Celebrating the Beauty & Magic of Nature
One of the very many things I love about foraging, is how there are always new plants (or new parts of a plant) to discover and enjoy. One of my favourite discoveries of last year were Nettle seeds! Despite having collected Nettles leaves often for cooking up like spinach or drying out for teas, I hadn’t thought about collecting the seeds, that are abundant on the plant at this time of year.
Continue reading “Nutritious little Nettle Seeds”
Sourcing high quality natural ingredients for our products is really important to us. Since setting up Wild Fen last year, lots of our time has been spent trialling and researching ingredients and thinking about our priorities when it comes to the ones we select.
From the very beginning we knew we wanted all of our skincare to be effective whilst remaining 100% natural and free from chemicals, preservatives and artificial fragrances. By creating water free, oil based products this was possible to achieve.
With the base ingredient for most of our skincare being oil, we set about considering which ones we wanted to include. We knew we wanted our oils to be sustainable and sourced as locally as possible to keep our carbon footprint low. This ruled our some lovely skincare oils such as Jojoba and Coconut oil for example.
Continue reading “The benefits of Sunflower Seed Oil”
We have been busy harvesting our herbs and crafting smudge sticks during the Solstice period. We found it to be the perfect time as many of our herbs and flowers were peaking in tune with the sun.
Continue reading “Solstice Smudge Sticks”
The Summer Solstice also known as Litha, falls between June 20th and 23rd each year and marks the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
As day light hours reach their peak, we can feel the impact on the land around us – flowers are blooming, herbs are at their most fragrant and animals are busy raising their broods. Life navigates around this peak – rising and blooming in tune with the Sun.
Solstice literally means ‘the Sun stands still’ and it can be a good point in the year to pause and reflect on how our own lives are feeling right now. In today’s post I shall be sharing my favourite question to work with at this time of year, along with some simple ways to connect with the season.
Continue reading “A Guide to Litha – the Summer Solstice”
Tomorrow the sun will enter the Zodiac sign of Cancer. Cancer season runs between June 20th and July 22nd and is the fourth sign of the Zodiac. The start of this season also coincides with daylight reaching its peak at the Summer Solstice.
At this time of year of year crops are ripening, the Earth is abundant and it is easy to appreciate the nurturing qualities of nature. Similarly Cancer is described as the nurturer of the Zodiac. Qualities associated with the sign also include intuition, tender care for others and a deep sensitivity. Cancer is a water sign and is ruled by the Moon both of which bring an emphasis on depth of feelings. The sign is referred to as ‘the crab’ and can relate to those strong feelings being hidden deep within its shell.
If you haven’t used a salve before, it is probably different to the consistency of a lotion or cream you may be used to. A salve is completely water-less (like all of the products we concoct) which means there is no need to add a preservative to the product. When water is used in skincare, it gives a lotion like texture to a product but requires the addition of a preservative to keep microbes and bacteria from developing. Some preservatives can be harsh for the skin and we prefer to steer clear of them, opting for a completely natural product.
Continue reading “What is a Salve?”
I am never quite sure what draws me in first with Rose; the beauty captured by the eyes or the nose, both have the ability to infuse a day with magic. According to fossil evidence, the genus Rosa is thought to be 35 million years old and contains around 200 species and thousands of hybrids growing across the world. Roses have long held a rich symbolism of love, heart healing and beauty and it is easy to understand why.
There is so much to learn from this beautiful plant and I love connecting with her in so many ways. In the Spring and Summer we gather Rose petals to infuse into teas, oils and elixirs. We weave dried petals into our Smoke Cleansing Blends & Smoulder Sticks. But perhaps best of all, we stop to smell as many as humanly possible, breathing in and giving thanks for her gentle yet strengthening messages.
Continue reading “Wild about Roses”
The sun has now entered the zodiac sign of Gemini; the third sign of the zodiac year which runs between May 21st and June 21st. The season was well opened by the New Moon in Gemini last night.
Gemini season falls in between Spring and Summer, where much of nature is growing and learning. This sign is often linked with the joys and curiosities of learning and communication. The influence of Gemini’s element air also bring a focus on ideas and thoughts. Gemini is often referred to as ‘the twins’ and can relate to the concept of duality and balance, and at times when two things fall out of balance; play and rest for example conflict may be felt until balance is restored.
On a beautiful day a few weeks ago, we foraged a bounty of delicious dandelion flowers, rich with colour and healing properties. We also collected some fresh nettles and wanted to use them both in something special. These abundant plants are considered to have numerous beneficial properties for nourishing and protecting the skin. Full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, offering antibacterial and anti inflammatory action. They felt like the perfect plants to create a healing hand salve, especially for sore, over-washed hands. We also added some of our homegrown dried organic lavender for a gentle scent and extra healing.
Continue reading “Helping Hands Salve”
Yesterday we stumbled across the largest patch of flowering Wild Garlic we have ever seen. We have had a few harvests this year already. Most has gone into pesto which is a firm favourite, or chopped and added to soups, pasta and eggs.
Continue reading “Wild Garlic Galore”
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