There is something magical about putting your hands in the soil. The cool, damp feeling, the smell of earthy loam, the crumbling of the loam between your fingers. Touching soil, the building block of life, grounds you in a way …
soil web
Soil Building Techniques and Cultivating Healthy Soil: Hugelkultur, Biochar, Composting, Mulching, Lasagna Gardening, and More!
Recently I had some local homesteaders visit who wanted to see our homestead and the various systems we’ve been building. At one point, I uprooted a dandelion that was growing in a bed and the whole root just came right …
Mushroom Telluric Chanting Galdr Ritual at MAGUS 2023
A few weeks ago, we had the Mid-Atlantic Gathering of US Druids (MAGUS 2023). This gathering has been going on since 2017, and it seems like every year gets better! Since the start of MAGUS, we have been experimenting with …
Putting in your Dirt Time and Connecting Deeply with Nature
As the head of a druid order, people often ask me, “What’s the best way to learn to be a druid?” or “What books should I pick up?” or “How do I get started in nature spirituality?” and my answer …
Gardening and Animism: Garden Rituals and Ceremonies to bring Abundance and Honor the Soil
A person walks into a garden at as the sun rises. As it is the spring equinox, the soil is still mostly bare, although the stinging nettles are peeking through the earth to enjoy the first of the morning rays. …
My Best Advice for Homesteading: Planning, Flocks, and Gardens
I’ve been homesteading (or what those in the UK would call smallholding) since 2010 at two different homesteads. Through this, and through being in community groups and having many friends who are also homesteaders, you learn a lot of things …
Putting the Garden to Sleep: End of Season Activities and Rituals
The day before the first hard frost. Our garden is still bountiful as the Butzemann watches over all….As the darkness continues to grow deeper on the landscape, it is high time to consider how to put the garden to rest …
A Druid’s Primer on Land Healing: Ecosystems, Interconnectivity, and Planting Guilds
I had a recent conversation with a friend who lives in the town where I work (and where I used to rent a house). I had commented on how “nice” her lawn looked, as it was growing tall full of …