Fernflower and Blackberries: Celebrating the Summer Solstice

Fernflower and Blackberries: Celebrating the Summer Solstice

Vodu upav. Kupalo na Ivana! Happy Summer Solstice/Midsummer to all of you on this side of the hemisphere! And Blessed Ivan Kupailo/Kupala Day to all you Russians/Ukrainians/Poles/Belorussians who celebrate the old ways! Today is a lovely day for weaving flower wreaths, making food magic with berries, playing in the forest, and searching for that mythical Fernflower, Chervona Ruta. It’s a hot day here in the Canyon, and well suited to spending the whole day in the river underneath the Alders. This morning I made a Spiced Blackberry Kissel (a Russian berry custard), and we’ll soon be savoring it cold, and topped with local cream and a splash of dark red wine. However you celebrate, enjoy this longest day of the year...

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Summer First Aid for the Little Ones and You!

Summer First Aid for the Little Ones and You!

I like to periodically share offerings from other herbalists here and I couldn’t resist passing on the info for this free webinar being given by midwife, herbalist, doctor, Plant Healer columnist, and TWHC teacher, Aviva Romm. This 90 minute presentation will discuss first aid for summer, focusing on herbal treatments for the most common summer issues like bug bites, sunburn, and poison ivy. Aviva will also be covering how to build a first aid kit for your family and ways of getting the kids involved with the plants! The webinar is this coming Thursday, May 3rd, 8:30 pm Eastern time. Be sure to sign up beforehand, right here: Outdoor Kids: Herbal First Aid for...

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Teaching Children About Herbs: Storytelling and Fairytales

Teaching Children About Herbs: Storytelling and Fairytales

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” – Albert Einstein Most of my readers realize by now what a love of fairytales and folklore I have. This affection is not born simply out of how I find  beautiful and interesting they are, but also because they’ve taught me so much. I struggled with rote memorization when I was in school, and found that the only way I could actually recall much of what I was supposed to be learning was by telling myself stories that included the information. Woven into the context of a tale of faery creatures, wild landscapes, and relatable characters, everything suddenly became so much more memorable and accessible. Twenty...

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Anima Site Revised, May Event, & Herbal Course Reopens

Anima Site Revised, May Event, & Herbal Course Reopens

. Anima Lifeways and Herbal Site Updated You’re invited to please check out the newly updated Anima school site, featuring simplified pages and easy navigation.  Besides the new look and header, you’ll also find: •A new Introduction with easy direct links to every section and program without need of the menu •A “Home Study” page with revised offerings, including the just now reopened Foundations In Traditional Herbalism course •Extensive “Writings” pages, with a free archive of many herbal and lifeways articles by Kiva Rose, Jesse Wolf and Loba •A new “On Site Opportunities” page, with On-Site Helper details as well as information on the upcoming “Sacred Indulgence Botanical Retreat & Workshop” in May •New Applications for...

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Herb Energetics 2.0

Herb Energetics 2.0

If you read my recent post on nurturing the senses, you’ll know about the release of the updated version of Herb Energetics, the multi-media course I created with John Gallagher of learningherbs.com teaching my take on the essential elements of sense-based herbalism. The course details have now been released and signup is open over at the Herb Energetics site. In case you missed that post but are interested in the course, here’s a quick definition of energetics from my perspective: Herbal energetics are generally defined as a framework of understandings of how to best match herbs to the individual and/or situation. Spectrums (such as cool/warm) and properties (such as astringent) are associated with herbs based on our observation of their effect on...

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Nurturing the Senses and Deepening Intimacy With the Plants

Nurturing the Senses and Deepening Intimacy With the Plants

“The simple act of nurturing the senses might well do far more for healing of the world than all our programs and inventions.” ~ Cheryl Sanders Being an herbalist is a constant exercise in balance – with so much being given out in the work of helping others we also need the pleasure of finding and settling into our own nourishment. Because after all, if we can’t take care of ourselves, how can we possibly take care of others? Part of the joy of my work is in the sensory intimacy I have with the plants, the close-up looks at buds and rhizomes via sight, scent, touch and taste. On one hand, this is an absolutely essential way of understanding the nature of the plant, and on the other hand, it’s pure fun for me and my seeking senses. When...

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