Gathering Up The Things I Need

From top left: English walnuts, northern pecans, Chinese chestnuts, shagbark hickory nuts.

We are in a time of taking in the sunshine as the Earth tilts toward winter, a time of gathering up the things we need to get by til spring, a time of abundance, a time of reflection.

A time of gratitude.

Gratitude for colorful potatoes, the maple syrup I can look forward to making, the tart sweetness of grapes, lion’s mane mushrooms, and nuts (English walnuts, northern pecans, hickory nuts, and a few chestnuts). 

Colorful potatoes from the garden.

Gratitude for the foods that feed us and the herbs that help us heal. 

It’s been a strange year and as the Fire season transitions into the Ice season everything feels uncertain. Memories of good news can sometimes pale next to bad news.

Lion’s mane mushroom, fruiting body on a black sugar maple.

Gratitude may be hard to hold, but hope is like water always finding its way in. And hope is gratitude reaching forward.

How many of us feel the fullness of Autumn? My childhood memories of Autumn hold a tentative excitement considering the holidays and the excitement that came before the dark days of winter. So for me, nostalgia is gratitude reaching backward. Are you with me?

Maple leaf.

Perhaps this is why cultural traditions the world over celebrate the concept of a thinning veil this time of year. The thinning veil is related to the equinoxes, especially the fall equinox. In North America, Day of the Dead and All Soul’s Day are celebrated because the thinning veil allows us to pray for or speak to ancestors. Perhaps the shorter darker days are closer to the dreamworld and the afterlife. But really, the most popular holiday here is Halloween. Once celebrated as All Hallow’s Eve (the eve of All Soul’s Day) now a mind-bending expression of horror of the supernatural, costumery, seeking tricks and treats, or simply watching horror movies. 

I’m sinking into my thoughts of gratitude this season. Remembering lost loved ones, good wishes for those still here, reverence for the plants that continue to bear fruit for us, and recognition of the collective spirit-that-moves-through-all-things. I will sit with these thoughts for a while, because once upon a time, celebrations of the harvest lasted from late summer to late fall.

Listen to my first podcast episode, the Art of Resilience.

I’m creating expressions of gratitude for everything to prepare mind, body and spirit for the coming winter. I’m taking time to be outside breathing the cooler air, drinking in the sunsets and the rippling waves of Lake Erie. I’m taking the time to identify new mushrooms and visit old plant friends. And always finding new ways to share plant knowledge.

Viriditas,
Leah         

Leah is the archetypal herbalist. You know the one, living at the edge of town with all of the weird plants. Leah Wolfe, MPH, is a community herbalist and health educator at the Trillium Center. Leah’s background is in health research, folk arts, nonprofits, community gardening, and herbalism. The Trillium Center offers online and hands-on experiences and education, private classes and herbal assessments, and presentations for groups and events.

Upcoming Events

Oct 19 – Art of Resilience Podcast – Episode 2
Oct 21 – Herbal Allies for the Thinning Veil (also available online)
Oct 25 – Getting to the Roots: Natural Healing Discussion Group (monthly)
Oct 25 – Trees in Folk Lore and Folk Medicine – online
Nov 2 – Northways Herbalism – online
Nov 10 – Herbal Elixirs for Winter Wellness
Mar – Northways Herbalism – in-person sessions begin

Check out my free online classes available anytime.

Published by Leah Wolfe

Leah is the archetypal herbalist. You know the one, living at the edge of town with all of the weird plants. Leah Wolfe, MPH, is a community herbalist and health educator at the Trillium Center. Leah's background is in health research, folk arts, nonprofits, community gardening, and herbalism. The Trillium Center offers online and hands-on experiences and education, private classes and herbal assessments, and presentations for groups and events.