Tag Archives: sustainability

Nature Allies

Merry meet all,

Hurricane Lee has blown and busted his way out of Nova Scotia. I am so relieved. The sun’s shining on my garden which is feebly picking itself up off the ground. Yes my garden is battered but my limp tomato plants have endured. My garden has endured a hurricane before and to my amazement, keeps going. I visited my garden and sent my plants healing energy. I fertilized a few plants this morning – peppers, tomatoes, beans, flowers. 

 Samhain is the next turn in the eternal Wheel of the Year. We are coming now to the time of the thinning of the veil. Or is it already thinning? Hear me out. I just endured yet another hurricane. There are a lot of natural disasters popping up and wreaking havoc in various parts of the world. The Goddess is pissed. Sorry for my language there but I just don’t know how else to say it. We have behaved badly and she is giving us a spanking. Perhaps the veil which in my opinion, is shredded and the dead are traveling closer to punish us. I actually believe this is possible. We are at the end. Like the Tower card in the tarot, the long end is coming. 

We ask too much of the earth. Everything we desire comes with a price. Unfortunately, those who expect the earth to keep providing and providing have zero intentions of ever giving up any thanks or acknowledgement for the blessings and gifts and instant gratification they have been given. They won’t stop there and that is the problem. I don’t believe the solution is to mess up another planet because we never learned our lessons here on Earth. The mandatory action is that we learn here – and get such a lesson as to get so scared we won’t repeat it ever again. So the lesson has to be severe and hard and relentless. It has to shake people into action, scare them, give them a vision of how bad it could get so we can then make it better. I would like to think we take that route but no, sadly it won’t happen. We will not revert to the 18th century way of living but if we are not more careful, then it may be apocalyptic, just like in the movies. I always wonder why more post-apocalypse movies aren’t being made. Many people choose to turn a blind eye. It is not in their backyard, so it’s not their problem. Wait till it creeps up on them. 

The actions we take now and the decisions we make can help though. It isn’t all gloom and doom. We can all take actions now, large and small, and perhaps ensure a bright future for ourselves and those we love. I leave offerings when I harvest/ forage from nature. I use only what I need. I have talked about this before on a post in the past but I do love to honour the nature spirits. I also forage and harvest sustainably and practice organic gardening methods. I use no pesticides and maybe my garden has tons of insects visiting it but it all somehow works out. 

We can also firm up our relationships with our chosen deities. Leave them offerings and pray to them more often. Include them a lot more in our daily actions. Be more grateful. This may help and it’s even better that we practice it consistently. Also, being positive helps. Be paws-itive! Pets can help hugely with this. Animals are amazing healers and are all about unconditional love. I love animals. Plants and animals are our friends, and the nature spirits are also our allies. We need to trust them again and be true to our word. 

The Fae are not our friends but they are not our enemies either. If they are returning, it is naive of us to assume it is for our benefit. They were driven into the hills and mounds and they probably remember that. That is why I try so hard to leave an offering, express gratitude and respect to them. I respect my elders and I can respect them too. I clean garbage up from the ground when I am waiting for a bus at the bus stop. I built a small fairy house and arranged the faeries in and around it. They probably appreciate that. 

The earth is not a trash can. Yet that is exactly how thousands of people treat earth. It is time to wake up. It is time to remember our mother and respect her. 

Blessings, Spiderwitch

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Bioregional Herbalism

Merry meet all,

Summer is here and my garden is blossoming in full force. I love how my garden is growing so well. My kitty is perched on the scratching post at the back door, getting her usual nature telly. 

I grow my herbs with an intention. I am growing herbs to have in order to not have to order them online. It is so much better when the herbs you want grow in your own garden. (Besides, who really wants to pay for shipping fees for that? Not me.) 

I grow the herbs I want with the intention of using them for my studies at the Herbal Academy. This means I get the fresh sun-drenched, bee pollinated herbs from my garden. I can grow what I need and as many herbs as I want or need. I now get to harvest mugwort, sage, parsley, oregano, chives, nettle, dill, marigold, chamomile, lavender, rosemary, lemon balm, purple coneflower, apple mint, raspberry leaf, dandelions, St.John’s Wort, elderberries, strawberries, comfrey, among other herbs. I know how to properly dry and store the herbs in my apothecary. It’s definitely a win-win. You can’t beat that variety.

I also learn what grows well in my garden and what doesn’t grow well. For example, the lavender didn’t come back this year- at all. I had to buy a new lavender plant and a new rosemary plant. That is a good reason to have a grow light kit. If I don’t have a certain herb available in my garden, I turn to Planet Organic to get the herbs. I won’t pay shipping fees. I can practice bioregional herbalism that way, getting herbs locally, mostly from my garden and the abundant amazing nature trail here. 

Some herbs are at risk from being so over harvested by companies that don’t practice sustainability. If I obtain the herbs I need from the garden and trail, and I am aware of what is at risk, then I can harvest sustainably and with a happier conscience. I only take what I need. I set an intention before I harvest and then harvest the roots, seeds, flowers or berries that I need at the time. For example, purple coneflower is listed as at risk on the United Plant Savers website. I am growing it in my garden and that way I can help the plant survive. I don’t harvest from the purple coneflower. I want the purple coneflower to grow and to thrive and most importantly, to be no longer endangered. I want the purple coneflower to establish itself and be pollinated by many a bee. The purple coneflower is so beautiful and has many healing properties but I’m more interested in seeing it thrive and blossom and beautify my garden! And get pollinated by bees. 

My other intention is using the herbs in special recipes I get from the Herbal Academy. I have yet to try all the recipes I get from them. I have a binder reserved only for the Herbal Academy recipes. I plan to use the herbs in teas, tinctures, salves, and many other recipes. I want to have herbs like sage, parsley, oregano and chives for adding spice to a dish. I have those herbs growing in their own section in my garden. I have herbs for teas, tinctures and salves in another section of my garden. That includes herbs like lavender, lemon balm, nettle, mugwort, raspberry leaf, comfrey. The Herbal Academy has a good list of herbs to grow for teas here:

  1. Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
  2. Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)
  3. Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)
  4. Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea)
  5. Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum)
  6. Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)
  7. Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)
  8. Bee balm (Monarda fistulosa)
  9. Nettle (Urtica dioica)
  10. Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
  11. Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
  12. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
  13. Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
  14. Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)
  15. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

That is a wonderful selection of herbs! I can almost taste it already. I have two wicked teapots for brewing teas, and a few lovely tea towels from the Herbal Academy, and a great selection of herbs. I believe that the act of steeping and enjoying tea to be a ritual, never mundane. It is a great way to relax, unwind and connect to Mother Earth by enjoying the bounty she provides us with. 

Practicing bioregional herbalism, obtaining herbs sustainably and using organic gardening methods are key to helping the herbs we want to thrive and be their very best. If you wouldn’t consume the pesticide or herbicide, then why would you expect a harmless bee to ingest it? It tastes just as bad to the bee or dragonfly, trust me. I have a beautiful garden and I use none of those chemicals. Let’s be good to the one who gave us everything we have. Let’s honour the Mother Goddess. 

Blessed Be, Spiderwitch

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