Several years ago, I entered into an apprenticeship… It wasn’t a typical apprenticeship. I was adopted by a plant — I call her “Mother Honeysuckle” or “Ma” for short. Shortly after beginning my studies with Ma, another plant was given to me in a very powerful dream. She is the “flip-side” of Ma… Datura, whom I refer to as “Dark Ma” because she works with me in the shadows — my shadows.

After several years of apprenticeship, it was clear that the adventures and teachings needed to be documented in some way. And it was this impulse that started my journey of writing a trilogy.

The Land Speaks trilogy became an inception point for all of the work that has followed, including a decade of ancestral investigations and research, reviving of folk-knowledge and ceremonial craft-work, and finally understanding the odd and magical flow of experiences in my own life.

Most importantly, the question “How do Ukrainian Canadians (any settler-occupiers) root their sacred knowlege and traditions in a land where they are (invited/ uninvited) guests?” forms the foundation of the work that has evolved.

Writing the trilogy is ongoing. I took a step back from the intensity of research and writing a few years ago for two reasons: first, I was compelled to live the ceremonies for 4 years so as to directly integrate the teachings and knowledge; and second, from this integration, to return to the writing with different eyes and a new understanding. Much has evolved personally and societally since that time. I am now ready to return.

• Book 1 is a historical fiction set in the early 1900’s, loosely based on the lives of my Ukrainian great grandparents and their children as they immigrated to “Canada” bringing folk-knowledge, traditions and old-world magic with them.

• Book 2 is a felt-reality story of my earlier years and apprenticeship with Ma and Dark Ma, weaving threads from book 1 into the emergence of teachings.

• Book 3 is based on the personal land reparation ceremonies and continues the themes and threads from books 1 and 2.

The Land Dreams in Ceremonies (see project 1) documents two years of personal land reparation ceremonies and forms the basis for Book 3. These ceremonies are on-going, and have morphed and evolved into new incarnations of work.

InesSense is one of the new incarnations...

Incense is more than just personal recreational enjoyment — the handcrafted incense is first and foremost for personal ritual usage & smoke-blessings imparted by the plants and by your own intentional use.

Natural dye brings you into direct contact with the essence of the plants through their soul-colour — like a kiss from the plants for your skin and eyes.