Travels 2013

2013 was a difficult year in many ways, things that I had hoped for didn't happen, many doors seemed to slam in my face.  The owl took me onto journeys into the darkness, the void.  Out of that has come a new direction, new hope and new opportunities.  Things that were not working and not in my highest good have left and the door is open to inspiration. In addition to many inner journeys, I was blessed to have traveled.  I did a tour of the Southwest and visited Tucson AZ, Sante Fe NM, Taos NM, Abiquiu NM, and Pagosa Springs CO.  I fell in love with New Mexico, especially Sante Fe.  The landscape is breathtaking.  The rocks and mountains hum with energy.  And then the colors!!  The sky seems bluer in New Mexico than it does here in Kansas and the red rocks contrasting that bright blue....I had a hard time leaving.  Going from New Mexico up into Colorado was another huge change.  Cactus, juniper and sage gave way to aspen and pine.  Green contrasted against blue sky.  I hiked in several areas and felt a deep connection to the Earth Mother.  The drive back across Kansas was difficult after the stunning beauty of New Mexico and Colorado. 

I also fell in love with the Lady of Guadeloupe while I was in the Southhwest!  I have never had much to do with the Madonna or Mary.  I was raised Protestant and am now Wiccan so the mother Of Jesus has not had much presence in my spiritual life.  Visiting the Southwest has changed this!!  The churches and shrines are so intriguing.  I  visited the shrine in Chimayo, the churches in Sante Fe, and the San Xavier mission in Tucson.  The Divine Feminine is alive and well in the Southwest!!  The Lady of Guadeloupe can be found everywhere...shrines, tourist shops, street corner statues.  I felt a deep connection and set up an altar to her after returning home!!

So 2014 begins.  A new chapter. A new direction.  Constant change.  I am trying to relax and enjoy the journey!!

Herbs for colds!

We seem to be in the middle of a cold hard winter.  Subzero temperatures, ice, and being cooped up too long inside are making this a time for colds to set in easily.  When I feel a cold coming on or when I am in the middle of a miserable upper respiratory infection, I turn to my herbal friends!

One way to boost the immune system and get some relief is with herbal teas.  I will make a mixture of herbs, usually following my instincts at the moment.  Some of the herbs that I rely on are peppermint (great for sinuses, antibacterial, tastes good), echinacea (also anti bacterial, anti viral), rosehips (full of vitamin C and they add a nice red color to the tea), lemon balm (another anti-bacterial), hibiscus (vitamin C and pretty), cinnamon and lemon (both anti-bacterial and taste good). Fresh ginger root is another immune strengthening herb that also tastes wonderful and warm.  A couple drops of honey makes it taste good and also adds healing anti-bacterial help. I never worry about exact proportions--just a little of this and a little of that.  I may only use one or two of the above herbs or all of them.  If I think I may have several days of feeling under the weather, I will mix enough to fill a pint jar so it is ready ahead.  I use muslin teabags that I rinse out and reuse or a teaball.  So try some!!  Experiment and have fun.  Don't forget to use a beautiful handmade mug.  I strongly feel that being surrounded with beauty also helps the immune system and nothing is more comforting than holding a warm handmade cup with steam coming out of it.  Breathe in the steam also...it really helps with the congestion!

Another way to combat the upper respiratory infections is to do a steam inhalation.  Get a blow (preferably a beautiful handmade one!), Place some eucalyptus leaves in it and top it off with a couple of drops of oregano essential oil.  If you don't have eucalyptus leaves, a drop or two of eucalyptus essential oil will work.  Have a bath towel handy.  Boil some water in a tea kettle.  When it is boiling heavily, pour it into the bowl on top of the leaves and oil.  Put your head down near the water (be careful not to get too close or you can burn your face on the steam) Cover your head and the bowl, forming a tent, with the towel to trap the steam in.  Inhale deeply.  Warning:  oregano oil is strong.  Only use a drop or two.  It will burn as it goes through your sinuses.  Your eyes will water and you will cough.  The steam will carry it deep into your respiratory track where it will then kill off viruses and bacteria.  Start with just a drop and work your way up to more as you become familiar with it.  The steam will make your sinuses feel so much better!!  Follow up with a cup of herbal tea and a nap.  You will begin to feel so much better!!

Warning: Use these herbs at your own risk.  I am only passing on general knowledge.  This article is not meant to be used to replace medical care.  Consult your doctor before trying anything especially if you are using prescription drugs that may interact with herbs.  Use common sense!

Foraging!

I've been out foraging lately for medicinal/eatable plants. 

 Shown above are Wood Nettles.

Wood nettles (Laportea canadensis)  are very similar to Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica). 

 Both can sting but both are also very rich in minerals and nutrients. 

The Wood nettle has a larger rounder leaf and grows under trees in moist river bottom areas.

  Stinging nettle is more of a sun loving dry area plant and has a narrower more pointed leaf, see below.

