Healing Sound Concert and Meditation tonight SOLD OUT!

Thanks to all for the quick response to this last-minute opportunity to experience Life in Balance, we are completely filled for tonight's event.  You can hear some of their music here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0j7Qxxx2NMk

We'Moon Calendar 2011

The We'Moon datebook calendar has been my personal favorite for many years.  Filled with contemporary art and writings, astrological information and inspiration.  Don't forget to get one... We have them in the shop at Radiance, and available on the web site.  http://www.herbsfromthelabyrinth.com/item/2011-WeMoon-Calendar-spiralbound-datebook-204

Monsters? Be Gone!

I made another batch of Monsters Be Gone! this morning...Recently, we've seen a dramatic increase in people looking for Monsters Be Gone! spray.  I think it's fascinating.  Are there more monsters afoot?  Are more people aware of them?  Is our shift into Scorpio triggering more things to come to the edges of shadow?  Do you know anyone who needs some?  http://www.herbsfromthelabyrinth.com/item/Monsters-Be-Gone-199

Reiki Level One Class

Reiki is a simple, beautiful form of energy work that allows us to utilize the natural inclination of the Universe toward healing. The gentle, hands-on technique can be learned in one day, and you will be able to give Reiki to yourself and others after this class. Reiki is deeply relaxing, helps to alleviate stress, and restores vital energy allowing the body to move toward wellness.


Experience the healing energy of Reiki in this class being taught by herbalist, energy worker and Reiki Master, Sarah Preston Campbell. You will:


· Learn the modern history of Reiki
· Hear a brief introduction to the three levels, or degrees, of Reiki
· Receive the Attunement to the first degree of Reiki
· Practice giving Reiki to yourself and others
· Receive a Reiki I Certificate, after completion of this class


Class will be held at Radiance, 9 West Grant Street, Lancaster, across the cobblestones from Central Market


Date: Sunday, December 5th 2010


Time: 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Bring your lunch.


Cost: $115.00 includes a copy of the book Essential Reiki by Diane Stein. A $50 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your place.


RSVP: Required by Wednesday, December 1
Call 290-1517.
Class size is limited so early registration is recommended.

The Dance of Fertility

The Dance of Fertility:
Reconnecting With Our Cycles


Like the earth itself, a woman's body passes through cycles of fertility and infertility. Sometimes our bodies are moist, cool and fertile and sometimes our bodies are dry, hot and infertile. Each month, our bodies give us signals to let us know where we are in the cycle. We can keep track of the signals and use the knowledge to prevent or achieve pregnancy or gauge overall health.

Join us for this 3-part class as we learn to listen to our bodies using the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM). We will explore what happens during a menstrual cycle, learn to chart our own cycle, and use those charts to achieve or prevent pregnancy and to gauge overall health. We will discuss herbs and other natural remedies to support our reproductive health.

Classes will be held Thursdays, October 7, 14 & 21, 6:30 -8:30pm at Radiance, 9 W Grant St, Lancaster, PA. Call 717-290-1517 or stop in to register in advance. Cost for the class is on a sliding scale: $80 to $60.

Natasha Herr is co-owner of Homegrown Edible Landscaping Co. She studies with certified fertility educator Katie Singer, author of Garden of Fertility and has used FAM successfully for the last 3 years to prevent pregnancy. She is in love with the magic of fertility and is passionate about teaching others to reconnect with their bodies.
Sarah Preston Campbell is a community herbalist, owner of Herbs From the Labyrinth, LLC and co-owner of Radiance in downtown Lancaster. She is passionate about women’s health, and sees myriad reflections between the health of our own bodies and the health of the Earth body.

Please note: FAM is not the Rhythm method. The rhythm method relies on estimating fertile time based on the assumption that most women ovulate around 14 days before their period. While this may be true for some women, stress, diet and other factors can delay ovulation in any given month, rendering the rhythm method inaccurate. In contrast, FAM relies on the daily observance of fertility signals in order to pinpoint exactly where a woman is in her cycle. There is no guesswork involved- only the facts!

