in today's episode, we review fibershed: growing a movement of farmers, fashion activists, and makers for a new textile economy by rebecca burgess. while ash has been embedded in fibreshed advocacy, economy, and practices for the better part of a decade now, this book is a seminal read no matter where you might self-identify on the “fashion as daily life priority” spectrum. with its soil-to-skin-to-soil values and methods, fibershed makes the argument for and outlines the ways through which we can move forward as the current fashion industry collapses in on itself and humans continue to need to wear clothes. through hard data and important stories, burgess lays out the path for re-investing in our local land-based textile economies in creative, sustainable, and financially viable ways.

in today's episode of snort & cackle, we review to dye for: how toxic fashion is making us sick - and how we can fight back by investigative journalist, alden wicker. the tl;dr: of this book is that everyone needs to read this book! truly, it is one of the most compelling, terrifying, and action-inspiring books about the fashion industry i have read in a long time. no matter whether you make all your own clothes, buy all your clothes, or fall somewhere in between the two extremes, i am confident you will walk away from this book making different decisions when it comes to your clothing.

welcome back, sweet peas! snort & cackle is back in your podcast feed with a special season dedicated to natural dyes, slow fashion, and some of the very nerdy research ash has been conducting lately. consider this season an extended version of the #snortandcacklebookclub (you're welcome). be sure to subscribe to the show so you don't miss an episode.

hello, sweet peas, we’re back with a special update episode! ash's latest book, sanctuary, is about to open up for pre-orders and we need your help to get it to print! you can support the indiegogo crowdfunding campaign (and pre-order your book) between may 1-31, 2023 at igg.me/at/sanctuary-book and find out more at ashalberg.com/sanctuary.

surprise, sweet peas, we’re back with a special one-off episode! our host ash is joined by cassandra snow and siri vincent plouff to talk about their upcoming book, lessons from the empress: a tarot workbook for self-care and creative growth, being released on october 1 through weiser books. the discussion covers everything from gender and relationships with masculinity and femininity as non-binary bodies, creative practices for all, favourite tarot cards, and more.

snort & cackle season 4 comes to an end this week with our seasonal book club book review. this season we read babaylan sing back: philippine shamans and voice, gender, and place by grace nono. and with that, we are officially on an indefinite hiatus! if you love snort & cackle and want to hear more, you can support future seasons here. you can rebinge your favourite episodes in your podcast feed and subscribe so you don't miss any special one-off episodes and/or future seasons (we do have some sitting in the pipeline...).

we’re nearing the end of season 4, and our host ash alberg is here to share all about their current biggest creative baby (other than the pod) - their latest book, sanctuary, and all the inspiration and work that are going into it! this isn’t their first book rodeo, but with so many changes in the printing world as well as the differences in their own life and their dear one/photographer samson’s life from their first book together in 2016 to their fourth book now, they’ve had to get even more creative. that’s where the sanctuary hub (the newest addition to the creative coven community) comes in, and you can join in the fun now! we’ve got a special edition live round of the creative coven challenge kicking off next week for hub members, and you can join by visiting ashalberg.com/sanctuary. also keep an eye this week on ash’s main instagram account @sunflowerknit for ig lives with some of your favourite past podcast guests!

our guest for episode 11 is sarah corbett! sarah is a clinical herbalist, non-diet nutritionist, and traditional astrologer who is passionate about helping others come into relationship with the natural world. she is the founder of rowan + sage, where she shares handcrafted astrologically-aligned herbal products, works with clients in her clinical practice, and guides others on their plant path through educational programs and mentorship. sarah’s work weaves together the old ways with the new to create powerful, evidence-based offerings that bring forth ancestral herbal wisdom with a touch of magic and mysticism.you can find her online at rowanandsage.com and on instagram @rowanandsage.

happy litha, sweet peas! in honour of the summer solstice here in the north, this week's episode is all about plants. we can learn so much from them when we pay attention, and in particular this episode we talk about what they teach us about true abundance. 

