Dear Anneliese,

I have been touring England as of late, and most recently I have filled my days with bewitching walks through the woodlands of Blickling Estate in Norwich. The woods always seem, to me, to be places of immense magic. The trees possess an ancient wisdom, expressed in hushed tones through the rustling of leaves in the wind. This magic is only enhanced by the ground being covered in a vibrant carpet of bluebells.

The United Kingdom is truly their home, inhabited by almost half of the world’s bluebells. With such strong ties to the land there is much folklore associated with them. Bluebell woods are believed to be home to mischievous fairies, who weave their dark enchantments through the soil in the hope of trapping humans. It is said that if you hear a bluebell ring you will be visited by a wicked fairy, and death may soon follow. If you pick a bluebell, the tales say that you will be led astray by fairies and live out your days wandering around the woods, forever lost. It is actually illegal to pick or destroy bluebells in the UK, so the dark fairy magic seems like an effective deterrent!

There are also superstitions associated with the mysterious little flower. It is said that if you turn a bluebell inside out without tearing its delicate petals, you will win the love of the one you desire. Some believe that if you were to wear a wreath of bluebells, you would lose all ability to lie. In Scotland the flowers are often referred to as ‘harebells,’ due to the belief that witches turned themselves into hares to hide amongst the bluebells.

How I wish we could have strolled through the woodlands together, scheming with the fairies, like in the books we read as children. I look forward to getting up to much fairy mischief once we reunite.

All my love,

Eden