Welcome to my virtual hearth here at Dancing with the Wild.
I am Tonja Reichley.
I am a tender of hearths. I tend to the hearth of my home in Kinvara Ireland where I welcome pilgrims and hold sacred space for guests. I tend the hearth of community, of the Earth, of the Cailleach, who guides my way on. I tend to the hearth of my ancestor’s, the nameless ones who through the mists of time have created herbal remedies, as do I. I tend to the hearth of the wise woman, the bean feasa, the hag, the crone, the witch, those who ever seek, as do I, to live outside of dominant culture with values of sovereignty, simplicity and participation. I tend to the hearth of storytelling, sharing the myths of my heritage through lived experience and story, keeping them vibrant and relevant and ever new.
I am a student and teacher of herbal remedies and of the Irish Wisdom Tradition, as I have been for over 20 years. My legacy to these learnings includes my Way of Brighid Oracle Cards, honoring Irish goddess and saint Brighid, my book Wild Irish Roots: A Seasonal Guidebook of Herbs, Ritual and Connection. My latest culmination project, released November 2022, is The Way of the Wild, An Oracle Experience into the Irish Wisdom Tradition.
My teachers and my lineage, from this side of the veil and the other, include Gina McGarry, Rosemary Gladstar, Mara Freeman, WB Yeats and Lady Augusta Gregory and teachers from the Rocky Mountain Center of Botanical Studies where I graduated from in 2000. I walk the ways of the Druid, the priestess, the witch and the herbalist.
The places that nourish my spirit include the wild edges: deep forests, holy wells, cliffsides, seashores, hedgerows and the Beara Peninsula. I dedicate my work to Sacred Warrioresses Brighid of Kildare, Maeve, Goddess of Sovereignty, Sheela na gig, the Morrigan and the Cailleach.
Thank you for finding the spiraling paths to my hearth. May your journey be blessed.
An hour intake with Tonja followed by a customized blend of remedies (likely a tea, aromatherapy or other personalized potion) to support your healing and spiritual journey. Sliding scale $75- $150. Please contact Tonja directly at tonjareichley@gmail.com for more information and to schedule.
Land Acknowledgement
When I lived in Denver Colorado I inhabited the unceded ancestral lands of the Cheyenne, Ute and Araphaho people.
In Ireland I live on my ancestral land, whose ancient and still-used place name is Gortshambo. For hundreds of years this land was colonized by Britain, who suppressed native language, culture and spirituality. Just as my ancestors did when they became settler colonizers on the ancestral lands of Turtle Island, known today as the United States of America.
Pledge of Participation to Dismantle White Supremacy:
I will discuss tools to dismantle White supremacy, the patriarchy and capitalism in each of my classes, every class. It will be woven into all of my work.
I will listen and center Black, Indigenous and People of Color voices.
I will ever endeavor to create an inclusive space for transpeople and non-binary genders, open to learn and grow together.
I will do deeper work around my own heritage, lineage and my roots, both for myself and for my communities.
I will honor and tend to the land I am on and the indigenous people of that land. I will learn their history.
I will offer non-needs based scholarships to BIPOC for all of my classes/ offerings.
I will support local BIPOC and LGBTQIA-owned businesses, giving directly to the individuals whenever possible.
I will offer reparations in the form of scholarships, donations and volunteer hours.
I will nourish and tend, by offering herbs and holistic remedies and be part of a mutual aid community.
I will educate myself every day. I will make mistakes. I will do better.
I will not be silent and will do my part to end White silence and dismantle White Supremacy.
I will write spells and share rituals to dismantle White supremacy, the patriarchy and capitalism.
I will focus on what I love and what I hope for. I will radically imagine the future I believe in, for justice for all. I will live from a well-spring of joy and hope.
