Ancestral Ways of Being

happy equinox, the astrology of Libra season, what I'm herbcrafting, and my latest hyperfixations

Aronia Berries in Wisconsin

Happy equinox, friends. Today, the wheel of the year turns, and daylight balances darkness. Autumn beckons us in the northern hemisphere into the dark half of the year. From today until the winter solstice, daylight wanes as nighttime waxes. This year, shifting from summer to fall feels different. Instead of melancholy, I feel inspired and profoundly connected to my ancestors. Since the Virgo new Moon, I’ve been herbcrafting up a storm. Fire cider, sauerkraut, elderberry syrup, oxymel, and infused oils galore. A fire has ignited within me awakening my body to more ancestral ways of being.

I am of Polish and German descent, and for thousands of years, my ancestors were agrarian, living in reciprocity with the land. As the seasons shifted, their survival depended upon preservation methods like drying, pickling, and fermentation. I am just beginning to dabble in these methods, and it’s exciting! Will and I recently received cabbage in our CSA box from Full Harvest Farm. I knew I wanted to make homemade sauerkraut, so I found a recipe from a Polish woman online and called in my ancestors to guide me through the process. Cooking is one of my favorite ways to connect with them, and making sauerkraut is surprisingly easy. It requires two ingredients; cabbage and non-iodized salt. My first batch flavor-wise was spot on, but there were a couple of spots of mold I had to compost. My second batch is fermenting now, and I learned the cabbage needs to be completely submerged in brine to prevent mold from growing.

I’ve been in the kitchen a lot these past couple of weeks, and it feels like herbcrafting and preserving food have unlocked something within me. My ancestors have done this for thousands of years, and now it’s my turn to remember. May the changing seasons guide us home to ancestral ways of being.

Astrology of Libra Season

Libra is the cardinal air sign of the zodiac represented by the scales and ruled by Venus. Cardinal signs initiate seasons, and the Sun enters Libra on the fall equinox. Libra values beauty, equity, and social justice. Libra seeks relational harmony through mediation and diplomacy. Libra season is a time to seek out and admire beauty and to open our minds to a diverse array of perspectives.

Sun enters Libra Sept 22nd 7:44 a.m. CT

Venus enters Scorpio Sept 22nd 9:37 p.m. CT

Mercury enters Libra Sept 26th 3:09 a.m. CT

Solar Eclipse in Libra Oct 2nd 1:48 p.m. CT

Jupiter stations retrograde in Gemini Oct 9th 2:05 a.m. CT

Mercury enters Scorpio Oct 13th 2:24 p.m. CT

Full Moon in Aries Oct 17th 6:25 a.m. CT

Venus enters Sagittarius Oct 17th 2:29 p.m. CT

Sun leaves Libra on Oct 22nd at 5:15 p.m. CT

Herbcrafting

I have been herbcrafting up a storm! A few weeks ago, I picked up aronia berries at the Shorewood farmers market. When I tasted them, my mouth puckered at their bitter taste, and they dried the inside of my mouth. Another name for aronia berry is chokeberry because of this mouth-drying or astringent effect. I had never heard of them, so I went down a research rabbit hole.

As I researched, I experienced a cascade of signs and synchronicities. I was so excited, intrigued, and awed by their potential health benefits. The first sign I received was when I learned Poland (my maternal ancestral line and motherland) is the world’s largest producer of aronia berries. It felt like a message from my Polish ancestors to keep researching.

Aronia berries (aronia melanocarpa) are a shrub native to eastern North America, including Wisconsin. This served as another sign because I’m focusing my herbal studies on plants that grow in my home state. Aronia melanocarpa grows white flowers in the spring and deep purple or black berries in the late summer and early fall.

The Potawatomi people have known of the benefits of aronia berries for centuries. They are high in antioxidants and are considered one of the richest sources of plant antioxidants. Aronia berries may have anticancer effects, benefit heart health, provide immune support, and more.

These berries are powerful, and I’m experimenting with various preparations. I added fresh aronia berries to a batch of fire cider which is a concoction of apple cider vinegar infused with garlic, ginger, turmeric, onions, jalapenos, and rosemary. The fire cider infuses for about a month and supports the body through cold and flu season. I also made a small batch of oxymel (apple cider vinegar + honey) infused with fresh mashed aronia berries. This will also infuse for about a month.

I fell in love with aronia berries, so the following week I went back to the farmers market and bought four more containers! I removed the berries from their stems, washed and dried them, and stored them in the freezer. Will and I bought a food dehydrator, and I dehydrated some of them. I recently bought Mi Casita Herbs elderberry syrup kit and added dried aronia berries to the batch I made.

This fall and winter I plan to craft loose-leaf tea blends and am excited to figure out which herbs pair well with aronia berries. I also want to make aronia berry jam and add frozen berries to my smoothies.

There are so many ways to work with aronia berries, and I’m so grateful for the local farmers who grow them! Once Will and I buy our first home, I look forward to learning how to grow aronia berry shrubs in our garden.

Sources: UW Madison Aronia Berry Crop Profile, Health Line - Everything You Need to Know About Aronia Berries, Clean Wisconsin - Aronia Berries in Wisconsin

My Latest Hyperfixations

Dancing to Fred Again…especially adore u, Kyle (i found u), Dermot (see yourself in my eyes), and his Tiny Desk performance. Can’t wait to see him live at Alpine Valley!

Suleika Jaouad was the keynote speaker at a work event I attended recently, and her memoir Between Two Kingdoms is my favorite book I’ve read this year!

The newest season of Off the Grid, a podcast for small business owners who want to leave social media without losing all their clients, affirms my decision to keep the Instagram app off my phone. I adored this interview with herbalist Liz Migliorelli.

I love Sophie Strand’s perspective on the world and this interview with her on Medicine Stories was incredible.

In aronia berries & sauerkraut, Emily

The information in this newsletter is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace medical advice or treatment.