Kindling for the fire: Healing the Wild Within, and Without

Myth and storytelling, like ritual, have been with us since our first breath. Through our telling of tales, we connect and reconnect with one another and with our surrounding nature. Throughout the ages, as we connect the delicate strands of individual life together into common tales, we are reminded of how precious life is, how precious we are to one another. The journey is not so lonely. The burden not so great -- when it is shared. Each healing a tiny star, joining the one with many to illuminate the night for the next fellow traveler.

This is a lovely re-telling of the fairy tale The Girl With Silver Hands, wherein the author takes a look at her own journey through illness. She reconnects this to our refecltion of dis-ease in the wild, and our mutual need to heal. A star to add to our night sky, lighting the way: here

(Image is by Sulamith Wulfing)

Rite of the Moment: Ostara

Hail spring! It is the equinox -- a time of balance, renewal, growth. The green good things are bursting out of their tight coats all across the fields, blossoms and beauty are everywhere we look. This is a wonderful time to stand in your center, to acknowledge the depths of wintertime's reflection before turning your face towards the illumination of spring.

Ritual has been around since our beginning -- it does not matter what your religion may be, or the path you consider to be on. We all have the ancestral history of ritual and its power pulsing through our collective bones. It was used and it still works, because ritual enables us to step outside our mundane every day lives and acknowledge what is unique, amazing or valuable to us. What do you consider a miracle in your life? And in your own way, how do you wish to acknowledge it and gives thanks for it? Ritual is the perfect vehicle for doing this.

We thought we would offer up a simple and easy ritual to symbolize the changing season within that is reflected in nature. And if you feel that ritual makes you uncomfortable, then we invite you to simply take a moment and breath deeply, and offer a prayer of thanks for the blessings in your life. Then state clearly, out loud, what you will tend to in the coming season, what you will nurture and take care of. It can be as simple as "I will drink more water," to "I will not yell at my child all the time."
Just make it something that really would make a difference in your life, no matter how small. The idea here is that we are going to take care of something, and help it to blossom in our lives in the coming days.

For those ready for the rite, here we go. You will need:

1 egg
a plant, or a packet of seeds and somewhere to share them
water

Sit wherever you can, and take a moment to close your eyes and just become aware of your breathing. See if you can slow it down, just a bit. Good. Now see if you can deepen each breath, just a little bit more.

Place the egg cupped in your hands. Think for a moment about what you have lived through during the winter that is now passing. Maybe it was a great season for you, no drama or illness --give thanks in your thoughts for these blessings. Or maybe it was a really trying time -- a family member passed, you made it through a tough battle with cancer, or maybe a child was just having a rough school year.

And here you are. You are breathing, you are alive--you made it through. Can you see the teachings within the strife? Take a moment and see if you can, no matter how small. Give thanks for the lessons that difficult times can present, and gratitude that you have made it to today.

With your last thought of thanks, breath in deeply and exhale slowly and with emphasis all over your egg. You can really go with this -- blow hard, moan and groan if you need to! Sing and holler if you want. You are charging this little egg with all that you just recalled.

Ideally, if you can -- go to the nearest body of running water and turn your back so that you are facing against the flow. Toss the egg over your shoulder and walk away. Don't look back; let the water carry away what is done. Let go, and move on. If you can't go to the river, or a stream, or even the ocean -- then you can still find a ready and willing flow from your sink down the kitchen drain. Ritual can be practical, too!

Now, go over and pick up that plant, or that pack of seeds, and once again sit for a moment and breath. Think about something, anything, that is your heart's desire. Something that you want to nurture and foster in you, that you want to see blossom. Maybe you want to learn how to play guitar, or maybe you wish you could be more calm with your child on a daily basis. You know you have this in you, you just need to put your focus and attention towards this something to nudge it along.

Pick up the plant, or the seeds, and again take a deep breath and then exhale, focusing on this promise to yourself. Let it out good and strong -- make this count! This is for you, and in turn for those you love. Then go and toss those seeds where they will grow, or place that plant somewhere that you can give it attention. End this by carefully watering your charge, and giving thanks for yet another season you have passed through.

As the days grow in light, take the time -- it doesn't take long -- to water those seeds, or that plant. Let them be a symbol of what you cherish in yourself, what you choose to let blossom. As you water the new growth, take a moment to again breath deep, and focus on your intention.

The time is now! Get out there and bloom!

Note: We feel the need to point out that this is truly more like a working, or a very shortened version of ritual. Ritual usually has elements in it that take a bit more time and focus, however we wanted to offer up something that was very engaging and yet wouldn't be too much to pull off for all you busy people out there.

(Tomorrow, we will have more about the shoppe and latest info, but for today we wanted to only give gratitude, and stir up some growth. )

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!

Kindling for the fire: Randy Pausch's last lecture

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)