Wintering: Reclaiming Fallow Times
Winter evokes cold, lifeless, earth for many of us, particularly for folks in the Northern hemisphere. We believe that winter is a rich opportunity to reacquaint with the deep rest practices of decay. Turning inward is a necessary practice to access the inner fire that catalyzes and sustains our creative practices. We will explore fallow seasons in different climates and examine how ancient, indigenous, seasonal rest observances have been destroyed by colonialism and capitalism.
By looking at the regenerative aspect of winter we hope to give participants tools to create their own rest rituals or recognize and embrace a fallow time when it occurs. We challenge the notions of the fallow field as useless because no visible growth is happening. We have a deep knowing that rest does not equal stagnation; from our body’s metabolic processes and microbial dances to the sleeping perennials, rest is never a static state.
sára abdullah (they, she) is an indigenous SWANA/Pinxy non-binary femme Muslima dyke descended from nomadic dreamweavers, kitchen witches, tricksters, storytellers, land stewards, and sea-faring people. She currently lives in exile from her homelands as a visitor on unceded Canarsee Lenape land. They are the Steward of Vision & Possibility of earth seed holistic, a practice providing botanical offerings, herbal consultations, creativity coaching, divination, full-spectrum companionship, and community education rooted in plant medicine, cosmic wisdom, and nurturing the creative spirit. She is also the Hearth-Keeper of WiseBodies, a school dedicated to whole sexuality education for all ages. Learn more at: www.earthseedholistic.com and wisebodies.org
Nicole Acosta Nemergut is an herbalist, Chinese Medicine student, zine maker and educator based in New York with roots in Puerto Rico and Europe. Her work through Ballast Botanicals is inspired by the concept of ballast flora. When ships would arrive in a port without cargo or people they would fill the ballast with dirt from the places they sailed from to balance the ship. Upon arriving the ballast would be emptied, unloading soil and seeds from across the world and altering the landscape and environment. When records were hidden and destroyed, or there were none to begin with, the soil continues to hold those stories.
Materials Needed:
Broths are meant to be flexible. Use any combination of these herbs and foods depending on what you have available at the time.
We’ll be focusing on astragalus and ginger for teaching.
Optional Foods:
chicken or beef bones, onion, garlic, carrot, celery, greens, potato, sweet potato, rice, pasta
Optional Herbs:
ginger, reishi, astragalus, shiitake, rosemary, thyme, oregano, black pepper, turmeric, sage, nettles
