Passionate about the benefits of plants and ancestral wisdom, Marie Cochard celebrates the wild feminine in her magazine "Druidéesse": a return to the essential, to nature, and to the sacred.

What was the trigger for creating your magazine?

Passionate about ancestral wisdom, I was introduced to herbalism for nearly 4 years by the ethnobotanist Myriam Reffay, an eminent specialist in medieval plants, as well as to sylvotherapy (forest bathing) and gemmotherapy (bud-based remedies). I am convinced that Nature has unsuspected powers. That of nourishing us, of healing us naturally, of re-energizing us... So my "photographer" companion, Olivier, and I wanted to create a guide, a unique object in the world of the magazine, dedicated to Nature and the beings who inhabit it. This is how Druidéesse was born! Each issue has returned, for two years now, at each equinox with its Recipes, Remedies and Seasonal Rituals as many beneficial foods for the body, mind and soul.

It's a mixture of the desire to share forgotten knowledge and gentle madness that has brought us here, but as Oscar Wild so aptly said ("Wild". Here we are at the heart of the matter with this quote that comes at the right time!) " Follies are the only things we never regret. "

Explain to us your vision of the wild feminine?

For me, there is no more "wild feminine" than "wild masculine." The idea is simply to invite humans and Nature to come together, because they are truly ONE. I believe that returning to Nature, to the Wild, to the Sylve is in reality a return to Oneself, to one's true Nature. There is no separation. We are an integral part of Nature, so taking care of it is taking care of oneself and vice versa.

 

What does nature bring to you on a daily basis?

A state of peace, a deep serenity. When I am in the forest, I am "at home", I feel welcomed for who I am, without judgment, without preconceptions. I also believe that it would be more appropriate for Humans to embody "giving and receiving" with the trees, but also with their fellow humans. Can I offer and give without expecting anything in return, to Nature and the beings around me? A state of presence and openness. A plant mandala. A song. Other offerings... like the indigenous peoples or our ancestors. How do I commit myself as a guardian of this Nature? (by planting trees, by refusing to have any in my neighborhood cut down, by eating local and seasonal food, by limiting my footprint as much as possible?). I believe that the Sylve is generous "by Nature", what about us, Humans? It seems to me imperative today that everyone asks this question for themselves.

What was the last thing that touched you?

 

I organized a Sunday Druidesse "Forest Bath" in a corner of the coastal forest, in order to harmonize the bodies of the people present with the seasonal energy. Our pilgrimage took place for a day, a week before the second lockdown. I thus offered times of exploration with the trees and connection with the places, olfactory and sound baths (supported by the vibrations of the drum) and certain teachings that I received and that I was given the opportunity to transmit in turn on this occasion. I was extremely touched by the testimonies of the 9 participants who told me that they had discovered the forest in a new light thanks to this "walk in the 4 winds".

 

Could you recommend a plant to boost immunity?

 

Elderberry*, in the form of herbal tea, is the ideal flower to protect against colds, flu, sinusitis, or bronchitis. In addition, echinacea* (Echinacea purpurea) roots are a panacea. Allow one teaspoon of roots per 25 cl cup. Boil the roots gently for 2 minutes to avoid destroying their active ingredients. Turn off the heat and let them steep for about 10 minutes.

*You can get elderflower and echinacea root at any herbalist's.

 

What is your wild side?

 

The guardian of the Earth that I am (name of the Bordeaux women's choir of which I am a member), now invites those who feel called to come and listen to the song of the Forest, to awaken this wild part of their being which only asks to vibrate... through the pages of Druidéesse and on the occasion of "Balades aux 4 vents".

 

" If you don't go into the woods, nothing will ever happen, your life will never begin. Go into the woods, go. " Clarissa Pinkola Estès

Order the different volumes of Druidéesse at https://druideesse.fr/

 

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photographs by Olivier Cochard,