Last night, I dreamed that a friend and I were searching a foreign land for a place to grow coffee, but there were already too many coffee plantations, too much jungle cleared, too many indigenous peoples misplaced, too many asks of a finite planet. The spot we chose to plant the bushes just sucked them deep into the ground as soon as they were planted. The earth started sinking and holes were appearing everywhere- it was caving into itself. Then I was naked and my breasts were larger than they actually are, and they were swinging back and forth as I moved sort of ape-like through the landscape, screaming “Stop! Enough! Stop!” I awoke in the middle of the night, feeling so very tired, and desperate. Why are we doing this to you, Mother? Why are we sucking you dry, everywhere? More. More! MORE! It is never enough! A deep sadness enveloped me as it often does, as I tried to fall back asleep.
“Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.” Edward Abbey
This progress, this hunger for more returns, more money, endless remedies, new products, more fuel for insatiable desires—this sickness—it spreads like a wildfire all over the planet. Ever since I was 19, I have been one of the canary in the mines feeling it, giving the warning, and grieving it.
I know the world is a very mysterious place, and I do not claim to know how this cookie will crumble. What I do know is that I don’t want to waste anymore time making myself small so that other people can feel comfortable, but rather live more into what am I here for. What are you here for? What were you made for? Who reading this isn’t feeling the urgency of these times? We must daily remember who we are and not shy away from it.
I claim my work: I am a tender. A steward of the land, made for growing and nurturing trees and plants of all sizes and shapes, an inviter of biodiversity. Wherever I go, I am going to plant things and tend them and share medicine and food. I am going to notice the green world and marvel at it and talk about it and write about it and enchant people into falling in love with it, too.
I also believe a large part of my work, or purpose, is to bear witness. I see things for what they really are and sometimes I am going to weep, sometimes rejoice. Always grieving, even while marveling. I see. I hear. I feel.
And I am a Love Pilgrim. I am going to return again and again to the memory that we are born of love, that love is our birthright, and we are all capable of loving more and better, and rising above our hard core beliefs that cause separation and destruction of ourselves, each other and the natural world.
Either we will make it on this planet or we won’t. Regardless, I will stick to my work, my purpose, God willing. I was made for this time, and I must not forget it. You were made for these times. Remember that. How will we show up today? In this moment? Let us be clear with our actions and keep tuning into how can we live well today without ruining tomorrow, while also celebrating the love that is ever present!
Mary Morgaine Squire
waning moon
March 1, 2024
Remember Who You Are
Do not forget, dear one,
That you are made of Earth and Sky.
Over half of you is water, contained by vessels and solid bone
With marrow that holds space.
Do not forget
You are made of carbon,
That you will thirst and hunger and breathe everyday,
And these nonnegotiable needs
can not be met virtually.
Do not forget
That what you do to your Mother’s body,
You do to yours,
That you are able to feel, think and act
Because you inhabit this temple made of elementals.
Regardless of your beliefs about where you came from
Or where you will go,
Before you incarnated into this flesh and bone
Or return as ashes to ashes, dust to dust,
You still remain inextricably intertwined
And fully dependent upon the generosity
Of Earth, Water, Fire & Air.
Remember that you are a part of nature, not apart-
That you cannot be separate,
Even if you try.
Do not forget
That without this living body, you are dead.
Do not forget what is real,
Soil and river and tree and root and seed and sunlight and wind-
These are who you are made of,
Even though your spirit comes from somewhere else.
Chief Seattle told us hundreds of years ago,
You cannot eat money.
You don’t need all this stuff.
Your device will not provide.
So do not squander this precious embodiment
By destroying your Wildness from forgetfulness.
Remember love is
Who you truly are.
Audio of Love Letter to Rosemary
~Love Letters to our Plant Allies~
Rosemary
Salvia rosmarinus
Lamiaceae
Dear Rosemary,
I took the risk and planted many of you in a rock wall instead of moveable pots, and for a few mild winters you did well, until we had a typical winter and every single one of you died. I cried.
“I want to move to a place where Rosemary grows wild and thrives year round!”
I love you that much, that I would factor in my choice of home on the planet based upon where you naturally dwell. Yours and Lavender’s and Thyme’s happy place. One of my favorite plants you are, yet one whom I have to baby along in these humid Appalachian temperate mountains. Quite a different landscape here than the Mediterranean place of your origin. Thanks for growing here at all. And thank you Arp and Salem varieties for somehow being more cold hardy and able to take the freezing hit better than most.
