about me

the face behind
from garden to cauldron

Hello! My name is Irina. I’m a certified herbalist, a crafter of curious things, an amateur ethnographer, and an aspiring wise woman with a deep-rooted passion for the old ways.

Born in Ukraine, I spent many years in Russia before moving to the U.S., and along the way, I found myself drawn to the folk medicine and beliefs of both Slavic and Western cultures. These traditions, rich with superstition, healing, and mystery, became the heart of my studies.

As a young girl, I had the good fortune to meet a proper village wise woman. She could banish fright with a chicken egg, ease a toothache with a whisper, and generally make reality behave in ways that suggested it wasn’t quite as solid as we’d all been led to believe. That encounter planted a seed of curiosity in my mind—a seed that promptly sprouted into a lifelong fascination. Ever since, I’ve been gathering the wisdom of our ancestors—herbal remedies, spiritual practices, and the forgotten traditions that once shaped daily life.

I created From Garden to Cauldron as a convenient way to store my findings and share knowledge with those who might need it. Most of the information I pass along comes from old books (17th–20th centuries), ethnographic studies, scientific publications, encyclopedias (both old and modern), and botanical medicine books written by respected herbalists of past generations.