Three Things Thursday: Wild Remedies, Writing Outside, and Nettles

Wild Remedies

I’m thrilled that the new book, Wild Remedies, by Rosalee de la Foret and Emily Han, arrived at my home this week. It is gorgeous! You can see me flip through it on my Instagram. I’m so glad it came out just as the land is waking up around me. Now I just need to dig into it…

Writing Outside

It snowed Earth Day morning, but the sun was out, and I wanted some vitamin D! Thankfully, my daughter has been eager to get outside too, so while she played, I relaxed by the garden and wrote. I typically type on my computer, but sometimes I enjoy stepping away to scribble some notes, ideas, prayers, and attempts at poetry. Yesterday, I felt moved to write a prayer for the Earth Mother. It was one of those moments when the words demanded to come out, even if I had to wear gloves while jotting them down! You can see the final piece here.

Nettles

I’ve been working through Lady Althea’s “Feral Witchcraft” course. It’s been a positive experience so far. Her words, both earthy and ethereal, reground me in my practice – something needed during these tumultuous days. They’ve given me new perspectives to ruminate. The first weeks were spent reflecting and making goals. I recorded ongoing aims, skills that always need improvement through regular practice, but anything new remained nebulous. Until this week! I realize that I need to work on improving my relationship to our house spirit, which will be a whole other post someday, and I also want to deepen my bond with the plant spirits I work with. In particular, I want to commit to learning the Latin names of my closest plant allies. But why stop there? As an Irish-inspired polytheist and Druid, I should learn their names in Gaeilge (Irish) as well! So this week, I’m focusing on the common nettle – Urtica diotica. In Gaeilge – neantóg. Why is this important? Names carry lore and history. In learning about a plant’s other titles, I open up to deeper ethnobotanical understanding. Furthermore, by learning the Irish, I broaden my vocabulary and learn more about the culture that informs and inspires my religious practice.

Whatever you’re up to during this time of social distancing, I hope you are well and learning something new, too, whether it’s the names of plants in other languages, a new hobby, or discovering a new book you love. Brigid bless!