Writing

Mistletoe & the Center

My dog, Ursa, died last December. Calling her “my dog” is misleading - her role in my life was more like a best friend. We were rarely apart. The physical loss has left a tremendous Ursa-shaped hol...

Clouds & the Trickster

In spring and summer, I spend all my time with plants. In autumn, my focus shifts to fungi and mushrooms. And in winter, I sit with the rocks. Plants and fungi speak about rooting yourself to a pla...

Nine Contemplations on Death

I have recently finished a series of paintings based on the Nine Contemplations on Death from the Buddhist scholar, Atisha. These contemplations are something that I sit with regularly and facilit...

Veratrum & the Deepest Fears

This plant is best known as False Hellebore, but I have a lot of hang-ups about how and why we’ve named plants. One of my dislikes is comparing one plant name to another, as in the case of using "F...

Flower Essences

Flower essences are a gentle form of medicine for your spirit. They are safe, easy to work with, and invite subtle but profound change into your life. They are traditionally made by collecting flow...

Birthwort & the Present Moment

I alternate between using two different names for the plants in this family: originally called Birthwort, they also became well-known as Dutchman’s Pipe. Both names reference the odd shape of the f...

Bloodroot & Honoring Grief

Honoring the cycles of grief with Bloodroot

Plants as Teachers

Plants can be considered one of the most significant teachers in our lives