[tap tap] Is This Thing Still On?

Hello out there! I am still around, even though our little shoppe is closed down. I was prepping some herbs today -- tomorrow I've a date with friends to show how to make a tincture -- and of course, reminded of how much I love working with herbs.

I wanted to remind people that my herbal tea blends, the Goddess Teas, are still available in bulk ONLY, at Humboldt Herbals. Give them a call. They did not have my teas online lat I checked but are happy to sell and ship over the phone.

And look for some upcoming posts in regard to herbs -- maybe a picture post on how to make a tincture?

Best,
Mrs. Thistle

All Good Things Come To An End - we are closing down

I've been putting this off for a few days, but it can't wait any longer.

I am sad to share with you all that The Blessed Thistle will be closing, after the first of the year. I don't think this will surprise people given the economy, of course. That is one important and unavoidable reason - but there are other, more personal ones as well. Suffice to say that the time is now, and so with a heavy heart, but also one with great clarity, we are closing our (virtual) doors.

I don't believe in saying never, so there is the possibility that you will see us again. I have a lot of faith in the value of these teas - both medicinally and energetically - so if somehow it all comes together in the coming years, I may launch a better and new version of this ol' herbal shoppe.

This blog may or may not continue, I'm not sure yet. I like being able to post about information, both inspirational and provocative, so ...we'll see. Check back and we will have updates about what is going on, most likely after the holidays.

The upside is that this means all teas and balm are on SALE! So jump over to our website and take advantage of your favorite blends, gift bags and tea strainers now available at WHOLESALE cost or even BELOW wholesale! Teas will last for well over a year in cool, dark and dry storage, so stock up! We have limited stock available, no rain checks - when it's gone, it's gone! You will note we have raised our shipping by up to $1.50 in some instances, and this is due to the rise in cost from the USPS to us.

Much love and blessings and
gratitude to all who have supported us over the years,
Be Well and Honey in the Heart,

Kimberely Arana
proprietress

What's Goin' On: OUTRAGEOUS - Updated

UPDATE:
Well, seems I can put my fist down. (Thanks Amy, from the HP List).

Quoted from the article above:
And Peter Shankman, a public relations all-star who knows everything and then some about new media, was giving the manufacturers some advice:

I’m not siding with Motrin. They messed up, granted. I’m ok with that. Companies mess up all the time. They fix the problem, and it usually doesn’t make the radar screen. The problem is, Motrin happened to mess up at the expense, and in the face of, one of the most vocal, quickest-to-blog, “strongest-to-band-together-and-form-one-opinion-like-the-Borg” collectives out there - The Mommy-Blogging community.

Now I am NOT slagging on Mommy-Bloggers. Not in the slightest. Nor, am I saying they’re over-reacting to the commercial, which, by rights, was stupid and patronizing. What I AM saying though, is that Motrin will pay a MUCH bigger price, as opposed to if they’d messed up in front of say, “Construction-Worker-Bloggers.” Mommy-Bloggers are not a voice to be messed with, probably because they’re one of the most clearly identifiable voices on the web. You have a kid? You blog about said kid? You’re a Mommy-blogger. You don’t need an advanced degree in particle physics to see what these bloggers have in common.

Or, as one Tweet put it:

note to self … never piss off moms … especially twitter moms … they can be a nasty bunch ;)


Yay! The power of Networking Mama's. Jump to the article, and see Motrin's letter of apology.

_______________________________________________________

This was shared with me this morning, and outrageous commercial from Motrin (thanks, Dominique!):



I almost hate to show it here, I'm so furious. But I want you to see it, and to know the levels of coercion that some companies are willing to go to, in order to get you to use their product. Some companies will demean you, condescend to you... all the while trying to make it seem like they are the ones who really, truly get it.

Hey, Motrin? You don't get it.

I know from personal experience, that using the right sling means no back pain, no headache. My first baby, I carried her in a sling that didn't work for me. And yes, I had back pain. It was awful. I didn't hold her as much, and many times she needed me to. My second, I found another sling that worked wonderfully, and all was good. VERY good (It's the Ergo, people! At least for me. What worked for you?). And yes, it does mean a happier and calmer baby. If the sling didn't work, why has it been used since, I don't know, the beginning of time? This is a no-brainer.

But apparently if you use a sling, you will need Motrin. Underlying that however, is the sense that you shouldn't use a sling anyway. Unless you want to be 'official' (WTF?) or 'fashionable'. This, my sisters, boils down to this equation:
using a sling = being SHALLOW, being a sheep. Get it? They are using our mothering instincts as ammunition against us, packaging it as a mere commodity to whine about.

If a mother chooses not to use a sling, please may it be because she truly doesn't need it, not because she has been influenced by some ridiculous ad cooked up by a pharmie company that attempts to present it's snarky attitude as the better, more hip choice. Pop culture, sadly, does influence people. Motrin should be ashamed. They could have done an ad that didn't play into the "hipster" mentality: they could have done an ad that calmly suggested if a mother was having a hard time, she might use Motrin (well, of course you all know I would say to try maybe some arnica oil first on those hurting shoulders, some oatstraw, motherwort and skullcap tincture to soothe the nerves... ). Instead they market the sling as only being used because it is FASHIONABLE. They suggest that a mother is tired and in pain from using a sling, and from (gasp) having to carry her child. As if we care for our children only out of shallow duty, dictated by Instyle magazine. Disgusting.

