On Wildcrafting…
…and Being a Living Part of the Land
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Though absorption into music, dance, or even community are homecomings in their own right, it’s possible there is no time I am happier and more at-home than when wildcrafting plant friends. Perhaps it’s because plants are simple and honest (though some with clever disguises might tell you otherwise). Or perhaps it’s because it brings me into the wilds where the world makes more sense. Whatever the case, I give thanks for having a mama who always knew the wild things near her ~ she tended my boo-boos and made salads with them! And though I live in a land so different from her lush Oregon lowlands, there is still a bit of crossover, and the principle of being an animal participant in the landscape (rather than just a city-dwelling disconnected cyborg human) has always stuck with me. For my mother, and for the ancient wisdom she unearthed and returned to, I bow, and I continue to practice these ways…
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And here are a few wildcrafted friends from our recent adventure! I don’t tend to harvest large bunches of stuff because these are ✧✧strong✧✧ medicines I most often use sparsely ~ but when the need is there, I’m so happy for their presence! Some here in this photo are new friends or experiments ~ pearly everlasting, mountain ash, Oregon grape. Some are longtime allies ~ yarrow and mugwort. And a couple are just curiosities ~ the pine cones I brought home to help myself identify and get to know the trees (the one at the bottom I believe is from limber pine ~ their trunks smell like sweet caramel candy!). We came across sooo many other beauties and tasties along our way, but many were simply savored on the spot ~ trailside thimbleberries, a few sweet juniper berries for fortitude and pleasure, tiiiiny mountain strawberries, grouseberries harvested by comb for our morning oatmeal in the high-country… And of course flowers, so many flowers! Many of whom are probably “useful” in one way or another ~ but maybe not for me, or for humans, or for now… So we appreciated simply with our eyes and our gratitude. Thank you beautiful friends, verdant land, rich woods, crisp waters! Just to walk amongst you is an honor!
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And so I continue to walk, and learn, and listen…
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ABOUT
Ariana Saraha is a singer & musician from the wilds of the West with a passion for primordial beauty and the more-than-human world. Whether writing, singing, or drumming, her mission is to invite us to remember our place beyond the trappings of civilization and the accepted meanderings of the mundane mind. She and her band have just released From the Wild, and are working on their next album while continuing to find wonder and inspiration even in the everyday.