Womenfolk Revival

The Call Back Home: Why Modern Women Are Craving a Simpler Life

What if it’s an echo?

For generations, families passed down more than names and dates, they passed down ways of living, tending land, growing food, preserving harvests, and building community.

Somewhere along the way, many of those rhythms faded.

But what if the longing so many women feel today isn’t random?

What if it’s an echo?

In this episode of Womenfolk Revival, Maggie and Meara explore their ancestry journeys and the surprising ways they connect to the lives they’re building today.

Meara shares how discovering her Austrian, Slovenian, Nigerian, and West African roots helped her understand a missing piece of her identity after being adopted.

Maggie reflects on uncovering the traditions and values woven through her own family history and how those discoveries mirror the things she has always felt called toward.

Together, they discuss traditional living, food preservation, herbal knowledge, community, family traditions, and why so many women seem to be longing for a return to practical skills, meaningful connection, and life closer to the land.

This conversation isn't about DNA percentages or family trees.

It’s about asking what wisdom is worth carrying forward.

Because maybe some human needs never really change.

And maybe some echoes are worth listening to.

Episode Highlights

In this conversation, Maggie and Meara explore:

•  Ancestry and identity beyond DNA tests 
•  The emotional experience of discovering biological roots 
•  Austrian, Slovenian, Nigerian, and West African heritage connections 
•  Germanic and Celtic influences on traditional living 
•  Food preservation, herbal remedies, and seasonal living 
•  The importance of community and the “lost village” 
•  Why so many women feel drawn back to homemaking skills and land-based living 
•  The difference between modern isolation and ancestral community life 
•  What it means to carry forward meaningful traditions 

Ancestry, Identity & The Search for Belonging

Meara shares her experience of being adopted and how, for most of her life, she didn’t feel a strong need to search for her biological roots.

But something shifted over time.

As she began exploring ancestry more deeply, she discovered connections to Austrian, Slovenian, Nigerian, and West African heritage, and with it, something clicked.

Not just names or locations, but a sense of familiarity in how those cultures lived:

•  Seasonal rhythms 
•  Farming and food preservation 
•  Community-based living 
•  Practical, land-connected skills 

For her, it wasn’t just information, it was recognition.

Maggie shares her own experience of uncovering family lineage and noticing how certain values and instincts in her life seemed to align with the way her ancestors once lived.

Living Closer to the Land

A major theme in this episode is how many ancestral cultures shared similar rhythms of life, even across continents.

Both hosts reflect on:

•  Living by the seasons 
•  Preserving food for winter 
•  Relying on herbal knowledge and home remedies 
•  Building skills that supported the household directly 
•  Living within close-knit communities 

These weren’t trends, they were survival, structure, and culture.

And today, many women feel themselves naturally drawn back to those same patterns.

The Lost Village

One of the strongest threads in this episode is the idea of the “lost village.”

Meara reflects on how modern motherhood can feel isolating compared to traditional community structures where:

•  Children were raised collectively 
•  Elders passed down knowledge 
•  Families lived in close proximity 
•  No one carried everything alone 

Maggie adds that even in modern life, the absence of community places a heavy emotional load on women, especially mothers.

The longing for connection isn’t nostalgia, it’s a response to isolation.

Why Traditional Skills Keep Coming Back

Throughout the conversation, both hosts notice a pattern:

Even without being taught these skills growing up, they both found themselves drawn to:

•  Gardening 
•  Herbal remedies 
•  Homemade food and preservation 
•  Cooking from scratch 
•  Ingredient awareness 

Maggie reflects on how plants in ancestral cultures often served multiple purposes:
 food, medicine, dyes, and symbolism.

Meara shares how natural remedies like garlic, ginger, onion syrup, and herbal teas felt familiar, even without being passed down directly.

The question becomes:
 Are we learning these things again… or remembering them?

Modern Life vs. Ancestral Rhythm

The episode doesn’t romanticize the past, but it does question the cost of modern isolation.

Maggie reflects on how she once struggled to find meaningful female friendships that aligned with her values.

Meara shares how friendships shift over time, and how connection is less about sameness and more about shared respect and alignment.

