Herbal Love from Northern Vermont

Community Supported Nikolaus Tea

2011-11-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

I want to share a kickstarter project by a good friend, writer, performer, and practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine. His poetry is deeply felt and authentic. His poetry is medicine. For some it will resonate and nourish that deep and quiet space inside of us that longs for real life. For some it won't. Give it a try. Watch the video below and or follow this link to see his kickstarter page.

Herbal Remedies for Children During the Cold and Flu Season

2011-11-22T22:39:00.001-05:00

I just attended a wonderful free webinar with Rosalee de la Foret and Michael Tierra, of East West School of Planetary Herbology. This was a wonderful and delightful experience, full of accessible and practical information on how to treat colds and flus, fevers, congestion, cough, tummy upsets, and sore throats with some general pointers on using herbs with kids.

In 2007 the FDA issued a warning the children under 6 years old should not take any over the counter cold and flu remedies. These remedies were found to be ineffective and dangerous. They almost had the warning cover children under 11.

Fortunately, relieving colds and flus is one of the areas where herbalism really shines, and even Western Allopathic Medicine is beginning to recognize that. For example, elderberry has been scientifically proven to be clinically effective against certain viruses, including H1N1. And it makes a yummy syrup that kids of all sizes enjoy taking! While the advice in this book is specific to children, it is also all very sound advice for adults. Many of these same protocols are used extensively for adults. And while the webinar is over, Rosalee's e-book, which is even more information rich than the webinar, will be available for sale on Saturday (and between now and then she will be giving away daily prizes). You can sign up to learn more at her blog. I find Rosalee to be a very intelligent and insightful teacher who has a knack for breaking down information in an incredibly user-friendly way. I am continually impressed with her video lessons on HerbMentor.com and her e-books. Her teaching materials are a big part of HerbMentor.com and have helped me grasp herbalism in new ways.

Living in a Zombie World: Part 1

2011-11-20T10:08:00.000-05:00

It's like a zombie movie. Every day.

You know they are out there. Everywhere. Anywhere. And they don't always have that distinctive shuffle and lurch.

So you look for other clues. Plumes of smoke. Hand gestures. You stare so hard and so long, trying to see that slender white stick in their fingers that zombies and non-zombies alike think you are a freak. You smell people when they come over. Not overtly of course (unless it's your mama), but you smell them when they come over for a potluck or movies. And it's important. Very important.

Because your husband, who we will call Ulysses, has tobacco hypersensitivity. That is, he is allergic to the tobacco plant. Bummer. Mega bummer.

Why? Because the antigens found in the plant, are also found in the smoke. Study after study has confirmed this.

And of course, it is hard to avoid air born allergens. Oh the way smoke moves! The distances it travels! The way it rushes into your home when you open the door. The way it snakes through your windows. The way it settles into clothes, hair, furniture. The way it just hovers, on a stagnant day, long after the people and the cigarettes have gone.

And a fair number of people out there are allergic to this plant. One study found that 38% of volunteers were Tobacco Hypersensitive or TH. Another found that 30% were. How this manifests and what this means clinically is still up for debate. Honestly, it is researched but not well enough.

From studies or anecdotal, I know of people who vomit, pass out, have respiratory distress, go into anaphylactic shock, develop vascular disease, or develop blisters all over there body. Some have no perceptible symptoms (if their sensitivity is mild). Ulysses has asthma, which is common. But also, his skin burns and itches. It only takes the barest most faintest amount of the stuff - in the air or on an object (known as third hand smoke). And it gets worse and worse over the course of 48 hours. Unless he does something about it. But admittedly, our arsenal against it is small.

This allergy and how it affects him, breaks my heart. It limits him and us in ways too numerous to mention.

When you are very allergic to tobacco, you become afraid of people (they might smoke). You are afraid to go out. You weigh activities you love (going out and dancing all night) against the reality that your skin will be burning and itching the whole time and you will have a hard time breathing (on a good day this means the struggle for breath is mild and your lips and eyelids turn blue from lack of oxygen; on a bad day you are coughing and gasping for breath and fear you will die). Your girlfriend/fiancee/wife doesn't want to go out on dates with you. She likes being home, where you are affectionate and sweet. But out in the world, there is tobacco smoke. And when your skin is burning and itching, it is hard to reach out and touch someone. It is hard to laugh as easily and as passionately as you normally do.

