Samhain approaches, at the end of this month, the night of the 31st of October.
The garden, orchards and hills are full of seeds, fruits, berries and nuts, and here in Herefordshire we have had a huge apple crop. Many of us have been busy juicing and making chutneys and trying to think of other ways to use apples! The hawthorn trees are also laden with berries - reminding us to tend to our hearts. They go very well with rosehips as a winter tonic.
Samhain, a Celtic 'cross-quarter' day, marks the midway point between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice, and the division of the year between the lighter half (summer) and the darker half (winter). At this time, the veil between this world and the otherworld is at its thinnest, allowing spirits to pass through. We mark it with fires and rituals, honouring ancestors. 'Samhain is a topsy turvey night of guising, spirits, divination, protective devices and neid (sacred) fires. A mirror image of Beltane. Where Beltane is hopeful, Samhain is realistic. Both are protective in nature because of what wanders these liminal times. (cailleachs-herbarium.com). The harvest is gathered in, and we hope it will nourish us through the winter.
I have also been collecting seeds (to propagate even more plants next spring), sap and walnuts (the latter two for making natural pigments).
I plan to blend my two websites soon and slightly alter the way I teach and work with plants. I am going to continue both my herbal teaching (though fewer courses and offer bespoke teaching to small groups) and growing, and also my artwork. I want to continue to sell plants to encourage the tradition of the 'home medicine chest', supporting growing and making herbal remedies in the domestic setting for yourself, friends and family. In this way, we can have access to good quality herbal tonics all year round, available when we need them, real 'community sufficiency and resilience'.
Growing your own medicine and tending your garden is empowering and has profound effects on so many levels, especially at this time of the year when it is really important to spend time outside. Growing a wide range of plants helps nourish and support all the living creatures in your garden, as well as ourselves. Anyone who has visited my garden can see the benefits of tending a wild garden - it's a beautiful sanctuary with so many butterflies, insects and birds.
Come and learn about growing herbs as well as making herbal remedies. You can create a haven for wildlife and visit your plants daily, enhancing your own health at the same time.
My last course of the year is on 15th & 16th November, an 'Introduction to herbal medicine'. There are still a few places - if you'd like to come, please contact me. The best ways to find out about courses offered next year will be via my newsletter, Instagram, or by contacting me directly.
I'll be doing a Christmas market at Hellens Manor, Much Marcle, on 14th December, where I'll have original woodblock print cards, herbal creams, 'A Year in herbs ' calendars, some herbal teas and a few plants for sale. You can also call in (by arrangement) to buy bare-root plants.
Enjoy the dark days and keep the fire burning.
Love from Rowan