Queen of memory, remembering and remembrance, Rosemary, I make a crown of your sprigs to wander the land and hear the stories of those who speak without actually speaking. I remember what a gift it is to be alive and learn from the plants themselves. I love how you sharpen our thinking which helps us tell better stories. Stories are only as alive as we make them and you are a plant of many stories—your gifts abound in both old texts and new. You enhance our cognitive function and help us concentrate on the task at hand. I really need to eat and drink a lot of your needles just to help me remember your new name since the Botanical Elite have recently changed it. Now we are told to call your genus Salvia instead of Rosmarinus and your species rosmarinus instead of officinalis. ‘Ros’ for dew, ‘marinus’ for sea-you, the plant who loves the dew of the sea—not possible for them to take that out of you!
Ok, so they’ve said you are a Salvia now, a sage, and it is true that you are. Salvia: to save. Sage: mature and wise. Your leaves taste just like I think of you- strong, wise and healing. A rare evergreen member of one of our most popular plant families, the Mints, you strongly represent your family’s gifts: aromatic, opposite leaves, square stems, anti-microbial properties and adored by many cultures.
I am most familiar with you flowering blue-purple, although I’ve seen you with white and pink flowers, too. Right now you are flowering here in the northern hemisphere-so, so pretty and delicate and hopeful. I watch bees on a warm day land in your flowers and drink, and looking around the landscape I see little else they have to feed on at the moment but Crocus, Cornelian Cherry, Winter Jasmine and you. Thank you for your end of winter nectar!
When you are growing in the right place, you a live long time for an herb. I see that you have naturalized in many a Mediterranean like clime. With your trailing or upright growth patterns, you let us heel in a sprig or take a cutting to root to propagate more and more plants of you. Much easier to spread you this way than from your seed.
One of my favorite herbalists has your namesake-Rosemary Gladstar. She has a gorgeous mane and I think it fitting for her to bear your name, as one of your many gifts is stimulating hair growth, keeping the color vibrant and supporting healthy locks.
A French legend goes that if a man does not like the scent of you, he will not be a good lover. I like this test! Ha!
When a headache occurs from inflammation and impaired circulation, and our blood needs coaxing out of stagnation, your essential oil or tea is so very helpful. As an antiseptic, we can call on you to sanitize our wounds as well as our counters and floors. I make wands with your sprigs, for wet smudging or absorbing gloom, cleansing our bodies and our space. And need I even mention how valued you are to any cook? Fresh or dried, whole or chopped; another ‘food as medicine’ ally you are to us, Rosemary. You can preserve meat with your high anti-oxidant qualities, and before refrigerators, people used you for that.
After writing this, I realize I would really do well to start washing my face with you regularly. I am looking forward to being with you more, Rosemary.
Love,
Mary Plantwalker
Announcement!
I am super excited to announce Herb Mountain Farm’s 5th anniversary Plant Sale!
When: Saturday, May 11, 10-3
Where: Weaverville, NC, Herb Mountain Farm
Who:
~Mateo of Herb N Roots, @herbandrootsnursery w/ plant starts of all kinds!
~Steph and Chris of Wise Earth Way, @wiseearthway w/ herbal medicine and turmeric starts. (Wise Earth Way will not be selling veggie and flower starts this year).
~Jeremy Migner, @migsthegardengeek w/ spring fresh vegetables and links to his CSA
~Britt of Willow Creek Nursery, @willow_creek_nursery w/ native and ornamental perennials
~Mary Morgaine, w/ Mary’s Flora @maryplantwalker with her self/serve plant stand of HMF baby plants
~Cailen of Bittersweet Nursery, w/ edible fruit and nut trees and shrubs
~Michael of Magic Dragonfly Nursery, w/ native plant starts
~Scotty and Ma’ayan with Soul Gardens @soulgardenslove w/ amazing food
….and some other little surprise too-
So please mark your calendars and spread the word!
I share your adoration for Rosemary. When returning home after a week away and leaving my darling alone with Mister, I wept to find her dry and to never recover… I had tried many years to grow a Rosemary plant and was thrilled she had survived two years. Will I try again? Only if I plan to never leave home…
This is SOOOOO beautiful: Remember Who You Are. And Rosemary is one beloved plant -- I'm trying to survive two of them I'd gotten last year!!! It's hardy aroma gets me every time ❣️