Journal

You find yourself in a deep wood with old, ancient and knotted trees, their roots often sticking out of the ground creating seemingly hazardous pathways through the thick forest. The almost musty smell of earth is all around. The aroma of moss, lichen and decaying undergrowth fill the air. There are many creatures here, we call them creatures because there is no one form to them. Many of them change appearance and shape as they walk down the rooted pathways. Many limbs, few limbs, some with no limbs at all are carried by others. Some appear almost tree-like while others crawl merely inches off the ground.  Their eyes, when you can find them, are piercingly strong. You are not threatened but intrigued. No two creatures appear the same but there is a sensation of kinship among them. ... READ MORE

“I am not an herbalist” I discouragingly think to myself while stirring my dandelion tea. “I do not have mass collections of rare and exotic herbs from around the world,” I reply to myself. An herbalist knows each plant by its Latin name and what chemicals inside each plant have reactions to the human body. They have painstakingly collected specimens and stored them in jars lined up by the dozens. I have a few teas, sure. But my plantain salve has too much wax and set too hard to use. It sits in a jar beneath my kitchen sink next to Clorox spray, awaiting a day I have more product to mix it with and make it usable. I do not know fleabanes' Latin name, for I am not an herbalist. I just know that it’s an aster and can be brewed into a tea just like chamomile. I am not an herbalist, I don't grow turmeric in my yard. I buy it at the store, ground into a powder. I put some of it in my breads and soups to help with inflammation. An herbalist? No. I am not an herbalist.
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Empowerment is a vital part of the massive cultural change going on right now. After centuries of oppression, grassroots level empowerment is leading massive cultural change. That sounds fancy, to bring it down to earth.... Social construct rules have changed from can’t to can and it’s happening across the world. Some places far more than others. “You CAN’T wear that” is morphing into “wear what you want, if there’s a problem, it’s a them problem.” That is a great and powerful thing. It’s also hit the spiritual community – and there are some toxic traits we need to address. ... READ MORE