On any given day, between the bustle of her “human job” working for Kitsap County and the whirlwind of raising her three young kids with her husband, Austin, Kayla Barnard steps into a world many would consider the stuff of Halloween legends, a world where past lives are remembered, spirits walk among the living, and trees whisper secrets if you’re willing to listen.
Barnard, a Celtic medicine woman and healer, weaves potions, communes with the nine elements, and guides those in search of healing. And she does it from the mystical sanctuary she’s built in her own Palmer Lake yard — a cozy crystal-lined enchanted she-shed, where green walls are lined with shelves of jarred herbs, roots and flowers that glow softly in the warm candlelight.
Her two worlds are linked, but strikingly different.
Her journey into Celtic medicine and spiritual healing didn’t begin in the peace of the forest but through the darkness of her own trauma. After leaving a home that knew mostly pain, she was raised in the foster care system with little knowledge of her ancestry. Barnard said she was always able to tap into her psychic medium-like abilities, even as a child. But trauma pushed her to disconnect from them and turn to survival mode. She never spent time as a kid thinking of what she was going to do when she grew up, because she didn’t think she would.
She took a detour through more modern, traditional ideology in her early 20s, taking on a “hippie persona” and finding solace in Buddhism and other spiritual practices before realizing they lacked the depth she craved. As Barnard reconnected with her spirituality, she started to reactivate her abilities, and in her late 20s she felt a very strong connection to her ancestral roots.
“When you get into Celtic paganism, you realize it almost mirrors Native American spirituality. Trees are sacred. Animals are sacred.”
For Barnard, it was about healing herself at first, but she was called by a spirit to help others. Her clients range from those dealing with dark spirits or needing home blessings to individuals with intense trauma seeking a “safe space” to heal. Barnard creates a personalized experience for each, blending rituals, energy work, and spiritual guidance.
Though she’s a healer, Barnard said “Trauma is never healed.” She described it as a lifelong experience that can’t be avoided, comparing it to building and crossing a bridge over a canyon, each crossing becoming easier with time.
“When I come across that bridge, I just walk over it,” she said. “I’m no longer scared of the height of it. I’ve been over it a bunch of times and I know how to get over it because I built the damn thing.” She emphasized that healing deepens with understanding, and being comfortable with trauma allows her to support others without being overwhelmed by their pain.
“People feel safe with me because I can sit with them in their pain without judgment.”
Despite her deep spiritual connection, Barnard faces skepticism, particularly on the Key Peninsula. She approaches it with patience, understanding that many people are naturally hesitant when confronted with concepts like magic or energy. “Dimensions are proven with quantum physics, and so is energy,” she said, adding that everyone has the potential to tap into these abilities if they only put down their disbelief.
“I don’t engage with those (negative) energies, because it’s a waste of time,” Barnard said, though she appreciates skeptics. “If your belief system says you will never listen to mine, that’s OK. I live by: ‘I owe you nothing, unless you ask for help, in which case I owe you the world.’ That’s really important to me. If you ask for help, I’m going to help you.”
Barnard has researched her Celtic ancestry, studied spiritual healing and practiced paganism, but much of her knowledge comes from being in touch with her past — her distant past.
“I have full recall of my previous lives,” she said, explaining that many people unknowingly tap into these memories through talents or obsessions with certain historical periods. She even remembers past lives shared with Austin, who is Catholic, and their children, who today partake in Barnard’s Celtic pagan rituals. Barnard draws inspiration from Celtic deities like Brigid, the goddess of healing and nature, as well as the White Stag and ravens — symbols of power and transformation in Celtic mythology. An altar in her home, dedicated to Brigid, serves as a focal point for her rituals, including those that call on ancient spirits for guidance and protection.
One of the most important times of the year for Barnard and her family is Samhain, the ancient Celtic festival that marks the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter — what most Americans know as Halloween. It is when the veil between the worlds is thinnest, allowing for spirits of the past and present to mingle. Her family gathers for a feast, leaving an ancestral seat at the table, followed by a ritual fire, offering herbs to honor those who have passed. “It gets a little eerie,” even for her, she said. “It’s late at night, there’s a fire, and the spirits are present. You can feel them. You trust that your ancestors are with you, and you enjoy that little bit of spooky.”
Though she uses words like “witch” to describe herself, absent are a broomstick, caldron, and pointy hat. Barnard instead uses tree magic, which taps into a higher frequency that aligns the soul and body with the natural world. She uses an oak staff, carved with Celtic symbols and topped with a quartz crystal to communicate with the nine elements: earth, air, fire, water, spirit, stone, sun, moon, and sea.
Then there are those worldly tools she uses to communicate with people: TikTok (@my_medicine_woman_1333) and Facebook.
“I chose to incarnate in this era, so I’m not going to live like I’m in the year 1813.”
Barnard likes using technology to spread messages of hope, but she won’t use it for healing, saying technology affects energy.
“I tell people, ‘If you’re not driving an hour into the woods to visit a medicine woman, then you’re not visiting a medicine woman.’ ”
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