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Woolgathering & Wildcrafting

Woolgathering & Wildcrafting

Monthly Archives: December 2012

The Holidays & Why I Believe in Magic

24 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by Asia in Inspirations

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

belief, celebration, ceremony, Christmas, darkness, holidays, hope, light, magic, new years, solstice, transformation

icy pine needlesThese days I’m part of a community that largely does not celebrate the holidays or, more generally, questions the season as a cause for celebration at all. I often find myself defending my fierce love of Christmas (which was the holiday my family chose to celebrate growing up). Fumbling over words, I try to explain that I am not a very religious person, nor do I care very much about convention, or how many gifts are laying underneath the tree for me (although, I admit, I am just in love with crafting and creating gifts for others!) It’s not even so much the day, as the time surrounding it. The one answer I always light upon is this: the season is just…. magic.

Sometimes this answer is accompanied by a minimum of eloquence or explanation on my part, often I feel at a loss of words. I believe in magic because I feel magic all around me, at all times. This time of the year, however, is always slightly different— the magic of everyday living seems incandescent, hopeful, near.christmas lights

Most people know that what we call Christmas (or any of the holidays celebrated this time of the year) is closely linked to the celebration of Solstice, or the return of the sun. Around this time of December, every year, we experience the longest night of the year.

This moment has long been a time of deep reflection and celebration for indigenous candlespeoples. Despite the long winter months to come, the Solstice was a moment that could be called upon and approached as a time of great realization and manifestation of presence, power and joy. It was a ceremonial space, a pause in which you were invited to sit within the quiet of you and your community’s own night places… and see what blessings came out of such fertile depths. After our descent into this time of dreams, togetherness, aloneness, night… the sun would begin its return, inch by inch, lingering longer in the sky, inhaling its way slowly into the easy days of summer.

snowy day blue

Whether you honor this time of the year or not, we’re all affected by this slow descent into darkness and the even slower climb back out into the light. This time of the year calls for celebration specifically because it marks the beginning of what might be a grueling time ahead! Traditionally, the winter’s months after Christmas would surely be marked by more than a few empty stomachs.

icy buds with border BW

But the same can be said for our society. What we’ve experienced, in the past few weeks, months and years has been heartbreaking, traumatizing, exposing a space of great darkness both within and without our culture— and the hard truth is that there might be even more difficult times ahead. But here’s the most amazing part of all this darkness: it can be the gateway to a truly magical transformation of spirit.

Magic exists all around us all the time. When we wake up feeling refreshed long before our alarm. When a friend calls out of the blue who you’ve been thinking about. Fresh milk on the table. The way a flower unfolds again in the morning sun. This is buddha on deck in snowmagic. All of it. In the time of the year when we touch the darkness most intimately, it can be easy to lose oneself in the night. But what makes this liminal time so magical is that we are encouraged to retreat into ourselves and our communities and find our own eternal light. Hope is never so far away, and the darkness is actually an incredible blessing, a rich opportunity for growth.

In many ways the pure harshness of the season— the weather, the workload, or even the obligations of spending the holidays with those who you wouldn’t normally choose to be around (its an unfortunate truth!)— can force us to go inward and find an appreciation for the beautiful, the grand, the easy…. and the hard as well.icy buds

Just living is a magical experience. Magic might be extraordinary, but that doesn’t mean it’s uncommon. We have been blessed to live at this point and time. I felt drawn to writing this piece specifically because the holidays can be difficult, meaningless, painful or triggering for so many. In the wake of all we’ve experienced as a country in the past weeks, many are feeling the heavy burdens of despair, hopelessness and yule tree 1sad disappointment in humanity. This time of the year is a celebration of life, of self, of community and above all—of hope. Today, it is more important than ever to remember exactly what these holidays are for— seeing and recognizing the light, in yourself, in others, and in the world. Every being, no matter who they are, who they love, or what they do, is made of the same eternal light and goodness. This is what I believe, and this is how I know magic is real.

It is my one wish, on this day set aside for wishes, that we all can begin to see the hope, the humility, the magic of our simply extraordinary lives. Regardless of your religious affiliation, beliefs, level of hope or despair, take some time today, or in the next couple of days, to simply reflect upon what is good is the world, what is still beautiful and what will remain beautiful forever. Give gratitude for everything— all things great and small, near and far, continuing and still in the realm of dreams.

the eternal now

 Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and a Joyous time for all!

(pssst… this post is a tribute to my father: a wonderful photographer and artist! Almost all these beautiful photos are his creations. Check out his flickr page here)

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Introducing: One Willow Apothecaries

03 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by Asia in Earth Medicine, Inspirations

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

business, calling, destiny, fate, flower essences, honeys, launch, new beginnings, one willow apothecaries, smoking blends, teas, tinctures

LOGO_MDToday is one of those days that will stick out, alive and vibrant, in my mind forever. After over a year of writing, developing, photographing, and exploring I have pushed collection- tincture formulasmy small boat out into the harbor– One Willow Apothecaries has launched!

One Willow Apothecaries is a small herbal business based out of Asheville, NC. My online shop is replete with tintures, teas, flower essences, honeys, smoking blends, and more love than I can express. One Willow Apothecaries is, plain and simple, the realization of a dream.

Over a year ago, the idea first appeared in the high meadows of my imagination. From the beginning it seemed like an exotic seed drifted from some unknown place. It felt, quite plainly, like something that came from somewhere else– a divine insistence to sit up and chase a fast flicker on the horizon. I never thought I would start an herbal business. My love of plants grew from long hours of solitary sifting of garden soil and scaling tall trees to examine their lichens. But One Willow was insistent. The idea, at first just a single wave far out in the ocean– soon delivered itself in a veritable tidal wave of inspiration. I was simply swept away.

california poppy basket

What does fate look like when it comes knocking your door? To be honest with you, I’m not sure. But I can tell you what it feels like: One Willow has been like a small bee, honeysescaping into the walls of my mind and setting up an incredibly intricate residence. Since it arrived it has filled these walls, quickly, tirelessly, with ever more of itself. Ideas upon ideas, whole nests of intention and purpose that literally shake me at times. Over this past year I could hear One Willow‘s demand for existence like you can hear a whole hive of hornets thriving in your roof. I could hear it, but still…I knew I was the one that had to give it shape.

It’s a tall order– trying to fulfill one’s dreams, continue the natural path of your life, and keep one ear, always, to the unknown ground of destiny. But it’s been a common theme in my life that when the time comes for a big life change, I arrive at the crossroads and the decision seems to have already been made. I feel lucky to have rhododendron in hand photohad such paths cleared so early, so unmistakably.

I am proud to have given this dream, something I honor and respect as an entity unto itself, a space to exist in the world. I welcome One Willow Apothecaries into existence and am so excited to see how it continues to blossom.

– Visit the Store – 

www.onewillowapothecaries.com

tea photokitchen windows & tulsi


biden and fawn     mimosa photo

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Defined

[wool-gath-er-ing] v.
daydreaming, the gathering of thoughts and dreams as one might collect fallen tufts of wool

[wild-craft-ing] v.
the harvesting of herb, root, flower or inspiration from the wilds

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