Why subscribe?
Our modern world is full of wonders. But it can also be overwhelming with all of the opinions, information and click-bait constantly being thrown our way. The Medicine Garden is a place to slow down and connect with the natural world and its healing gifts in a more intentional way.
Over the past few generations we’ve forgotten what a garden truly is. It isn’t simply a functional place to grow food or a frivolous place to indulge in the beauty of flowers. The garden is a place where spirit meets soil. Our ancestors grew gardens to feed their families, worship the gods and their ancestors before them, cultivate plants to heal the mind and body, and yes, grow flowers as inspiration for dyes, healing, art and creativity. It wasn’t just a place.
Gardens can also be places outside of our fences. Any place that nurtures the wild spirit can be a garden. While many of the musings, stories and lessons shared here will be from my personal garden and apothecary, it is also important that I share experiences from the gardens beyond my door as well. The global garden and the cosmic garden are equally important spaces to learn and understand our own place in the grand scheme of things. They inform how we work with plants and how we interact with the greater world around us.
One of my main reasons for cultivating this space is to provide an accessible way for people to gather plant knowledge and inspiration in easy digestible pieces that fit in nicely with our busy modern lives. Hefty linear course structures hinder my own connection to my intuition and to the plants. When I was starting out, I dreamed of being able to apprentice a healer as they went through their day; tasting their tinctures, watching them turn the soil, forage for herbs and tend to clients like they would in the old days. I have found that I learn the most through stories and meaningful experiences rather than formal structures. This newsletter is a way to get a glimpse into that world without the commitment of a full-on apprenticeship.
Too often we get caught up in the scientific details that dissect plants into subjects rather than beings. When we start asking the right questions, we can learn how to begin cultivating relationships with the herbs. Where did they come from? How do they relate to the world around them? How do I relate to them? What gifts do they wish to offer in this moment? What does lore and history say about them?
The goal isn’t just to heal, but to decipher the language of our rooted relatives so that we may live more simply, heal more intentionally and see more clearly with beauty and abundance.
Subscriber Benefits
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Weekly posts about life in the forest, working with the seasons, growing and making herbal medicine and exploring creativity
Paid Subscription
All free subscription posts
Monthly full moon guides to dive deeper into each season
Additional creative explorations including nature sketching, herbalism, gardening, etc.
Occasional discounts and giveaways on Woodspell Apothecary products
