Second Sight: Plant Lore & Trance Work
In south Devon, a girl would pluck yarrow off a young man’s grave at midnight, saying:
Yarra, yarra, I seeks thee yarra,
And now I have thee found
I prays to the gude Lord Jesus
As I plucked ‘ee from the ground…
Plant Profile: Linden
As tall grasses come up to meet the palm, the writst twists and trailing fingers brush through grass heads, releasing pollen and moths and a cloud of midges to dance in the hot afternoon sun. Near our home is a great linden tree standing along the fruiting borders of the hedgerow. This green flowering tree, consisting of coarsely toothed heart-shaped leaves and small, delicate yellow and white flowers releases a mouth watering, crisp, honey-like citrus fragrance from its blossoms…
Cosmetics in the Ancient World
Tallow has a long and storied place in the world of cosmetics. Indigenous and ancient cultures across the world have used rendered animal fat—from cow, sheep, pig, or wild animals—as a primary source of skin nourishment, for everything from healing wounds, moisturizing dry skin, to crafting costly perfumes.
Herbal First Aid
Whether spending time by the river in the summertime or chopping turnips for a hearty soup in the winter, knowing how to tend to basic wounds and injuries with herbs around you or on hand can be both empowering and life saving. Read on to learn about herbal first aid plants and medicine making!
Easing Into Summer
Early summer is such a beautiful time—longer days, blooming flowers, the return of light and life. But along with this social calendars fill up, and somewhere in the middle of all the excitement and movement that comes with this season we forget to breathe. If you’re feeling a little stretched thin or like your nervous system could use some relief, you’re not alone.
Spring Greens for the Wild Table
Spring is a time of birth and flowering branches, the return of the sun. Although the promise of renewal is on the wind, this is historically the hungriest time of year. The winter stores have been depleted, and the body craves fresh, living sustenance. Beginning in March, here in the Pacific Northwest, stinging Nettle can be found ready to harvest in abundance.
GOOD GRIEF: Plants for Tender Times
I walk down the path of one of my most beloved trails. I have not been here since the golden embers of late summer set their hues on the dense forest floors. Salal was ripe then…
Liver Support & Holiday Mocktails
As the sun dips lower in and lower in the sky every day, we modern folk tend to rev up more and more for our holiday festivities. Parties and gatherings abound, many of which are laden with delicious food and drink. We feast, as northern people of old have during this time of year for centuries, celebrating harvests, staying warm, and hoping that we have enough to get through the lean months to come.