I found an area near the river here with thousands of Wood nettles and gathered a trash bag full.

I cleaned them in a salad spinner then added to a stockpot in which I had sauteed onions and garlic. 

 I cooked the greens down and added some water to make a soup. 

 Be careful handling these plants---they can sting ( caused by an acid that they release) until the plant is cooked or dried completely.

I made enough soup to eat for a couple of days and also to freeze. 

 It has a fresh green taste and is a wonderful healthy tonic. 

The dried leaves can be used to make nettle infusions---a drink highly recommended by herbalist Susun Weed. 

I have been drinking the infusions for several months and they have done wonders to alleviate hot flashes (they help support worn out adrenals)!

Another plant that I just collected if Yarrow,  Achillea millifolium, see picture above (the foliage is very ferny looking and does not show in this picture). 

 This is the wild white variety.

For medicinal uses the yellow garden variety is not as good---find the white!! 

I made an herbal tincture with vodka and have also dried a couple of bunches. 

Yarrow can stop cuts and wounds from bleeding by putting the leaves on the cut.

The dried plant can be used to make a tea for breaking fevers and the tincture can

also be used for fevers. 

 The tincture can also be sprayed on the skin as a bug repellent.

A very useful and beautiful plant!!  It can be found in dry sunny fields.

Mullein,Verbascum thapsus, is another plant that I harvested today. 

 It grows along the road in dry rocky poor soil. 

 It is an excellent plant to use as an infusion or tea for lung/respiratory illnesses.

I have not tried it yet but am stocking up now for the winter.

  Susun Weed recommends making an infusion and then straining it thru a tightly woven cloth to get rid of the small hairs.  She then recommends adding some organic milk to the infusion.

  The yellow flowers are suppose to work well when made into an oil infusion for ear problems.

I gathered 4 nice plants and plan on making an oil infusion with the flowers and garlic for ear problems and keeping the dried plant on hand for winter colds and respiratory ailments.

  I am anxious to see how well it works but I don't want to have to get sick to find out!

 Maybe just having a supply on hand will keep the illnesses at bay!!

Be smart when foraging.   Do not collect or use any plant unless you are positive that you have identified it correctly. 

 When in doubt, leave it alone until you can have an herbalist show you the plants in the wild. 

There are many wild herbalists out there and sometimes you can find weed walk classes to attend.  There are a few plants out there that can be deadly so make sure you know what you are doing!  There are two books that I highly recommend:

Edible Wild Plants by John Kallas

The Forager's Harvest by Samuel Thayer

Both have excellent photos and recipes and are packed with great info.

 I truly believe that collecting wild plants from your local area and making your own tinctures, teas and infusions is much more healing that buying the same herbs.

  You will have a more direct connection to the energy of the plant and you are sharing the same geographical envirnment with them which is more powerful than if you get something commercially produced from a different area. (I do order a lot of herbs because sometimes I cannot collect them here or there is not a good supply) 

 Which reminds me--when you collect these plants, take some tobacco or corn meal with you and offer it to the spirits of those plants and that area in thanks as you collect. 

If you have time, sit and talk to and listen to the plants that you are collecting. 

 Beome a part of that environment for awhile. 

 Collect only a small amount from each area--do not deplete the plant supply.

Be grateful and enjoy the beauty of the plant world!!

Late Spring Herbal Fun

Spring came early this year but I was late getting plants started.  I live in a townhouse so most of my gardening is in containers.  Container gardening can give some amazing results despite the lack of space!!  My herbs are coming along very nicely.  I concentrate on herbs mostly, the rest I can buy at the farmer's market (I do have a couple of tomato plants also!)

I have also been playing with some mixtures of essential oils added to a carrier of grapeseed oil. These can be used as a scent or massage oil.  I put my mixes in to very small antique glass bottles that I found.  These bottles are about 3 inches tall so the amount of oil is small---that means I can use them quickly and try new mixes.  I stole the mixture ideas from the Mountain Rose Herb catalog--I am new to mixing essential oils and so a little copying helps me to learn what scents go together well!

I have bought a lot of dried herbs from the Mountain Rose Herb company in recent months and am storing them in old and new canning jars that I have been collecting.  I was lucky to get a box of antique jars at an auction for a very good price and have found others at the nearby antique mall.  I have made my own labels for the jars usng a cd of medieval herbal woodcuts put out by Dover publications.  I print the labels onto rustic looking paper and use a glue stick to attach to the jars.

I am very happy with the result!!

Luxury Herbals for the Bath!

There is no better way to relax and bring a little luxury into life than to soak in a nice warm bath.  Herbs are the perfect thing to enhance this experience and add healing.  I made some sachets filled with herbs and essential oils that I will dangle off the faucet creating a type of "tea bag" as the herbs steep in the water.  I started by taking a large bowl and filling it with dried rose petals, calendula blooms, eucalyptus leaves, and lavender flowers.

