Jewish tradition teaches us the power of time. Each year, as the At The Well team crafts our Hebrew calendar, we work to bring that power into physical form.

This year, we especially wanted to uplift the wisdom of the natural world around us by highlighting key botanicals from Jewish tradition.

‍

In the conversation below, you’ll get to meet the wise herbalist, Courtney Merage, who helped bring our 5785 Hebrew Calendar to life. Click here to order your copy today!

‍

At The Well: First of all, a deep thank you for helping to bring this year’s vision to life! At a time when things feel so profoundly difficult, these plants’ loving presence in the world really reminds us of the abundant support that surrounds us. Have you owned a Hebrew Calendar before? If so, where do you like to hang it within your house, and how do you use it?

Courtney: Yes I have a few! I hang one next to my altar in my home and anchor into Hebrew time when I sit there for ritual. I have another I connect with at Shabbat to learn and reflect on the wheel of the year and the wisdom of each Hebrew month and our holidays. I also have the Hebrew calendar woven into my personal calendar on my phone and computer, to ground my daily life in the intentions, herbs, and bigger picture for each month of the year.

‍

At The Well: What does Rosh Chodesh / Jewish time mean to you personally? How do you honor Rosh Chodesh in your life (if you do)?

Courtney: I love how emotionally intelligent Jewish time is, with an opportunity for individual and community healing with each turn of the wheel. I also love the ancestral connection and how deeply Earth-based Jewish time is. I love the invitations for connection to spirit, to earth, to humanity.

Gathering with my Rosh Chodesh Well Circle is my favorite night of the month. I feel incredibly alive on Rosh Chodesh, and Well Circles are how I’ve always dreamt of spending my time. If I’m not with my Well Circle on the exact night of the new moon, I’ll spend that evening journaling, staring at the moon for a while, sometimes reading poetry or prayers with loved ones, or enjoying hibernating alone.

‍

At The Well: What was your process like in choosing botanicals that relate to each Hebrew month?

Courtney: I started by centering what the message of wisdom was for each month, and asking “What gift is that month offering us? What emotions or stories are we invited to be with at that time?” I was so lucky to have Jenna Zadaka’s depth of knowledge to build on! The Hebrew calendar is already so rich with botanical connections, sometimes it was simply a matter of honoring the rituals we have kept for centuries, like with Willow in Tishrei. When I needed to narrow down between a few herbal friends, I’d ask, “Which plants are thriving in that time of year? Which plants have we historically allied with as Jewish people in similar situations?” That was how I landed on Red Clover for Sivan!

‍

At The Well: How can this botanical wisdom support and inspire those who buy this calendar or receive it as a gift?

Courtney: All humans co-evolve with our ecosystems each year. We are cyclical just as they are, and Jewish time wisely honors this. I invite you to allow these plants to be allies with you as you walk this year. These herbs are encouraging us to do the healing work of life by offering us gifts to ground us, nourish us, soothe us, and so much more. So, court the plants, spend time with them either in person or in your heart, connect via your senses, ask them to be there for you and offer reciprocity to them. They will show up for you!

‍

At The Well: Do you have a favorite botanical that you were most excited to uplift?

Courtney: I was so happy to share about my beloved Chamomile, Matricaria chamomilla! She is one herb many of us are probably familiar with as a gentle but effective bedtime tea. While she can absolutely offer us that sleepy embrace, she also has many other gifts for our bellies, for anxiety, our skin, and she has a secret strength! Steep her too long and she becomes bitter. So she’s a loving reminder of our need to honor our boundaries as well as our sweetness.

‍

At The Well: What is your favorite month of the Hebrew calendar each year?

Courtney: It changes each year! Last year was Tammuz, and I actually wrote a ritual about dandelion for At The Well’s 5784 Tammuz Moon Manual. But this year would probably be Av; I often think of grief and love as portals to one another, and I admire how Av allows us to move through both emotions so intentionally.

‍

At The Well: Anything more you’d like to say to people looking at buying this calendar?

Courtney: I want to invite you to step into the wheel of the year with a sense of play. It’s ok to do this imperfectly! If you weren’t present with one part of the Hebrew calendar for any reason at all, you can pick it back up the next day or the next month, any time! That’s the beauty of the wheel of the year; it all always comes back around. And the wisdom here is meaningful well beyond 5785, too. Be loving and gentle with yourself. There is meant to be pleasure in this process of navigating time. Little moments add up and they are enough!

‍

________________________________________

‍

The botanicals we highlight in this year’s calendar were identified with the support of Courtney Merage.

Courtney is a community, folk, and ancestral herbalist, a ritualist, and is in pursuit of the Hebrew Priestess path. She believes that herbal wisdom empowers each person’s sovereignty as a midwife to their own healing.

‍