Folklore • Mar 6, 2026
Mother Nature & The Origins of Mothering Sunday
“The Great Mother who gives birth to all creation out of the holy darkness of her womb, became a metaphor for Nature herself, the cosmic giver and taker of life, ever able to renew Herself within the eternal cycle of life, death, and rebirth.” – Marija Gimbutas, ‘Civilization of the Goddess’. The Great Mother […]
Aromatherapy • Dec 4, 2025
Astrology & Aromatherapy: Gifting for Star Signs
The Traditional Relationship between Astrology & Aromatherapy Astrology and Aromatherapy have an age-old relationship. Early herbalists traditionally associated botanical plants with a particular zodiac sign as part of their diagnostic practice since they were often astrologers too. They also assigned a ruling planet to each medicinal herb, a trait which is notable in the works […]
Folklore • Nov 21, 2025
A Botanical & Aromatic Christmas with Festive Recipe Ideas
Ceremonies for the land no doubt existed, but it seems they did not survive … I think there is wisdom in regenerating them here, as a means to form bonds with the land. To have agency in the world, ceremonies should be reciprocal, co-creations, organic, in nature, in which the community creates ceremony, and the […]
Folklore • Apr 3, 2024
The Scent of Spring: Rebirth, Renewal & Regeneration
April is all about rebirth and renewal. All of nature is waking up: the woods are full of swathes of pure-white wood anemones, there are fresh green leaves on the trees and more hours of daylight to enjoy. It’s the moment when Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, returns from her sojourn with Hades in the […]
Folklore • Jan 5, 2024
New Year Nature Rituals & The Finnish Herbal Tradition
“We need to return to learning about the land by being on the land, or better, by being in the thick of it. That is the best way we can stay in touch with the fates of its creatures, its indigenous cultures, its earthbound wisdom. That is the best way we can be in touch […]
Aromatherapy • Dec 1, 2023
Festive Aromatics: The Origins & Tradition of Giving Gifts
The Origins of Gift-Giving Gift-giving is an ancient tradition and is found in all cultures across the world. Apart from helping to maintain friendly relations between individuals, it was also used as a means of building bonds of trust between different tribes or groups of people. The winter solstice, which usually falls on December 21st, […]
Aromatherapy • Oct 19, 2019
The Origins of Halloween & the Magic of Herbal Folklore
“The sense of smell is the most important factor in the laying of spells on people: magic, in order to achieve the greatest potency, must enter through the nose” – R. Lovell, A Complete Herball, 1665 The Origins of Halloween The custom of celebrating Halloween on the 31 st October began as the ancient Celtic […]