A few years ago…in what almost seems like another life, I was spinning the wheel in a dark gray cubicle. Making loads of money yet spending most of it on all sorts of ‘therapy’ and ‘medication.’ I was not miserable, but not really all that excited about life. Then two things happened, almost 2 years apart. First, I signed up for a daily email known as Positive Press. I know I’ve talked about Positive Press before, but in case  you are not familiar it is just a simple email that includes an uplifting quote from someone, usually famous. I know us new agers can get caught up a bit in the power of positive thinking and attitude of gratitude, and it can all seem sort of cheesy at times. But, for me, a recovering pessimist, I know it was the thing that shifted everything. While some days it only made me more angry, little by little the words began to chip away at the anger and softened my edges enough to receive the messages. It took a long time, but I can now say that seeing silver linings in rough situations and meeting people at their highest self comes naturally to me most of the time.

The second thing that happened was I attended an herb conference. After immersing myself in three days of herbal lectures, most of which I didn’t understand, it was very clear to me I had come home. I had found my path. It was on this weekend, being fully open, I began the rewilding of my soul. In the three years since that weekend, what followed became the story of HerbMother: a passionate love affair with nature and her healing plants. I fell in love with the way she plays with my senses, opening up my body to receive her teaching. She shows me how to know the medicine by taste and anticipate the medicine by smell.  She shows me how to listen for the places people are really hurting and how administering potions is only one way to touch them with this work. She opens my eyes to see medicine in the most simple of things and to be a witness to healing, waiting, as it is taking place moment by precious moment. It is through engaging my senses, I’ve come to the know that I can be a steward. To offer a safe and gentle guiding hand to  hold while you step from the edge of the forest into her wild and healing world.

This year, I plan on taking HerbMother in a bit of a different direction.  As I reach deeper into the work and begin to share with others, I notice a longing. A deep desire to begin using plant based medicine paralyzed by a fear of the unknown. I’d like to help a little bit with that. My first offering this year combines the quotes that helped me break free of cubicle land with a bit of rewilding inspiration. I created the Wild LifeNotes email as a way to engage your senses to remind you of your connection to this great healing planet. There will never be any advertisement or selling of any kind. Simply a single daily image and quote drawn from nature lovers of all varieties gently urging you to look outside your cubicle window and give thanks to the green that helps us breathe or notice the shrubs covering debris on your walk into the building to work. This is my gift to every closeted or open, not quite crunchy or fully out there hippie naturalist who just needs a little nudge to engage with the miracle of this bountiful Earth.

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Positive press for plant people and those that want to be.