Water Medicine: Kingfisher, Yarrow and the Moon

Hi friends,

Our work is different because we don’t just make apparel; we share the stories, symbolism, and earth wisdom woven into every design. As we open the next chapter of Earth Medicine Apparel, I’m excited to start diving into one of the new designs in our Mountain Messengers Collection: the Kingfisher.

This bird has been showing up in my life in unmistakable ways…bright flashes of blue cutting across water, sudden appearances on river walks…and always with the feeling that it carries a message - at the very least, it commands my presence immediately. The Kingfisher lives between worlds: sky and water, movement and stillness, clarity and the mysterious depths beneath the surface. These experiences became the foundation for this design.

The artwork weaves together four moon phases, six kingfishers, two trios, and the plant ally Yarrow, an ancient medicine found across cultures worldwide. Every layer has a role:

• The number 3 (two trios of kingfishers) echoes creativity, communication, and the “third way”—the perspective shift that arrives when we pause and listen.

• The number 6 brings harmony, restoration, and reciprocity—a reminder to live in right relationship with the waters that sustain us.

• The number 4, represented by the moon phases, grounds everything in cycles, seasons, and the elemental rhythm of the natural world.

And the thread connecting it all?
Water.
The domain of the Kingfisher, the threshold spaces of yarrow. The realm of emotion, intuition, depth perception, and the ability to move cleanly through murky terrain with confidence. The 3-formed element governed by the moon as she waxes and wanes.

Yarrow enters as the botanical counterpart to the Kingfisher—an ancient boundary-setting plant that has been used for protection, healing, focus, and spiritual clarity in cultures around the world. Paired together, Yarrow and Kingfisher with the Moon cycles become a kind of medicine wheel for discernment: knowing when to take the plunge, when to hover, and when to strike with precision.

Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing deeper dives into:

• Kingfisher symbolism across cultures

• The moon cycle and why I chose these four phases

• Yarrow as an ancestral, global medicinal plant

• The numerology woven into the design

• And a behind-the-scenes look at how the art came together

Plus—a special newsletter-only presale for the Kingfisher and Magpie designs is coming soon, with a discount for early supporters before the public launch.

As always, thank you for traveling this creative path with me. The Kambo Collection will remain available in limited quantities as we transition into the first offerings of this new “Mountain Messengers” series. Your support helps me bring each new chapter to life.

More soon—

Your Support for Small Businesses this Holiday Gift-giving Season Matters!

We’re so grateful to call Longmont home—where nearly 80% of establishments are small businesses, shaping the creative and economic heart of the Front Range. And while convenience and low-cost options are sometimes our only choice, it’s also true that small businesses are one of the most impactful places you can spend a dollar. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, 68 cents of every dollar spent at a small business stays in the local economy, and each dollar can generate up to $0.48 in additional local spending as those businesses hire, source, and reinvest. Shopping small is a tangible way to strengthen your community and align your spending power with your values.

At Earth Medicine Apparel Co., your support fuels an ecosystem: organic cotton farmers, American manufacturing (only 3% of garments are made domestically today), artist-led print shops, and community-led impact campaigns directly impacting the lives of indigenous wisdom keepers and land stewards. When you choose small, your dollars don’t disappear into a corporate supply chain. They uplift real people, ethical production, and creative work infused with intention. So if you’re looking for gifts made with craft, care, and staying power this season, we’d be honored to be part of your journey—and encourage you to support the makers and dreamers in your local orbit too.

We have apparel that makes great gifts, made with love and care for your yogi or yogini, Ayahuasca-drinker, herbalist, Nature-lover, gymrat, backpacker, and ecstatic dancer in your life - maybe that’s you. I hope you’ll see us at some local pop-up events this Holiday Season! We’ll be vending shirts alongside many other incredible vendors in Lafayette and Denver.

Holiday Vending Events - 2 dates added!

• (Tomorrow!) Saturday, November 22nd - CSCH Annual Holiday Faire | 10-4:30 | Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism, 424 E. Simpson Lafayette, CO

• (New Design Drop!) Friday, November 28th - Black Friday Artisan Market | 10-3:00 | 8340 E 47th Ave Denver, CO

• Saturday, November 29th (Small Business Saturday) - Denver Bazaar at Bellview Station | 11-5 | 6791 E Chenango Ave, Denver, CO 80237

• Saturday, December 6th - Wings and Wonder | Denver Audobon Society Oen House | 9-3 | 11280 Waterton Rd., Littleton CO 80125 (register here)

• Saturday, December 13th - Highlands Bazaar | 10-4:30 | W 32nd Ave & Lowell Blvd, Denver, CO