My baby girl Sequoia Pearl entered the world peacefully on
Monday November 15, 2011 7:50am
6 lbs 2 oz, 18 inches long

A teeny tiny bundle of joy!

Fall Plant Altar

For my one class (Magic and Medicine of Plants) we were asked to try to make an altar for Samhain and our plant ancestors. Of course I'm late to the party as usual.

Also because I don't really celebrate holidays much I tend to do things by season. So here is my fall time altar. My kids helped put some of the things up there (they do this all the time and are constantly bringing things in from outside like rocks, leaves and flowers). So I guess you can say it's part altar part nature table. Whatever goes pretty much here!

As for the plants on my altar we have;

milkseed pods and fluff
pine
calendula
lavender
rose
peppermint
rosehips

as well as some hydrangea that my daughter loves to bring in when it dries up in the fall (she makes me big bouquets of it!!!) She and my son also love to play with the plants I put up there and turn them into a type of talismans! So cute!


Sorry the picture is not the best. But you get the idea.

Herbal Study Group

I have an herb project in the works and I'm so excited to pull this together! I am really longing to create an herbal study group local to me this winter/next spring. Mainly to meet other herbalists-to-be, plant medicine making students and like minded folk. I would like to possibly put this together as early as after the new year but more likely come spring. Though I am really going to try to shoot for sooner as I am anxious to put this together!

I have been working hard on brainstorming logistics and how to find others who are wanting to learn more about herbs in a cooperative type setting. I would like this to be an informal and small group held at my house or maybe the co-op meeting room or library? I am envisioning something kid and family friendly with a potluck afterwards! I have used meetup.com in the past and will probably use it for this group as it is just really convenient and easy. I think it is going to serve this project well! I will probably also work on some flyers too to hang up on various bulletin boards nearby as well and write up a press release and blurb for some of the local papers.

So there is lots to do!!!!!!

Right now I am just trying to figure out how to go about organizing such a group currently so it's really in the very beginning planning stages! I think it would be really fun and awesome to connect with others wanting to learn more about herbs and learn about them together through each others experiences and as a group. I am hoping we can study one herb a month and also do a medicine making project of some sort to go with each.

I also set up a blog here too for an online study group that could coincide with this real life one! (Though the page is empty currently I will be working on putting it together in the coming weeks and months! Be sure to check back later or I will post an update here when I get some content up there!) I created the blog so my online friends, far away family and blog readers can follow along too!

Every day I am coming up with new ideas for this group and am getting more and more excited about putting this together. I have been trying to find others who run their own study groups as well to get ideas from which has been very helpful!

We have been here before
and we'll be here again.
The circle remains,
though we all wander far.
So lift up your heart,
you will never be alone.
Let the earth be your medicine forever.

-Dale Colleen Hamilton

Fire Cider

Fire cider is a popular herbal remedy concocted by herbalists and plant people in colder months to be used as an immunity boosting tonic. I was first taught how to make this recipe by Pam Hyde-Nakai of the Sonoran Herbal Institute in 2001 and it was dubbed "Dr. Cayenne". I have made it many times since. Now, for the first time I am noticing variations in other herbalists formula's for fire cider which is interesting. I have never paid attention much before but it only makes sense people will adjust the recipe to their own needs and tastes.

Fire cider is very warming in nature and will help clear out sinus issues and promote good health during the winter months. I like to use it specifically for the nasty sinus infections I used to get when I lived out west. It just clears it right out! It is useful for colds, sinus issues and lung issues. It is extremely warming in nature and is good for treating (and preventing) wet & cold conditions.

I started a batch a couple of weeks ago. It's almost ready to be strained. yay!

The recipe I use is roughly;

2-3 good sized pieces of ginger (usually I peel and grate them this time I just chopped them as I was feeling quite lazy)
1 large horseradish root (again, grated is optimal)
1-3 tsp cayenne (I tend to use ALOT myself as I like it fiery!)
1 liter organic apple cider vinegar
1 large onion chopped
as much garlic as you can stand chopped
honey

Add all the ingredients but the honey to a large 1/2 gallon glass jar. Cap tightly and let sit for about weeks or so. Strain and add honey to taste. Drink a "shot" daily or as needed. Bonus; it makes quite a good dressing for salads and greens.

I have noticed some herbalists don't use onions in their fire cider. I am not sure why that is. I have also noticed some people add ginseng (like Rosemary Gladstar's recipe). I myself was thinking of adding burdock next time I make a batch! So I guess my point is really anything could go in this. Use your imagination and play around with the basic recipe. (Please come back and tell me about it here too!)

The great thing about this recipe is all the ingredients can typically be found in your neighborhood grocery store so it's easily attainable for even the most beginning of herbalists!

Try to buy all organic ingredients if you can. If you are not able to get all organic or finances just don't permit it at the VERY least be sure to purchase the apple cider vinegar organic. This is important as some mainstream non organic brands are made from petroleum believe it or not! (yuck!)

I also found a recipe here by my friend Kiva Rose of the Anima Healing Arts Center & Herbal School in New Mexico for her "Gila Harvest Cider". I am definitely going to try making her version soon!

Goody Bag Winner!

November's goody bag winner is Comfrey Cottages!
(If I have not already contacted you by time this posts I will be soon for your snail mail address. Thanks for entering and I hope you enjoy your goodies!)

Look for details of next months (December's) contest soon!

Herbal Allies- Part 2

So I have finally chosen my plant allies for the coming year. I am starting with 3 but may add more. So these are the 3 plants I want to get to know on a deeper level. It took me awhile to choose these and they may change as I go. Who knows!?! I tried to pick plants that are safe to use while nursing as well.

Over the next year I will study, use and sit with these plants and try to learn as much as I can about them on a physical as well as energetic level. I think the 3 will keep me very busy learning and discovering new things! I am excited to have finally chosen them after much contemplation. Or did they choose me?

I will also be writing my own sort of of monographs of my own on each and adding to it on a regular basis for each one here on my blog. I hope to be able too include a lot of new experiences and observations in the coming year while I am learning about these 3 new plant allies!


1-Rose~ I think I wrote in an earlier post I have used rose a lot for bodycare but not much at all for medicine so I would like to explore the healing aspects deeper. I also would just like to use rose more in my daily life. I feel drawn to it as of lately and crave it's presence. I plan to use it in food, medicine and bodycare/aromatherapy. I find it uplifting, sensuous and gently healing. Like an old familiar friend. I want to learn her secrets and revel in her beauty.

2- Blue Vervain~Feeling called to work with this plant. I'm not entirely sure why but the reasons will become clear eventually I am sure! I very much like the fact that it is a galactagogue since I will be a nursing mom soon. I have not used blue vervain much at all so it's a new plant for me to learn about!

3-Elder~ I am having a love affair with elder. Shhh, don't tell anyone! Though I know i am not the only one. lol. This plant is pretty elusive to someone coming from the southwest, so I am absolutely thrilled they grow here in New England. Other than using elderberry syrup I don't have all that much experience using this plant but I have been extremely drawn to it since discovering it! My mission this coming year is to find as many as I can growing in the wild and use it generously! I am very drawn to learning about the many uses of elder. I feel like it is calling me to soak up all of it's healing energies and wisdom.

I am trying hard not to include more plants with my "ally" list as I am trying to keep things low key right now for simplicity's sake! If it were up to me I'd easily have 10!