Filled to the Brim

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The Women's Herbal Conference is kind of like eating a humongous feast after starving. And after three days of it you are so full that you just check out for a while. I've been in a daze all day, happy, stuffed, and of course wondering how I can change the world.

Returning to reality with new perspectives is wonderful - an agent of change - but also very hard. At least for me. Returning to the guzzling cars and obnoxious facades that people wear is hardening to the spirit and saddening to my body of hope. Retreating and being slow on this beautiful August day, tinkering through the Lemon balm and Rue, is exactly what I need before embarking on the new year.

One of the most remarkable things about the WHC is the fact that my Mom and I go together. I think this was our fifth time. It's truly a blessing to strengthen our bond and to carry the lineage of herbal wisdom. Not to mention - we have a blast. Next year, we will be a clan of three generations, when my daughter joins us for the adventure!

Of the nine workshops I took, I realized that only two of them were herbal. Ha! But hey - a good herbalist is an empowered one, right? Yeah! Plus, in previous years I have taken many of the herb classes already. So I took the really juicy ones from my most favorite teachers.

I took two with the incredible, transformational ALisa Starkweather, on 'Becoming Butterfly Woman' and 'Feeding the Fire to Move Mountains'. YES they are as powerful as they sound and incredibly meaningful. GO to any of her workshops if you ever have the chance.

Susan Grimaldi, Shaman and Native Elder, taught a class on Trance-Dancing (where I had the honor of merging with frog) and a beautiful class on The art of seduction - which was very deep and reverent (not a come hither class) and included a shamanic journey where we created our true vision of ecstatic union. Absolutely empowering and luscious. And applicable!

I also shook and shimmied myself sore in two classes with Ann Marie Licari {I can't find a website for her, sorry! She's out of Vermont} who totally rocks. I'm usually disappointed when I go to a belly dancing class because I just can't seem to find the range of motion I need for it. But I think I got some good basics of it down and my wag started to look a bit more sparkly. Yay for me! I might be able to belly dance after all! I can't wait until I can ripple my stomach like a deep see jellyfish. ooohhhhhh.

Now the Mead Making Workshop given by Desiree Cohen was really a hoot. The mead's just seemed to keep coming around ... blueberry, rose petal, dandelion, pear, cranberry wine, and anything after that I can't remember! I know there was a lot of laughing, ye-hawing about Cowboys, (which turned out to be carboys but you see Desiree has a Boston accent) and long syphoning contraptions with delicious liquid flowing from it. It's a really good thing the class came with a detailed instruction booklet. Now I just need to check my hive again to see if the honey flow is ready!

And what two herbal medicine classes did I take, you ask? Ahhhh, yes.

Well, one was a tincture making class with Jill Frink Thompson (scroll down) who now practices out of Vermont not Asheville - and I loved her class. It cleared up a few simple things that I had been confused on. Jill is an exceptional teacher - articulate, high spirited, relaxed and down to earth, ready with fantastic knowledge and understanding of plants and people. I will definitely take more classes with her in the future. (And Jill if you happen upon this blog - let me know how I can update your web link! XO)

And I ended it with a BANG - a Triple Goddess Herbs class with the One, the Only, the Green Goddess herself, Susun Weed. My favorite Teacher of all, full of sharp insight, hilarious animation, deep rooted wisdom, and thorough, rich, applicable herbal knowledge. She starts and ends her classes in a chant which we all participate in joyfully, a tradition I'm thinking about taking on for my own classes. We learned about Cronewort, Motherwort, and Maidenwort, and about ourselves at the same time. These are three plants I love and use regularly, so it was nice to go deeper into them. And I got to thank her in person for her empowering work, and I got to slather her gorgeous Maidenwort oil (chickweed; Stellaria Media) oil all over my hands, which has to be the most erotic, slippery oil I've ever tried. Ohhh, yes, waiting for the fall flush of fresh Chickweed to arrive ..... pounce!

I also got to acknowledge some of my other favorite teachers .... like Kate Gilday, Tina Marie Wilcox, Rosemary Gladstar, Rocio Alarcon, and the Omnipotent Mz. Imani.

Now ...... given I can get over my grimacing reactions to biblical references, topics, or vocabulary, I need to go and Read the RED TENT. But really ..... I need to START A RED TENT.

Anyone else???????

Decanting magic

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Blog Party ~ Harvesting for winter

Yesterday and today I've been going through my jars of tinctures that have not yet been strained. I have a lot of tinctures that I put up, and then just left ......... decanting them now means they will have extracted for thirteen moons :). I missed quite a bit of harvesting this year. The St. Johnswort was scarce, and mugwort, yarrow, and Goldenrod I have in plenty.