Dyeing with Indigo

Blue is a difficult color to obtain from natural dyes, coming only from Woad and Indigo. I've assisted with Woad dye baths before, but never worked with Indigo, so when I found a source for Indigo crystals, I had to get some. The crystals are the result of an intense working, so being able to get the prepared crystals saves several days of work. Here's a photo of the crystals: So, into the gorgeous copper vat (thank you, Sonya) filled with cool water, went the crystals, a color remover and some soda ash. Next, I stirred (carefully!) clockwise for a few minutes, then counter-clockwise for a few more minutes. A "flower" begins to form in the center of the pot. You'll notice the spoon that fell in the pot, too. Oops. Once the pot settles and the flower is fully formed, I skimmed the flower off the top, reserving it to return at the end of today's dye session. There's a little bit to skim after each dip, too. I did learn something unexpected - apparently mosquitoes LOVE Indigo. Yipes! I had to run back inside & douse myself in Bug Off!

When a dyed piece comes out of the dye pot it is actually a bright greenish yellow. As the air comes into contact with it, it shifts quickly to darker green and then to the deep blue. It's very magical to watch. At one point, it seems as though it might stop at the point when it looks like a malachite and lapiz blend. Gorgeous. The photos below are of the shifting colors. The first photo is blurry & I apologize - I was lifting the silk out of the dye pot with my right hand & taking the photo with my left, all while wearing rubber gloves. Finally, the color settles in to the deep indigo blue it will remain.

New England Women's Herbal Conference

I love the NE Women's Herbal Conference. I've been attending for years, and have been able to learn from herbal women from around the world. It truly is an amazing experience - more than 500 herb-loving women gathered together for an August weekend in New Hampshire.

This year, for the first time, I'll be setting up my vending tent and selling my wares! Very exciting. So, I've been keeping the dye pots working overtime, making extra batches of shampoos and salves and teas.

Will I see you there?

Eli's Herb Farm

When I left Sense of Wonder camp this morning, I went searching for Eli's herb farm. Eli Weaver was a garden apprentice of mine for the past two summers, before that she was a garden apprentice at Goldthread Herb Farm. This year, she's started a small herb farm and will be supplying me with some of my herbs!

I love the progression of color in this photo! Borage, then Calendula, then Yarrow. Beautiful, isn't it?

Two-Woman Bow Drill

Today at Sense of Wonder camp we started practicing using a bow drill set to start fire. We got lots of smoke, but no coals yet. By Thursday, we plan to build our cooking fire this way. All of the girls had lots of fun!

Rites of Passage

A class in the Reclaiming Tradition

Cultures across the world celebrate their own Rites of Passage to mark important stages and events in the lives of individuals. This core class in the Reclaiming Tradition will use pairs and group trance, dreams, myth, storytelling and ritual to step into the mystery and explore personal change, healing and transformation. Supported by guides and allies, tracing the otherworld route to our own places of power, we will move in and out of trance and dream states to explore and deepen our understanding of the process by which we change, as we each become the main character in our own myth. We will learn and use powerful techniques of focusing and directing attention to further deepen our initiatory experience together. The class will culminate with ceremonies honoring our transformation. Class facilitated by Sarah Preston Campbell and Jen Frey.

When: Six Friday evenings, between July 9 and September 3, with no class on July 30, August 6 and 20. 6:30 to 9:30.

Where: Radiance, 9 W Grant St., Lancaster PA, across the cobblestones from Central Market

Cost: Sliding scale $185 to $150

Prerequisite: Elements of Magic class, or equivalent experience.

Contact: Sarah by July 2 at 717-290-1517, or stop by Radiance to register, and receive the information needed to prepare for the class.

The Dance of Fertility: Reconnecting With our Cycles

Like the earth itself, a woman's body passes through cycles of fertility and infertility. Sometimes our bodies are moist, cool and fertile and sometimes our bodies are dry, hot and infertile. Each month, our bodies give us signals to let us know where we are in the cycle. We can keep track of the signals and use the knowledge to prevent or achieve pregnancy or gauge overall health.

Join us for this 3-part class as we learn to listen to our bodies using the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM). We will explore what happens during a menstrual cycle, learn to chart our own cycle, and use those charts to achieve or prevent pregnancy and to gauge overall health. We will discuss herbs and other natural remedies to support our reproductive health.