But even harder to deal with, is the way people respond to the idea that someone can be allergic to cigarette smoke. Most people don't believe it. Individuals who deal with a serious and debilitating illness usually have the love and support of those around them. But for many people with allergies, particularly those with symptoms that other people cannot see, they do not receive compassion or consideration. They receive derision, disbelief, and disregard for their allergy. One woman, who is so allergic that she blisters when she comes in contact with smoke, had someone slip tobacco into her food because they did not believe her. She was hospitalized.

But honestly, when I first dated Ulysses, I couldn't quite believe it either. It sounded so strange. Your skin burns? You feel oil come out of your pores and it burns? I didn't outright disbelieve it either. Instead, I let it hover in a kind of limbo waiting for more information. And the information came and came and came.

Now, I can look across a crowd and know that Ulysses is smoked. One moment he is fresh and squeaky clean from a shower. The next, his face is so oily he looks like it's been a week at least since he even thought about bathing. He smiles.

And the more I learn about allergies, the more it makes sense. The skin is a very sensitive organ. After all, when you go to an allergist you often get a skin test to see what allergens you react to. It is also an organ of excretion. A way we move wastes and toxins from the interior of our body to the outside world. This excretion can be very irritating.

But why do people have allergies? Why are some people more susceptible to developing them? And what makes them susceptible to particular allergens?

We have partial answers. Allergies and immune function is not yet fully understood. But what I understand is this:

Most allergies are not static. That is, you have allergic response to dairy one day but not the next. Everyone has a stress threshold. Below this threshold, you do not have a perceptible response to the allergens you are sensitized to. But above this threshold you do. For example, you wake up from a dream about ice cream sundaes and the incredible child-like joy they give you. You hope out of bed, bolt to the freezer and wolf down the last of Sweddy Balls, from Ben and Jerry's. You feel great. But a week later, you wake up, go to the bathroom, encounter mold and mildew, which bumps you closer to your stress threshold. Then you get into a fight with your mom over the phone. This puts your stress through the roof. And you reach for the ice cream. And you have an allergic reaction to that dairy.

Some people who are particularly sensitive are thought to have one or both of the following:

A higher toxic burden in their blood so on a daily basis they are closer to their stress threshold; or
A lower stress threshold due to asthma (making you more susceptible to aeroallergens like mold, dust, and cigarette smoke) or digestive weakness.

Unfortunately, a path to a cure is sometimes not always clear. Avoiding all known allergens is the obvious first step. With food allergies it can be difficult but you do have control. With air born allergies, you will struggle and struggle and struggle to avoid those things that hurt you. Sometimes, I wish that as a culture, we smoked the peanut plant. There are so many who are so allergic to this plant that I think, surely then, surely then our culture would give up smoking. And maybe those who did struggle with this debilitating allergy would at least not feel so alone.

HERBAL REMEDIES IN A ZOMBIE WORLD
But what can you do about allergies? For Ulysses, this is our small but growing list of allies:

