This spring, I had a fantastic ceremonial weekend together with the Latvian herbalist Ilga. Ilga has followed the path of Amanita (the fly agaric) for a long time. It was not the first time that I had held a ceremony with Ilga, so I knew what to expect. Ilga is confident and strong in her power. With her, nothing feels impossible.
I took with me several important lessons from this weekend.
On the one hand, I understood that ceremonies and rituals are vital. We humans need them. I need them! They give me the opportunity to continue to have contact with the magical. It is a counterforce against stress and performance. The ceremonial moment gives me the opportunity to look inward and be in contact with the feeling, the magic and the power of the heart.
This weekend I also gained a deep insight into the need to do these ceremonies and rituals together with others. It gives meaning and a sense of connection. Something many people miss and long for. When we do ceremonies together, we weave the bond between us stronger. But the ceremony or ritual also becomes stronger if there are more of us performing it. This is probably something that many people recognize, for example from meditating together.
What I also carry with me is once again the conviction that we have so much to learn from nature and the world of plants and fungi. If we open up, we can connect and create a bond. My hope is that I can continue to deepen this connection with Amanita Muscaria. 
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If you want to read more about Örtfabriken's meditative and ceremonial adventures, we can recommend these blog posts:
Being in the heart Heart meditation