Classes will be held Thursdays, July 8, 15 & 22, 6:30 -8:30pm at Radiance, 9 W Grant St, Lancaster, PA. Call 717-290-1517 or stop in to register in advance. Cost for the class is on a sliding scale: $80 to $60.

Natasha Herr is co-owner of Homegrown Edible Landscaping Co. She studies with certified fertility educator Katie Singer, author of Garden of Fertility and has used FAM successfully for the last 3 years to prevent pregnancy. She is in love with the magic of fertility and is passionate about teaching others how to reconnect with their bodies.
Sarah Preston Campbell is a community herbalist, owner of Herbs From the Labyrinth, LLC and co-owner of Radiance in downtown Lancaster. She is passionate about women’s health, and sees myriad reflections between the health of our own bodies and the health of the Earth body.

Please note: FAM is not the Rhythm method. The rhythm method relies on estimating fertile time based on the assumption that most women ovulate around 14 days before their period. While this may be true for some women, stress, diet and other factors can delay ovulation in any given month, rendering the rhythm method inaccurate. In contrast, FAM relies on the daily observance of fertility signals in order to pinpoint exactly where a woman is in her cycle. There is no guesswork involved- only the facts!

Fun at the Baltimore Herb Festival

This past Saturday, we set up our booth at the Baltimore Herb Festival. We've been selling our wares there for 6 or 8 years, each year on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. It's a lovely festival, held in Leakin Park. And this year, we even had a tree behind our tent for some shade!

We had a visitor early in the morning while we were setting up, and then a return visit at the end of the day. A very friendly toad.

Calcite in the Labyrinth

Last night, my neighbor, Darla, gifted me with a large chunk of Calcite. She thought it would find a home in my labyrinth. It's an amazing and generous gift, from an amazing and generous woman.

And, just in time for a full moon, a thunderstorm, and Uranus moving into Aries! What timing! A dramatic clearing of the stone, the air & the energies, and the placement of a new powerful crystal in the garden.

Calcite is often used as a healing stone, primarily for kidneys, pancreas & spleen. It alleviates fears, reduces stress & balances emotions. Calcite grounds excess energies & has a feeling of joy and lightness. It is a perfect crystal for meditation, psychic growth and astral projection. Perfect for a labyrinth, I think.

Baltimore Herb Festival this Saturday!

Today, we started getting ready for the Baltimore Herb Festival. Janna was packaging all of the teas that I blend. I was labeling the new batch of Nettle Shampoo & making lists of everthing we need to take.

This is a one-day festival, and we run from the moment our feet hit the ground that day. It's held in Leakin Park, a lovely setting, and is lots of fun. Saturday, from 10 until 3.

See lots of you there?

Working With the Dye Pots

I've kept the dye pots going almost non-stop for the past couple of weeks. In the foreground of the photo above is a rayon sundress & a couple of silk scarves dyed with Cochineal. Usually, we think of Cochineal (a tiny beetle shell) giving red, deep magenta or red-orange colour, and I did get those colours in the early stages of this particular dye-pot. I decided to keep working it as long as there was colour left, just to see what the progression would be. This is probably the 5th day of dyeing from the same pot. You can see that the reds are nearly gone, and more blues are left. I love this lilac-thistle colour!
These camisoles are dyed in Osage Orange from some sawdust gifted to me by a bow-maker. The camisole in the center was the first one into the pot & clearly picked up more of the orange hues. You can see how the color shifts with each suceeding piece in the dyepot. Such fun!

Nettle Soup

I spent part of this morning at the farm of a friend who has a wonderful and huge nettle patch. We harvested several large baskets of nettles & I brought my basketful home to make soup with. I always harvest nettles with my bare hands. It requires complete focus on the task at hand. Waver for a second and she will sting. It's a practice I love. Nettle requires undivided attention. And yet, I harvested so many nettles this morning that even I have 3 numb fingertips.

Here's a recipe I've been using for years.

Creamy Nettle Soup

A friend of mine sent me a version of this recipe from the West Country of England, & I think it's fabulous! This should be made with young, tender nettles, early in Spring. To avoid being "stung" by the nettles, you might want to wear clean gardening gloves for harvesting, washing & chopping. If there is any sting, it will be gone by the time the nettles are wilted. It is quite possible to handle nettles without being stung, but it takes a brave heart and unwavering attention!

