Huzzah Adventurers! Always lovely to have you in our Guild. Oh…. You have more questions after Mikaela’s post on creating unique and playable D&D characters? Well then, are you in for a treat today?! That is rhetorical since I already know that you are, in fact, in for a treat.

You have painstakingly created your character and backstory, are ready to play your first session, and BAM! You realize you aren’t sure if you can properly bring your character to life! What if they fall flat (like a 2D piece of paper- bum-dum-tss!)?! What if they are just a statistic (or at least a page of them)?! NEVER FEAR!!! Elder Taylor is here! Never call me that though… it’s rude to point out a woman’s age.

Let us talk about how to bring your character to life through roleplay. It’s in the name of the game. Literally. TTRPG is an acronym for Tabletop Roleplay Game. You can choose how roleplay heavy you want your sessions to be but A TTRPG without ANY roleplaying is basically a boardgame. Still fun, but not a TTRPG. And you can choose whether to just talk through what your character is doing OR you can really get the full TTRPG experience and ROLEPLAY what they are doing.

Notice I didn’t say D&D? That is because D&D is just one TTRPG. There are MANY TTRPG’s such as Lancer, Pathfinder, Call of Cthulhu, and homebrews. I firmly believe you can use any of the tips or ideas below to help you in any TTRPG.

Are you sick of me saying TTRPG yet? TTRPG. TTRPG. TTRPG.

For the sake of ease and because it is a very popular TTRPG, I will just reference DnD from here on. That being said, I am most familiar with DnD and homebrew campaigns so most of my examples are from those games BUT like I said before, applicable to any….

TTRPG. Just kidding! I promised I would stop saying that.

All kidding aside, there are 4 things that I personally find help me more effectively roleplay during a session and I am here to pass those on. You don’t have to do everything on this list (though I do recommend it if you want to elevate your game). You can do as little or as much of it as you want or even take it further. If you do something different, please share in the comments as we would love to expand on our list, and I love trying new things.

(1) Decide How to Make Decisions

Mikaela touched on this a bit when she talked about creating your character. Maybe it wasn’t worded the same but there is going to be a lot of overlap here. This first area to focus on is really about knowing your backstory and then taking that a step further. When different situations arise, you want to react to them not how you would, but instead as your character. Sometimes this means not playing in the most beneficial or strategic way and it can be tough to take meta (real life) you out of a decision. So, here are a couple of things I do to help me decide on my actions and what I will or won’t say in character.

How Does Your Origin Affect Your Personality/ Knowledge/ Reactions?  

Think about your character’s backstory. This may seem a bit obvious, but I want to dig a little deeper on this one. I get that you came from place X and were a poor thief with a drunk for a mom or that maybe you were the daughter of a noble who wanted freedom and to prove you were meant for more than an arranged marriage. But how does that actually affect how you act? Are you more likely to be comfortable with seedy taverns or are you going to maybe be scandalized because you were very sheltered? Do you tend to be good at negotiation because of your cunning and practice or maybe more frugal because you know what it is like to have nothing? Maybe because you came from a lot of money you are good with it as you were home tutored in economics OR maybe you are ‘out of touch’ with no street smarts because everything was provided, so you are easily scammed. Think about your characters day to day and what their family is/was like. How would that affect them today?

How Do NPCs View Your Character… From Your Characters Perspective?

This may sound weird but stick with me. How you act is often a reflection of how others treat us. This seems like a no brainer. But equally, how you act is, in some part, affected by how you believe others perceive you… whether or not it is accurate. I have met MANY people who act with a confidence that I applauded only because I respected how deluded they were. On the other end of the spectrum, I know a number of people that overthink every interaction they have because they think that they speak too much and annoy others OR they think that others judge their appearance, so they dress in a certain way to hide a perceived flaw. … even if that is untrue. In both situations, the people are reacting to how they THINK others view them, whether or not it is substantiated. How does your character think others see them? Additionally, you can play with a character that tries to put on a certain persona to control how others see them.  For example, I played a rogue for a couple years that was quite intelligent and thought things out but as a coping mechanism and to stay safe she acted like she had one foot in the looney bin on purpose. Everyone thought she acted erratically and didn’t take her seriously except those who stuck around long enough to see her occasional character slip into her true self.

How Does Your Character View/ Treat Others?

How does your character treat people of different castes? Are they social standing snobs? How about other races? They could be racist or maybe they have just never met another race, or they obsessively fangirl over another race. Think about how quickly they trust another. Maybe they are slow to trust others or maybe just distrustful of a certain sex. Think about whether they are outgoing or shy. Are there certain professions they see as below them?

What is Your Alignment?

This is another staple of what to consider when roleplaying. I will not go into too much depth here as Mikaela was pretty detailed in her last DnD article. Check it out HERE if you want a breakdown of what your options are and what they really mean with examples of pop culture characters.

What is Your Race?

Next, I like to consider my race and how that would affect how I play my character. How do they fit into the world in both a physical and social sense. Let’s look at a couple races for examples. Tieflings physically have dark vision, horns that hypothetically could be used creatively, etc and those could be factors that affect how you roleplay a situation. Socially, depending on the world setting you are playing, they often are discriminated against. In a different situation, as a dwarf, physically you may have to roleplay situations to cater to your height (or lack thereof) and socially maybe you have a dislike of dragons and elves that colors your interactions with them. I play a 1-foot-tall stoat (think tiny, angry, adorable weasel) in a campaign currently and it has led to some very interesting roleplay… like how to open a normal sized door and how I talk to others and get super pissed off when someone calls me small or cute or, heaven forbid… the party’s pet!

What Are Your Motivations & Goals?

In Mikaela’s last article she talks about the fact that these should also be considered during character creation. She also references a book, “The Ultimate RPG Character Backstory Guide”, as having some great insight into what inspires your character. I would have to agree that this book is a fantastic tool for not only creating your character but determining how you will play it going forward. On page 45 there are some prompts that help you think about how your end goal or motivation can drive decisions. For example (not in the book), imagine you are a hostage. The bad guy offers you freedom from your restraints and power in exchange for your obedience and maybe a few choice pieces on information on your party from time to time. If power was your kink and all you cared about was getting stronger regardless of who you hurt on the way, you might take the deal. You could want this power for your own nefarious plans or for revenge on another evil.  On the other hand, you would probably refuse if you were more focused on true freedom and making your own decisions or if loyalty was one of your biggest motivators.  

What Are Your Weaknesses & Flaws?

Picking out some weaknesses and flaws for your character gives them more depth. Playing with them causes some of the most memorable moments. I love when something is triggered, I have to turn to my fellow players and say, “sorry in advance”, and I HAVE to act on a weakness or a flaw to stay in character. With one of my characters who has kleptomania (mostly drawn to shiny things) and a penchant for adopting animals in ally’s (rats, racoons, scavengers, etc)… it has led to a mule by the name of Barnabus living in our apartment, the start of a fantasy plant based drug ring, the springing of traps, goofy chase scenes and even (unpredictably) heart felt moments just to name a few. My stoat character with the issue of being called a pet? She is a doctor and was trying to be covert and sneak in somewhere by pretending to be a pet… and subsequently could not hold back her anger when it was successful so she went rogue, basically had a Godzilla level tantrum, burned down/exploded like 10 buildings, killed at least 10 people (final number of casualties never confirmed) in a couple minutes, scared both sides in a war and accidentally still completed the objective before running back into her party who has no idea why the locals look a bit scared of their adorable doctor.

Do A Personality Test as Your Character.

Here is where we get more into the presession prep. There are SOOOOO many free personality tests out there. I like to take a couple but answer everything as my character. I figure out what Hogwarts house they are, their aesthetic, what color suits them best, their IQ, zodiac…. Heck, what character from F.R.I.E.N.D.S. they are! Literally any tests at all. The point is that it not only gets you into the headspace of answering questions as them, but it also helps you narrow down their vibe to something more relatable. I always do Hogwarts houses because I am a huge fan, and it really talks to me about my character. But maybe you are a huge gear head and characterizing your character by the type of car they would be is more your speed.

Let the Dice Decide

Say you have gone through this whole list already, but a situation comes up that you are still torn on how to roleplay. Let the dice decide! If you have a couple options that you feel your character could believably choose, assign meanings to a dice at random. If it is between just 2 options, role a d6 and say that getting 1-3 means you will choose option A while 3-6 means option B. I also find that because I am chaotic neutral most often, I can throw some random options in there and see where the dice gods take me. Plus… as I have said in the past, I love a good reaction. When my teammates see me randomly role, I can visibly see them shore up their imagination because they know chaos is about to ensue.

Make up your own rules for interactions (don’t tell people what they are)

What I have really enjoyed doing in previous campaigns is making up social rules for myself. I never tell others what they are off the bat, and I wait to see how long they figure them out. Sometimes it is a rule like, if offered free food, my character immediately bonds to that “person” or that they will have a compulsion to lie about why they were in prison before. Those could be explained by the previous exercises. But here is an idea I am currently using in a campaign… you do not always bond with people in your party at the same rate or in the same way in real life. So, I have been arbitrarily giving or taking away points for each character every time we have an interaction. Some things (like giving me my favorite foods) have a set point amount. Some actions depend on the player and how meaningful it is given their current point or maybe my mood. Players with higher points I treat differently as we are closer and at a certain point, I start sneaking things into their packs. First, a way to track me when I disappear and then later, bits and baubles. The other players have figured out they have points assigned to them and know what they do to some extent (it has been over a year), but not the point system.

(2) Decide On Voices

So now we have talked about how we would act and what we would say. But how would you say it? This is something I have talked about recently in a video because I wish it was something I had played with more in previous campaigns and am looking forward to practicing more in my upcoming games. Having a different way of talking for your characters will help you separate them from yourself; both for yourself and for those interacting with you. Think about jokingly pretending to be someone you know or a different social group. Really quick, try this exercise. In your head, imagine you pretending to say these things as the different characters. You can totally do this out loud as well.

1. You are a Southern Belle and say, “bless your heart, darlin.”
2. You are a flamboyant fem boy and say “SLAY!”
3. You are in Braveheart giving his famous speech to hype up his warriors.
4. You are in 300 doing the iconic “FOR SPARTA!!!”
5. You are the Terminator and say “I’ll be back.”

Did you just say them straight faced, no accent, no inflection… or did you automatically put yourself into those roles? Was there extra sass in your slay and a questionable accent while you pictured yourself with blue face paint? If you just said bless your heart without any inflection, you wouldn’t get the context and the character behind it. You lose part of the impact.

I am here to say… do not be afraid to play with a different way to speak.

Equally, do not think that you need to be an amazing impersonator or always talk in an accent. In fact, I am horrible at accents, and they are not my preferred way to do voices. Yes, they can be iconic and an easily recognizable character builder BUT there are many more things you can play with in your voices that are a little less intimidating. These are some possibilities:

• An Accent: The obvious one but in my opinion, also the hardest for me to keep up.
• Pitch: You can pitch your voice higher or lower to denote age or gender. Think guys trying to do a female impression or vice versa.  
• Volume: Is your character shy or boisterous? Play with talking quietly all the time vs very loud.
• Emphasis: Changing how emphatically you speak or what words you emphasis completely changes your vibe.
• Syntax: Different people have different vocabularies due to their origins, nationality, education level etc.
• Sounds: Can you think of any characters that have a verbal tic they always use? It can just be a sound… maybe your character always smacks their lips or sniffs at the end of a sentence. Or you can take it a step further and it can be a word interjected randomly. Anyone watch Anime? Great examples are Naruto, towards the beginning always saying Da ttebayo! Or what about a rabbit character always saying pyon at the end of sentences? It is literally the sound for hop so if you take it literally, it is superfluous, but it adds flavor. Or Nyan for cats? You get the point.

I shared 2 videos when I talked about creating NPC’s in my article about DnD world building. I would also like to recommend you look at these to help with your character since it is still applicable. They are not super long, but they ARE very detailed and give a TON or ideas and a more inclusive list than I do.