Then, essential oils were added: lavender,orange, fir needle and sandlewood to create a woodsy spicy mix.  I tossed the oils into the dried flowers and stirred around for awhile, then I filled a couple of muslin bags with the mix and put the remainder in a jar.  Easy!!

Bath salts are another easy herbal luxury to make.  I took Epsom salts, Dead Sea Salt and baking soda and mixed in a bowl.  There are no exact proportions but I did use more Epsom salts that the other two.  Two different mixtures were made by adding essential oils: one a woodsy mix and the other more foral.  Add the oils to the salt mixure ( I just drip the oils in until they smell strong enough) and stir well then put into jars to keep near the tub!  The salts are healing for the skin and sore muscles and the aroma will enhance that healing.  Epsom salts are also excellent for cleansing the energy field so make sure you dunk yourself completely under to get a thorough cleansing!!! I found my dried flower blossoms, musiln bags and herbal oils online at Mountain Rose Herb Company.  They have very high quality organic products at very reasonable prices. Enjoy!!

Coming into the Light!

I had a very interesting Imbolc day.  I had been sick earlier in the week and took 2 days off from teaching.  Thursday found me back on the highway early in the morning as the sun was coming up.  I have a habit of watching the road for downed birds, specifically owls and hawks.  I have already been given two owls in this manner by the nature spirits.  I know it may sound gruesome but it isn't.  The first owl was given to me a couple of years ago.  While going down the highway with a friend, I spotted a brown lump with a wing sticking up.  We screeched to a halt and backed up.  Up until this time I had just been a collector of bones, clean bones, well aged and usually from deer.  I collect them for art inspiration.  However, this event was different.  I knew it was a full carcass before stopping.  When I ran up to the bird I saw that it was an owl.  I was amazed and suprised and I had the strong knowing that I was to take it.  So we proceeded home eventually and I knew I was to keep the wings so I got out the plant clippers and pretended it was no different than chopping a dead chicken for dinner and I severed the wings.  The rest of the owl I buried with a bit of ceremony.  That was the first owl whose dried wings I still have.  The second owl happened in a similar fashion.  I was driving along the same highway, saw the wing waving at me, stopped and knew it was meant for me to take.  This time I clipped the wings and tail.  I wanted the claws but was too squimish.  Later, a woman that I met who was very involved in Native American spirituality, told me I should have taken the claws also, then I would have had the power of the owl. The owl's wings are pictured above.   This second owl, a Barred Owl, was then put into a cedar tree in the woods on Winter Solstice a year ago with much ceremony to commerate its passing.

So yesterday, on Imbolc, I was driving down the same highway and I saw an owl but it was dark and there were a lot of cars and the bird was in the middle of the road so I knew it was not meant to be.  Further along though, I spotted a hawk on the side of the road, few cars and the sun was further up. I had been asking the spirits for a hawk!!  I turned around and grabbed it quickly and put it in my car.  If you do this, you do NOT want anyone to catch you.  Having a hawk or owl in your possesion is illegal even if it is roadkill because they are protected birds.  When I got home, I removed the wings, the red tail AND the claws (see picture above).  It is really difficult to clip parts off of these beautiful birds but I know that its spirit has long flown and if left on the side of the highway it would just be trampled endlessly.  I believe the hawk would prefer to have some of its beauty preserved.  Afterwards, I took the body into the woods nearby and placed it in the fork of a tree and offered some tobacco to the spirits.  In the picture you can see that I have stretched the wings out on a board and clipped the ends to the board.  If you don't, the wings will contract as the flesh dries and you will not be able to open them back out---put them how you want them before they dry.  I am going to pack them in borax for awhile to aid the drying process and kill mites.  I also put my wings in the freezer several times a year for a day or two to kill off any mites---feathers seem to attract mites.

I find it very symbolic that I was given the hawk on Imbolc.  Imbolc is a holiday that calls in the light after the winter darkness.  The hawk in Native American beliefs is a sun bird, its opposite is the owl, a night bird.  For me the owl was a similar energy to the goddess Kali, an energy that takes you into dark places.  The past several years I have experienced many dark places with passing of my parents, two friends, other family members and beloved pets.  I have also cleared out many dark places within myself.  The owl energy has been appropriate.  Now I have been given a hawk on Imbolc.  I am taking that as a powerful sign that I am entering a new brighter era, for awhile at least, and I am looking forward to learning more from the hawk spirits. Happy Imbolc!  Blessed Be!

Goddess Pendants!

I have been busy making Goddess Pendants out of red clay.  Styled after the Venus of Willendorf, they have a spiral on their bellies.  They measure about 2.5" long.  I am creating them for my group of Goddess women but am considering making a few extra to put onto my Esty site.  I started by creating the prototype, then I cast a plaster mold of it. Mold shown below as the plaster was setting on the prototype.

Even though I am using a mold, each figure comes out with her own personality.  I am anxious to get them into the kiln and see them finished!!!