[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

Shoppe News: New Seasonal Blend Goddess Tea!

Our latest seasonal blend has arrived ~ Lilith's Spring Equinox Passion Tea.

A delicious blend with hibiscus, vanilla bean, malva flowers and more. You can read all about it and place your order here. Enjoy it while you can, because this will only be available until the Summer Solstice!

Sometimes people ask me how I create the teas we have, and I have to say they really are inspired. The Goddess' are my muse, and I let them lead the way:

Usually, I start with a sense of the kind of tea I want to create. For instance, a tea that reflects what seems to be the theme for not only Spring in general, but what I hear people expressing in their day to day lives as well right now:

words like "Growth", "Metamorphosis", "Challenges" and simply "A lot goin' on!" This is no surprise given that it is Spring, and we all feel that cabin-fever tension to get out and spread our wings. But I also have a tendency to look beneath the costume of words, to unbutton the cloak and see what's hiding there.

Underneath the theme in those words, the common thread would be possibilities. And one cannot support what's possible without hope. The final knot tying it all together? Passion. The flower that breaks free from its shell does so, because it has an inherent passion to bloom. Change is not a question, but an inevitability. It does not consider the why's and the how to's, it simply turns towards what supports its passion, and unfolds. That is magic, people!

With this magic in hand, I set out to look into which herbs support this kind of transformation in life. Various flowers and roots, leaves and lichen came into play. From there, I begin to consider where there is a theme medicinally ~ the practical side to magic. Slowly, the true nature of the blend is coming together.

Finally, I begin to make small cups of variations on the blend, to see which flavors best enhance one another. Sometime I already know how some will marry. But this time, for instance, I had never worked with hibiscus so I wasn't certain. I had to play with how much to add, how much to remove, back and forth.

Then suddenly, you take a sip and something sings! I know it is complete.

The next stage ~ although sometimes this comes first ~ is to see which Goddess has an affinity for this blend's properties. Sometimes it has to do with the practical side (as with Skatha) and sometimes it has more to do with the magical (as with Lilith/Lamia). With our Passion Tea, I was really struggling with everything for the tea label (from the name to the copy), and the Goddess I had attempted to choose wasn't complying. Her attributes where correct for the season, but She wasn't fired up about it. I was talking with a friend at Humboldt Herbals, being my animated self about how passionate and wonderful this new blend was. I literally get tingles when I drink it ~ so delicious! It is truly sensual and stimulating. I realized suddenly that I needed to step outside the box, as they say. To stop trying to make a puzzle fit, and let the pieces come together.

Although I realize that many would not associate Lilith, an ancient and somewhat dark Goddess image with the light-heartedness of Spring ~ it was She who landed on my shoulder from that moment on. She refused to budge, and whispered sweetness in my ear about the current season. I'm not one to ignore a Goddess when She lands, and Lilith's Spring Equinox Passion Tea was born.

Our Goddess Teas are a reverent offering, a mirthful dance with Mother Nature and gratitude for the gifts She shares. We hope you enjoy them ~ drink deep, get out and bloom!

Kindling for the fire: Anima Center

There is a wonderful place I have read about; and I have hopes of someday going there on retreat -- the Anima Center.

They have lots of events, workshops, etc coming up, you can check it out

here

One of the partners that sustains herself on the land, and assists in nurturing Anima, is Kiva Rose. You can find her blog down to the right under our "Health and Healing" blogroll, and in articles that she writes for SageWoman magazine. I find her to be wise, inspiring, inquisitive and kind...and surefooted, as she walks the land and learns from the green growing things. This woman lives off the land, and stokes the fires for living a life of passion and grace. She has a way of making you feel as if you sit right beside her, sipping a cup of delicious tea as she shares with you her understanding of herbs, her respect for the land she walks.

Blessings, Kiva Rose, thank you for sharing!

With great anticipation...

Spring is almost here-- can you feel it? Go out for a walk and bear witness to all the sweet budding of life everywhere! The earth is waking up, Mother Nature is opening Her arms wide in adoration of Her Sun.

This is a great time for taking herbs to cleanse our systems, to wake up and shake off that winter coat that carried you through.