Both agree:
 Community still matters, but it may look different today as people rebuild it intentionally.

Final Reflection

Before closing, Maggie and Meara invite listeners to notice what keeps pulling at them:

•  The skills you want to learn 
•  The foods you want to make 
•  The kind of home you want to build 
•  The community you wish existed 

Instead of ignoring those pulls, start small.

Learn one thing.
 Practice it.
 Share it.

Because maybe those desires aren’t random.

Maybe they’re echoes.

And maybe some echoes are worth following home.

Important Note

This episode is intended for reflection and educational discussion only. Individual experiences with ancestry, identity, and lifestyle will vary. Always follow what is right for your personal situation and values.

Join the Community

Continue the conversation here:
 https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18cFornVr4/

We’d love to hear:

•  Your ancestry story 
•  Traditions from your family 
•  Skills you feel drawn back to 
•  The “echoes” you’ve noticed in your own life 

FAQ

What does “the call back home” mean in this episode?
It refers to the feeling many people experience of being drawn toward simpler, more traditional ways of living and connecting with ancestral patterns.

Is this episode about genealogy or DNA testing?
No. It uses ancestry as a starting point but focuses more on identity, cultural memory, and lifestyle patterns.

Why do so many women feel drawn to traditional skills?
The episode explores the idea that this may come from both cultural memory and a response to modern disconnection from land, food, and community.

Is the goal to return to the past?
No. The focus ...

Nervines Explained: Traditional Herbs for Stress, Anxiety & Nervous System Support

Ever find yourself realizing your shoulders are tense, your jaw is clenched, and your mind won’t slow down?

In this episode of Womenfolk Revival, Meara and Maggie explore simple, traditional ways women have supported the nervous system for generations. From calming herbs known as nervines to humming, breathwork, grounding, and EFT tapping, they discuss practical tools that can be used throughout everyday life when stress begins to take over.

Meara shares her perspective as a nurse on why it’s important not to dismiss physical symptoms as “just stress,” while Maggie discusses breathwork, movement, and the small practices that help bring the body back into balance.

Whether you’re navigating perimenopause, caregiving, a busy household, or simply feeling overwhelmed, this conversation offers gentle reminders that sometimes the smallest practices can make the biggest difference.

In This Episode

• What nervines are and why they’ve been used traditionally for nervous system support
 • EFT tapping and how it may help interrupt racing thoughts
 • Grounding and spending time outdoors
 • Humming and the connection between breath, vibration, and relaxation
 • Simple breathing techniques for stressful moments
 • Why many women become shallow breathers over time
 • The importance of knowing your health baseline and working with your healthcare provider
 • Essential oils traditionally used to create a calming environment

Resources Mentioned

• EFT Tapping (Emotional Freedom Techniques)
 • Grounding / Earthing
 • Breathwork and Box Breathing
 • Vagus Nerve Support Practices
 • Edgar Cayce A.R.E.
 • Mountain Rose Herbs

EFT Tapping (Emotional Freedom Techniques)

Research suggests EFT may help reduce anxiety, stress, and burnout symptoms in some individuals.

•  NIH / PubMed Research Library: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
•  National Institutes of Health (NIH): https://www.nih.gov/

Breathwork & Slow Breathing

Studies suggest slow breathing may help regulate the autonomic nervous system and support relaxation responses.

•  NIH Research Database: https://www.nih.gov/
•  Cleveland Clinic – Breathwork & Stress Relief: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22666-breathwork

Humming & Vagus Nerve Support

Humming may naturally lengthen the exhale and support vagal tone associated with relaxation.

•  Cleveland Clinic – Vagus Nerve Overview: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21279-vagus-nerve
•  Cleveland Clinic – Stress & Nervous System Regulation: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/

Grounding / Earthing

Research is still emerging, but some studies explore potential effects on stress, sleep, and inflammation.

•  NIH Research Portal: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
•  Overview of Grounding Research: https://www.nih.gov/

Edgar Cayce A.R.E.

A research and education organization inspired by Edgar Cayce’s work.