A hot shower: This opens up his pores and speeds up the detoxification process, which I believe is most responsible for his skin reaction. I know someone who also has asthma and very sensitive skin and the only thing that give him relief from hives is a hot shower.
Peppermint Hydrosol: I make a strong peppermint hydrosol by adding several drops of organic peppermint essential oil to water in a small spritz bottle. This is good emergency relief. It increases blood flow to the skin, is anti-inflammatory and deeply cooling. You can look up aromatherapy guidelines for recommendations for essential oil/menstruum ratios. I go above the recommended amount as the more intense the peppermint sensation, the more relieved Ulysses feels. Peppermint essential oil can be very irritating to the skin and eyes so use caution. Ulysses equates using the peppermint hydrosol to taking aspirin for a migraine. You still have a headache but it dulls it to a tolerable level. At least for a while. He is very enamored with this remedy and the relief it brings him! Also, people like the way he smells.
Osha Root Tincture: This is a new find and so far we've had exciting results! I learned this remedy from "The Village Herbalist" course by Heather Nic an Fhleisdeir on HerbMentor.com. She recommended using just five drops of organic osha root tincture under the tongue to stop an allergic reaction. She has used it successfully to treat an acute sever anaphylactic shock response in a friend. Osha stops the allergic reaction. But then you need to do things to help with the extreme detox responses that arise from such a strong allergic reaction, such as vomiting, diarrhea, and extreme skin irritation/itching. Ulysses has been using it this week. When he encounters a very minute amount of smoke, he starts out with a mild reaction that intensifies over time until it becomes extremely painful. We've used it three times and it seems to stop the reaction right in its tracks. Yay!
Reishi, Burdock, Licorice Decoction: This is our long term strategy for cleaning his "dirty" or toxic blood. Reishi is anti-allergic and detoxifying. Burdock is a supreme liver detoxifier and blood cleanser with a specific affinity for the skin. Licorice makes the reishi palatable (reishi is very bitter). It is also good for adrenal fatigue which is often part of the picture with allergies.
Fresh Nettle Tincture: Fresh nettles have a plant histamine that help to reduce an individuals histamine response. They are also super loaded with vitamins and minerals. As far as I can tell, most illnesses can be cured with the proper nutrition. As they say in Traditional Chinese Medicine, spleen/stomach qi strong, prognosis good. Spleen/stomach qi weak, prognosis bad.
Valerian or Skullcap Tincture: These help to nourish and soothe the nervous system and calm down the anxiety that often accompanies a strong allergic response and asthma. Valerian is also a smooth muscle relaxer so it helps with asthma.
Lobelia Tincture: A wonderful remedy for acute asthma attacks. Use caution with this plant because it is strong and emetic (makes you puke at a high dosage and can potentially have more toxic side effects at higher dosages; fortunately, all you need is a low dose).
Bike Riding: Ulysses always has a milder reaction if he is riding his bike. I suspect that this is because his circulation is increased speeding up the reaction. His immune system may also be modulated. Or maybe it's the adrenaline coursing through his veins, keeping the inflammatory responses in the body down. Not sure why it works, but it does.

Unfortunately, we had to move out of our home in Burlington over a year ago because people who smoked moved in next door and the houses were very close together and the smoking was very much outside. We found a wonderful allergen free, affordable apartment in Richmond Vermont, which is a much smaller town. It was amazing! But then NOFA Vermont bought the apartment building, broke everyone's leases and evicted everyone with less than 60 days notice. We have yet to find allergen free housing that we can afford :o( And currently are living somewhere where Ulysses encounters cigarette smoke every day in the house from neighbors. This is very sad. But it is forcing up to amp up our efforts to heal him. So starting Dec. 1 we are both going on an herbal bowel cleanse (to reduce the toxic burden in your body) while eating a cleansing Ayurvedic diet. I will also be drinking four cups of bitter wormwood tea in an attempt to deal with my worms (see Worm Belly: Part 1). I'll let you know how it goes! But promise to leave out all of the gratuitous details.

Culinary Herbalism: Turmeric

2011-11-18T17:26:00.001-05:00

Turmeric, Botanical Drawing

Turmeric... is the most researched substance in all of scientific nutrition research today including drugs and all other substances... More than one scientific paper a day is produced on turmeric and its benefits.

K.P. Khalsa from CulinaryHerbalism.com

In the beginning of my herbal life I have to admit: It was the medicinal herbs that stole my heart. Particularly the weeds. They were so new, so interesting, and so effective. Somehow, I lost sight of the culinary ones. I loved them. I grew them. I added heaps of them to my food (much to the chagrin of Ulysses). But I didn't pay attention to them.

And then, a funny thing happened. The FDA began to crack down on herbal medicine making and remedies. Oh I could go on and on and on about this one. Especially considering how dangerous and poorly regulated even over the counter pharmaceuticals are. And not only did the FDA crack down but they did so in a confusing mystifying way. One which was very hard to navigate as a micro-business. And so I found myself thinking more and more about culinary herbs and spices. Weren't these the very heart of herbal medicine anyway? The tried and trued herbs who were so effective that our ancestors thought we needed daily doses of them and so discovered ways to make them palatable in food? Safe, effective culinary herbs beyond the corrupt grasp of the FDA... Yes, I did need to start paying attention to these beauties.

And then I quit my job at Burlington City Arts and became a culinary herb grower at Arcana Gardens and Greenhouses. My love and respect for these herbs has grown substantially. And my new ventures into Indian cooking have only added to the fervor I feel for these herbs and spices.

Turmeric Flower

TURMERIC
Turmeric is, quite simply, incredible.

