Painting Myself Free – A Journey of Healing in The Magic Garden

A Journey Painted in Love and Transformation

Some stories touch the soul so deeply that they become art.

This is one of them — shared by Sommer, who joined two retreats in The Magic Garden and found both healing and new creative life through the experience. Her words and painting capture the essence of what happens when love, music, and presence open the heart.

"Describing The Magic Garden in words feels almost impossible — for the experience doesn't live in words, but in energy, in heart, and in presence. My journeys with Jacob, Ecatarina, and the souls who hold the space with so much love are unforgettable.

I have never before felt so seen, so carried, so embraced. The amount of love is overwhelming — as is the amount of dedication, magic, and transformation. In The Magic Garden, souls meet to heal — and healing is always the first priority. It's a place where everything within you is allowed to land. Where you are held, seen, and met with a love that is felt deep into your body.

After my first life-transforming journey in the round hall, something in me began to awaken. I took the brush in my hand again — after many years without painting or completing anything creative. Creating this watercolor painting and actually finishing it feels like a victory. The painting emerged in pure intuition — only the mother and her child were sketched beforehand. The rest grew in colors, in flow, in trust of the process. I have struggled with perfectionism for many years, but it was loosened during and after my journey. A great wish was fulfilled in meeting Jacob and Ecatarina.

The mother and her child represent the love that resides in us all — the one that nurtures, protects, and connects. There's also the blood moon and the woman — the woman in her cycle, where she bleeds down into the sea of emotions and reunites with nature and her own power.

The music during the journey is a chapter in itself. They play intuitive live music from start to finish — and it is nothing short of eminent. Every tone and rhythm feels alive, as if the music itself breathes along with the ceremony. It holds both the deep and dark and the light and fine — all that we as humans consist of. It hits right to the core, supports everything that happens, and in my opinion, it simply cannot be done better.

The inspiration for the artwork springs directly from The Magic Garden. The ivy, the grapes, the plants, and the moth — all elements that live in the garden's soul — found their way into the picture. I felt their wisdom and life force around me and let them speak through my brush strokes. As if the garden itself was painting along. They remind me of how connected we are to nature, and how much strength there is in the quiet, organic life. I can feel how my own inner strength has been amplified — how I've come home to myself in a new way. My creativity is sprouting again, and it feels like I finally dare to trust my own flow.

Today, I stand with the feeling of having painted a part of myself free. A reminder that healing doesn't always happen in words, but in colors, movements, and quiet breaths from the heart. Every color, every tear, and every stroke in this picture feels like a thank you. A reminder that love has always been here — in me, in you, in all of us. Thank you to The Magic Garden, for the love, for the support, and for the journey home to myself. I am moved to tears.

If you feel a call to experience the magic that happens when souls meet in safety, love, and transformation — then I can only say: The Magic Garden is waiting for you."

With love

Sommer Andersen

If Sommer’s story touches something within you — if you feel the call to heal, awaken, or rediscover your creative essence — we warmly invite you to explore our retreats at The Magic Garden.

Each retreat offers a sacred space for self-understanding, emotional release, and personal growth, supported by plant medicine, intuitive live music, and a loving community.

You can also experience our Full Moon Concerts, where music and ceremony unite in a field of transformation. It’s a beautiful way to feel the energy of The Magic Garden and connect with us in person.

For those who wish to join us from afar, our Online Temple – The Magic Garden Tribe offers access to our concerts and ceremonies streamed live, allowing you to journey with us from anywhere in the world.

We look forward to meeting you and supporting you on your journey.