• How To Create 100 Distinctly Different Voices by “Improve Your Voice”
• Laban’s Eight Efforts demonstration by “David Bareford”

(3) Practice Some Prompts

Like any other skill or hobby, roleplay takes practice. In my opinion, this is more about knowing the character without thinking and also being comfortable in your own performance. Get out of your own way! People are afraid of not doing well so they do not fully commit. What I recommend is that you practice on your own, so you feel more comfortable being your character in front of others. It will help you practice scenarios and your voice, mannerisms, etc. Here are a couple of ideas.

The Ultimate RPG Character Backstory Guide

Check out the book that Mikaela and I keep talking about. The Ultimate RPG Character Backstory Guide has a tone of prompts and scenarios and then guides you on how to address them and asks questions about the who, what, when, where, and WHY. It really makes you think outside the surface level and I will never stop recommending it.

The Ultimate RPG Character Backstory Guide: Prompts and Activities to Create the Most Interesting Story for Your Character (Ultimate Role Playing Game Series): D’Amato, James: 9781507208373: Amazon.com: Books

Look At One Shots and Run Through Them in Your Theatre of The Mind

Similar to looking at the book, I will also look through free online one shot and as I read through the different scenarios, I picture in my mind how my character would respond.

Talk Out Loud About Your Back Story or Through a Situation as Them

Does anyone else give mini lectures, or rants, or have hypothetical arguments with their boss in the vehicle on the way home to absolutely no one? This can’t just be a Lasley thing. When you are by yourself in the vehicle, on a walk, cleaning, etc., try to talk like they would in a conversation. Explain your backstory in your voice. Or pretend you are in a tavern, who do you approach or what argument would you have? OR on your drive home, still rant about your boss but do it from your character’s perspective in their voice.

(4) Cosplay and Props

This is an extra and I feel like it is often overlooked. I talk about it a bit in our first DnD video as well. I love an excuse to dress up anyway but in the context of roleplaying your character, I feel like this does SO MUCH!!!! It helps set the ambience for yourself, your fellow characters, AND your DM. It is so much more fun interacting this way and even makes me feel less goofy about acting. It is also a great reminder in my case of the scale of things. Some of my props seem oversized because I tried to make them so they would be proportioned correctly compared to my 1 ft tall character. If I know I will need something in a future session, I will also make things like notes because it is such a fun touch to actually whip one out to pass to another player. I find that some of them (like the vivre tracking card in our One Piece campaign), other characters will hold onto and bring up later in our campaign and it helps ALL of us immerse ourselves deeper into the actual world.

So, What Now?

At the end of the day, I can give you lots of tips and tricks, but you just need to go out and do the dang thing! Roleplay is a learned skill, and nothing will help you believably play your character more than just learning as you go. And remember, you do not have to do all of these things at once. Start picking one or 2 things to integrate into your own games and see what works for you.

As always, we love hearing from the community. Leave us a message below. We want to hear about your experiences and if you have any other methods that work for you!

Until next session,

Taylor

As we hit the middle of February, some of us green thumbs (and aspiring green pinkies!) start looking forward to warmer greener months and what we might like to grow. Maybe we are looking for a visual feast and are picking out our flower varieties. Some of us are looking for a more traditional feast of some home-grown veg. I personally like growing a combination of the two… which is part of what we will be talking about today.

I know I have mentioned companion planting in the past (most recently in our last sustainability article that you can find HERE) and I am pretty sure that Mikaela has brought it up a couple of times as well. Obviously, it is on our minds a LOT and for good reason. There are a lot of other innovative and fantastic methods for growing amazing gardens and crops that I want to talk about soon. Just like I love mixing and matching what we grow, I love mixing and matching and even hybridizing different techniques to match the situation and need. For now, though… let’s focus on just one thing.

Strap in because this may become one of my longest articles (I love planning gardens, food forests etc!). So, let’s look at what it is, some of the pros and cons (both scientific and ethical), some mistakes to avoid, and some good and bad companions.

A Quick-ish Definition

Companion Planting: Noun: The close planting of different plants that enhance each other’s growth or protect each other from pests.

– Oxford Dictionary

So, I could just leave you with the Oxford definition but the reason this is a “Quick-ish” definition is that I wish to add a bit more before we move on. I won’t go into what it can do since that will be covered in our pros, but I do want to clarify this definition more. Companion plant is a form of polyculture (versus monoculture crops where there are fields of just one crop). I also want to point out that companion planting should be for a MUTUAL benefit of both plants or COMMENSAL (beneficial for one and neutral to the other) … otherwise you are just looking at a parasite and a host which doesn’t even sound nice in this context.

Pros: Why We LOVE Companion Planting

I am going to TRY (key word- try) to keep my bullet points brief because this could easily become a novel (actually there ARE books on it). I will try to do this in the other sections as well. Also, I am really going to try sticking with more commonly held beliefs and facts that I can back with science. I will get more into my preferences and my own planning in a future post.

Increased Yields

I am putting this first as it is the biggest recurring benefit in every book, blog, and article I have seen thus far on the subject. The HOW of this varies by the combinations and honestly this is a product of a combination of most of the other points on this list.

Maximizing Space

One of the more obvious ways this maximizes space is that planting different species in the same area means you have to spread out less. Another thing to consider though is that we live in a world that is not flat. I am not going to get into the whole flat world debate right now. What I mean by this is that there is a Y axis peeps! Or for the less mathematically inclined…. There is an up and down, multiple layers, you can build up, OR further under the ground etc. Trellises aren’t a new concept, but you can really expand on this concept in other ways.

Soil Health

Plants have evolved their root systems in different ways; shapes, secretions, and uses vary widely and affect the soil differently. The concept of crop rotation (also a technique I endorse) is partially built around this knowledge. Companion plant allows you to take advantage of this on a micro scale. For example, planting legumes like beans, peas, or clover will help nitrogen to the soil and are an attractive option to plant with Nitrogen greedy plants. Root veggies like carrots or radishes displace soil as they grow and will help prevent it from getting compacted.

Repelling/Attracting Pests

I realize that putting repelling AND attracting pests seems counter intuitive so please hear me out. Certain plants release chemicals and oils that are unattractive to pests. It doesn’t poison them or block them… it just makes the habitat less attractive. An example would be Marigolds (especially French marigold, Tagetes patula– Bonus points that this is an edible variety) releasing Alpha-terthienyl from their roots that helps inhibit the development of some nematode eggs such as the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.). Additionally, a lot of aromatic herbs contain compounds such as estragole, linalool, eugenol, etc. which is unappealing to taste/smell for many (not all) pests. Just remember that some of those plants need to be around for at least a year to see the results (like the Marigolds). On the flip side, knowing how to use your pest attractants is also useful! For example, I sometimes see Nasturtiums (pretty and edible) listed for managing pests is companion planting. They help but not how some beginners think and can be a negative if used incorrectly. Aphids LOOOOVE them. They are what we call a trap crop/plant and are used as a more attractive host plant, so the Aphids are less likely to bother your more valuable crops.

Attract Beneficial Predators

Not all insects are bad. Ladybugs, Lacewings, Preying Mantids, Hover Flies, Predatory Beetles, Syrphid Flies. The list of good ones is looooong and if you are gardening you are going to have to come to grips with the fact that THERE WILL BE BUGS. So why not try to make a good home for the ones you want? Some plants to attract the good guys are Dill, Anise Hyssop, Blooming Cilantro, Mint, Chamomile, and Bee Balm are known for other reasons (edible, pollinator attractant, etc.) but they are also catnip to a lot of insect predators because of leaf cover, fragrant blossoms, and sometimes even the nectar in a few omnivorous cases. The point is though that many of these predators will help control your pest population. Aphids, Mites, Thrips, Squash Bugs, Cucumber Beetles, Tomato Horn Worms, and Cut Worms better watch their… back? Thorax? Segment?

Attract Pollinators

The last bullet point transitions nicely into POLLINATORS! This is a really hot topic for a lot of people with the whole save the bee movement. Planting attractive plants for a variety of pollinators as companions will help maximize your yield. We do want to attract bees to help propagate our plants but let me throw this thought at you…. We aren’t necessarily primarily looking for that classic black and yellow bee the newbs are thinking of.  Expand your consideration to more native bee species, aculeate wasps, some fly species, ants, butterflies, moths, beetles, bats, and even some birds (hummingbirds duh). Depending on where you live, this list may vary a bit and definitely depending on the plant, some of these pollinators are more relevant.

Repelling Weeds

I will be transparent on this one that I know less science on this point. I do see it is a pro for companion planting if accurate and if this is proven incorrect, I am not losing anything by planting more plants. What I have read is that some plants release chemicals from their roots that can be toxic to weeds. I was having trouble finding the real science to back many of these claims. The most substantiated claim I found was that of Sunflowers since they can release Heliotropin, sesquiterpene lactones, and phenolic acids… the problem is that they can also be harmful to some plants you want as well (the exception being the three sister’s combo we will talk about later). A more useful application, in my opinion, if used correctly is that of ground cover companions in between crops, that block out and outcompete their weed companions.

Provide Shade

Companion planting with taller, more sun hardy plants can offer needed shade in areas where it is lacking. I am from Arizona and often ran into issues with TOO MUCH SUN! It can be just as damaging as not enough.

Living Trellis’

I mentioned before when talking about maximized space, that this style of planting allows you to also maximize your vertical space. This is a bit more specific though. Some plants grow strong upright and others need something to use as a trellis. You can just buy one at the Home Depot or the Tractor Depot… OR you can companion plant. For example, Corn and pole beans work as a fantastic team with the pole beans growing up the stalk of the corn.

Aesthetic

A pro of this type of planting can honestly also just be aesthetic since it often means staggered flowers and fruits for an extended period, so I feel you get a longer period of enjoyment out of your garden.

Saving Time

Don’t you think having less pests and weeds to deal with would save you time?

Polyculture:

This is something we have spoken about in a couple different articles and contexts. We are big on polyculture instead of monoculture farming on an industry level. So why wouldn’t we count this as a pro and support it on a smaller, more local level. You can even take this a step further and turn it all into a food forest (I swear I will be talking about all these other techniques and garden layout styles SOON).

Increased Biodiversity

Companion planting allows you to have more plant biodiversity which will, by extension, attract and support more wildlife biodiversity.

Cons: Things to Consider

I struggled a bit on listing true negatives to companion planting. I can’t find anything particularly damaging or harmful about it (if done correctly) over any other garden planning style. Instead, my list was more like things to consider before jumping in with both feet. Cautionary words maybe?

You may also notice the list is a lot smaller. I have been openly biased more heavily on the PRO side of companion planting, so I decided to play devils advocate and try digging into this a bit more actively. It was still a struggle still struggled. I few other blogs touched on things briefly and will mostly likely have a similar list. There wasn’t much in the way of conclusive studies though (which I will get to) no matter what university or professional journal I turned to. That said, let’s look at what I was able to come up with.

Takes Time to Plan

I actually enjoy this and can sit around for hours planning for hypothetical gardens I may never see. For some though, this may be a drawback. It takes research, planning, knowing your environment/soil/climate, and a clear idea of what your final goal is.

Not All of It Is Supported Scientifically

As I mentioned above… there are not many studies to back a lot of companion planting info out there up. I tried to (and will continue to) use examples that have some more backing. I have a science background, so it makes sense to vet info and if you are telling me to do something, I want to know the how and why. A lack of scientific study doesn’t mean it is all hogwash though. Many of the claims of why certain plants go together have been passed down through the years for a reason. But also because of that you have to consider how the info may have been warped through the years or how it may have varied results in different gardens or climates… which leads into my next point.

Environmental Variables

Temperature, soil moisture, soil pH, sunlight, and nutrient availability all affect plant growth, are variable for each plant, and are constantly changing. Some species are not adapted to live in the same places which might limit things depending on where you are. Also, those variables may hinder some plants, effectiveness.

