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EARTH DAY 2023 Returning the Sacred Circle to our Meadow in the Forest at Rainbow's End

4/22/2023

The video below is the revised edition of the photographic Story of the Forest at Rainbow's End, now known as Raven Hill Botanicals. It's an anthology shown through photos of my life on the mountain and the changes we have gone through with the forest. In 2008, the pine beetle infestation devastated the forests of my mountain home near Potomac, Montana. In 2009, I had to have the top of my land clear-cut to save the remaining trees. We worked on forest thinning and restoration three times because of deforestation and destruction. Where once there was a forest is now an open meadow. This year I purchased a tipi which I intend to put out in the meadow to start a new Sacred Circle of Healing after 15 years. Friends, neighbors, campers, and people of the Healing Circles will gather this summer for Forest Bathing, Song-Dance-Drumming Circles, and learning how to sit and/or dance in peace with the flowers, trees, grasses, and other humans and animals who grace this beautiful land. Calling forth our collective energies in re-forming ceremonial gathering places where people of all colors and creeds are welcome to join our Sacred Circle to celebrate each other and all Nature Spirits that dwell here and help us grow to love, care, and nurture one another. Please come and join us. I am putting the call out to healers of all genres and people to help me organize a collective Heaven-on-Earth approach - crystal healers, reiki healers, dancers, musicians, drummers, herbalists, flower & gem essence practitioners, as well as people interested in participating in coming together to help heal the earth. This will be family friendly and children of all ages are welcome. Contact Evelyn through our website: www.ravenhillbotanicals.com (Contact Us) or through our business page Raven Hill Botanicals on FaceBook. info@ravenhillbotanicals.com

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APRIL Snow in Montana and How the Birds show us spring is just around the corner, no matter how late

4/18/2023

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It has been a long and brutal winter here in Montana and it is spilling over into springtime. In fact, day after day, we have had cold temperatures and and snowstorms. In fact, we had another snowstorm today, even though it has already melted off. Many of us are wondering if we will ever experience the springtime blossoms. Meanwhile, I am observing spring through the myriad of birds either returning or stopping by on their migration, or those who call Raven Hill Botanicals home all year long, like our raven families and, of course, the wild turkeys!

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The Full Moons of 2023

1/7/2023

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"Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves." ~ Chief Seattle 1854

American Indian Tribes gave names to each of the full moons to keep track of the passing year. The names are associated with the entire month until the next full moon occurs. Since a lunar month averages 29 days, the dates of the moons change from year to year.

Full Wolf Moon (Great Spirit Moon)
January 6, 2023 (6:08 p.m. EST)In January (or the first full Moon after the winter solstice), it’s easy to picture packs of wolves howling at the Moon outside the villages in Europe and North America, as the winter’s rigors deprived the animals of food.

Full Snow Moon (Sucker Fish Moon)
February 5, 2023 (1:29 p.m. EST)The second full Moon of the year. The winter is still alive and well and the snow covers everything. The Ojibwe named this Moon after the sucker fish, an important resource for their winter survival.

Full Worm Moon (Hard Crust on the Snow Moon)
March 7, 2023 (7:40 a.m. EST)As the temperatures begin to rise, the snow melts and the earth softens and becomes mud. Worms begin to crawl in the ground, heralding the return of birds, which will feed on them. Also called the Sap Moon, because it’s the time to tap the maples for their sap.

Full Pink Moon (Maple Sap Boiling Moon)
April 6, 2023 (12:35 a.m. EDT)Attributed to the growth and blossom of the moss pink. Other names for this season make reference to flowers, eggs, fish, and the return of spring.

Full Flower Moon (Budding Moon)
May 5, 2023 (1:34 p.m. EDT)In May, spring is typically in full force, and various Moon names recognize the budding and blooming of flowers. Other names for this Moon make reference to the period when corn should be planted.

Full Strawberry Moon
June 3, 2023 (11:42 p.m. EDT)Strawberries are ripe and ready to be picked. The Ojibwe and many other tribes use the same name for this Moon. This month promises a feast on easy food provided by Mother Nature.

Full Buck Moon (Mid-summer Moon)
July 3, 2023 (7:39 a.m. EDT)Buck’s antlers are growing at full force during this Moon. Also called Thunder Moon because thunderstorms are common during this time of the year.

Full Sturgeon Moon (Ricing Moon)
August 1, 2023 (2:32 p.m. EDT)The sturgeon fish catch will peak during this moon. For the Ojibwe, this Moon marked the season to harvest wild rice, an activity with cultural and ritual importance.

