Beyond the Plate: Nature’s Timing
Whew. Another week has come and gone over here. I am nothing if not consistently inconsistent. It’s Thursday as I’m writing this, and truth be told, I almost missed a blog post altogether. I was actually writing this for my friends on Facebook to let them know what I’ve been up to this week—a “Hey, I’m alive” kind of thing. So, breaking from the recently established pattern of anecdote-tarot posts, this week, let’s look Beyond the Plate.
If you’re new here, the Beyond the Plate series explores how we are more than what we eat—we are the sum total of what we consume and how we consume. “Anything in excess is poison.” While I’ve often referenced this quote, I’ve found it attributed to many sources, and I most likely encountered it in the context of Buddhism. It’s a mindset I’ve carried with me as I’ve learned to interact mindfully with the natural world around me, especially with my trees.
When I moved into this house and realized the beautiful, tall pine shading my backyard was an Eastern White Pine—whose needles are some of the best-tasting medicine in the country—I knew I’d need to be a responsible friend to the trees. But what did that mean?
For me, it meant not overharvesting her (or her sister) in my overzealousness. It meant waiting for the right time, a lesson I learned a few years ago when I lived off-grid and had access to an abundance of witch hazel. By the time I finally thought to harvest it, I realized I was too late. You can harvest tree parts whenever, but it’s best to wait until early spring when the sap and terpenes—aromatic oils—are flowing. This is when the best medicines and flavors emerge. The problem for me back then was that I was working full-time and living off-grid, so I wasn’t set up to properly harvest and use the witch hazel. So, when we arrived here last summer, I knew it would be a while before I could taste my new pine friend’s tea.
The pines on the property had already been limbed, so the remaining branches were pretty high up. Now, I’m a fan of facing my fears, but climbing a ladder to harvest needles for tea, vinegar, or natural pine soda wasn’t high on my list. I figured I’d spread out the projects over two years: pine soda this year, pine vinegar the next, and just enough tea for a couple of times. Tea can be made with dried needles, so I collected some from a small twig that had fallen earlier this winter. It was earthy, much lighter than I expected, and I couldn’t WAIT for the pine soda this year.
Then life happened. I started a class, got a little job, and was still trying to keep up with my blog commitments. I was studying when my pine friend began shedding her limbs, when my neighbor’s pines were dropping limbs onto their roofs, and when the lights went out. It became a stressful week for more than 700,000 people in Michigan and Canada. Sadly, at least six people didn’t make it, as of today.
As the storm raged on, with branches shedding and the cold dampening everything, I worried. Worried that the wind would pick up the branches and damage our home, worried that our stove wouldn’t keep the cats warm enough, and worried that our neighbors and friends were facing worse. During a break in the storm, we went outside to assess the situation and decided the immediate risk of falling branches was low. After that, it was about staying warm and planning my harvest.
Needles degrade the fastest, so I knew I needed to be quick. As soon as the weather broke, I needed to get the needles for the soda. The pine soda relies on the natural yeast of the pine needle to lightly ferment the drink, giving it the carbonated quality. Tea and vinegar can use less-than-perfectly fresh needles, but the soda had to be fresh. This meant that I had to PAUSE my studies, the power had just come back on, and I was itching to get back to my studies - but I needed to move quickly. Yeast traditionally hates me, so I couldn’t take any chances. Thankfully, I learned that if you rinse the pine needles in water that is too warm, you will release the terpenes that you need for the flavor when I made the tea earlier this winter.
It meant that by the time I looked at the recipe again, I hadn’t already made a dire mistake of over-rinsing my needles. Still, I had decided to chop my needles, and I was terrified that I had made a huge mistake. Maybe I killed too much yeast? I wasn’t sure, so I pressed on. I filled my bottles with my sticky little needles, sugar and my purified water. I sealed them up and sat them in the window. I sent pictures to my gal pals and my brother and laughed about the yeast. Then I went to work the next day and almost forgot all about it.