Not A Cure All

Remember when I mentioned French Marigolds ability to help control root-knot nematodes? Notice I said, “help to control” not “cause root-knot nematode genocide”? That is because companion planting is not going to cause you to have no weeds, no pests and auto-unlock the ability to grow squash the size of your cocker spaniel with no blemishes. It is a tool to help in the garden, not the magic eraser of gardening world chaos.

Not All Plants Are Compatible (ie sunflowers)

This is on here because something to consider is that while companion planting can be a positive, if the incorrect plants are together, you may notice one or more of them suffering.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

PROS. Check. CONS. Check? If you are still reading, I am going to assume you are still interested in companion planting. Further down, I will go over some good and bad companions but first, let’s look at some common mistakes and how to avoid them.

Using Trap Plants Incorrectly

Trap plants attract pests to hopefully keep them off other, more prized crops but they can be more detrimental than helpful if not used correctly. I am going to use Nasturtiums as an example since I mentioned them earlier. They attract aphids. But aphids can take over easily and quickly if left unchecked and the population will outgrow your plant and easily spread to others in the area, negating the good intent of companion planting or even making it worse than it would have been. You still need to kill the aphids. You plant your trap plant and when the pests are drawn to it, you treat the concentrated group of pests however you prefer.

Allelopathic Plant Combos

Some plants are what we call allelopathic, meaning they inhibit the growth of another plant or organism due to a chemical release into its surrounding environment. It usually hinders growth or germination. Some of these only affect certain plants or affect most plants and have just a few exceptions.

• Highly allelopathic plants include perennials like black walnut, rhododendron, sumac, and elderberry.
• More mild ones can be found in garden vegetables like mustards, fennel, sunflowers, and buckwheat.

Clumping Crop Families

Try to avoid large clumps of similar plants in the same family. They tend to attract the same pests and it will just compound the issue. The onion family tends to be an exception since they mostly repel pests but some families to think about breaking up are:

• Brassicas: kale, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, mustards, radish
• Solanaceae: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes
• Cucurbitaceae: cucumbers, melons, zucchini, summer squash, winter squash
• Amaranthaceae/ Chenopodiaceae: chard, beets, spinach, quinoa

Planting Too Close

Think about not only how big your plant starts but how big it will become. If you plant too close, more aggressive growers or larger plants can choke out crops.

Conflicting Maintenance Needs

So, it seems obvious that conflicting needs lead to… conflicts. Duh. But consider the following.

• Water Needs: Some plants need more or less water or drainage. Take this into consideration when picking neighbors. Additionally, remember that plants with deep root systems will “steal” water from veggies and plants with shallower roots like carrots or tomatoes. This can be mitigated to some extent by keeping soil consistently moist, using mulches, and utilizing soaker hoses and/or drip irrigation.
• Soil Needs: This is where it is good to know what type of soil you have and what your plants prefer. Without completely replacing soil, it is difficult to make huge changes to it and even harder to have a huge difference between multiple chunks in close proximity. Plants will be unhappy in the wrong soil textures or pH so do some research before hand to help you decide what to grow.
• Nutrient Competition: some plants need a LOT of nutrients in the soil for growth and then to fruit. Avoid neighbors that are less aggressive like herbs or spinach. You can consider ones that need little nutrients and/or put some back into the soil, like legumes. Additionally, don’t be afraid to add nutrients to the soil if you have poor soil. Composting or slow-release fertilizers are always an option.
• Planting Style: One article I read on “Epic Gardening” had a fantastic example of what to avoid. “[…] Potatoes need to be hilled to keep their tubers underground. If they were planted next to broccoli, cucumbers, or strawberries, those crops could end up buried or suffering from stem rots due to excess soil mounded up at their base. It would also be logistically difficult to get your shovel or hoe into the space to mound up the soil around the potato plants.”

Overshading Companions

While some plant combos benefit from the taller one giving the shorter one partial shade (i.e. Tomatoes and Lettuce), you need to be cognizant of the fact that there is such a thing as too much cover. Plants need to photosynthesize which means that they need light. If you let your smaller plants, be completely overshadowed, they will suffer. You can help avoid this by trellising anything that vines and paying attention to when and where the sun hits your garden to better plan where to put your more (or less) sun greedy residents.

Incorrect Timing

Think about how fast things grow. For example, if you want a plant to be on a live trellis like corn, the corn needs to be established a couple of weeks before you maybe transplant instead of location seed your cucumbers. And some plants aren’t useful at attracting pollinators until they are flowering which takes time.

Wasted Space

This is me talking about trellises again. But honestly! One of the biggest benefits of companion planting is maximizing space so why wouldn’t you trellis if you can? On a slightly different note, this is also about timing because you can think about the fact that while some plants are smaller (before they grow up), there is a lot of unused space in between that you can grow quick crop in and harvest it before it is an issue. For example, while tomatoes are young, you can grow radishes or lettuce and harvest them before the tomatoes start blocking the sun.

Aggressive Growers

Some plants grow VERY fast and will take over. Mint, Clover, Rosemary, Bambee, Thyme, Bee Balm, Blackberries, and Morning Glories, Asparagus and Rhubarb will quickly take over other plants. Stick to having them in their own separate beds, pots, or contained margins.

Forgetting Ground Cover

Don’t forget your ground cover! They help block weeds, keep soil insulated, keep ground fruits off soil, add cover for beneficial predators, sometimes act as a barrier against certain pests, and help conserve water among other things. Side note… a lot of plants great for this role are edible and also useful as a substitute for grass lawns. Creeping thyme, sweet alyssum, and dichondra are favorites of mine for this reason. Mint would be as well but not with veggies, and it will choke them out.

Mixing Annuals and Perennials

Keep annual and perennial beds separate (though they can be near for benefits) otherwise you will have beds with plants that stay year after year and become woody and established that you have to disturb yearly for your annuals. You are just asking for a mess. If you have a perennial plant and are struggling to find a good companion, think Lavender, Sage, Mint, Rosemary, Rudbeckia and other coneflowers, Yarrow, and Daffodils.  

Weird Shaped or Shapeless Gardens

This is totally up to you but there is a reason that farmers grow crops in rows. It makes it easier to weed, see what is going on with crops and gauge spacing needs.

Good and Bad Combos

By this point, I have thrown a lot info at you, but I have not given you a clear-cut list of what plants you should and should not put together. This is because, as mentioned before, this is not always an exact science. What I would recommend is to start with lists like those found in the farmers almanac, free charts you can find online, your local nursery, or the lists down below, but DO NOT TREAT THESE LIKE GOSPEL. Do some research. Know your climate and soil. Experiment. I have a list of sources at the end of the article but my two favorite I personally love to reference when planning are from Cornell University and the Farmer’s Almanac. Also the lists I have next are by no means exhaustive… there are so many more options and combinations and you might find that some work for you and others do not or that you discover something completely different you need to share.

Good Combos:

• The Three Sisters: Pole Beans, Corn, & Winter Squash. It is so popular that it has a name. The winter squash provides ground cover and the corn acts as a trellis for the beans.
• Cabbages and Aromatic Herbs: cabbages are catnip for pests (trust me). Planting aromatic herbs (like basil or rosemary) in the vicinity will help repel some species.
• Cucumbers, Radishes, and…… Sunflowers: The sunflowers will provide some much-needed shade for the other two and can be used as a trellis for the cucumbers if you pick them before they get too big or if you stake your sunflowers up (not a bad idea regardless). I know sunflowers are allelopathic, but they affect some plants (like pole beans and potatoes) much more heavily. This combo should be one of the least affected.
• Tomatoes, Marigolds, & Basil: I read in some places that basil can help improve growth and flavor of your tomatoes. I couldn’t find scientific documentation of this (just a lot of blogs claiming that there is proof). You will have to try for yourself. What I can tell you is that it is said to repel some insects including mosquitos and be a light antifungal. Marigolds we have established can repel some predacious nematodes. You lose nothing by trying this combo and if it is true then you get more, bigger tomatoes.
• Cucumbers and Nightshade plants: To be more specific, if you plant seedlings rather than seeds of nightshade plants such as tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers near cucumbers, they will benefit from less weeds in their area. Cucumbers are actually allelopathic so they will release cinnamic acid into the soil which will stunt germination but if your neighboring nightshades are already germinated, you get around this pesky issue.
• Crimson Clover and Fruit Bushes (like Blueberry): Clover can take over, but fruit bushes are big enough and hardy enough that this is not an issue. The clover is Nitrogen fixing and will also attract pollinators and then sustain them when your fruit bushes are no longer in bloom.
• Lettuce with Sweet Alyssum and Yarrow: Yarrow is a mellow companion and ideal for most combos but can grow a lot/take over like Dill. In combination with Alyssum though they will attract braconid parasitic wasps that will kill aphids and caterpillars that ravage your Lettuce. The Alyssum can go in and around the Lettuce with Yarrow as an edging crop nearby.
• Marigolds and Alliums: Remember me talking about French Marigolds and how they disrupt nematode life cycles (only really noticeable benefits after a year of having the marigolds there)? They also help with Onion Maggot Flies. Both pests are a hazard to your onion, leek, and chive crops.

Bad Combos:

• Tomatoes and Cabbages: I am specifically putting this here because I have read that tomatoes will repel cabbage moths; they are both heavy feeders so they will compete for nutrients. They are also susceptible to some of the same disease and can pass them back and forth.    
• Plants within a singular plant family. For example:
  • Brassicas: kale, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, mustards, and radish
  • Solanaceae: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and potatoes
  • Cucurbitaceae: cucumbers, melons, zucchini, summer squash, and winter squash
  • Amaranthaceae/ Chenopodiaceae: chard, beets, spinach, and quinoa
• Strawberries and members of the Brassicas (Cabbage) family: Strawberries will hinder the growth of your broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, etc. Strawberry plants can be attractants for snails and slugs which the cabbages are particularly weak to AND they tend to like more acidic soil than cabbages.
• Strawberries and members the Solanaceae family: Potatoes, Tomatoes, Peppers, and Eggplant are susceptible to the disease Verticillium and can pass it to your strawberries.
• Onions and Beans: They need different growing conditions, and the onions are more forgiving so in the incorrect setting, they will easily outgrow and hinder the growth of your beans.
• Cucumbers and Aromatic Herbs: Sage and other aromatic herbs release oils (not contested by anyone) that are said to either hinder growth or change flavor of cucumbers when grown in close proximity. This is one I would like to test because I question its validity, only because different sites say different things.
• Potatoes and Asparagus: Potatoes and asparagus rhizomes occupy the same space so when digging up the potatoes you would damage the perennial asparagus rhizomes.
• Corn and Tomatoes: They are both nutrient greedy and sun loving. They will constantly compete for both and suffer accordingly.
• Carrots and Dill: These are in the same family and so will attract the same pests; carrot flies, spider mites, and aphids. Additionally, the Dill bolts, while they are a great companion for some plants, they will overshade your carrots and compete for root space.
• Sunflowers and Potatoes: I keep saying it… Sunflowers are allelopathic. Potatoes seem to be one of the plants that affect most.
• Blueberries and Veggies: Blueberries like really acidic soil which is usually out of the veggie comfort range.
• Rhubarb and anything low growing: Rhubarb gets HUGE and will block out sun for your shorties.
• Pole Beans and Beets: Bush Beans and Beets are fantastic together due to compatible size and beans adding extra nutrients like Nitrogen to the soil. If they vine though, they can block out much needed sun so the roots stay small and the leaves turn pale.  

If I missed something (I know I missed lots) that you feel is relevant or want to impart some wisdom on the rest of us, please leave a message below! This is meant to be a community and that means sharing information and learning from each other.

Until next time!

