A reading of Robin Wall Kimmerer's The Honorable Harvest, an excerpt from Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants 

A reading of a short story "The Flow of the River" by Loren C Eiseley

  A Black storyteller, a student of abolition, a weaver of beautiful words, and a key community organizer here in North Carolina, in this interview with Bry we cover  a myriad of topics, from the various projects that Bry is involved in to their love of literature, holding space for LGBTQ youth, a co-fouder of The Moonlight Bookclub, their practice of somatic movement in the face of grief, and the importance of "decolonizing our mind, decolonizing our bodies, decolonizing our food..."  as Bryan says.  An important part of Bry's work is to remember to love and support our bodies in the face of a world that teaches us to lose touch with embodiment, to constantly critique and pick at our body's perceived imperfections;  “An act of revolution and resistance for me is unapologetically loving this body.  Because we know that these systems and structures do not want us to love ourselves fully.”

You can support Bry and their work by following them on Instagram, Checking out The Moonlight Bookclub, following Youth Outright, supporting their podcast The Softness Project, and sending them love offerings on Venmo @brypie

Check out my Patreon,  where you can support the podcast for as little as $2 a month and have early access to podcast episodes, bibliographies, and video interviews. 20% of the earnings  on Patreon go to Mutual Aid funds.

Join my mailing list where you'll receive occasional love letters and offerings from me.

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Intro Music: Nostomo Halvar by Per OG Runberg 

Today, I interview Samuel Bautista Lazo, a Benizaā (Zapotec)  weaver who lives in the indigenous village of Xigua, also known as Teotitlan del Valle.  He and his family farm and weave on the lands of their ancestors, selling products made from hand dyed 'criollo' native wool,  in the Central Valley of Oaxaca.  In our interview we learn from Samuel about the vast local trade networks between different indigenous communities for dyes, wool, etc. Samuel tells us about the symbols at the sacred site of Lyobaa, otherwise known as Mitla, where his ancestors weaved stone to create a structure that defies gravity.  Many of the symbols at this site are now woven into rugs and art to continue to preserve and reflect the ancient cosmology and language of the Benizaa people. One common symbol is a strand that looks like DNA, often paired with the seed of life and images of corn, literally  linking our lives to the corn. We learn about how the Benizaa people care for the  land as a community, rather than “owning” the land, as Samuel reminds us again and again throughout this interview that “as much as we are inheriting our DNA, we are also inheriting our stories and teachings that transform the world.” 

Dixza Rugs and Native Farm Instagram and website

Samuels personal instagram 

Donate to Samuels gofundme to support Earthquake aid for Ocelotepec towns in Oaxaca

If you'd like to check out the full video interview to watch as Samuel shows us different rugs and their symbols, check out my igtv on    instagram.  You  can support this podcast for as little as $2 a month on my patreon where  20% of the proceeds will be going to Dixza Rugs and Native Farm this month. 

You can also support the podcast by following me on instagram and sharing the podcast with folks! 

This episode was inspired by a candle making session with some dear friends, under February’s snow moon, in which we felt called to adorn Mullein tapers with beeswax, dried herbs, and flowers, bringing light to us on dark nights. On this dark moon, we will be journeying through time to visit the sacred rites accessed through Mullein in the form of Hags Taper. 
The dried  stalks of Mullein can be collected throughout the fall and winter to be used ritually as a torch or candle.  This practice is called “Hags Taper.”  The dried stalks of Mullein have been gathered ritualistically, and these candles are often associated with drawing love close to you and providing those engulfed in its circle of light with protection, courage, and good health. We are slowly entering the time when young shoots begin to breach the surface, and  the fruits of our deep winter work begin to show above ground.  As the days lengthen and we find ourselves enjoying the sun, being caressed by gentle winds, and we slowly emerge from our winter dens  into the ripe springtime. May Hags Taper light your journey if the sunlight still feels out of reach, reminding you that light will always return and guide your path.

   
Check out my Patreon,  where you can support the podcast for as little as $2 a month and have early access to podcast episodes, bibliographies, and video interviews. 20% of the earnings  on Patreon go to Mutual Aid funds. 

Join my mailing list where you'll receive occasional love letters and offerings from me.

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Music:

Nostmo Halvar by Per OG Runberg 

Fylgje by Benedicte Maurseth

Solbonn (Sun-prayer) by Traditional, Linn Andrea Fuglseth

Threnos-Funeral Dance by Petros Tabouris Ensemble

Dance of the Druids (feat. ) by Bear McCreary, Raya Yarbrough

The L and N Don’t Stop Here by Jean Ritchie 

Beltane by Cath Connelly 

The Mummers’ Dance by Loreena McKennitt

Kuulin Anen by MeNaiset

In part 2 of our interview, Adrianna and I dive deep into her practice as a land based doula-- cultivating  a land based relationship while actively working to acknowledge Indigenous land and not to appropriate other cultures. She tells us about one of her favorite clients that she worked with to make earth based crafts and gifts for the baby, as well as using song as a  transitional tool to guide the birthing person throughout the changes in their birth cycle.   We learn about the origins of the word "gossip,"  the Irish tradition of birth gatherings, and the ritual use of Mead as a practice of memory holding and making in community.  We speak about the transphobia present within the midwifery community and how deeply fascism and reproductive rights are intertwined.