As a powerful anti-inflammatory, my mama makes turmeric capsules, which she takes every time her knee acts up and voila, gone goes the pain. It is also an Ayurvedic remedy for acute asthma attacks. A teaspoon of turmeric sauteed in ghee or coconut oil is quite palatable and it seemed to help Ulysses when he gobbled it down during an asthma attack (more often we use lobelia tincture and sometimes valerian).

Beyond this, I must admit, I do not have direct medicinal experience with the plant. But the internet and books abound with the astonishing research and traditional uses of this plant. One particularly cool article about curcumin's (a chemical component of turmeric) ability to kill cancer cells, can be found here. A few other resources are at the bottom of this post.

IN FOOD: Turmeric combines well with chilis, cardamon, and cumin. Try sauteeing ginger, garlic and onions in some ghee or coconut oil. Then add turmeric, chilis, cardamon, cumin seeds and cumin powder. After 1 minute add the veggie or veggies of your choice and serve with rice. Yummy!!!

I also throw it into any and all cooked grains. Too much can be bitter and overwhelming if it's not balanced with other spices, but a little adds some nice color and some health benefits.

Turmeric Powder

FOR MORE INFO on turmeric, try checking out these resources:

The Fairy Chasing Brigade

2011-11-14T12:03:00.000-05:00

Orchid Plant Spirit, Copyright Angela Laurita

While eating out with the in-laws it became obvious that perhaps my memory is... a little lacking. My father-in-law (let's call him Jack) told us about flying on a plane with a nuclear engineer who tried to convince him that nuclear power was safe. The nuclear waste was only dangerous because it was concentrated. If we spread it out in everybody's yards, it would be harmless. I was shocked! Then my husband (let's call him, Ulysses) told us that they do that in France. They contain the waste in ceramic or glass beads (I can't remember which) and spread them out on people's property. I was doubly shocked! At which point, Ulysses said, This proves it! What? You always say that you never heard of something (usually several times a day) but you did, you just don't remember! Jack and I told you this in North Carolina. This was definitely not true. I would have remembered this! But Jack agreed. On the beach. In North Carolina. Two months ago. We had the same conversation. And I was just as shocked then.

One might think that this post is going to segway into some good herbs for memory and brain function like Rosemary and Gotu Kola and Gingko and Sage. But alas. No. It's about fairies.

You see, in an effort to explain what did appear to be the early symptoms of dementia, I said, But I wasn't paying attention. Not really. It's like most things just skim along the surface of my brain. You guys find everything interesting and meaningful, so you remember them.

While this may have staved off a visit to the doctor's office, it was a little incriminating. As Jack pointed out. It sounded like I just said I don't pay attention to anyone because they not that interesting.

Ulysses said, if you listened to my brain, it would go like this: herb herb herb herb

At which point, I had to admit that it was more like: herb herb herb fairy herb herb herb fairy

Which made Jack even more concerned for my mental health. The rest of the conversation involved words like parsley, thyme, and oregano being randomly tossed into sentences with the hope that I might actually pay attention (which worked! Embarrassing). Of course, it is possible that the worms were affecting my mental functioning, but that's for another day.

The interesting and herbal part of this long-winded window into my life is this:

When we went home I reconnected to the world wide web only to engage in one of my favorite past times: surfing the net to learn new and interesting herbal tidbits. I went to Jim McDonald's Master Herbalist Article Index. A new find (via HerbMentor.com) that I had been exploring for a couple of days. And the first article I selected just happened to be Guido Mase's, Herbal medicine commentary: are we 'chasing fairies'? This is a wonderful article by an incredibly intelligent, knowledgeable and scientific herbalist. Years ago, I went to an herb store in Winooski, VT, to take a class in Advanced Tincture Making with someone named Guido Mase. I learned more in 2 hours than I have in any class I have ever taken (and I went to a competitive Math Science High School and studied Biology in College before switching to a Visual Arts major). One of the most interesting aspects of his teaching was how much the full range of herbalism was embraced, from the most scientific (oh the beauty of chemistry!) to the most metaphysical (oh the beauty of alchemy!). You can find the handout from that class and many others on his website, Grian Herbs.

But back to fairies. So hear I am, having admitted to a belief in fairies to my very intelligent and rational husband and in-laws, and I find myself back home reading this beautiful prose right here from a very intelligent and rational herbalist:

I work with fairies everyday in my garden. They help me out a lot, and the spirits that inhabit plants have broad-ranging powers and may be responsible for much of nature's medicine. In making this statement I am being very grounded and scientific: in my experience, 'fairies' are real, and have observable and testable effects.

