🎧 Lichun 立春 and bitters
Lichun signifies the beginning of spring 立春 and following a specific diet and lifestyle rituals to take in renewal supporting health and balance - Learn how you too can add 立春 for a happier gut.
This week we are exploring Lichun, what that has to do with digestive bitters, the best digestive bitters and the difference between digestive and aromatic bitters. For my upgraded members, scroll down to your audio [🎧👇]for this week’s post. And, now, on to this week’s adventure.
Spending time in Madison, I kept passing by this little wooden home on a hilltop and of course the adventurous curiosity got the best of me. I drove up the grassy lane ever so gently thinking of how awful this must have been in a horse and buggy. It was a cold and blustery day, but no amount of spring’s chill could stop me.
In my mind's eye, I conjured images of a bygone era, where a family, warmed by the hearth, might have emerged to greet a neighbor in the afterglow of Sunday service. This dwelling, known as the Jordon Cabin property, bore witness to eras long past, its weathered facade holding tales untold within its humble walls.
This tiny home’s front and back door were locked, darn it! As I peered through the aged glass panes, I glimpsed a solitary room with a fireplace casting shadows upon the timeworn floor. My gaze then wandered to a window revealing a winding stair in the corner ascending to the attic, shrouded in mystery and whispers of generations past.
I sat a while and settled in to the whispering wind hoping it would share the secrets of its past. No one knows for sure when the home was built. Town gossip has it dating back to the 1700’s. Through the annals of time, it has cradled numerous families within its modest embrace, a testament to resilience and familial bonds that transcended the passage of years.
As I was reading through the history of this simple log home overlooking the thriving tobacco town of Madison, I realised, where is the bathroom? The kitchen? Or running water for that matter.
It struck me with a sense of wonder and gratitude, pondering how large families and generations had once thrived within these walls, without the comforts we often take for granted in the present day. The warming thought, looking back upon the past suddenly had me feeling grateful for the moderns of today.
Madison Historic District and Properties Commission acquired the cabin in 1998 and have worked diligently to restore the property to its mid l9th century condition. The property is located at 211 East Decatur Street, Madison North Carolina.
Lichun 立春
Lichun, marking the “beginning of spring”, 立春 (pronounced lee chunn) in East Asian cultures, holds significant importance. In China, it heralds the transition towards the vibrant yang energy of spring, prompting adherence to specific dietary and lifestyle rituals conducive to rejuvenation and balance. Amidst anticipation for spring's bounty, commercial detox programs and supplements are notably absent - a refreshing departure, wouldn't you agree?
In the Chinese lunisolar calendar, Lichun denotes the commencement of the spring solar period, its timing varying annually based on the sun and moon's movements. Though typically observed in April, this year, festivities grace February. Detailed insights can be found in the China Travel Guide.
Embedded within each Chinese calendar year are unique features: zodiac signs, 12 or 13 months, with 29 or 30 days each, resulting in leap months and lunar years. Centuries of tradition have seen China celebrate Lichun, embracing its essence of renewal and optimism. Embarking on a season of rejuvenation, people sow seeds, observe nature's cues, and offer blessings for [🎧👇]