Magnolias and Bluebells
Childhood Intuition
In my last love letter, I posed a question that came to me while listening to Awakening Artemis. I asked what plants were you drawn to as a child? I am going to answer that question for myself today.
I know that I loved petting the rose petals when I was an infant. My dad, 6’4, would hold me up and let me touch the roses as we walked around our quarter acre yard. I know that I loved our raspberries, blackberries, and blackcaps. I climbed the cedar, and I hugged the oak. But as I listened to the book, and I thought about what I was intuitively drawn to, it was the large magnolia tree in the back corner of our lot. It was the large white magnolia flowers like the one above. I have never really thought about that magnolia tree outside of how I would pick the leaves (sorry, tree) and pretend they were balloons.
My older siblings and dad would be out working in the field (it was our backyard. My dad called it the fields), and I, being the little neurospicy human I was, needed constant engagement. I turned to make believe, and I would pretend to sell these balloons. They all had different pictures on them, and I would descibe them in detail. My poor family. For whatever reason though, I only ever used the magnolia tree for this.
I decided to look up the healing properties of magnolia because I was curious, and I never had. In fact, I wasn’t even aware that magnolia could be used medicinally. It turns out that magnolia can be used for asthma and respiratory treatments, and every member of my family I was offering these leaves to have asthma. The plant is also used for mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. My friends, I can’t even list the amount of mental illnesses in my immediate family, let alone the extended family. My older siblings, my dad, and I have had severe anxiety and depression our entire lives.
I am not saying that my intuition guided me there as a kid. I was probably just dopamine chasing because I was bored and needed interaction, but I do find it a really cool coincidence. And if I want to trust that it was my childhood intuition, then that is something that I want to get back to. Somehow just knowing which plants would help my family without knowing knowing… because how cool is that.
Bluebells were another that I picked with the intent of sharing. I did not understand the concept of months yet, but I knew that Mother’s Day and Father’s Day existed. We had bluebells all across the front and back of our yard (before you hit “the fields”), and I would go and pick bouquets upon bouquets to give to my mom. I would shout HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! and insist they were put in a vase… of which we had none so they were put into cups and jars much to my 4 and 5 year old heart’s discontentment.
While bluebells are not used anymore medicinally due to toxicity level, they were once used for urinary purposes. I have been getting chornic UTIs since I was 10. I got my first UTI when I was 2. My mom has had chornic UTIs my entire life and before that. I find it interesting, again, that I was again drawn to a plant whose history involves parts of our bodies that have always been vulnerable and sick.
I loved my mom growing up. I only ever wanted to be with her. She was safe. She was my person. She was my best friend, and I was so grateful for everything she did for me, especially as I got older and began to understand the phrase “thank you” more. Bluebells are a symbol of love and gratitude. Little me gifted the gift of gratitude and love. That’s pretty smart for a little one.
Again, I am not saying that my little kid brain was even aware of any of this, the energy, any of it. I don’t remember feeling any of that. I remember the excitement and access to plants because I knew other kids weren’t allowed to play in the dirt or pick plants. I wonder if this could have also been my connection with my Artemis Archetype before patriarchy and Catholicism ripped it out of me.
How do you all feel about the idea that this could have been that childhood magic/intuition that people talk about? Again, I’m on the fence, but I am always open to new ideas and conversations. Let me know in the comments! Feel free to share any of your stories as well.
Wishing you well this week! May your life offer what you need in this moment.
With love,
Aventurine ✨