Taylor

Some The Sources I Used & Reference

Benefits of Companion Planting (Julian Selemin, reviewed by Jabeen Begum, MD)
https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/benefits-of-companion-planting#1-2

Epic Gardening (Logan Hailey ) 15 Companion Planting Mistakes to Avoid This Season https://www.epicgardening.com/companion-planting-mistakes/

Epic Gardening (Logan Hailey ) Companion Planting Gone Wrong: 21 Planting Combinations to Avoid https://www.epicgardening.com/plant-combinations-to-avoid/

Companion Planting (Cornell University Cooperative Extension, Chung County)
https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/lincolnmcpherson/Cornell%20Guide%20to%20Companion%20Planting.pdf  

Is Companion Planting Scientific (Jeff Schalau, Associate Agent, Agriculture & Natural Resources University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County)
https://www.cales.arizona.edu/yavapai/anr/hort/byg/archive/companionplanting.html

The Myth of Companion Plantings (Linda Chalker-Scott, Washington State Extension)
puyallup.wsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/companion-plantings.pdf

Companion Planting (Robert Beyfuss and Marvin Pritts, Cornell Cooperative Extension)
www.gardening.cornell.edu/factsheets/ecogardening/complant.html

Companion Planting: Basic Concept and Resource (George Kuepper & Mardi Dodson, The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service)
www.attra.org/attra-pub/complant.html

Better Together: The New Science of “Companion Planting” [Cynthia Nations, Maggie Mah, The University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR)] https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=53468

What is Companion Planting? (Amber Kanuckel, The Farmers Almanac)
https://www.farmersalmanac.com/companion-planting-guide

The Ultimate Companion Planting Guide + Chart (Daniel Sjöberg, founder and CEO of Walden Labs, a certified permaculture designer) https://waldenlabs.com/the-ultimate-companion-planting-guide-chart/#casestudy

A bigger lie was never told to the American population than how they should and shouldn’t eat. Yes, I know- this is coming from someone who claims to love food science. And I do. It is precisely that reason that the American Food Chain System frustrates me so much. Today I want to talk about having a healthier food lifestyle.

There is so much misinformation out there about what ingredients are good, which are bad, what will help you shed weight quickly, what will balance your gut bacteria, etc. that its easy to get lost in the ‘data’ if you’re not paying attention and you’re not an informed consumer.

This misinformation changes so constantly that it shouldn’t be surprising how many people have little to no idea what they’re putting in their bodies. It is politisized, capitalized, and propaganda’ed to death. Which leads to swaths of people with eating disorders, malnutrition problems, and a great many other issues. Today we’re going to cut through all the red tape. This is a political, propaganda free space. Below is a list of 7 things that I use as pillars in my dietary choices to have a healthier food lifestyle.

Disclaimer

This is one of those topics that I can end up on a soap box about and by the end of the soap box people are reminding me to breathe when I talk. You’ve heard me talk a bit about this in our post on Kitchen Sustainability and Nutritional Paradigms and I’m excited to dive deeper. I get passionate about a number of food topics and this one is right up there with people cutting any form of filled doughnut in half. I could spend hours, days and even weeks talking about all the different levels and complexities of the American food system. In fact, I plan too. That’s kind of the whole point. But today, at least, I wanted to give you a brief overview of my overall stance on food, so that as we build on topics, you know where I’m coming from.

You don’t have to agree with me, in fact, I’m hoping some of you won’t because I love discussions. Much of what I currently believe has come from discussions with other people in conjunction with my own experiences and learning- my views are much different than they were when I was younger. All I ask, is that you come in with an open mind. Afterall, these are my opinions and experiences, and I’m sure my experiences will differ somewhat from yours.

I’m Not a Doctor- What I am sharing is My Opinion Based on My Experience and Education

The easiest thing to do is tell you what I believe, and why. From there we can build on and discuss different areas in depth in the coming months. As I have said previously, I am not a doctor– and for any topic specific, truly in-depth medical advice, I would urge you to talk to a doctor and nutritionist/ dietician (I did). But I believe we are smarter as a community when there is collaboration and I see no harm in sharing baselines and guidelines.

At my core, my food beliefs are simple and few, and I will try to pass it on that way as I think most things in life are easiest to adopt when kept simple. I think most people would have a better overall quality of life if they had a healthier food lifestyle. And we’re all about quality of life here.

A Healthier Food Lifestyle Means Everything in moderation

This applies to all my other opinions/ beliefs on this list as well. Heck, it’s solid life advice. Even when you make a less than perfect choice, its not a huge deal if you do not overindulge. It removes much of the pressure, and I never want someone to feel pressure or stress when eating. Also, you can have too much of even the ‘healthy’ things, which makes them not so healthy. In everything- moderation is key. So many times its not a matter of good food vs bad food but too much or too little. A healthier food lifestyle is about balance!

There Are No Bad Foods In A Healthier Food Lifestyle

This is a more complex concept and people tend to balk at this. There are things that are less healthy, there are things you should reach for first. There are things I try to minimize in my life or avoid 99% of the time. A healthier food lifestyle cannot exist in an environment where we are vilifying foods and food parts.

Food is fuel. Carbs are not bad. Fat is not bad. Chocolate is not bad. Gluten is not bad. Sugar is not bad. Things in EXCESS are bad. Is there a right way to eat carbs/gluten/sugar/fat etc.? You betcha. Are there specific individuals who due to allergies/medical conditions/ etc. need to avoid certain things? Yes, myself included. But that does not rule those categories out for everyone. Blanket bans on foods are a red flag for me. When we get into marketing, food psychology, and fad diets- you’ll see what I mean.

Erase the Word Diet From Your Vocabulary

Diets suck. I do not believe in diets. The phrase ‘I’m on a diet’ or ‘I’m watching my diet’ implies temporary. It implies restriction. It usually comes with a groan, an eyeroll, or a wave of sadness over pastries left un-eaten. “Diet” is a noun, not a verb. The second you tell yourself you ‘can’t have’ something- you want it three times more.

People quit diets; and the second you stop your ‘diet’ things go back to the way they were- weight, sleep, energy levels, brain function, sex drive, etc. I don’t do diets. I believe in lifestyles, intentionality, and eating things I love. Having a healthier food lifestyle starts with consistency. And consistency requires it to be something sustainable.

There are No Shortcuts to A Healthier Food Lifestyle

This is a hill I will die on. No matter how many times I get my hopes up, time has taught me- if you want it sustainable, healthy, balanced, and attainable- there are no shortcuts. There is no magic food to make you drop pounds quickly. Quick fixes don’t exist. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and you should run for the hills. It took time to make you the way you are today and it will take time to make you into anything else, whatever that may be.

No Two People’s Diets Are the Same, Nor Should They Be

No two people are the same, so why do we have a one size fits all approach to food historically? This is where I say- talk to an expert. Learn what’s right for YOU. And WHY those choices are right for you. When you know WHY you’re doing what you’re doing- it’s a lot easier to do. I personally also believe this would eliminate 60% of fad diet crazes.

Ever heard “My cousin _______ has been doing keto and she lost like 50 pounds, maybe you should try that.” Or my personal favorite “you really should go gluten free, it would help with ______” 2000 years of mankind eating bread as a staple of our diet and all of a sudden EVERYBODY thinks gluten is satan’s favorite food. The gluten isn’t the problem, but we’ll get to that. Are some people gluten intolerant? Absolutely, but not everybody is. See where I’m going with this? A Healthier food lifestyle requires acknowledging your body as a unique individual, learning what those uniques individual needs are, and listening to them.

Whole Foods

Taking into consideration “everything in moderation” and “There are no bad foods”, I still reach for whole foods as often as I can because those are the best options for me. This is the difference between Food and Edible Food Products. Bell pepper= food. Oreos= Edible Food Product. I still pick up Oreo’s from time to time, but I try to go 90/10 in favor of foods that are exactly the way nature made them. Whole grain vs white bread, macaroni from scratch vs the kraft box.

My rule of thumb is: If I can’t say it- don’t eat it. If I don’t know what it is- don’t eat it. It’s not as hard as it sounds. I would rather you take pleasure from time to time in a homemade cheesecake or the extra queso you made from scratch to go with your burrito bowl than eat the box of hamburger helper or the prepackaged ‘dietary’ TV dinner (yes, I mean even the ‘healthy’ ones.).

So many people think they already have a healthier food lifestyle because they’re picking up the SmartOne instead of the Kraft Mac n Cheese. But the truth is- if you read the ingredients tab, they’re still loaded with things that aren’t meant to be in your body; they’re just low calorie or carb balanced (we’ll get to food marketing later because that’s a whole different animal).

Remember to Not Food Shame

Edible food products aren’t evil and can be enjoyed, I’m a terrible sucker for Girl Scout Cookies, They are in season and I have a couple boxes of Thin Mints in the freezer and several boxes of Samoa’s, Do-si-Do’s and Tagalongs hidden in the closet where my husband can’t get to them and eat them first. The point is everything in Moderation!

Meat is Not Bad

Yes, I know that this kiiiiind of fits in with “no food is bad”. And Yes, I know I just lost some of you. BUT it’s a big enough food schism that I think it warrants its own bullet point. I’d also like to remind you that I asked for open mindedness and that these are MY beliefs. They don’t have to be yours. If you are vegetarian or vegan- I do hope you keep reading. Not only because there are still other things in this section of our blog that are of value and will still be relevant to you but also because I think these kinds of discussions are important to working on that visceral schism.

I do not have a problem inherently with vegetarianism or veganism- though again, I believe there is a right and a wrong way to do both. However, I’m never going to be offended or bothered if someone chooses to not eat meat. If eating animals or animal bi-products bothers you emotionally or morally, I can accept and respect that so long as you afford me the same courtesy.

So here’s my stance on meat vs no meat in a healthier lifestyle:

Scientifically, we as humankind are omnivores. That means you are biologically designed to eat meat AND plants. It’s why you have front sharp teeth for the tearing of meat and flat back molars for grinding and chewing plant matter. Kind of like bears or wolves. That’s why you have one stomach and the intestinal structure you do instead of a crop like a bird or 4 stomachs like a ruminate. Plant protein is physically different than animal protein, and you are genetically designed to need BOTH. I personally do not believe in arguing with the natural order of things, mother nature knows best. I also happen to like how most meat tastes.

However, I’m picky about the meat I eat. Having a healthier food lifestyle means being a responsible consumer. I’m picky about where it comes from, how the animal is raised, its quality of life while alive. I’m picky about giving thanks, and making sure to call a spade a spade. If you’re going to eat pork, acknowledge it was a pig.

Additionally, I believe in moderating meat consumption- If China alone ate the amount of meat that the U.S. does- we would need 2.5 planets just to grow the amount of corn needed to feed the cows (see also, I don’t think cows should be fed corn products in feed lots, I only buy grass fed) that’s insane. We do not need nearly as much meat as modern society has trained you to consume. The rest of the world does not consume meat at nearly the same rate that we do.

In Conclusion for My Love of Food and a Healthier Food Lifestyle

Obviously, I’m very opinionated when it comes to food. I tried to pare down my biggest beliefs in their most generic and simple ways, knowing that we have all the time in the world to peel back layers and explore specific topics. I’m very excited to get to share nutritional tidbits, debunk theories, share recipes, discuss, dive deep, and learn more with you.

If you have a passion for food like I do- I would offer one parting piece of advice. Check out the Master Class by Michael Pollan. He presents a very straight forward and impartial view of several food topics and really stretched my critical thinking muscles and challenged some of my thoughts in a fresh and respectful way. He also articulates much better than I can and said something in that class that basically covers it all in the simplest of terms better than I ever could. I’ve been keeping it in my pocket as my easy to remember sentence for talking to people but also to help me make decisions about my food throughout the day: Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.

All the best, Always.

Mikaela

Today we’re going to combine two of my favorite things: Crafting and Herbology. In light of the Imbolc Holiday I thought it would be a good time to teach you how to make Sleep Sachets. The beauty of this project is that it’s something you can easily do in the comfort of your own home. There is something therapeutic and old-worldy about working with herbs. It’s calming and I find it helps clear my mind.

Herbology

Herbology and Kitchen Witchery are one of the oldest forms of science in the world. Cultures and nations from all regions have their own herbal remedies and beliefs. Frequently lumped in with “Grandma’s Kitchen wisdom”; they are cures and concoctions that are frequently undervalued.