•  Edgar Cayce Association for Research & Enlightenment (A.R.E.): https://www.edgarcayce.org/

Herbal & Natural Wellness Resources

•  Mountain Rose Herbs: https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/

Episode Conversation Highlights

Maggie and Meara explore how simple nervous system tools—many of which women have used intuitively for generations—can support emotional regulation in real time.

They discuss how movement, humming, and intentional breathing can interrupt stress patterns, especially during overwhelming or chaotic moments.

Meara shares how shallow breathing can become more common during stress, and introduces box breathing (inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4) as a grounding tool that can be used anywhere, even in the car.

Maggie reflects on learning structured breathwork and how awareness of movement and breath can shift the body out of a stress response.

They also emphasize the importance of not dismissing physical symptoms and working with healthcare providers when something feels off—especially when anxiety overlaps with physical sensations.

Essential Oils Mentioned

Traditional calming oils discussed include:
 • Frankincense
 • Sandalwood
 • Myrrh
 • Vetiver
 • Cedarwood
 • Patchouli

Final Thoughts

Small practices matter.

Whether it’s breathwork, grounding, herbs, or simply noticing your own body, these tools are meant to support, not overwhelm you.

Start simple. Pay attention. Come back to your breath.

And remember: you can support your nervous system while also staying connected to modern healthcare when needed.

If you’re enjoying these conversations, follow Womenfolk Revival wherever you listen so you don’t miss future episodes.

And if this episode helped you, share it with another woman who might need a reminder to slow down and reconnect with herself.

Stay Rooted & Stay Wild 🌿

Most tea bags contain plastic, many people are steeping tea incorrectly, and traditional cultures prepared tea completely differently than we do today.

In this episode, we dive into:
• loose leaf tea vs tea bags
• infusions vs decoctions
• tannins, oxalates, and milk tea
• herbal teas for calm and wellness
• traditional tea preparation methods
• the hidden problems with convenience culture

What started as a simple conversation about tea quickly turned into a full-on “tea identity crisis.”

We explore the surprising truth that green, black, oolong, and pu-erh teas all come from the same plant (Camellia sinensis), and how traditional cultures used different steeping methods to support the body in different ways.

We also break down:
• why adding milk to black tea was actually a smart traditional practice
• the concerns surrounding plastic-filled tea bags
• loose leaf tea and herbal infusions
• simple ways to return to slower, more intentional rhythms at home

Somewhere in the middle, this episode became less about tea and more about the overwhelm of modern life, the “microwave generation,” and the small practical ways we can start reclaiming old skills without burnout.

From calming overwhelmed kids to struggling through hand-crank grain mills, we’re talking about real-life slow living, intentional motherhood, natural wellness, and taking baby steps back toward the old ways.

Welcome to Womenfolk Revival, where we are deeply rooted and wildly intentional.

RESOURCES + TEA BRANDS MENTIONED

Traditional Medicinals
https://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/

Numi Organic Tea
https://numitea.com/

Pukka Herbs
https://www.pukkaherbs.com/

Yogi Tea
https://yogiproducts.com/

Clipper Teas
https://www.clipper-teas.com/

Loose Leaf Tea Infuser Example
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=stainless+steel+tea+infuser

Reusable Cloth Tea Bags
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=reusable+cloth+tea+bags

Research on Microplastics in Tea Bags
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.9b02540

Learn More About Herbal Infusions vs Decoctions
https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/herbal-infusions-and-decoctions

WHAT TO AVOID

• “Silky” pyramid tea bags unless clearly labeled plastic-free
• Heat-sealed or thermosealed tea bags without clarification
• Cheap generic tea bags that may contain polypropylene plastic

THE SIMPLEST PLASTIC-FREE OPTION

Switching to loose-leaf tea with a stainless steel infuser or reusable cloth tea bag is one of the easiest ways to reduce plastic exposure and reconnect with traditional preparation methods.

 🌿 Support Womenfolk Revival
If you'd like to support the podcast and help us continue sharing traditional wisdom, homemaking, herbalism, and intentional living, you can support us here: https://buymeacoffee.com/womenfolkrevival

Stay Rooted + Stay Wild!