Here's a simple recipe to help stimulate your liver and get things moving:

2 cloves garlic
1 oz organic olive oil
1 oz fresh squeezed, organic lemon juice

Blend this together and drink at once (use a blender or mini-food processor; if you don't have one, then you will need to very finely grate the garlic, or even press it first). I have seen different recommendations for this, but personally I do this one time every morning for 7 days. This helps to quickly move things through the liver, some may strongly feel this and some may not. I have found I get an intense burst of energy and alertness within minutes of drinking this.

It is helpful to follow this with a supportive tea infusion that you drink throughout the day, such as equal parts Dandelion Root, Burdock, Oatstraw and Nettles. Hmmmm...lovely!

If you would like to try an infusion like I mention above, it would be best to decoct the roots, or create a cold infusion. Here's how:

Decoction -- take equal parts of the Dandelion Root and Burdock, mix together and measure out a heaping 1 tbs for a quart of water. Simmer on low for 10-15 minutes in a covered pot. Remove from heat, and add 1 heaping tbs of the remaining blend (equal parts Oatstraw, Nettles -- you can even add some Red Clover, yummy!). Cover again and let cool. Strain and enjoy.

Cold Infusion -- Equal parts of all herbs, measure out 2 tbs and place in tea strainer in your favorite quart jar (mason jars, wide mouthed, are perfect for this). Cover the herbs and let this sit in a cool dry area overnight. In the morning, remove your tea strained and enjoy throughout the day.

*edit to add information about decoction and infusions

Herbal Materia Medica Terms

This list is in progress, it is by no means complete or comprehensive yet.

Adaptogens -- helps the body respond to stress, to adapt
Antispasmodic -- lowers muscle spasms, ie relieves cramping of muscles
Anti-rheumatic --
Astringent -- tones tissue internally and topically via restriction, can assist overall good health of tissues ( ie capillaries, organs)
Carminitive -- soothes gas and bloating; raises peristalsis action; warming
Diaphoretic -- can aide in the reduction of fevers; facilitates sweating and therefore release of
waste, toxins
Diuretic -- raises urine production, which helps to release waste
Emmenagogue -- assists in the regulations of menses
Nervine -- calms the nervous system via either stimulation or sedation
Tonic -- good for consistent use, tones and promotes overall good health

Materia Medica: Motherwort

Latin name/family: Leonurus cardiaca, Labiatae mint family
Habitat & Appearance: moist, disturbed areas; often will volunteer in gardens and take over; hardy plant -- pink to white flowers above leaf nodes, leaves opposite w/ pointed lobes; resembles mugwort
Parts used: flowers, leaves and stems
Energetics: bitter, cold
Properties: carminitive, heart (cardiac) tonic, diuretic, antispasmodic, anti rheumatic, emmenagogue, astringent, diaphoretic, tonic, nervine
Folklore & Magical History: Not a lot, references to a plant of Venus, suggestive a use in the affairs of the heart, love; due to it's uses, I can imagine it being wonderful to use in workings for mothers or children, as a plant of protection and for uplifting the heart

I love this plant. I wrote about this much earlier in brief, and thought it was appropriate to be the first herb that we took an expanded look at.

Many mothers commonly use this plant -- also known as "Mother's Little Helper"-- to take them down a notch when things are stressful. It is highly effective for this use, however there is much more it is known for. How else could it win such a regal and powerful name, which translates into Lion Hearted?

So let's get to it. Starting at the core of what I call the "Sensitive Body" (as opposed to the physical one, this aspect of our body houses our intuitive nature and such), our heart, this herb works wonders on our 'mindsight' -- the mind/heart connection -- by virtue of it's ability to calm down one's thoughts, and thereby emotions, via the channels of the heart. Contrary to what you may think, our thoughts create our emotions, not the other way around. For those of use struggling with an overactive mind and emotional constitution, this herb is a powerful ally.

But before I start sounding too airy-fairy for y'all, it does this in part because this lovely herb contains alkaloids and compounds that have proven in lab studies to have heart-regulating effects, while also being sedative and hypotensive. So Motherwort comes with the data to backup her claims. This means that as it literally helps to calm the physical response to stress in the heart and nervous system, it then in turn helps to lower one's emotional response and effects as well.