I woke up this morning and decided I needed to look at the bottles. I wasn’t expecting anything. Again, I kill yeast. I was ecstatic to find bubbles on the needles in the bottles. So I took a little video of my excitement to share with a few friends who knew I was making the soda to let them know it was working.(Because they are getting some.) Had nature not dropped ice on us, thus dropping a full quarter of our tree, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to try so many things this year. The pine soda is only the most exciting; I’m also excited for the opportunity to look for resin, for salve, and to harvest some inner bark to dry for a thickening agent.
As I harvested from the fallen limbs, I sang to the tree and asked its permission. I explained where her needles were going and that we appreciated the shade she provided, and now we will appreciate the drinks, cleaners, and wood she has provided. I told her she was still beautiful and I felt silly the whole time. I don’t know how I feel about the concept of land spirits, but I do believe that cultivating a mutually respectful relationship with nature is important. We are nothing without her, and without us, she will keep doing what she is doing. We are guests here on this planet, and some of us have zero house training. But it’s never too late to start cultivating that relationship with the natural world around us.
With love,
Mia Marie.
Navigating Imperfect Alliances: Transparency, Values, and Accountability
Transparency and accountability are the foundation of everything I stand for. Recently, I’ve realized that in my pursuit of promoting causes that matter, I’ve sometimes amplified voices or organizations that didn’t fully align with my values. I want to take a moment to be upfront about that. It’s important to me that I’m transparent with you all, and moving forward, I’ll continue to hold myself accountable to you and to my core values.
At the heart of it, I’ve always tried to amplify work that brings about positive change. Whether it’s mutual aid, organizing, or support for marginalized communities, I’ve been drawn to people and movements that are doing the work—real, tangible work. My support was never about endorsing everything a person stands for, but amplifying the impact they’re having. It’s been about the cause, the collective care, and the idea of building something better together.
But here’s the thing: as I’ve learned more, I’ve come to realize that some voices or organizations I’ve supported hold views that contradict the inclusive, intersectional values I strive for. Whether it’s exclusionary rhetoric about gender, race, or identity, I’ve had to reckon with the uncomfortable truth that my support might’ve inadvertently enabled harmful ideas. I’ll always be open about my mistakes and my learning process. This doesn’t erase the work that’s been done, but it also doesn’t mean I can stay silent when those actions or words are harmful to others.
No one is perfect, and many of the people I’ve admired and supported are, in some ways, imperfect—doing good work in one area, but holding beliefs that harm in others. This doesn’t mean I disregard their contributions, but it does mean I need to critically assess who I’m backing. The reality is that some people, even with the best intentions, have blind spots, and it’s on us to be honest about when those blind spots turn into harm. It’s about learning how to support without blindly endorsing everything someone says or does.
This is a tough one, and I know it’s not an easy conversation to have. But I think it’s necessary for progress. Moving forward, I’m committed to holding my platform to the highest standard. This means I’ll be more intentional with who I amplify and why. My commitment to inclusivity will always be at the forefront. So, from here on out, I’ll ensure that the voices I lift up truly reflect values of inclusivity, respect for all identities, and a commitment to collective care.
I’ll make sure to:
Do deeper research before spotlighting someone or something.
Listen to marginalized voices who are often the first to recognize when harm is being done.
Engage in ongoing conversations that challenge my own biases and perspectives.
And, most importantly, I’ll continue to be open and honest with all of you if I make a mistake or if I need to reassess my stance. Transparency is important to me, and I want you all to feel like we’re in this together.
I also want to hear from you. How do you navigate these situations in your own life? Have you ever supported someone or something that, over time, didn’t align with your values? How do you balance admiration for someone’s work with the need to challenge their harmful beliefs? Let’s keep this conversation going. Share your thoughts and any organizations or people you know who are doing inclusive work in ways that reflect our shared values of empowerment and care.
