The Winter Mother’s Basket — Foraging Tasks for the Dark Half of the Year; January
Winter is pale and dreary to us wildcrafters, when ashen skies and white hilltops make up most of our days, contrasting the vibrant landscape of Summer. Trees once full of life now take the form of bone and sinew, weaving thickets and arches speckled with frozen fruit like drops of blood falling from wounded limbs. Winter is a time of scarcity, when beasts rely upon reserves of fat and the few shreds of grass they may find beneath ice and snow. In these modern times, when exotic produce and meat are a commodity, we no longer feel the need to preserve Summer's bounty. We find ourselves comfortable subsisting on what may be bought, perhaps eating more sweets and processed foods than we did when the weather was clement.
In doing so, we abandon the rhythms of nature. Like many of us who work with the Land, I find myself making an attempt to return to these rhythms by foraging for spell ingredients through the warmer months of the year; the wide range of flowers, herbs, roots, fruit, and barks putting their colors on display speak to my bones and inspire my craft. But, as many whose witch-fire is fueled by this vernal abundance, I feel the strain of Winter upon my back. When the woods are quiet, and the spirits which whisper to me through the leaves and boughs of Broom, Box-Elder, Aspen, and Apple are no longer dancing amidst the paths, I find myself yearning for connection to the Earth.
Through the years, I've learned to compensate; fiber crafts, spirit flight, ceremonial magics, and divination have become the focus of my hibernal practices. But there remains a need for connection with the Land which cradles me and my spirits. This void I have learned to fill with the meager offerings which the Winter Mother carries in a basket of Aspen twigs. These are the humble medicines of Winter, which grant us respite against the various afflictions carried by cold and wind. They grant love and comfort, banish and summon the shades of the Dead, and protect us against the woes of strife.
Here in the Prairies, Winter temperatures often dip below -40C, and true evergreens are rare; conifers such as Fir, Spruce, and Pine dominate the Winter landscape, whereas the majority of plant life retreats underground, far beneath the frozen soil. We are not graced with the Ivies, Hollies, Mistletoes, and Hellebores of the temperate Pacific Northwest, nor are we blessed by the broader variety of coniferous life found in the leafy forests of New England. In this place between wetlands and deserts, where a few key species have reigned supreme for centuries, it seems like life goes on hidden from the world for nearly half the year.
When I first came here, I spent years without searching for it, assuming that Winter meant death and silence. However, when I started to listen and observe more closely, I found that there is bounty hidden beneath the cloak of snow. What follows is a non-exhaustive list of the things I choose to forage during the Winter months, when the Cut-Wife offers her gifts in solemn silence, often rejected by those who choose to ignore her presence as if it were a bad dream they must wake from. I choose to divide it in terms of months, to serve as a calendar of sorts, which takes into consideration the cycles of life in these Aspen Parklands.
January
Spruce
Spruce is typically the first evergreen I visit in the Winter months, due to its associations with the Dead and inclinations to ancestor work, which tends to be my focus during the first half of Winter. I associate this tree with Saturn, although Greek myth associates it with Artemis, goddess of the Moon. I collect both the leaves and the pitch. The leaves are good to have on hand for various Winter afflictions, as they are packed with vitamin C and boast a range of medicinal actions; they are mildly analgesic, making them a good addition to baths for relaxing the muscles, as well as antimicrobial, antifungal, antiseptic, and disinfectant, which makes them a great all-purpose addition to teas, balms, tinctures, and syrups. In the Winter, I typically use them as part of infusions to remedy colds and fevers; this year in particular, a tea of Spruce needles and Rosehips has been helping me recover from a particularly nasty case of bronchitis. They can also be tinctured to help recover from respiratory infections, which I find also helps quell the symptoms of asthma when combined with Fennel seed.
