Welcome to Nourished Root
Welcome to Nourished Root
Thank you dearest one and WELCOME to the Sanctuary!
We are so incredibly happy to have you join our community and become part of this new chapter of us working - and playing - together in devotion to the Earth Mother, creating opportunities for Earth Education, land healing, community connection and the creation of a healthy world.
This member portal will be populated with magick for you to enjoy starting November 1st.
With Love,
Marysia Miernowska & The Sanctuary Board of Directors.
SPROUT & AWAKEN
Our theme of the month is Sprout & Awaken. We cannot bloom without staying rooted. Take a moment to honor your deeply nourished winter roots, to celebrate your filled reservoirs of your vital chi that have been regenerating with the dreaming Earth over the Winter season, and notice the quickening of energy in your body this past month, and how it is mirrored in Nature all around. “Spring will come after all!” We rejoice, just as our ancestors did at this time.
The energies of possibility are felt within us and around. There will be a new awakening, a new life, fresh beginnings, a renewal of ourselves, a rebirth of who we are! The work of our past month was to court the Beloved inside and around us, to connect to the open hearted bliss of feeling - sensing - emoting.
Our practices and plant allies fed the creative energies inside of our bodies, humming into our secret places the dance that echoes the buzz of bees and pollinating flowers. We learned to be soft and slow with this current of renewal, innocent like a new babe, in wonder and in the present moment of experience. It was too soon to visualize what form the seeds inside of would take, we were careful not to jump ahead into the mind or quick action -- but rather to stay rooted in the depths of the Earth and become more aware of the sensations of the quickening taking place, trusting in the natural pace of the Earth, relaxing into allowing an effortless bloom.
TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE, WRITE DOWN, HONOR AND CELEBRATE YOURSELF:
✦ What are three gems you are carrying with you from your deep time in the Winter?
✦ What did you learn?
✦ What did your body receive?
✦ What new practices, realizations, transformations, etc.?
NOW GATHER & HONOR THE TIME OF IMBOLC
What are 3 things you can honor and celebrate about your sacred wild self from the month of February, Love & Blissipline?
As the days have continued to become longer here in the Northern Hemisphere, we notice the energy of our sacral chakra and reproductive center beginning to move up to our solar plexus — the fire and sun center of our energy bodies — as well as our digestive system.
This may be a time you notice you are craving more fresh foods, greens and fruit. You may become aware of some winter density, weight or slowness that is ready to be transformed. We stay nourished and grounded with our allies of the winter months (continuing to drink nourishing herbs & adaptogens), while noticing that the Earth awakens with the wild weeds and bitter green herbs as the first gifts of spring. Plants like Dandelion leaves, wild mustard, chickweed, all ignite the fire of our digestion; the bitter allies stimulate the production of bile and our organs of elimination (Liver, Kidneys) rejoice from the cleansing herbs like Burdock, Schisandra and the bitter greens. Indeed, this month we release the old and spring forward.
This month, we celebrate a holy-day on the Wheel of the Year, the Vernal Equinox on March 20th. We will feel the crescendo of energies all month and then enter a portal with this climatic moment of balance between light and dark that marks the start of spring. It is wise to draw on all we have gathered thus far in our journey -- remembering our tools to stay in balance between the joy and action of the growing power of the fiery sun and the moist, nourishing darkness that keeps us from burning out.
WE BLOOM THANKS TO THE EARTH , WITH THE EARTH AND FOR THE EARTH
Notice how these energies of clearing out the old and feeding the forces of rebirth can be practiced outside of your body. You may feel inspired to do a spring cleaning in your home page 60 in Witch’s Herbal Apothecary has a beautiful Spring Cleaning ritual engaging all the elements).
Renew your altar to honor the clean rivers and flowering hills of the Earth. Pray for the renewal of Gaia, for her flesh to heal where there have been wildfires, for her waters to become pure where there has been pollution. The symbols of egg, baby lamb, rabbit, fresh blooming tree branches, willow sprouts are all ancient representations of Nature rebirthing herself. What other ways can your altar take on the form of your prayers for the Mother?