🌿 The Self-Sustained Medicine Cabinet | Traditional Herbal Remedies for Everyday Wellness

What happens when women begin reconnecting with the healing knowledge that once lived in kitchens, gardens, and family traditions for generations?

In today’s episode of Womenfolk Revival, we open up our personal home medicine cabinets and share the traditional herbal remedies and plant preparations we actually use in everyday life.

From soothing onion honey for nighttime coughs to tulsi infusions for nervous system support, we explore the beauty of simple ingredients, intentional living, and learning one plant at a time.

Inside this episode, we discuss:

🌿 Yarrow for traditional wound support
🌿 Garlic honey ferments & traditional oxymels
🌿 Tulsi (Holy Basil) for emotional grounding & perimenopause support
🌿 Herbal infused oils for tired joints & overworked hands
🌿 Red onion honey syrup for seasonal nighttime comfort
🌿 Plantain, calendula, elderberry, lavender & other traditional folk remedies
🌿 Building a slower, more intentional home apothecary

We also discuss herbal safety, foraging awareness, and working alongside qualified healthcare professionals when needed.

📚 Research & Educational Resources Mentioned:

Honey & Cough Support (Mayo Clinic)
https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-minute-can-honey-help-with-coughs/

Honey for Acute Cough in Children (Cochrane Review)
https://www.cochrane.org/evidence/CD007094_honey-acute-cough-children

American Botanical Council
https://www.herbalgram.org/

Tulsi Scientific Review
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11521583/

Mountain Rose Herbs Educational Library
https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/

🌿 Join the Womenfolk Revival Community:
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16kyJfbcQC/

Important Reminder:
This podcast episode is intended for educational, historical, and entertainment purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your qualified healthcare provider before beginning herbal products, especially if pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or managing chronic health conditions.

Until next time…

Stay Rooted + Stay Wild

In this episode of Womenfolk Revival, we’re talking about powerhouse plants, the plants, trees, herbs, and crops that can nourish, heal, support pollinators, improve soil, and reconnect us with forgotten wisdom that older generations once relied on daily.

From black walnut trees and apple trees to elderberries, comfrey, yarrow, sunflowers, heirloom corn, grapevines, garlic, strawberries, and more, we explore how one plant can serve multiple purposes through food, medicine, shade, wildlife support, natural remedies, preservation, companion planting, and self-sufficiency.

This conversation is raw, unfiltered, and deeply rooted in the belief that modern life has disconnected many of us from the natural world and that healing often begins by slowing down, growing something with intention, and learning how nature works together.

Whether you’re interested in homesteading, medicinal plants, holistic living, regenerative gardening, herbal medicine, ancestral wisdom, pollinator gardens, food forests, slow living, or creating a more intentional life for your family, this episode is for you.

Be sure to follow and join our Facebook community page here: Womenfolk Revival Facebook Community

Next week, we’re diving into creating a self-sustained medicine cabinet and turning powerhouse plants into usable everyday remedies.

Stay Rooted + Stay Wild!

When Picky Eating Is More Than a Phase | A Conversation with Lena Livinsky

“It’s just a phase.”

“They’ll eat when they’re hungry.”

“Just hide the vegetables.”

As mothers, we have heard it all.

Picky eating is often treated like a behavior problem.

A child refuses dinner.

A parent worries they are not getting enough nutrition.

Another meal ends in frustration.

And before long, everyone is focused on one question:

How do we get this child to eat?

But what if the better question is:

Why is this child refusing the food in the first place?

In this episode of Womenfolk Revival, we sit down with Lena Livinsky, a holistic pediatric feeding specialist and speech-language pathologist, for a conversation about picky eating, feeding struggles, the gut-brain connection, the nervous system, the microbiome, and what may be happening beneath the behavior we see at the dinner table.

Lena shares the personal experience with her own son that changed the way she looked at food refusal.

Instead of seeing mealtime struggles only as something to correct, manage, or discipline, she began asking deeper questions about what her child’s body might be communicating.

That shift changed everything.

Because children do not experience food only through taste.

They experience it through smell.

Texture.

Temperature.

Digestion.

Sensory input.

Nervous-system regulation.

Past experiences.

And the way their bodies feel before, during, and after eating.

