Lady Nasturtium has been a trusted flower ally of mine for so many years, always showing up when the world seems to be asking a lot from me.
This recent journey has been a deeper and more profound experience than ever before, reminding me that this powerful ‘joyful warrior’ is not to be underestimated.
Over these past few (very intense) weeks my energetic boundaries have been tried and tested in just about every way imaginable. Lady Nasturtium has gracefully offered her medicine as support and protection. I’ve felt her sweet scent with me everywhere I go. She has guided me into new terrain in my energy work, and brought new dimensions and layers to how I hold space. She has weaved shimmering threads of her medicine through my own energy body.
By spending time and connecting with her through listening, observing, dreaming, tasting…I’ve come to experience so much more of her story and her medicine. She continues to surprise me with the richness of what she brings. The journey with her has helped me to recognise and remember qualities in myself that I already embody, and those that I need to (re)claim.
She has reminded me of the conditions that allow me to flourish and thrive, and where I can and can’t compromise. And she does not mess around.
Here is a little of what this straight-shooting garden goddess has taught me about her and what to recognise in myself:
The free-spirited wanderer
This free-spirited flower moves with the breeze, opening her heart to the sun, the stars, the elements. She thrives in vibrant, colourful communities who work together and support one another. Even though she can get along with almost anyone, she really prefers to surround herself with likeminded companions.
She can grow pretty much anywhere and survive harsh conditions, but will simply refuse to be contained. She’s a wanderer who knows how to give herself generous space to move, breathe and grow. Indeed, she would sooner wilt than leave the wildness of the garden to live out her days as an ornamental flower in somebody’s vase.
While you might see her occasionally in the winter months, this is when she needs plenty of rest, solitude and quiet time. She tends to save her most vibrant and playful energy for when the sun is shining, there are plenty of friends to play with, and conditions are warm.
A heart of fire
Don’t be fooled by her soft and whimsical petals. Take a closer peek and you’ll catch a glimpse of her blazing heart of fire. Lady Nasturtium might let you take a little bite, but if you try to devour her, you’ll experience her spice. So don’t mess with her unless you’re prepared to turn up the heat.
This feisty flower is not subtle. She’s bold, fierce and intense in everything she does. A bit of an exhibitionist. Sometimes a little messy. She definitely isn’t interested in small talk. And while she makes a nice colourful contrast in a sea of green leaves, she does not take kindly to being tossed around in a salad. She will simply retreat or go limp.
Handle with care
Lady Nasturtium isn’t completely invulnerable and does not like rough handling. Those soft outer layers can be crushed under careless, heavy boots. Even so, it won’t be long before she bounces back, opening her heart once again to the world. That’s how she is. She always seems to have back-up that you didn’t know about.
Expect the unexpected
Lady Nasturtium grows in cycles; the seeds from one cycle becoming the essence of her next cycle, and she never stays the same from one season to the next. Get to know her over time and you’ll discover that she has many different colours and many different scents. If you try to box her in, she’ll only surprise you with a version of herself you’ve never seen.
A powerful ally
Lady Nasturtium is earthy and grounding. Nourishing. Resilient. A fierce protector, who will show you how to unleash your courageous warrior spirit. When you have her as an ally, you’ll discover that her medicine is like a blazing arrow to help you cut through all the BS.
Final notes
Lady Nasturtium is not the fanciest or the frilliest flower in the garden. And she’s certainly not everybody’s favourite. Yet, she is always, always, unmistakably Her…and perhaps that’s what she’s here to teach us more than anything else: just be you. Fully. Wholly. Unapologetically You.
It came as little surprise, but a magical revelation nonetheless, that Lady Nasturtium is native to the high Andes mountains in Peru, the lands of my Andean lineages.