a lil love note & recipe to get you thru omicron

Okay, so pre-omicron swooping in to make sure any semblance of joyful exuberance was cool, I went on my *first trip* in almost two years to the south west of Turtle Island. For me, living in diaspora in the Mahicantuck (Hudson) Valley is defintely a true blessing of ancient rock, moss, and moving water, BUT it’s also cold af, and literal weeks can go by in the winter without a glimmer of sunshine. So to get the chance to time travel to the desert felt like I was at once home but instead of jasmine, saffron, and rose scenting the air, I was greeted by piñon pine, chaparral, and sagebrush. I also learned on that trip that Northern New Mexico runs on the latitude of 35 degrees north, and that line also runs through my homelands of Iran, which was both mind blowing and just makes so much sense. My winter dream is finding a way back to this adopted desert landscape in the next five years to do a deep dive into all that my body hungers for; sand, sun, mountains, and that high desert climate. Hoping you’re finding seeds of dreams to take into your winter slumbers…this love note is basically just some virtual love and inspiration for those precious dream seeds <3 NOFA-NY Winter Conference Scholarships Over the past two years, my beloved co-conspirator Amanda David and I have been working with the NOFA-NY conference to begin the work of building a more equitable community, as well as initiating pathways to repair harm that has occurred within the NOFA-NY network towards our BIPOC fam. One part of that work has been advocating for, creating, and organizing a BIPOC track within this year’s virtual conference. The BIPOC track will offer an immersive learning environment for the BIPOC community in New York and beyond. Knowledge shares will be offered by BIPOC educators for BIPOC participants only. Our hope is that the BIPOC track will provide a safe entry point and intentional container within the conference and give us a space to share and grow together. Additionally for the 2022 conference there are 50 full BIPOC scholarships (please share this link with anyone who may be interested!) available and the In Living Color BIPOC space will also hold it down each day during the event. Mocha Picante Recipe This delicious, warming and energizing drink has been getting me through the cold and cloudy days. I can’t get enough and hopefully it will be a remedy for your winter blues too. Ingredients 2 tbsps raw cacao powder 1 cup of your milk of choice ( I prefer half & half for it's creamy consistency) Coffee of choice (amount dependent on your preferred method of coffee) Red Chile Infused Honey (amount dependent on your desired sweetness/spiciness) Method 1. Make your coffee with your preferred method. I use an aeropress which makes about 7 oz of coffee, but you can use a coffee maker, pour over, or espresso. Set aside. 2. In a small saucepan at a medium heat, whisk 2 tablespoons of raw cacao powder vigorously into your milk of choice until completely emulsified. 3. Add your coffee to the saucepan, whisking together your chocolate mixture and coffee. 4. Continue to whisk your concoction, until the mixture is at your desired temperature. 5. To finish, take your saucepan off the heat, and add your chile infused honey, stirring to ensure emulsion. Anointed by Dan Lin & Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner

I recently had the honor of taking in this virtual poem that captures so powerfully the struggles, healing, and the never-ending activism that indigenous communities globally tirelessly work towards. I’ve probably watched Anointed daily since first discovering it, and for me, it feels like a daily prayer to engage with as we fight for indigenous land sovereignty.

<~Wild Gather Updates~> Registration is open for both our virtual and in person programming! As we dawn into the Gregorian calendars “new year” it’s kinda of the perfect time to set your years intention and to make a date to come swoon with us and the plants. Also keep your eyes, ears, and hearts out for our podcast Smoke Break~ our first episode is dropping so soon!!!

Sagittarius Playlist Here’s a lil playlist for the rest of your SAG SEASONS. It’s definitely Busta Rhymes heavy, but like do I need a reason for that? 1. Tierra whack- Pretty Ugly 2. Princess Nokia- Dragons 3. Dianna Lopez- So I don’t feel useless 4. Bbyafricka- Downtown & Cigarettes 5. Busta Rhymes- Touch it 6. Saba- Photosynthesis 7. King Krule- Easy Easy 8. Busta Rhymes ft. Janet Jackson- What’s it gonna be?! 9. BIA ft. Niki Minaj- Whole Lotta Money 10. Grace Ives- Icing on the Cake