Blue Moon
August 30, 2023 (9:36 p.m. EDT)In a year with 13 full Moons, one of them is dubbed a blue Moon. See below for more on two ways to define blue Moons, but note that this particular full Moon is "blue" by either definition. (While this name is not Native American, it is included here for completeness.)

Full Corn Moon (Leaves Changing Color Moon)
September 29, 2023 (5:58 a.m. EDT)Also called Harvest of Fruit Moon, this is the Moon nearest to the autumnal equinox and can happen in October or September. At this time of the year, the fall crops are ready to be harvested.

Full Hunter’s Moon (Falling Leaves Moon)
October 28, 2023 (12:24 p.m. EDT)This is the best time of the year for hunting. The game is fat after a summer of eating and fattening for the winter. Many trees have lost their leaves and the fields are free of the crops that might have served as a hideout for prey. Also, it’s the right time to start storing food and furs for the winter.

Full Beaver Moon (Freezing Moon)
November 27, 2023 (5:16 a.m. EDT)This month’s Moon makes reference to the right moment to hunt beavers for their furs for the winter.

Full Cold Moon (Little Spirits Moon)
December 26, 2023 (8:33 p.m. EDT)In December, the cold returns and the closes the cycle. The long nights bring back the snow and it’s time to gather by the fire.

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The Yule Season: Winter Solstice ~ New Year's Day

12/12/2022

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The Twelve Days of Yuletide: A History
Now, I know that we all sing about the Twelve Days of Christmas, but you might not have realized that the pagan celebration of Yule is twelve days long, starting with the winter solstice on December 21 and ending on December 31.
(Christmastide is also twelve days long from December 25 through January 6th —Epiphany.)

THE BALANCE TIPS TOWARDS WINTER, AND WE ARE REMINDED THAT EVEN IN OUR DARKEST AND COLDEST HOUR, LIGHT AND WARMTH CAN STILL SHINE THROUGH

The gift of light we thankfully take
But not shall it be alone for our sake
The more we give light
The one to the other
It shines and it spreads and it glows still further
Until every spark by friends set aflame
Until every heart with Joy to proclaim
In the depths of our souls a shining sun glows.

Solstices are especially notable, as they mark the longest and shortest days of the year. In essence, they signify how life on Earth changes in connection to the Sun and how our seasons shape our world. When a solstice occurs, the Sun reaches its absolute highest or lowest point relative to our celestial equator.
What Does Yuletide Celebrate?

Beginning with the Winter Solstice celebration, Yuletide kicks off with a celebration of the lengthening amount of sunlight that we welcome as we move away from the day with the least “daytime” during the year. Indeed, nearly every celebration has origins invoking the rebirth of the sun or the sun god in some way. This is also referred to as Mother’s Night, honoring the Mother Goddess (& the coming of spring) along with the protective female ancestors who watch over us.

Yuletide concludes with the celebration on the Twelfth Night, which often coincides with the modern New Year celebration—full of revelry, food, and drink. The Twelfth Night is also associated with the burning of the greens for good luck. This is not directly attributable to pagan culture or Yuletide, but seems to be linked more to Christian Epiphany. (However, I liked the timing of this so much that I adopted it as part of the pagan culture’s Twelfth Night in my Circle of Nine series.) Modern pagans often have a Yule tree as part of their celebration, although it is noted that pre-Christian pagans would likely not have done so. Instead, they would have only cut boughs of evergreens for decoration within their homes. These may have been left up until Imbolc at the beginning of February when they would have been removed and possibly burnt.

Other traditions that were initially part of the pagan or pre-Christian festival of Yule have come to be part of the Christmas tradition, including the use of holly and ivy and mistletoe as decorations, the burning of the Yule log, and gift giving, which was an important part of the Roman Saturnalia festival. And, of course, songs were sung in celebration at the time of the winter solstice and throughout Yuletide.

Here’s a Yuletide Carol to wish you a Blessed Holiday Season – whichever way you celebrate this special time of year!

Happy New Year 2023 !

