Into the Underworld
the astrology of Scorpio season, what I'm herbcrafting, and my latest hyperfixations
Meandering the park at dusk
Moonlight glows
Venus sparkles
Curving east I greet the Aries Moon
Curving west I bid adieu to Venus
In this moment
I’m closer to the divine
Astrology of Scorpio Season
Welcome to Scorpio season! Scorpio is the fixed water sign ruled by Mars. Scorpio season is a period of darkness, decay, and going within. Nighttime waxes, daylight wanes dramatically as we “fall back” during daylight savings, and temperatures drop. Scorpio is full of emotional depth and intensity. They are protective, observant, and mysterious. Scorpio is powerful. Their watery Martian nature allows them to alchemize pain and suffering into transformative healing. The scorpion’s time of year is ripe for venturing into the underworld.
Sun enters Scorpio on Oct 22nd 5:15 p.m. CT
New Moon in Scorpio on Nov 1st 7:47 a.m. CT
Mercury enters Sagittarius on Nov 2nd 2:18 p.m. CT
Mars enters Leo on Nov 3rd 10:10 p.m. CT
Venus enters Capricorn on Nov 11th 12:26 p.m. CT
Saturn stations direct in Pisces on Nov 15th 8:21 a.m. CT
Full Moon in Taurus conjunct Uranus on Nov 15th 3:28 p.m. CT
Pluto leaves Capricorn for the final time in our lifetimes and enters Aquarius for the next 20 years on Nov 19th 2:40 p.m. CT
Sun leaves Scorpio on Nov 21st 1:57 p.m. CT
Herbcrafting
I’m learning how to make apple cider vinegar (ACV) because it’s becoming one of my favorite menstruums to herbcraft with. I’m approaching two years of alcohol sobriety, and I prefer to infuse plants into alcohol-free mediums. Fermentation transforms apple scraps or pressed apple cider into acetic acid, the primary component of vinegar. The jar on the left is my first attempt at making ACV from apple cores I saved over the last month. I added them to a 32-ounce mason jar, mixed two tablespoons of organic cane sugar with two cups of warm filtered water, and poured the mixture over the apples. I covered the jar with cotton muslin to allow the bacteria to feast on the sugar, initiating the three to four-week fermentation process.
Thank you,
for inspiring me to make my own ACV. I’m a paid subscriber of and love receiving her monthly deep dives into folk materia. September’s materia was apple.
The two jars on the right in the photo above are ACV made from pressed apple cider. The globs at the bottom are the Mother, the culture of acetic acid producing microbes. Last month, Will and I visited the Turkey Ridge organic apple orchard in Gays Mills, the apple capital of Wisconsin, where we bought apples and one gallon of fermenting apple cider. After fermenting for several weeks in our kitchen cabinet, the Mother formed, and now we have organic Wisconsin grown ACV!
I love sourcing food, herbs, and ingredients as locally as possible. Will and I are aspiring stewards of the Earth and passionate about supporting local food systems for health and political reasons. We love meeting local farmers and have been to six farmers markets this year, five in Wisconsin and one in Marquette, MI. We believe everyone deserves access to nutritious food grown organically and locally. We believe in farming practices that treat soil as a living, breathing being to be nourished and loved. Our food's nutrient density depends on the soil's health and the time between harvest and eating. Fruits and vegetables lose nutrients as soon as they are picked. Locally grown food reaches people sooner than food traveling through global supply chains.
I want to meet the people growing my food to learn about their relationship to the land. Are they engaging in reciprocity through composting, planting cover crops, or other regenerative practices? Are they contributing to the biodiversity of the land they steward? The sixth mass extinction is currently underway, and I believe farmers have a role to play in remediating the loss of wildlife. I say this because Will and I aspire to be farmers and to us, farmers are Earth workers (as Martice from Full Circle Healing says) who nourish the land and community.
Will and I believe in divesting from major corporations as much as possible and circulating our dollars into our local economy and food system. Sunday is food shopping day for us, and going to the Shorewood farmers market has become our Sunday morning ritual. We make our list, hop on our bikes, and take the Oak Leaf Trail to the market. We recently added milk crates to the back of our bikes to transport our locally grown abundance. I understand that farmers markets are not accessible to everyone, and there is a lot of organizing and advocacy to be done to make them more accessible. One thing I love about the Shorewood farmers market is that they accept SNAP benefits and have a matching program to double the value of those benefits. We need more people to help make organic, locally grown food widely available to our communities. Will and I are committed to doing just that. The Shorewood farmers market is one of many markets in Milwaukee contributing to our local food system. This weekend is the final weekend of market season. I hope you get out and nourish your body with delicious, locally grown food.
My Latest Hyperfixations
☀️ I’m reading If Women Rose Rooted by Sharon Blackie, and I love it so much!
☀️ I recently bought all three of Robin Rose Bennett’s published books after listening to her interview on the Herb Rally podcast.
☀️ I am LIVING for Agatha All Along! Favorite spooky season TV show this year.
In ACV & moonlight, Emily
The information in this newsletter is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace medical advice or treatment.
I love that you cultivate a relationship with those growing your food! This was such an inspiring read and I'm so thankful you continue to share you crafting journey with us <3