Navigating these situations is messy. There’s no perfect answer. But the goal is always progress—progress toward a more inclusive, compassionate world. We can continue to learn, reflect, and grow together, and I’m committed to doing just that. Thanks for being part of this journey. Together, we can keep making better, more intentional choices and create the kind of community we want to see.
With Love,
Mia Marie
The Star Tarot Card: Finding Hope, Renewal, and Power in the Darkness
When I was contemplating the progression of this series, I thought about doing the Sun, but as I reflected, I realized that the Star would be more appropriate. The typical depiction of this card is with 8 stars - 8 being about balance, resilience and infinity. Additionally, our ancient foremothers have always looked to the stars for help, just as I have, in a much more metaphorical sense. The Star in tarot often represents hope, renewal, and faith.
“But MIA! I’m not there yet!”
No, but you certainly aren’t ready for the message of the Sun, either. Baby steps.
Last week, we spoke about candle holders and light bearers on our path. What those people really symbolized more than anything was:
Hope that things weren’t as broken as they seemed
An offer of a new perspective, a renewal of sorts
Faith in myself. Because if they can do it, so can we.
If you aren’t feeling very hopeful right now, I understand.
Truth is, Bernie Sanders was supposed to be our Sun moment back in 2016, but the Moon obscured him. Sanders has been fighting the same fucking fight for civil rights and the working class since he was a young man. Now, as an elder in this struggle, he sounds the alarms on an Anti-Oligarchy tour, urging us to listen before it's too late. And while the Sun moment he could have been was eclipsed, another star burns bright—one that refuses to be drowned out.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is for the people. She has a spine. Since taking office in 2018, she’s fought for her constituents—educating them about their rights, advocating for justice, and refusing to back down. And for that, she has been met with resistance, threats, and smear campaigns. They call her radical for reminding people they have power. They undermine her while wrapping themselves in “law and order”—a phrase that only seems to apply when it protects the powerful.
Turns out, “law and order” isn’t about justice. It’s about control. As long as the enforcer is a straight white man who hates the people you do, anything goes.
But AOC isn’t the only one proving that power doesn’t belong solely to the privileged. Another star rises, equally fearless, equally relentless. Enter Jasmine Crockett.
Crockett isn’t here to play nice. She’s here to fight. A freshman congresswoman from Texas, she’s made it clear that she has no patience for hypocrisy, no tolerance for those who weaponize the law while ignoring justice. Whether it’s calling out corruption, holding the line on voting rights, or refusing to let bad-faith actors rewrite history, she shows up ready for battle. And of course, that means she’s been met with the same resistance, the same attempts to silence her, the same tired outrage from those who fear a Black woman with power and a microphone.
And history tells us exactly why.
This country has always had a problem with women who refuse to be silent. With Black leaders who refuse to be controlled. With anyone who dares to challenge the system instead of upholding it. The attacks on Crockett echo those faced by Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress, who was dismissed, undermined, and ridiculed for daring to demand a seat at the table. They echo Barbara Jordan, another Texas powerhouse, who stood before Congress in 1974 and laid out, in deliberate, unwavering tones, why Richard Nixon had to be impeached—only to be met with the same patronizing condescension that Crockett faces now.
And just like them, Crockett isn’t backing down.
It’s fully a shame that we, the people, are still fighting the same battles our grandparents and their parents fought—racism, sexism, classism, and the ever-looming threat of authoritarian regimes. But if history has taught us anything, it’s that the fight has never truly ended. Each generation picks up where the last left off, adding new voices, new tactics, and new resistance.
Shirley Chisholm fought, so Jasmine Crockett could take the mic. Barbara Jordan fought, so Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could hold the line. And we fight, so those who come after us don’t have to start from scratch.
The stars in the sky may be ancient, but they still burn. And as long as we refuse to let the darkness swallow them, the fight isn’t over.
Spotlight:
This week I want you to tell me about the people you are looking to for hope right now. Who is leading? Who is offering perspectives worth hearing? You can email me @ andnowmau@gmail.com, leave a comment here or on any platform that brought you here.
With my eyes on the stars,
Mia Marie