While modern science may have evolved past herbology in many cases, there is still much that can be done with well-placed plants. Many common ailments and issues find simple clean solutions in the kitchen that can keep you out of a doctor’s office and feeling your best. And they are easy. I promise you- it’s not complicated. Don’t let anybody make you think it’s rocket science, because its not. As you get farther into your study of plants you will discover that not only are there lots of things you can do with plants, but there are also lots of things you can say with plants.

Getting into herbology was one of the easiest things I have ever done. I was already constantly in the kitchen and loved the ‘slow food’ & ‘clean cooking’ concepts. Then I went through this period of finding out as much as I could about specific diets for certain conditions and illnesses after I got diagnosed with lupus. Educating people about their food is a strong passion of mine. Combine that with a sister that has the BIGGEST green thumb in the world- and it just seemed like a natural conclusion. But I digress…

Sleep Sachets for Dream Weaving

Some people will tell you that there is no credence behind dreams and their meanings. However, I have had just a few too many personal experiences with dream journeys to not listen when the universe is trying to tell me something.

Come on, we’ve all had those dreams where we woke up feeling like we witnessed something. Like something was trying to show you a path or point you in the right direction and you wake up going ‘huh?’ and reaching for your dream interpretation book. Then again, some dreams need no translation because you wake up saying ‘message received, loud and clear’. I’ve even had periods in my life where I dreamed in consecutive episodes and each night I got a little further into the story. I know Taylor has had similar experiences. It will be exciting in the future to get into dream interpretation with you all, but that is a project for a different day.

History of Sleep Sachets

Sleep Sachets have been common in some cultures and beliefs since the 16^th century. they were used widely throughout Europe for a variety of purposes. The aromas and energies of certain plants can help induce and maintain deep sleep, lucid dreaming, and even help relax the mind. If you’re one of those people that struggles to let go of the day’s tension to even drift off- then this is for you.

Sleep sachets are a good stepping stone because they can be both generic, and then easily built upon to personalize their influence once you know the basics.  The practice is simple: Create your sachet and then sleep with it under your pillow or in your pillowcase. You can always buy sleep sachets online from places like Etsy. However, sleep is a personal experience and as such; is one of those things that I prefer to make myself. To me, setting the intentions is the most important part.

Most of the common ingredients are things that most people keep stocked in their spice cupboard. If not, many are readily available online. If you like the personal touch like me or knowing where the plants came from- there are a few of my favorite herb shops listed below as well. This is by no means a comprehensive list- especially since in a lot of ways, Dream work, and herbology is open to some level of interpretation.

Herbals for Sleep Sachets:

Lavender:

Probably the queen of all sleep herbs, definitely the most soothing in most kitchen witch gardens. It may seem stereotypical since its modern resurgence, but there is both cultural truth and scientific truth to that. Lavender can calm anxiety, invite deep restful sleep, and ease tension and headaches. Lavender has been a cultural go-to since the Middle Ages. It’s also a great cooking herb and I frequently use it in my incense, so I always have some handy. If you are looking for sleep, Lavender is your friend.

Chamomile:

Chamomile has many medicinal properties when consumed as a tea or infusion. However, the energies and aromas are also attributed to cleansing of negative energy, purifying and calming. They have a slightly sweet apple like scent and are a great building block for sleep sachets.

Rosemary:

With a wide array of medicinal uses, and culinary uses- there is always Rosemary in my kitchen. Rosemary is used to amplify all kinds of magic as well as promote memory and protection. You can add Rosemary to amplify what you already have, but more importantly to protect you from bad dreams, and help you remember your dreams if that is something you struggle with. A member of the mint family, Rosemary is a fragrant perennial and is easy to find anywhere.

Eucalyptus:

Another plant that has its fair share of medicinal purposes, which is what makes it a staple in so many homeopathic kitchens. Eucalyptus is also known for its strong refreshing scent. A little goes a long way, but Eucalyptus has been known to stimulate the immune system, provide clarity in dreams and help induce creativity- if you are looking to add a bit of vibrancy to your resting hours.

Mug Wort:

Is one of my absolute favorite herbs. It is versatile and easy to grow should you choose to do so. Some unknowing people even consider it a weed. Since Mugwort is used in a variety of cuisines around the world it is fairly easy to find in most Natural food stores. She does contain a chemical called thujone that can induce a sense of being “high” in large quantities, as such- some people consider Mugwort to be dangerous. Mugwort aides in providing a restful nights sleep when drank as a tea or tincture, but used in a sleep sachet can also invite lucid dreaming. If you are trying to work through a particularly difficult dream sequence, using Mugwort for lucid dreaming is an excellent way to be able to affect different choices you may need to work through.

Rose Petals:

Most people associate roses with love magic, and there is something to be said for that. However different parts of the Rose flower have a myriad of uses. Roses also invoke creativity, and are again a subtle way to invite creativity into your dreams. My sister learned how to grow beautiful roses of all colors and types from my Uncle Alois when he was still alive so I usually have easy access to different colors of rose petals for different purposes. (you can also just buy rose petals at the floral section of any grocery store or buy them dried either online or from a local shop).

Herbal Shops:

I have a few herbal shops I am familiar with and really like, some of which ship nationwide if you are not sure where to start:

Happy Health High Horny Herbs:

Don’t giggle at the name, just trust me. This store is in Tempe, AZ but also ships nationwide. Their main website is Plant Pleasures (rbbotanicals.com) but you can also find them on a brief google search or on Instagram. I like their web format because you can sort different plants, resins, etc. by what you are trying to do and I think that is a great feature for beginners if you are just learning what does what.

Tenzing Momo:

For my Seattlites- this shop is a local favorite. Located in Pike’s Place they sell a lot more than just bulk herbs. I’ve never had a bad interaction there, the people are great, and it smells amazing. Not only that, but if you are looking for some instructional material (on everything from herbs to mushrooms, and a range of spirituality books), this is the place for you. These guys also ship; however if you are in the area- I highly suggest you go in person. Tenzing Momo | Tenzingmomo.com

Moddejonge’s herbals:

This woman does not ship that I know of, but I highly recommend if you are local to the Seattle area. This private shop does have limited hours (Tuesday- Saturday 12P- 5P) but I not only love the shop but the owner. She is educational, and very kind. You can find her on Facebook @ Moddejonge’s Herbals.

Reminder:

The important thing about making sleep sachets is to set your intentions as you make them. The plants themselves have set properties, yes. But never underestimate the power of energies and intentions. Magic is, in and of itself, the art of manifestation. Sleep sachets can be made from anything: Cheesecloth tied with twine or ribbon, I have a collection of small drawstring bags I have either found or were packaging for gifts, if you are really dedicated to the experience I also know a friend who sewed/ crocheted her own bag and then embroidered it to further set her intentions (plus it was fun). The possibilities are endless.

Hopefully, this helped give you some ideas, or sends you in the right direction. Please feel free to chime in, share your thoughts, or share your projects. If you’re a skagit local, you can come find us at the Mirkwood Magical Bazaar as we’re adding a new set of sleep sachett for begginers to our wares.

All the best, Always,

Mikaela

It’s baking day, and in light of the upcoming festival of Brigid I thought I would share my favorite recipe for Pulla. Traditionally a Finnish sweet bread, there are tons of variations on texture and spice blend. This one happens to be my grandmother’s. Technically, you can prep Pulla into any shape, but I was taught by braiding and I’ve always kind of stuck to that. Since Brigid is frequently associated with Braids and crosses, I somehow always associate the two.

This particular loaf is delicious with coffee, or a bit of honey or butter; not that that is particular shocking since it is traditionally eaten with coffee. It is soft and chewy with an aromatic blend of spices that will always warm my heart.

The Not So Secret of Making Pulla

In my humble opinion, what really makes your pulla next level is the quality/ type of your spices. In this case- spring for green cardamom, especially if you can get whole pods. Black cardamom will work- but green is in its own class. It take only the work of minutes to grind fresh pods into the most amazing flavor you’ve ever tasted. Bread takes hours too make correctly anyways- its worth the 3 minutes with a mortar and pestle/ molcajete. Some grocery stores now sell pods, additionally I know world market sells it and you can also get it online and from some smaller specialty stores.

But enough chat. On to the bread!

Mis en Place (Get Your Shit and Get it Together):

• 2 cups milk
• 1 Tbsp Yeast
• ¾ Cups granulated sugar
• ¼ Cup water
• 2 whole eggs, beaten lightly
• 1 Tbsp cardamom, ground
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 7-7 ½ Cups All Purpose flour or bread flour
• ½ Cup butter, melted
• 1 egg, beaten separately for egg wash
• Baking sheet or stone wear (I am partial to stone wear as it leads to better crust).

Pulla Prodecure:

1. Begin by Scalding your milk in a small, heavy bottomed saucepan. You can scald milk in any saucepan- but its easier if its double bottomed as there is less chance of burning. You want small bubbles to be forming around the edge of the pan but not boiling. It will sometimes develop a small film on top- this is okay. Remove milk from heat. Add half of your cardamom to the milk and let it steep as it cools (this step is not necessary but definitely helps increase the flavor). Milk will need to cool to just above room temperature. Warm is okay- but hot will kill your yeast.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle (or a large bowl if you plan on mixing by hand) combine yeast with 1 tsp of the sugar. Add the warm water and let sit 5 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom. DO NOT RUSH THIS STEP.
3. Add milk, remaining sugar, remaining cardamom, eggs, and salt.
4. Begin adding flour, one cup at a time until you reach 5 cups. Let mix 1-2 minutes until mostly smooth. It is important that the dough have a few minutes to mix and develop gluten strands before you proceed to the next step, butter impedes the formation of gluten so if you add the butter to soon you will end up with tough, dense bread.
5. With the mixer still mixing, slowly pour in melted butter and continue to mix until dough is smooth and shiny. Once butter is completely absorbed, add the remaining flour ½ cup at a time until smooth again.
6. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with a tea towel. Let sit in a warm, humid place until doubled in size (roughly 45 minutes).
7. Gently deflate and empty out onto a lightly floured surface. Break dough into 3 equal chunks.
8. Working with one third at a time, split each third into either halves or thirds again and braid in a 3 or 4 strand braid (2 chunk= 4 strand braid; 3 chunks= traditional braid).
9. Gently move braided loves to baking pans and let rise again 20 minutes.
10. Brush with egg wash.
11. Bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool Fully before eating. Do not skip the cooling step. I know that it can be tempting to cut into a loaf of bread fresh out of the oven, and you CAN eat it still warm, but it needs to be 90% cool. This is where gluten cells solidify, air cells set, and most of your crust development occurs. Cutting bread early can leave you with collapsed, structureless, and gummy bread.

Feel Free to play with spice blends and amounts. Some people will top their Pulla with sliced almonds or include raisins or dried berries. If you’re looking for more bread tips and tricks, check out the rest of our bread 101 series here!

Have fun and go make a mess!

All the best, Always,

Mikaela

Happy Imbolc! We have made it through the darkest of the days and are moving slowly towards spring. Though it is not Imbolc yet, I thought it would be a good time to teach about this holiday for those of you that want to learn or prepare.

History of Imbolc

The celebration of Imbolc dates to the pre-Christian era in the British Isles. Based on a Celtic tradition, Imbolc was meant to mark the halfway point between winter solstice and the spring equinox in Neolithic Ireland and Scotland. It represents the return of the light, rebirth, and is often celebrated with cleansing fire. Imbolc is also the festival of Brigid; goddess of fertility, poetry, crafts and prophecy. Brigid was considered one of the most powerful Celtic gods, the daughter of The Dagda, the oldest god in the Celtic pantheon Tuatha du Danann.

