Spring is taking some time to arrive this year here in the Pacific Northwest, but…who are we to question nature. She knows best. The birds don’t seem to mind the cooler air and the trees are certainly blooming and offering the fragrance of the season.
Speaking of offerings, I am most excited to share about a couple “happenings” I have been invited to participate in. Both of them have to do with the changing of seasons and plants.
At the beginning of April I had the pleasure of joining Val Alcorn, of “Under the Linden Tree,” for a podcast about the Polish Slavic Wheel of the Year. Val is a wonderful and generous host. Her Substack content is about Slavic customs, plant medicine and Ancestral exploration through the lens of the Slavic Diaspora. I was delighted when Val asked me to talk with her about the Slavic Wheel of the Year. If you are curious about Polish folk practices and customs around the changing seasons and months, this episode is now live and ready.
https://ourcrossroads.substack.com/p/the-slavic-wheel-of-the-year
This next offering will be taking place at the end of June at an in person conference in the Pacific Northwest, the Viridis Genii Symposium. I can’t say enough about his amazing event; it is truly one of a kind. Centered around the extensive lore associated with plants, plant mysticism, and healing, this conference offers a richly immersive experience for folks who love herbalism and magic. The residential setting of this event is near Olympia, WA, on a beautiful piece of forested property on a lake. The creators of this event have been putting this conference together for the last 9 years and the folks they invite to present are always excellent and deeply knowledgeable in their craft. The years I have attended have filled me with gratitude and inspiration, and an even greater love for the magic of plants. I am honored to be one of the presenters this year.
My lecture will be about the Polish Slavic Wheel of the Year with an emphasis on grains and plants that guard the seasons. Additionally, I will be hosting a workshop during which we will honor the plants of Summer Solstice by creating a John the Baptist oil, from Saint John’s Wort, which grows abundantly this time of the year.
To find out more about this conference or to register, the link is below.