“So the shortest day came, and the year died, And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world Come people singing, dancing, To drive the dark away.” Susan Cooper The Winter Solstice is the shortest day and the longest night of the year. It is also officially the first day of winter. Winter is a…
Yarrow For Introspection
As we slowly approach winter, nature calls for introspection, and the calendar invites us to make an assessment of the past year. This is the time to think about our path: Is “who we are” in line with “who we want to be”? What did we achieve, and what remains to be done? This…
Medicinal Plants and Their Edible Flowers
There are many ways to benefit from flowering medicinal plants in aromatherapy: use the distilled or expressed essential oil, the hydrosol, make an infusion in hot water, in a carrier oil, or enjoy the smell of the plant and its olfactory properties. Different parts of the plants may also be useful: leaf, roots, seeds… and…
Florals for Beauty, Self Love, and Radiance
Through the open door A drowsy smell of flowers – gray heliotrope And white sweet clover, and shy mignonette Comes faintly in, and silent chorus leads To the pervading symphony of Peace. – Whittier To me, there is nothing quite like a flower. Their beauty opens the heart, delights the senses, and heals the soul….
Mindful Preparation for the Full Beaver Moon
Welcome the Holiday Season Unmasked, Grounded, and Interdependent with the Full Beaver Moon Saturday November 4th brings the full Beaver Moon in Taurus. This late autumn moon will brighten up the night sky— but not without some lunar experts duking out the specifics of this astrological event. This Beaver Moon takes the prize as the…
Aromatic Inspiration for the New Year
“Plants mean nothing in isolation; they are a life-form rooted in and identified by their community, by their relationships to and interactions with all other life on Earth.” (Buhner) Like plants, humans also mean nothing in isolation. We are a life-form rooted in and identified by our community, by our relationships to and interactions with…