I tend to collect the softer bits of pitch which drip from the branches and cones for use in ointments and liniments, as they more readily dissolve in oil and liquor than the harder, aged resin which may also carry bits of bark and dust. This pitch can be heated gently in olive oil until it is dissolved, to rub on sore muscles and aching joints, or on the chest in cases of rheumatism. This oil, with the addition of beeswax or tallow, can be used as a balm for cuts and abrasions, and makes a great natural alternative to Vick's vaporub, especially used in the nostrils. It can also be chewed to help respiratory conditions and clear the sinuses, while also freshening the breath and relieving mild toothache. The harder resin smells earthy, citrusy, and has a hint of vanilla when well-aged. This burns true, making it a great addition to incense. It can also be melted into oil for the making of balms, although it is more likely to carry particles you might not want to apply to a wound. I do prefer to use the resin for the sake of making a more concentrated oil, which can then be emulsified with various hydrosols to create creams. With the addition of Rose hydrosol, this oil is wonderful for the hands and face.
Magically speaking, Spruce boughs can be used to adorn the ancestral altar, and its wood can be used to fashion various charms or effigies to honor the Dead. Offerings to the ancestors can be left at the base of a Spruce tree, especially if its boughs reach the ground forming a canopy of sorts. Magpies often forage for food near the base of Spruce, making it a good place to consort with the Devil. The leaves can be used along with the pitch or resin for the crafting of incense to banish or summon the Dead, as well as for cleansing the home of any unwanted presences. Branches can be made into bundles or crosses to hang around the house, especially near windows, to protect against the spirits of the Wild Hunt and of the Wandering Dead. This is an especially important practice between the days of Yule and Epiphany, when phantoms seek warmth amidst those celebrating, which can lead to illness and bad luck for the new year. Simmered with Oranges and Cloves, Spruce needles make for a great house blessing wash, which can be used to clean the floors of the house or added to a warm bath to keep illness at bay and bring good luck.
Pine
Like Spruce, Pine is one of the first allies I visit during the Winter months. In my practice, it almost acts like a counterpart to Spruce, bringing light where Spruce embraces darkness. Pine is a plant I strongly associate both with Saturn and the Sun, with an emphasis on the latter. Though its effect is similar to its somber cousin, Pine has a stronger cleansing effect, both in magic and medicine. As with Spruce, I collect both its leaves and resin; in the Spring I also like to collect the bark. Pine's medicine is analgesic, antifungal, antimicrobial, antiseptic, and expectorant; it is also cleansing to the blood and spirit. It can be used in much the same way as Spruce, and can often be used in tandem with it. Unlike Spruce, whose needles I prefer to keep whole, I like to process dried Pine needles using a spice grinder, which shreds more than grinds them. This makes them quicker to infuse and decoct than leaving them whole --- I find that whole Pine needles are difficult to properly infuse into oil, and tend to lose their potency when decocted for too long. The fresh leaves can be packed into a mason jar, and covered in granulated sugar; left on a sunny windowsill, this will quickly become a potent syrup that can be used for coughs and colds. It is an excellent addition to Winter teas, and serves to dislodge phlegm and to provide a good dose of immune support. The leaves can also be tinctured and used as a liniment or added to the bath for sore muscles and congestion. This tincture can also be taken in small amounts morning, day, and night, to combat pneumonia, bronchitis, and other chest infections. With Echinacea, this makes for an excellent means to strengthen the immune system and cleanse the blood throughout the Winter months. It is also very warming, and can be taken when cold seeps into the bones. The powdered leaves can also be added to rubs, which is excellent for game meat such as deer, elk, moose, and bear. Mixed with Long Pepper, it makes for a delicious Boreal spice blend.
The resin has a distinctly green odor, and can be used much like Spruce pitch to craft oils, liniments, balms, and creams to combat inflammation and pain. Powdered, it can be added to boiling water to use as a steam to clear the sinuses and lungs. It can also be chewed to alleviate respiratory conditions, and asthma especially. I tend to use the resin in magic more than in medicine, as Spruce resin is more abundant than Pine in my region.
