Today I went for a walk in the Cascadian coast range. I was looking for greens to make a yule wreath for my front door. It is a ritual I do each year to thank the earth for giving me sustance. I do not cut the greens but instead I walk in the forest and whatever appears before me on the ground, I forage. Today as I walked along a came upon a beautiful waterfall, bursting at the seams after heavy rains. The wild birds twittered around me as they jumped from branch to branch. I was gifted with many beautiful plants. Recent heavy winds had pruned the gifted plants. They lay on the ground before my feet. Whatever is before me, is what I am to use.
My wreath will consist of long boughs of a red cedar, pollen cones intact. Shorter fuller boughs of the douglas fir, salal, Oregon grape, and pearly everlasting. I also picked up some cones of the douglas fir. It was a wonderful day. I was quite high up in the coast range so the rain started to turn to snow and I hiked through the woods. The mountain kept asking me “when will you live here?” “Someday” is my answer.
I do not cut down Christmas trees anymore. I make my wreath of earth gifted plants and I decorate a large Jade Plant that lives in my home with small ornaments of dried flowers, cones, stones, shells. It all works for me. Others have other traditions. It all works.
On December 22 the days will start being longer. Winter will begin to turn to spring. Thank you earth. Thank you sky.
Green Lady - Ellen
Radical Botany 