Legends & folklore
Legends & folklore
Myths, traditions, celebrations, beliefs, and symbolic stories associated with the plant world.
Van Van Oil — At the Crossroads of Destiny
A meditation on Van Van Oil, between hoodoo traditions, plant matter, and the alchemical symbolism of roads opening.
Witches’ Plants: Belladonna, Mandrake, and Their True Secrets
Belladonna, mandrake, and black henbane: three plants in which remedy and poison become two possibilities of the same substance.
Samhain, the Night When Plants Speak to the Dead
Mugwort, mistletoe, rosemary, rowan, and hawthorn: a herbarium between the final harvests and the memory of those who are gone.
Samhain Smoke: 3 Herbs to Burn to Purify the Home
Mugwort, rosemary, and thyme: three plants to open, anchor, and seal the symbolic cycle of Samhain.
Haiti, Plants, and Fèt Gede: When Vodou Dances with Death
Discover Fèt Gede, the Gede spirits, and the place of leaves, roots, spices, and botanical offerings in the Haitian festival of the dead.
The Flower of Día de Muertos: Cempasúchil
Discover cempasúchil, the flower that guides souls during Día de Muertos, from the legend of Xóchitl to its uses in Mexican herbalism.
7 Protective Herbs for Halloween: From Folklore to Pharmacopoeia
Sage, rosemary, thyme, lavender, St. John's wort, garlic, and nettle: seven protective plants where Halloween folklore meets pharmacopoeia.
Elderberry — The Berries of Lady Elder
Meet the black elder, its deep-purple berries, and the ancient figure of Lady Elder who watches over the tree.
Hazel — The Tree of Wisdom and Abundance
A tree of woodland edges and springs, hazel has long connected knowledge, fertility, and abundance.
Mugwort — The Herb of Dreams and Passages
A plant of thresholds and pathways, mugwort has accompanied dreams, travellers, and passages since Antiquity.
Vervain — Memory of a Sacred Herb
From ancient Egypt to the druids, the millennial story of vervain, its sacred heritage and calming power.
History & pharmacopoeia
History & pharmacopoeia
People, places, manuscripts, and the factual evolution of medicine and pharmacy.
Medicinal plants & remedies
Medicinal plants & remedies
Origins, botany, properties, precautions, recipes, and preparation practices.
Yarrow: A Homemade Salve and Cream for Skin Care
With its anti-inflammatory, wound-supporting, and antimicrobial qualities, yarrow can become two simple topical preparations: a rich protective salve or a lighter cream.
Garlic Scapes Recipe: Oxymel
Garlic scapes, the flowering stems of garlic, also belong in folk herbalism. Gentler than the clove but still green, pungent, and sulfurous, they work well in fresh seasonal preparations.
The Herbal Bath
Some evenings, a shower isn't enough. Lavender, calendula, rosemary: the ancient art of turning an ordinary bath into an interlude that slows time down.
The Evening Tea
The evening ritual that brings the whole house down a notch. A scene, a recipe, and the story of a woman who dared to write down what other women had always known.
Basil: An Underestimated Medicinal Plant
Often reduced to its role in the kitchen, basil (Ocimum basilicum) is nevertheless one of the most historically charged plants of the Mediterranean flora. A true crossroads between table and apothecary, it has accompanied humanity since antiquity, both for its culinary uses and for its long-standing place in herbal traditions.