winter! A drizzle of sleet is falling onto frosty grass this morning. The yard and woods are all muted colors with tones of gray and brown dominating. The evergreens do remind us all that Nature is alive, but at rest. There is a thin layer of ice on the pond. The seed pod of a lone lotus rises out of the ice. This is the first year that the lotus have grown in the earth of the pond bottom, rather than in a pot. They will now experience the complete cycle of Nature at Lichenwood. Their energy has retreated into the mud and they are hibernating now. It will be very exciting to see them send up green leaves and flower stalks in 2009.
Today's New Moon in Sagittarius is full of potential. I'll be starting some tinctures today and writing out some New Moon wishes, hoping to bring them into manifestation.
My greatest recent wish has been realized! Our oldest son called to say that he would be traveling here for Christmas. Originally he was to report to Fort Drum on Christmas Day, but thank goodness the Army changed its mind. He will be home on the 16th of December until after the New Year. This is a huge blessing for us and was definitely at the top of the list when contemplating gratitude at yesterday's Thanksgiving dinner.
Looking back on this amazing year, I am filled with gratitude for so many wonderful people and events that been part of my life since last Thanksgiving. Certainly teaching the first Herbal Mentorship was a huge highlight of 2008. I learned as much or more as my students did. Deciding what to teach was more difficult than actually teaching it. What belongs in a beginner's program? How can the students be inspired and motivated to continue down this path through the wild places and garden spaces of medicinal herbalism?
This was also the year that I began to enjoy raw milk. Brookford Farm in Rollinsford, NH is the place I travel to about every 10 days for their delicious raw milk and organic full fat yogurt. Yes, I have lost 40 pounds this year eating and drinking full fat dairy products and other whole foods. Daryl seems cured of his seasonal winter asthma since drinking the real milk. Trust me, what is in the grocery store is NOT real milk. It is missing countless enzymes and healing healthy fats. I am definitely grateful for authentic dairy products.
The New Lichenwood has been a great source of happiness and joy. Our natural pond, the gentle deer and wild birds, the bounty of wild medicinal plants, the peace and renewal of living surrounded by Nature, are all gifts we have received here. It has been a pleasure to share this new space with students, teachers, clients and friends. I hope to share more of it on this blog. This first year has been somewhat overwhelming and has drawn me away from posting. My New Moon wish is to return to more active posting.
Blessings of the New Moon!