Lichenwood Rambles

Daylily Days

We finally took a short road trip on Saturday to visit Birchwood Farm in Dover.  The month of July is the absolute best time for daylily viewing everywhere in New England, but a trip to Birchwood Farm is just spectacular if you love Hemerocallis like we do!  Anna Kay is the very welcoming owner and gardener.

We walked through rows and rows of colorful well-tended blooms.  In every row we woul find a cultivar that seemed really special or a must-have for our own daylily spiral.

Ultimately we selected just one: Persian Ruby.  We are on a quest to add more reds to our spiral of orange, yellow, peach, and purple.

Our own spiral has some beautiful flowers that decorate the days from mid June through September. Below is a sampling of Lichenwood's daylily display:

Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference

Last December I took a leap of faith and registered for the first ever Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference.  There were so many practical reasons not to make this commitment:  Would I generate enough money with my business to pay all the expenses associated with travel?  Could I overcome my fear of flying?  Could this pampered woman who sleeps in a cushy bed with a big down pillow adjust to conference style accommodations at the Ghost Ranch?  I could go on and on with all the cautions that came to my mind.  Happily my desire to be part of a conference that celebrated Vitalism and included teachers that I have not had the opportunity to hear in person overcame my concerns.  I committed myself, I registered, and of course, the Universe provided me with sufficient work to meet all my needs including travel to the conference.

 Since I hadn't been on a plane in 25 years I was glad to have a traveling companion who knew the airport security drill.  Joyce Belcher of Herbs for Life was my guide through the current air travel regulations and just a wonderful overall travel buddy.  We had our own mini conference on the plane, exchanging all kinds of ideas, questions, and knowledge about the use of herbs for people and animals.  My fear of flying?  It was nonexistent.  I was looking out the window enjoying the view.  Flower essences are just amazing!  The blend I put together to address my specific fears worked beautifully! 

Arriving on Thursday in Albuquerque, we spent the afternoon in beautiful Santa Fe, resting from travel and enjoying a lovely meal served on a terrace.  How refreshing it is to the eye to view a completely different landscape and cityscape.  We continued our journey and arrived at the Ghost Ranch to register for our room in a charming little adobe casita where we had our bedroom and bath.

 It was exciting for me to be present in an environment that is so different than my beloved New England.  The colors, the lack of humidity, and so many plants that I did not know left me feeling like a stranger in a captivating new land.

 
The new physical vistas were a taste of things to come once I began to meet and interact with the beautiful students and teachers of this conference.  I am not a conference person.  I don't like the confinement of crowds, or the distance I've felt at other gatherings between students and teachers.  I usually end up just buying the lecture CDs and skipping the social piece of conferences that sometimes feels uncomfortable and stilted to me.   My first social interaction at the Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference?  A warm welcoming hug from Kiva Rose who recognized me immediately from Facebook!  I found all the teachers to be just as approachable, connecting from a deep heart space with the students, sharing their passion for plants and healing.  It was REAL.  It was VITAL.  I have rarely felt so connected during a group event since the 60's and early 70's.  

 I took away so much from this conference.  It was not just the lectures and wisdom shared.  The passion for life and the commitment to follow that passion to learn, share, and serve the community and the Earth was a primary message that I received.  

How nurtured and re-energized I feel!  I have made a few changes since I returned home eliminating some meaningless activities from my life and making more time for things I am passionate about.  I have been on this path for awhile, but my experience at this high vibration conference has infused me with joy and purpose.  Many thanks to Kiva and Wolf for organizing the Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference.  I look forward to another rendezvous in 2011!  Read Kiva's blog post about all the wonderful plans for next year! 

Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference

Here's where I'll be in September!  Will I see you there?  

Twilight of the Wheel Year: Mabon

Tomorrow the Sun enters Libra at 5:52 am, and we will officially enter the dark half of the year.  Yes, more hours of darkness than sunlight; more time for sitting by the fire, going within to ruminate on the past or plan for the future.  The harvest season is in full swing and we are all celebrating with trips to the country fair, farmer's market, or apple orchard.

I set the altar for Mabon this morning, thinking of many things.  Persephone's abduction into in the Underworld made me think about time spent in my personal shadow work.  To facilitate this work during the Mabon ritual, I placed a Dragon's Blood candle inside a glass candle jar containing water and Black Eyed Susan flower essence.  I placed Persephone's picture on the jar and cut a Black Eyed Susan from the fading garden.Black Eyed Susan brings light to the darkest recesses of the soul where key issues which must be healed lie hidden.  I poured Pomegranate Juice into my spiral cup, and sliced an apple in half to reveal the hidden pentagram. 

