herbs & herbalism

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Ah, Sage. The incomparable Salvia. What Thanksgiving table would be complete without the inimitable savory flavor of this sacred herb in stuffing? Of all of the perennials in our herb garden, Sage is by far the lowest maintenance. He returns each year, bountifully, and extends…

Melissa, commonly called Lemon Balm, holds a special place in my heart–she has ever since the moment I discovered her name literally means “honeybee”. (Bees are powerful totems for me, my husband, and our farm.) Melissa’s roots go back to ancient civilizations whose ceremonial lives…

Let me be completely transparent: I have a very special “thing” for willow. In spite of the fact that we live in the dry, high desert plains of New Mexico (a place not known for being hospitable to thirsty trees), we have an enormous willow…

I appreciated the healing nature and golden magic of calendula, sometimes called marigold, long before I began working with it in my massage and aromatherapy practices: calendula oil was the first thing a wise woman gave me to soothe my cramps when they paralyzed me…

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On a recent wild-crafting hike, I came across enough Elder bushes at the peak of bloom to call forth memories of my Danish grandmother’s garden. The experience got me thinking about the lore behind Elder…   Part of the honeysuckle family, Elder is considered sacred…

Cancer, the fourth sign of the zodiac, is an incredibly creative, sensitive, and emotional sign. Cancer tends to prefer things that are soothing, mild, cool, water-y (or water-based, like melons), or simple. Cancers don’t like to be disrupted and neither do their emotional and physical…

Welcome to Gemini, the zodiac sign of The Twins! Gemini’s herb associations include many well-known favorites that are easy to incorporate in meals or use around your home to celebrate this astrological sign, Lavender, Dill, Caraway, Parsley, and Basil among them. As for oils, we…

We are always excited to find Taurus actively in the heavens as both my husband and I not only find Taurus favorably popping up in our natal horoscopes, but also have a slew of wonderful Taurus friends. The oils and herbs associated with Taurus are…

By now, we are well into–indeed almost out of!–the sign of the Tenth House… meet Capricorn. Where you might expect this sign to align exclusively with especially grounded and earthy oils and herbs (think Patchouli, Cypress, Vetiver) given its Earth element, Capricorn’s Cardinal (and therefore…