The little jar in the photo that is empty, was filled with wild oregano and vodka. It grows in abundance around my home. I made it to stave off colds and viruses. I expected it to be very hot and spicy, like the fresh plant tastes, but to my surprise, it's exquisitely sweet! Very much like my Red Bee Balm (Monarda Didyma) in fact. I can see clearly how herbalists would liken them to each other. The tincture is so lovely to take, and carries a gentle yet determined medicine; opening the throat and relieving start up congestion. I could also see it being helpful for an earache.

I strained two quarts of beautiful crystal green Yarrow blossom tincture. In the past I have often put the yarrow and alcohol into the blender, yielding a potent, cloudy green-brown tincture. This time I had carefully cut all the blossoms and little leaflets off of the stalk and tinctured them whole. I am curious if it carries any difference. It *feels* like fairy tincture. This is a medicine my whole family uses quite often. It's my daughters main herbal ally - she uses it for cooling and toning herself down (she is your classic Pitta-Kapha) especially in the Spring season. She gets flooding nosebleeds, stomach fermentation, and hot feet. If she can't throw herself into cool water to swim, Yarrow does the trick. We also use it for colds, flu, sore throats, and muscle injury, and topically for wounds if needed. Susun Weed recommends a spray to repel mosquitos, which I have tried somewhat but can't vouch entirely because I can't resist adding other ingredients - so I don't really know which one is working.

Mugwort tincture was even older - I found a tincture I made two years ago! Sheesh! That got strained too. I love this Artemisia for right before my Moonflow, when my womb swells with pressure and tension. It warms and releases muscle tension in the uterus, while toning the blood and digestion. Not to mention it's lunar energy helps! A mugwort pillow helps to deepen already potent dreamtime during menses - but be sure to ask the plant for guidance or she may just get into mischief!

And a big beautiful quart of pinky-hued red clover blossom tinctured in brandy. Yum! We love this for it's life nourishing properties and for keeping the libido healthy. I recommend the nourishing infusions on a regular basis - but the tincture has it's merit too. It's lovely when I am feeling too masculine - and the world is wearing me down. It reminds me that *soft* is strong, and seems to beautifully restore my resilient nature and femininity. Not to mention that red Clover is a bosom buddy .... a superb breast tonic. I love the entry on Red Clover in my beloved book: Herbal Rituals by Judith Berger .

Last but not least, Wormwood tincture. This is a valuable staple for us, if anyone has terrible stomach pains or indigestion, 4-5 drops of tincture does the trick. Great for long car rides. I also use it as part of a lyme protocol, as an anti parasitic and alterative, again at a very low dose, about 3-4 drops 2-3x a day. It seems also to help keep joints cool, taking down low grade swelling or aches. And I wouldn't be surprised if she helps with fertility - she seeds and sows prolifically! I had one plant last year - and thirty this year! A bundle of this luminous plant, makes a lovely silver wand for the mantle or altar. Athena would be proud.

Echinacea ~ post #2

type='html'> Fall has begun dressing herself for the season. The golden plumes lay heavy on high heels and long green legs. The Russian olives dangle like earrings. The leaves are showing off their streaks of green/gold, green/yellow.... green/red, as if the wind came by overnight with a hairdressers bag and made-over the trees that lined up for her along the road. The sun is comforting and warm by day, and the moonlight cool at night, conducting the orchestra of insects and the dance of the winds and tides.
The harvests are here, peaking with all her splendor; tomatoes, lemon balm, basil, parsley, and so many more, satisfying our hunger for abundance and beauty. Yet once it is all picked - it starts to wane. The last of the good weather, the last of the longer days, the last of the garden fresh vegetables. The herbs dry and get packed away into jars or various preserving liquids until the annual viruses knock. Reaping also means sacrifice. It reminds me that whatever I collect must be properly stored and cherished. I am grateful for the intellectual harvests of the last year, which I have internalized deeply in order to pick from it what I need when I need it. I am grateful for my emotional harvests, the lessons I've learned and the friends I have gained. For my healthy, happy family. I'm grateful for my herb harvest, albeit smaller this year than previous, what I didn't harvest is what flourishes strong in my garden only to grow heartily on into next year.
And I let go.
Things are changing for me. And although they are changes I have requested, it is still a change. Which means letting go of old expectations, habits, patterns, and allowing new ones to thrive. But when those old patterns show up - expecting to be obeyed - it's only human nature that I react with a sense of grief. Saying goodbye to ways that once brought immense joy, self-actualization, and success, is hard. In the moment it's hard to remember that good things are on the horizon and will serve me well. Changing relationship to career, work patterns, and most poignantly my self-identity has struck a chord of mourning in me.

