Whispers In My Mind

Mary’s Gold: Calendula Sun Cake

In my neck of the woods, there’s a particular tree that grows in the understory. It’s not a very big tree, but it’s doing something that has recently caught my attention: It’s becoming much more abundant. On the surface, this looks like a wonderful thing. Known as pawpaw (Asimina triloba), this native tree produces a highly prized edible fruit. It also serves as a host plant for the zebra…

Imagine spending over a decade with the same group of friends, only to discover a stranger had been among you the entire time. This recently happened to me, but it didn’t involve humans. It involved oaks. For more than a decade, I’d been visiting the same patch of woods near my home. I thought I knew all the trees there, but I guess I was wrong. One day, I came across an oak I’d never noticed…

I have two updates: a special live event next month, and a brand-new video on an iconic forest plant. First up: On Tuesday, July 21, I’ll be speaking at a unique, immersive event called Field & Fork. This is a multi-sensory farm-to-table dinner and ecology experience hosted by Plant it Further at the scenic 80-acre Lodge at Water’s Edge in Portersville, Pennsylvania. I’ll be speaking alongside…

In my neck of the woods, some places are absolute tick hot spots. If I need to photograph ticks or study their habits, I know exactly where to go. But until last week, I didn’t know that a particular shrub was strongly associated with tick abundance. A new study found this to be true, and we can now add this species to the growing list of plants that sustain ticks. What is this shrub? And why…

Spring Greens as a Nourishing and Healing Food

Before I share a brand-new video with you, I have some great news: My newest online course, Elders: The Ecology of Old-Growth Forests, will be open for enrollment in two weeks! I’ve spent the past 16 months filming, researching, and structuring this course to be a comprehensive guide to these incredible ecosystems. I’ve gone deeper into the science and soul of the forest than ever before, and…

A Wheel of Deepening Land Healing through Sacred Gardens and Refugia, Part II: Radiating Rituals and Sending Energy Outward

A Wheel of Deepening Land Healing through Sacred Gardens and Refugia, Part I

I’ve spent a lot of time in wild places over the years. Something I’ve noticed is this: Humans are place-based creatures. We thrive when we feel connected to certain landscapes. I’ve also noticed that one of the best ways to develop this connection is to learn what makes each place unique. Lately, I’ve been exploring mature and old-growth forests, and I’ve wondered: What trees live here? How…

Digital Refigua, Druidry, and Creating GenAI Free Spaces for Humans

Recreating Prague’s Speculum Alchemiae Elemental Symbols – A Bardic Journey, Part I

History and Meaning of the Elemental Symbols: Insight into Speculum Alchemiae Elemental Symbols, Part II

When I was younger, I played piano.  Rather than learning popular songs of the day, I studied the classics:  Bach, Haydn, Chopin, Beethoven. When I was in my 20s, I developed an interest in spirituality.  Rather than looking to modern influencers for answers, I turned to older texts like the Bible and the Tao Te Ching. By my 30s, I noticed a pattern.  Whenever I wanted to learn something, I…

Years ago, I started reading books on Taoism.  One Taoist concept I learned early on was the inevitability of change.  Nothing stays the same, Taoists tell us.  Things move, shift, grow, and fade, whether we’re paying attention or not. Years later, I became interested in ecology, and I began to wonder:  how do forests change?  Specifically, I began to wonder how forests in the northeastern…

By Maryann Readal Mace: The Elegant Twin of Nutmeg Mace is a wonderfully unique spice. It derives from the Myristica fragrans tree and is native to Indonesia’s Banda Islands—the legendary “Spice Islands”—though it is now also cultivated in Grenada and other tropical regions. You can’t talk about mace without mentioning its twin, nutmeg, because, even though they are different spices, they grow…

This is Your Brain on AI: Why AI is Bad for People’s Skills, Cognition, and Mental Health