CRONE CONNECTION TO THE REDWOODS

HOW REDWOODS COME INTO MY LIFE

The redwoods are the backdrop to my entire life. I grew up on six acres of land covered in these majestic towering trees. My mom and dad bought the property, built a home there, and raised me and my four siblings beneath their canopy. My childhood was spent roaming the forest, picking huckleberries, shaping mud pies from the clay in the creek, and weaving wildflowers into play in the meadow. The redwoods stood steady through it all, guardians of both my exploration, connection  and my becoming.

Today, my eldest daughter owns the land. She continues the caretaking, honoring its energy, and keeping the spirit of the trees alive for the next generation. To wildcraft and walk the land now, as a mother and herbalist, is to feel the continuity of life rooted deeper than this single lifetime. The redwoods are not just trees, they are a part of my family, my memories, and now the CRONE medicine I offer.

WISDOM OF THE LEAF: REDWOOD (SEQUOIA SEMPERVIRENS)

The redwoods are the tallest trees on Earth, living thousands of years, their roots are entwined in networks that keep entire groves standing strong. In history, Redwood bark and leaves were used medicinally by Indigenous peoples of the West Coast. From the bark poultices were made to soothe wounds, and from the needles teas were made to ease colds, fevers, and respiratory ailments. 

To stand among the redwoods is to feel both small and infinite. Their root systems intertwine beneath the soil, holding one another upright, telling the truth that strength is not found in isolation but in connection. 

CRONE REFLECTION

Sometimes self-care is about remembering your strength. The Redwoods teach us that to stand tall is to be both grounded and connected. Individually a Redwood tree stands strong,  but together in a community  they are able to lean on each other and endure the storms with grace.

For me, this is CRONE self-care, it is to honor individuality while remembering our interconnection. Just as the redwoods cannot stand alone, we too are nourished by our families, our communities, and the unseen networks of care that hold us. To care for self is also to recognize the ways we are held by others, the roots beneath our surface.