting, and magical. The folklore behind the flower is just as enchanting as the blooms themselves.
Foxglove is sacred faeries, the fair folk. They indicate the presence of fae, and considering that foxglove is native to Western Europe, it makes sense that the word fairy would be used. They are known as faerie bells, and the fae have been known to hide within them and lure in nearby children. Given a shake by the children, the fae would produce “faerie thunder” as they were jostled against these bells.
The name foxglove may come from the friendship between the fae and the foxes. After all, foxes are known for their trickster and shapeshifter ways, just like the faeries. Seeing that the foxes needed help with their hunts, the fae offered the foxes gloves for their paws so that their footfalls would be silent. The foxes wore their newfound gloves, and became the sneaky and mischievous creatures they’re known for today. Thus, the name foxglove came to be.
One final tale, and I will leave you be. As hunters became more populous and dangerous to their neighbors the foxes, the faeries knew what they had to do. They gifted the foxes their faerie bells (foxglove) to wear around their necks. This way the foxes could warn each other of hunters who were in the area and coming near. A protective spell from the fae folk.
Foxglove can be a pendant, a symbol of protection. They also represent creativity and intuition. Are foxglove populous where you live? Do you know about a plant that has a similar mythology? I love hearing new stories about plants and animals!
Speaking of intuition!!! An announcement: Week 2 for the SVP Collage Challenge is the prompt: I N T U I T I O N. Join us over on Instagram to join!
Here is my week 1 collage for the prompt: V O I C E
Wishing you well this week! May your life offer what you need in this moment.
With love,
Aventurine ✨
I haven't had the pleasure of meeting foxglove here in the Midwest, but she's is beautiful and magical. Plant lore is so interesting, thank you for sharing about your connection and experience!