Le Cercle de l'Ombelle · Moon 11 out of 12
November — The earth
Autumn · 8 references pickeds this moon · lifting the rhizomes
First movement
The harvest
The essentials at a glance
The earth · Autumn
8 references pickeds this moon, of which 1 contain caffeine.
Lifting the rhizomes.
November is the underground moon. The vegetation has withdrawn, the leaves have fallen, the sap has descended into the roots: this is the precise moment to lift them, swollen with everything the plant has stored there to see out the winter. Ginger is dug up eight to ten months after planting, when its foliage yellows and lies down; in the tropics, the cacao tree yields its last pods of the year, whose beans will be fermented and then dried. Rosehips, for their part, are still gathered, until the first snows. This is the moon of depth, when the herbalist no longer looks at the branches but searches the soil. Nothing grows outdoors any more; everything has gathered in what sleeps beneath the ground. November rewards the effort of digging with plump, fragrant rhizomes, warm to the taste as if to make up for the settling cold. A dark, rich moon, all roots and reserves.
“On Saint Catherine's Day, all wood takes root”: November is the month for planting, under a descending moon say the almanacs, when the plant's energy returns to the soil. Underground, everything is at work, roots and rhizomes, tropical ginger and turmeric included, lifted when the foliage turns yellow. Life has not stopped: it has simply moved to another floor.
Second movement
The moon lesson
This moon harvests 3 plants ; here are their botanical profiles and their rituals.
Ginger
Zingiber officinale · Zingiberaceae
Ginger is neither a root nor a bulb but a rhizome: an underground stem, swollen and knotty, that runs beneath the soil. A tropical plant of the Zingiberaceae family, cultivated in Asia since the most distant antiquity, it was one of the first Eastern spices to travel to Europe. It is harvested eight to ten months after planting, when the foliage yellows and lies down, a sign that the rhizome has finished filling out. Fresh, it is lively, juicy and pungent; dried and ground, it becomes warmer, rounder, deeper. As an infusion, it gives an ardent, fragrant cup whose spiced warmth heats winter blends. It is the spice of character of the underground moon, the one that sets November's cups alight, in good measure.
Cacao tree
Theobroma cacao · Malvaceae
The cacao tree is a tree of the tropical rainforest, of the Malvaceae family, to which Linnaeus gave the scientific name Theobroma: literally, the food of the gods. Native to Central America, revered by the Maya and the Aztecs, who made a sacred drink from it, it bears fruit only in the shade of tall trees. Its pods, heavy fruits growing straight from the trunk, are harvested by hand; the beans are extracted and left to ferment for several days before being dried in the sun. This fermentation is decisive: it is what develops the aromas of the future chocolate. Crushed into nibs, the beans scent the infusion with a chocolatey, roasted note, deep and sugar-free, a taste of pure cacao that brings indulgence to the dark blends of the year's end.
Rosehip
Rosa canina · Rosaceae
In November, the rosehip is finally ready. October's frosts have done their work: the false fruit of the dog rose, hard and sour in early autumn, has softened and its sugars have concentrated. It is then gathered along hedgerows and paths, sometimes until the first snows, on bare branches where it is often the only spot of colour. Preparing it takes patience: it must be split and cleared of its seeds and their itchy hairs, the famous itching powder, before being dried slowly. Once dried, it keeps all winter without losing anything. As an infusion, it gives a warm red cup, tangy and fruity, reminiscent of apple and ripe plum.
Third movement
Tasting at home
The Moon Basket of November
Ginger
Gingembre en Morceaux Bio
100°C · 5-10 min · 13-18 g/L
Pure ginger, from organic farming, in generous pieces that retain all their strength. Dry, the aroma is already lively, lemony and peppery; the infusion releases a golden yellow liquor with a frank, warming bite that builds gradually without harshness and stretches into a zesty finish. It is the after-dinner cup for bold palates, the base for alcohol-free toddies with lemon and honey, and an all-purpose kitchen ingredient. Naturally caffeine-free, to be measured according to your courage.
Ayurvéda Vata Gingembre Réglisse Bio
100°C · 5-10 min · 13-18 g/L
An Ayurvedic grounding recipe: ginger pieces lead, powerful liquorice answers, and anise, cinnamon and coriander complete the circle. The dry blend, ochre and rooty, smells of a fine grocer's; the golden liquor sets the rounded warmth of ginger against the deep sweetness of liquorice, with coriander adding lemony notes in the background. Naturally caffeine-free, it is the after-dinner cup that sets you right again.
