Holy Basil Through Winter: The Year-Round Adaptogen

Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) may have finished in the garden by November, cut down by the first frost, but the jars of dried tulsi on the apothecary shelf and the tincture bottles filled in summer carry the plant’s gifts forward into winter in concentrated,...

An Elderberry and Warming Spice Syrup for Winter

The classic elderberry syrup recipe (berries, water, honey, and perhaps a cinnamon stick and a few cloves) is already excellent. But the warming spice version, built with intention around the specific medicinal properties of each addition, is something more layered...

Tea Blending for Winter: A Complete Guide

Tea blending is where herbal knowledge becomes genuinely creative: where understanding what individual herbs do allows you to combine them in a way that addresses a specific need, balances a flavor profile, and reflects something of your own taste and approach. It is...

Warming Herbal Preparations for the Darkest Weeks

There are preparations that are appropriate for every season, and then there are preparations that are specifically for December: the month when the light is at its shortest, the cold is at its most sustained, and the body and spirit both benefit from deliberate,...

The Herbalist’s Winter: Reflection and Rest as Practice

By December, the herbalist’s year has come full circle. The seeds that were started in March are memories. The harvests that filled the July and August days are in jars and bottles on the shelves. The fresh cleavers of March, the elderflowers of May, the St....