My latest Jewitch piece has me wrestling and reconciling an unsustainable aspect of one of our most powerful earth-based harvest festivals, Sukkot, that inspires a deepening of our connection with nature's regenerative cycles as we give humble gratitude and ready ourselves to pray for seasonal rains. We celebrate by holding a ridiculously-overpriced, non-local-etrog that is sourced from an extremely water-intensive tree, and most of us have to import? (from Israel, Morocco, or China) We have little to no information about if the farmworkers are exploited, or if the farming practices are organic, we just know that it's been selected by Rabbis for its idealized curvy shape, intact tip, and texture.

Imagine if sacred fruit also met ethical standards rather than prioritizing the ideal of beauty as perfection that matters above all.

While spending eight days in shoddy architecture to reconcile with impermanence and reflect in the Sukkah, one can glean an appreciation for the forces of nature that cause blemishes in our sacred etrog (citrine) fruit: extreme climate change. Strong winds, fires, floods and myriad unpredictable variables lead to cosmetic imperfection in the etrog. That, on top of the normal challenges that come with farming -- insect damage, fruit sunburn, a gash from a wayward branch or thorn that can affect the skin of the fruit.

Seems to me that sourcing a bruised or misshapen etrog is a way to glean appreciation for nature, for blemishes, and for nature’s diversity: all shapes and sizes.

Save your etrog! My piece has an etrog anointing oil remedy. Have a read, and let me know your thoughts! Chag Samayach...

https://forward.com/food/476040/a-jewitch-herbal-how-to-make-etrog-anointing-oil/\

#regeneration #regeneration #ancient #Sabbatical #shmita #regenerativeagriculture #sacredgarden #backyardgardening #lessonsfromnature #fromsoil2soul #stewardship #soulcare #earthcare #communitycare #womenownedbusiness #soulpreneur #gardenlover #anointing #jewitch #growyourmedicine #eatyourmedicine #herbalmedicine #herbalremedies #