Fall Portal Mourning Series: Episode 8

Winter solstice approaches- thus I wanted to end this fall portal mourning series with the breath of life movement, a way to continue to grow your capacity to fully grieve and fully love as you live and then dream into this long night. The recommendation this week is to try the movements and breathing techniques in the video above, after sipping on the evergreen tea in the recipe below.

Evergreen Tree Needle Tea:

Find yourself in a forest, and if only one tree is still standing, take your shoes off and join that tree, making a forest of two. Let the tree know what you're here to do, that you want to invoke the whales in a swan song, for all the past, present, and future species that are going or gone: or that you want to learn how to grieve as they do: or maybe you just want to be listened to. Then ask for permission to take a few of their needles, as later you’ll steep these extensions of their body, in an alchemy of Fire and Water, and honor all the animal, plant and fungi people, who have gone extinct, whether by "natural" terrestrial, celestial, or more recent "human made" forces: while also honoring all the living animal plant and fungi people, including you.

Once the tree gives permission, harvest a small palmful of needles, most species will do, but certainly not a yew*,

Find yourself at home again,

1. Boil a quart of water,

2. Pour the boiling water over the needles (a mug or pint sized jar will do),

3. Cover with a lid, not screwed on,

4. Let steep for 13 minutes

You may want to play a whale song,

You may want to look at an image of a swan,

or this Brugmansia, who is extinct in the wild,

In the moon's rays, this could leave you riled or beguiled,

While you sniff and sip your tea,

And send gratitude to that tree,

...what you do next is up to you... as always I recommend moving and breathing.

*The Yew Tree is an incredible ally whose spirit you can meditate with, but most of its body is poisonous (except the fruit around the poisonous seeds), so don't drink it's needles, and whatever tree you choose, make sure to exercise caution, identifying it with one of the many books or apps, or experts out there.

The winter solstice is in two days on Saturday December 21st- it’s the longest night of the year for the northern hemisphere, and the shortest night of the year for southern hemisphere- a summer solstice. For the global north this is a beautiful time for resting and dreaming. For the global south this is a time ripe for gardening and dancing. How beautiful that we can take turns doing different things, playing different roles, tending internal or external gardens. The dance of grief and love feels the same to me, sometimes we’re the griever, sometimes the dancer, and if we’re skilled we’ve learned to do these things interchangeably, we learn to dance and grieve at the same time- or at least to hold all our truths in each moment- this is what growing our capacity to mourn means to me.

One more thing- If you’re still looking for holiday gifts- I've found a unique way to fundraise for my beloved documentary and it may be just the gift you're in need of (you can read more about this herbal guidance and custom botanical blend gift in the post script or you can go directly to my webpage to purchase by clicking here)!

Video Credits:

• I originally made this video as a resource for my self-guided mourning ritual bundle. Check it out if you’re in need of support processing acute or lingering grief about the death transition of a loved one (human or companion animal), ecological grief, or the death of a circumstance (i.e. relationship, job, home).

• Mourning singer, animal communicator, sonic journeyer FayePatrick Kennedy created the score for this video.

p.s. Are you in need of a holiday gift that’s an experience rather than a thing?

Give the Gift of Nurturing & Impact this holiday season:

Treat your loved ones to a personalized herbal guidance 1:1 with folk herbalist Lana (that’s me!) — a meaningful experience that supports a community service and documentary project (100% of proceeds go towards this cause)! You can go directly to Lana’s (my) holiday gift webpage to purchase by clicking this.

Perfect for those who cherish experiences over things and want their gift to give back.

Gift options with personalized herbal recipes start at $44.

If this isn't for you but you'd like to donate/support the final filming segments of "death, me, dying tree" we are always gratefully accepting donations- you can Venmo the projects account (@Lana-death-me-dying-tree and please select Friends/Family not Service/Seller).

We're headed to Wisconsin next to film my favorite green burial sanctuary which funds an organic teaching farm incubator that supports peace and justice initiatives (death feeding life)~ and I'm excited to announce that we'll be wrapping filming in under a year in Mexico~ we've been invited to stay with a family as they prepare for Day of the Dead and celebrate the day itself!

If this holiday gift idea isn't for you, but you know someone who needs to find a last minute non-physical gift, will you pass this along to them? All purchases of the gift will go towards getting my crew and I to Wisconsin and Mexico to finish this labor of love.

p.p.s. I hope you're supported during these times and holidays, I'm here to chat if not or just because. Just reply to this email.

p.p.p.s. I’ll be holding the new moon mourning gathering on:

Monday December 30th at 3pm eastern/12pm pacific

This will be a time to process grief through simple breathing techniques and movements and it may be helpful to carve out this time for yourself as an antidote to holiday intensity. I’ll send out the link and a reminder the day before.

Tea Time photo series by: Lana Smithner Greenleaf

Moon Seers and Tears of Brugmansia painting by: Denise Rohdin