Hello, you’re here. Welcome to FREAK OF NATURE: a newsletter for beginners.
This is a little outpost for fellow freaks who make things, feel things, and maybe don’t always know what they’re doing, but are doing it anyway.
“Beginners” might be those of us who are literally just starting out. And those of us who may have acquired a lot of skills and knowledge but remain committed to a beginner’s mind, one brimming with curiosity and flexibility. The kind of brain and body that craves surprise in the form of challenge, a fresh perspective, or a different pace. People who want to try on realistic, low-effort practices that connect us to ourselves, each other, and to the biggest freak of all, our earth.
We eat flowers, infuse oils, put our hands in dirt. We pay attention, we make stuff, we grow stronger. We embrace our freakiness and our nature. Welcome, you’re right at home.
Expect reminders that your weird way of paying attention matters, with encouragement to keep noticing and making.
Notes on art, herbalism, and creative survival
A view from the garden, kitchen, trail, or wherever I’ve wandered off to
Seasonal rituals, recipes, going slow without the creepy nostalgia
Collected things: poems, lists, experiments
Letters postmarked without much predictability.
Who Writes This Thing?
Hi! Me, Christine Buckley (she/her).
I’m an author, artist, professional cook, and clinical herbalist. I’m interested in how people make meaning and how we take care of each other while we do.
Herbalism is a thick lens through which I view the world. Life is made possible by plants. My debut book, Plant Magic: Herbalism in Real Life, came out in 2020 at the height of quarantine. The one Bon Appetit called “The herbalism book for food lovers.”
I’m a clinical herbalist who teaches classes and workshops. I apprenticed at CommonWealth Holistic Herbalism and studied at David Winston’s Center for Herbal Studies. I’ve cooked professionally for nearly two decades: lapsed line cook, itinerant kitchen educator, recipe tester, former food stylist, and private chef. I’m an artist who’s exhibited at MoMA Studios and other places. I teach ceramics.
I’m a fervent gardener despite frequent failings. I worked on an organic farm during quarantine.
I’m currently based on an ancient sand dune in Florida.
ps. A note about recipes.
I have Alpha-Gal Syndrome also commonly known as “the red meat allergy,” which is a misnomer. Those of us with this syndrome are allergic to galactose-α-1,3-galactose, a sugar found in all mammals, except humans and some primates. We are not only allergic to meat, but also potentially to milk and dairy products, gelatin, medications and medical products , personal care products, and lots of other stuff, like carrageenan, weirdly, for example. Not all of us react in the same way to the same things.
Anyway, my recipes are made for people with Alpha-Gal Syndrome. They are healthy for many kinds of eaters and may be enjoyed by all, they’re suitable for people avoiding beef, pork, venison, etc. and dairy products.
There may be some old recipes in the archive from pre-diagnosis days. So please read ingredients carefully.
As an herbalist and health educator, I share knowledge and skills related to herbalism and holistic practices. In the United States, herbalists don't hold state or federal licenses. Anything offered here is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. I'm not a doctor. Everyone’s needs and response to herbs vary, so not everything here may apply to you. Whether the information is sourced from an herbalist or prescribed by a physician, having more knowledge empowers us to make better-informed health decisions. As my favorite PSA goes: “The More You Know.”
