Among the apparent defeat of blackened bark and earth after a fire, scattered seeds give rise to new growth. Fireweed is one perennial herb in particular that has persisted for centuries in these trying conditions, with gifts for both the landscape and the people on it. Once the ash has settled and the fires are out, fireweed is likely to be one of the first plants to appear in the early stages of a disturbed landscape.
Fear of fire is a colonial legacy, and in the contiguous US the practice was largely halted with the arrival of the Spanish. Blinded by an unquestioned commitment to European worldviews and the belief in natural hierarchy, settlers saw fire as a purely destructive force. However, controlled burns and naturally occurring wildfires were, and continue to be, a means of renewal and a catalyst for seeds embedded in cycles of burning for their subsequent rejuvenation. Indigenous peoples have long understood the use of fire as an important tool in maintaining critical resources.
In this episode I speak with Vicki Noble, co-creator of the Motherpeace Tarot Deck, a set of cards for divination that incorporates images of the sacred feminine from mythology and folklore. The creation of the Motherpeace Tarot in the late 1970s in Berkley California helped to kickstart the so-called Goddess movement, whose influence endures today.
There are a handful of items in our shop where the logistics are too far afield for us to direct source at this point in time, as with sourcing the chai spices for our Chaga Chai. After learning about the work Burlap & Barrel is undertaking to make the spice trade more equitable and game-changing quality, we were inspired to keep our chai blend on as an evergreen offering in our store.
Pines have played a significant role throughout our history for their wide range of utilities: pine pitch sealed vessels to make them waterproof, pine needle baskets were woven, pine sap was mixed with honey and chewed like gum, and even soap could be fashioned from pine tar.