So as I lay, sobbing uncontrollably in the middle of a sleepless night, I sob deeply into the roots of my Echinacea plant. She called me into the garden from my dark porch step, asking that I shed my tears into her lap and let it all out, into the soil, into the arms of Mother Earth and daughter of the stars. And so I did, my back to the cool night air and my face cradled by the large green leaves. Her flowers are so tall, I felt completely protected. She seemed to drink in my wretched potion of feeling like a fertilizer.
I think about mourning, how it really means "to remember". I give thanks for the good things I remember from before. And I remember my new goals, new wishes, and new ways.

In the morning, my throat hurt terribly. I knew I was coming down with a cold. So I collected some roots and leaves from her and have been drinking the infusion of it throughout the day, along with some other cold fall allies, Osha (which I use rarely - but I could use some bear energy right now), ginger root, and licorice root. And I am taking my lovely oregano tincture. I don't think my cold will last more than a few days ...... if I take care enough to grieve properly and allow change. It is annually a hard time for me anyway, as I vehemently despise winter and become resentful that I have to suffer through so many weeks of cold weather before my green friends and warm sun return.

And so, I feel Echinacea is a tremendous ally for grief. Personal identity crisis, and seasonal adaptability.

Blessed be.

Nuptial Flight

type='html'>Beauty the Herbal Way .......

This week I've been a busy bee, making very special gifts for my Niece and her Bridal Party. These have to have the best of the best ingredients ... and ones that will please any woman since I don't know any of the ladies there (she lives far away). So, here's what I've done. A very seductive "Lakshme Bath Crystals", with Rose petal powder to give it a pink hue. It smells amazing, my infamous Cocoa-spice blend that makes you smell like a mug of Chai. Plus, it's great for both sexes .... so go on! Preserve water - bathe together! (now, I may have to go back and re-do these labels. Most people spell Lakshme with an "i".... we'll see.)

The little vials are my all-time favorite perfume blend. Simple, yet complex and utterly perfect, it's Turkish Rose Otto and Indian dark patchouli. There's nothing like it in the world I'm convinced. So the bride and all her ladies should have some.

What's a lifetime ahead of luscious smooching without a Ruby pout? So of course I had to make up a special batch of my Crushed Rubies Lip and Cheek Glow - which I've been making for near ten years now and it's still a classic must have. I think I have one in every room and every bag, it's just yummy stuff.

Then there's the beauty cream, a French Lavender recipe with extra cocoa butter of the unrefined kind. Soothing and feminine.

The Bride gets extras. She gets the bigger size of the perfume and bath salts, and she also gets a beautiful body oil and a Nuptial Flight Sacred Yoni Balm. Happy Honey Moon :)
I took special joy in this order, since it's my most favorite to make the really sensual, seductive herbals, but also because of the nature of the order I could opt-out of writing ANYthing on the label other than the name and a pretty picture. This alone makes the product look way more elegant. The struggle of forcing an ingredient list much less business info or user instructions/disclaimer stuff onto little bitty labels from a stone age computer program is NO FUN. So I like these prettier, more mysterious labels. They all know I spare no expense on ingredients - natural and best!

Book of Shadows

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This is my Sacred recipe book. My third one, actually, and it's almost full too. It doesn't really have spells, or strange languages, or rites. It's full of herbal recipes, and most of them are for applying to your body, not taking internally. For me, this really is my book of shadows. It's where I put my magic concoctions for health and beauty, healing, and recipes I make to put out to the world in exchange for goods or money. Recipes that I've used only once, say, for healing from a vasectomy or a neighbor with a herpes outbreak. And even recipes that I legally don't even own, such as for my private labels.

I Love this book. I treasure it like an heirloom jewel. It's indispensable. It's proof that I live my life in love with the plants and life as a sensory, self-loving journey. And in service to myself, my Gaia, my family, and any who may take something I make and remember the wisdom of our Grandmothers by it. It's my way of keeping the lineage alive.