Within my practice, Pine is a supremely Solar plant which I use for the sake of cleansing, blessing, and banishing. The resin is burned to cleanse and sanctify tools and implements, and is also used to bless the home. I infuse the wood, bark, needles, and resin into Olive oil to anoint altars and seal any tools carved from wood, such as wands and effigies. The wood can also be decocted and used to asperge the home and banish any negativity, stagnant energy, and unwanted entities. When performing necromantic work or honoring the Dead of my local cemetery, I use a Pine bough to brush their graves and clear any debris from them. The boughs can be used to adorn the ancestral altar, especially for the sake of ancestor elevation, and I also like to use them during the Deipnon to decorate my offerings to Hekate. I use a Pine bough to sweep the home when a curse is at work, also using it to sweep the body from the head down to dismiss any crossed conditions or parasitic spirits. I use the cones for protection by placing them on windowsills, or within protective vessels. These can also be used for victory over enemies, and I like to use Pine resin and cones as incense for empowering talismans of victory and success, Solar talismans especially. All parts of Pine can be used in bundles, bags, or charms to ward off illness and to help the healing process. Like Spruce, its branches can be used to fashion protective charms against the Wild Hunt between Yule and Epiphany; crosses of Pine wood can also be hung in the windows to protect against lightning. Historically, turpentine extracted from Pine has also been used for nearly all purposes, especially along the Appalachian mountains. Although I would advise against the use of turpentine in modern days, I do encourage you to research its usage in Appalachian granny magic as well as Eastern Canadian folk healing practices.
Juniper
Juniper can be collected at any time, although I prefer to collect its wood and branches during the first months of Winter. For use in incense, the berries should be collected in February, although for medicine they should be collected from September through December. However, my local Junipers do not tend to fully ripen until the end of January. In January, I collect the leaves and wood of Juniper for use in incense and for the crafting of magical oils and powders; I return in February to collect the berries. Certain junipers do exude a resin, or gum of sorts, but because the 'berries' are in fact modified cones containing plenty of resin themselves, I don't find it necessary to collect the tears which appear on its broken limbs. Juniper has long been used in both magic and medicine, and shares the same qualities as most conifers, being analgesic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-rheumatic, antiseptic, and expectorant. However, it can also be used as a diuretic, carminative, and alterative, although the berries are preferred in these cases. I plan on talking more about the berries in February's article, so bear with me!
Burned, the leaves and wood can both be used to reduce the presence of airborne pathogens, making Juniper a suitable alternative to endangered White Sage in this respect. The wood can be infused into oil over a period of multiple months to create a rich and deeply fragrant balm that is excellent for muscle aches, either applied directly to joints and sore muscles, or added to baths. The leaves can be drank as an infusion to help with cystitis, urinary tract infections, and other problems of the kidneys, as well as for colds, infections, and headaches. Most medicinal uses of Juniper rely on the berries, however, which we will explore next month.
Within my practice, Juniper appears as an agent of banishment, of male sexual potency, of love, and of veneration. I add both the leaves and powdered wood to most incense blends to honor gods and their retinues, along with dates and raisins. The powdered wood can also be added to incense for the sake of igniting love or lust, and the leaves are especially good in incenses to banish and repel malicious spirits or harmful magics. Boughs of Juniper can be hung around the home for general protection, as can fetishes made of the wood; planting Juniper by the gate or by the front door keeps evil spirits at bay and ensures our ancestors' protection and guidance. I love using the charred wood to draw sigils and symbols of protection onto altars or above doorways. The plant as a whole can be used to empower and enliven love-related materia, and I typically resort to decocting the wood and leaves into water that is then used to macerate the powders or the base of oils. I find that this lends a much softer, warmer scent to the mixture compared to the powdered leaves or berries. The leaves can also be used as a bed for poppets of your beloved, so that they may protect your love and keep them from straying. A strong infusion can be used to wash the member to cure magically-induced male impotency or infertility, as well as to enhance performance in the bedroom and increase the odds of conception. The leaves can also be powdered and fed to a lover to incite lust. All around, Juniper is the herb I gravitate to the most when it comes to creating love between two men. For this purpose, a bag of Juniper leaves, Hyacinth, and Horny Goat weed can be carried around the neck or tucked in underwear. Juniper is an incredibly powerful spiritual cleansing agent, and an infusion or tincture of the wood can be used to wash altars, magical tools, empty vessels, and the bones of animals. A similar infusion can be made with Juniper leaves and Agrimony to cleanse the body and spirit by pouring the cold infusion all over the body. An even mixture of Juniper wood, Frankincense, Myrrh, Cedar, and Tobacco soaked in red wine and left to macerate for a fortnight makes a great incense to feed spirits of all kinds, and this is what I tend to feed my familiar spirits.
Check out the rest of our foraging articles right over here!
Cheers,
Mahigan