Druidry for the 21st Century: Setting and Co-Creating Intentions with Nature

The Druid's Garden

Colorful tree with spiral roots into the earth Nature has so much magic, it benefits us always to work with her!

Intentions are powerful things. They allow us to shape our force of will and set a path forward.  They help us figure out what our own goals are. And I think because of that, we often see them as very personal. This is something that we do for our own purposes. In many western occult traditions, and even in druidry, intentions are often framed as highly internal things: things we set, things we want to manifest, things that help us shape our vision.  You’ll see this very frequently in any ritual work–set your intentions for a ritual, a creation, a space, a new piece of land, and so forth. I think a lot of this is influenced by western occultism, which unfortunately puts the practitioner in a place of power and at the center of a working…

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National Herb Garden Announces Internship Opening for 2022-2023!

The Herb Society of America Blog

Whole View NHG 2006Are you interested in learning more about the herbal uses of plants from around the world? Are you ready to challenge your horticultural skills in a public garden setting? Are you enthusiastic about sharing that knowledge with people? Then, consider joining our team!

The National Herb Garden, located on the grounds of the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, DC, is looking to hire an intern to assist with all gardening tasks, including plant propagation, record keeping, and educational programming. This internship runs from April/May 2022 through spring of 2023. It is full-time, but part-time may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Schedule includes one weekend day August through October; the rest of the year, it is Monday through Friday. The position is open to U.S. citizens and is paid by stipend through The Herb Society of America. Housing is not provided. If you, or someone you know, is…

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HSA Webinar: Tea Gardening with Camellia sinensis

The Herb Society of America Blog

by Christine Parks

White flower and 2 green leaves in a white tea cup with a blue border, on a dark blue tableclothMany gardeners are surprised to learn that Camellia sinensis is the most popular camellia in the world. And most tea drinkers in the U.S. have no idea that tea is made from the leaves of a camellia. Like them, I enjoyed tea for decades without giving a second thought to its origin. All I knew was that Golden-tips came from Assam, Genmaicha from Japan, and Red Rose Tea from the grocery store. I got my daily dose of caffeine from coffee and drank as much herbal tea (tisanes) as traditional caffeinated teas. Flash forward 25 years, I’ve given up on coffee and become intimately involved with tea – a relationship grown, both literally and figuratively, through gardening.

Much has been written about herbal tea gardening. I have several of these books, along with various texts on herbal medicines, and an older favorite from my grandmother’s bookshelf, The…

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Engage Life

secretsoftheserpent

We all know what we need to do to be successful in something we want to do.  We know if we want to be good at a sport or instrument we need to practice.  We know if we want to meet new people we need to go up and talk to them.  If we want more money we need to work more or get a better job.  We all know what we need to do most just don’t do it.  The challenge for must of us is not the knowledge it’s the execution.  


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Know Your Tarragon – The Herb of the Month

The Herb Society of America Blog

By Maryann Readal

French tarragon in a potIt pays to pay attention to plant labels. Especially in the case of tarragon–especially if you are planning to use tarragon in your cooking. If you are growing tarragon for culinary purposes, be sure the label on the plant or seed that you buy says “French tarragon” or Artemisia dracunculus ‘Sativa’, to be sure. If the label says only “tarragon,” you may be purchasing Russian tarragon, which is not the tarragon you want for your roast chicken or béarnaise sauce. 

Tarragon, Artemisia dracunculus, is The Herb Society of America’s Herb of the Month for March. Read on for more information about the plants we call tarragon.

French tarragon — Artemisia dracunculus ‘Sativa’    

The botanical name for tarragon, Artemisia dracunculus, comes from the Latin word meaning “little dragon” or “snake.” It is thought that the plant was given this name because its roots…

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New moon in Pisces Lunar Report | Entering the Seed Moon Cycle

New moons mark the end of one cycle and the beginning of a new one, and this new moon in Pisces is ushering in the Seed Moon Cycle! During this cycle we will also be experiencing a shift in seasons.

Here in the Northern Hemisphere we are shifting into the warmer months of Spring. The ground is thawing and we are now able to prepare our literal and metaphorical seeds for the new season ahead.

This new moon in Pisces will turn up your intuition and awareness. You might find your dreams are more vivid, or that your gut instincts are correct. Use your heightened intuition to ask yourself what kind of seeds you should plant for the cycle ahead.

Read full article at: Spirit de la Lune ~ New Moon in Pisces Moonthly Report | Entering the Seed Moon Cycle