Spend more time outside, perhaps drawing on the theme of Blissipline to commit to a daily stroll or weekly hike. As you walk, speak to Her and sing her praise. Using the frequency of our voice that ripples the love from our heart is a form of offering. Dive into the spring time practices that feed the Earth in our gardens and in the wild…
FEED THE HOLY
I wish to share with you a way of feeding the Spirit of the Earth and the deep forces of Nature that I ask you to draw on this month, anchoring in the remembrance that we are doing this work for our own healing and for the healing of all that is.
To share with you what this almost forgotten way is, I want to illuminate that they must be things that take some human energy (so they come from us) and give energy to the Earth without just giving back a part of the Earth to herself. Let me explain with a personal experience that humbled me and helped my soul remember.
I was once with a dear friend who is a long time student of a wise elder. We hiked to a beautiful wild place, a source of water, and I had brought some offerings in my pack with me as I knew I would be going to spend time in wild nature and it is my custom (and I hope will be yours too) to make offerings. I had brought a few small natural things that meant a great deal to me, for I have been taught that for a gift to actually be a gift, it must hurt a little to give it away. If it doesn't, then you are simply getting rid of something -- it is not a true gift.
One of the gifts I bought was a small crystal that I had had for years and meant a great deal to me. I also brought my pouch of dried herbs, which I sprinkle in offering and pray into when wild harvesting or making offerings. My customary offerings have been the herb that are so woven into my heart and soul and my hair — my grandmother taught me to offer a strand of my hair as offering.
After spending some sweet time at this waterfall, my friend and I both told each other that we wanted to take some time alone to make offerings. What a sweet surprise to know he had this same tradition. He took out a tool he had made — it was a hand drill made by fashioning a stone tip to a perfectly straight stick. He took out pieces of abalone shells and found a wet rock and began rubbing the shells to make a perfectly round bead, all the while putting it up to the sky to check its shape, as if the sun knows circles best. He spent time and love doing this, and finally drilled a whole at the center. He placed it somewhere near the waterfall with prayers and breath. The offering he made was something natural that did not take away from Nature, but rather transformed scraps of shells into beauty only a human could make. His energy was in the gift, and he was not simply giving a beautiful shell (which already belongs to the Earth and comes from her comes from) back to the Earth herself -- he was creating a true gift with his human energy of creativity, prayer, devotion and love.
I learned a great deal that day about giving gifts. The elder he worked with had taught him that giving a crystal as an offering may bring back some balance as the crystal came from the Earth -- but it is really me giving back the Earth a part of herself that likely someone never asked permission to take. It was a humbling and beautiful realization and I hope you can reflect on my story, feel the loss of our culture that has forgotten what gifts truly are, and welcome in your own practice of feeding the holy with your prayers, songs, voice, practices, gifts and meaningful creations. I have worked with many students since then and we have made figures of clay, shell beads, offered poetry and song, moon blood and flowers, done hands on healing/ energy work like reiki.
Imagine if we all humans buried the gold we have, returning it to the soil and mineral kingdom from which it came? Actually close your eyes and imagine the feeling of this fantasy. Simply imagining this human act allows you to feel what has been forgotten - the ancient practices of asking permission before taking, never taking more than we need, and doing our part in restoring the imbalance and feeding the Earth. These acts restore balance in the relationship between humans and the Earth.
WE ARE THE EARTH
Another element I want to ground us in, is that we are the Earth, made of Her and we have been gifted life here so taking food, water, life is part of our agreements. It is not healthy to internalize the harm the human race has caused into our own bodies. This is seen in a contracted and closed root chakra — the person unable to relax into being here on Earth, and slowly withering afraid of now knowing how to relate to the environment. This is actually quite a common phenomena among empaths and can be a natural reaction when feeling the pain of the Earth. Nonetheless, this is where as witches we must shift our own nervous system and bend our experience, so to speak.
“Magick is the ability to change consciousness at will”
(Dion Fortune)
We do not turn a blind eye to what is happening - on the contrary, we learn, use our voice for the plants, animals and voiceless and act to transform the relationship of humans and Earth. We can draw on the work of elders such as Joanna Macy (The Work that Reconnects) to be with the grief and allow it to change us and open us to the gifts laying dormant that are part of the Great Healing that we are here to embody and live into being. And, as witches, we learn to “change consciousness at will.” In other words, we work to “master our nervous system” and we shift our nervous system with plants, practices and intentions to expand past the contraction and enter a state of grace & Love.
