Blogger award nomination

Thanks, Livia - for the kind nomination! I'm not exactly sure how it works; who originated it and how they track the nominees or evaluate the winner.... but hey I'll play anyway for vanity's sake.

Who would I nominate? I'll have to go simply with the ones I really read often, as opposed to an objective analysis. If you frequent my blog, these won't come as any surprise.

1) Of course, she's probably already nominated, but the lovely Kiva Rose writes deliciously and informatively.

2) Desert Medicine Woman who I also adore and always look forward to what she has to share.

3) Julia Butterfly Hill - she doesn't write very often, but each piece is succulent, moving, and important.

4) Kitchen Witch - love her un-separateness of plant spirit medicine and tangible earthy wisdom.

5) The Blessed Thistle - just the perfect balance of happy herbal info and political kvetching.

6)United Plant Savers - just as the name describes, this is where you get the info about endangered species and what is being done to caretake them. Important stuff and everyone should be a member :) Perhaps it's not technically a blog, but it has a feed.

7) Red Tent Temple TN - This one fills my heart with joy; to watch the Red Tents across our Earth rise up and evolve brings me a sense of hope and peace for our women, culture, and planet. The author Yarrow has been a special little spark in my life. I love the writing and resources on this blog.

Come and gone: the reverberations of another WHC

The Women's Herbal Conference of 2008 has come and gone. The bliss of the weekend fills one up full of wonder, hope and strength. Herbal knowledge flows and community thrives. Under the guise of learning herbal healing, what really happens here often has little to do with the collecting of facts - that's just the lacy edge. What really happens is that the soul begins to sew together the torn seams of spirit, of joy, sisterhood and self identity. Missing threads re-appear, often in the most unsuspecting moments. They jump out from women you are destined to meet, a song that unlocks the tears you forgot to cry, or in the moment you loose yourself to the rhythm of the dragonflies. Sometimes it pounds you back to your center when the drums begin to thunder, or unearths while walking blindfolded, hand in hand through the forest; a scale of a snake made of thirty wild women; and the world's constriction dissolves.
Half Moon lake holds the prayers of the women, girls and children who attend each year. The plants grow wild and unencumbered here. The wild blueberries ripe and sweet, the elder drips with copious amounts of fruit, the goldenrod scents the air with honey, and skullcap sneaks into the moist and shady pockets.
And yet the return to life brings the deepest sorrow imaginable. Despite the comparatively 'fine' life I have, fine seems unacceptable. Fine seems more like doom. Filled with bills and deadlines and obligations and 'shoulds', injected with laws and societal expectations, and self inflicted limitations, I spend this in between day to both grieve and to effort myself back to alleged reality. While home is an essential foundation for me - the deeper sense of home meaning rooted in one's being always and often through connection to land or place - 'home' in the modern sense of house laundry mortgage and work is truly the dessication of my spirit. Perhaps this is what happens when the 'home' you arrange, is not aligned with the inner home that your soul is; not aligned with your purpose, needs, and venues of gifts and expressions. Perhaps it is through this misalignment that we become trapped in a vicious cycle of obligatory gratitude and deep despondency. Life traps life in unforgiving ways. Life allows room for only a couple passions at a time.

This phase now holds lessons and mysteries yet to be revealed. I will teach, learn, organize, and sequence. And like a vulture I'll tout the others who reflect most truthfully what I believe, what I do even when you can't see that I'm doing it, when my hands don't hold clay, when I don't have a stage or platform or mic for y'all to hear me, it's what I do, if nothing but vicariously for now. It's political, it's ferocious, it's excruciatingly odd and beautiful. I'll push and bark the women doing it in visible and sonic forms so that it happens. It's got to continue.

So I'll say that the most powerful experience this weekend indeed had little to do with plants (because we know that plants can be the messengers) but had everything to do with art, sound, expression, authenticity, and powerful craft. I'll do what I can to get it to you, too. Do yourself a big favor and book yourself for a show, book a show at your own conference or gathering, and pick up their cd's ......... Rising Appalachia, Leah and Chloe: sisters of Alchemy:

While being anointed with the astonishing sounds of these Appalachian soul sisters, I grew roots. I may have even gotten drunk on the intoxicating rhythms, caramelized harmonies and side splitting humor. My feet pressed closer to the earth and my wings flew me across each mountain and valley of lyrical habitats and cultural diversity. My breath rounded and my latent artist heart began to beat again. Partaking in their 'singing out your soul' workshop we danced, sculpted layered sounds, learned celebratory songs from around the globe, and opened our creative lungs together. I'll be singing these tunes forever. Leah and Chloe if only you knew the vast ripples your droplets make.

So I leave you with an order and a warning: Don't go without travelling on their song journeys, but beware of their resuscitating power.

Rising Appalachia - main website

Rising Appalachia on MySpace

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.

