• And the Plants Will Set You Free

    Through knowing and using the plants that grow around us—the ones in our backyard, the weeds that resist all efforts to control them, the abundance and diversity of the species in the Cascadian forests—we are more whole, secure and free. What’s right under our feet are, by their very nature, agents of freedom. [Read full post]

  • Design Thinking for the Creative Herbalist

    As herbalists, we are naturally using design processes all the time. Working in the plant and human world for the purpose of healing we are constantly dealing in very complex worlds. I want to push you to go past what you know is comfortable and reimagine your practice so you are doing the wildest, most liberating brilliant work that you can. [Read full post]

  • Aesthetic & Beauty in Practice

    It’s touching the dirt, digging roots, preparing and sipping beautiful garden tea blends, smelling the flowers, having my apothecary full of jars containing gorgeous, whole-leaf herbs. Microwaving a wack bag of herb tea is a completely different game. Authentic botanical practice is a lifestyle that honors the sanctity of life and the ecological patterns around us. It’s how we connect to the larger planetary system. [Read full post]

Monthly Archives: January 2010

Key limiting factor for human development?

By Renée A.D. | Published: January 24, 2010

According to Paul Ehrlich, the key limiting factor for human development on this planet as a whole is the inability for our environment to handle our waste products. Watch the video at the Stockholm Resilience Centre. Thought provoking, whether you agree or disagree with him.

Posted in Systems Theory | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Panos Tsagaris

By Renée A.D. | Published: January 15, 2010

This has been on a couple of blogs by now, but I really have to devote a post to it for those who haven’t seen this.  And once again, thanks to Pam at Phantasmaphile for bringing this to my attention. Panos Tsagaris. I am, truth be told, kind of stunned. This work is truly awe-inspiring. [...]

Posted in Art | Tagged | Leave a comment

Codices Iconographici

By Renée A.D. | Published: January 15, 2010

Codices iconographici – i.e. illuminated manuscripts with no text or merely explanatory text” is the name of a manuscript collection of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek which was established in the 19th century under J. A. Schmeller and described in a hand-written inventory. With the addition of new acquisitions, this inventory was continued in handwriting until 2002. [...]

Posted in Books | Tagged | Leave a comment

Madeline von Foerster

By Renée A.D. | Published: January 14, 2010

It’s high time I post a couple of her fanciful and rich paintings (more on her website). I especially enjoy the alchemical painting series, a couple of which can be seen below. I remember first seeing one of them (what was it? Putrefacto? I think.) at the studio of Ouoroboros Press in Seattle. So here’s [...]

Posted in Art | Leave a comment

Recapitulating Ernst Haeckel

By Renée A.D. | Published: January 10, 2010

The more I live, the more I love and admire the work of Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919). He was a zoologist, artist and illustrator, and later a professor of comparative anatomy. I first heard of him while carrying out a philosophy of development study for my undergraduate degree, as he is well known for the phrase “Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny,” or rather, an individual’s (biological) development mirrors that of the species’ evolutionary development.

Posted in Art | Tagged , | 2 Responses

Back in Olympia & Proteus Gowanus!

By Renée A.D. | Published: January 5, 2010

A definite highlight of last weekend was visiting Proteus Gowanus and the Morbid Anatomy Library. Morbid Anatomy is just one of those amazing blogs that’s able to tie together so many broad ideas and keep the subject matter focused enough to really drive those ideas home. So I was really excited to visit with Ms. [...]

Posted in Adventures in the Trade, Books | Tagged | Leave a comment