Holiday Post: First Entry /December 2025
- Kat Dunham
- Dec 14, 2025
- 3 min read
Welcome dear reader,
With the cold, blustery weather settling in for a while, I find myself drawn to cozying up in my studio and getting to work. A couple seasons worth of herbs and other medicinal plants, berries and now roots that need to be processed, chopped, and given a new life in a tincture, oil, salve, tea or balm.
My favorite thing... A quiet day with the fire lit, scents lingering of the beeswax candles, a soothing incense drifting through the air, and always, always...a favorite tea infusing, close at hand.
To me processing the plant material has always given me a chance to "spend time" with it.
Its like having an old friend over for a visit.
Once harvested at the right time, and hung in the rafters for a period of drying, there's a satisfaction in pulling it down, and separating the leaves, from stems, and then going through the process of grinding into powders, or chopping up for teas, or future oil infusions. That tiny crunch of a leaf in your hand can bring you back to a warm day's fragrance of lemon balm, mint or some other exotic scent. Very comforting when there's several inches of snow on the ground and you can see your breath in the Winter air.
Theres a bond that happens between you and the plants. You have seen them through their lifecycle. You may have grown them from seed. Planted them. Nurtured them through several years of established growth, and then, at the appropriate time, harvested them, and hung them to dry, or perhaps tinctured them fresh.
Theres almost a sense of "pride" in them, like they know they're being grown to heal.
When first starting out on my plant path, many years ago, I had asked a mentor, who at the time was watering his greenhouse, "How do you know what they need". His answer..."Just listen and they'll tell you. You'll just know."
From that moment on I opened myself up to how they communicate. Most of all, what they can be used for, and how they each offer different healing, and support to the body. The fascinating idea that the "signature", or characteristics of the plant can show you so much of what its used for and how it can be used in, and on the body.
Herbalism isn't just a path, it's a continuous journey of learning.
It's not a "one size fits all"remedy or medication.
Just like each individual person or animal is different, so are the actions of each plant on a single being.
When thinking about how to begin this blog/journal...I originally thought I wanted it to be a way of teaching you, dear reader about how herbs work, and how to work with them, the way my grandmother taught me.
I have since thought it would be fun to take you all on the journey of learning with me.
They say that no knowledge base is ever to full to receive more.
My hope is to share in what I know, and have learned along the way in my practice, as well
as to share new information that comes my way.
This is the beginning of that journey...and I'm thrilled to be able to share it with you.
Sending you peace, many blessings and all my love!
A warming Winter tea blend to share: t=teaspoon
1/2 t of cinnamon bark chips
1/2 t of fennel seeds
1/2 t of ginger root
1/2 t of orange or apple peel
1/2 t of chopped white pine needles
1/2 t of echinacea root
1/4 t of licorice root
3 cloves
Honey, stevia or maple syrup to taste
*Can be made as an infusion or as a tea....Enjoy!
More soon...
Warm holiday wishes,
Kat xoxo
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