Olive oil
3 Cups young nettles (use only the top few inches), washed & chopped
1 cup chopped onion
2 pounds potatoes
2 Tablespoons butter
2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
Dulse flakes or sea salt, to taste
Black pepper to taste
1 Cup plain yogurt

Wash the nettles and chop coarsely. Melt butter in saucepan, cook chopped onion until clear. Add nettles and simmer for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut potatoes into thick slices. Add stock to the nettles, heat & add potatoes, Dulse flakes & pepper. Simmer on low until potatoes are soft. Cool slightly & puree in a blender. Stir in yogurt & serve.

Recipe, copyright 2005, Sarah Campbell

Fairy Lights in the Garden

The other day, I was having a group in the garden for a moonlit labyrinth walk. I decided to string little white lights along the fence for a little bit of extra light and some magical mood lighting. I'm loving the way it turned out & am hoping that I can leave the lights up all summer. It really gives a feeling of a magical enclosure to the garden.

Woodland Walk at Emergence Farm

I spent this morning walking through the woods at Emergence Farm in southern Lebanon County. Sisters, Tina Sams & Maryanne Schwartz, of the Essential Herbal magazine & I had been asked to come & identify woodland plants for the owner. It's a beautiful forest, full of wonderful plants. Here are a few photos of some of what we saw.


This is wild Yarrow. It's the first photo I took, though not the first plant we saw. In fact, we didn't get all of the way up the driveway before Tina started yelling to be let out of the car! She'd spotted a swath of Ramps, which are a wild leek.


We saw thousands of Violet Odorata, the narrow leaved sweet purple violet and somehow I didn't take a picture of those. This is a lovely yellow violet.


And the delicate Spring Beauty.


Most of the May Apples we saw were finished flowering, but this one was still in full bloom.


We saw lots of Jack-in-the-Pulpit, ranging in colour from almost black to almost white. Gorgeous.


Bloodroot. We didn't see any in flower, since it's late spring, but still lots of the leaves.


A lovely fairy portal.


Morel mushroom!


And a Lady Slipper in bloom!

Radical Urban Sustainability class

Radical Urban Sustainability:
Theories and Techniques for Transforming Our City
A two-evening course with Wilson Alvarez
Thursdays, May 13th & 20th, 2010 6:30pm-8:45pm
Cost: Sliding scale of $35-$50

Picture this: Lancaster is completely surrounded by a twenty-foot wall. There is no way to go over it, under it or around it, no food or resources coming in or going out. What skills would we need to obtain the food, water and other materials required to sustain life? How could we create a system that would be truly sustainable without any input from the outside world?

Join us for this 2-part course as we explore cutting-edge theories and techniques that can be used to create a truly self-renewing system, right here within the city and inside our homes.

Topics include:

Week 1:
May 13th
Sustainability Theory:
Systems thinking
Stone age economics/nature awareness
Voluntary simplicity

Food:
Forest gardening
Small scale intensive agriculture
Mushroom cultivation
Micro-livestock
Home-scale fish production

Landscape Decontamination:
Bio-remediation
Myco-remediation
Bio-char production

Week 2:
May 20th
Appropriate Technology:
Human Powered Machines
Composting Toilets
Rocket Stoves
Low Impact Home Designs

Water:
Watershed Rehabilitation
Grey-water systems
Rainwater Catchment

Class will be held at Radiance, 9 W Grant St, Lancaster, PA 17603
Call 717-290-1517, or stop by to register

Wilson Alvarez is co-owner of Homegrown Edible Landscaping Co. with his wife Natasha. He has a background in history and anthropology and has spent the last seven years studying the local ecosystem and sustainable living techniques. Homegrown is a human-powered business and is based in Lancaster City.