For some families, picky eating may be exactly what people say it is a temporary phase.

But Lena encourages parents to become curious when feeding difficulties seem persistent, intense, or connected to other physical and emotional patterns.

What if a child’s refusal is not simply stubbornness?

What if their body is trying to tell us something?

Throughout this conversation, we explore Lena’s perspective on the biological side of feeding and why she believes parents should sometimes look beyond behavior when a child consistently struggles around food.

Biology Over Behavior

One of the central ideas in this episode is moving away from seeing every feeding struggle as misbehavior.

Lena discusses how the nervous system can affect a child’s relationship with food and what may happen when a child enters a more defensive or “fight-or-flight” state around eating.

When the dinner table becomes a place of pressure, negotiation, fear, frustration, or constant correction, the experience of eating can become bigger than the food itself.

For parents, that can be difficult.

You are worried about nutrition.

You are watching foods disappear from the list of things your child will eat.

You may have spent time preparing a meal only to hear, “I don’t like it,” before they even try it.

And eventually, feeding can begin to feel like a battle nobody is winning.

This conversation asks parents to consider whether connection and curiosity can sometimes tell us more than pressure ever will.

The Microbiome Connection

Lena also discusses the microbiome and how she believes a child’s early experiences may influence digestion, food tolerance, and feeding.

We talk about birth stories, including C-sections, environmental exposures, and the many factors Lena considers when working with families.

Rather than looking at picky eating as one isolated behavior, Lena encourages parents to consider the larger picture of the child.

What has their health history looked like?

How does digestion seem to be functioning?

How does the child respond physically to certain foods?

Are there patterns?

Are there sensory concerns?

Are meals stressful before they even begin?

The goal is not to make parents fearful of food or their child’s history.

It is to become more observant.

Sometimes paying attention to patterns can help parents ask better questions and have more productive conversations with the professionals supporting their child.

Meat Stock, Bone Broth, and Traditional Nourishment

We also talk about one of Lena’s favorite traditional foods: meat stock.

Lena explains how she views meat stock differently from long-cooked bone broth and why she uses it in her own approach to nourishing the gut.

This opens up a larger conversation that fits deeply into the heart of Womenfolk Revival:

What did traditional kitchens understand about nourishment that we may have slowly moved away from?

For generations, families prepared stocks, broths, soups, fermented foods, soaked grains, and slow-cooked meals without necessarily thinking of them as wellness trends.

They were simply food.

In this episode, we explore Lena’s perspective on returning to some of those traditional preparation methods and why she believes food preparation can matter just as much as the food itself.

Plant Toxins, Oxalates, and Lectins

Lena also introduces us to her perspective on naturally occurring compounds in plant foods, including oxalates and lectins.

We talk about how traditional food preparation methods such as soaking, cooking, fermenting, or other forms of preparation have historically been used with certain foods.

This part of the conversation is not about creating fear around vegetables.

It is about asking a broader question:

Have we lost some of the traditional knowledge around how food was prepared before it reached the plate?

Many foods we now think of simply as ingredients once came with preparation methods that were passed down through families and cultures.

As modern food systems changed and convenience became more important, some of those practices slowly disappeared.

Lena shares why she believes revisiting those methods may be worth considering.

From Policing the Plate to Connecting With the Child

One of the strongest themes in this episode is something Lena describes through the idea of connection.

What happens when we stop making every meal about whether the child took enough bites?

What happens when we step away from constantly policing the plate?

What happens when dinner becomes less about winning and more about understanding?

That does not mean parents stop caring about nutrition.

It does not mean children should make every food decision in the home.

And it does not mean there are never boundaries around meals.

It means remembering that our relationship with our children matters too.

Children learn about food partly through the emotional atmosphere surrounding it.

If every unfamiliar food becomes a confrontation, children may begin associating eating with pressure.

If meals become a place where everyone expects conflict, that expectation can follow the family to the table before anyone takes the first bite.

Sometimes changing the energy around food can be an important first step.

In this episode, we discuss:

🌿 Why Lena en...

 Are you feeling more tired than usual, even when you’re doing all the right things? 

If you’re in your 30s, 40s, or beyond, this episode uncovers the hormone shift no one is really talking about. 

