Ellen Evert Hopman

Herbalist, Author, Druid Priestess

A Druid's Blog

March 18 Druid Web Log – March Winds Bring Change

We are in the midst of a powerful ‘nor’easter as I type this. Years ago, this would have been a major blizzard with a foot of more of snow, now its rain with just a smattering of snow mixed in. The changes to our climate are visible everywhere. I was talking with a neighbor this week about when we first moved here and the roads were just dirt. Now our roads have asphalt, the town has walled off the local pond where everyone used to swim, and we never see the deer that used to greet us as we came home from work every night. On Full Moon nights we no longer hear coyotes howling and we haven’t seen a bear in years. I attribute most of this to the clear cutting and suburban developments cropping up all over town, as is happening in so many rural areas.
It’s been a challenging past Moonth trying to absorb the latest school massacre, knowing that it will happen again as long as US laws remain unchanged. Nevertheless, each day is longer than the one before, the sun is a bit brighter, and my blood hears the call to plant, prune and rake. Before the big storm set in I managed to uncover the flower and herb beds and plant Foxgloves and Flax. I notice that strawberries are cropping up all over the place and the Daffodils are ready to burst on the scene. There is always some reason for hope when you have a garden.
I am “retired” now which means I am working seven days a week as a writer. A new tree herbal came out in the fall of 2017 – a revised and expanded edition of TREE MEDICINE TREE MAGIC and another new book is coming out in September; THE REAL WITCHES OF NEW ENGLAND which covers the history from the Bronze Age to the present.
In May I am heading to Ireland for research and fun (the craic!). The amazing thing about being “retired” is they pay you to write and travel. What a concept!
Below you will find the usual assortment of news; archaeology, herbs, health, religion, Celts, ethics, climate and nature.
*You can order signed copies of all my books from this site*
Please enjoy the offerings!

BOOK NEWS

SOME UPCOMING EVENTS

  • Tuesday, June 19, 7 PM to 8:30 PM
    A talk on Chinese Five Element Theory
    Living Waters Chapter of Dowsers, located in Claremont, NH.
    Contact: Alice Harwood dreambarnhollow@gmail.com
  • July 14-15
    Tree Divination Using the Ancient Celtic Ogham Alphabet
    with Ellen Evert Hopman
    at Dreamland, in Worcester, VT.
    Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-3
    $130.
    Contact: Fearn Lickfield fearnessence@gmail.com
  • October 20 – April 2019
    Intro to Herbalism and Self Care~ A Six Month Intensive
    Two Saturdays a month, 1-5 PM near Amherst, MA
    Western Materia Medica, Chinese 5 Element Theory,
    Flower Essence Counseling, Formula making, Hands on Herbalism,
    Ethnobotany, Herb walks, Homeopathic First Aid, Live case taking and more.

NEWS YOU CAN USE

ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKWp-vK4rk4&feature=youtu.be&t=1s

HERB NEWS

HEALTH NEWS

CLIMATE AND NATURE NEWS

CELTIC NEWS

RELIGION NEWS

POLITICS AND ETHICS

 

February Blog 2018 – A Druid's Web Log – Imbolc and the Light is Slowly Returning

It is February 1 as I type this. The January thaw is over and done with, last night we had a hard frost and an inch of snow. As is my custom on Imbolc Eve, I laid out my “cloots” (strips of cloth to use for healing throughout the year), made a “Bride Doll” (a straw doll made from this year’s grain) and put out a candle. Its now fifteen hours later and the candle is still burning!
Imbolc, of course, is the old name for “Candle Mass”. The Christian church had a deliberate policy of taking our Pagan festivals and sacred sites and re-naming them in honor of saints. Imbolc or Imbolg (in the belly) is the ancient celebration of the lactation of the ewes. Back in the day no one could troop down to the grocery store for a gallon of milk. It wasn’t until three days before the sheep gave birth that they would start lactating again, so this was a reason to celebrate. Imbolc is an old European milk festival.

Imbolc is also the festival of the Goddess Brighid; the tripe Goddess of Poetry, Healing and Smithcraft. She later morphed into “Saint Brighid” and many churches are now dedicated to her. Imbolc was also a celebration of the return of the light and the fact that it was light enough to do the dairying without a candle. The church created “Candle Mass” in response, the idea being to bring your household candles to a church so the priest could bless them.

In ancient times Imbolc was the festival where equal-armed solar crosses were made, to protect the house and barn. These were later re-named “Brighid’s crosses”, even though the Christian cross doesn’t look anything like this; it has a longer stem and shorter arms and top.

