Croft Adventures: April/May 2025

Gathering Wood … and other resources

I’m loving how everything weaves together. One job leads to another, another potential project is revealed with new insights and inspiration. I’m not one to easily focus on one thing until it’s finished, I like to have several projects on the go so I can move between them - it’s my way of working with procrastination ! And the croft is providing me plenty, ones that weave together seamlessly when I’m in the flow it’s warm or the sun is shining.

Though some are more of a priority than others all are put into the cauldron of potential waiting for the right time to emerge.

On wetter days I rest, work on my website, write or process the plants I’ve been drying - and so a rhythm is forming … I am looking forward to when I get the woodburner in the shepherds hut as it can be quite chill on cooler days still. There is a saying about firewood - 3 times warm - firstly felling and cutting into logs, secondly splitting the logs and finally putting them on the fire ! There’s plenty of work to keep me warm in-between bouts of writing and website work. It also keeps me grounded and anchored to Mother Earth. There are three main sources of wood here Willow Sycamore and Gorse, I’m finding the three woods make a perfect combination for my woodburner.

Another branch had fallen from Grandmother Willow a year or so ago, and when I cleared it the form of a future living sweat lodge is becoming clearer ( I now regret not taking a before photo!). The wood isn’t fully seasoned, though it should be by autumn - it feels good to see the future unfolding like this, as there is so much well seasoned wood left from previous tree work, as well as green wood starting to pile up for seasoning.

I feel well provided for.

Sycamores, due to their generous nature, prolific germination and tendency to grow close together can become top-heavy and so potentially dangerous in high winds. These trees will be felled, or have other work done, and will form part of the loose coppicing system though I will wait at least until after the birds have fledged now. Though those that are in the way of unfolding projects are making an early contribution to my wood pile, while I minimise disruption to the birds and other life by constantly asking permission of the trees, the land and elemental beings. I am using all parts of the trees as a resource, wood, kindling, leaf mould, fire ashes in the compost, as well as drying for teas and medicine. This may be a lot of work, but it is fulfilling and nourishing, while deepening our kinship.

I feel blessed that I can read trees not only because of out energetic connection, but my former husband was a professional woodsman and I learned a lot from him ( and others) especially when we ran a tree and garden services business together.

Last week I cleared access to and around the old chicken shed and needed to remove trees and branches that were damaging the roof - which I’ll be replacing over the summer as I plan to convert this into a wee cabin for guests when I’m here.

I got a lovely surprise at the back of the cabin where there is much self-seeded sycamore and wild honeysuckle, the shade has meant the gorse has stopped growing not only gifting much well seasoned wood but creating some spaciousness where a couple of young rowan and beeches have taken hold.

I’m loving how these protective wisdom trees are popping up around the boundaries of my living spaces here.

I’ve been guided to plant a couple of birches here later in the year and through this tiny corner of woodland I feel I can see the progression of how land re-establishes itself. 

Gorse, who burns hot like charcoal, surprised me when I saw the coiled power of a cross-section of his branches … such power !

What really strikes me about this is when I brought through the transmission for Gorse Sacred Earth Essence we descended through her trunk down a tight spiral staircase.

Those who know me well, know I love my tea!

So I’ve dried Gorse flowers, sycamore leaves and bark - which is great for respiratory problems, nettles, ground elder - which smells like celery when dried, and bramble leaves. I’ve been playing with making tea by fermenting the leaves and buds of Gorse - which looks more like a green tea version - and blaeberry bushes. I don’t have any blaeberries on the croft so I spent a magical few hours with the powerful elementals in a nearby oak woodland, though the leaves once prepared and fermented barely represent the quantity of fresh leaves picked - a lot will be needed ! Which means more magical time there !

Yarrow and cleavers are now showing themselves, later I may try adding them with ground elder when making seasonings. I have been talking to a White Willow about using her for some potions and she shared some of her catkins for my breakfast. Bluebells are returning both locally and on the croft where many of them had bee uprooted by the pigs or smothered by gorse. Other projects include clearing out the old croft house for indoor workspace, make way to move the van nearer the shepherds hut for a slightly more congruent setup. As the area was levelled and hardcore put down sometime ago now, it will make a better camping and working space then my current location, though there is much preparatory work.

So when I’m quieter on here know that the weather is fine, even sunny, as I continue to progress this dream that a few years ago I put to one side …

And now it seems this timeline has been revived along with the gifts of a very different spiritual journey to the one I had envisioned all those years ago.

with much Love
from my Heart to yours

Tania Aurora White Crow