Winter’s Reward: Learning the Land Close to Home By Diane Duckworth The Woodland Apothecary “My observation of the forest has held up a mirror to my own nature.”   David George Haskell It’s the time of year when the cold walls us in. When warm cups of tea or cocoa feel more inviting than warm mittens and winter’s cold embrace. Stepping outside can require a bit of bravery. Once I am out, it feels wonderful. But getting out that door can be a challenge. Lately, the world has f

A winter reflection on listening, lineage, and the quiet magic of connection There is a moment, subtle, almost imperceptible, when something shifts. It happens when we slow down enough. When we stop striving, stop searching, and simply listen with the heart. Lately, I’ve been noticing how things begin to weave themselves together when the soul relaxes. A piece of music arrives at exactly the right moment. A book opens itself, not as a book at all, but as an incantation. An ar

By Diane Duckworth In a village nestled between the mountains and the sea lived a boy named Ian. To others, he seemed a quiet child, often still and staring. But Ian was not quiet; he was listening. And he was not staring; he was seeing. Ian perceived what most people had forgotten: that every living thing has a spirit and a voice. An ancient pine at the edge of the wood didn’t just creak in the wind; it whispered  in a low, resinous voice of deep roots and patient time. The