When we are caught in a biofeedback of negativity, we no longer see where the tension begins -- in the mind with my thoughts? With my emotions, such as when I feel anger, frustration? Or in my body, when my pulse races and my heart feels as if its contracting with tension? -- and therefore how to best assist healing. By calming the heart and nervous system, this herb steps into the negative biofeedback cycle -- as the body calms down, the mind can choose to follow.

I say choose because I have found that in order to get maximum use of this herb's gifts, when possible I take advantage of that calming state and explore the negative thoughts that are contributing to my stressed out body. I consciously choose to ignore the negative thoughts in my mind, and replace them with very positive, supportive ones. Instead of "I can't handle this" I literally tell that thought to "STOP!" and in turn say to myself "I can handle this, and I will." By combining the action of calming the physical reaction in the body while also calming the agitated state of the mind, I have thwarted the negative feedback system's power over me.

Indirectly this plant assists blood pressure, again due to its talents with the heart. It helps to allow the let-down of milk in nursing women, I suggest once again, due to its ability to calm and center a possibly tense body (any mother knows that breastfeeding is a learned art!). This herb is fantastic to use for those with anger, depression or grief issues. I have found in various books many references to all kinds of maladies that it helps: stomach aches, headaches, convulsions, etc etc. When you consider that so many of these issues can stem from tension and stress, again it is no surprise the efficacy of this herb for such issues. Meanwhile, it also is effective in the treatment of rheumatic issues; as well as edema of the heart.

Moving down in the body, we come to the uterus: because of Motherwort's talents with heart and tension, it is no surprise that it works wonders for PMS and particularly for menstrual cramping and slow-starting menses in women. This is because this plant is an emmenagogue and assists bleeding, as well as being antispasmodic to smooth muscles. Rosemary Gladstar notes in her book, Herbal Healing For Women: "concentrations of leonurine and stachydrine, chemical constituents that promote uterine contractions have been found in motherwort..." (p.248) This is also why it is not recommended during pregnancy by many herbalists, for obvious reasons; however, it has been used traditionally by midwives at the last stages of pregnancy to assist birth.

Wrap -up: Due to it's nervine and sedative properties, this herb can best assist heart-centered issues such as stress, depression, grief, anger, insomnia, indigestion, headaches, cramping, muscle spasms... to name only a few. Great for PMS, menstrual cramping and slow-to-start menses; can assist slow labor and raise uterine contractions; can help to lower blood pressure; may be used to lower hyperthyroid conditions.

Use and dosage: One dropperful of tincture, up to 4x a day

Contraindications: Not for those who have heavy bleeding during menstrual cycles; not recommended during pregnancy; caution for those with hypothyroid; have seen references not for use with endometriosis, fibroids.

Disclaimer: Herbs are not FDA approved, nor or we implying that anything here should or can replace the recommendation of your health practitioner. You are reading this on the internet--educate yourself, never assume, and check with your health practitioner before using herbs.

References:
Herbal Healing for Women, R. Gladstar
Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, S. Foster and C. Hobbs
Private notes from Northwest School of Botanical Studies
Plantetary Herbology, M. Tierra
A Modern Herbal, Grieve, M.

(I will be editing this to create links for book ref's, as well as a link to a list of descriptions for terms, and a formal disclaimer because we live in a highly litigious society, etc)

Daily Dose: spilanthes

One of the reasons for this blog endeavor is that I wanted to show how easy it is to use herbs in your daily life. Whenever I meet people who are not familiar with herbal benefits I find they tend to shy away from using them at all, thinking it's just too "difficult," or "confusing."

In truth, it can be if you are dealing with a more complex situation or specific pharmaceuticals, for instance. But it certainly doesn't have to be. In the posts titled "Daily Dose" I'll be offering up examples of how I use herbs in day to day life. I won't get much into the details about an herb (although I will include any specific contra-indications, or warnings), but I will try and come back and do so in a later post that will focus on that specific herb's qualities. Daily Dose is meant to be a quick reference, an herbal inspiration for the herbally impaired.

Today, it's Spilanthes (acmella oleracea).

My tooth has been hurting for a few days now, and it occurred to me that I may have a cavity. Since I can't get to a dentist right away, I pulled down my tincture of Spilanthes and placed a teaspoon in a shot glass with a bit of warm water. I swished this around my mouth for a good 30 seconds or more (just like when you use mouthwash), and then spit it out. (Yes, you could swallow it if you like; t has other benefits as well, I'll get to that in another post). My mouth quickly had that trademark tingly sensation that Spilanthes gives, like hundreds of miniature little firecrackers exploding in there. Then a gentle, soothing light numbness.

