Some of what I gather is going to become spirit food, made by hand from the herbs I was compelled and directed to gather. The flowers all have very specific and unique properties and are all under the guardianship of the great old mountain god, Takoma, who makes the waters that feed the valley meadows where I hunt at the base. The mountain is home to deer gods and river goddesses, to bear spirit and eagle. Powerful place, deserving of respect, I collect my herbs from the riverside and old-growth moss covered wetlands where the grandfather waters provide all the nourishment of those who forage in the shadow of the peaks.