|
|
October 2008
October was relatively dry,
but a sharp contrast from the heat and desiccation of the American west
coast. It was a time for decanting new vinegars – hawthorn, golden rod,
lovage, winter savory, angelica and a combination of red clover, Echinacea,
bergamot and yarrow.
I was concerned that I’d missed most of the autumn harvest, but I still
managed to find enough rose hips, blackberries, elderberries and haws to
make up syrups, elixirs and more hawthorn vinegar and brandy.
It was also a time for picking seeds – sweet Cecily, calendula and milk
thistle.
I was asked to give a series of talks to residents living in sheltered
housing and residential homes run by Broadening Choices for Older People.
They enjoyed tasting the fruits of my hedgerow forays, especially the
hawthorn liqueur, elderberry syrup and tincture, blackberry and rosehip
syrup and bramble root vinegar with honey.
The October workshop is always about working with wood. This year there were
still some herbs growing which allowed us to pick apple mint, calendula,
hips and haws while Chris gallantly dug nettle roots for his tincture and
kept an eye on the fire which kept us warm.
Maddie made a rowan wand where the hand grip looked like carved bone and
some elder beads. Martin made a hawthorn wand and a smudge stick. Bethany
made a beautiful ash wand and elder bead bracelet and Marion crafted an ash
wand.
I had been wanting to make an enclosed pentacle for some time. I cut fresh
hazel and willow fronds which I twisted together, while ash, hazel and
willow formed the pentacle. Chris very kindly tied it all up for me as I
hadn’t cut the sticks long enough and they kept falling apart when I
approached them with string. (It’s very handy having an engineer in the
family!)
The following day we ceremoniously picked the first five quinces off the
quince tree. You can read about what I did with them
on my blog. |