We'moon Date Book

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Finally - this year I sprang for one. I've been coveting this incredible work of art forever and never got one. Then, last year, my close friend bought me an awesome calender and so I didn't need one.
This year I wasn't about to let it go ... so I ordered way early and got the early bird deal. Can I tell you how excited I am? SO excited! It has to be the most amazing, beautiful, moving, and empowering book to date. (pardon the pun) I love the poems, the art, the colors .....
mm. It's not '08 yet but I take it out to peek sometimes anyway.
To get one of your own (and you WILL want one) ..... go HERE and since the website does not do it justice, I may have to take a few photos of my own to post. (is that legal? probably not.)

Divine Goo

type='html'> I know this just looks like a plate of globby yuck. But if you could smell this divine goo you would see it through a different lens. This is freshly harvested Pine pitch, from my Aunties huge old pines in her back yard. The two trees were virtually gushing and I couldn't resist. This plate is only about 1/4 of what we got. We were sure to leave a coating on from each spot through, not to leave the tree raw.

The white powdery looking coat is where the sap had begun to dry out, the area where it was exposed to air. Th more mature the sap gets, the harder it gets. Some Red Pine sap that my son recently found was nearly hard, and not nearly as sticky. I'm guessing it was at least five years old. It takes a long time.

Usually what I like to do with the pitch is make smudge. I make little rolled balls and 'flour' it in Lavender or Rose powder. This helps keep it self-contained and keeps your fingers from gluing together. Plus it smells really sweet. When you have finished rolling them, lay them out on a wax-paper covered tray, indefinitely. If you jar them up you will have a jar full of melted sap and good luck getting it out. The little balls are easy to pick up and add to a hot rock or glowing ember to bless your home or ceremony. However, I don't recommend using it in your fireplace or wood stove. To easily remove the sap from fingers or floors or clothes, apply rubbing alcohol.

Another superb use for this wonderful gift of the trees is for splinters or slivers. Our beloved Kiva has dealt with this recently only with glass. Sucks it right out and keeps the infection at bay. A wound or cut in the woods is treated swiftly with an application of fresh pitch. Blisters can be helped when nothing else is around and you're mid-hike. Gum infections are also traditionally helped with sap - although I have to say it's not palatable. Natives also used it as glue and water sealer for their canoes.

Amazing stuff.

back to school - wild school

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Ahh yes. Back to teaching at the Wilderness school which I blogged about once before. An amazing place to be wild, free, and learn from all of Natures wonders first hand. I have the honor of teaching the Jr. Herbalist program, part of the Friday program for homeschoolers. I get 10 eager, magnificent, brilliant young minds to unleash into the plant world. I am grateful to this place, a gift in my life and my children's.

Blue Beauty

type='html'> Can someone please tell me what this little beauty is? I thought it was lobelia, but no, no sharp heat in the nostrils. It's mild and sweet, like a salad green. Stunning in the woods, hiding under the brush like a shy maiden!

Solomon's Seal

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Polygonatum biflorum ~ This woodland treasure is a beautiful jewel in the forest, blooming in tandem with my favourites listed previous.

Although it is not listed on the At Risk list by UpS (United Plant Savers), I have heard that it is indeed a plant that has suffered over harvesting. It seems abundant here, though and throughout the Audubon land around me. Seeing it flourish gives me hope.

River Fun

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Finally!
It's getting sunny enough to go plunking in the water. Witness the rare moment of sister helping brother! See? Water IS healing!

So delightful even our cats couldn't resist. Two of our cats, Osha and Catnip, often come hiking with us, like little furry dogs. At left, Osha coming in for a drink after sunning himself on a boulder and watching out for the kids as they cross the tide. He meowed disapprovingly the whole time.

Swamp Buttercup

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Pretty little riverside plant huh?

Lily of The Valley

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The Sweet Life

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That IS the life. Spending all day stuffing your face into flowers!

Pretty flowering chives

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Chives! Yummy! And oh so pretty on top of salad :)

Wild Oregano

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I think this is wild oregano. Comes up every year reliable as ever and is deliciously spicy - a welcome wild on salad and pasta dishes as well as soups. I tinctured some last year for viruses or poor circulation ... but I haven't used any yet. I love seeing her along side woodland hiking trails where there are not always a lot of aromatic plants. I will pick some to put on thorn scrapes and bug bites.

