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Witching Hour Farm & Folklore, Bethel, OH (2025)

08/18/2025

Leo season is drawing to a close this week, and with it, we shift from the fiery heart of summer toward Virgo’s earthy “back to school” refinement. But before you sharpen up those Ticonderoga’s, let’s honor one of Leo’s shining plant allies: Calendula (Calendula officinalis).

Leo is ruled by the Sun and governs the heart, blood, and circulation. It’s a sign of vitality, warmth, and radiance. Calendula, with its golden blossoms, reflects this energy perfectly.

Calendula helps move stagnant blood and lymph, and is a gentle cardiovascular tonic, supporting healthy flow and reducing inflammation (keeping that fiery Leo energy rolling instead of overheating or stagnating).

On an energetic level, Calendula uplifts the spirit, brings light to heavy moods, and helps us embody Leo’s natural radiance in a sustainable way.

As Leo season ends, it’s a good time to ask: How have I tended to my inner fire this summer? Have I honored both the joy of shining brightly and the need for balance and rest? Calendula plays the long game as a prolific grower with a lengthy growing season (as noted in this excerpt taken from A Lyle Herball), and reminds us that vitality is not just about burning hot, but about glowing steadily.

08/17/2025

Personal growth is often rooted in the exercise of building resilience in uncertainty and trusting your inner compass to guide you towards a life that feels fulfilling.

I’ve been working through a set of journal prompts and tarot card spreads this week as I continue to navigate the transitions in my own life that I’ve found helpful, and thought I’d share them in hopes that it may be timely for you as well.

May you always stay curious and find joy in your journey 🖤

07/25/2025

MULLEIN | WITCH’S CANDLES

I’ve been spending a lot of time with mullein this week, harvesting the tall stalks from around the land and preparing them for something special I’m planning this October. If all goes well, I’ll have a bundle of “witch’s candles” ready to share at a few events, along with stories about their deep roots in folklore and fire. I thought I’d take a moment to share some of what I love about this plant’s more luminous past.

The first known literary reference to plant stalks being used as a torch appears in Dioscorides’ De Materia Medica, written in the 1st century CE. In this incredibly influential Greek pharmacopeia, Dioscorides describes a tall, hollow, plant stalk being dipped in tallow and used as a lamp wick or torch, an early documented mention of its use in this way.

This aligns with what we know from folk practices across Europe, where the dried stalks of mullein (Verbascum thapsus) were commonly used as torches or candlewicks, sometimes called “hag’s tapers,” or “witch’s candles”.

The idea likely predates written records and has even earlier roots in oral traditions. But Dioscorides’ work is the first surviving written text that associates a mullein-like plant with light or flame in a functional way, rather than purely symbolic, way.

The name “witch’s candles” (along with related terms like witch’s tapers or hag’s tapers) for mullein comes from European folk traditions, especially in England, Scotland, Germany, and other parts of Northern and Central Europe. These names reflect both the plant’s torch-like form and its associations with magic, protection, and the supernatural.

In American folk magic (especially Appalachian traditions derived from British settlers), mullein retained its protective and fiery symbolism. It was used in ritual candles, carried for protection, or placed near the hearth.

I’m so looking forward to weaving these tales into my fall offerings. There’s something really powerful about holding a plant that once lit the way for our ancestors, whether for flame, medicine, or magic.

07/20/2025

Cancer is a water sign ruled by the Moon, associated with the emotional body and the physical systems that nourish, protect, and sustain life. It governs the breasts, stomach, womb, and the fluids of the body—all organs and tissues tied to nourishment, digestion, and emotional memory.

Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) is a revered tonic primarily used in Ayurvedic medicine, and it shares a deep affinity with these same systems. Cooling, moistening, and tonifying, it is particularly supportive to the reproductive system, digestive tract, and lymphatic flow, offering both physical and emotional nourishment.

For the breasts and womb, shatavari helps regulate hormones, enhance fertility, and soothe inflammation, making it a key ally for those experiencing PMS, perimenopause, or depletion from caregiving or overwork.

For the stomach and digestion, it calms excess heat and acidity, supports mucosal health, and promotes a gentle, restorative digestion.

Energetically, the Moon governs fluid balance and our emotional tides. Shatavari supports hydration and tissue integrity, while also offering grounding for the nervous system, helping to soften anxiety and restore emotional resilience.

During Cancer season, shatavari invites us to slow down, replenish, and care for the systems that carry and hold us. It’s lunar medicine in root form—protective, nourishing, and deeply restorative.

07/19/2025

When the summer heat settles in, staying hydrated becomes more than just a wellness goal, especially for those of us managing health conditions where hydration plays a vital role in feeling our best. I’m always on the lookout for delicious, herbal-inspired ways to keep my fluids up, and this trio of mocktails has become a seasonal favorite.

Each one brings its own refreshing charm, blending tangy fruits, soothing herbs, and hydrating ingredients to keep you cool, nourished, and connected to the flavors of the season.

Whether you’re sipping on the zesty Lemon Ginger Switchel, savoring the floral fizz of the Blueberry Lavender Spritz, or indulging in the sweet tang of the Strawberry Basil Shrub, these summer mocktails offers more than refreshment—they’re small rituals of care, connection, and seasonal pleasure. Hydration doesn’t have to feel like a chore! It can be a sensory invitation to slow down, listen to our bodies, and celebrate the gifts of summer one sip at a time.

