What to expect from this post Since time immemorial, a deep longing has united people: the desire to know what lies beyond the visible world. Whether a shamanic journey or an astral journey – at heart, it is always about the same experience: letting everyday consciousness rest for a moment to enter inner spaces and find clarity. In this blog post, you will learn: Myth & truth about the fly agaric: Why it is an ancient shamanic symbol of luck and how we can use its image as pure intention – completely without intoxicants. The interplay of head, body & heart: Why information gives our mind security, our body stores experiences, and the heart is the true key to connection. Freedom from old pressure: How we can step out of the trap of self-flagellation, people pleasing and old roles (victim-perpetrator-rescuer). Your journey during the Rauhnächte: How a small light serves you as a safe anchor to consciously, gently, and at your own pace observe the transition between worlds. An invitation to pause, reflect, and remember – without any pressure, on equal footing, and in your own flow.
Letting the Spirit Fly: Fly Agaric, the Twelve Days of Christmas, and the Light Within Us
In October, they shine again in the forest: bright red caps with snow-white spots, deeply rooted in the moss beneath birch and pine trees. The fly agaric is our most familiar symbol of good luck. It adorns postcards, appears in fairy tales, and brings us New Year’s greetings. Yet it has a second, much older face.
Cultural historians and ethnobotanists such as Christian Rätsch, Claudia Müller-Ebeling, and Wolf-Dieter Storl describe the deep, mystical roots of this forest being in their works. It is said that fly agaric was gathered and dried in autumn and used during the darkest days of the year to let the spirit “fly.” This ritualized use is documented primarily in Siberian shamanic traditions, but even today, the subject fascinates many—all the way to modern microdosing, which is reported on channels such as Buschfunktistan.
But let’s not get carried away: Fly agaric is not a toy. Anyone interested in microdosed effects should seek the guidance of professionals. For me personally, it is simply a beautiful, magical harbinger of autumn that I encounter with wonder during my walks in the forest. I have burned it as incense, but I have never eaten it.
⚠️ Important note: Fly agaric contains potent active ingredients and toxins. If you feel unwell after accidentally ingesting it, please call emergency services immediately on 112.
The Longing for “More” – The Questions of Our Ancestors
What truly touches me about this ancient tradition is not the mushroom itself. It is the age-old longing of our ancestors for depth, for answers, and for a tangible connection to the otherworld. Or perhaps, in the endless, dark winter nights of the past, it was simply human boredom—the unique “television” of that time? It was probably a mixture of both.
People have always wanted to discover what balances them, what calms their inner dialogues, and what gives them a sense of security. An understanding that allows us to let go of old ways of thinking—at least quietly in our minds for now.
We ask ourselves timeless questions: What comes next? Can we make it as a humanity? Is this a collective journey, or am I completely alone in this world with my questions?
In states of stillness, meditation, or trance, things can often be organized in a completely new way. Yet the crucial question for our lives is always: What of these insights can we truly take with us into our everyday, material world?
Of Ancient Ways and the Journey Within: Discovering Worlds, Opening Spaces
Since time immemorial, there has been a deep, fundamental question that connects people all over the earth: What actually lies behind what we can see with our naked eyes?
Regardless of the era or culture, people have sought ways to expand their consciousness and explore deeper levels of being. Whether it is called a shamanic journey (as in ancient natural wisdom with drum rhythms and plant beings) or an astral journey (the detachment of perception from the physical body): at its core, it is about the same fundamental phenomenon. Consciousness leaves the hectic everyday life for a moment to immerse itself in inner worlds, receive guidance, or better understand connections.
Every feeling on this path is right
Perhaps you feel completely different impulses when reading these terms—and every feeling about them is absolutely welcome:
- Fear or skepticism: It is completely natural to feel uneasy when dealing with topics such as shadow work, altered states of consciousness, or entering unknown spaces. Our minds love safety and control. This is our biological inheritance: the primitive and reptilian brain wants to ensure our survival. These primal fears of our ancestors are not flaws, but ancient warning systems that we can use today with gratitude and awareness.
- Curiosity and fascination: But perhaps you also feel a deep sense of security in the knowledge that “there is still more.” For many of us, exploring these questions is not a danger, but provides support, trust, and a firm connection in life.
This is not about convincing anyone. It is simply about opening spaces—at your own pace, without any pressure.
The Mind, Body Memory, and the Wisdom of the Heart
Our minds love concepts, logic, and explanations. They give us support and the signal: “You are safe, you can relax.” Yet pure theory in the head is only the beginning of a true experience.
- Our body forgets nothing: The body possesses a phenomenal memory (Body Memory). It stores old experiences, imprints, and emotional traces deep in the tissue and nervous system. That is why true transformation never takes place in the head alone—it must be felt in the body and physically released. It is our anchor.
- The Heart as the True Bridge: The heart is the true mystery, yet so wonderfully simple. Institutes such as the renowned HeartMath Institute have been researching the “heart-brain” for decades: The heart has its own complex nervous system and sends far more signals to our brain than vice versa. In states of gratitude and compassion, the heart and brain enter coherence—stress hormones decrease, and our immune system relaxes.
⚠️ The Trap of Self-Flagellation: No New “Must”!
But beware of a subtle trap of our performance-oriented society: It is easy to think: “Now I also have to open my heart, heal my traumas, and optimize myself!”
Please allow yourself to let go of this pressure immediately.
True development requires no perfection. If your body is tired or your heart briefly closes, it is a wise defense mechanism. To recognize yourself lovingly exactly where you are—even if you are not radiant at times—is perhaps the highest form of heart wisdom.
Polarity, Survival Strategies, and the Old Roles
In our development, we encounter universal laws:
- Polarity: It shows us the playing field of life. Not as a judgment of “good” or “evil,” but like positive and negative poles that together create tension and flow.