Memorial Garden in Salem, MA

Earlier this week, we were in Salem, MA, and visited the memorial garden which was dedicated in 1992, 300 years since the witch trials there. I hadn't known before that Elie Weisel was part of the dedication ceremony. The small, solemn garden is along the outside wall of the old cemetery. This is symbolically important since none of those hanged were allowed to be buryed in the town graveyard. We visited the garden because one of the women hanged is my 13-greats grandmother, Rebecca Nurse. Below is a close-up of the etching on the stone bench with her name.
On the morning before visiting Salem, I was sitting in a hotel lobby in Stonington knitting. A woman came over to join me with her own knitting & we had a lovely chat. Eventually, we talked about where our travels were taking us, and we discovered that we were related through Rebecca Nurse. A gift from the Universe...

Plant-dyed Clothing

I love setting up the dyepot in the back room at my shop. I can't do it in the winter because I have to be able to prop the door open all day for ventilation. So, in early spring, as soon as I can open that door, I set up the pots and play. Last week I dyed with Logwood bark chips, which give a lovely purple color, and with Safflower petals, which give a rich gold with orange and pink undertones. I dyed some sundresses and some silk camisoles, as well as a couple of silk sarongs. Come into the shop & see them before they all go to new homes! Rayon Ribbon-strap Dress or Hand-dyed pure silk camisole

I'm hoping to find time to set up a dye pot with Tansy later this week, and should get some soft greens. Hoping for good weather...

Recognize This?

I took this photo this afternoon from my balcony. There's a beautiful old White Oak tree which gives wonderful shade in summer, houses numerous critters, and startles me with its stately skeleton all Winter. It also drops copious amounts of pollen each Spring. Those tassels in the photo? Oak pollen. It falls so thickly that it has to be raked up. I'm not kidding. Inches thick. And it breaks down so slowly that it isn't practical to put it in my compost. BAGS of it go to the municipal composting facility.

The bright gold dust has begun to fall...

Nettles for Breakfast

Nettles are one of my favorite food herbs, and I look forward to being able to eat them early each Spring. This morning was the first time I cooked with them this year, sauteing them & incorporating them into scrambled eggs. Last week I did have some Nettle soup & Nettle souffle, but someone else cooked those.

For many years, I had to go to wild places to harvest the Nettles. I didn't want to transplant them into my garden, but I really did long for them to grow there. Finally, about three years ago, they came! Two little patches in a nice out-of-the-way place beside the house. I was ecstatic! Then last year, she decided to add another little patch of herself right at the edge of the patio. Hmmm. A more challenging position. Still, I've decided to leave her there. I usually try to allow the wild plants that grow in the garden to choose their own positions - after all, they know where they'll be happiest. So, Nettle beside the patio? That will be an ongoing exercise in being fully present and attentive, won't it?

Chestnut Unfurling

The Chestnut at the edge of the labyrinth started to unfurl its leaves this morning! It's a little taller than I am this year, so nearly 6 feet, and almost 10 years old. The nursemaid Oak behind it is about 200 years old. Chestnuts used to be one of the primary trees in this area, but the blight killed nearly all of them. Foresters tell us that the root webs are still living and every so often will send up a new tree to see if it's safe yet. This is one of those trees. It's an honor to watch it grow. If you visit my garden, be sure to find it.

You can find lots of information about the native Chestnuts at the American Chestnut Foundation, www.acf.org

Earth Hour

On Saturday, March 27, at 8:30 PM your local time, turn your lights off and unplug your appliances for an hour. You will be joining with millions of people and thousands of municipalities around the world in a dramatic demonstration of unified global cooperation for a sustainable environment. www.earthhour.org

Elements of Magic Class starting soon

Using the art of magic, we deepen our vision and focus our will, empowering ourselves to act in the world.

In the tradition of STARHAWK & Reclaiming, this class will explore the Elements of Air, Fire, Water, Earth and Spirit as used to develop the practice of Magic, Witchcraft, and Goddess Spirituality.

Working through each individual element, students will learn & refine techniques to include: Creation of Sacred Space, breath-work, spell-craft, chanting, visualization & trance, and structuring experiential rituals. We will learn to sense, shift and move energy. This is an opportunity to experience deep magic as we learn the skills on which to build our individual practices.

Prerequisite: Read the first six chapters of The Spiral Dance, by Starhawk.

This class is considered the first of the Reclaiming Tradition’s core classes. Sarah, an initiated Reclaiming Tradition priestess and teacher, and Jen will facilitate class. Please be committed to attending all 6 classes.