In this conversation, Maggie and Meara break down what’s actually behind that constant fatigue, mood swings, and feeling off and why it’s not just about getting older. 

From the hidden role of cortisol to declining progesterone levels, they explain how your body is changing and what that means for your energy, stress response, and overall vitality. 

You’ll also learn simple, natural ways to support your body through this transition, including: 
How cortisol impacts your daily energy (and why burnout feels different now) 
The connection between progesterone, stress, and emotional regulation Why coffee may be working against you 
The importance of protein, blood sugar balance, and hydration
Gentle movement habits like walking that actually restore energy 
Early signs of perimenopause most women miss 

This episode is your reminder that your energy isn’t disappearing it’s shifting.
And with the right lifestyle changes, you can feel grounded, steady, and vibrant again. 

✨ Share this episode with a friend who’s been feeling the same way and start reclaiming your energy naturally! 

Stay Rooted + Stay Wild. 

If your life feels like it’s unraveling, this episode is for you.

In today’s raw and unfiltered conversation, we’re talking about what it actually looks like to hold onto your faith when everything feels like it’s falling apart. From miscarriage and medical trauma to marriage struggles and total exhaustion, this is an honest look at a season that has left us feeling wrecked but still rooted.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, disconnected in your marriage, or questioned your faith in the middle of pain, you are not alone.

In this episode, we talk about:

•  how to hold onto faith during loss, grief, and uncertainty 
•  navigating miscarriage and the emotional toll it takes 
•  why medical advocacy matters (and learning to trust your intuition) 
•  what to do when your marriage feels distant or stuck 
•  finding the Creator in the middle of chaos, not just in perfect moments 

This episode is for the woman walking through a hard season, trying to keep showing up for her family, her faith, and herself while quietly falling apart.

Whether you’re dealing with burnout, grief, or just a heavy season of life, we hope this conversation reminds you: you are not alone, and there is still something steady beneath your feet.

Is your home actually clean, or is it quietly making your family more overwhelmed, inflamed, and exhausted?

In this episode, we’re breaking down what it really means to create a living home ecosystem—a home that supports your health instead of working against it.

We move beyond the “scrub everything sterile” mindset and talk about how modern homes are often filled with hidden toxins like endocrine disruptors, PFAS, and other forever chemicals and what you can do to start changing that.

In this episode, we cover:

•  what a non toxic home actually looks like (and where to start) 
•  common household toxins and hormone-disrupting chemicals to avoid 
•  simple non toxic swaps for cleaning, laundry, and daily living 
•  how to support your family’s health through natural home practices 
•  the idea of a “living home” and why your environment matters more than you think 

We also share some of the unconventional shifts we’ve made in our own homes, from rethinking hygiene and cleaning habits to exploring more traditional, holistic ways of supporting our families.

If you’re drawn to slow living, holistic health, and creating a home that truly nurtures your family, this episode will give you a grounded place to begin.

Think you need land to grow your own food? You don’t.

In this episode, we’re breaking down how to start small-space homesteading, even if all you have is a patio, balcony, or a few buckets.

From unexpected setbacks (like chemical spraying) to creative solutions, we’re sharing what it really looks like to grow your own food in containers, grow bags, and 5-gallon buckets without perfect conditions.

In this episode, we cover:

•  how to start container gardening for beginners 
•  growing food in buckets, grow bags, and small spaces 
•  how to pivot when your environment isn’t ideal 
•  organic and chemical-free ways to protect your food 
•  using medicinal herbs like tulsi and feverfew at home 
•  why “weeds” like dandelions can actually improve your soil 

Whether you’re interested in urban homesteading, apartment gardening, or just want to take a step toward self-sufficiency, this episode will help you start growing food right where you are.

You don’t need perfect land, you just need a place to begin.

Resources & Links:
Connect with the Village: Join our community and see photos of the "Medicine Bin" and our Fuji and Macintosh trees on our
Facebook page and our Facebook Community page

Sources Mentioned: Rare Seeds (Missouri), Strictly Medicinal (Oregon), and Everwild (California).
Stay Rooted: Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review to help our village grow!