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Holiday Goat Milk Soaps

11/13/2022

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With every purchase we make, we are given a choice. Not only about what we want to put on or in our body, but who and what we want to support, and what defines us as a person and as a community. In addition to creating the best natural skin care possible, we are committed to creating a better, more sustainable and beautiful world. All of our products are made with the freshest and finest ingredients and love! Thank you for supporting my small business. ~Evelyn Brugger

Our Goat Milk Soap has a creamy smooth texture that is a fabulous moisturizer and nourishing for the skin with excellent foaming and lather.Goat’s milk is naturally high in vitamins and minerals and rich in butterfats which makes it the perfect moisturizer. Vitamin E, which is the skin’s best friend, is found in abundance. If we do use dyes in some soaps, they are vegetable and plant based or mica. We use only Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils which means the scent is never overpowering, but very faint. With some Essential oils it is barely noticeable, however the benefits are there nonetheless.

Please note that our holiday soaps have various wrappings. They are wrapped with Japanese or Italian specialty papers which are sometimes hard to come by and contribute to the end price of these beautiful Peace Medallions ~ Spread some Peace around!

Ingredients: Coconut Oil, Safflower Seed Oil, Glycerin(kosher, of vegetable origin) Goat Milk, Purified Water, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitol, Sorbitan oleate, Oat protein, Titanium Dioxide and Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential OilsAqua, Glycerin, Goat's Milk, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Laurate

The Benefits of Our Luxury Goat Milk Soap

1.Goat milk soaps contains alpha hydro-acids, high proteins and vitamins that are well known for whitening, softening and rejuvenating the skin and its medicinal qualities prevent skin allergies, winter itches, eczema and psoriasis thus giving you the complete skincare you need.

2.What is the benefit of using goat milk soap? Goat milk soap is a gentle, traditional soap with many potential benefits. Its creaminess lends well to conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and dry skin, as it keeps skin nourished and hydrated thanks to its non-stripping properties.

3. In addition to lactic acid, “goat milk contains fatty acids that help repair the skin barrier, probiotics to encourage the growth of normal skin flora, and vitamin A to help gently exfoliate,” says Dr. Purvisha Patel, a board certified dermatologist. Those fatty acids also contribute to noticeably softer skin.

Benefits of using goat’s milk soap for eczema
Goat’s milk soap hasn’t been extensively tested for use as an eczema treatment. Here are the proven benefits of goat’s milk soap and how they might play into eczema treatment.

Goat’s milk soap is a natural exfoliant
Goat’s milk contains lactic acid, a naturally occurring and gentle alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA). Lactic acid is even in some commercial-grade skin peels because of how effective it is at exfoliating and encouraging cell turnover. Cleansing your skin with goat milk soap may help dissolve dead skin cells, revealing healthy, younger skin cells underneath.
Goat’s milk soap contains probiotics
Lactic acid from goat milk also contains probiotics. Oral probiotics using lactic acid bacteria have been shown to help treat eczema in infants. Since these probiotics found in the lactic acid found in goat milk was an effective topical treatment in infants, it might be worth a try.

Goat’s milk soap keeps skin moisturized
Lactic acid doesn’t just add probiotics and exfoliate your skin. Lactic acid in goat’s milk, combined with the natural fats and oils in the milk, are a natural humectant. That means that goat’s milk soap may strengthen your skin barrier and seal moisture in. Skin that’s well-hydrated may be more resistant to eczema flareups.

Goat Milk Soap Peace Medallion ~Jasmine Blossom

$10.00

Our Goat Milk Soap is a vegetable-based luxury soap bar, naturally high in vitamins and minerals and rich in butterfats, making it the perfect moisturizer. Made from the finest ingredients and infused with essential oils.

Each soap is wrapped individually with special Japanese or Venetian papers, which will vary with what is available.

PURE. WILD. BEAUTIFUL!

Happy New Year 2023 !

Goat Milk Soap Peace Medallion ~Jasmine Blossom

Goat Milk Soap Peace Medallion ~ Hawaiian Sandalwood

Cheer Up Moisturizing Goat Milk Soap

Moisturizing Goat Milk Soap Peace Medallion ~ Lavender

Moisturizing Goat Milk Soap Peace Medallion ~ Wild Orange & Clove

Honey Bee Moisturizing Goat Milk Soap ~ Lavender

Tree of Life Moisturizing Goat Milk Soap

Floral Oval

Peace Medallion Soap with Organic & Sustainable botanical dyes

Blue Lotus Goat Milk Soap ~ Peace Medallion

Gardenia Goat Milk Soap

Goat Milk Soap Peace Medallion~ Unscented

"AUTUMN IS A SECOND SPRING WHEN​EVERY LEAF IS A FLOWER"~Albert Camus

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"AUTUMN IS A SECOND SPRING WHEN
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