Yay!

My mama believes in fairies, too. She took this shot to photograph an orchid plant spirit:

Orchid Plant Spirit, Copyright Angela Laurita

In fact, my mama believes in all sorts of fun and interesting things. Like Guido, she has some very real verifiable experiences with things that our linear Western culture contends cannot be true (and not always rationally).

Orchid Plant Spirit, Copyright Angela Laurita

Herb Babies

2011-11-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

This one is a repost from herbalteat.com because I was in such a good mood when I wrote it back in early April and gosh darn it, I love it.

Herb Babies: Oregano

I like to think that I was an herb baby.

Herb baby facts:

Born in early spring.
Raised on windowsills. (My small, jaundiced body demanded sunlight, and so I travelled from windowsill to windowsill, following patches of fickle spring light.)
Lived on chamomile tea. (I had colic and like any good Italian mother, my mama alternated breastmilk with bottles of chamomile tea.)
Named for a plant, Melissa officinalis or lemon balm. (Of course, my mother thought she was naming after an Alman Brothers song, but that's another story.)
My grandfather was a Poppy (Not a Grandpa).

Of course, when I began writing this post I was thinking of actual green leafy, often fragrant herb babies that grow out of the dirt, but now that I think about it, human herb babies are a good topic, too.

Herb Baby: Melissa

We are, as humans, invariably shaped by the world around us. More and more, studies show that what happens while we are en-wombed, and then babies, has a strong and lasting impression. While I have yet to test this out on my own herb babies (they are, as of yet, unborn), I can say that I have seen this play out in my own life. For example, until a few years ago, I was constitutionally unable to sit in a house during daylight without literally following it around the house like a cat. Now, many people enjoy sitting in a patch of sunlight. I mean, it is so warm and very nice and that's why our hedonist feline friends can so often be found in it. But with me, sitting anywhere else literally didn't feel right. I almost couldn't do it. I had no idea why until I learned that yes, that is the way I spent my first few weeks of life. I also spent my teenage years listening almost exclusively to classic rock (much to my friends' chagrin) and had an uncanny experience as a 16 year old while drinking chamomile tea (but that is for another post - one centered on the many wonders of the gentle but potent chamomile). And of course, I am an herbalist.

Will all herb babies grow up to be herbalists? I hope so. But at the very least, I expect they shall have a dear soft spot in their hearts for Mother Earth. They will know how to care for themselves in simple and non-destructive ways, and they will feel safe in a world where all they could ever need is literally growing right beneath their feet (or on the side of the road or in between side walk cracks dependent upon where they live).

And now, because this post was supposed to be dedicated to the herb babies I have been spending the most time with, I will present them with their own moment to shine, here, in cyber space, where we cannot smell their exsquisite aromas or fully appreciate the momentary beauty of evening sunlight on leaves. But still, some piece of us that holds the solemn memory of an herb that once made us happy or hungry or relieved some ailment, may come alive and say, ah, that is a nice picture, and ah, maybe I should buy some herbs at the Herbal Teat. We soon hope to sell some live herb starts from Nama Farm and Arcana and in the mean time we are peddling over 100 dried varieties of organic herbs, teas, and spices.

Herb Babies: Lavender

Herb Babies: Catnip

Herb Babies: Sage

Herb Babies: Thyme

Herb Babies: Mostly Parsley

Herb Babies: Valerian

Herb Babies: Yarrow

Herb Babies: Mostly Yarrow

Featured Herb Babies lovingly grown at Arcana Gardens & Greenhouses in Jericho, VT.

Herb Toddler: Basil

Worm Belly: Part 1

2011-11-11T12:34:00.000-05:00

Ahhh... how many of us are there out there. Those who have witnessed a very earthworm like creature emerging from our bodies, as if, in a warm summer rain in Queens, it has been washed from its home and has now emerged, on the concrete, or er, toilet bowl. Yes. The roundworm. Globally 25% of us are infected, or should I say colonized, or should I say, we provide the perfect habitat for this delightful and very long white worm.

Yes, Americans. Despite your hand sanitizers and your FDA, you, too, may have them.

Perhaps I am trying to freak you out because, well, I am a little freaked out. Because after I discovered my new friend I instantly fled to the internet - after briefly considering waking everyone up in the house to make them come look. What I found there should never have been found. Certainly not by someone who was infested with the suckers. I will spare you.

