Ushering in the Autumn: Synchronicities that Fall from the Trees

The ripening of local cranberries to crimson, the late-blooming rich yellow goldenrod flowers, and the variety of brown hues of dying leaves ushers in the beginning of autumn. I see a remarkable synchronicity in the colors of this landscape where I live in Massachusetts and the reds and golds that are considered colors of luck, happiness, and joy during a festival of my own heritage: the Mid-Autumn festival which is celebrated in Vietnam (known as Tết Trung Thu) on this full moon in September. Streets are lined with red and gold lanterns, and the rich brown color of traditional mooncakes eaten on this special day just adds to the magical similarity!

Read More

Three Sisters: Harvesting Food and Wisdom

The North American indigenous folktale of the Three Sisters is told from Mexico to Montana, and teaches the ancient agricultural technique of planting corn, beans and squash together because each provides some benefit to the others’ growth and health. The Three Sisters celebrates a Sisterhood of mutual thriving characterized by reciprocity and interdependence: each Sister’s uniqueness is celebrated and recognized as important to the health of the whole. I love how planting and harvesting these Three Sisters nourishes our bodies as well as our spirits and communities.

Read More

The Medial Thread: Between The Cauldron and the Crow

In a quiet cave beyond time, an Old Woman weaves the world with fibers dyed from root and blossom, only to have it unraveled again by Trickster Crow. Yet she does not despair. She gathers the threads and begins anew, each tapestry carrying a different pattern, a new possibility. This enduring White Mountain Apache folktale echoes in the folklore of many landscapes around the world reminding us that creation and destruction are not enemies, but dance partners in the rhythm of renewal. In a world obsessed with permanence, at its heart the story holds paradox, persistence, and the sacred art of starting again.

Read More

Buzzard Dances & Pokeberry Spells: Feathers, Folklore & Fugitive Fires

A reflection on the folk wisdom offered in The Magical Adventures of Pretty Pearl by Virginia Hamilton filled with beloved characters from African American folklore. How folklore and folk tradition bring a small community fugitives into deep relationship with the wild, and how enchantment and magic serve as a source of psychological resilience and practical survival in the face of unimaginable hardship.

Read More

Caribou Sky: Bringing in the Light

Reflecting on the gift of a folktale that draws loosely from several stories from Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia, and indigenous Sami folklore: the Goddess of the Sun is pulled by a herd of caribou that transforms into a bear, as she makes her way across the horizon and brightens the sky.

Read More