⚠ Precautions: Contient de la réglisse. Déconseillé en cas d'hypertension artérielle, de maladie rénale ou cardiaque, et pendant la grossesse. Éviter une consommation élevée ou prolongée.
Cacao tree
Menthe Chocolat Fondante Bio
100°C · 5-10 min · 12-15 g/L
Crushed cocoa beans, mint and peppermint: this organic sweet and gourmand infusion recreates the pairing of mint chocolate, supported by apple, turmeric, cinnamon and liquorice. The dry blend smells like a chocolate shop on a day of fresh mint; the mahogany-brown liquor unfolds roasted cocoa, almost brownie-like, instantly crossed by a minty shiver, with liquorice as a natural sweetener and turmeric adding roundness underneath. Naturally caffeine-free and with no added sugar, it is the liquid dessert of sensible evenings: indulgence in a cup, without the bill.
⚠ Precautions: Contient de la réglisse. Déconseillé en cas d'hypertension artérielle, de maladie rénale ou cardiaque, et pendant la grossesse. Éviter une consommation élevée ou prolongée.
Chai Ayurvédique Gingembre Bio
100°C · 5-10 min · 12-15 g/L
A traditional chai: ginger, cinnamon, star anise and cardamom over a touch of second flush Darjeeling, with cacao bean roasting the base, guarana invigorating and chilli barely warming. The dry blend, ochre and starred, smells of a spice stall; the copper liquor unfolds clean ginger, starry anise, roasted cacao and a light muscat note of Darjeeling in the background. Caffeinated and invigorating, it is the chai for days full of drive.
⚠ Precautions: Riche en caféine (plusieurs sources : maté, guarana, matcha, thé). À consommer avec modération, de préférence pas en soirée. Déconseillé aux enfants, aux femmes enceintes ou allaitantes et aux personnes sensibles à la caféine.
Rosehip
Épices à Vin Chaud Tradition Bio
100°C · 10-12 min · 15-20 g/L
Rosehip, orange peel, cinnamon sticks and clove: this organic mulled wine spice blend sticks to the traditional recipe, with nothing superfluous. A few spoonfuls in simmering red wine, apple or grape juice, ten minutes of patience, and the scent of December chalets fills the kitchen. Infused on its own in water, it also makes a fruity, spiced herbal infusion of lovely roundness, made tangy by the rosehip. Caffeine-free, it is the essential companion of the festive season, and of evenings that wish to resemble it.
Kundalini Gingembre Verveine Bio
100°C · 10-12 min · 15-20 g/L
Ginger and verbena lead this singular organic herbal infusion, in which beetroot, rosehip, moringa leaves, lemon balm, quince and liquorice weave a complex base. The colourful dry blend smells of zest and fresh root; the rosy liquor surprises: the bite of ginger, channelled by the floral lemon of verbena and lemon balm, softens on the sweetness of beetroot and quince, with moringa adding its green note. Caffeine-free, structured and original, it is an end-of-day cup full of depth.
⚠ Precautions: Contient de la réglisse. Déconseillé en cas d'hypertension artérielle, de maladie rénale ou cardiaque, et pendant la grossesse. Éviter une consommation élevée ou prolongée. Contient du millepertuis. Le millepertuis peut diminuer l'efficacité de nombreux médicaments, notamment les contraceptifs oraux, les antidépresseurs, les anticoagulants et certains traitements, et augmenter la sensibilité au soleil. À ne pas consommer en cas de traitement médicamenteux sans l'avis d'un médecin ou d'un pharmacien. Déconseillé pendant la grossesse et l'allaitement.
A source of pleasure, not a medicine. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, undergoing medical treatment or have a medical condition, seek the advice of a healthcare professional.
The moon's ephemeral
A limited series, available for the duration of the harvest of november. When the moon passes, the ephemeral goes with it.
The Twelve Moons subscription
Every moon, twelve times a year, the harvest basket arrives at your door: 6 references, two per type, making 72 references over the year, the story of the picking and the ritual.
Subscribe to the Twelve MoonsFourth movement
All the moon harvests
The other references picked this moon, to record in your tasting notebook.
Épices Indiennes du Kerala Bio
Surya Soleil d'Épices Bio