 

Hollynn suggested that we all go to lunch at the Blue Moon in nearby Exeter.   She's been working there since June but we haven't had a chance to all go out together to enjoy the delicious organic food.  I still have half of my delicious Athena Wrap Sandwich in the fridge.  It was scrumptious and big enough for two meals!  I also picked up a 2008 Moon Calender while we were there and a large organic beet to add to tonight's roasted vegetables and visited with Robyn who manages the market.

I should have brought a camera along for the next leg of the trip.  We went to Apple Annie's in Brentwood, and picked organic Cortland and McIntosh apples. 

What a beautiful farm and orchard they have!  The trees were gorgeous and laden with REAL fruit that tastes absolutely heavenly!  You can even buy unpasturized organic cider at Apple Annie's and you can bet I took advantage of that opportunity!  I also picked up some garlic and red onions.  More vegies for tonight's roasted vegetable supper. 

Wishing you all the joys of the harvest season and a Blessed Mabon!

Mabon is celebrated at the Autumnal Equinox, or when the Sun reaches zero degrees of Libra.

Also called: Harvestide, Harvest Home, Autumn Equinox, The Witches’ Thanksgiving. Festival of Dionysus, the Wine Harvest, Harvest of First Fruits, Cornucopia, the Feast of Avalon, Equinozio di Autunno (Strega), and Alban Elfed (Caledonii). The Teutonic name for this season is Winter Finding. Another name for the Autumnal Equinox is Fogharadh - which is a Gaelic word meaning "hospitality and abundance".

Moon phase equivalent:  Third Quarter Moon

Direction: West     Time of Day:  Dusk

Colors: Red, Brown,

Orange

, Russet, Gold, Indigo, Purple

Herbs: Apples, Chrysanthemum, Goldenrod, Marigold, Milkweed, Myrrh, Passionflower, Solomon’s Seal, Thistle, Wheat

Gemstones: Yellow Jasper, Lapis Lazuli, Sapphire, Yellow Topaz

Themes: Autumn begins as Persephone returns to the Underworld; Root harvesting; Celebration of the Apple Harvest; Feasting on the harvest; sharing the harvest with others, especially those in need; Wine deities are honored; The full moon closest to the Equinox is know as the Harvest Moon; We celebrate the story of Mabon ap Modron, " the son of the mother", the Divine Youth, the Son of Light.

Pickity Place

My friends and I have a tradition.  To celebrate the Autumn birthdays of Raven and Janaki, Wendy and I take our friends to lunch at Pickity Place in Mason, New Hampshire.  It's an elaborate ritual that lasts all day, beginning with a meet up at the Misty Meadows parking lot.  The Mistymobile is our taxi for the day.  First stop: breakfast at Bickford's in Manchester;next stop: Grennon's, a supplier of dried and silk flowers, wreaths, candles and seasonal decorations.  It's easy to get lost in the maze-like aisles of Grennon's, but we did emerge in about an hour, bags stuffed with candles, peacock feathers, and various floral craft supplies.  Picture all these activities accompanied by endless conversation and laughter.

Then, more winding roads, bordered by rushing streams, ledges filled with mountain laurel, corridors of cedar heavy with berries, and ghostly bare sycamore trees following the roads and rivers, until finally we arrive at Pickity Place, at the top of Nutting Hill.

The amazing tree in front of the red cape style house is worth the visit all by itself.  The house is over 200 years old and was the inspiration for illustrations in the 1948 English edition of Little Red Ridinghood, by Elizabeth Orton Jones.  There is a wonderful gift shop adjacent to the house. 

The gardens are not as pretty at this time of year, of course.  They do have their own special beauty as all November gardens possess.  There is a peacefulness in a garden that lies sleeping after a long growing season.  This garden produces most of the herbs used in the gourmet luncheons that are served here.  We enjoyed Corn Chowder garnished with fresh herbs, Stuffed Endive Salad with an Apple Cider Vinaigrette, warm Cranberry Bread, our choice of Cornish Game Hen L'orange or Tortellini Primavera (I'm the only one who chose this option), and
Acorn Squash with Carmelized Onions.  Dessert was a truly decadent triangle of
Chocolate Covered Cherry Bars with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

Here's the lovely Raven resting outside the gift shop where we enjoyed the cool late Autumn air, gazing out at the gardens, also resting.  We're looking forward to this trip again, sometime in June to celebrate Wendy's special day.