There is something surreal as I slowly stroll the sandy banks of the York River in Barhamsville, Virginia. I’ve been standing in this particular spot for over thirty years, and yet now things seem to hit a bit different. Maybe because it’s almost the fourth of July on this, the two-hundred and fiftieth anniversary. Across the river from me, seen as a distant shoreline of hazy green trees, lies Werowocomoco- the (relatively) recently rediscovered stronghold of Chief Powhatan, leader of the...

The Sweat Lodge One of the very cool aspects of being involved with herbalism is that there are so many avenues to take. Just when you think you’ve ‘mastered’ the art of one understanding, you realize there are three more ways to understand them that you never knew existed. And sometimes we may have started on the plant path with one goal in mind, only to find a decade or more later that we need to circle back and revisit that goal. To work with herbs is a journey. You can choose your own...

Me and Peony Let me start out with- I love my home. LOVE. But there are times when home, no matter how amazing and magical it is, can be a bit too much. Working from home while maintaining a homestead can often feel very overwhelming. If my eyes are open I see dishes to be cleaned, floorboards to wipe down, jars of herbs to dust, or food going bad in the fridge. Even outside, I am bombarded by all the ‘shoulds.’ I should weed one of the gardens. I should divide and replant that herb. I should...