Prior to Christianity, Imbolc was celebrated from the evening prior to February first to sunrise on February 2^nd. Through the rise of Christianity, Brigid was adopted as St. Brigid- one of three Irish Patron Saints. Brigid (or Bridget) is the patron saint of nuns, newborns, midwives, dairy maids and cattle. As such, there is also a large amount of overlap between the pagan holiday Imbolc and the Christian holiday of Candlemas- also traditionally celebrated on the 1^st of February celebrating purification and the return of the light.

Celebrating Imbolc

This is time to refresh and prepare for spring. It is time to celebrate the turning of the wheel and the return of the light. Celebrating Imbolc is easier than you think, and your intentions are everything. Here are a few ideas to help you connect with the spirit of Brigid this year:

Light a fire/ hold a bonfire:

You can either do this at home, quietly and alone if you prefer to reflect (a fireplace will do). Or if you have a fire pit, it is also the perfect time to invite friends over, host a bonfire and welcome in the new season together. Allow time to dream with your friends and discuss with those who are important to you what you are excited about in this coming season and what you wish to accomplish this year.

Refresh your alter:

Focus on candles in red and white. Leave offerings of myrrh, cinnamon, and basil; or rosemary and lavender. Garnet and Amethyst are also traditional stone for an imbolc alter. Weave a brigid cross and leave it on your altar.

Spring clean your home:

Nesting time is over. Now is a great time to declutter, dust, and cleanse your space. This doesn’t just include jeejaws and unused clothing, but also the energies in your space. Take some time to deep clean your home, and your mind at the same time (I really like to reflect while I clean- I find it therapeutic). Donate the items you are getting rid of if you can to give them new life as well.

Make Dream Sachets:

We are going to teach more about these very shortly so check back this upcoming week! Dream Sachets in a nutshell are little packets or pillows of herbs, florals, and spices that you keep under your pillows to not only help you relax, but also induce sleep and inspire different types of dreams.

Start planning your spring planting.

Take a look at what will grow in your area at different times, what conditions those plants need, where in your yard to place them, and what you would like to be able to produce this year, though it is too early to plant.

Prepare your imbolc meal:

Remember, Imbolc was a feast day. You can cook for yourself but especially if you are having guests over, host a potlock- share in the remains of your winter harvest. Traditional imbolc foods include bread, seed cakes, root vegetables, soups, & dairy; Hearty foods meant to see you through the end of your winter weeks. However, the meal matters less than the intentions behind it when you are gathering with friends. Keep an eye out for the Imbolc Recipes I will share this weekend!

Take a cleansing bath:

Imbolc is a celebration of purification. Take some time to relax, soak, reenergize. I don’t just say this because I’m a sucker for bath bombs. You would be amazed at what some quality ‘you time’ can do for your outlook on life. Remember: you can’t pour from an empty cup. If you haven’t seen our post on a floral milk bath ritual- check it out here.

Reminder:

However you choose to celebrate, focus on your intentions moving forward into this new season. Remember that now is not necessarily the time to grow, but to prepare for growth. Renew yourself, set your intentions, and set yourself up to make the most of the growing season before you.

All the best, Always,

Mikaela

Sustainability is one of those topics that seems to perpetually be at the forefront of the news. And it should be. Given the trajectory of the world and our modern disposable habits; we have some very real, very alarming problems on our hands. It is easy to get discouraged. There is so much information out in the world, and it seems to be changing every day regarding what is good and what is bad. In a lot of ways, it seems like sustainability is out of reach, or that many of the things that could make a huge impact in the world are beyond ‘the little guy’; the people like you and I want to help but are just one person.  

So today, we are going to dial it in, and bring it a bit closer to home. There are massive, large-scale legislative, societal, and corporate changes that need to be made, BUT there are a number of physically actionable things that any one person can do every single day around the house to make an impact. Some of them might surprise you if you were raised like we were. Technology has changed since we were kids, and with new information comes new decisions.  

We could give you a list of hundreds of things you could do around the house to be more sustainable; some more achievable than others. Instead, we will boil it down to 5 main categories:

1. Use fewer finite resources.
2. Think reusable instead of disposable.
3. Purchase with a conscience.
4. Work with your surroundings.
5. Use your community.

Most of what you commonly see in lists of how to be sustainable can be associated with these categories, so in our household, we try to remember them and constantly ask ourselves if our actions fit within them.

Use Fewer Finite Resources.

When we talk about using fewer finite resources, we are talking about water, electricity, gas, petroleum, (tree) paper products, etc. This is a fantastic place to start because, not only is it low cost…  you will save money. Usually because these resources can run out, you have to pay more and more to use them. And any adult can tell you that utilities are EXPENSIVE now-a-days. A couple ideas to consider are:

• Carpool or walk when you can to save using gas.
• Consider keeping your thermostat range at an ambient temperature closer to the real temperature.
• In older buildings, check weather stripping and window/door seals. It will make it easier to maintain your internal temp for cheaper, save electricity, AND there are even fixes available on the market for rentals.
• Swap to LED lights and turn lights off when you leave a room. Electricity adds up and some lights actually put off heat.
• Wash clothing in the cold setting and then line dry them when possible.
• RUN THAT DISHWASHER! Remember that not all convenient appliances are unsustainable. As technology has continued to progress and sustainability movements have increased, many kitchen appliances can be more sustainable than people! Newer models of dishwashers, for example, use less water than the average hand washer.

Think Reusable Instead of Disposable.

So, this can mean a couple of things. It can be switching out consumables to reusable items that do not need to be replaced and repurchased as often such as:

• Switching disposable, synthetic sponges that accumulate germs to reuseable dish cloths that can be washed. Alternatively, you can use all natural sponges or loofah’s grown from squash that can be composted.
• Use reuseable bags at the store instead of plastic bags.  It cuts down on waste, looks cuter, and they are less likely to rip.
• Reduce kitchen plastics and single use packaging by using glass storage instead of plastic Tupperware’s, reusable snack bags instead of Ziplocs, and waxed fabric covers instead of saran wrap.

To some extent, everything will get worn out eventually so sometimes avoiding the disposable can also mean just investing in a higher quality item that will have more longevity. A good place to invest for this would be in your electrical products.

• You should try to keep your keep electrical products for at least 7 years (Read more here) and starting off with a better quality item will reduce how often it needs to be replaced.
• Another item to try extending the life on is your vehicle. Considering going electric is great to decrease gas use, but what many don’t consider is that constantly getting new vehicles creates additional, hard to dispose of waste.

You can also include recycling or upcycling in this category. Try to avoid throwing something in the trash as much as possible.

• Learn to recycle CORRECTLY. By this I mean, actually look at what recycling is available in your area. Some towns have different capabilities such as different items they are equipped to recycle or different sorting needs. Additionally, you need to make sure that ONLY recyclables go in that bin… not your leftovers that were still in the recyclable to-go container.
• Consider donating, selling, or altering old clothing instead of trashing it. And as an extension, shop vintage and thrift when possible. You will find the coolest fits for very reasonable costs.
• Switch to all natural cleaning products as this means less harmful waste in the dumps.
• Shop zero waste toiletries (like toothpaste tabs) to cut down on even more trash.
• Stop using plastic toothbrushes when there are completely biodegradable alternatives.  

Purchase With a Conscience.

There is a bit of overlap between this category and the last. Yes, this can mean in the broadest sense, thinking about buying something (like a vehicle) and thinking about the longevity of it or the long-term consequences of its construction. What we really mean though is think about the who, what, where, and how of your product. Is your food from a sustainable, local farmer or was it grown mono-crop style and then X amount of gas used to transport it across the country to you? If it is sea food, how is it harvested? Is the farm known for using anything particularly harmful or, and I hate to bring politics into this, do they support some movement or practice you really think shouldn’t be allowed? Every purchase is a vote; for who you wish to succeed, what legislations has backing, what becomes mainstream, etc. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Buy your produce from permaculture farms and farmers markets, whenever possible. It will be fresher, local produce so your food will taste better, less gas will be used in transport, and you are supporting your local economy instead of some far away big wig.
• Switch to seasonal produce. Out of season produce needs additional resources in an artificial setting to produce… produce. *Ba-Dum-Tss*  It is more expensive because they need to waste additional resources to create it. Save money and resources by avoiding off season avocados.
• Pay attention to where your beef comes from. This is accurate of any meat or produce but let’s use beef as an example. Avoid huge feed lots. They are very harmful to the flora, fauna, waterways, etc, produce huge amounts of methane gas, and often contaminate the surrounding areas.

Work With Your Surroundings.

What we mean by working with your surroundings is to try to give back to it. Up until now, our categories have been about how to minimize how we damage the ecosystem… take less, pollute less, waste less, etc. Now I want you to think about how you can contribute positives. Things like:

• Composting! We have talked about this a bit in the past, but composting can even be done in apartment settings. It decreases what is going in your trash, effectively contributes much needed nutrients back into the soil and depending on your process can actually save you money on things like fertilizers or chicken feed if you choose to feed them scraps.  
• Using a rain barrel for your gardening will help you not use processed water in your yard and cuts down on your water bill. A lot of rainwater is wasted and ends up in drains when it can’t get through roads, sidewalks, buildings etc. Instead, saving it and using it to water plants or your yard means it will end up back in your local aquifer as well.
• Skipping the pesticides and instead looking for more natural alternatives, like companion planting, will allow beneficial local insects like bees, etc. to flourish.
• Planting a native sanctuary garden or zero-scaping allows you to support local wildlife, cut down on supplemental watering, prevents the spread of invasive/ nonnative species, and can still look fantastic/be aesthetically pleasing.

Use Your Community.

Find your community and use them. We do not mean pull a “Mean Girls” and manipulate them. What we do mean is that you should find a community and utilize the tools that they offer. People who maximize their sustainability do it because they care about making a positive difference. They WANT to share that passion and help others do the same. Finding sustainable options and making good decisions can sometimes be tough. The good news is that there are communities of people passionate about sustainability who are trying to make it a more accessible option. They aren’t trying to milk it for money. Instead, they just want to educate and change the world. Think about:

• Looking into food waste boxes like Misfits Market and Imperfect Foods… they sell boxes of discounted produce that isn’t pretty enough to sell in the grocery stores. It is totally perfect and would otherwise be wasted because it doesn’t meet a visual standard. This also helps you try new seasonal produce as well.
• Joining a co-op or collaborative like Grove… this is a great way to find products that align with your morals. Grove for example is a subscription for affordable, natural, sustainable home and self-care products. In many cases, their alternatives as cheaper than what we can find at the grocery store and they have a huge variety of products from natural sponges to bamboo paper products (good quality toilet paper and paper towels), to individual toothpaste tablets.

That is a very simplified version of things but hopefully it will help jumpstart your brain and give you some points to think about when trying to live more sustainably. And remember that this doesn’t need to be a large overhaul of your life all at once. Just remember the 5 areas we discussed when you make your next decision. When you are choosing between products or actions, just make one choice different at first and you will find that the rest just gradually follows.

Catch you later!

RavenWerks Guild

Hello Adventurer! Nice to see you back in the Guild Hall! Are you ready for our next lesson? Now that we’ve talked about world building, and we’ve discussed the benefits of D&D, as well as gone over some of our favorite beginners’ tools– it’s time to talk characters. Specifically: How to build a playable D&D Character.

Anybody can slap together a race, class, and some basic stats and run with it. But that’s not the same thing as creating a playable D&D character with depth that is believable and fun for you to interact with. We’re talking about the kind of character that your DM falls in love with and therefore can’t kill. Well, they can still kill them, it’ll just be a lot harder for them to bring themselves to do it.

Resources that will help you Build a Playable D&D Character:

D&D players handbook: we talked about this in a previous post. You can read more about it here.

Ultimate RPG Character Backstory Guide: also on that list of resources for beginners’, this is where this book is really going to be your best friend.

You and your brain.

Building a Playable D&D Character

I won’t walk you through every single step in detail because you don’t need me for that. We’re talking Nitty Gritty 4 Dimensional Characters here, Backstory, personality, believability, the whole shebang. I’ll still cover the basics, because there are some things to consider. But for an in-depth look at the races, classes etc. you will want to refer to your D&D players handbook, or your DM if it’s a homebrew campaign and you maybe have some more race options you’d like to explore.