Glitch

I'll be spending some time on pause...... while I wait for my new laptop to arrive. Our other one died after a good life, and with it went a LOT of photographs. So while I'm waiting, I'll be in the garden, the woods, and where ever else I stop to capture nature's wonder in my camera and more so in my heart.
The changes are incredible now, while a whole new carnival of forceful buds and flowers thrust into blossom, throwing their arms open in sweet abandon to the sun and rain. The profusion of roses arriving in bands over one night, smothering the walking path with perfume, is as seductive as it gets. The Salvia, my pending post, has put on her velvet blue jewelery and come out to greet the Solstice. Tall, prestigious, and ever-calm Valerian puts on a classy show and oversees the rest of the garden. Her scent gently coating the top layer of air above the roses. Down below, covering more of the garden each year, crawl the strawberries and peppermints, like fairies of the soil and secret-keepers to the cats. The silvery fingers of the wormwood shimmy and dance in each breeze like a Gypsy moon dance.
The changing ecstasy of the garden is ever hypnotising, ever giving, and ever mysterious even within her repetition.

Song of the Salvia

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I can't contain my excitement when the Salvia blooms. The fragrance is so perfect; sweet, herby, green, minty but dry, and incredibly open feeling as the volatile oil escapes from the leaf and blossom, awakening my eyes, throat, nose, and brain. I love stepping out my door to be greeted by this lovely lady, especially because I only have one full grown plant and I worry every winter about her making it through. But, strong, willful, and vibrantly feminine, she comes back.

She has the history, you know. A prominent member of the Labiatae family, she flaunts her square stem, opposite leaves, irregular flowers, and seductively aromatic body. Being woody, however, like her close relatives Lavender and Rosemary, I never cut her back. The new growth comes right out from last years branches. The years before I knew that were quite tragic.

I like to chew on one fresh leaf, on my way out to work or errands, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated as I chew, but calm at the same time. My mouth and teeth feel squeaky clean, and my throat chakra opens up. For sore throats, nothing cures like a mugfull of Sage brew with local honey. I instantly relax as my throat stops hurting and my lymph glands begin draining. The aromatic steam clears congested sinuses, and for very stuffy noses or a bought of clogged facial skin I will make a full-on steam: I make a pot of boiling water, then remove from heat and add a handful of Sage. Then I'll make a towel tent over my head so the steam penetrates my face and nose. Perhaps half the medicine is just how pleasurable this is.

Sage offers endless healing. She is one of my favorite herbs to steep in honey for an electuary. A muslin bag stuffed with Sage and brewed into the bath is restorative to the circulation and great for the memory like Rosemary. As an anti-viral, warming, diaphoretic herb, I reach for it when my children are ill with the fever or flu virus. And being a Labiatae, the family with high affinity for women, she offers profound support for female complaints such as water retention, PMS, hot flashes, hormonal pimples, candida overgrowth, and breast swelling. Being a drying herb, however, drinking regular amounts of Sage during lactation isn't such a great idea unless you really want to reduce your milk production.

Salvia has been used for centuries in beauty recipes. Sage infused vinegar is a divine rinse for darker hair. Sage footbaths are good for fevers and lung congestion, as well as directly for the feet if they are tired, sore or smelly; Sage is a natural deodorant, as well as anti-fungal. Sage was used for facial tonics by infusing in water or spirits, and for vulnerary and anti-arthritic ointments by infusing in fat or oil. One of my most favorite face creams is one that I make from White Sage (salvia apiana) infused in olive oil. It is simple and lovely.

I love Sage for her beautiful flowers. Like singing mouths she praises the late spring sunshine and welcomes the lapping bees and worshipful insects into her tender, intimate parts. Like Sheela-na-Gig, she sings of the Yoni-happy woman, who loves her body and treats her sensuality with passion, respect and empowered choices. She sings of irregular beauty; perfection. Of blooming out of old experiences, of learning from our own intuition, from our family and ancestors, and of treating equally with love our children, teens, mothers, career woman, and elderly. She sings of versatility, adaptability, complexity, and continuity. Her blue flowers speak of steady nerves, like her soothing cousins Skullcap and Lavender. and her unruly arms outstretched in glee celebrate the childlike divinity of life itself.

To some, this picture might provoke a remark "oh, that's common garden Sage". And indeed, if you are looking to purchase a plant from a nursery, this is how you will find the label for this particular species: Salvia officinalis - Garden Sage.

I suppose from the Wise woman's perspective of the ordinary being synonymous with extraordinary, this name is perfectly fitting. But if I were to make a story, one to relay the medicine and magic of this Goddess plant to my students, Children or Grandchildren, I would retain the name Salvia, as I do here in this mere post, for the purpose of conveying her true nature; Salvation.
I might tell stories of goats coming to life from terrible sickness by way of Sage compresses and infusions, of Gypsies growing Sage at each stop along their journeys, of Great Grandmothers treating their daughter's painful moontime with a fragrant Salvia brew, and of the village Midwife caring for the birthing woman who has bore down for too many hours with Sage infused oil warmed and lovingly massaged into her lower back.
I might tell her how I, myself, drank Sage tea with her when she was only three, on the front steps of our house, by the yellow daisies. And she just might feel a new found gleam of light for her younger brother, whose name happens to be Sage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Beautiful Salvation,
Healing plant of green and blue,
I am blessed with all your beauty
I am cured with all your truth.

