Greetings, kind visitor!
I am Geanina, the heart and soul behind The Thyme Keeper!
Geography Teacher & Forager
I've spent the past two decades teaching geography, sharing my passion for the Earth's myriad landscapes, cultures, and natural wonders with students aged 11 to 18.
Beyond the classroom, in my spare moments, you'll often find me wandering the quiet paths of the countryside, observing and studying plants and trees. My love for the countryside runs deep, rooted in childhood memories. It's where I feel most at home, surrounded by the simple pleasures of life and the timeless rhythms of the earth.
Living Historian
Exploring the history of herbal remedies is like embarking on a journey through time, tracing the evolution of healing practices and the human quest for wellness.
I’m particularly fascinated with the 16th-17th century stillrooms, wherein the air was thick with the heady scents of roses, herbs, and spices and the maids and gentlewomen used skills and recipes passed on from one generation to the next. In these stillrooms, medicines for the household were brewed, herbs were meticulously dried, cosmetics were artfully crafted, aromatic waters were distilled, and foods were preserved with great care.
During the balmy days of summer or upon the approach of Michaelmas in September you may find me garbed in Tudor costume in the stillroom at
Kentwell Hall in Suffolk. There, before the eyes of curious onlookers, I distill herbs and resurrect old remedies.
Astrologer
My journey into the celestial realm of astrology commenced in the 1990s, when at the age of 15, I discovered an astrology tome in a quaint library in a Moldovan town in eastern Romania. Captivated, I transcribed an entire notebook's worth of notes, igniting a lifelong curiosity.
Astrology, to me, is a beacon of self-discovery, guidance, and growth, revealing the intricate patterns and rhythms that shape our lives. Whether you seek insights into love, career, health, or wealth, I offer personalized astrology readings and consultations, meticulously tailored to your unique birth chart and personal aspirations.
Thank Thee for Visiting!
My Rural Heritage
A Love For Land and Nature
My grandparents on both sides of the family were farmers, deeply rooted in village life. Growing up in the 80s and 90s, straddling the collapse of the USSR, I experienced firsthand the hardships of country living, where self-sufficiency was not just a skill but a necessity. The most modern convenience we had was electricity.
There were no indoor taps, toilets, or heaters, instead, there was water to be fetched from the well with a bucket, fires to be kindled every day and food to be cooked on a wood-burning stove.
There were many animals to tend to from dawn to dusk: cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, ducks, geese, and even a horse for a while.
And then there was the farmland - it needed relentless attention! Whole days were spent in the fields with my grandparents and aunties, harvesting potatoes, filling sacks with wheat grains, or weeding the cornfields.
My mum and her 5th-grade classmates, harvesting onions. Practical agricultural work was part of the school curriculum.
Wanted a nice dress or a takeaway meal? Well, you couldn't simply rush to a store as such places were available only in towns and cities.
Villagers crafted cloth from flax or hemp fibers, transforming them into smocks or skirts adorned with exquisite embroideries. They fashioned thick coats and hats from sheepskin, resilient against the harsh Siberian winds and winter blizzards. Every item was meticulously hand-crafted at home.
Cool rooms in each house stored a bounty of pickles, homemade cheeses, smoked meats, and sausages, as refrigerators were unheard of.
People were familiar with most plants growing around, including us, the kids. We knew which ones were poisonous and which ones we could eat. We snacked on sweet acacia flowers or mallow nutlets and we knew to squeeze the yellow juice of greater celendine onto warts.
Though village life was arduous, my happiest moments were always those spent close to the land, the rivers, the trees, and the meadows. Today, many years later, I still find my peace and joy in the tranquility of the forests, gathering wild foods and herbs, cooking outdoors by the fire, and gazing at the starry night sky.
My grandmother Maria (on the right) and her sister in the 1950s.
All their clothes were handmade.
