Roots & Resins 2025
A Rain-Blessed Day of Forest Medicine
Oxford Herbal Seasonal Workshop / November 2025
Saturday’s forest was soaked through — the kind of steady, insistent rain that softens the ground, carries scent upwards from the leaf-litter, and turns the woodland into something ancient, quiet and intimate. Yet everyone came. That alone speaks to the kind of community forming around these nature-based gatherings.
Roots & Resins was always intended as a workshop about grounding, stillness and deep seasonal medicine. The rain didn’t interrupt that; it deepened it. It slowed our pace, sharpened our senses, and held us inside a landscape that was entirely honest.
We gathered beneath a simple shelter among the hornbeams, turning a dripping woodland corner into a small outdoor classroom. The smell of pine resin, damp bark and cold soil wrapped around us — the perfect setting for a day exploring the winter medicines of roots and tree resins.
Foraging in the Late-Autumn Wood
Our walk revealed the quiet vitality of the season:
the anchoring strength of Arctium lappa (burdock)
the protective resins of pine
the grounded presence of nettle roots waiting for their spring rise
We explored how roots draw nutrients up from deep soil, supporting tissues during the colder months, and how resins act as nature’s protective bandage — antimicrobial, warming and restorative.
Hands-On Medicine Making
Back under shelter, everyone created their own woodland balm using almond oil, beeswax and pine essence — a simple but potent winter remedy for skin, chest and emotional steadiness.
We tasted oxymels, explored bitters, warmed our hands around burdock decoctions carried in flasks through the rain, and allowed the forest itself to shape the rhythm of the day.
Winter Medicine, Winter Wisdom
This workshop was never only about ingredients. It was about the deeper lessons of the season:
roots teach endurance
resins teach protection
winter invites rest, not stagnation
the land offers repair even in quiet times
The forest held us in a steady, grounding way — as it always does.
Looking Ahead — Spring Workshop
Our next seasonal gathering, Wild Woman Wild Ways, takes place on Saturday 29th March, welcoming the first unfurling energies of spring.
Details will be released shortly.
Thank you to everyone who came, stood in the rain, listened to the land, and made the day what it was. Nature meets us in all weather — and you met her fully.