Fragrant lover of sun and air
Witch of Lunar cycles
Be green in all your glory
Be thanked for all you share

Beautiful Salvation
Keeper of the mind
Rejuvenate my memory
New spirit may I find

Blue lips upon the stalk
Speak secrets to my heart
Speak magic talk and ancient lore
Paint pollen breasted art

Honeybee hostess!
Belly bowl of nectar,
Teacher to the cold ones
Of open warmth and pleasure.

Grandmother wisdom
Quietly advise
Look through my cloudy tattered guise
and lead me back to me.

Grandmother knowing,
Raise me wise in green!
Show me ways of self and others,
Ancient rooted queen!

Blessed Be .... our dear Salvia!

Creamy Pink Roses

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I'm in love.

Elder Harvest

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Mom?

Yes Dear.

Did you remember to thank the Elder?

Yes, I thanked her before, offered cornmeal, and again after. And I made sure to ask for, and receive permission.

That made my day, my ten year old daughter asking me this on our way back from picking. She usually participates, but today she has one arm in a sling with a badly sprained wrist, and so was not up for teetering along the loose wood chipped bank. She opted to find the first of the ripening blackberries, along with her brother, on steady ground. So, I thought she wasn't really paying attention, but of course, she was.

The blossoms towered over me as I stood under the great Mother, invisibly annointing me with the softest, most lovely powdery scent. The gleaming sun poured in from the ripening morning sky. We got up early for this walk, since hotter weather was expected for today. The stems were hardy, some brown and woody, some young and tender green. All have interesting blemishes all over, like pretty warts or eccentric polka-dots. This reminds me of how soothing Elder is for blemished skin and chicken pox. I carefully lower the branches with the newly opened, white flowers, though cream colored is really more true, and snip the stem above the first leaf thereafter. I laugh as the tree showers me with loose and falling blossoms. I think of the water nymphs, being seduced by the reed music of Pan, and of sorcery being conducted by Gypsies. And more practically I remember two weeks ago curing a Nettle sting on my Son's leg with a spit poultice of Elder leaf, and it curing it more rapidly than Plantain. I made sure not to swallow any juice, but alas I was dizzy and nauseous for much of the remaining day.

I use her medicine with care, and this first real harvest has come only after planting two of her in my own yard last year to watch her transition through each season, and much reading and watching of her over the last few years. Elder is a plant I wanted to take my time with, to get to know her in's and outs, and to discover all of her multifaceted personality. I dare not pick prematurely .... for I have been warned against pissing off the Great Elda Mor!

Some parts of the plant (leaf, root, stem) are not gentle medicines like the flower and berry are. The tincture of the flowers I use for colds and flu's and just if I am under the weather a bit. I love the taste and smell, so gentle and soothing. Elder berries I love, for throat troubles, bad colds and especially for my children. But there is such a panacea found in our dear Elder that I couldn't possibly list .... I'd be writing for days. Kiva Rose has shared with me wonderful knowledge about Elder as an adaptogenic.

As you can see from the picture, I have decided to try making an Elder Blossom infused oil along side my tincture. Let's hope it doesn't spoil. Usually I use Olive oil for infusing plants, but for these lacy, ladylike beauties, I chose my good stuff; Organic cold pressed Apricot Kernel oil. MMMmmmmmm, it's my favorite, it's silky feel and apricot-cherry aroma is simply divine. I thought it the perfect carrier.

I also gently removed some small dead branches that were not growing anything, in hopes of having a wand.

When I got home, it was getting hot. I had to get out of my pants and socks. So I went upstairs to change, and guess what I found? A little, tiny, single blossom, perfectly intact, resting right inside my belly button! It was like a kiss from Mother Elder. And yes, I did take a picture, but it's not going up here:)

I will not circumcise my plants

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I have been reminded several times after my Blog entry: Song of the Salvia that the Labiatae family has been officially renamed the "Lamiaceae" Family.

