Alternate Calendars
Fall always felt like another chance at the New Year for me. As a kid, the days leading up to September were made for reconfiguring my outfits and conjuring up a new self. Crisp, new backpacks were purchased. After two months apart, friends I hadn’t seen since June seemed tall, wizened, and sometimes completely disinterested in me after the events of the summer.
The Gregorian Calendar is just one calendar. The beginning of a new school year is always followed by Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah. Diwali is considered the start of a new year in parts of Northern India. The Celtic calendar follows lunar cycles and begins just after Samhain, a.k.a. Halloween.
The history of calendars is a history of shifting and amorphous dates and the occasional riot. We can generally agree on the length of a year, but not when it begins.
Sera, botanical designer at Red Fern Brooklyn, reminds me that bulbs are planted in autumn. This means the growing season really begins just as all the plant life is shriveling away. Daffodils, crocuses, and tulips need stretches of cold and frost to bloom.
This is your reminder that there is no right time to start, or start over. I’m beginning this newsletter, although I don’t have much to share at the moment. Ideas are gestating underground. I’m covering my bulbs with soil.
Roots
Autumn is also a time for harvesting roots, as plants prioritize their roots in the winter. We may need additional grounding at this time for a multitude of reasons. One of my favorite roots is gentian, which is an incredible herb for digestion. When you consume bitter herbs, you release bile from your liver. This leads to improved digestion.
Our ancestors consumed far more bitter foods than we do today. Perhaps a lack of bitter flavor is a reason why digestive issues are so prevalent.
Additionally, the stresses of fall and world events may be weakening your digestion. A little herbal support may go a long way! Roots are as grounding for us as they are for the plants, which we need in the windy and frantic season we are in.
I take gentian in the form of digestive bitters, an alcohol tincture containing herbs that release bile and aid the digestive process. I keep my bitters in a dropper bottle and take a squeeze on the tongue before meals.
The first time I made my own bitters, I used this recipe from Eat Beautiful. It requires just gentian and vodka. Here’s the bad news: gentian is extremely bitter! The bitterness is part of the medicine, but you may wish to include herbs that can offset the bitterness, such as licorice root. These roots are available in dried form through Mountain Rose Herbs.
I’m on a journey to make bitters that don’t taste bad. I’m not there yet, but will keep you posted.
If you want to try bitters, but you don’t want to make them yourself, try the brand Urban Moonshine, which has both alcohol and vinegar-based bitters.
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