We often think of "being present" as paying attention to existing in this one current moment, but we love the shift of considering presentness as a habitual act, of connecting ritually across seasons, like a constellation of presence or maybe a quilt. What have you learned from maintaining a cycle of awareness?
Present in this definition means our attention, our consciousness and awareness woven into our reality. With the distractions of modern life, it has to be a habitual practice to come back to our witness and connect into this living world we are a part of. Paying attention to the phases of the moon, the shifts in the seasons, of light and nature, allowing myself to be fully immersed in the wonder that is existence is a gift. We can begin to see the patterns we partake in, the cyclical nature of time and it can help us grow and change. There is a freedom in knowing we are a part of it all. I believe it’s a downside to capitalism that makes us feel alone, self reliant and that we are the only ones that experience darkness, but if we look around we can see how the nuances of humanity we experience is mirrored in the natural world, in kinship and in the past. We aren’t a singular experience. We are the embodiment of our ancestors, of the cycles of the earth.
Whether you mark by the solstice or the calendar, this is a time of transitional shift. How do you prepare and are there tools you can share for charting a resonant path through and forward?
Midwinter is one of the most challenging times of year for me. It wasn’t until I moved from California to the Midwest did I understand the importance of marking the shift in season and in time. Slowing down to really embody the shift, shedding expectations and listening deeply to my experience helps navigate a way through. I turn to plants harvested at the height of the sun's season in the darkness of winter as allies and support. Lemon balm, St. John’s wort, tulsi, rose are all plants I turn to for ease, clarity and warmth as balm in the winter months. I turn to the light found in close friendships and personal relationships, and find peace in inner solitude and quiet, knowing spring inevitably will return.
What does "folk herbalism" mean to you and for you? What seeds were sown for your passion and tradition to grow well and wild?
Folk herbalism really means traditions rooted in the kinship of people and plants. It’s amazing that science is coming to support the relationship that humans and plants have had since the beginning of our time. I was given the unique opportunity of inheriting a garden of plants and cared for by an herbalist. It was there I began to listen to the story and song of plants and understanding the meaning they hold for me. Sitting in awareness, learning about plants, it unlocked a knowing for me that my experience was not unique but in fact the basis for our health, wellness and that of the Earth. It is imperative we listen more deeply to the Earth to care for it, and choosing to be in relationship with plants is a way we can lean in.