When we enter this state of grace, we can move energy through our bodies in an open, healing, and loving way that heals our cells, ripples into our relationships, and is healing to humans and Earth.
MAKE SOMETHING AND GIVE IT AWAY
This month, I invite you to make something with your hands, or your voice - a song, poem, pra. Spend time, energy, love and intention and prepare this as an offering that you will make on the Spring Equinox, in that sacred portal. Remember the seeds we buried in ritual and prayer on the Fall Equinox, the start of our journey. Know that this Spring ritual will have threads connecting you to your Fall prayers. Perhaps revisit your intentions and prayers that you wrote then. Write more prayers, make beauty, feed the sacred wild. Remember, your gift will tug at your heart and hurt a little to give away… ah! What delight to offer your time, presence, creativity and give it to the Earth on her holy day of rebirth and renewal!
“Do not feel lonely, the entire universe is inside of you.”
- Rumi
SPROUT & AWAKEN
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SPROUT & AWAKEN 〰️
RECIPE: A SHAMANIC FIRE CIDER
1) Begin by closing your eyes, placing your hands on your belly, and connecting to your inner fire. Reflect on the qualities of a deficient or excess fire center. Connect to your inner sun and ask yourself what it is that your fire needs. What does a balanced, beautiful, passionate, energetic flame feel like inside your belly? If your fire is in excess, this remedy could aggravate your fire and may not be appropriate for your constitution. In that case, cooling plants like hibiscus and mint may balance the heat.
2) While in meditation, ask the spirits of the fire plants to come to you. Ask which plants want to be in your medicine. You can familiarize yourself before hand with the special qualities of some of the traditional fire herbs listed below, but ultimately, take your question to the plants and see which ones come forth. Trust that the fire plants you are most drawn to from this list are the ones offering you their medicine. You can also hold each one in your hand and ask the plant if it would like to be in your Fire Cider. (The herbal actions listed below are very abbreviated notes; each of these plants has enough medicinal properties to fill a book!)
Horseradish ~ Clears sinuses, decongests. Aids digestion. Moves fluids. Warming.
Onion ~ Relieves Congestion. Boosts immunity. Anti-cancer properties.
Garlic ~ Heart & blood medicine. Increases circulation. Warming. Anti viral. Antibacterial. Antifungal. Stimulates immune system.
Ginger ~ Stimulates immune system. Anti-inflammatory. Warming. Stimulates digestion. Moves fluids. Relieves stagnation.
Cayenne/hot pepper ~ Powerful circulation stimulator. Antibacterial. Antifungal. Anti-cancer. Aids digestion. Lowers blood pressure.
Rosemary ~ Increases circulation. Warming. Carminative. Aids digestion.
Turmeric ~ Powerful anti-inflammatory. Anti-cancer. Antioxidant. Antidepressant.
Lemons, Oranges, Grapefruit, or any other citrus ~ Vitamin C
Other possible ingredients ~ rosehips, thyme, sage, parsley, oregano, pineapple, pomegranate seeds, dandelion greens, schisandra berries, etc.
3) Create a sacred space to make your medicine. Light some candles to call in the energy of fire. Put on some music if you like, turn off your phone, and set the intention to create a magical Fire Cider!
4) Scrub or peel the roots and rhizomes (horseradish, ginger, turmeric). Grate them or chop them finely. Chop the onion and garlic. These can make up the bulk of your recipe. Mix them together in a bowl.
5) Add any other ingredients you are drawn to (the citrus, herbs, peppers, etc.) Work intuitively, allowing the quantities of each plant to become evident as you handle them. As you do so, stay connected to your prayers and your fire. You can sing or speak to the plants and ask them to help feed your flames or bring healing to those who share in your medicine.
7) Loosely fill a jar with the chopped plants. Pour Raw Apple Cider Vinegar over the plant material. Make sure that all the plant material is submerged; you may have to poke it with a chopstick.
8) Unless your jar has a plastic lid, place some parchment paper under the lid so the vinegar does not touch a metal surface.
9) Label the jar with a powerful name for your Fire Medicine, listing the ingredients, the menstrum (apple cider vinegar) and the date it was created. Give it a unique name — it is a unique creation never to be repeated again! Place it in a dark cupboard away from the sun, and shake it every so often. Or bury it in the earth for the duration of a moon cycle.
