New Year Resolutions for Herbalists

Follow me this month while I try to clear out my own chaos and get a few tips on how to get your herb cabinet and/or business back in order! January is a perfect time for reflection and planning, but also, we have time for getting things done since the rush of garden season is still a few months away, the snow keeps us at home a bit more....as does the promise of a warm house and hot cup of tea. Each day, I am going to tackle something that needs constant care or attention, but that is often left to become dysfunctional as the year goes on. Will this be the year, I actually keep on top of things? Who knows...but if not, I will repost next year!

January 6~

Celebrate

Working with the natural world as we do, how to we keep in touch with the spirit of herbal healing? I try to do it by celebrating the major holidays. It doesn't take much digging to find the plant world influence on most of our favorite holidays, that many people enjoy on one level--but we, with all our specific knowledge, can enjoy and share all the more.

Today is 12th Night. Normally associated with the night the Wise Men reached gave their gifts to Jesus (2 of which were plants!). I tend to celebrate it more as the end of the holiday season--or winter season of darkness. The decorations start coming down (and all greenery"must", according to legend, be completely removed from the home by Imbolc--Febrary 2nd) and I start seed catalog perusal--looking forward to Spring. Always, on this day, I make a 12th Night cake and hide a bean in it somewhere. The lucky finder of which, gets to be the 12th Night king/queen.

Celebrations are fun, but they ground us and make us part of the natural cycle...and I think, allow us to be better practitioners and stewards of our land.