When: Fridays, March 26 thru May 14, 2010, 6-9:30pm
No class April 9 or May 7
Where: Radiance, 9 W Grant St (across from Central Market)
Phone 717-290-1517 for more information
Cost: $185 - $155 sliding scale, includes a copy of The Spiral Dance.
Stop in to register, or send a $50 non-refundable deposit with your registration & contact information to Sarah Campbell at Radiance, 9 W Grant St, Lancaster, PA 17603. Balance due at first class. Stop in to pick up your book.

About the Cost:
In Reclaiming, we try to balance the need to be justly compensated for our labor with our commitment to make our work available to people of all economic levels. By using a sliding scale, we hope that those who can afford to do so will pay on the higher end. No one will be excluded from the class for lack of money.

About Witchcraft and Reclaiming
Witchcraft is a spiritual tradition that is based on re-membering and creating an earth-based way of life. Witches honor the cycles of nature, the earth and the goddesses and gods that live within each of us. Reclaiming is an ever-evolving tradition that is rooted in Eco-feminism and the Feri Tradition. It is dedicated to personal empowerment, teaching and unifying spirit and politics.

Intro to Organic Gardening Class

Intro to Organic Gardening: Planning the Season
Thursdays, February 25th and March 4th from 6:30pm-8:45pm.

This course is perfect for people who are just getting started as gardeners, and will also provide a helpful framework to organize and reinvigorate the knowledge of seasoned backyard growers. Come one, come all!

The course will provide concise and applicable sketches of the essential systems of an organic garden: soil structure, ground cover, fertilization, irrigation, weeding, pest control, climate, lighting, and the plants themselves. All of the facets of planting, growing, tending, and harvesting produce will be covered, as well as various common and little-known methods for each of these steps. Some overarching philosophies and approaches to organic gardening will be covered as well, including, but not limited to, Permaculture, Biodynamics, Square Foot gardening, Bio-Intensive agriculture, edible and native landscaping, and Forest Gardening.

The class will be arranged with a specific emphasis on planning a garden and preparing for the upcoming season. What better way to get yourself energized for spring planting?

Other topics to be included:
∙Astrological gardening, planning & planting by the moon
∙Greenhouses, cold frames, cloches, etc.
∙Homemade fertilizers and organic pesticides
∙Companion planting & plant guilds
∙Low input organic pest control
∙Small budget organic gardens
∙Maximizing food output, unorthodox gardening methods
∙Kitchen & container gardening
∙How to make and execute a planting plan
∙Roof-top gardening
∙Aquaculture
∙Heirlooms and Hybrids
∙Drip Irrigation Systems
∙Living mulches and green manure
∙Basics of composting
∙Specialized tools

This course is taught by Benjamin Weiss of Lower Susquehanna Valley Permaculture. Benjamin is an organic farmer, environmental activist, and a certified Permaculture Designer and Teacher. He has studied at The Farm Ecovillage Training Center in Tennessee, Growing Power in Wisconsin, and The Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute in Colorado.

Cost: Sliding scale of $50-$35. Classes will be held at Radiance, 9 W Grant St in downtown Lancaster, across the cobblestones from Central Market. Stop by or phone 717-290-1517 to register.

Let's Make Herbal Cordials!

With Sarah Campbell, herbalist & owner of Herbs from the Labyrinth, LLC
Saturday, February 6, 2010 Postponed until March 6 because of snow!2-4 pm

Cordials and liqueurs are a delicious way to enjoy blending the rich flavors of fruits and herbs. They can be healthful tonics, after-dinner sipping drinks, as well as sophisticated dessert toppings. Join Sarah for this delightful afternoon class where you will learn several methods for making fruit and herbal cordials. We’ll taste several of Sarah’s cordials, and make one in class. You’ll go home with lots of ideas and recipes, as well as a small bottle of steeping cordial.

Class will be held at Radiance, 9 W Grant St, Lancaster, PA
Stop in or call 717-290-1517 to register.

Cost for the class is $30, & includes a copy of the booklet, Making Liqueurs for Gifts.

Bring ½ pint 80 proof brandy to class. All other materials will be supplied.

Must be 21 to take this class