Herbal Wisdom

Cottonwood Tree Teacher

There is a beautiful and powerful tree that grows in our Pacific Northwest called Cottonwood Populus balsamifera. It grows in many other places as well and all over the Southwest. It is the gooey, resinous buds of Cottonwood that offer deep healing physically and spiritually. These leaf buds are gathered before opening in late fall […]

Read More...

Introduce Yourself to the World

I wrote this poem on February 6, 2007 There is a slight stirring in the garden these past few days. As our frozen Earth warms, I have enjoyed venturing out to look for plants emerging from the dark soil. Just a little bit here so far, catnip, oregano, bergamot, lady’s mantle, oxe-eye daisy, And there […]

Read More...

Elecampane-Wisdom and Healing

It’s winter and the garden is quiet. The plants have pretty much stopped growing. It would appear that everything is either dead or dormant. But under the earth, the roots are vibrant. One of the plants that I love to gather in the winter is Elecampane Inula helenium. It is the root I seek. I […]

Read More...

Wild Rose Hips-The Plants are the Ancestors

A deep intimacy has been cultivated with the land and the plants here at our farm through my relationship with the roses. Through a daily practice of listening, breathing, and the exchange of wisdom teachings, the roses, the trees and the plants have shaped and expanded the ground of connection here. It is not only […]

Read More...

Becoming an Herbalist-Autumn’s Return

The Autumn Equinox has brought cool nights and graciously is bringing us warm days. The maples are turning yellow, golden and brown. The seeds of many plants are ripening as are the bountiful apples. What a blessing the earth brings to us for the season of returning. This time of the equinox is the time […]

Read More...

Dandelion Root~A Potent Ally~Nourishing Herbal Vinegar

Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, has been a potent ally of mine for many years now. I have grown fond of finding this plant where ever I go, growing up through cracks in the sidewalk, near compost heaps, and now here on the farm. She is an integral part of our garden, growing here and there along […]

Read More...

Making Herbal Preparations the Wise Woman Way

This is a companion piece to my blog post, “I am a Wildcrafter”. There are many simple herbal preparations that can be made at home, in your kitchen utilizing the plants that live right outside your door. The art of gathering and preparing herbs can change you and deepen your experience with the plants that […]

Read More...

Bitters and Transforming Bitterness

I have been exploring bitters lately. The bitter taste and how it support good health. I have always liked the taste of something bitter. A few years ago, I began to wonder about motherwort and her bitterness and if she would support my digestion as well as my nervous system, heart and womb. I began […]

Read More...

Motherwort-Womb Wisdom

Oh, Mother, bless our being Oh, Mother, bless our being Oh, Mother, bless our being We are fully wise Within your heart Within your womb Within your heart. *** I began to write about motherwort as a way of writing about the folk method of herbal crafting. The messy, simple, common way to craft a […]

Read More...

It Belongs to the Wind and the Rain

ahh….I return to this post again and again….”the spiral of life goes ’round and round, the spiral of life goes ’round.” “All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy, for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves. We must die to one life before we can enter into another.”—Anatole France […]

Read More...