So I am here to tell everyone that I won't do it. I won't circumcise myself, my children, nor will I circumcise an entire plant family. Just as Women are identified by their beautiful, life giving Vulva's and milk holding Breasts, the Labiatae family has been healing and nourishing Women and families for centuries. The flowers have lovely labias, an upper and lower lip, the whole flower being beautifully irregular just us humans, and the flowers are usually bisexual. That tells me that the flowers are generous in their healing and creativity for everyone ... a motherly trait indeed. There is no good reason in my eyes to take away it's namesake. I do not know, nor do I care, why they changed it.

To me, it has always been and always be, the LABIAtae family.

Humph.

Garden remedies for skin care

type='html'> This entry is a part of the wonderful Herbwifery Blog Party!

Summer Skin Care.....
is all about fresh herbs and delicious fun. Since the gardens and fields are full of surprises now, there are endless ways to treat and care for your skin.
I tend to focus on things that don't attract mosquito's and ticks, since I am outside so much. I don't use sweet stuff like Roses and Jasmine until nighttime when I'll be sleeping indoors.

But many flowers are lovely and do not attract hungry critters. Above, is the start of the explosive, magnificent Monarda flower (M. Didyma) which attracts hummingbirds and heals many ailments. For skin care, I like to make an infusion, cool it, and use it for a facial toner. In fact, most of the following plants, I use this way. I like to make a small jar, since every few days I'll return it to the garden before it turns, and make a fresh one.

Beautiful Basil. Fill a jar with Basil and cover with honey to make a potion to eat and smear on your face. Basil is great for oily, problematic skin, perfect for summer skin care. The basil honey takes only a week to steep, strain and add to tea to drink, or to cosmetic clay for a lovely mask.

This beautiful dark green leaf is of course, the famous Comfrey, full of soothing and mending qualities. I've been using it this past week for my daughter's wrist, which she badly sprained playing Goalie. I macerated it with tinctures of Yarrow, Meadowsweet, and St. Johnswort tincture and oil both. We keep the poultice on for as long as comfortable. The swelling and pain are greatly reduced, and the healing is expedited. By chance there is any hairline fracture, the Comfrey will mend this as well - and as a side note, there is no broken skin. Using comfrey on deep cuts can trap bacteria and lead to infection.

On the lighter side, Comfrey leaf is a super-soother. A cooled infusion is amazing on rashes, red itchy skin, dry skin, or baby's heat rash. A comfrey leaf vinegar is fabulous for moisturizing dry hair as well.

For Poison Ivy, make a big pouch of Comfrey leaf, mugwort leaf, and oats, and add to the bath while filling. The soothing and astringent combination will feel great.

To make a gloriously green healing oil, cut several leaves and place into a double boiler. Gently keep at warm for a couple of hours, being sure not to let it get too hot as to burn the oil. Alternate the stove on and off throughout the day. Let steep overnight, off. Strain in the morning. If you feel you have too much moisture, let stand for a day and pour the oil off, leaving the water behind. If you make the oil using a blender you will have more trouble with water content. If you use a crock pot, be sure to monitor the heat more carefully - they get very hot!


This lovely yellow flower will soon be a crunchy, cooling cucumber. Many garden veggies are great for the skin too! Sliced cukes on the eyes are cliche - but effective for reducing swelling or soothing sunburn. Tomato leaves gave a very pretty aroma, and make a nice toner. Infuse the leaves in part water and part vodka, and add any additional plants you like from the garden, such as Marigold petals, lettuce leaves, kale, strawberry leaves, or carrot tops.




Foot Flowers ...... Summer can be a time for troubled feet if you are hiking through hot sun, wet rivers, and itchy grass. My kayak shoes usually end up with poison ivy on them too, sneaking in through the side holes and making very pesky bumps between my toes.

End an adventurous day with an herbal foot soak. First, make a strong tea, steeping about 1/2 an hour, and make at least a quart of it, with fresh Oregano (shown above), Peppermint, Sage, Rosemary, Lavender, and Marigold or Calendula blossoms. Of course you can be creative with what plants you have available ... leaning towards aromatic and antiseptic herbs. Then, if you want it cold, refrigerate it. If you want it warm, go ahead and pour it into a basin and fill the rest with plain water. If you want, you can add witch hazel extract as well. Grab a good book, a cup of tea to drink, and soak away, as long as you like, but usually at least 20 minutes long.

For foot care on the trail, pack a combination of comfrey root powder, baking soda, kaolin clay or arrowroot powder, and essential oils mixed in if you like.


A salve of Sage and Yarrow are fantastic on the piggies too!