As with all the old Fire Festivals (Samhain, Imbolc, Beltaine, Lughnasad) it is an important day to put out offerings for the Fair Folk, because this is the time they “move house”. I put out whole grain artisan bread on the Fairy Altar. Other appropriate gifts would be milk, cream, a wee dram of whiskey, or a bowl of porridge with a pat of butter on top (symbolic of the Sun).

NEWS YOU CAN USE

There is an effort underway to shut down “canned hunts”, the kind that claim to be for the benefit of endangered species. They are nothing of the sort. Captive and tame animals are deliberately put in the path of so called “hunters” so rich men with powerful guns can slaughter them just for fun. Read more here;

BOOK NEWS

I am just putting the finishing touches on a book about the herbs of Samhain (Halloween) and my new Witch book, due out in September from Inner Traditions, has a cover.
My newest tree herbal, the revised and expanded TREE MEDICINE TREE MAGIC got a nice little review
Below find the usual round-up of the past Moonth’s archaeology, herb, climate, nature, Celtic, religion and ethics news. Enjoy!
*And remember that you can purchase books signed by the author (me!) from this site www.elleneverthopman.com*

ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS

HERB NEWS

HEALTH NEWS

CLIMATE AND NATURE NEWS

RELIGION NEWS

CELTIC NEWS

VIKING NEWS

POLITICS AND ETHICS

 

January Blog 2018 – A wicked cold snap and Elderberries!

A severe cold snap has blanketed the country and here on the mountain we have been experiencing record cold. At night the house creaks and pops with mysterious sounds that must be cracks forming in wooden roof beams. Extra corn, old bread and seeds have been put out for the birds, to help tide them over the worst of it.

Meanwhile, in the human population the flu epidemic is in full swing. The CDC has been campaigning steadily for people to get a flu shot, even though its only about “ten percent effective” according to reports. I suspect the campaign has more to do with profits than with actual health.

We have known for some time that Elderberry (Sambucus spp.) is effective against the flu because it actually blocks the virus from penetrating human cells. So why not turn to a natural remedy that works? There are a few caveats; Elderberries should not be consumed raw, they need to be cooked (as in syrup or a decoction) or tinctured in alcohol. Elderberries stimulate the immune system so anyone with an auto-immune condition should probably avoid them. And anyone on an immunosuppressant medication should avoid them as well as they could counteract the medicine.

So if you get the flu or want to avoid the flu here are some suggestions;

  • Take 1 tsp. (or about 20 drops) of Elderberry tincture in hot water or tea every 2 hours. Or make a tea of the berries by simmering them for 20 minutes (do not boil) and take ¼ cup every 2 hours.
  • And if you have a generic cold that has gone to the lungs Elderberry can help that too. You can also make a tea of ginger root, lemon and honey. Simmer the fresh root for 20 minutes. You can reuse the same root several times.
  • For colds that have gone to the sinuses Horseradish is the thing. Or Wasabi (the kind that you get with sushi). Make yourself a drink with V-8 or tomato juice, the juice of half a fresh lemon, a few cloves of fresh garlic, a pinch of Cayenne pepper and a few teaspoons of horseradish (Vodka is optional) (smile). Mix it all up in the blender.

*I wish everyone who reads this health and wealth and happiness in the New Year!*

From Scottish Herbs and Fairy Lore (Pendraig Publishing)

“Elder, Bourtree

Parts used: the roots, bark, young shoots, leaves, flowers, fruits

Gaelic: ruis

Latin: Sambucus nigra

Elder flower water is used to wash the face as a skin tonic: simmer the flowers lightly for a few minutes then steep (a little Witch Hazel and alcohol can be added as a preservative). Elder flowers and pollen, almond oil and lard are used to make a healing salve for dry, flaky skin conditions (follow the salve making instructions at the start of this chapter). Taken internally the flower tea opens skin pores and promotes sweating, making it helpful for fevers and rheumatism. The young leaves (which must be gathered before Summer Solstice because after that they will contain too many natural pesticides) are used in salves for wounds and burns. The tea of the young leaves and shoots increases urine and helps edema. The bark and root are emetic and diuretic and must be used fresh. Caution: large doses of the bark and root can lead to inflammation of the bowels and violent purging. Only use the leaves when they are very young and fresh. The berry tea and wine are rich in iron, building to the blood, and a remedy for bronchitis, asthma, flu, and chest colds. The berries should be cooked before eating or juicing and can be made into a mildly laxative jam that will soothe intestinal irritations. Bark or root bark tea: 1 tsp. fresh bark or root bark steeped in ½ cup boiled water. Take ¼ cup four times a day and no more (see caution above). Flower tea: steep 2 tsp flowers per 1 cup of water and take hot up to 3 cups a day. The flower tea is safe for children and babies to relieve fever. Elder berries can be baked into pies, scones and breads.