10) After 4-8 weeks or after the completion of a moon cycle, strain your medicine with a cheese cloth. Discard the plant material. You may add some Raw Honey to your vinegar, to taste if you wish.
To use: Listen to your body. You can take a shot daily to ward off the cold and flu during winter months, to increase circulation, to recover from a viral, bacterial or fungal infection, to relieve congestion, to warm up your body, to stimulate digestion or to wake up your energy. Add to soups, sauces, salad dressings, hot tea. Feed your flame with the medicine of the Earth and your magick!
Watch the March Visual Spell
Watch March Guest Expert
Masterclass with Alison Gayek: Nature is Alive- Teachings from a Weather Shaman
Throughout millennia people have seen and experienced the world as alive. By living in connection, they had a relationship with nature that fed their bodies, minds, and spirits. This type of relationship is available to all of us.
Alison Gayek brings a wealth of knowledge to her healing and teaching practices with over twenty-five years of experience. Alison trained under Eliot Cowan, and began her clinical practice in the late 1990s. In 2002, Eliot Cowan invited her to begin teaching with him and in the ensuing years became a fully trained teacher of Plant Spirit Medicine in the Eliot Cowan tradition.
Alison is also initiated as a Granicera (Weather Shaman) and healer in the Nahua tradition indigenous to Central Mexico. She holds a Masters degree in History from Yale University and worked as a writer and editor for over a decade before turning her attention to Plant Spirit Medicine. Alison maintains a clinical healing practice in North Carolina where she lives with her family.
https://www.instagram.com/plant_spirit_medicine/
Website: https://www.plantspiritmedicine.org/
Join the March Plant Spirit Meditation
Join us for an awakening Equinox experience with Fennel Seed, guided by Steward Jessica Lipinski, as we welcome Spring.
When: March 20th at 9:30 AM EST / 6:30 AM PST
Start your Equinox morning together with fennel seed and community.
For a cup of tea, use 1/2 - 1 teaspoon dried fennel seeds steeped in hot water for 15-20 minutes.
Alternately, you can make an overnight infusion.
To make your fennel seed infusion use 1-2 tablespoons dried fennel seeds in a quart mason jar with hot water overnight.
May our Winter dreams be seeded.
Strain the tea and let it cool slightly before our session.
Create a cozy, sacred space for yourself—light a candle, find a comfortable seat, and prepare to journey inward on this day of balance.
If you're unable to join us live, a recording will be available afterward in this space.
March’s Movement Practice
Upcoming events.
Visit Your Monthly Portals
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NOVEMBER
GIVE THANKS & RESTORE
Meditate with Valerian, Move through the changing seasons with Sue and Watch your visual spell.
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DECEMBER
MIRACLES IN DARKNESS
Meditate with Sage, Move through the changing seasons with Sue and Watch your visual spell.
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JANUARY
REST & DREAM
Meditate with Loquat Leaf, Find your Cosmic Bliss Recipe and watch your visual spell
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FEBRUARY
LOVE & BLISSIPLINE
Meditate with Hawthorn, Watch your visual spell and move your body with Sue’s yoga class
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MARCH
SPROUT & AWAKEN
Meditate with Fennel Seed, make Fire Cider and move your body with Sue’s yoga class
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APRIL
ROOT, BLOOM & GROW
Meditate with Rosemary, Watch your visual spell and move your body with Sue’s yoga class
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MAY
POLLENATE & ALCHEMIZE
Meditate with Bee Balm, welcome in the summer energies with rituals for Bealtaine, Move your body with Sue and Watch your May visual spell
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JUNE
FRUIT & CELEBRATE
Meditate with California Poppy, Move your body with Sue and Watch your June visual spell
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JULY
Meditate wih Rosemary and Embrace Summer
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AUGUST
RIPEN, RADIATE & HARVEST
Meditate with Yarrow, Celebrate Lughnasadh
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SEPTEMBER
DISCERN & BRING BALANCE
Meditate with Mugwort, Practice Yoga with Sue and Watch your visual spell.
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OCTOBER
RELEASE & FEED THE INVISIBLE
Celebrate Samhain, Yoga with Sue, Watch your visual spell