My relationship with worms probably began when I was a teenager and suffered bout after bout of hideous gastrological distress. It was so bad, that even my Italian, I-hate-doctors, mother was forced to bring me to one. And then to the hospital. And then back to the hospital for more tests. Because despite indication of an overwhelming infection somewhere, they just could not figure out what was wrong with me. And so, after four months of illness and several doctor appointments, I was sent home with the dubious diagnosis of: "Stomach Virus". Yes. Apparently, I had repeatedly caught the strangest stomach virus known to man. The one that does not infect anyone around you. And I caught it four times in one summer. Lacking health insurance, we paid over $10,000 for this diagnosis.

What followed was years of abdominal pain, nausea, and things even more unsavory. Why? Well, worms are hard to detect. And American doctors do not often suspect them. Especially not in the 90s.

To be fair, my new friend is probably, well, new. Roundworms don't live long in the human body (only a couple of years or so, chilaxing in your lungs, growing into fine long specimens in your intestines, and hopefully, not migrating to any organs that would result in severe injury or death). But if you have a parasite, well that's like building a road to paradise. Once one resort goes up, the next goes up oh so much easier, and faster.

I secretly believe I have a tapeworm and have had one ever since that summer of gastrological insanity. I have some evidence. I even went to a Naturopath to plead my case. A very well known and well respected Naturopath. Who told me that I was crazy, parasites were over rated, and I just needed to breathe before and after I eat (which, admittedly, is good advice. At least, the last bit is). She gave me some stool sample tests, because I just wouldn't be happy until she proved I was parasite free, and sent me on my way. Now, stool samples are... well, unpleasant. To gather. Even for a hippie like me. And they brought back some bad bad memories of being a teenager who was so sick and in so much pain that she would have thrown herself bodily from her bedroom attic window just to make it stop, but... well, she was afraid she wouldn't die and then she would be in more pain. So she gathered stool samples.

And, the icing on the cake? Stool samples are only accurate about 20% of the time. You sometimes need multiple stool samples. Because not all stools have eggs (depending on the parasite) and the cold labs where they are stored and then tested sometimes destroy these hot-loving entities. So I didn't do it.

And I breathed. And chewed my food thoroughly. And didn't worry about it. Because after all, the expert told me not to. And then. The worm. Emerged.

My relationship to food and my body has changed drastically. Previously, I consoled every grief, every insecurity, every secret longing, with Sugar. White flour. Eggs. Rich, heavy foods that made me feel safe and substantial and buried. I liked it. It fed my emptiness. And for most of my teenage/adult life I was skinny despite eating for a three hundred pound man. (I was not the only one to suspect that I had a tapeworm). Granted, there were times of extreme stress, like this past year when I lost my most beloved cousin, my job, my home, and my herb store, to strange, sudden, and disorienting events, when even me and my worms couldn't use all of the cookies and coconut ice cream I shoveled in. And so, repeatedly, when learning of my worms, friends and family have said, Really? But aren't you supposed to get skinny from those?

The answer is no. Or rather, sometimes. But sometimes you get fat because you are nutrient deprived and insatiably hungry. And just for the record, I love fat people. I think fat is under-rated.

But back to food. To be honest, most of what I loved to eat just looks like worm food. Yeah. White pasty stuff for the white pasty stuff in your intestines. This is not food to nourish and sustain life. This is food to perpetuate death. It could be parasites. Cancer. Diabetes. Or just the daily unending drain and minor complaints that come from the ill-health perpetuated from living on worm food when really, we were meant to live on people food.

And mortality my friends, is a big one. We are all going to die. It comes for us, even if we have our heads buried in a bag of cookies, a bottle of booze, work, or the TV. No matter how busy we get, it comes for us. And sometimes I wonder if all of this rushing about, all of this binging, all of this distracting and consuming (of new houses and new furniture and new cars and new gadgets), isn't just some way of running from something our culture has yet to fully grasp and embrace: Death.

Death. I may be obsessed with death, but I think we all are. And I think we are scared. And I think we don't see it. And because we don't see death, we don't see life. Because if we really saw life, we would see how to nurture it, how to really live it. We couldn't possibly squander the days and hours and years we spend not quite being here. Right now. Right in this moment where you are sitting or standing or lying down reading this page on the internet on your device on a sunny or a rainy or an eh kind of day. Maybe the wind is blowing, just softly, and you can feel it, if you are really here. And maybe you want to pee and you might notice if you were actually here. And maybe you could feel life pulsing deep inside you if you were here.