Why does it seem that the more we struggle to sift through the pyre of crap the modern MTV age panders to us, and nurture our selves and our children back to a place that is fulfilling and simply feels good and right, the more subliminal and insidious do these ads get?

There is a nasty trend in these ads, like the HFCS one (don't get me started!), that is bigger than just a wee ad about aspirin.

Its this creepy ME ME ME state of mind, which serves the most primitive aspects of our Egos, that sends a direct hit to our selfish desires, serving to push aside what we may feel and know is best for our children, our families. It's what is feeding the consumer culture, and we are all crashing in debt because of it: don't worry about anyone else, even your kids, just worry about YOU, and what YOU want. It's the new heroin for the masses.

And Motrin is offering you stock in some of that.

I smell a Boycott being baked...

[shakes fist in the air]
edited because I can; and one more time at 11:32 AM because I'm more awake now. I swear, I won't edit this again!!

What's Goin' On: The Disappearing Male

There's a documentary coming out in Canada [waves], The Disappearing Male, that highlights a growing and scary trend: growing rates of infertility and birth defects, as well as health problems, with males.

I'll give you one guess what some suggest it is linked to.

Yup. Seems the issues run higher in 'industrialized' nations, and for instance in "Chemical Alley," a place in Canada right next to a petrochemicals plant. Go figure.

They have been studying the decline in the birth of male children in the Aamjiwnaang First Nation community located next to the infamous Chemical Valley, Canada's largest concentration of petrochemical plants, near Sarnia.

A paper co-authored by Keith and published three years ago in the U.S. journal Environmental Health Perspectives suggests that exposure to various chemicals produced by industrial plants surrounding the Aamjiwnaang reserve land may be skewing the community's sex ratio.

Read all about it here. This gave me serious pause this morning.

Kindling For the Fire: A Prayer For You

From Dead Can Dance: Noble Prayer. (Thanks to SandraEgidio)




Thoughts that this kindled for me:
There is a lot of craziness out there today. It is so easy to forget what is important, to neglect the precious moments with those we love, to walk past the bounty and gifts that nature offers up everyday, there for the taking. No matter what race, creed, class or beliefs - we each are here for a reason. We are here to learn and evolve from each other, with each other. No one is truly ever alone, and in this truth we can pray for a better world for us all.

Life is a field of unlimited creation that we choose to manifest. We can choose to have compassion, to embrace an open mind and give room for the dynamic ways of being that this world offers us. Compassion is an action, it grows and flourishes the more that we practice it. Compassion is like honey; a gift from the heart of hard work and effort, unhurried and dense with sweetness when we savor it. It lingers in the heart once tasted.

The ways that we are connected, I firmly believe, are far more important and worthy of my intention (attention! ;>) than the ways that we are different. This is my prayer for you - for those of you struggling on your way, for those of you who feel left out in the cold, for those of us who may feel overwhelmed, misunderstood. For anyone out there that desperately needs a kind word, a sweet smile. Or simply a lucky break.

Breathe. Smile (even if it hurts.) Wake up at sunrise and whisper "Thank You."

May all beings find their honey... may we all find our feet on a path towards our personal best, towards being cherished.

"Walk in beauty, run in freedom."
- Cora Anderson

Daily Dose: Mellow Me Tincture

I've meant to post this one for awhile: I had a friend who dropped by to help me with computer issues I had, and he was an absolute bundle of stress. His shoulders were almost visibly bunched up around his neck, he was talking rather fast (for him) and kept mentioning the work overload he had. His tension was palpable.

I grabbed the main tinctures that I had available to suit his needs - Motherwort, Oatstraw (avena sativa), and Pedicularis (p. densiflora). We've talked about Motherwort, and I will need to add to the Materia Medica about the other two, Oatstraw and Pedicularis (pictured at left).

For now, since the Daily Dose is meant to give you easy ways to use herbs daily, know that these herbs are each nervines, with different attributes about them. Oatstraw is a wonderful and gentle nervine, and will help to calm the stomach as well, bieng a gentle antispasmodic. Pedicularis is a great muscle relaxant and a strong sedative, so when you combine these both with the power of Motherwort, you get one mellowed out person.

I took about two full tincture droppers full of the Motherwort and Oatstraw, and then one of Pedicularis, squirted it into a clean fresh tincture bottle and shook it up. Then I gave him one full dropperful as one dose. I was ready to give him more, he was that tense - but he swears he felt it immediately 'melt' through his body (yeah, it can work that fast). I had wished at the time I had Skullcap instead of the Oatstraw (more potent in it's effects, I've found). But given the results, I'm glad that since I did not have it handy, I got creative and came up with what I share with you here.

He was visibly more calm, and a smile blossomed on his face.

Warnings: nothing too serious for these herbs, I would not use this blend in high doses or when about to drive a or operate machinery, as it could be highly sedative in large amounts. Pregnant women should look for something else to calm them, such as Lemon Balm blended with Oats and Chamomile (or just straight Chamomile, as long as you aren't allergic to Ragweed family).

Shoppe News: We have a new batch!

We are happy to share that we have a new batch of Breast Balm curing, and all seems good to go. We need to update our website that the large size is now available again. Yay!

Thanks for your patience, and as always - your support and positivity!