Tell us a bit about yourself and the ways in which you work with plants:
Hello! I’m Kayle Karbowski- proud Scorpio Sun, Aquarius Moon and Taurus Rising :) I live in a house just near the western banks of Lake Michigan on top of a small hill in prairie land carved by glaciers many many years ago. This is unceded land from many indigenous people, including (but not limited to) the Potowatomi, Ojbiwe, Ho-Chunk, and Menominee tribes. It’s currently a metropolitan area called Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
I’m a lover of all things extra and hyper terrestrial- from the stars we have yet to discover to the mycelium beneath all of our feet. Most of the time I have completely to myself I like to spend resting and dreaming, taking baths, baking bread, playing in my studio and apothecary, and reading with my cat (I’m writing this as snow falls out my window, so the summer activities feel very far away from my mind right now). In my day job, I work with college art students and “emerging” technology– I love living in the space between what is perceived as unnatural (like computers) and what is culturally accepted as Nature.
Recently, I’ve been working with plants (particularly flower essences) a lot in the dream realm. I like to think of flowers as the spirit of a plant– the expression of their deepest loves, desires, and powers. Dreaming has felt like such a natural thing to do with them this winter, letting my spirit ride off with them in the night. I am fascinated by the stories held by flora and attempt to be in as deep of a listening practice with them as possible. As well as spreading the stories and medicines they ask me to share <3
Did you notice any changes in your plant practices after HMS?
YES. HMS really incorporated plant magic INTENSELY with my divination, dream, and creative practice. Liz provided so many tools, methods, and rituals for working with plants in HMS. But maybe more importantly, she really opened the door to delve into creating deeper relationship with existing ritual/creative practices and ancestral practices. I find myself cooking with ancestral foods more, sinking deep into my cup of tea at work (even if just for a moment), and using my research into plants and our relationship with them as sincere inspiration for my artwork. The program and my classmates truly shifted my perspective on like… kind of everything! Not to be dramatic but I do feel truly changed by my experiences in Herbal Mystery School.
Is there one plant from the HMS year that feels close to your heart right now?
Maybe it's a cliché witch thing to say, but Mugwort is always close to my heart. A true ride-or-die. I’m writing this in February and just waking from the deep, dream filled, endless nights. I’ve been back and forth between burning a mugwort wand and my mullein torch to bring in the starlight and spiral in the dark.
Are there any plants from HMS that you have circled back to for more mystery study or practice:
I feel the path of my spirit and many of the plants we worked with in HMS are quite intertwined. They have become archetypes to me- I find myself having nettle moments, lavender daydreams, burdock belly. These plants have left such a prominent mark on how I pay attention to time and sensation. The ones that stand out to me most are Nettle and Mugwort- both of which I’ve had pretty profound experiences with in my time with them during and after HMS. It’s become somewhat of a running joking amongst myself and those close to me that spring 2021-2022 was my “Nettle Year”, as after traipsing home from the river with a (covered) armful of nettle stalks in September to attempt to make fiber, I accidentally seeded both my front and back yard (lightly, for now) with nettle babies. While the physical plant literally followed me, I was also frequently having dreams about the plant and snakes, and finding myself in a serious negotiation with how I wanted to assert myself in the world. While it was not gentle in the least, I considered Nettle an important ally during the closing of my Saturn Return. I’m looking forward to finding their little purple and green heads poke up from the ground this Spring.
