Green Blood

The breath of life rises green from the earth. I imagine ancestors rising at dawn to witness the sun marking their ancient calendars. Giving them hope for the seasonal dawning of new life. Giving them hope for food, medicine, the materials for shelter, and the melting of snow and ice. Watching the nascent buds and […]

Sweet Blood

Through Love all that is bitter will be sweet, through Love all that is copper will be gold, through Love all dregs will become wine, through Love all pain will turn to medicine. Rumi I’ve spent many hours breathing the steam of boiling maple sap in the last month. Making syrup isn’t just about boiling […]

Midden Making

I’ve learned more about my ancestors, who they might have been and their traditional practices, the seasonal and local foods they probably ate, the wild medicines they likely used. Once upon a time some of my ancestors would have been preparing for the Quarter Days during this part of the year. These were days that […]

Herb of the Saints

My first lesson in ethnobotany was in 6th grade. Mr. Robbins took the entire class on a field trip into the hills across the street from the school. We scurried across the highway chaperoned by Mr. Robbins and his assistant. I’m sure he talked about the ecology of the region. It’s frequently visited by geologists […]

THE LONGEST NIGHT MOON

That shining object in the night sky has been the subject of poetry. Some good, some bad. Some inspirational, some laughable. I once played a fortune-telling tightrope walker in an experimental play. Experimental in that none of the actors were actually actors. We were a hodge-podge of artistic folks. Painters, writers, sculptors. With a few […]

PLANT TEACHERS

Try this: Imagine that you’ve come to my house and I am making you tea. It’s a warming tea with a bit of honey. But it won’t be complete without the lemon. I take a lemon and slice it into wedges. I take a wedge and squeeze it over my cup. But to make my point, […]

Endings and Beginnings: what a year

The past year has been one of so many surprises. Some of which have brought me to my knees in tears, bellowing my rage to the wind or doubled over in gut wrenching peals of laughter. Through it all has been the constant note of newness that has plagued (sic) my life. I can […]

Liquid Courage

“There are many ancient superstitions regarding this herb. Its name Hypericum is derived from the Greek and means ‘over an apparition,’ a reference to the belief that the herb was so obnoxious to evil spirits that a whiff of it would cause them to fly.” ~ Maude Grieve, A Modern Herbal, 1931 Tracy’s not the only person […]

St. Joan’s Wort According to Tracy Maier

The hills spread out in all directions, undulating into mountains in the distance. It is dry and cold. The weeds crisped by overnight frosts. The breeze is chilly, but not as frigid as expected for late November. I’ve never been to this part of Idaho. Two of us walk through the valley on a old […]

There’s always something

I came home on Friday with hope in my heart and a smile on my face, eagerly expecting to see the slabs getting poured. instead I found this. Apparently when the 2nd driver of the day showed up, no one was out at the road waiting to guide him back to where the pour was […]