Virtual Circle for Women to Explore Creativity, Herbalism, and the Magic of Plants
Are you a woman seeking connection with like-minded souls, eager to explore the deep wisdom of the natural world while nurturing your creative writing? This virtual gathering is for you. Join us for a magical, intimate 1.5-hour experience where we'll come together in community to explore the transformative power of the Elder Tree, discover its rich folklore, and channel its energy into our creative writing practices.
The Elder Tree (Sambucus spp.) holds a profound place in Celtic mythology and plant magic. Symbolizing transformation, the underworld, renewal, hope, betrayal, blood, fire, and ceremonial rites, the Elder invites us to connect with its spirit in a powerful way. This workshop is an opportunity to honor Elder as both a sacred plant and a muse, opening us to creative possibilities and offering guidance through its ancient wisdom.
What to Expect in this Virtual Gathering:
Sacred Virtual Space & Community
From the comfort of your home, join a circle of like-minded women. Through the magic of technology, we’ll create an intimate, supportive virtual community to explore creativity and connect with the natural world. Whether you’re new to plant magic or an experienced herbalist, this is a welcoming space for all. Brew a cup of your favorite herbal tea, light a candle, and arrange your workspace to create a cozy atmosphere. Then, join us for this special offering.
Elder Tree Exploration
In this session, we’ll dive into the folklore, mythology, and magical properties of the Elder Tree. From its sacred role in ancient traditions to its use in medicine and magic, we’ll uncover how Elder has been revered across cultures. Learn how this tree’s energy can guide you on your creative journey.
Plant Meditation & Creative Writing Prompts
Once we’ve explored the Elder’s mythology, we’ll engage in a guided plant meditation. This meditation will help you connect spiritually with Elder, allowing its energy to flow through you and inspire your creative process. Following this, we’ll dive into creative writing prompts, drawing on Elder's imagery and magic to craft poetry, stories, or reflections.
Creative Writing & Poetry
Poet and herbalist Nora Toomey will guide us through imaginative writing exercises that will awaken your inner poet. You don’t need to be an experienced writer—just an open heart and a desire to explore! Whether you write prose, poetry, or journaling, these prompts will help unlock your creativity and deepen your connection to both Elder and the world around you.
Sharing Circle & Connection
At the end of our 1.5-hour gathering, we’ll come together in a supportive virtual sharing circle. This is a space where you can share your creative work, offer inspiration to others, and celebrate the collective energy of our writing journey.
What You’ll Receive:
A Workbook on Elder from Nora Toomey, filled with insights into Elder’s symbolism, magical properties, and creative writing exercises to help you integrate this ancient wisdom into your personal writing practice.
A deeper connection to the plant world, your creative voice, and a community of women who share your love for storytelling and nature’s magic
Tools and inspiration to continue weaving plant magic into your life and writing beyond the workshop.
Join Us for This Virtual Gathering
This workshop is open to all women who are curious about creative writing and the wisdom of the plants. No prior experience in herbalism or poetry is necessary—just a desire to explore and connect with the magic around you. Together, we’ll tap into the power of Elder Tree to awaken our creativity, transform our writing, and deepen our bond with nature.
Our Teacher: Nora Toomey, Our Poet and Keeper of Plant Knowledge
Nora is a poet and Clinical Herbalist. She was introduced to the world of herbal medicine through the teachings of many wise women she has been lucky enough to call sisters and friends. She has deepened her herbal education and practice by becoming a Certified Clinical Herbalist through an Apprenticeship and Clinical program at the Berkeley Herbal Center in California.
Nora’s background is in poetry, learning how to cultivate deep self-care rituals, and opening her heart to the healing journey as it unfolds. She has an MFA in Poetry from California College of the Arts, and an Undergraduate degree in Writing and Women’s Studies. She is very excited about the intersections of poetry, sound meditation, the power of story, and plant medicine.
In 2020, Nora moved home to the East Coast after 15 years in California. She co-founded the plant and sound wellness company, Flower & Frequency, and began a clinical practice and herbal product line.
Nora’s style is warm, intuitive, and collaborative. As a community herbalist, Nora strives to make herbal medicine accessible to everyone, and has enjoyed volunteering with the People’s Medicine Project, working at the Berkley Herbal Center’s Community Clinic, writing for the Herbal Academy, and developing herbal programming for the public library systems of CT, NY, MA, and RI.
Nora is especially passionate about serving women struggling with addiction, childhood trauma, domestic trauma, and women looking to manage stress and anxiety. She is especially motivated to help women access their creativity and self-healing powers through the magical portal of plant medicine.