During the first summer we lived here, we stumbled across these ethereal beauties and I was instantly awestruck. I had never felt so held and seen but also slightly uncomfortable at the presence of a plant. Was it a plant? A fungus? A flower? A creature? Perhaps an alien? My mind raced with the possibilities and my soul knew these beings had lessons for me.

I find myself seeking them out every August, like clockwork. Joey will take me on hikes to find them so I can commune with them. And within the last couple years, they started growing beneath a tree which feels like a doorway to other realms, right next to our home. He let me know, they were starting to pop up yesterday.

I don’t know if I’ll ever fully understand the mystical properties of these ghosties but I do know deep in myself that they are portals and teachers and I am so honored I get to be able to sit and learn from them.