Why Wildcrafted?

I am, of course, brazenly borrowing this term “wildcrafted” from the world of foraging and herbal medicine.  Wildcrafting is a term used to describe the process of harvesting medicinal plants from their natural ecosystem- the wild lands in which those plants grow naturally, such a nearby forest, meadow or even your own backyard.  The understanding is that when you harvest plants from the wild, there are enormous benefits to the medicine you create from these plants.  Because the soil in most wild places in less disturbed and less depleted than cultivated land, these wildcrafted plants are more potent and nutrient-dense than their cultivated counterparts.  There is a kind of vitality in these wildcrafted plants, in nutrient content as well energetic potency; there is a stronger quality of life force that is accessible in plants grown in the rich soils of their natural environment.

This whole idea of wildcrafting has inspired me, and I realized one day while reflecting on it, that it is parallel to the way I approach the whole ecosystem of family.  Wildcrafted Mothering, though it primarily serves mothers, and by extension some of their family, has an even bigger mission: it is really about a revolution in family culture in our society.  It is about a revolution in family culture based on trust, and respect, and love; a revolution in family culture based in sovereignty and a sense of the sacred- the sacredness and the sanctity of Life.  These qualities bring us into a very different kind of relationship with ourselves and our children, our beloved life partners- and truly, with the entirety of our life.  I see this as going back to our wild roots- our roots in mother nature, and our roots in ourselves.  

Mother Earth is our first mother, and she models for us how to live in thriving harmony: in the rhythm of her seasons, in the generosity of her fruits she shares, in the magnificent way her ecosystem works together- the winds and soil, the rivers, animals, and plants.  There is incredible wisdom in the natural world, and in the rhythms of the nature, that we can learn from to illuminate our approach parenting, our relationships with self and others, with how we approach the rhythm and flow of our lives to create greater harmony and joy and effectiveness.  Mother nature is both abundant and extremely successful.  She flourishes!  She thrives.  There is so much we can learn from this first mother.  Wildcrafted Mothering is about going back to the wild, to the natural state of mother earth, and learning from that wisdom.  

But it’s also about going back to the “wilds” of ourselves: who we, uniquely, truly are.  Not who we’ve been conditioned to be, not who we think we “should” be, not who our parents wanted us to be or who society thinks we ought to be, not the ladders of success that we think will make us happy: but actually who WE are.  A lot of the work I bring to people in private sessions and retreats and ceremonies is exactly this: the “wildcrafting” of our own wisdom, coming home to ourselves, and rediscovering who we TRULY are; healing those wounds that inevitably that have occurred, and rediscovering our natural ways of being, our inner authority and authentic expression in this life.  It is about discovering our natural strengths and gifts, about who and how we want to be in the world, in our lives, in our relationships.  Through this deep “wildcrafting” of our own inner knowing, we cultivate a reverence for ourselves, a recognition of the profound wisdom and clarity and strength that lives within us, and gain access to these inner resources to bring to our life and relationships.  To me, this is Wildcrafting.  This is going to the wild heart of who we truly are, to the deeper wisdom that lives there- a wisdom in our own knowing, our own experience, in the uniqueness of who we truly are.  These are the authority from which we are inspired to action, to address the problems or challenges in our life.  It is sourcing from within.  Sourcing from our own strength and intuitive connection as a reservoir of strength and wisdom that we can bring to our families. 

In modern, western society we have been trained in the opposite- we have been trained to source externally.  We have been trained to seek authority outside of ourselves, from professionals and our “superiors”: parents, doctors, teachers, spiritual leaders.  We have been trained to source wisdom and direction from outside of ourselves.  And thus, inevitably, there is some sort of training to distrust our own knowing, our own sovereignty, our own “smarts”, our own gut instinct, our own personal experience.  I believe this is an enormous detriment to ourselves and our children, because no one knows our children more intimately and closely that we do ourselves (except, of course, themselves).  And that doesn’t mean that we don’t receive lots of support and information and suggestions from other people, especially professionals who are highly trained and have lots of great information to share with us.  But it does mean that when we choose to receive wisdom and information from other people, and we run it through our own system, and know ourselves to be the ultimate authority in our own lives.

Another aspect of why “wildcrafted” as a term and a metaphor continues to inspire me and call me forward, is this: wild “crafting” is about creating- it’s about crafting a life.  It speaks to the fact that our journey of mothering is an ongoing creation, and that our relationships- with ourselves, our children, our spouse and others- are also a journey of evolution and something that we are “crafting”.  It speaks to the beauty- and you could even say, the art- of intentionally crafting a thriving life.  This is some of what I get so inspired by in this idea of a revolution in family culture: that it is about engaging with life from this perspective that we can craft and cultivate something beautiful, a life and lifestyle that is inspiring and uplifting and joyful.  That this life is not about just getting through the day, not just about surviving, not just about making sure there is food on the table.  Of course all those things are good and important, and there are definitely times when things are intense and hard and we don’t really have the bandwidth for much more than just getting dinner on the table (don’t I know it!)- but how might we experience life differently, if those challenges happened in the context of an inspired life that is being created intentionally, a life crafted in a way that is nourishing and inspiring to you, that supports you in thriving, and in cultivating a harmonious lifestyle?  A sustainable, joyful life that breeds love, and trust, and respect- and magic?  There is enormous possibility for thriving for us.  The potential for joy and thriving in our relationships with our children is huge. 

In order to truly “craft” a thriving life, however, we must take responsibility for the act of crafting.  We must take responsibility for ourselves and our life.  We cannot abdicate responsibility to the “external authorities” any longer.  We must be willing to make the extra effort to reconnect with the wilds of nature and of ourselves, to discover the wisdom that waiting there for us.  “Wildcrafting” is not the easy way- it is far more convenient to source our wisdom, direction and nourishment from the store of conventional, external authority.  But a life that is wildcrafted is rich in the nutrients vital to the flourishing of ourselves and our relationships, and offers true wisdom to create a thriving life.

Wildcrafted is about going back to our roots in mother earth, and learning from the wisdom of nature.

Wildcrafted is about crafting our lives: intentionally creating a life and lifestyle that brings thriving and joy into our mothering, our relationships, and every facet of daily life.

Wildcrafted is about sourcing from within.  It is about going to the wilds of our own heart and rediscovering Who We Truly Are, and gaining access to the strength and wisdom that lives within us already- strength and wisdom that we can resource for all of the decisions and navigations of our motherhood journey.  

I’m so excited to explore with you the possibility of “wildcrafting” our lives!  I am inspired by this vision of a revolution in family culture that can bring us back into harmony with all of Life.  Let us discover together ways that we can create even more access to our own knowing, to anchor into our own sovereignty and sacred authority, to connect even more deeply with our experience of the sacred in everyday life with our families.  I’m excited to share the journey with you!  May it be for the highest benefit of all beings everywhere.  May all beings everywhere be happy and free.