If you follow me on social media, you already know that this witch worships most meaningfully at the New Moon. Each New Moon brings new opportunities to go deep and invites fresh intentions for deliberate engagement with my life. I’m always excited about a New …
Ah, lurve. Few things are more fun to elevate and celebrate with oils, herbs, and food than sweet, sweet love. Whereas many of the best parts of love are arguably intangible, love is still very much informed by our senses — especially in the physical expression …
More often than not, when we think of Chamomile, we think of the herbal Chamomile tea used to encourage sleep. But Chamomile bears many additional therapeutic properties–and lends itself to more varied applications. Aromatherapy offers us two unique Chamomile essential oils: German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) and …
Siberian Fir (Abies siberica) is a particularly powerful essential oil from the evergreen family. While it bears the hallmark “pine-y” scent of its family, that is not the aroma that anchors it. Instead, it offers a unique woodiness and richness in its aroma. It is among …
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 …
Ah, the ubiquitous rose! Symbol of purity, inspiration, beauty, devotion, elegance, fidelity, compassion, spirituality, sensuality, and, of course, love, the celebrated rose has enjoyed almost too much attention and adoration. Countless poems, novels, pictures, movies, and, yes, Valentine’s Day advertisements have alluded to the lore of …
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 …
