Floral Delights
Photos by Buena Lane Photography
On a sunny Sunday in San Francisco, Natalie Bowen hosted an intimate group in her secret garden to talk botanicals, our connection to plants, and beauty.
She invited me along to offer tarot readings, and incorporate the Fleurot deck into our discussion. What ensued was a magical afternoon filled with edible flowers, intentional ritual, and botanical connection.
It was so nice to slow down from the hustle and bustle of city life in such a calming and lush garden space!
As guests entered the space, they were asked to draw a card from the Fleurot deck as an intention-setting prompt for the afternoon. It’s always so exciting to see others interact with the deck, and to hear their delight at the serendipity of the card they pulled!
An Experience for all the Senses
Edible plants and flowers were sprinkled throughout the space, from a gorgeously curated vegetable spread, to herbal teas, to chamomile-mint water. A guest favorite was the sage shortbread cookies (made with sage from my garden!)
Intentionality & Connection
After some mingling, we brought the group together around a floral mandala and shared our Fleurot pulls. I talked about the significance of tarot and intentionality, and Natalie shared her connection to flowers and beauty.
Intimate Tarot Readings
After some small group discussions around our connections to the botanical realms, I offered in-depth tarot readings in the front room. It’s been so fun to give readings to people from a deck I created myself!
Botanical Creations
Plants and flowers are so tactile and olfactory, it was important to us that participants had a chance to make some botanical creations of their very own. Natalie was inspired to curate meaningful botanicals that were specifically referenced in the Fleurot deck.
Each participant got to make their own custom bundle for burning with botanicals curated from the Fleurot deck. I contributed white sage harvested from my home garden (which loves the heat of the East Bay!) White sage is traditionally used for herb bundles, and is considered sacred by many First Nations peoples.
Though I love and appreciate the scent and significance of white sage, I also realize it is often appropriated, so we encouraged participants to consider using other herbs and plants as well. There are many options that smell great and work well for burning!
Throughout the afternoon, participants were able to go back and forth between an in-depth tarot reading and interacting with cut botanicals curated by Natalie. Alongside the herb bundles, folks were also encouraged to make larger bouquets, focusing on the Fleurot deck meanings they wanted to bring into their homes.
Participants left with a goodie bag filled with a botanical scent of their choice from Elaia Body. Her scents are so incredibly amazing-smelling, and made from all natural ingredients. They’re my favorite!
It was such a magical afternoon, and I am so grateful to have been a part of great conversations around the botanical realm and our interactions with and connections to it.
Thank you for welcoming us into your gorgeous garden space, Natalie! It was wonderful to collaborate with you!
If you’re interesting in attending a future curated botanical or tarot gathering, make sure to join my mailing list! I would love to meet you and gush over all things magical.