art by Amiri Farris
These are notes from my notebook that I scribbled down during a three day visit to Hunting Island & St Helena Island, SC. These islands are a mere 33 miles (as the heron flies) to the beach that I grew up on, Tybee Island, GA. I considered working some of these ideas out further, but then they just kept sitting there. So I thought I’d just publish them and let their visibility me there, if small glimmers of larger stories.
In no particular order: Notes from the beach
Terrapins live in the liminal lands of where ocean meets the earth. Brackish water, soft silt like meringue fogs up the water when the crab moves through, skinny legs of the egret as it taps along the grasses.
I’ve been thinking about turtles and Saturn. How the turtle sits at the back of an environment map in feng shui, creating a strong backbone for a household. If the North end is not supportive and strong, how things can surprise you from behind. Supporting the Turtle energy to give it slow but steady support.
Gullah Geechee are a community of people who made their creole culture along the Sea Islands in Georgia and the Carolina coasts.
A weaving of cultures, the Gullah-Geechee came from from traumatic enslavement and relocation to a new continent, forced into new ecosystems and societies, but where they ultimately developed a new group of people. They created their own form of art, food traditions, herbal and animal lore. Some animal, herbal lore and symbols came with them from Africa, along the ocean to the new lands. Some lore was made magic in the alchemy of place.
The use of Adinkra symbols, originating in Ghana & Côte d'Ivoire, was carried through to the Gullah-Geechee people. On my visit, I saw the spiral on the tombstone.
After the civil war, the abandonment, the islands isolated, no bridges connecting to the main land, so culture was fermenting in its own medicine.
Churches built and fell, communities bloomed and withered.
Tabby buildings from crushed shells and clay.
image by dubb studio
Rabbit tobacco, yaupon holly, spanish moss in the shoes, mullein flowers and leaves. This was the medicine of the islands, discovered, used and taught by the peoples living in the shadows.
Even, despite and because of all their circumstances, a gumbo, a mélange was created: including herbal medicines from what was growing near.
Making do with what was close, making medicines with what was growing, getting to know the medicines and foods of the land. Astrology, like herbalism, requires only knowledge for access. They are both medicines of the people.
Oral traditions are shared by telling stories about the landscape. The land will tell you the stories that already live. Just ask Findhorn.
I passed a road called “Storyelling Lane” and then a sign further down it that said “expect delays” A good story weaves.
Indigo and woven seagrass. Did you know that palms aren’t trees but evolved grass? Use a grass as a reed for a song, for a spell. The spell of finding the herbs near you.
Find a root to ground you. Find a flower to inspire you. Find leaves and stems to socialize you. Find a preparation to define you.
Nettle, Mullein, Dandelion are herbs that grow where I came from and where I live now. Violets and pine trees, Magnolias and Roses. From Oregon to Appalachia, birthed from coastal tidal marshes. High desert to swampy wetlands.
As I’ve moved and settled, I craft a mélange around me to weave my personal lore. We all do this. Writing these things down, even snippets that are unformed into larger pieces, add to the compost of our grimoires.
We ate a meal made by Bill Green, an educator & chef whose mission is to preserve the culture of his home, he is also a huntsman, horsemen and trainer of hounds. When we ate at his place, he came out to our table and talked with us about the importance of sharing knowledge. “You come into this world empty handed & you leave empty handed. The only thing you can truly pass on is your wisdom.”
I wanted to share his work here. You can follow him on YouTube & Instagram. If you’re in the area, you can eat his local, seasonal food.
Happy 1st Quarter Moon y’all
Spell it,
Christa
LOVELY imagery , Christa! I can only imagine how good Mr. Green's food is) ..It takes some magic to make collards delicious - a magic I have onlypersonally experienced exactly once in my own collard prep but have tasted many times from the hands of others:)