Within about 5 minutes, my tooth no longer hurt. Now I can get back to fixing Thanksgiving dinner. Sure, I will need to go to a dentist next week --if I have a cavity there's no way around needing a filling-- but until then, I will gargle probably about three times a day using the same method.

If the pain gets really bad, I will also put a little drop of clove essential oil in my palm, add 5 drops of olive oil, and then take a cotton swab and put that right on the gum (no open wound of any kind, please! clove oil is a potent irritant) above the hurting tooth. This works fantastic (!) for pain, and the relief is immediate.

The Wrap Up: Spilanthes, the "toothache plant" is a potent anti-bacterial and immune stimulant (known to even fight E. coli and staph). This plant is specific for issues of the gums and helps to numb them when you gargle with it, while offering relief for inflammation and infection of the gum tissues. It raises blood flow in the tissues, thereby helping to carry away the waste created by infection/inflammation -- all around, it's helping to keep any nasties I might have going on in my mouth at bay until I can get it taken care of. And that's just some of what this plant brings to the table. Good stuff!
Contraindications: none I've come across, however I've heard it can with high or regular use stimulate auto-immune issues (because it stimulates the immune system), so use with discernment if that's you.

Be Well,
MsThistle

The Dreaded M -- Mastitis and ways to naturally treat it

I promised to talk about herbal remedies for mastitis—The Dreaded M – so here we go:

Mastitis-- caused by either a form of Staphylococcus infection or even a Candida infection-- can come out of nowhere, usually accompanied by flu-like symptoms (achy, head-throbbing, bone tired, fever, etc. I have heard some mother’s even speak of vomiting).

Its partner in crime is the plugged duct. A plugged duct usually has symptoms of a red and (very) sore area on the breast, often it feels as if someone has punched you very hard in chest. If you explore the area (you should, and will have to if you are going to get rid of it), you may feel a hard little ball that is tender to the touch. Usually, if you have progressed to mastitis it began with a plugged duct that is now infected. You need to address any of these symptoms straight away, as mastitis can progress rapidly.

When I first had it, my fever climbed to 104 in a matter of hours. I had ignored the soreness in my breast assuming it was merely my breasts acclimating to nursing. But that kind of soreness is more akin to a tingling sensation running down through the breast, usually when your milk comes in, sometimes described as little crystals flowing down. A plugged duct is stationary, often hard and noticeably sore to the touch.

There are various natural treatments, and I’m hoping some of our lovely readers will offer suggestions of what they have done as well, but until then I’ll fill you in on what I have personally found to be tried and true.

Here is a list of approaches:

The Ginger Compress
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is warming and stimulating; one of nature's premier anti-inflammatory herbs, the heated ginger infusion will help to open up the duct as well as get things moving and releasing down and through the duct. The skin on our breasts is very delicate and will rapidly absorb the healing benefits of Ginger’s properties.

- fresh ginger root
- a pot filled with at least a quart of water, set to a low simmer with a cover
- a grater for the ginger, or at least a good knife
- a cloth (flannel or even t-shirt material works great)

Grate up the fresh ginger until you have a good 4 tb, add this to your water starting to simmer. Cover this and keep an eye on it, you don’t want it to boil (I sometimes leave the cover slightly askew so as to let only a little steam escape). Let this simmer for maybe 10 minutes, then turn it off and let it sit for a bit. You will want this to cool enough only so that it is bearable to apply to your breast. It needs to be hot, but let’s not burn the boobies, please. Whole other issue!

Strain the ginger bits out, although I have been known to not even bother (why? Because it was simply too much effort while feeling sick and trying to tend to the baby and house, the phone ringing, and oh, yeah-- the dog needs to be fed as well!, etc).

