Willow’s Journal – Entry #1
May 2025
I grew up in the Appalachian region of Pennsylvania–one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world. These hills are ancient. I spent my youth hiking their trails, camping among their trees, and climbing their many faces. I learned some of their secrets and listened closely to their wisdom. They have endless stories to tell. They were the beginning of my spiritual journey with herbalism.
Because of all that time spent in Nature, I’ve always felt a special connection to her.
🍃 Where Plants Meet Spirituality
I’ve always considered myself a spiritual person–often lingering in the lonely shadows of more mainstream belief systems, drawn instead to Nature-focused spiritualities. I’m certain my time outdoors shaped that path. It still does.
So while I didn’t set out to see herbalism as a spiritual journey, I wasn’t surprised when my evening tea became a daily ritual–or when giving back to the Earth started to feel like prayer. The plants wove themselves naturally into my existing spiritual life.
The plants have a way of speaking. It’s a deeper truth that was only revealed when I became mindful of my thoughts and actions. And when I first melted into a calming trance while steeping my herbs in a special mug reserved just for tea time.
When the tea kettle whistles its familiar tune and the aroma of chamomile or lemon balm wafts through the air, I relax into the warmth of the first sip.
The herbs pull me into their rhythm and teach me how to listen with my entire being–body, mind, and spirit. They ask me to hear not only with my senses but with my heart. And when I listen closely, and truly connect with a plant, a new sense awakens–one laid dormant until now.
The plants have become my guides.
I have acquired a deep knowing with certain herbs–a mutual understanding and reciprocity. They have humbled me more than any religion or practice ever has. They have showed me how we work together. And they’ve become my friends. I look to them for guidance, because their ancient wisdom stretches far beyond my own.
☕ Rituals, Rest, and Remembrance
Connecting with the Earth is a spiritual and personal experience. When I hike a trail, I can feel the plants comforting me. The spirits of the woods embrace me with warmth. The gods atop the mountains watch over me like guardians, offering protection for the trek. When I’m in the woods or in the mountains I feel closer to Source. I feel completely at home in the wild.
But like most people, I can’t get to the mountains every day.
So I find solace and connection in the herbs.
There is something sacred in having a daily herbal practice. During the warm months, tending the garden allows me to honor the plants and build a relationship with them. In return for a season of nurturing, they give me comfort, clarity, and healing.
In the winter, most of them are sleeping soundly or have lived their life cycle and are focused on regeneration. This is when I bring them back to life in my kitchen and apothecary–when I turn my focus inward on my own rest and regeneration.
In the frigid dark of winter, a mug of lemon balm tea takes me back to summer. I can smell the minty citrus and imagine it flowing through the garden. The buzzing bees sing a joyful song that brings a smile to my face and uplifts my spirit.
A warm mug of peppermint and cinnamon evokes the comfort and happiness of Yule. Elderberries simmer on the stove, transforming into a sweet syrup.
These little moments of joy remind me that herbalism isn’t just about healing the body and mind—it’s also about remembering.
Remembering that we are Nature, too.
We’re not separate from the land or the plants or the seasons. We belong to them. We belong to Nature. And everything is interconnected.
If not for the plants, we wouldn’t survive–they give us breath. They give us life. In return, we give them our offerings and gratitude.
🔥 Wisdom from the Old Ways
I think about the old ways often—the wisdom that lives in mountains, the stories told around campfires. There’s a peace in that simplicity. In the ways folks knew which plants to turn to–for illness, comfort, grounding, and spiritual knowledge. Back then, herbalism was a way of life, intertwined into daily living.
And often I long for days when I can wander the trails and feel the ancestral wisdom flowing from the mountainside. They want us to listen. Nature is calling us home. Out of the confines of concrete and into the woods where we can be free.
These plants are more than remedies–they’re my elders, my friends, my teachers.
And walking this path with them has become a kind of devotion. Nature keeps me grounded whether I’m walking in her midst or sipping tea inside the house.
“Out here in the hills, the medicine grows right under our feet. It’s been here longer than any of us–and it remembers who we are.”
— Willow
With gratitude always,
🌼 I’d Love to Hear from You
How do you connect with Nature? Does your herbalism journey have a spiritual component? I’d love to hear your story in the comments.