Winter Womb and the Dark

Winter words I’d like to share… Remember that fear loves Winter…loves dark…loves stillness… I have to remind myself to meet it as it is…as a long, lost friend coming to teach me something new about my mind. See it. Name it. Let it be on its way. What is on the other side of fear, … Continue reading →

Eastern Red Cedar: Deep Tree Medicine

I have to pay homage to this amazing plant ally, especially after its generous gift to me after a recent and intense car accident.  Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is quite prolific in Mississippi, where I live.  It is a common and vigorous pioneer species, found along roadsides and also in deforested areas.  It is … Continue reading →

‘Sippi ‘Simmon Harvest and Yum Recipes

Persimmon (Diospyros spp):  “dios” and “pyros” basically work together to mean “divine fruit” Alas, it’s persimmon time in Mississippi…  The Deep South is dotted with wild persimmons (Diospyros virginiana) and I’ve been snacking on those.  However, to make jam, I went for the large, cultivated fellas from the lovely local orchard, Reese Orchard.  Reese has … Continue reading →

The Honored Middle and Gut Health

Some thoughts on gut health ~ Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) say that gut health actually provides the necessary ingredients to protect the heart (where spirit or “shen” resides). In Japan, the large intestine is referred to as both the “honored middle” (onaka) and “center of the spiritual and physical strength” (hara).  The soul … Continue reading →

A Plate of Sunflower Power

It’s been awhile since I’ve written a good ole food blog!  And, this one is incredibly yummy (actually I just ate some and I can assure you that it is)! Food, nourishment, sustenance, living closer to the elements, herbs and plants, healing my gut, and putting my hands in the soil and growing food have … Continue reading →

I Was Born to Do This

This is my most personal blog post ever.  Please be forewarned that it is long.  This is my first attempt to express and explore the complex world of my experience of trauma and recovery ~ and a psycho-spiritual break. “The diseases do not come to us form Heaven, but develop from the small, daily offenses … Continue reading →

A Survivor’s Guide to the Essential Oil Craze

“People who know me, know I love America and Americans, but on the question of essential oils, I am knocked to the ground by the method of selling and exploiting these precious plant medicines and by the conflict that seems to exist within the aromatherapy world itself. It makes me very sad.” ~ French Herbalist, … Continue reading →

Releasing that Summer Heat

Oh where to begin!? There’s so much going on in the plant kingdom that needs our awareness ~ from ripening berries to blossoms showing off to pollinators to trees adding another ring of growth. The Summer Solstice is this weekend which marks the longest day of the year. We are at our peak in terms … Continue reading →