- Causality: The law of cause and effect. Every stimulus triggers something in us, and we often swing unconsciously from one extreme to the next like a pendulum.
Because we humans were always dependent on one another evolutionarily, diplomacy and the ability to adapt developed over thousands of years. But when this adaptation becomes self-abandonment (People Pleasing), we lose our balance and become tired.
This raises a fascinating question: Is it actually our heart that wants to deeply understand itself and others—or is it just our primitive brain that wants to ensure our survival through adaptation?
Stepping Out of the Drama Triangle
At the same time, we modern people feel a deep desire to finally leave old relationship dynamics such as victim, perpetrator, and rescuer behind. This eternal interplay costs us an incredible amount of life energy.
Is this urge to step out simply psychological maturity—or is it a very old memory of the soul? A knowledge of golden ages and high cultures such as Atlantis, Lemuria, or Avalon, about which legends tell that heart, mind, and nature once worked in pure harmony there?
Whether mythological memory or a modern step in consciousness: The important thing is that we are allowed to see through these roles today. We do not have to save the world, nor do we have to feel like victims. We are allowed to observe, breathe, and return to our own center.
The Twelve Days of Christmas: A Time of Special Quality
Between the years, it becomes quiet. The days are short, the nights long. The old year is over, the new one not yet born. Many experience this threshold time as highly resonant and dense. I simply call it a special quality of time: It is as if nature briefly holds its breath.
Read my post on the threshold of light here: to the autumnal equinox
The quiet way out of all our everyday thoughts is: Observe instead of reacting. In the small space between a stimulus and your reaction lies your complete freedom.
A Small Light for Your Inner Journey
Anyone who embarks on an inner journey—whether in meditation, quiet dreaming, or reflecting on their own life—needs a secure foundation. A small light not only provides warmth, but also keeps you grounded.
That is why a small fly agaric lucky candle accompanies you in our Rauhnacht sets as a symbolic reminder of the image of a spirit that is allowed to fly freely—without any intoxicants, solely through the power of your intention.
The Threshold Time Candle: Making Transformation Visible
Our threshold time candles make this transition tangible: dark on top, light on the bottom, and in the middle the Rauhnacht frost (a fine ice effect in the wax). When the flame reaches it, it makes the threshold visible. You see how something transforms, and you are allowed to simply pause. This is not magic, but pure attention.
A Small Evening Ritual of Self-Awareness
You do not need a grand ritual. A quiet moment and a small light are enough:
- Arrive: Light your candle and become completely still for a few breaths.
- Perceive: Ask yourself: What is here today? Name it without judging it.
- Examine (Based on Byron Katie’s “The Work”):
- Is this thought true?
- Can I know for absolute certain that it is true?
- How do I react when I believe this thought?
- Who would I be without this thought?
- Feel: Where in the body does the feeling show up? What happens if you simply let it be there?
- Let it fade: Let the light burn as long as it feels good to you.
Twelve evenings, twelve small lights. The thirteenth light stands for implementation—as a loving reminder that you yourself take responsibility for your next step in the world. (Our voluntary 13 Wishes Ritual gently accompanies you).
The Light Always Wins
Whether modern physics or timeless philosophy: Albert Einstein himself explored the nature of light, and the wonderful Vera F. Birkenbihl once put it pictorially: Darkness is not a substance in itself—it is merely the absence of light.
You cannot carry darkness out of a room with shovels. But you can light a single, small light—and the darkness gives way all by itself. The light always wins. It cannot be otherwise.
We do not need intoxicants or foreign myths to open spaces within us. We only need the courage to quiet the mind, invite the heart, and the willingness to look honestly and gently.
Something is transforming.
I can see it.
I am part of it.
PS: A small, important note from the heart & responsibility
As beautiful and healing as exploring your inner world can be: Please always be gentle and mindful with yourself.
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No promise of healing: All impulses, rituals, and thoughts on this page are exclusively for inspiration, self-awareness, and personal development. They do not replace medical or psychotherapeutic diagnoses or treatments.
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Your fears as wise guides: It is valuable to occasionally look gently beyond your comfort zone. But your fear and hesitation are not enemies—they are sometimes very wise guides that signal to you: “This is my boundary for now.” Always pay attention to and respect this boundary.
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Courage to ask for help: If you feel while looking that old topics or emotions are overwhelming you or becoming too heavy, stop immediately. You do not have to go through this alone. It takes real courage and is a sign of deep self-love to seek companionship and professional support—whether with trusted people, in counseling, or with therapists.
Your path may feel light, harmonious, and safe for you.
A radiant greeting from the candle workshop
In deep connection and with a warm glow in the heart,
Your candle maker Dinah Henke
(Grundfarm Wachskunst)
“As a mystic, craftswoman, and traveler in spirit, I have myself walked through and explored all these spaces, questions, and inner paths over the course of my life. I have experienced how deeply healing and liberating it is when the mind is allowed to rest, the heart opens, and we simply remember what we have always been at heart: light.”
Your companions for the Twelve Days of Christmas: Embark on your own journey
If you feel the desire to consciously shape this special quality of time of the Twelve Days of Christmas, anchor inner peace, and dive into your own protected space, a small light may hold you on this path:
1. The Threshold Time Lights (12+1 Set) – The Cosmic Ritual
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The transition: With the unique Rauhnacht frost in the middle of the candle, the threshold between worlds, between old and new, becomes visible.
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The effect: It supports you evening after evening in moving from reacting to quiet observation—completely in your own flow.
2. The Fly Agaric Lucky Light – The Symbol of Transformation
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The Anchor: Your peaceful companion for the winter solstice and the Rauhnächte. As a shamanic symbol of transformation, it reminds you that profound insights can be achieved without any intoxicants – through the power of your intention alone.