Support Adrianna's work on their website and instagram 

If you'd like to support the production of Hearthfire Podcast, check out my Patreon,  where you can support the podcast for as little as $2 a month and have early access to podcast episodes, bibliographies, and video interviews.  On higher tiers you have access to seasonal rituals and herbal recipes.  20% of my earnings  on Patreon go to Mutual Aid funds. 

Join my mailing list where you'll receive occasional love letters and offerings from me.

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Music: 
Nostomo Halvar by Per OG Runberg 
Behind the Veil by Mariee Sioux 

On this new moon, We interview Adrianna Daly, a doula studying to become a midwife.  Within this episode we learn about the connection between the witches and midwives and how they have influenced our modern medical system.  We hear Adrianna’s poem, “Where We Plant Ferns,”  written in reverence to our wise healing ancestors, and their legacy that we continue to practice and grapple with while existing on stolen land.  Home birth used to be the norm, an event celebrated and embraced by our communities, but has now become inaccessible to the same vulnerable populations that safely taught us how to give birth at home.   We learn about the difficulties midwives face within our medical system,  how much our medical system owes to midwives and the Grand Midwives of the south,  the transition from home birth to posh hospital birth in the early 1900s, and the traumatic effects of Twilight Birth on a generation of birthing people.  Part 2 coming out soon!

Check out the bibliography for this episode on my  patreon
Connect with Adrianna and her work at https://www.adriannadoula.com/  and her instagram

Support this podcast by becoming a patreon for as little as $2 a month!
20% of Patreon proceeds go to a chosen organization each month. If you can't give a money offering feel free to leave a review and share with friends!

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Cover art:  The Magic Circle by John William Waterhouse

Music:
Nostomo Halvar by Per OG Runberg 
Samhain by Daridel
Medicine by Rising Appalachia
Highwomen by Brandi Carlisle, the Highwomen, Natalie Hemby, Marren Morris, and Amanda Shires 

In this month's plant lore episode we explore the world of the Pinaceae family.  As our days slowly become longer and full of light again  The seeds that we cultivated in darkness have begun to feel the warmth of the sun as we return to longer days. Take pine with you as an ally for this seasonal shift, they will warm your bones and muscle aches, strengthen your heart and immune system, supporting you through this stretch of cold before we finally harvest the fruits we’ve been ruminating on during this slow season of rest and rejuvenation. First, we travel through time to experience the different ways people have used and interacted with Pine over the centuries, discussing the historical and medicinal uses of Pine.  Then we explore their spiritual offerings and talk about how you can cultivate a relationship with Pine in your daily life.   If you'd like to support this podcast's creation for as little as $2 a month check out my patreon!
Pine Recipes
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Music:
Intro: Nostmo Halvar by Per OG Runberg 
Greensleeves by Mountain Man
Con Mi Tabaco by Alonso Del Rio 
Snowflakes on an Early Spring Day by Silk Road Music
Sacred Cedars by Jimmy Yellowhorse 
Pazarites by Vilkaci
Fylgje by Benedicte Maurseth 
Tulli Tulli by rising Appalachia and Castanea 
Outro: Nostmo Halvar by Per OG Runberg 

Take caution when ingesting Pine if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant.  Please do your own research before ingesting Pine and understand the risks. 

Today I'm speaking with Julie and Becka of Folklore for Resistance.  This project, born out of the frustration of seeing Folklore often co-opted as a tool of manipulation, was created with the intention for people to reclaim everyday folklore rather than gatekeeping folkloric knowledge.  They describe  “Folklore for Resistance [as]  a project focused on community, mutual aid, anti-racism, decolonization and anti-capitalism through the lens of folklore and ancestry.”  And they work with, “a collective of like-minded community members to release a quarterly zine aligning with the solstices and equinoxes.”  They specify that “folklore is a common inheritance, providing the tools for resistance and liberation.”   Our conversation is an uplifting reminder that we have all the tools we need and are stronger collectively. We delve into the power of folklore and how it is and has been used in political movements and provides us with tools to become a collective community. Folklore often feels stuck in a stagnant past, but actually exists all around us.  We unpack the phrase "European folklore" and acknowledge the harm caused by the close relationship of this "European folklore" to white supremacy movements historically and today. 

Folklore For Resistance Instagram and website

Support their recent Zine !

Check out my instagram and patreon to support this project.  20% of Patreon proceeds go to a chosen organization each month. If you can't give a money offering feel free to leave a review and share with friends!

Cover photo by Folklore For Resistance

Intro & Outro Music: Nostmo Halvar by Per O G Runberg