In January of 2021, I started Beth’s Botanicals.

I’ve always had a passion for herbal medicine and loved making my own homemade remedies for family and friends. It wasn’t until my sister said, “You should sell your products,” that the seed was planted. That little nudge turned into something much bigger. Soon after, Beth’s Botanicals was officially launched.

I registered for my LLC and enrolled in the School of Evolutionary Herbalism. I felt called to deepen my knowledge and earn a certification in herbal healing. Around this time, I asked my guides for confirmation—specifically to send me hawks and feathers as signs that I was on the right path.

The day I chose the name, a hawk landed on the lamppost outside my office window and stared at me for most of the day. He came back for several days after that. I grew attached to that hawk; he felt like a messenger. That same day, I also drew the Ace of Cups in my tarot deck—a beautiful affirmation of emotional renewal and divine support. I felt so loved and guided, like I was exactly where I needed to be.

Restlessness and the Desire for Change

Still, beneath all of that, I was feeling impatient. I wanted my life to look different—more breakthroughs, more movement, more meaning.

I was tired of feeling unworthy, of believing I wasn’t doing enough with my life. In my journal from January 2021, I wrote:

“I’m feeling insecure, kind of mad that nothing has changed in my life, but yet surrendering and trying to let it all go. I keep getting messages and synchronicities—patience is not my strong suit.”

I remember that feeling so vividly—anxious, restless, uncomfortable. I was tired of marinating in the shit storm I couldn’t escape. I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I was still doing the heavy work in the shadows.

So I poured my energy into herbal healing—studying remedies, experimenting with recipes, and formulating my own blends. It was so much fun to come up with new concoctions and test them out on my friends (the best guinea pigs a girl could ask for!).

Messages from the Universe

On February 3, 2021, I received another message of confirmation. I pulled an oracle card that said:

“You are awakening your soul’s natural gifts of healing and harnessing the power of natural remedies. You are being asked to utilize your natural talents in the healing arts. Explore your gifts with purpose. You have knowledge and guidance to heal yourself and others.”

Then, just a few days later—February 8, 2021—I cried the whole way to my friend’s house, realizing I was experiencing an ego death.

The months that followed were intense. Some days I was crying and releasing; other days I felt ecstatic and alive. The road to healing, I was soon realizing, wasn’t linear—it never is. I constantly felt like I was on the verge of a breakthrough, only to tumble into another breakdown. But the breakdowns became less frequent, and I began to feel more and more like myself—whoever that was becoming.

The Spiritual Awakening

During that time, people began showing up out of nowhere to help me make my dream a reality. I felt surrounded by love and support—like the universe had me in its hands. One day when I was feeling particularly insecure about spending a lot of extra cash towards my business, I came home to 3 white feathers on my doorstep. With tears in my eyes as I unlocked my apartment door, I instantly felt supported and encouraged that I was doing the right thing.

I started researching spiritual awakening symptoms because the experiences I was having were intense and unexplainable. My body was going through a type of purging. One day I felt like I was sticking my finger in a light socket (heart palpitations, ears ringing, dizziness) to another day where I felt pure exhaustion. That’s when I discovered Christina Lopes (The Heart Alchemist), whose work helped me tremendously during this time.

I wrote down the stages of awakening she described:

1. You wake up: You realize there’s more to life than this.
2. Bliss: You feel connected to everything and everyone. Life feels magical and full of synchronicities.
3. Dark Night of the Soul: Everything that needs healing comes up. It can last years.
4. The Void: You feel disconnected, like you’re in a cocoon—alone but transforming.
5. Grounded Bliss: Like a tree, your roots deepen. You can hold life’s ups and downs with grace.
6. Living Your Soul Purpose.

Looking back, I realize I cycled through these stages several times, in no particular order, over the course of about three years. That’s when I learned a profound truth: healing isn’t linear—and surrender is the key.

Becoming the Healer I Was Meant to Be

During those years, I became a student again—studying trauma, herbal medicine, spiritual awakening, and anything that spoke to my soul. I devoured podcasts and books and even enrolled in a Reiki Master program with Ankhara Healing Arts.

As I released old versions of myself, I made room for what was always waiting underneath:
the healer I was meant to be.

But even now, that calling continues to evolve. Being a healer isn’t a destination—it’s a lifelong unfolding. My purpose keeps shifting as I grow, expand, and learn to trust the process a little more each day.

Final Thoughts

I closed Beth’s Botanicals in 2024 when I went through a healing crisis (more on that later) and was pretty upset with my Spirit Team for leading me down that path only to close 2 years later. Starting Beth’s Botanicals wasn’t just about making herbal products—it was about healing myself, remembering who I am, and allowing that healing to ripple outward. I know now that the process was necessary to becoming who I am today.

If there’s one thing this journey has taught me, it’s this:
Transformation can feel incredibly lonely but yet, there’s a sense of purpose to following the process. Trust the waiting, trust the signs, and let yourself grow at your own divine pace.

Much Love,

Beth Reid