Lore: Elder has a protective female spirit that will protect you against sorcery as long as profound respect is shown to the plant. It is very bad luck to cut down an elder tree or to burn her wood. Use only twigs, leaves and berries or a small section of her root and be sure to thank the Elder Mother when you take any part of her dwelling. Whip handles for hearse drivers were once made of elder to guard against ghosts. Dried elderberries picked on Midsummer’s Day are placed on the windowsill to prevent evil from entering. As with rowan, an elder cross is protective of the house and barn. Make one by binding two equal length twigs with red thread. Hang it over the door, place it by a window, or wear it on your person. The juice of the inner bark is applied to the eyelids to give someone “the Sight”. Stand or sleep under an elder on Samhuinn or Bealltan Eve and you will see Fairies. Wear a sprig somewhere on your person to ward off evil Spirits.”

You can find the book in the usual places or order a signed copy from me.

BOOK NEWS

  • The revised and expanded version of Tree Medicine Tree Magic gets a nice review: “She definitely succeeds in showing how easy and practical it is to work with trees, providing many recipes and remedies throughout the book. Despite the plethora of information provided within Tree Medicine Tree Magic, the book is written in such a clear and easy-to-follow style that makes this book accessible to anyone of any experience level.”
  • I just heard from Inner Traditions that my book about New England Witches will be officially released in September 2018. The work covers Witch history from the Bronze Age to the present and features interviews with modern Witches and descendants of those persecuted for Witchcraft. Stay tuned for more….

NEWS YOU CAN USE

And below find the usual assortment of Archeology, Climate, Nature, Herb, Fairy, Celtic, Religion and Ethics news. Enjoy!

ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS

HERB NEWS

HEALTH NEWS

NATURE AND CLIMATE NEWS

CELTIC NEWS

FAIRY NEWS

RELIGION NEWS

POLITICS AND ETHICS

December Blog 2017 – Hoping for Peace and Joy at the Winter Solstice

So far November and early December have been mostly sunny and even warm here on the mountain. The drought we experienced this summer seems to have ended. At this time of year the hunters are all around and I hear gun shots every day, sometimes the ravens come to tell me about it, when something is killed nearby. There’s not much I can do except feel sad and pray for the Spirits of the deer.

I recently gathered Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus)  for eating and Turkey Tails (Tramedes versicolor) for tincturing. The latter are an immune modulating fungus. Most conch shaped mushrooms growing out of trees are medicinal for the immune system, and none of them (at least in New England) are poisonous.

To tincture a woody shelf fungus you first soak it in alcohol for a few weeks and then later cook it as a broth, then combine the two liquids. That’s because different things are extracted in alcohol and in water. The Chicken of the Woods freezes beautifully for eating all winter.

On a more personal note, like many Americans I have been exploring my ancestry. My mother always told us her maternal line were French Huguenots. What a surprise then to find out that her maternal line is almost entirely Slovenian! Oddly, I was born in Austria, which sits right next to Slovenia. I found out that Slovenia has gorgeous mountains, just like the Tyrol. Another interesting fact is that Slovenia has a beautifully progressive social safety net for all its citizens, and its not even a rich country.

As Americans suffer through the newest tax plan where Republican House members and Senators just voted to raise taxes on the middle class, increase health insurance premiums, leave 13 million more people uninsured, and explode the deficit by more than $1 trillion, and as Republicans also work to cut Medicare, heating assistance for the disabled, poor and elderly, school programs, meals on wheels and other bare necessities, I hope we will look to other developed nations to see how they manage to care for their people. Because this country is certainly going in the opposite direction at breakneck speed.

