Soup Hugs, Tea Kisses

Leap Day Newsletter for you! 

Sausage - Collard - Astragalus Soup Recipe

and 

Herbal Tea Remedy for Pink Eye

Enjoy! 

Coyote Mentoring

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I simply cannot wait for this book to be released...

http://blog.coyotesguide.com/?p=6

It's been fun to watch the vidoes leading up to the release!

Womens Herbal Conference 2008

And...... we're off! Tomorrow is the first of three days at the Women's Herbal Conference. This will be the first time my daughter, 11, will be joining us. The first of many, I hope. These are the moments that nudge me. When a ripple of knowing reveals itself to me, whispering reminders of why I am here, of purpose and trust in the mystery, in the process, and that all this 'following my path' isn't just a made up story.
When we drummed in the ancestors at the Daughters of the Earth Gathering, I expected to meet my long lost fore mothers. I thought they would finally come to me, let me know where I came from, inform me of a great lineage. But no one showed up. I still don't know my lineage, really. At the tail end of ruckus heartbeat drumming with forty other women and a Voodoo Priestess? I realized the one who showed up

was me.

I am the ancestor.

I will be the past someday.

It's me, my Mom, my daughter, and my husband and son, that carry this moment into something special. You too. The future is the same thing as the now.

See?

I'll see you all back here in the now on Monday. Or maybe Tuesday.

Cooling herbs for summer: Magic Mint

This month's blog party, hosted by Alchemille, is all about how to stay cool in hot weather. First things first, I have to second Kiva's motion to make friends with a river. I know that it's not realistic for everyone, as there are many places not near to water. But if there is a way .... to get to the water, even if it means a cool bathtub or a kiddie pool, it beats any herb in this department.
I'm so in love with my river that it's probably holding us back from moving on in life in ways we should. I must be by fresh water. The way the surface illustrates the weather and the seasons, or the mood of the wind. Standing in the rush of the cool water, with hot sun on my shoulders and the honk of the Great Blue Heron, restores my deepest sense of self and of adaptability.

Along the riverbanks grows the wild mint. I try always to stop and say hello, pinch a little top to cool my senses, and thank it for staying wild. She keeps good company, alongside juicy, succulent chickweed, wild roses and calamus, all of which have varying degrees of coolness.

My garden takes lessons from the river. The mint crawls wildly through the roses, strawberries, and honeysuckle. She is particularly healthy this year, making frequent use easy and very helpful. A handful of mint steeped in a jar of water makes a multi-purpose cooler: we drink it of course, but also soothe our faces and hot shoulders with it, or make a batch just too add to a cool bath. Children's splinters can be coaxed out in a foot bath of mint and yarrow. Heat rash on infants or toddlers can be relieved with a mint infusion applied with a mister or cotton balls. Rinsing the hair with mint vinegar is a great way to treat your hair during the heat. And mint and melon balls - or mint whip cream on strawberries? yum!

See, mint helps our bodies regulate temperature in a couple ways. It assists our triple warmer, and it helps to move the heat that may be stagnant, so that it can be released through sweat and circulation, without actually increasing internal heat - like a chili or ginger might. And because it's a gentle plant it can be used often without any worries.

The anodyne properties help in relieving pain both internally and externally, which, if originate from inflammation, can become exacerbated in hot weather. It has been cited to relieve a wide range of ailments, from arthritis, to cold sores, to poison ivy, diaper rash, sunburn, and oral ulcers or gingivitis. Wounds are treated well by the numbing mint offers and the antibacterial action. Internally, mint is a classic and reliable digestive herb, helping to alleviate children's tummy aches and assist adult's metabolism of heavier foods.

Being such a vigorous grower, (some might dare to accuse it to be invasive) as well as endlessly versatile, no one should have to go without a cooling mint summer remedy in some form or another. I highly recommend making close friends with mint: grow a mint garden (there are so many!), eat the flowers in your salad, make a mint preparation with each of your menstrums and compare them..... including honey! Make a honey-mint liqueur for your special nights, or dry some leaves for a cooling powder.

Stuff some fresh mint leaves inbetween your toes before a long summer hike.

The whole mint family in general (Lamiaceae, formerly Labiatae) is truly an entire panacea in itself. With so many different genus', an easily identifiable botanical pattern, and geographically wide range, it's a first learn for herbal students. Especially children, who need to be able to eat, touch, taste, smell, and essentially merge with a plant in order to internalize it.

The botanical pattern: square stem, opposite leaves, irregular flowers, and often aromatic, is a simple set of rules for kids to remember and apply. Comparing different mints is fun and strengthens our powers of observation - lemon balm, rosemary, lavender, sage, monarda, oregano, motherwort, and ground ivy lined up in concert is beautiful and educational. If you have an ice cream maker, home-made cucumber-mint ice cream will be a coveted treat.

Swaddle yourself in mints this summer; staying cool, connected, and very healthy.

Herbal Parenting 2 - Jinxed!

I guess when you pack yourself a first aid kit, and put it in your car, you'd better expect to use it. After my daughter cutting her knee, I figured we met quota for spring. Unfortunately, that nice thought was followed up by her whacking little brother in the mouth with a hoe. On accident of course, but when you're eight and gushing blood from your face, blame isn't on the radar. So this time, the call I got was in reverse and very short:

"Mom - uhh, come down quick. He's bleeding, like, a LOT. I accidentally hit him with the hoe."

"Shit" - click.

This is when a two minute drive suddenly takes 30 seconds.

The kids came walking down from the path towards the driveway and I took the freshly packed -but not completed- first aid set out of my hatchback. The only actual medicine I had added yet(tissues, towels, cotton, and ice packs were there) was a bottle of Yarrow tincture. Which, of course, is often the first thing I grab. It cleans the wound and staunches the bleeding. Unfortunately it smarts a bit, but in this case it was hardly more than the cut already hurt.

So tissues were quickly unravelled, moistened with yarrow, and applied to the cut.

At home, our next application was fresh Comfrey root. Thank Goddess for gardens. The slippery sliver of fresh inner root sealed itself to the cut as though it were skin. This was good since there was a wee bit of lip missing ... and I wanted to ensure proper closure and minimize scarring. Of course, the wound was not deep enough to merit the no comfrey policy.

When the cut was comfortable enough to remove the root, we then added a little paste of smooshed fresh comfrey root and leaf, dried comfrey root, and a little Goldenseal powder for good measure. This got it healing quite speedily by the next day. Our follow up measure was just a mixture of Comfrey/Goldenseal powder held on by a band-aid. Now it's good to go with a little bit of healing balm.

Sheesh!

And they weren't even gardening! Nope. They were running from a mad swan.