Check out our blog, Rooted Rhythms, for the full recipe for each drink on our website!

I hope you’ll give each one a try and let me know which one is your fave!

07/08/2025

Out by my lil cabin workshop, the mugwort is tall now. Its silver-backed leaves sway gently in the wind. I brush past it on the way into “work,” its scent a little wild, a little bitter.

In astro-herbalism, mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) is often aligned with the Moon, ruler of Cancer—both guardians of memory, intuition, and inner tides. Cancer season pulls us inward, and mugwort helps us move through those depths.

Cancer sits at the bottom of the astrological chart (the nadir). The place of origin, home, and our inner foundation. It’s where we come from. Mugwort clears space here, helping us access what’s hidden while offering protection and grounding.

This sign is also linked to Artemis, goddess of the Moon, the hunt, and wild places—just in time for the full Buck Moon this Thursday, July 10. Mugwort itself carries her name; Artemisia is said to be named in her honor.

In medical astrology, Cancer rules the stomach. Mugwort’s bitter quality can ease digestion, especially when stirred by emotion or anxiety.

I like to hang a few sprigs above the door, burn it before bed, or dream with it under my pillow (and my dreams get WILD during Cancer season so I get especially grateful for mugwort in this application). It’s a plant that helps us listen to what lives below the surface and better navigate the waters of life when the seas are rough.

07/04/2025

I will not be celebrating with fireworks or flag-waving today.

I’m honoring the potential of this land, beyond the myth of independence. Beyond the settler-colonial narrative that built this nation on stolen land, stolen labor, and ongoing harm.

I believe in a different kind of freedom.
One rooted in care.
In disability justice.
In body autonomy.
In environmental stewardship.
In access to healthcare that begins with the soil and the cycles.
In reparations and reconciliation—not performative patriotism.

So today, I’ll tend the land. I’ll water what I want to grow. I’ll care for the soil that cares for me. I’ll move at the pace my body wants to go. I’ll show up for my family, for my community, and for the healing work that calls me.

We can choose to do better.
We can choose to live more gently.
We can choose to build systems that support life.

That’s what I’m celebrating today.

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06/25/2025

Hot Tips for Gardening with EDS/Chronic Illnesses in the Summer

It’s 6:00 a.m. and it’s already 74 degrees. The humidity is somewhere around 178% roughly, but we’re out in the garden to “beat the heat”.

Limitations make me grumpy, so I thought I’d share some things that help us manage outdoor chores when the heat is oppressive. The best part is these are all things that can be helpful for anyone, you don’t even have to be a part of the spoonie community, haha.

🍃Go out early or late. Mornings and evenings are much gentler on our bodies. Ace and I try to avoid the heat of the day as much as possible—overheating tends to bring on fatigue, dizziness, and joint pain fast.

🍃Sit down often. I keep a low stool or kneeler nearby so I don’t have to crouch or twist. I can’t tell you how many subluxations I’ve avoided by just giving my joints the option to rest.

🍃Keep a “cool kit.” I bring a couple ice packs, a cooling wrap, and some homemade herbal tea concoction or something with electrolytes (yes, that is coffee in my hand to start with. Let me enjoy things). Staying ahead of heat and hydration is a big part of pacing for me.

🍃Support where needed. Compression gloves, knee sleeves, wrist braces—whatever gets the job done without pushing your body past its limits. Ergonomic tools make a huge difference too.

🍃Garden up high. Raised beds, container gardens, even hanging baskets—anything that lets me avoid deep bending or awkward angles. I’ve learned to build the garden around my body, not the other way around.

If you have EDS (or any chronic condition that makes gardening more complicated), I’d love to know what works for you.

06/23/2025

In honor of the New Moon in Cancer, I thought I’d share this modernized excerpt from this beloved Scottish tale featuring otherworldly encounters and the imperilment men can find themselves in when they insist on being in spaces they don’t belong…

About The Tale of the Witch of Fife

A man from Fife (a region in eastern Scotland) discovers that his wife is secretly a witch. At night, she and a group of other witches fly off to meet with the Devil and dance with the spirits. One night, curious and suspicious, he secretly follows her and witnesses their supernatural revelry.

Fascinated, he begs to join them. She agrees, and teaches him how to fly by anointing his body with a magical ointment. They ride on broomsticks or sometimes animal forms, and travel far and wide through the air, across seas, and to the dark fairyland beneath the earth.

They attend a great witches’ Sabbath, often described as a wild feast with the Devil presiding, filled with dancing, music, and magic. But while the witches belong to that world, the man does not.

When the revelry ends, he cannot return to his old life. He’s either cursed, transformed, or left lost between worlds—depending on the version of the ballad.

The earliest known version of The Witch of Fife appears in the 17th century, in Scots dialect verse, but it gained wider attention thanks to James Hogg, a Scottish poet and folklorist.

James Hogg’s version appears in Mountain Bard (1807) and in later editions of The Queen’s Wake (1813), where he modernized and stylized the old ballad while preserving its core folklore. His version is more poetic and whimsical, while still rooted in supernatural folk beliefs.

Witching Hour Farm & Folklore

08/18/2025

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