Autumn is a season of profound transformation.
As the trees gracefully let go of their leaves, they remind us of the beauty in release. This natural cycle invites us to reflect on our own lives and consider what we too are ready to let go of. What patterns, obligations, or beliefs no longer serve our highest good? As we shed these layers, we make space for new growth and deeper alignment with our true selves.
This month we consider how the changing of seasons can inspire us to turn our intention inwards to listen to what our spirit is truly seeking and set boundaries so we can let go of things that no longer serve us. By creating space and setting boundaries, we can “harvest our dreams” and step into a new season of inner peace and alignment.
Iona Housby, daughter of Marion Leigh (founder of Findhorn Flower Essences) and Director of Nature Spirits Scotland, shares her journey of letting go, returning to source, and setting new boundaries. Through her mother’s work and her own experience working with flower essences, Iona discovered the importance of compassionate self-care and spiritual renewal.
Below, Iona offers wisdom and inspiration for anyone ready to embrace the autumnal energy of release and renewal.
Last year I celebrated my 40th birthday with my three sons and husband in the autumnal grounds of a peaceful Scottish Castle. The best gift I gave to myself was being present. Since my mother passed away suddenly five years ago, I have led a very full and busy life. While feeling very grateful for many of the blessings I have in life, I was also noticing a quiet resentment bubbling beneath. Our base chakra holds the energetic foundations for being at home in ourselves. In the world, in our physical bodies and also links to how we feel needed, depended upon, responsible and looked after by others. For me, the scales started to tip between an inner energetic flow towards my children, husband, staff, customers, clients, students and back towards myself. My mother was a spiritual student all her life and loved the Esoteric mystery schools of wisdom. In the Findhorn Community, I was also raised to appreciate my inner voice of intuition and we were often reminded to ‘turn up the volume’ on these innate messages of truth.
On turning 40, I heard the longing from within loud and clear – it’s time to rest now. I began to feel subtle shifts in my etheric body as well as some hormonal shifts on the physical. As I sat with this inner yearning, I turned up the volume and heard the need more clearly as a request to “switch off … return to source … be still and know that all is well …be unavailable.” The last word really struck a chord! How could I feel more ‘unavailable’ to others and more ‘available’ to myself? This would indeed mean cutting back, stepping back and making some clear boundaries at home, work and primarily with myself. In a day and age where we can be ‘online’ all the time, on phones, tablets, laptops and even with trackers (my teenage son and I use this for safety together), it is easy to feel ‘always available’. I want to share with the essences that I found particularly helpful in three key things; letting go, returning to source and setting new boundaries.
Letting Go
For me this meant letting go of the high expectations I held for myself, in other words being more compassionate to self. I used my mother’s Flower Essence of Cherry (Prunus serrulata), which she made in Japan during the season of the famous Cherry Blossom Festival. The guidance she received with making this Essence with a group of Japanese students was;
“Be open-hearted and open-minded. Transcend negative inherited predispositions and consciously conduct yourself with integrity and in the spirit of goodwill.”
What I found when taking this essence was a gentle shift in my ability to make positive choices to do less or be less for others, without the usual guilt arising. I noticed I became less judgmental towards myself and others. This helped me to let go of certain commitments ‘things’ I could see that I needed to stand back from or pass on.
Returning to source
After making some active life changes to embrace more time and space in my life, I could feel the heart chakra seeking connection to group wisdom. Connecting to my mother, muses and spirit guides has always been an important practice since I journeyed on sacred Sweat Lodge on my thirtieth birthday initiation in the community walled garden of Newbold House. However, I had hit phases in my life; postpartum, in grieving after the loss of each parent and after going through a divorce, where I have felt disconnected from source. There are a few Findhorn Flower Essences that have helped me in the past; Broom for Clarity and Birch for Vision, and well as Harebell for Alignment, but this time my pendulum dowsing landed on the combination essence of Clear Light – ‘To bring about a peaceful state of mind’. My mother’s guidance was ‘attune to higher wisdom and Inspiration’. This essence helped me to trust my inner knowing, which I realised I had been doubting. It also helped me integrate rational thinking with my intuitive mind.
Setting new boundaries
Over the last three months, I have been focusing on setting things in place to create more time for myself to just be, reflect, and enjoy more space between things and enter back into deeper commitment to spirit and working more in flow again. In this healing stage, I have used Mum’s solo Flower Essence of Scottish Primrose for Peace, and my own ‘Essences by Iona’ Diamond Gem Essence which is for higher purpose. I have experienced some very vivid dreams and on waking, my memory of dreams has been much clearer. I have been taking many of the stories and dream themes into my day and using their messages to guide my work and practice. The guidance that I received when making Diamond Gem essence was “Bring clear vision and purpose into spirited work with heart-felt focus.” So this is a wonderful essence for directing our dreams!
Sending you all many blessings for your own letting go, returning to source as you may try setting some new healthy boundaries too!
With Love & Light,
Iona
Nature Spirits Scotland
How to incorporate flower essences into your daily routine
Take inspiration from Iona’s personal journey of letting go and make space for rest and reconnection. Try incorporating one of our essences, such as Clear Light or Cherry Blossom, into your daily ritual.
Add a few drops to your water or herbal tea in the morning, or to your pillow or bath water at night and pair it with an affirmation to help you release what no longer serves you.
This simple practice can encourage feelings of peace, clarity, and self-compassion, setting a positive tone for your day.
