Tend the garden of your soul
jen halima
Folk Herbalist, Beekeeper, Nature Enthusiast & Educator
Dropping Keys
The small woman
Builds cages for everyone
She knows,
While the Sage,
Who has to duck her head
When the moon is low,
Keeps dropping keys
all night long
For the
Beautiful
Rowdy
Prisoners.
~ Hafiz
I'm practicing as a folk herbalist, gardener and beekeeper, tending to the land around our home to grow, steward and create fresh medicinal herbal products and nourishing foods for our community.
I also like to teach... to hold a door open for wonder and curiosity.
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To me teaching is sharing and when I discover a skill that brings me joy, that joy expands as I share it.
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I've got a bachelors degree in environmental science and a masters in spiritual ministry. My hope is to integrate those two, remembering this world is ephemeral and will pass in the blink of an eye, while being fully here, alert, present and in awe of the systems of the natural world that sustain our life and into which we are deeply woven. And to share what I've been given to share.
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My journey and skill sets have been supported by varied experiences, from running a vegetable CSA for 6 years, working at various nature based outdoor schools, guiding plant walks and river trips (did I mention my deep love for the river!), apprenticing at Tonic Herb Shop & Apothecary and completing an internship with Fox Haven's herbal CSA. Mostly from sinking my hands into soil and tending to gardens wherever I happen to be.
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My prayer is that I will always keep this sense of awe and appreciation alive in my heart. That I will always remember the Source from which it came, in awe and appreciation of sun, soil and rain, and that my hands may be guided to keep pressing seeds into soil as I take my place in the nature of things.
jesse mills
And a shout out to Jesse, who is happy to simply be in service, who would never ask for recognition but always asks, how can I help? Who always has room in his heart for laughter and forgiveness. He is able to face a task at hand with patience. He is a really great gardener and does the heavy lifting and figuring out of complicated things, like fences and electricity and task that I have little patience or skill for. He keeps me grounded when I forget and try to do too many things at once. He is my earth and my friend and my greatest teacher. He reminds me to enjoy the moment I'm in.
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He is kinda like pooh. I love him.