A Worthy Absence: Announcement

Hello my friends, family and readers,



My hide away time of no-posts hasn't been out of spite. In fact it is because the cauldron of something new has been brewing. Yes, Hecate has had her hands full with me lately.



I am truly thrilled (the thrill quieting the accompanying fear) to announce to you all my new role as the Homeschool Program Coordinator. And what better way to give everyone a window into this amazing place, than to give it a friendly www portal! (I hear Kiva laughing now, thinking back to when I couldn't come to open a blog at all - now I run three).



So for all of you curious ones, come and check out what I am diving head first into at



Great Hollow Wilderness School



and while you're at it? Wish me LUCK!

If you are local - i hope to see you at the Hollow soon!

Daughters of the Earth

LAST MINUTE REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

This is an off -grid women's tribal event at Earthlands in Mass. Come prepared to nourish and express your deepest self among amazing sisters on sacred land.

I'll be there! I'll be leading a plant walk at some point during the gathering. There will be much magic to participate in.

For all the info, go HERE

P.S. - If Anyone here (local to me) has a one-woman tent I could borrow PLEASE let me know!! There is no lodging ... it's all camping and, well, I've not camped in years so I have no tent. :)

Green Blessings.....

Demulcent Summer: Mallow

In the hazy, heavy heat of the summer, the Rose of Sharon bursts into ecstatic bloom. Her timing speaks of slippery pleasure and arrival ... the climax of summer's landscape. She retains nothing out of shame or modesty. She pushes into visibility the eye-opening beauty of the feminine divine. Her profuse and large flowers pour over the greenery in tidal waves of pink-cranberry-white-green-pink. Each petal boasts a crisp, cool, slippery texture, resembling the soft supple skin of sacred human kissing spots. Her fleshy presence a dichotomy of uncomfortable summer arousal and cooling satisfaction. The bees are quite literally dizzy with pollen and nectar; the entire tree humming with hundreds of honey bees. In order to reach the sweet nectar they must labor themselves deep into the flower by pushing their hind legs against the sides while burying their heads deep into the middle. Her flowers come in stages, each day opening a new cluster and each evening closing at dusk and dropping finished blooms with a soft thud on the rock path. Her littering of spent petals an offering to her own soil for next years cycle.
It's no mystery why Mother Nature blossoms this beauty right now. The Rose of Sharon is perhaps the largest of the Mallow (Malvaceae) family, providing ample mucilage to us hot humans. The cooling flowers are truly delicious, and a beautiful addition to a wild salad. Crushed, the flowers can quickly soothe an over heated face while gardening, or ease an itching rash or insect bite. A strong infusion (cool water, please!) will coat all of your insides with slippery healing, a perfect remedy for hot digestion, IBS, UTI, ulcers, and hot tempered summer folk. (think: Pitta)
Mallow in tandem with Red Clover would be a most wonderful fertility combination, fortifying the lining of the uterus in preparation for implantation of sperm. Mallow also gives sheen to our skin by increasing suppleness and hydration, and because of it's lovely mild flavor, an easy one to share with children. And exceptional sore throat remedy, combine with some prebrewed Echinacea root infusion and your sore throat will vanish in no time flat.

Rose of Sharon's flowers are the plant part I use, and of other Mallows I believe you can use the leaves as well and of course there is Marsh Mallow root - of which I have not grown or wildcrafted (yet!). I use them (the Rose of Sharon flowers) generously ... as a nutritive plant you really can't use too much unless your natural constitution is already too cold and wet. (think: Kapha) But even those types can stand some Mallow in the heat of the summer.

Hibiscus is a particularly delicious (a fruity-sour taste) and very cooling (some consider it a refrigerant, energetically) Mallow species. The flowers are used in the classic "Red Zinger" tea by Celestial Seasonings, and in many other citrus flavor teas on the market. If you grow your own, you have to bring it inside during the winter months, but she's a patio pleaser in the summer time - that is, if you don't eat all the flowers.

Rose of Sharon's equal directions of upwards and downwards growing patters remind me that her moving energy is mostly neutral, perhaps adaptive; not too stimulating or sedative, but rather "even keel". This is how I feel when I eat and drink of her medicine. And similar to the Rose genus, she feels like a heart soother; emotionally healing and uplifting but without illusion. A gift of Nature indeed.

Speaking of gifts, the Wineberries are ripe and very plump this year, keeping the kids happily picking bowl fulls each day.

And the Wormwood got so tall it began to fall over on itself .... so I harvested plenty and made a long smudge wand for my friend's Lodge.

mmmmm, the smell.
Some wild teas for my women's circle....
Yum.

My hobby on the side, inspired by my daughter who crochets far better, but less often, than I. These special medicine pouches will probably go to the Red Tent Temple Artisan Fundraiser, coming soon.
Oh yes. And my beloved Catnip, the Don Juan of Cats. I go to him for vibrational healing .... he has the most incredible purr.

I Want One!

An herbal medicine cooker?! Does anyone have one of these?