Spiritual journeys in tending the living earth, permaculture, and nature-inspired arts
As the Wheel of the Year continues to turn, we find ourselves once more in the time of darkness and cold; the time of the brown and the gray; the time of the Winter Solstice. The Winter Solstice, happening around …
This is a post in my ongoing series of “Sacred Trees in the Americas” where I examine the magical qualities of trees in the Midwest/Eastern/Great Lakes regions of the US. My previous posts have covered the Eastern Hemlock, Hickory, and …
One of my favorite authors, Wendell Berry, has a great deal to say about the rise of the modern “specialist” in his Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture. (This book, by the way, is one of the most influential books …
I think one of the most important lessons I’ve learned in the past six years as a wild food forager, organic gardener, and localvore are the lessons of abundance and scarcity, and the interplay between the two. Crops fail, others …
When people talk about plants, one of the common conversations that comes up is whether the plant is native or invasive. Invasive plants have taken on monstrous qualities of epic proportions, and people in organized groups nationwide argue for the …
As you might have noticed, my posts on this blog slow down considerably in the months of August – October. This is because as a single homesteader, I’m quite busy bringing in the harvest canning, drying, and freezing; preparing my …
Earlier this year, someone who had been a mentor to me for almost 10 years (almost 1/3 of my life) passed on very unexpectedly. She was my academic mentor, the person who nurtured me and supported me through my entire …
I’ve had a few people in the last few months ask me about starting a homestead or a small organic farm. A “homestead” or, if you are in the UK “smallholding” refers to a personal or family plot of land …
In my post last week on herbalism, I discussed the intersections of herbalism to druidic spiritual practice and sustainable thinking. In this week’s post, I’ll share my own story about my path into herbalism. This series of posts on herbalism …
Because of my ongoing study of Traditional Western Herbalism as a student of the amazingly awesome Michigan herbalist Jim McDonald. I wanted to take some time today to discuss the potential of herbalism as an essential quality of druid practice. …
A metaphor for mindful living can be found through the understanding and application of the principles of the garden. The more you spend time in a garden, the more you’ll understand the power of this metaphor (and I suggest that …
The trees and the broader living landscape of our great earth speak to us in subtle but powerful ways. Many in modern industrial society choose not to spend time hearing the voices of the trees and our other plant allies; …
I was blessed to attend the Pan-Druid Retreat in Gore, Virginia this past weekend. As part of the retreat, I served on a discussion panel about “approaching the sacred through nature.” We were asked to prepare 10 minutes for discussion. …
I’ll start by saying that I wasn’t sure I was ever going to post this blog post. I started working on it over six months ago, and debated posting because it deviated from my usual posts about homesteading, simple living, …
“MAPLE SUGAR” – Chippewa Song “Maple sugar is the only thing that satisfies me” This is the third in my series of posts about magical trees native to the Americas. In this series of posts, I explore the lore of …
In January, this year, we’ve gotten record amounts of snow (somewhere above 50″ since the new year). This is true of much of the midwest and eastern seaboard in the USA. Snow holds a very convoluted position in modern American …
Earlier this week, I talked about vermicomposting and how to build your own worm bin. In this post, I want to talk more about the spiritual side of working closely with worms in a vermicomposting system and what gets “left …
The common bond that unites druids, and other earth-centered spiritual paths, is a deep respect and reverence for the living earth. We celebrate the turning wheel of the seasons, we revere the plants, and we speak to the forest spirits. …
This is the second in my series of posts about magical trees native to the Americas. In this series of posts, I explore the lore of sacred trees, and describe their magical and mundane uses, edible qualities, and medicinal qualities. …
Sustainability means “the capacity to endure.” I use the concept of sustainability broadly in introducing the work that I’m doing as part of my Druidic path—people understand that term, what it means, and are immediately able to have some idea …
There is so much magic in a tiny seed. Dormant, still, silent, the seed speaks of unimaginable potential. The seed is the first—and last—step in the cycle of most plant life; they complete the circle of life. Seeds can lay …