and sow it is

 Spring has arrived. The grass is almost long enough to need a trim, the trees are budding, and our seeds have sprouted. We slept with the windows open last night to welcome in the new season. This month has brought us good weather, and a little bit of rain. The full worm moon in Virgo this week had a lot of people in an emotional uproar. It was loud. At the wolf den, we focused on staying organized and comfortable where we could. This time of year can feel a little hectic. Like a lot of folks, we’re planning our garden and preparing for chicks. Not unlike a lot of folks, we ended up with a lot more seeds than we know what to do with. Luckily, the wolf built so many garden planters we will not be left wanting for space. 

What are we growing? Everything. We want as many veggies as our planters can stand, tons of herbs for drying, and every medicinal flower on the market.  Making my own skincare items means wanting only the best ingredients. I have a few choice herb shops who's products I trust for making a lot of stuff currently, but the long term goal is to have as much as possible being grown directly outside our bedroom window. Roots for tinctures, herbs & flowers for oils and salves, and so much more. We’re starting big. I listed a few mixed packets of my favorite medicinal flowers in the shop so you can plant your own little healing flower garden as well. It’s a mix of echinacea, calendula, marigolds, and yarrow with a little California poppy blend thrown in for an added punch of color. 

       This week I added a few new apothecary items to the shop. There’s my new Ink & Armor Tattoo salve for helping fresh tattoos heal quickly (and keeping older ones looking fresh!) Patchouli Rose salve for dry skin, a lotion bar made with the same powerhouse ingredients in my Calendula & Pepper body oil, 

and the one we’ve been the most excited about, 

 Mountain Tobacco & Rose skin nourishing muscle salve. 

I infused dried roses, calendula, arnica & lavender in oil for weeks before triple straining it and mixing it into these products. The textures are creamy and dreamy, they all smell incredible, and the healing properties are immediately noticeable. Ive always suffered from problematic skin, and taking the natural route has really helped over the decade I’ve been making & using them. I recently healed my newly acne prone face (thanks hormones!) with a mixture of natural neem oil cleansers, and a Yarrow & Tea Tree facial oil I made and have been testing rigorously on myself. (Spoiler: It’s coming later this season with a few other new oily mixes.)

I’m pretty sure I covered this already, but I really dislike lotion. The wet, cold feeling of it being smeared around my skin, that’s a big no for me. But lotion bars? Yeah, those were invented for people like me. It’s a salve, but with added oils for a smoother application on larger areas. Will they replace my daily oil use? Probably not, but they’re a perfect option for when I’m laying in bed and don’t want to risk getting oil all over the place. I try to use my products all day every day, so convenience and results are the name of the game.

   

Spring also means a lot of house cleaning for most. 

 We’ve been clearing out space and letting go of things that no longer serve us. This place has been taking on a new light, and it’s beautiful. I’ve found myself focusing on building our home apothecary and letting macrame sit in the back burner a while, but it is coming back very soon. Plant hangers will be stocked before Beltane, and I have a new macabre line coming along as well. For now, I’m enjoying the sunshine, and mixing up healing items & perfumes to lift the spirit. Putting all of my energy where I feel it’s the most useful, and loving every step of the way.

Happy Spring Equinox, folks.