Sacred Trees in the Americas: American Hazel (Corylus americana) Magic, Ecology, and Sacred Uses

American Hazelnuts in a cluster getting ready to ripen

For three years, I have had my eye on our American hazel bushes here at the homestead. When we first moved to the property, much of the understory was damaged with the logging the previous owners did and it took time for the hazels to recover. Thus, for the last few years, I’ve watched the hazels grow taller and larger each year and kept looking excitedly for any signs of nuts setting. This past fall, I was delighted to find handfuls of delicious wild American hazelnuts and connect with the incredible wisdom that they offer.

While Hazel is a critically important tree in the mythology and magical tradition of Druidry and in Europe more broadly, The Hazel is one of the sacred trees identified by the druids as a tree tied to wisdom and the flow of Awen, and it is…

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DIY Recipe of the Month: Herbal Spring Tincture • The Organic Alcohol Company

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Organic Alcohol Company (OAC) was founded in 2001 to provide high-proof Organic Alcohol with herbalists in mind. Our founder, an herbalist himself, saw the need to provide an alternative to other conventional ethanols on the market. Focusing on high quality and healthful medicines is still something our whole team values. We regularly purchase products from our local herbalist customers, not only support their work, but to support the use of herbal medicines and remedies.

Many of us at OAC have taken to experimenting with OAC alcohol to make various herbal concoctions ourselves. As a novice, I am learning new information all the time. I only recently found out that traditional tinctures may be only called a tincture when alcohol is used as the solvent, or menstruum (another word for solvent).

Each time I learn something new I am more excited to dive deeper into herbal education, and glean knowledge from…

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CRYSTAL HEALING FOR GASLIGHTING: SIGNS, SUPPORT, AND RECOVERY

The unfortunate truth is that, though the term “gaslighting” was a relatively new one for me in recent years, my experience of it has been lifelong.

“Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which a person or a group covertly sows seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or group, making them question their own memory, perception, or judgment.” – Wikipedia

It’s an insidious form of abuse because it can often start off subtly and build over time, and while it may happen most often in intimate relationships, it can also be experienced in parent-child relationships, the workplace, doctor’s offices, politics, and institutions.

It can rob survivors of their sense of self, their authentic voice, and keep them from trusting their intuition because they are being repeatedly caused to doubt themselves, feel shame, feel inferior, less intelligent, unreliable, or less credible than the abuser.

Many survivors even come to question their sanity. And it can also lead the way to other forms of abuse, including physical and sexual.

Read entire article at: Krista Mitchell ~ Crystal Healing for Gaslighting: Signs, Support & Recovery

Heartsease–Herb of the Month

The Herb Society of America Blog

A Tiny Herb Worth Knowing

by Maryann Readal

Heartsease, Viola tricolor, also called Johnny-jump-up, is The Herb Society of America’s Herb of the Month for March. It is the perfect time to learn about this delicate little woodland herb that will be popping out of the warming earth very soon. You may know V. tricolor by one of its many other names. There are dozens of names for it including wild pansy, hearts delight, come-and-cuddle-me, love-in-idleness, call-me-to-you, and kiss-me-at-the-garden-gate, etc.

V. tricolor is in the violet family (Violaceae). The flowers can be purple, yellow, or white but are most commonly all three colors. The herb is native to Europe and Eurasia and was thought to be brought to the United States by colonists. It can be an annual, biennial, or a short-lived perennial. It will reseed itself and thrives in cooler weather.

This unassuming little herb is rich…

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Beyond the Anthropocene: Druidry into the Future

The Druid's Garden

Druidry into the future

Druidry today has both ancient and modern roots, and there have been several distinct “phases” of druid practice historically. While it’s not critical that the practitioner of the modern druid traditions know what I share, it is helpful to have a sense of where the tradition comes from and the forces that shaped it–particularly so that we can think about where we are going. I want to talk today about both the past of druidry in order that we might talk about its future. How do we shape our tradition today so that we become the honored ancestors of tomorrow? What is the work that we might consider doing now, as druids, to create a tradition that endures?

Modern druidry is inspired by the Ancient Druids, a group of wise sages who kept history, traditions, and guided the spiritual life of their people. The Ancient Druids…

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A Witches Garden | Why You Need One and How to Make it

Happy Full Moon!

This full moon takes place in the earthy sign of Virgo. We can feel the earth begin to wake up as we shift from the colder, darker months into the warmer season of spring.

You might feel yourself beginning to wake up from your own winter season too. Move your body and stretch often. Drink plenty of water (especially during the full moon) to help facilitate movement for changes that are surfacing at this time.

The Full Seed Moon falling in the sign of Virgo this cycle can be beneficial towards the transformation you’ve been yearning for.

Virgo is the healer of the zodiac. Her eye is sharp and she is able to see the things others may miss. Virgo sharpens our eye as well and makes us more detail oriented. This full moon helps shine light on the areas in our lives that are going well, and on the areas that may need some cleansing or weeding.

Virgo is an earth sign, making this full moon the perfect time for working with the element of earth. As the earth wakes up, we wanted to do a Full Moon Ritual that helps honor the rebirth of Spring…

Read full article at: Spirit de la Lune ~ A Witches Garden | Why You Need One and How to Make it

Emotional Intelligence

BIG NEWS: Our newest course is officially here!

Good Witches Homestead

Do you dream of creating your own herbal recipe book? One that’s full ofeffective, original, well-balanced formulasinspired by your unique herbal journey and expertise, and the needs of the people for whom they are intended?Our herbal recipe book would be something environmentally friendly, maybe a wax canvas-bound cover and handwritten interior, with oil stains on the pages and pressed flowers tucked into the spine. Part recipe book, part diary, part scrapbook – it would smell of the garden and be bursting with tried-and-true herbal recipes.

Crafting your own herbal formulations is a beautiful way to develop and share your herbal legacy – a tome of time-tested formulas that your family and clients will treasure for years to come. It’s also how you can start creating personalized formulas based on unique wants, needs, and energetics. If you’re ready to progress from following other peoples’ herbal formulations to developing your own…

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Florida Herbal Conference

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Though winter snows continue to fall here in the Northeast, we are daring to dream of Spring, flowers, and new gardens filled with beauty and fragrant, healing herbs! For more inspiration, exciting workshops, deepening your understanding of the green world, great music and marvelous fun connecting with herbalists around the world ~ head on over to the Florida Herbal Conference site! Emily Ruff and her amazing team are making this conference available to EVERYONE with the pay-what-you-are-able registration fee. I so hope you have the time to show up and be a part of this Herbal Celebration!! Enjoy!

Source: Florida Herbal Conference

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Exploring Vanilla in the Rainforest and in the Kitchen: Part I

The Herb Society of America Blog

By Susan Belsinger

(Adapted from her article, “Exploring Rainforest Spices at Villa Vanilla,” featured in the 2019 issue of The Herbarist, the annual journal of The Herb Society of America.)

Vanilla in the Rainforest

P1110204 Before going to Costa Rica, I researched gardens, restaurants, herbs, spices, botanicals and the rainforest—places where I wanted to go, see, and experience. Once I visited Villa Vanilla’s website, https://www.rainforestspices.com/, I knew that I had to go there. I made reservations for the farm tour in advance. It was one of my favorite things in Costa Rica—I loved seeing the tropical spice plants up close and personal—and I got to smell and taste so many things, which was a memorable sensory experience!

During the half day Spice Plantation Tour, visitors experience the sights, tastes, and aromas of vanilla, cinnamon, pepper, and other tropical spices, essential oil plants, and a wide variety of…

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