Herbal Wisdom + Earthly Delights
The weeks and months leading up to this day mark a time of waning light in the Northern Hemisphere — and with the lessening light, our own vitality and sense of hope often wane as well. Our ancestors, knowing this to be the case, took special care to fan their inner flames of vitality during this descent into winter. They intentionally courted the seasons of renewal that they knew lay still ahead.
When we know a plant deeply, and when we feel an embodied sense of connection to the place where we live, we are far are less likely to do harm. When relationships to plants and
There is, perhaps, no other tree or plant that my life has become as interwoven with the Pine. Her changing gifts mark the turning of the wheel of the year–wood harvested in Spring, cured in
We live in a culture that has forgotten how to grieve. And yet grief is such an essential part of human life. The practice of grieving is what allows us to continue to live fully
Sun Tea is probably the simplest herbal preparations you will ever make, and also quite possibly the most wonderful! In the Summer, this wholesome preparation becomes a integral part of my daily rhythm and an
Harvesting wild onions is a deliciously grounding way to reconnect with the Earth as she grows more fertile with each passing day of Spring. I recommend finding a patch of damp earth, dappled with sun
Sometimes eating just one petal from a wildflower can provide more sustenance than even an entire meal of cultivated modern foods. This is because Wild foods feed us on a level that transcends the physical
Unlike drinking a tea or taking a tincture, Herbal Respiratory Steams deliver medicine directly to the tissues experiencing infection or irritation. This is why they are so effective, particularly when employed at the first sign
All around me, flowers are blooming — hundreds of new ones each day. And though the darkened Texas skies promise a rain for which I eagerly wait, the butterflies and song birds, the humming honeybees
Depression is the worst. And when you’re in the midst of it, it feels like it will never end. But it does. It always does. They say to write about what you know. And I know
It is smoke which feeds the Holy; smoke which nourishes the Spirits of the Land and the Ancestors, both. Smoke is also medicine. Humans have always known this. And even now, we remember how to use it
Dandelion is one of the first plants many people learn to recognize, and one of the few herbs that just about anyone can identify. Dandelions are accessible, widespread, and remarkably generous with their gifts and
Autumn is in the air and it is a time of revelations. Things which have felt stagnant for so long, are beginning to soften, to open, to reveal their strange and healing magic to us.
The journey of a Wildcrafter begins slowly at first. Start where you are. Allow this journey to reveal itself to you, savoring each Season and seed. Begin simply, pausing to bask in the fragrance of