Select your Race:

This will be the foundation of your stats and your skill set. Refer to your D&D handbook. If you are selecting a home brew race you will need to work with your DM to reference believable/ reasonable stats/ race advantages etc.

Select your Class:

if you are playing 5E your base options are barbarian, bard, cleric, druid, fighter, monk, paladin, ranger, rogue, sorcerer, warlock, wizard, blood hunter. Refer to your D&D handbook for a breakdown of each.

Choose your alignment:

this is the beginning of believability in a playable D&D Character. Some races are inclined towards certain alignments (ie dwarves: lawful good, Tiefling: Chaotic neutral) that being said you still have flexibility SO LONG AS it can be explained or rationalized by your backstory. Think about the kind of character you want to build. This selection impacts your character’s morals and decision-making process.

Alignment is an X/Y axis scenario (X: lawful, chaotic, Neutral Y: Good, Evil, Neutral). Both Axis’ have a neutral component.

• Lawful: The rules matter more to me than individuals. “The Law is hard but it is the Law.”
• Good: Other People’s well-being matters more than own. “For the Greater Good.”
• Chaotic: Individuals matter more to me than the rules. “You say rules, I say Guidelines.”
• Evil: My own wellbeing is more important than rules or the general public. “I am my own Rule.”
• Neutrals: My opinion of what is more important is on a case-by-case basis. “The Devil is in the details.”

Lawful Evil:

A lawful evil character is going to follow a strict moral code. It might be warped, sure. But they are going to follow the letter of the law just as much as a lawful good character. They’re just following their own law. Think Darth Vader or Lord Voldemort.

Lawful Good:

A lawful good character is going to follow the letter of the law for the greater good, regardless of what that means for themselves. You see this a lot with Paladin types. A good example is Captain America.

Lawful Neutral:

we do what we must. They are characterized by being bound to a code or set of rules. They may not agree with all of those rules, but they understand the necessity of following them for a functional society. The punisher is a good example of this.

Chaotic Good:

Chaotic Good characters are going to do what they believe to be right for an individual regardless of what the law says (think Robin Hood).

Chaotic Neutral:

A Chaotic Neutral Character is the essence of “I do what I want when I want as I see fit.” These characters do have moral codes and beliefs that they live by, but it is on a case-by-case basis and they take all the semantics into their account. Decisions are made at their discretion. Riddick is a great example of Chaotic Neutral.

Chaotic Evil:

In contrast, a chaotic evil character is going to say “Fuck the rules and fuck you.” The Joker.

Neutral Good:

Gandalf The Grey is a prime example of “Neutral good” in that he has a strong desire to do good and make the world a better place, but unlike a lawful good he is willing to compromise on societal correctness to do so (insert every instance in which he utilizes hobbits to achieve his long term goals), occasionally seen as unreliable but largely at the end of the day they are about balance and acknowledging that there are multiple sides to every situation and decisions are not a one size fits all.

True Neutral:

True Neutral is less common because it is harder to play than you might suspect and it’s easy to accidently slip into “Neutral Good” as the line is very fine- this is one of my favorites and I think this excerpt from Gamer’s Decide explains it best: “The True Neutral alignment represents a character who is neutral on all alignments, and does not feel strongly about good, evil, law, or chaos. They may act in their own self-interest, but they do not have a particular moral or ethical code that they follow. They may act to preserve balance or neutrality, but they are not necessarily committed to doing so.”  Geralt of Rivia is an excellent example of true neutral.

An Additional tool for this is the Save the Cat Prompt on Page 16 of the RPG backstory builder.

Choose Your Background:

Here you will also want to refer to your player handbook for the basic categories. You can also chat with your DM for a homebrew to customize something that matches your character better. Remember that this is not your backstory- it’s your background. In the vaguest of terms think of it as the style of your upbringing: Urchin vs Noble vs Criminal vs Hermit etc. each one comes with its own set of proficiencies or perks.

Spend some time thinking about this, as this is what you will build your backstory off of (or if you’re like me you already have your backstory and you’re going to pick the background that fits with it the best and gives you the proficiencies you want or are looking for.) You can use the roll technique and use some personality traits from the handbook if you want or pull your own, but this is where your characters quirks start to develop.

Arm Yourself:

Spend some time thinking about how you want your character to be involved in combat. This is heavily affected by your race and class but I have seen some unconventional blends that have worked. Its all about believability. If you are a physical fighter instead of a spell caster etc. you may want to spend some extra time in chapter 5 of the Player’s handbook as it goes into detail about different types of weapons and may give you some ideas, or templates to pull unconventional weapons from.

Write a basic backstory:

You don’t have to be an award winning novelist. Or even a good writer. I urge people to try for a paragraph or so, but I also totally get if you have an idea in your head but you aren’t an avid writer. My husband uses bullet points for the ideas he has and the things that are important to him and doesn’t bother stringing them into paragraphs. He can talk to you about his character but isn’t going to write a story.

However your brain works- write down your origin story: Who are you? Where do you come from? Why are you adventuring? What is your purpose? Who raised you? If you were making a 30 second intro clip for your character’s video game- what’s the premise?

Let’s Get Gritty:

So you have your basic build. Now let’s take basic and build it 4 dimensional. Let’s give it personality, nuance, believability, and pizazz. Nobody plays D&D to be boring- that’s what real life is for. D&D operates in the realm of possibility. Have fun. Play with it. This is how we take the basics of stats and story, and add flesh and blood until we have a playable D&D Character.

Appearance:

maybe you thought this would go in the generic section, but I want you to go beyond how tall you are, what color you hair is, and what color you are based on your dragonborn heritage. Picture your character clearly in your head.

How has their lifestyle affected their physique? Calloused hands could just as easily be from a lifetime of baking bread as they can from hefting a sword. Is your profession or background reflected in your wardrobe or jewelry? Could someone guess what you do based on your appearance or gear? What’s the likelihood of someone guessing and getting wrong? Are the little splatters of pigment on your fingertips from ink or the toxins you lace your weapons with? Do you have freckles? Identifying tattoos? What is your body language like? Do you come across cocky? Mousy? Stuffy? Intelligent? Might your appearance intimidate others or impact how villagers view you? Do you  face any biases because of your appearance?

Language:

A big portion of buidling a playable D&D character is developing parts of them that you can interact with and bring to life. How does your character speak? What’s their vocabulary like? Do they have any phrases or terms that they use regularly? This is a great way to add depth and believability to a character and make game play more fun.

A sorcerer is going to have a much different vocabulary than a soldier or a priest. Does their hometown impact their accent or their colloquialisms? Can other people tell where they are from based on their speech? Is there something that makes their vernacular unique? A fun little added tool you can use in addition to these questions is the idiom generator on page 14 of the RPG backstory guide.

Religion and Beliefs:

In addition to whatever your D&D ‘deity’ is, or two whom your character pays homage, spend some time thinking about what their beliefs are. Do they actively practice their religion or passively believe in something? How much does it affect their day to day life? Do they observe any strange or interesting holidays? A fun (though not all inclusive) prompt for holidays is on page 18 of the RPG character backstory.

Core lessons:

A good way to build out a playable D&D character is to think about all formative things your character has learned up until the start of the campaign. All real people have them. life events and lessons that have shaped how we view and interact with the world. These should be based on your characters traits and backstory but with more detail. Try for a minimum of 5. What events, choices, or traumas have they lived through that have shaped their character? An amazing set of 5 questions to help you with this is on page 26 of the RPG Character backstory Guide.

Party Preferences:

What kind of company do you keep? Obviously, you don’t get to pick what kind of characters your friends or party members choose to play, or what your DM evilly decides to do with that. BUT based on your backstory and character you should be able to describe who your character would like to adventure with, or if there is anybody your character would absolutely not do well with. It will affect how your character interacts with the other player characters as well as any NPC’s your DM cooks up.

Think about it like this: if your backstory is written around the fact that your family was murdered by a war band of goblins and another party member happens to be half goblin… you might have some prejudices or some strained interactions to work through. It will also be a factor in how you interact (or should interact) with NPC’s. remember- you are not you, you are your character. An example of this concept can be found on page 28 of the RPG character backstory guide.

Add detail to your core stats:

Sure, a barbarian is strong, but go deeper. How are you strong compared to other barbarians? How did you come to be this way? Of course a rogue is high in dexterity (if they’re a good rogue) but how might someone else be able to tell you’re dexterous, what might hint at your master thief skills? There’s a fun exercise in the RPG character guide called “Across a crowded Tavern” on page 32 that will highlight some ideas for this.

What drives you forward:

when all seems lost and things aren’t going according to plan (and they won’t). what inner strength, power, ideal, or memory pushes you to keep going. What stops your character from tapping out even when 80% of them is ready too? Check out the exercise on page 45 of the RPG book for some examples.

Create a mental snapshot of home:

what did your childhood home look like and how might that environment have impacted who your character currently is? Were you raised in a city? A village? A tribe? In a metropolis or a forest? A cave dwelling civilization? Where did you call home? where did you usually sleep? Do you miss it? Where did people socialize? What did community interaction look like? What did people respect? Who was in charge? Check out page 47 of the backstory guide for more prompts.

Creeds, mottos, and ideals:

this is different than beliefs, lessons, or idioms- even though lessons and idioms typically have meaning or deeper wisdom in them. Not a slogan, or a catch phrase (although those are equally endearing in a character- we see you Naruto). It doesn’t even necessarily have to be something your character technically excels at but rather something they hold in high esteem, a trait they aspire to, or something they believe in outside of religion. These are statements of belief outside of deities. Examples might be:

• Life is what we make it.
• We have nothing if we don’t have our morals.
• The only thing stronger than a man’s given word is his heart.
• Power is the only guarantee of freedom
• We always have a choice.
• It’ll feel better when it quits hurting.

Valuable advice:

what is the best piece of advice your character has ever received? If they could pass on any one piece of advice what would it be? Similar to creeds and mottos, but distinct in that this is something they have learned, that they live by, and act on whenever possible. A belief they hold in the livable present. Examples might include:

• When you get the chance to dance, dance.
• The man is the head of the family, but the woman is the neck and she can turn the head any way she wants.
• Tuck your chin, you’re going to get hurt, expect it and be ready.
• This too shall pass
• The friends who criticize your actions are the ones who really care about you. If they didn’t care they wouldn’t waste their breathe.
• If you love something enough, and for long enough, the rest of the world will eventually have no choice but to accept it, regardless of its original perception of it.
• All things worth having are worth working for.
• You’re always going to be “too much” of something to someone, do not dim your light for anybody.

Fears, Flaws, and weaknesses:

nobody, or character for that matter, is perfect. Even superman has kryptonite. To make a character really fun to both play, but also interact with for your DM and party members come up with a short list of “shortcomings” or flaws. They could be major or minor, or something your character is actively working on improving, extra props if at least one of them is something that your other party members can leverage.

• You snore terribly.
• You’re a dwarf that can’t hold your ale- a complete lightweight, the family doesn’t talk about it.
• You have a gambling problem
• You are a terrible cook- like give someone food poisoning bad.
• You are severely ADHD- this causes problems in combat, problems with your memory, and with everyone elses sleep schedule. You lose everything contstantly.
• You have a soft spot for strays and are always trying to “adopt” the local critters. Even when your party can’t hide them, feed them, or otherwise deal.
• You are terrified of the dark- dungeons, am I right?
• You can’t swim
• Terrible anemia
• Petrified of zombies
• Invasive thoughts with no filter. Your party does not appreciate you making your disturbing thoughts their newest fears.
• You have a crippling fear of heights.

Consider your long-term goal:

I want to leave you with an idea for character development as you go forward to create. Remember that what you are building is the base of your character. The point of D&D is to play/tell a story. Characters develop during stories. What you are making is the origin story, the idea, and the potential. But remember that your character is going to interact with others, be subject to circumstance, and hopefully have the opportunity to grow. Don’t try and create a level 10 character with an “I saved the world” backstory. That’s what the story is about.

