Diving into the Deep: The Wise Woman Tradition

In this post I will give my experience with the Wise Woman Tradition, and announce a new workshop coming soon!

If there was one word that encompassed all that is the Wise Woman Tradition, that word would be crone. Crone is the last stage of womanhood. Maiden, mother, crone. Crone is wrinkled, bent, and wise with life experience. She is the keeper of the mystery, the hag, the one who sits on the edge between the two worlds, seen and unseen, wild and tame, light and dark. She lives within us, and as women, we will (if time allows) become her.

Original artwork by Elke Overstake

To immerse yourself in the Wise Woman Tradition we must first go back. Back to ways of old, back to the neolithic, the prehistoric, the time of the ancestors, the time of the Goddess. It is here we will find another way of living. A way of living that centers the female. That centers the moon, the earth, and the turning of the seasons. The archeologic record of such a time is quite extensive, and quite clear in its message. We were once all in awe of woman’s life-giving capacity. We saw the wholeness of life reflected in everything around us. We saw old women as the most vital resource for our culture. The thread that kept our people going. The one to turn to in times of trouble and need. Statues, carvings, and pictographs reveal the Goddess was everywhere. Notable female archeologist Marjia Gimbutas did pioneering work to accurately interpret our human legacy. I highly recommend the documentary about her found on YouTube.

And what has this to do with herbs? As women we were often the most dedicated herbalists within the community. Serving as midwives and healers to children and adults alike. Women and men gathered each day for the meals to come. While women most likely invested more of their time to plants and possibly created what we call agriculture today, men were wise in plants too as it was necessary for everyday survival of all to be in deep relationship with the plants and trees. I believe that women became specialists in this arena due to their role as mothers, birthing and carrying children, and remaining closer to the hearth on any given day. Upon learning more about our legacy as women I felt my world open up. I felt more confident in my ability to learn about herbs, and in my role as a mother. I could see how connected to the Earth and to my fellow sisters I really am. This thread of our foremothers has indeed survived. Survived the advent of civilization, survived the advent of patriarchal structures, survived the church and the burning times.

Original artwork by Elke Overstake

Another important shift comes with embracing wholeness as our natural state of being: greater acceptance of life as it is. When problems arise, how to we respond? How do we experience the events we can’t control and the challenges we face as flawed human beings? Can we love ourselves even though…we make mistakes, have hurt others, have been hurt, get lost or confused? It is challenging to live with the paradox of life, and easy to want to fix problems rather than be with them and understand more deeply first.

Life is challenging. Sometimes we suffer. What I have learned is that there are doorways back to this place of wholeness. An important realization for my own growth has been that nourishment is one such doorway. When a problem arises I know I can turn to nourishment in its many forms: a long walk in nature, preparing a nourishing meal, getting more sleep, spending time with a trusted friend. Taking time with what is happening, to trust our instincts, to take a break from reacting, doing, and even learning and exploring. Being. The plants ask this of us. Our presence. It’s all that is required for becoming an herbalist. With presence comes an enhancement of our senses, including intuition. When there is a lot of noise in the world, as there is today, I think it’s crucial that our senses be intact and functioning well! The art of working with herbs is old. It requires presence, and opens up the senses. While fairly simple, there is a vast amount one can learn, and the process is ongoing.

On that note I want to announce that I will be hosting a workshop on nourishing herbal infusions on May 4th from 12-2 at the Crafty Mercantile on Main St. in Cottage Grove! I am so excited to get to share about these special herbs: Nettle, Red Clover, Linden, Oatstraw, and Comfrey Leaf. During these two hours we will have time to make and try infusions, and talk about their truly amazing benefits for our whole being! Lets go into the deep end with these vitalizing and nourishing herbs. I’ll be including a jar and 1oz of dried herb to take home. Most likely we’ll have time to touch on other notable herbs that make wonderful infusions for when we need extra care and support to our various bodily systems like: mullein leaf, burdock root, cleavers, violet leaf, kava, and astralagus root.

Making a daily herbal infusion is a way to integrate herbs into our life as food, important for nourishing our bodies so that we can be resilient and move through challenges with more ease. They are not a cure all, but rather a way to embody the wholeness through nourishment model on a daily basis.

To sign up go directly to the Crafty Mercantile and make your payment. I can take PayPal as well, so get in touch via Facebook or Instagram for that option.

Here is what one woman has to say about nourishing herbal infusions:

I have been drinking herbal infusions steadily for 2 months now. I have definitely noticed an increase in my overall vitality and energy levels. I also have grown connected to the rhythm of making the infusions at night, and waking in the morning to have the first thing I consume be nettle, or oatstraw, or red clover. It feels grounding to have this rhythm in my life. 

If you or anyone you know wants to get your hands in the herbs and learn more please sign up and share with a friend!

More info in the flyer below:

I’d also like to mention the Red Clover Conference hosted by Susun Weed is coming up. The previous two years she and her team at the Wise Woman Center created the Comfrey Conference and the Hypericum conference. These are online events featuring known herbalists who present and answer questions on the plant being featured. The conference also includes loads of recipes and short videos submitted by herb lovers, such as your truly. These conferences are meant to dispel misinformation on plants that have in some way been maligned. They focus on the experience of herbalists who have worked with these plants over the years (and decades). I hope you check it out!

Photo by Jack Blueberry on Unsplash

Original artwork by Elke Overstake