Tulsi (Holy Basil)

Fire Cider

Eighteen days ago, I thought to mix up some fire cider inspired by the profusion of parsley growing in our garden.  I buried the jars in the garden, swaddled in old clothes, inspired by the magic this method worked on the garlic ginger syrup.  I just dug it out to enjoy during the equinox yesterday...

Garlic Ginger Cough Syrup

When I came across a recipe for garlic and ginger syrup in one of the lessons that are part of a herbalism correspondence course I'm enrolled in with Rosemary Gladstar, I couldn't wait to try it. Liquid garlic and ginger! My taste buds activated right away imagining the flavor, and then the best part:: Rosemary...

Chamomile

I love the scent of chamomile and find myself drawn to whiff deeply from it even before it blooms, just knees and nose to the ground buried in feathery leaves, and in the blink of an eye I feel uplifted and settled.

Roots Reishi & Rose Syrup

Reishi has been dancing up and down the Eastern Hemlocks, adorning their bark, in these sylvan woods all spring right into summer. A dryad called me out one day, she knew they'd matured, and led me through the wilds. A triad of trees here with nymphs hiding in the trunk, a mossy bridge over bubbling...

Dandelion

Dandelion and violets were two of the first wildflowers that I worked with as allies; I love that their flowers are complementary colors too.  When we lived in town, my neighbor Josephine, a lovely elderly woman with violet tinted hair, gave me permission to pick both from her (unsprayed) lawn before Teddy, the mower boy...

Burdock

Burdock grows easily where I live.  Under stands of tulip poplar where woods meet grass, burdock’s right there at the edges of the hedge row.  There are clumps in corners outside our house, by doorways, near the chicken coop, under apple trees, we get caught up in burs and our dog gets clumps in her furs.  My children used to toss the burs at one another then come inside for detangling, ouch!