22Oct 2024 by catbird No Comments
Samhain Simmer Pot

Samhain Simmer Pot

Autumn, Folklore, Samhain, Simmer Pot
Where I live Samhain is when the cold really starts to set in. Simmer pots become more than just a way to make the house smell nice, they add much needed moisture and warmth to the air in my drafty old house. Samhain is more of a time for quiet reflection than other fall holidays, thinking about those who are no longer with us and the cycle of life. Consequently, this recipe has a different vibe. It's not all apples and pumpkin spice it's more about memory. If there is a plant or scent you associate with a particular loved one, that would be a perfect thing to add as well. Use this recipe as a start and add anything else that speaks to you– you might just really like…
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10Oct 2023 by catbird 1 Comment
Decomposer Hike

Decomposer Hike

Autumn, Hike Ideas, Learning, Samhain
One of our favorite activities any time of year, but especially Fall, is turning over logs to look for decomposers. Decomposers are an organism, especially a soil bacterium, fungus, or invertebrate, that decomposes (breaks down) organic material. They play a critical role in the flow of energy through an ecosystem. They break apart dead organisms into simpler inorganic materials, making nutrients available to primary producers (like plants!.) Maybe that doesn't sound exciting, but decomposers are an incredibly important part of life-- without them, dead leaves, dead insects, and animals would just pile up everywhere. Imagine what the world would look like! You can do this in your backyard or on a hike in the woods, once you start looking decomposers are everywhere and it's fun to see what different types you can find and identify with…
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10Oct 2023 by catbird 2 Comments
Pokeberry Ink

Pokeberry Ink

Autumn, Craft Project, Nature Art, Nature Art Materials, Samhain
While pokeberry is a native plant in North America it is generally considered a weed. It spreads readily from birds eating the berries and can often be found clustered under fences and trees where the birds were enjoying (and expelling) their meal. Phytolacca americana comes from the Greek word phyton which means “plant” and lacca which means “crimson lake.” Crimson lake is a traditional red pigment. It was a common source of ink in early America (hence the name inkberry) and during the Civil War particularly, it was the most common way for soldiers to write home and journal. The Kiowa people used the dried berries for jewelry and the Mahuna made dyes and inks. The Pawnee people made a red paint that they decorated horses and clothes with. Early…
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10Oct 2023 by catbird 3 Comments
Falling Leaves Intentions

Falling Leaves Intentions

Autumn, Falling Leaves Moon, Folklore, Play, Samhain
I love the idea of using falling leaves to transfer your intentions into the world-- they will fall and decompose and take your message to the soil and the roots. We wrote right on leaves still on the tree and check back every few days to see if they’ve fallen yet. I always struggled to connect with Samhain. Even as a kid I never liked spooky stories and scary decorations. As I’ve gotten older several important people in my life have passed away this time of year and I always seem to find myself feeling down in late October. The place where I finally did connect with ideas of death and rebirth was through composting as a seasonal metaphor. You collect all of the spent dead things and through their…
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05Oct 2023 by catbird 1 Comment
Nature Spiders

Nature Spiders

Autumn, Craft Project, Nature Art, Nature Collection, Play, Samhain
This super easy project brought our nature table into fall. These nature spiders are made from sticks, and Osage orange fruits and a black walnut. The sticks are just jabbed into the fruit (do it outside because they leak juice) I hot glued the bent part of the leg, but you could easily skip that, have straight legs and not need any glue at all. The walnut is just set in front on the table. It’s a testament to the crazy way my mind works that I was inspired to make these by a one of those blow up yard decorations… our neighbor got one and my kids were entranced. So I started to think about making a giant spider out of sticks (which might still happen) and then we…
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