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Holly and the Winter Solstice
Blessed Yule and Winter Solstice to everyone in the northern hemisphere. This is the day of maximum darkness and tomorrow, the light will slowly start to seep back into our world. The Oak King has claimed back his crown from the Holly King and so, in honour, I would like to share some holly folklore with you. It is considered beneficial to bring Holly into the home before the onset of winter as the fae sheltering within would be benign and capable of living in harmony with th
herbalhegemone
3 days ago2 min read


A Tree, A Day
I’m going to be sharing a lot of images from the book “A Tree, A Day” by Amy-Jane Beer. One of the most captivating books I’ve ever owned 🌿 It will feature heavily in my ecospiritual life coaching sessions coming in the new year. I particularly love the combination of natural trees, human-made trees, fictional trees (Treebeard!) and trees in art.
herbalhegemone
Dec 71 min read


Aurora, Birch and a Witch Symposium
This month, we were treated to the aurora peaking momentarily through the clouds, my silver birch showing her pale bones in the autumn sun and a gathering of witches at the highly successful and thought provoking Witch Symposium at York St John University.
herbalhegemone
Nov 271 min read


The Liminal Yew
The Liminal Yew What better plant to explore for this Samhain blog than the Yew, a highly toxic tree, spiritually associated with death, rebirth and the hidden wisdom of the Other realms. I live opposite a beautiful Yew that is currently adorned with ruby-esque berries or arils and although the fleshy part of the berry is apparently safe to eat, I have never plucked up the courage to do this. Yew trees are dioecious which means that trees are either male and produce pollen, o
herbalhegemone
Oct 312 min read


Growing Dusk
The dusk growing before a Herbal Tea Mindfulness Workshop. When we finished, 90 minutes later, the stars were out ✨ In this workshop, we explored the lore of the oak tree and the four plants we were using for our teas. One of the plants was thyme and it is said that where you find this plant growing, you will also find the Fae. We also learned how to ‘gently’ hex someone using peppermint oil 🌚
herbalhegemone
Oct 261 min read


The Autumn Acorn
The Autumn Acorn I was reminded recently of the utter perfection that is the oak acorn sitting in its little cup. The oak tree is...
herbalhegemone
Sep 202 min read


The Lore of Apples
Faced with a deluge of delicious apples over the past few weeks, I thought I would start September by discussing some of the folklore...
herbalhegemone
Sep 11 min read


Blessed Lughnasadh
Blessed Lughnasadh everyone! This blog post gives a brief overview of this seasonal festival, its spiritual significance and what it...
herbalhegemone
Aug 12 min read


The Lore of Common Chicory
In the early spring, I scattered various packets of wildflower seeds onto a strip of poor soil under my front windows. One plant grew...
herbalhegemone
Jul 62 min read


Summer Solstice with a Plastic Bottle
This morning, I travelled to Bridlington, a seaside town in the East Riding of Yorkshire to watch the summer solstice sun rise. I was...
herbalhegemone
Jun 212 min read


Philosophical Animism
In my current research, I am looking at the concept of philosophical animism, first coined by an ecofeminist philosopher called Val...
herbalhegemone
May 261 min read


The Willendorf
I have recently written a paper about my encounters with the Willendorf Goddess, particularly in relation to her agency, vitality and...
herbalhegemone
May 111 min read


Blessed Beltaine
Blessed Beltaine! May 1st in the northern hemisphere is Beltaine - a Celtic fire festival and an important pagan holiday that falls...
herbalhegemone
May 12 min read


The Mythology of Amber
Upon sorting through my largely-forgotten silver rings, I came across my beautiful cognac amber ring and, upon wearing it again, was...
herbalhegemone
Apr 281 min read


The Silver Birch
My store currently holds several hand-carved silver birch wands and so I thought this blog would explain the spiritual symbolism of the...
herbalhegemone
Apr 151 min read


Partial Solar Eclipse
Today, in the UK we had a partial solar eclipse. Whilst my phone couldn’t capture the actual sun properly due to the brightness , I did...
herbalhegemone
Mar 291 min read


Happy Ostara
Happy Ostara or Spring Equinox. The time of the year where daylight and the dark are in equal balance and after today, the hours of light...
herbalhegemone
Mar 201 min read


Tarot Reading 14th March 2025
A Tarot reading for whoever needs it. As always, some aspects may resonate and others may not so just take what you feel you need. This...
herbalhegemone
Mar 141 min read


Verbeia of the River Wharfe
This is the River Wharfe in Boston Spa, West Yorkshire and is my new favourite place to wild swim. I was recently informed that there is...
herbalhegemone
Mar 11 min read


Valentine or Lupercalia
Lupercalia is said to be the ancient precursor to Valentine’s Day and was a pastoral festival of Ancient Rome observed each year on...
herbalhegemone
Feb 141 min read
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