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Rewilding, Wellness, Recipes juniper stokes Rewilding, Wellness, Recipes juniper stokes

3 Simple Ways to Rewild Your Thanksgiving Table + A Wild Winter Recipe

Eating wild foods attunes our energy field and our DNA to the land we live on, and when done with reverence and gratitude, shows the spirits of the land that we don’t take our abundance for gratitude. It’s a way to nurture our relationship with place, open our hearts to mothering from our earth mother herself, and tend our wellbeing in physical and energetic realms.

Want to add a few wild bites to your Thanksgiving feasts this year? Here are a few simple wild foods available just about anywhere in the states:

 
rewilding your thanksgiving

Thanksgiving mythology tells us that this holiday marks a time when native peoples helped pilgrims survive by sharing the bounty of a new land with them.

Obviously, the actual history of the holiday is a lot more complicated and painful than this simple recounting—something I reflect on here—yet the ritual of pausing to honor and show gratitude for the abundant gifts of the earth is one I continue to love in the midst of a complex history. 

One of my favorite ways to truly celebrate the abundance of the earth, as well as the ancestral spirits of the land, is to incorporate local, wild foods into our menu. 

Eating wild foods attunes our energy field and our DNA to the land we live on, and when done with reverence and gratitude, shows the spirits of the land that we don’t take our abundance for gratitude. It’s a way to nurture our relationship with place, open our hearts to mothering from our earth mother herself, and tend our well-being in physical and energetic realms. 

Want to add a few wild bites to your Thanksgiving feasts this year? Here are a few simple wild foods available just about anywhere in the States…

Wild Greens

If you’ve been following along here and have some wild greens infused vinegar on hand (usually made in the spring), use it to replace any other acids in your recipes. It’s great for brightening up butternut squash soup and mixing into wild salad dressings. 

Depending on where you live, you might still be able to gather some wild hearty greens in your area…even your backyard! Mallow, dandelion, chickweed, and nettle can often be gathered in small quantities even after the first snow. Sprinkle a few greens on side salads or even stir them into stuffing—the mild flavor goes with everything. 

nettle leaves

Rosehips

Rosehips are best collected after a few frosts, which heightens their sweetness. If you gathered hips earlier in the autumn, great! If not, even wilty looking rosehips can be gathered and cooked into tart cranberry sauces or brewed as nutrient-rich teas. (Just be sure to remove the hairs and seeds first!)

rosehip tea

Evergreens

Evergreens are an abundant winter wild food available almost everywhere. Rich in vitamin C and other phytonutrients, evergreen needles can be infused into butters and finishing salts for a fresh, herbaceous flavor, or brewed into healing teas.

Most evergreens are edible, so you don’t need to worry too much about identification here. The two exceptions (that I know of at least) are yew trees and ponderosa pines. There’s mixed messaging on the edibility of both, but general consensus is to steer clear to be safe. Firs, spruces, and most other pines are just fine!

Yews are easily identified by their distinctive orange-red berries—see below. But, the berries aren’t always in season, so if yews are in your area make a positive identification first!

yew tree and berry

The signature berry of the yew tree—one of the few non-edible evergreens.

Ponderosas can be a bit trickier. If you know you have ponderosas in your area, watch out for tall strong trees with large pinecones and extra long needles. Any time you use any wild food, please quadruple check your identification. And then triple check again.  

A Fragrant & Festive Wild Tea

This tea is based around two wild ingredients—evergreen needles and rosehips. From there, you can get creative with all sorts of fragrant herbs and spices. 

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water

  • A handful, roughly chopped evergreen needles

  • One extra large handful of fresh rosehips, or a smaller handful dried (either leave whole or remove seeds and tiny hairs if chopping)

  • 3-4 slices of fresh organic oranges 

  • One cinnamon stick

  • 2-3 stars of anise

  • Lemon and honey to taste

Directions

Place water and herbs in a pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in honey and lemon, and serve in festive mugs. Enjoy!

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    3 simple ways to rewild your thanksgiving
    3 simple ways to rewild your thanksgiving
     
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    Spirituality juniper stokes Spirituality juniper stokes

    An Imbolc Ritual

    Welcome another turning of the wheel with this simple, powerful practice.

     
     
     

    Welcome to February—what an auspicious start to the month! 

    We have our Aquarian new moon, Imbolc, and the Lunar New Year all coalescing at the beginning of a new month. 

    While Aquarius expands our vision of what’s possible, the new moon and the beginning of a new year invite us to set intentions for bringing these visions to life. 

    At Imbolc, a cross-quarter celebration on the Celtic Wheel of the Year, we say our goodbyes to winter and welcome the spring. Traditionally, this is a time for planting seeds, trusting that they will spring to life when they’re ready. 

    Now, as we envision and set our intentions this day, we plant the seeds for the year to come. 

    Can you keep faith that your seeds will germinate even though there are not yet signs of life?

    The wheel of the year will bring births and celebrations, gifts and harvests, endings and completions. At this turning, we’re asked to hold faith that all will come if we plant our seeds, taking the first step and trusting the cycle to carry us to the next. 

    And yet, there are no guarantees, as we well know by now. Which asks us to find even more faith and resilience—can we effort enough to plant our seeds knowing full well they might not bloom? Can the simple act of planting and letting go be enough to fill our spirits, in this moment, at this time?

    Setting intentions, letting go of attachments, and staying in the present moment—this is your invitation today.

    An Imbolc Ritual

    Begin by lighting a candle in honor of the Goddess Brigid, who presides over Imbolc.

    Gaze into the flame, giving thanks for the presence of fire—its life-giving heat and light and its destructive and cleansing powers as well.

    Allow the flame to clear your eyes and mind of preconceived notions. In tantric yoga, we practice trataka—the act of gazing into a flame, unblinking as much as possible, until your eyes water and cleansing occurs. You might like to experiment with this as you cleanse.

    When you feel the cleansing is complete, close your eyes and come into your heart. Ask your truest self and heart what seeds wish to be planted at this especially potent new moon. 

    Allow whatever arises to pour into the flame, where the spirit of fire carries it to spirit. Feel your desires with all of your heart, and then let them go.

    When you feel complete, thank the fire, Brigid, and blow out the flame with gratitude. 

     
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