Eyes ..... Rose petals are so perfect for curing red hot eyes, whether from swimming, sun, or computer fatigue. An infusion or distillate applied a few times a day with a cotton ball is a real relief. A rose sitz bath is used also for staunching bleeding in postpartum women, so is helpful to constrict overheated varicose veins during the summer. Rose tinctures effective in helping to prevent spring nosebleeds if taken internally.



Every July, on or around my birthday, I honor this plant of gold and harvest her blossoms and buds. I put them all into jars and fill with olive oil. after 6 weeks I have a blood red oil that heals virtually everything. My son, who has sensitive skin, swears by it for every ailment he has, and won't use anything else because he claims it's the only thing that reliably does not sting. For nerve pain, sunburn, chapped skin, sore muscles, and anything else, St. Johnswort oil or salve is a first-grab remedy.

For days in the sun, I make a squeeze bottle with SJW oil and Lavender hydrosol (since the hydrosol won't go bad like water) and a tad of liquid chlorophyll to shake and apply frequently throughout the day. Since it's liquid and not a cream or salve, it won't melt at the beach. This also makes a perfect daily moisturizer. Add a little geranium essential oil for extra bug-repelling action if you will be gardening or hiking.


More lovely herbs that I like to use during the hot months ..........



Lemon Balm ..... Melissa Off.

Anise Hyssop ..... Agastache Foeniculum

And a few more Recipes :) ....................

Rose-Rosemary Toner:

1/2 pint each fresh rose petals and fresh rosemary sprigs

Add 1 tablespoon each:

Brandy, Honey, and Apple Cider Vinegar

Fill remainder with water or hydrosol of choice.

Let steep in the sun for one day and one night. strain and refrigerate. Use at night to restore moisture and elasticity to the skin, and just because it feels and smells good!

Poison Ivy spray:

2 oz Yarrow/Mugwort infusion

10 drops peppermint essential oil

5 drops German Chamomile essential oil

Shake and spray as often as needed.

Marigold Mask:

Steep fresh Calendula flowers in good honey for 1 week. Strain, and mix equal parts Calendula honey with Green, pink, or white clay, and apply as a mask for 20 minutes.

Herbs & Honey Liquid Soap Infusion:

Place a pint of fresh herbs into a blender. For example, Lemon balm, Peppermint, Sage, Rosemary, and Verbena.

Cover, barely, with liquid castille soap. Do not pour the whole thing in .... just enough to create a maceration. Turn the blender on low to blend.

Transfer to a wide mouth jar. Fill remainder with liquid castille soap and steep for three days.

Strain, and add about 1/3 cup honey and stir. Pour into a big squeeze bottle and enjoy!

Happy Summer!

Fairy drops

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One of my obsessions is to take pictures of water droplets in nature. I lost many of my previous moments in the last two computer crashes, though one still lives on I think on my website of a droplet coming off of a bright green Monarch chrysalis. So, I have begun again, collecting raindrops. There is something so perfect about a water tear on a flower. I always think a fairy might swoop by with a tiny little water bucket, to collect it, like a bee.

Moon Garden

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I am so excited. My daughter and I started our Moon Garden. We dug out the outline and fed it with organic fertilizer ( we have very clay soil here). You can see the very weak start of the stone border-to-be. The circle will don a large homemade tipi, laden with climbing moonflowers and roses, and other pretty climbers we haven't thought of yet. The crescent moon will be filled with silver and white plants, like Datura, Artemisia's, Lobelia .... and I'm sure we will build it over time.

The coolest thing about this is that we can actually look over the top of it from our deck, admiring the design at it's fullest.

My daughter is ten, and making this garden with her is really special. She's a hard working gardener, and an impressive conversationalist. What could be more magical?

Gold flower

type='html'> Yes! It's finally time to harvest St. Johnswort! I'll be away for the weekend (Nt'l Crochet conference!) but when I get back - it's harvest time. But this little beauty above will not be touched .... she showed up right at my doorstep in my garden! I feel so lucky!

Groundnut, Apios Americana

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What a find! We were out picking berries when I discovered the most exquisite curling plant at my feet. It was twisting and twirling itself all around the berry bushes and stalky plants, donning these spikes of reddish purple nealrly orchid like blossoms. Who wouldn't be enraptured? They are something right out of a Shakespeare sonnet, or a faery otherworld.

Turns out that you can actually harvest the tubers for a very good food, or eat the seedpods (they are in the pea family like peanuts and clover) but I don't know that I would have the heart to pull any of it up. I'd rather have more of it growing!

Hmmm ..... I wonder how well it transplants!