When ready, dip your cloth and saturate well with the ginger infusion. Apply this to the sore area on your breast, and leave there until it cools. You can also place the compress under your bra, so that you can still chase around the wee one while tending to the bigger issue. This needs to be done on a fairly regular basis, at the very least a few times a day. This works best if accompanied with other approaches as follows:

Breast Massage
In between compresses, which I would do off and on throughout the day whenever possible, is breast massage. This hurts if you are doing it right. You need to get in there and find the lump causing your soreness, and really press good and hard to try and release it (my first bout with mastitis, my CNM actually pushed and popped my plugged duct with a distinct sensation as it released), massaging the area and then squeezing down, pushing all the way down and out the nipple... Imagine a cross between pumping breast milk manually and squeezing toothpaste down and out the tube (yeah; great visual, no? Motherhood ain't pretty, folks!). You want to make sure that you see milk coming out as you do this. You are literally helping to clear the duct, as it were. This is much easier to pull off in a hot shower, by the way.

It helps for some women, especially well-endowed ones, to massage the breast while their child is nursing, even when you are not addressing this acute issue. For a month after my mastitis, I would take my breast in a vice-like grip (again with the wonderful visual!) and squeeze as I massaged my "hand vice" down the breast in rhythm as my babe fed. This helps to stimulate the process of milk releasing readily from the ducts and moving down and through efficiently. When I had my second babe recently, I started out the first month doing the same so as to er, prime the pump.

Rest
Now the hard part: You need to rest, mama. The one thing They are clear on is that mastitis is usually a symptom of exhaustion. (Who are They, anyway? I don’t know either, but They seem to know everything about us. Some They’s I trust, some I don’t. And it’s in direct proportion to what I already know, thank you). This is a situation that calls for you to put your feet up and at the very least sit around. Let the children crawl all over you, let the dishes pile up in the sink, forget the dog hair dust bunnies floating in every corner. REST. When people squawk at you for their needs, tell them Ms. Thistle said so.

The main cause of mastitis and plugged ducts is an over-worked body. Any new mama knows that this simply comes with the territory, and you have my greatest sympathy. But if you are not well, you cannot mother well. You know how after birth you are told by your practitioner that if you continue bleeding it is a sign you need to rest? Same with mastitis or plugged ducts. Our bodies are already being very taxed dealing with a newborn. Sleep is one of the most simple and proficient forms of healing in the body. If you are not getting enough sleep at night, see if there is family or your husband who can relieve you for a few hours – even one hour a day! – so that you can lay down. If you can’t sleep, at the very least laying down will help to calm the body. There are herbs as well to assist you in being calm, listed next:

Herbs

• Tincture of Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) in glycerite. You may use an alcohol tincture, but since you are breastfeeding you really need to sweat off the alcohol first (to do this, you place a dropperful in a shot glass and add steaming hot water. Let this sit until cooled. The alcohol will evaporate, leaving the medicinal benefits intact. Drink deep. You can add this to juice if you find the taste unsavory). While you are resting, take a big dropperful of Lemon Balm. Lemon Balm is a wonderful nervine, so not only will it assist in calming down your Central Nervous System; it also helps to keep fevers down while being anti-bacterial. When I first had The Dreaded M, I went straight from a sore red spot to a high fever that kept climbing by the hour, pushin 104E. Knowing its wonderful affinity for lowering fever, I started to take one dropperful of Lemon Balm every 20-30 minutes, and within 1-2 hours my fever was in check. Not gone, but manageable. The fever is a sign that your body is working to fight infection – it’s a good sign, but a concern when your temp begins to rise rapidly. The anti-bacterial benefits also help to fight off the infection that is trying to take root in that duct. Lemon Balm has other benefits, soon I will put up more info on its properties and give a link.

• Tincture of Echinacea (E. purpurea, preferably in this case or E. angustifolia) or Usnea (U. wirthii, U.californica, etc). It is worth it to also take doses of Echinacea tincture, to help support the immune system in fighting any infection in your duct. I have had great success as well with Usnea (a personal favorite that grows in abundance where I live), a powerful anti-bacterial herb (that is also anti-fungal/viral, by the by) and considered to be “nature’s antibiotic.” In fact, I use these two herbs in combination so often while nursing that I make a tincture of 50-50% with them. They marry well, and are safe while nursing and pregnant. The one caveat would be that a person with auto-immune disorders in general will not benefit from Echinacea, and may even feel worse with its use. If this is you, you can use the Usnea alone and/or the Mushroom complex. A dropperful, 4x a day during the acute phase of your ailment should do the trick.

