Winter Woods, Sparks of Light
Here we are, in the very early days of another circle around the sun, another cycle through the seasons. This is the time of year when many set intentions for the phase ahead, sketching out resolutions for a new start as the winter rains encourage new growth from the earth. The counting up of another year moving forward is not so much an advancing marker in a linear story, not the end of something or the beginning of another, but a chord in a song that can be played again in a new song, for a new purpose.
There are innumerable surprising and inspiring pieces to this puzzle, and we all internalize moments of joy or disappointment, achievement or irritation in whatever way we must to make them passages in our stories as individuals. While each life, whether human, plant, animal or microbe, is distinctive and full of matchless experience, all lives are connected under the same sky, under the same rains, under the same sun. All life depends on the renewal of these cycles, and all life undergoes moderate to microscopic transformations during these renewal seasons.
As deeply as we know in our bones and our roots that we are interconnected with the world around us, it is easy, this time of year most especially, to forget those connections and focus on ourselves and our internal worlds, our desire for change, desire for growth, desire for wisdom. I find that all it takes is a walk through the forest on a rainy day, dense with fog, to remind me of the abundance of other energy in this world feeding into my energy and seeking mine out, like little sparks of light, shared one life to another. My reflection in the rain-rippled lake high in the mountains reflects back at me not just my own personhood, but a vast picture of life, even if I can’t see it past the trees and sky. We know these connections are there and we know that whatever new intentions or resolutions we are setting for the year ahead will, in some way, affect them too. Be kind and live light, in relationships with humans and earth. The slower we travel, the more we exist inside of each moment, the deeper our roots will go and the more peace we will find.
My walk in the winter forest was to clear my head and reset my energy, but also to forage for evergreens. It may seem like winter is a resting season for gathering, but there is much to be had when you know where to look. Most evergreens are edible and medicinal. Pine, spruce, fir, juniper and cedar trees are rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, and other nutrients. The bark and boughs taste of resin and citrus. Not only are evergreen barks and needles great for brewing winter tisanes, they shine in winter baking, infusing syrups or liquors, and as prominent components in marinades. When we know where to look, there are gifts bursting from the earth that fit most precisely what we need in that season. Rosehips and evergreens are generously proffering their vitamin C during the months where we need the immune system boost the most. It’s this reciprocity in nature that sustains us, so long as we remember our part in it all.
Winter Woods Tisane
5 cups compressed evergreen needles (cedar, juniper, pine, or fir)2 Tablespoons Oregon Grape root, chopped2 Tablespoons dried wild rosehips1 Tablespoon dried peppermint leaves1 Tablespoon dried sage leaves8 cups waterCombine all ingredients in a large stainless steel pot and cover pot with a lid. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for another 15 minutes. Strain tisane through cheesecloth or sieve and sweeten with raw honey if desired. This recipe makes 8 cups of tisane, which you can serve immediately or refrigerate to sip on throughout the day for an on-going boost of vitamin C.