But also, do not limit your character ideas to what your current stats are- your character is as fluid as its development is. Some gardeners become protectors in great stories. If the templates and basic things don’t seem like they are ticking all the right boxes, or that nothing quite describes the character you’d like to build…. Remember that multi-classing is a thing. The possibilities are endless depending on what choices you are willing to make. In much the same way as real life you can choose to learn multiple things to create your own field of study/ specialty. If you’d like to learn more about multi-classing, check out page 163 of the D&D Players handbook.

Now go out there, build an awesome character, and keep your eyes peeled for our next D&D post where Taylor will cover actual execution and playing of this awesome character you have created.

See you on the battlefield!

Mikaela

Hey Guild! Long time no talk! As you may have noticed, Mikaela has been doing most of the articles recently. This is partially because between the two of us… she is definitely the writer. But it is also because my life has been all over the place.

BUT I AM BACK BABY!!!! And I am ready to continue our Astrology 101 series today.

As I just said, it has been a minute so let’s have a quick recap.

1. Astrology is the study of the movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world.
2. Your Natal Chart is a map of where the different celestial bodies were in relation to YOU at the exact time and location of your birth. This is divided into 12 ‘pie’ pieces.
3. The Zodiac wheel is the outer wheel of your natal chart and moves based on the sun’s apparent yearly rotation about our Earth, along the ecliptic. You will see this rotating on the chart.
4. The wheel of Houses is the inner wheel and based on the Earth’s 24-hour rotation about its own axis. This is stationary on the natal chart.

In the last installment of Astrology 101, we looked at the 12 houses in the inner wheel of the natal chart. I like to think of these (this is very simplified) as categories or areas of your life (be that internal or external) that different energies can be in. Now let’s look at the planets and other celestial bodies that are placed on the natal chart.

The celestial bodies that are mapped are indicators of certain energies, needs, and drives. I have seen in a couple places that they are described as activators so let’s address this distinction before I move onto different associations and meanings. In astrology we are observing the planets and the synchrony it causes in our lives. Individuals born under different celestial patterns tend to have certain personalities, physical traits, life paths, etc. By saying that celestial bodies are activators, it insinuates that a planet “makes” something happen. Mars isn’t talking to me and controlling my actions but it being in a certain part of my chart INDICATES that I may be prone to a certain trait or action. I read a fantastic parallel online that described it like a clock at the end of a 9-5 workday. When it hits 5pm, the clock does not force you to leave work, but you do usually stop at 5pm (unless you are a workaholic like me) by choice.

You may also notice that I keep saying celestial bodies instead of planets. This is for a couple of reasons. Without digging too deep at this point into Astronomy history, the discovery of planets (and the argument about which ones count as planets- I see you PLUTO), etc… here are a few reasons that I am referring to celestial bodies:

1. Astrology is geocentric (earth in the center) and when it was originally created, the sun and moon were included in the list of planets circling earth. They are not planets, but we leave them on the list of “planets” observed and they are still 2 of the most important/influential bodies on our chart.
2. Astrology also observes several asteroids/planetoids that have a body and a calculatable orbit.

Sun or Sol: “I am”

The sun represents who you are at your core, your personality, ego, your essence, and your conscious mind, and the male principle. It is also a giver of life so can represent your will to live or creative life force. This is usually a deep, unchanging part of you. This is you in the BROADEST sense like we discussed in the first Astrology post we did (What is Astrology? Where does one start?). When interpreting your natal chart, one of the suns best qualities is rulership and one of the worst is dictativeness.

Moon or Luna: “I feel”

The moon represents the unconscious (or subconscious), emotions, the feminine. It also directly affects all life but is receptive, reflective, and passive, the polar opposite of the sun. It is also associated with memory, habit patterns, personal paradigms, role models AND how these condition and affect you. If the sun is what is apparent to others on the outside, the moon is the part of you that YOU see. When interpreting your natal chart, one of the moon’s best qualities is adaptability and one of the worst is inconstancy.

Mercury: “I think”

Mercury is the planet of thinking, learning, intellect, and communication. It can be associated with different speech patterns, senses of humor, and how one intellectually interacts with or comprehends the world around them. When interpreting your natal chart, one of Mercury’s best qualities is expression and one of the worst is restlessness.

Venus: “I love”

I was trying to remember the childhood rhyme about girls going to Venus and all we could do was come up with a more adult version. “Boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider; Girls go to Venus to get more Penis.” Obviously, this is NOT the rhyme I was trying to remember from elementary school… BUT just like in our childhood rhymes, Venus is feminine and associated with love. It represents pleasure, beauty, romance, emotional attachments, marriages, harmony, and any other unions. When talking about beauty or pleasure, that can also be material pleasures like artistry. It is a very personal planet. When interpreting your natal chart, one of Venus’s best qualities is affection and one of the worst is pliancy.

Mars: “I act”

Mar’s is the opposite of Venus (see a pattern yet?). It is masculine and associated with conflict, aggression, and war rather than feminine harmony. That sounds pretty bad but there are some better associations out there like ambition, courage, vitality, action, desire, sex drive, and animal instinct. It can show how you pursue goals, stand up for yourself, attack or defend, and how you dissociate yourself from people or circumstances. When interpreting your natal chart, one of Mar’s best qualities is initiative and one of the worst is harshness.

Jupiter: “I grow”

Jupiter is all about plenty, expansion, knowledge (think philosophical vs mercury which is more factual), enthusiasm, abundance, luck, responsibility, exuberance, morality, charity, frankness, honesty, and the soul. When interpreting your natal chart, one of Jupiter’s best qualities is benevolence and one of the worst is conceit.

Saturn: “I achieve”

I find Saturn fascinating because of how it interacts with the other celestial bodies. It is associated with limits, restrictions, boundaries, safety, practicality, reality, seriousness, laws, and structures. These could all be interpreted as negative, but they are necessary and allow for more structured lives and a sort of balance. When interpreting your natal chart, one of Saturn’s best qualities is systems of organization and one of the worst is selfishness.

Uranus: “I evolve”

Uranus is a higher octave of Mercury. I read a description of Uranus that said its energy is like a bolt of lightning and I feel this is fairly accurate. It is about suddenness, revolution, change, shock, disruption, flashes of insight, revelation, creativity, invention, and innovation. It is destructive to patterns and limitations, so it helps destroy the old and bring in the new for growth. When interpreting your natal chart, one of Uranus’s best qualities is originality and one of the worst (debatable) is rebellion.

Neptune: “I dream”

Neptune is a higher octave of Venus. This feminine planet is associated with self-sacrifice, compassion, spirituality, devotion, beauty, the subconscious, illusions, fantasies, the magical or enchanting, and the primordial chaos before creation. Neptune is the planet associated with the quest for universal wisdom, but also for cloudiness, confusion, delusion, and unreality. When interpreting your natal chart, one of Neptune’s best qualities is Idealism and one of the worst is vagueness.

Pluto: “I empower”

Pluto is a higher octave of Mars. It can be about transforming repressed energies into a group energy to evolve society, or it is also associated with sex, obsessive desires, transformation, power, true upheaval, wealth, renewal, and rebirth. When interpreting your natal chart, one of Pluto’s best qualities is transformation and one of the worst is inversion.

I just want to say that these are BRIEF interpretations. I could (and will eventually) deep dive more into each “planet” and what zodiacs they rule, elemental associations, how to interpret them for each house or zodiac etc. In the meantime, if you do want more information, a good resource would be astrolibrarys’ page on planets in astrology.

Now I did say that this was about celestial bodies… not just planets. Asteroids, dwarf planets, etc. are used to further finesse your natal chart. There are more than 100 celestial bodies that can be mapped and have meanings ranging from your nurturing style to how self-indulgent you are to your fame. I just want to briefly mention a couple you may see in a standard online natal chart:

• Chiron: Wisdom gained through self-inflicted wounds; this transforms your personal identity.
• Ceres: Your style of nurturing AND how creative you are in giving/receiving.
• Pallas Athene: Wisdom, problem solving, the balancing of polarities, and a connection to the world outside of self through cultural lines.
• Vesta: Spirituality and your ability to focus or concentrate in an undivided manner.
• Juno: Committed and loyal partnerships
• Lilith: The shadow side of your personality… basically your inner bad bitch.

We are one step closer to interpreting your chart! We now have houses that tell us what celestial bodies can affect AND celestial bodies to do the affecting. But we still haven’t touched on the one thing that most uninitiated think Astrology is solely about… the Zodiacs. Before we go deeper into the chart and start looking at aspects or anything like an interpretation, we will be adding in the outer wheel of our natal chart. Keep an eye open for our next installment of Astrology 101!

Happy stargazing!

Taylor

CHECK OUT THE FULL ASTROLOGY 101 SERIES:

• What is Astrology? Where Does One Start?
• Astrology Symbol Reference Page
• Astrology 101: What Is In Your Natal Chart?
• Astrology 101: Natal Chart Organization and Terminology
• Astrology 101: The 12 houses & Their Symbolism
• Astrology 101: The Energy of Planets and Other Celestial Bodies

Happy Tarot Tuesday! Let’s talk today about another simple ‘spread’ for self-reflection. I say ‘spread’ loosely this time, as this is technically a single card pull. Despite being small, it’s great for getting to know your deck and heavy on the introspective aspect- which I will always love. For this spread we will again be using the Dreams of Gaia Deck by Ravynn Phelan- but you can use any deck. Today we’re going to be talking about the “Guide Spread”.

The Guide

There is only one card to define in this go around, because well, it’s a single card draw as we’ve said. This card is meant to guide you, help you reflect on something that is prevalent in your life at this time, and can be used to help you reflect on your actions preemptively. Sometimes a guide card may only be relevant for a day. Maybe you happen to pull a card relevant to something that is a larger or more ongoing issue. On a rare occasion a card may need to keep you company for longer than a day.

Performing the Guide Spread

My regular recommendations for tarot apply here: give yourself ample time to complete it and find a quiet space where you can relax and focus. Keep a journal or notebook handy, as well as your guidebook. Find appropriate lighting and light a candle or incense if that helps you relax, same with music/background noise. The point is to intentionally relax and be present in your reflection.

Shuffle. There is no right or wrong way, just shuffle. Stop when it feels right, or your hands get tired. Whatever comes first. Whether you cut your deck or not is up to you.

Before you delve into meanings and reflection, spend some time looking at the artwork, just examining the card. How does its artwork make you feel without immediately knowing what it means?

Review the meaning of the card and take into account if it is upright or reversed/blocked. Reflect on how this may affect your day, if there is something happening that this could help/ hinder with? I find this a good tool to reflect on whatever quality the card is addressing and assess whether I think this is a strength of mine or maybe a weakness I need to pay attention to as I go about my day.

Take your time with this part of the process, as sometimes there are the immediate reactions and the secondary ones after you’ve had a few minutes to think and consider. Don’t judge your reflection as positive or negative. You are simply examining the prompt as it is.

Closing the Reading:

Take a few minutes to write about your experience. This is where we want to be thinking about how this makes us feel. Note that I do not say “where we judge the reading”. That’s not the point, you can feel positively, or negatively, or inspired, or melancholy- whatever it may be; without judging the answer. One is a sensation, the other is a statement. Be careful with this.

Keeping a journal will give you something to look back on, a way to notice trends, and a second round of reflection that is slightly different. Some people (like myself) process differently when we’re writing and the act of moving your hands to reflect things helps anchor the process into linear thoughts when your brain might otherwise be a basket of ferrets on espresso.

The point is that this is between you and yourself. Which means that honest reflection is not only encouraged, but necessary- especially if you can get out of the habit of judging yourself and just letting yourself feel what you feel without commenting on it.

Now you’re ready to go about your day with a reflection excersize done and your mind prepared to be present and take the day as it comes!

We’d love to hear about your experiences with intentional living and I hope you give this a shot.

All the best,

Mikaela