• Mushroom complex blend. I have used one made by Pure, although I believe that Eclectic also carries a line. You are looking for a mix of Reishi (ganoderma lucidum), Shiitake (lentinus edodes) and Maitake (grifola frondosa) . This blend is fantastic, hands-down. I loves me some Echinacea, but I have to say that this complex has kicked a cold or infection out of my body in record time. I cannot believe how efficient it is. Theses adaptogenic mushrooms have potent immune stimulating properties: Reishi for instance has potent anti-inflammatory properties and has been known to aide in supporting the liver, fighting cancer and creating luminous skin, to name only a few (another herb that I will post about with links to more info in the future). This mushroom complex stimulates macrophages, which in turn eat up the infecting-causing bacteria. For this, taking 4 caps in the AM and PM should work.

Additional Methods & Info

• Nursing positions: Another thing that helps is to position the baby’s mouth so that the chin is aligned with the plugged duct. The suction, from what I’m told at Le Leche League, is strongest at the chin, and therefore best helps to draw out milk through the troubled duct. This meant for me, since my plugged duct was up high on the top of by breast (lucky girl!), I was straddling my sweet wee one as she lay on the floor essentially upside down in position to me, dangling my sore boob over her face on my hands and knees whilst she fed. It was the only way to have her chin facing my plugged duct, you see? This is why women seem to not usually get a plugged duct on the underside or bottom of their breast, because the babe’s chin is usually thereabouts. Now do you see better? During all of this, it is vital that you keep nursing. It is important to keep milk flowing and moving through the ducts, and there is no harm for the child. It can be rare that you are recommended not to nurse, and this is when it has advanced to serious stages of infection (at this point, you have hopefully gone to your practitioner, as the infection and pain would be great, more below).

• Lecithin supplements: I have not tried this myself, but have been told by a Le Leche volunteer that for women who seem to have chronic bouts with mastitis or plugged ducts, taking lecithin (available in both soy and egg derivatives) on a regular basis helps to keep the issue at bay. This makes sense to me, since Lecithin helps to bind fats (such as cholesterol) to water in the body, more readily assisting their travel and exit out of the body. Breast milk is heavy in fat, and actually starts out in something similar to powder form in our bodies that synergizes into breast milk and flows through the duct. Lecithin helps to ‘grease’ the ducts, as it were. The more I read about Lecithin, the more I think it is worthwhile to take regularly. It also aides memory, which countless new mama’s can attest to suddenly losing: “Mommy Brain” is frustrating and common.

• Candida? It is worth considering, if you believe this to be a yeast-based infection (usually a burning sensation down and through the nipple with extreme pain and cracking on the nipple while nursing; possibly you already are aware that you are prone to yeast infections such as vaginal?) it is worth looking into your diet further, as well as keeping away from any unnecessary sugar.

• Antibiotics Sometimes these conditions will advance to the point of an abscess forming with pus in the breast. If you have any of the symptoms I’ve listed, and you do not see a quick response from the methods listed here, get thyself to a doctor, as my herbal teacher liked to say. While I am in no way an advocate of the use of antibiotics, sometimes they will become necessary. If you do elect to use them, make sure to take a good and potent probiotic 2-3 hours after each dose of the antibiotic, as this helps to re-establish good bacteria that is killed off in the intestines by the medicine.
  

• Water -- drink large amounts (the average recommended amount is 64 oz per day). You should be doing this anyway, but it bears mentioning just in case.
  

• Finally, WARNING: With the recent surge of staph infections and resistance, we must be very careful how we address staph. I have seen it beat with these natural methods but sometimes the use of antibiotics becomes necessary; only you can decide how you want to treat your maladies so please EDUCATE YOURSELF as you attempt to treat yourself, never assume. If the situation continues to advance, please seek the advice of your health practitioner. Any of the information I supply here is never meant to replace the advice of your health practitioner, nor am I a Doctor. All FDA disclaimers in regard to alternative medicines apply. I will soon be listing many wonderful books, links and references to help you in your education.

Whew! That’s all for now. Since this blog is all new, I will be adding info as we go. I plan on also having a Materia Medica on our website (www.theblessedthistle.com), where I will go into more of the diverse healing properties of specific herbs, including all of those listed here. Please feel free to comment with suggestions/ideas/questions, or email any suggestions or questions directly as well: orders@theblessedthistle.com

Green Blessings of breast health!

k