A life-long love of animals spoke loudly when I touched the pomegranate for the first time. Visions of the ancient Virgin Goddess gave way to the foothills of the present time. Animal pelts and the root of rosemary I planted for a beloved dog sit on top of a hemlock log my husband saved for me while gathering firewood. Each have given nurturance to the wild, to me and now to you.

Cristina Oliver is an artist, writer and sage who lives off the grid in the Pacific Northwest. Hemlock, fir, madrona and alder forests surround her hand-made cabin.