The Next Shiny Object

secretsoftheserpent

We have a natural human tendency where we think there is always a bigger and better deal. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. The reason for this is we struggle to be grateful for what we have. In addition to that we always look for someone or something to save us. Be our savior. Im going to show you how see past that halo effect of new things, new situations, new jobs, new people or just new opportunities. Im not telling you to not go after new opportunities or new things. Im just going to show you how to think it over and see if the grass is truly greener on the other side of the fence.

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Sacred Trees in the Americas: Ironwood or Hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana, Carpinus caroliniana)

The Druid's Garden

Ironwood tree ecoprint from my upcoming Tree Alchemy Oracle!

There are actually two tree species that are known as both “hornbeam” and “Ironwood” along the US East Coast and into the midwest: The American Hop Hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) and the American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana). After doing a lot of research and interaction with both of these trees, I see them as interchangeable. First, they are both in the Beech family (Order: Fagales, Family: Betulaceae). They actually have a very similar growth habit and look to their bark (like muscles), their wood is quite similar, and the hop-looking fruits are similar on both trees. Thus, if you can find either of these trees, you can apply the information I’m sharing. I have primarily focused on Ostrya Virginiana (Ironwood/Hop Hornbeam) in my comments here as it is the more dominant tree in my specific ecosystem.

This post is part of my Sacred…

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Astrorisa Moon Forecaster – Leo Full Moon -January 28, 2021

Video Forecast

Happy Full Moon!
Thursday, January 28 2021, 02:16 PM ET
Moon 9°06′ Leo, in House 2
Sun 9°06′ Aquarius, in House 8
Sun opposite Moon
Moon opposite Saturn
Moon opposite Jupiter
Moon square Uranus
Moon square Mars

The Trick To Finding Edible Winter Mushrooms

Cloudy skies. Frigid temperatures. Frozen soils.

Winter in my neck of the woods is a faithful provider of all those conditions and more.

Most wild creatures left the scene months ago, but a handful of them — fungi included — remain active and reveal themselves to anyone with a desire to look.

Take Flammulina velutipes, for instance.

Also known as Enoki, this wild edible fungus actually thrives in cold weather. While many wild fungi retreat as temperatures fall, Enoki fruits prolifically with the help of antifreeze compounds produced within its tissues.

Enoki is also a fairly predictable fungus. It associates with a particular tree that commonly grows in eastern North America. If you know the name of this tree, you’ll have no trouble locating wild Enoki mushrooms.

In a brand new video, I discuss a few tips to help you identify and find this tree in the wild. If you’re interested in learning more, check it out!

Another wild creature that hasn’t fled the scene completely is the Cedar Waxwing. I recently observed a flock of these beautiful birds feasting in a local apple orchard. To read about this encounter, check out the latest Instagram post.Click to view post

Thanks for reading and watching, and thanks for your continued support!

-Adam Haritan

Herbal Hacks, Part 3: Garden Care and Herb Drying Tips

The Herb Society of America Blog

The good ideas just keep coming! Read on for the third installment of reader-submitted herbal hacks: garden care and herb drying tips.

flowers-5792157_1920_Image by Prawny via Pixabay In summer, I dry herbs in paper bags in the rear window of my car. It only takes 2-4 days, depending on the amount of sun. – Gail Seeley

Fill a lidded, plastic trash can with water, then measure out and and add your favorite water soluble plant food. Store your watering can inside. This tip will make caring for plants in containers much easier. –Holly Cusumano

Folded and rolled towel cropped_Carol Kagan Excerpt from Herbal Sampler, 2nd ed. You can dry herbs in your frost-free refrigerator. This method results in good quality and keeps the bright color of the herbs. Make sure the herbs are clean and dry. Remove the leaves from stems and place on a section of paper towel. Roll or fold the towel to cover the herbs…

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The Butzemann (Magical Scarecrow) Tradition at Imbolc and through the Light Half of the Year

The Druid's Garden

Last year’s butzemann, dressed in her finery (Technically, she was a Butzefrau!)

For the last three years, I’ve spent part of my Imbolc celebration making a Butzemann for our land. The Butzemann is a really interesting tradition from PA Dutch (German) culture called the Butzemann (literally, Boogieman). In a nutshell, the Butzemann is a magical scarecrow that protects the land for a season. He is created at Imbolc from natural materials and given clothes and a heart. At the Spring Equinox, the Butzemann is shown the property and the breath of life is breathed into the Butzemann, naming him/her for the season. Then the Butzemann is displayed prominently throughout the season to protect the and. Before or on Samhain, the Butzemann is burned and the protective spirit is released and then at Imbolc, a new tradition begins. Today I thought I’d share this tradition with my readers, in case they…

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American Botanical Council

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

We are happy to announce the next webinar in the Sustainable Herbs Program (SHP) Toolkit Webinar Series: COVID and the Botanical Industry: Perspectives from the Field.

How is the unprecedented growth in the botanical industry impacting producer groups around the world? What can ingredient suppliers, finished product companies, and consumers do to support the work these companies do to source high quality botanicals from their regions?

In this webinar, SHP Director, Ann Armbrecht will speak with Puspa Ghimire, from ANSAB, Nepal; Tarun Prajapati from Cultivator Natural Products, India; and Paulo Barriga from Pebani, Peru about the challenges of the past year in producing and supplying high quality, sustainable, and fairly traded botanicals to the global market.

COVID and the Botanical Industry: Perspectives from the Field
A conversation with Puspa Ghimire, from ANSAB, Nepal; Tarun Prajapati from Cultivator Natural Products, India; and Paulo Barriga from Pebani, Peru
Thursday, January 21…

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Ariadne’s Thread

secretsoftheserpent

Ariadne’s thread is thought to be logic itself. Most mythologist say it is anything you use to get out of a bad situation. As a matter of fact, I was told “Ariadne’s thread” and “trial and error” are the same thing. They are partially right. What they don’t understand is the sacred feminine, your intuition, is hardly ever wrong.

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Calling All Artists and Designers

The Herb Society of America Blog

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The Herb Society of America
is Seeking Design Art!

Organizers for the Virtual Educational Conference and Annual Meeting of Members (EdCon) to be held June 10th – 12th, 2021, invite artists and designers of all ages and abilities to submit artwork for consideration for the 2021 EdCon logo. The theme is, of course, HERBS!

To enter the contest, participants must:

Choose a theme, and create a design. The theme should reflect a combination of herbs and pollinators. Herbs may include native plants, trees, and bushes. Pollinators may include native bees, honey bees, butterflies, moths, birds, bats, flies, beetles, etc.
Art is often best rendered with strong lines and minimal color to facilitate replication on posters, printed materials, and tote bags. You are welcome to design on your computer or directly on paper.
The design must adapt well to electronic (ideally .jpg or .png format) and print media…

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Hello January 2021

Good Witches Homestead

We wish you all a very Happy New Year and hope that you are feeling rested, rejuvenated and ready to take on whatever opportunities and challenges 2021 has in store for us.

2020 was an unusual year in so many ways, so much so that looking back it seems that it has acted as a bridge between two very different realities. We are left with a sense of completion and the recognition that there is no going back to how things were at this time last year, too much has changed.

Despite all the difficulties this feels like a positive step forward and we look forward to what is coming next, with both interest and curiosity.

The previous twelve months has been dominated by the effects of the Saturn/Pluto conjunction in Capricorn with its focus on destabilising and dismantling old worn-out forms, be these old thought forms or inflexible corporate…

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