Back to Slovenia. Here are basic benefits that all citizens enjoy ;

  • National Health Care for all
  • All health benefits for children and youth including diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation
  • Counseling in family planning, contraception, pregnancy and childbirth care
  • Preventive care, diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases including HIV
  • Treatment and rehab for diseases, transplants, emergency care including transportation, nursing care visits and care in the home and in institutions.
  • All employees get unemployment insurance and self-employed citizens can also insure themselves against unemployment
  • If a citizen gets sick their employer pays an allowance to them for 30 days after which the government covers the allowance, based on the worker’s average monthly pay in the past calendar year. Such coverage includes time off for transplanting tissue or organs for another person’s benefit, donating blood, caring for a family member and injuries.
  • Maternal leave lasts 105 days starting 28 days before a woman’s due date. She will receive an allowance from the government based on her past years average pay.
  • Paternal leave is 90 days. For the 15 days after the child is born the father receives 100% of his average pay. For the next 75 days he receives minimum wage.
  • One parent has the right to leave for 260 days after maternity leave expires. The allowance from the government is based on average pay in the preceding 12 months.
  • Every Slovenian child is entitled to a free education – aged three through college (Americans can attend college for free in Slovenia too, most classes are taught in English)
  • Parents can also collect a child allowance to help with maintenance and education costs, based on the average monthly income of the family in the past year.
  • Other parental allowances include a large-family grant, childcare allowance and partial payment for loss of earnings.
  • There are compulsory old age pensions too.

Guess what? Slovenians are healthier than we are. The US spends more per capita on health care than most developed nations and we have the highest maternal death rate and child poverty rate. We also have a lower life expectancy than most developed nations.

What is wrong with this picture? What can the USA learn from tiny Slovenia? Do they live longer because they don’t have the anxiety of losing their savings, house and home if they get sick? Are they more relaxed because the government helps them take care of their tiny, vulnerable children, instead of just yacking about “family values”? And why are the happiness and well being of already rich corporations and of billionaires more important than the health, happiness and welfare of the average American? Isn’t that what Democracy is supposed to be about?

By the time you read this you will likely be thinking of your Winter Solstice celebration. I wish everyone peace and joy in the coming year, because we are certainly going to need it.

HELP MAKE A DRUID FILM HAPPEN!

 Very glad you guys like the books. We are still working on making a film happen AND WE NEED EVERYONE’S SUPPORT!

AN HERBAL TOUR OF IRELAND

There is currently a sale going on for this botanical tour of the west coast of Ireland. I am not leading the tour, rather I hope to be going on it! There are still a few open spaces – highly recommended!

BELTAINE BLOSSOMS TOUR – AN HERBAL TOUR OF IRELAND!

Speaking of herbs, here is a recent podcast lecture by me;

The Doctrine of Signatures

BOOK NEWS

NEW BOOK!

Anyone who buys 2 or more copies from me also gets a free herbal DVD!

*Reminder – you can order books from my website and get a signed copy with a personal note*

BEST BOOKS FOR PAGAN AND WICCAN KIDS

Nice that they included my kids herbal “Ellen Evert Hopman; Walking the World In Wonder (2000, Healing Arts Press).

“Although it’s geared towards kids who can read on their own, this book on herbalism is one that parents can use with their younger children as educational fun. Pictures and easy to follow descriptions convey what herbs are available at different times of the year, and what their purposes are. The sections are divided among the eight Sabbats, as well, so a child can learn what sorts of herbs might be picked at Beltane as opposed to later on when Mabon rolls around. Very cute book, easy to use.”

ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS

HERB NEWS

HEALTH NEWS

NATURE AND CLIMATE NEWS

RELIGION NEWS

CELTIC NEWS

FAIRY NEWS

POLITICS AND ETHICS

November blog 2017 Happy Celtic New Year!

I hope that everyone had a lovely Samhain (Halloween) and that you and your ancestors were well fetted and fed.
The big news this Moonth is the re-release of my very first book  TREE MEDICINE TREE MAGIC. The new publisher is Pendraig, out of California. This is a beautifully color illustrated expanded version with many new tree recipes and drinks to make from trees. I have longed for this book to be back in print and here it finally is!

You can purchase a signed copy from me via this website http://www.elleneverthopman.com or find it in the usual places. The search engines can’t seem to find it quite yet so I am including the Amazon link.

MORE BOOK NEWS

Below is the usual month’s roundup of archeology, nature, religion, politics and ethics news. *Reminder – you can order a book from this website www.elleneverthopman.com and get a signed copy with a personal note – a nice gift idea for Yule!* Enjoy!

ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS

HERB NEWS

HEALTH NEWS

NATURE AND CLIMATE NEWS

RELIGION NEWS

CELTIC NEWS

FAIRY NEWS

POLITICS AND ETHICS