Mirrors in the Earth

April 18, 2022
Herbalist Suler debuts with an uplifting collection of essays about the restorative power of nature. The author reflects on her “most pivotal moments of earth-given revelation,” sharing the lessons she’s learned from spending time in the wilderness and offering guidance on how readers might become closer with the natural world. “Willow Water” describes how Suler—overwhelmed by anxiety on the first day of a conference for basket weaving, blacksmithing, and other “earth skills”—took refuge in a patch of willow trees and realized, “No matter how hard you are on yourself, or how harsh life becomes, you are already forgiven for anything you could have ever done.” In “The World Sees You,” the author recounts breaking up with her partner and moving to a remote part of southern Appalachia, where she found community with the trees, squirrels, and deer. Exercises encourage readers to gain perspective by making a timeline of their lives and mapping one’s social circle to help weed out unfulfilling relationships. Suler’s sense of wonder is infectious, and her prose exudes her boundless reverence for nature (“Waving in thickets of silver and olive, greeted me with long, ballet-like gestures”). Spiritual nature lovers will treasure this meditative volume.