our guest for episode 9 is christine blystone! christine is the creator and founder of velvetback, where her work as a writer, artist, designer, and maker helps people connect with plants and make meaning with their magic. her product line includes plant poetry oracle cards, botanical-infused bath salts, and natural incense cones. she’s currently writing her debut novel, "magic flowers." you can find her online at velvetback.com and on instagram @_velvetback_. click here for a beautiful pdf download from christine with a recipe and journal prompts and 20% off coupon for her shop!

our guest for episode 8 is brianna punsalang! brianna is co-owner of coyote supply co, a qbipoc owned zero waste witch store in reno, nevada. you can find them online at coyotesupplyco.com and on instagram and tiktok @coyotesupplyco.

our guest for episode 7 is zoe frost! zoe runs junebug and darlin, a portland-based cross stitch kit and craft company known for their subversive patterns that use words and phrases to convey progressive and inclusive messaging. they sell cross stitch kits that are 100% handmade and provide all of the supplies needed for people to create a finished cross stitch from first stitch to frame. you can find zoe online at junebuganddarlin.com and on instagram @junebuganddarlin.

our guest for episode 6 is maria vashakidze! maria is the owner and formulator of seagrape apothecary, a magical shop and community with the mission to turn self-care into a love affair! you can find them online at seagrapeapothecary.com and on instagram, facebook, and tiktok @seagrapeapothecary.

our guest for episode 5 is melissa nelson! melissa is the owner of starlight knitting society. she's also a resting labor doula, mom of teens, and friend to all. you can find her online at starlightknittingsociety.com and on instagram @starlightknittingsociety.

we have a fun giveaway for today's episode! our guest for episode 4 is henny verhouven! henny is a queer settler multimedia artist working with natural dyes, felting, tattooing, sewing and drawing with a bfa in fashion and textiles from nscad university. they are currently working and living out of pender island, bc. you can find them online at twiglings.ca, on instagram @twiglingss, and on facebook @twiglings. henny is generously donating 3 each of their screenprinted patches printed on silks, satins and cotton of their designs “sew-er of the woods” and “lantern whale." to enter, leave a comment under this episode's graphic on instagram @snortandcackle telling us where you'd put your patch.

our guest for episode 3 is liz migliorelli! liz is a herbalist, animist and educator. she has a clinical herbal practice, tends a medicinal garden and crafts flower essences under the name sister spinster. she really loves flowers. liz teaches classes on plant medicine, ancestral remembrance, folk magic, hearth culture and storytelling. you can find her online at sisterspinster.net and on instagram @sister_spinster.

our guest for episode 2 is lourdes still! lourdes is the creative behind masagana flower farm & studio, a small-scale flower farm, dye studio and new tourism destination near la broquerie, manitoba. in this immigrant, filipina-lead small business, lourdes places her priority on sustainable growing practices. she grows seasonal blooms, dye plants and makes hand made, small batch naturally dyed textile goods. she grows crops without synthetic fertilizers in garden beds where lawns previously existed. she advocates for an eco-conscious lifestyle and inspires others to re-imagine their greenspaces. she believes that growing joy (through flowers) and creating magic (through dye plants) is right at our fingertips and our gardens present opportunities to respond positively to the climate emergency. you can find her online at masaganaflowerfarm.com and on instagram @masaganaflowerfarm.

we’ve made it to season 4 of snort & cackle! in our opening episode, host ash alberg celebrates the start of growing season (semi-theoretically, considering this year’s weather) and talks about the role that herbalism and natural dyeing play in their life. learn about your own local colour palette with natural dyeing 101!

it’s a special episode dropping into the podcast feed today - consider it a "state of the union" or a check-in about where we are. and where we are needs your help 🎙⁠

it's the end of season 3 and time for the #snortandcacklebookclub book review! this season's book was "brujas: the magic and power of witches of color" by lorraine monteagut.