Hello January 2021

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 …

Wild Foragers, Violets, Spring Enchantments

Violet has been on our minds this spring as we see her pretty little flowers blooming here in southeastern Utah. Violets are one of the earliest wild plants to appear in the season, and we are reminded of her beauty as well as her long history of culinary and herbal use that may have us deciding …

Correctly Preparing Immune-Boosting Mushrooms

We are all doing our part to practice social distancing, but that doesn’t include social distancing from nature which just so happens to be bursting with spring goodness. Get your hands in the dirt, practice forest bathing, or plan your garden this weekend. This maybe your best medicine yet! That said, if you find yourself …

How To Make Homemade Fire Cider – Herbal Academy

Fire cider is a traditional immune-supporting remedy with deep roots in folk medicine (but most popularly championed by herbalist Rosemary Gladstar). At its most basic, it’s a zesty infused vinegar, packed with powerful immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and circulatory herbs. The addition of hot peppers and a little local honey makes it both spicy and …

La Befana Cake: Honouring The Old Witch of Winter – Gather Victoria

According to Italian anthropologists and authors Claudia and Luigi Manciocco, Befana’s origins back to Neolithic beliefs in a great goddess associated with fertility and agriculture. Author Judika Illes writes, “Befana may predate Christianity and may originally be a goddess of ancestral spirits, forest, and the passage of time.” In the book Vestiges of Ancient Manners …

How to Make Mead with Berries & Spices

Homemade spiced berry mead is a delicious and easy departure from the usual golden elixir. Its stunning amethyst color and fruity pop is a must-try homebrewing adventure! It is believed that the honor of "oldest alcoholic beverage on the planet" goes to mead. Evidence of this enchanting gold elixir has been found in Chinese pottery …

Homemade Honeysuckle Syrup & 6 Ways To Use It

Honeysuckle is also useful in soothing spasms in the digestive and respiratory tract. Waller specifies this use of honeysuckle for spasms associated with asthma (Grieve, n.d.). It is used to stimulate the uterus (Hardin, 2007), and has even been used in Eastern cultures for cancers of the lung and breast (Harden, 2007; Tierra, 1998). Honeysuckle energetics …

Arnica Ointment Recipe

Many people reach for arnica cream for their bruises, sprains, and strains. Make your own arnica ointment that’s better than anything you can buy in the stores. Source: Arnica Ointment Recipe

Lilac Madeleine Cookies: Remembrance of Fragrances Past – gather

These legendary sponge-cake cookies were immortalized by French writer Marcel Proust. In his book Remembrance of Things Past Proust’s narrator tastes a Madeleine dipped in tea and is immediately sw… Source: Lilac Madeleine Cookies: Remembrance of Fragrances Past – gather

Artemisia Moontime Elixir: A Recipe For Dream Magic – gather

“Has artemisia come to help us unlock the deep dreams that day to day living has swept seemingly out of reach? Has she come to guard us and protect us while we realign ourselves with the strength o… Source: Artemisia Moontime Elixir:  A Recipe For Dream Magic – gather