Because there is no point in rushing toward death when at any moment it can snatch you from life. We are mortal. Not at 60. Not at 70. But right now. No matter what age. And I am sorry my dear, lonely, Americans, but we almost all rush headlong toward death as much as we fear it. We are raised that way. Because it's not about life, it's about money. But anyway, I digress. Just a little. But death and worms and sustenance, well, they all go hand in hand.

Why? Maybe because Hollywood told me so, with those over the top cadaver scenes with worms crawling in and out of eyes and whatnot. And now I think of worms in dead bodies, not live ones.

But I think, in some ways, that's the way it is. When the worms take over, you are done for. In Chinese Medicine, there are several phases of health. In one phase, the last phase you enter before death, yin and yang begin separating, and you exhibit heat signs above and cold signs below. It's been a few years since I studied this, so I apologize for any vagueness or inaccuracies on my part, but what struck me was this: I matched the pattern. No shit. I matched the pattern. Just before death. I was 27. Fortunately, my teacher, Scott Moylan, assured me that I did not look like I was going to die. And there was one other case where a person exhibits these same signs. When they have worms. Mother Fucker.

Anyway, the Chinese have it right. They really do. And they say this, too:

If spleen/stomach qi is strong, prognosis is good. Is spleen/stomach qi is weak, prognosis is bad. Which is to say, that if you are not digesting well, you are not well.

To be continued...

Baby Love: Chamomile

2011-11-11T00:18:00.000-05:00

Chamomile is my first. My firsthealing remedy, my first cup of herbal tea, the first plant I turn towhen in need. It is the one herb I consider absolutely essential formy medicine chest. As a teenager I had the strangest and mostwonderful experience while drinking what I thought was my first cupof chamomile tea. It was probably at Starbucks, though that detail eludes me. It was probably in Queens or Manhattan and my best friend Madhura was definitely with me.

I instantly felt overwhelmed by feelings of warmth,love, and comfort. They were evoked. They did not feel like mine. It felt like a button had been pushed and somewhere deep inside of me something was released, and all of these loving, excited, nostalgic, overjoyed feelings came out and wrapped themselves around me. It was likecoming home to some wonderful place inside of myself, like meeting afamily member I had not seen in a long time. This experience was sostriking that I told my mom.

As usually, she laughed. And had an answer. She said it was becauseI lived on chamomile tea as a baby. I was a very colicky anddistressed little baby and chamomile clearly helped to sootheme. That memory was held so deep within me.

I havealways been more of a bookworm and researcher than a doer, so despitea passionate lifelong love affair with plants, I never actually usedan herbal remedy until I was 24 and very desperate. I got into a bikeaccident and injured my very sensitive lady parts in a pretty extreme way. I was soswollen (I am talking cartoon proportions) and ice just wasn’t working well. I suddenlyremembered reading that chamomile tea is an anti-inflammatory andthat you could use hot chamomile tea compresses to bring downswelling. My roommate ran to the co-op and returned with mytrusty friend. Thank you!

It was remarkable! Yes, I waddled around our house looking like I peed myself, but damn did it feel good. I continue to use andrecommend chamomile hot compresses for swelling and have used itsuccessfully for shoulder, facial, and more vulva injuries. Itimmediately reduces the pain and begins to bring down the swelling. Chamomile is also mildly anti-bacterialand immune boosting in addition to it's well known properties as acalming herb, or nervine, and an aid to upset tummies. It is sogentle that babies can use it and yet it's effects can be quitestrong. It's one of the essentials in a home first aidkit. And, as Rosemary Gladstar said, if you don’t know what todo for someone, give them a cup of chamomile tea. It will help.

Myfavorite uses for chamomile:

Tea for colicky babies
External hot compress to reduce inflammation/swelling and speed healing of minor wounds
In nervine herb blends and yummy beverage blends
As a bitter digestive aid before meals or as a carminative digestive aid after
Aromatherapy! It has an apply aroma
Chamomile Baby Bath
Teething aid
Treat vaginal irritations, infections, and wounds

Actions

Anti-spasmodic
Carminative
Anti-inflammatory
Analgesic
Antiseptic
Vulnerary
Aromatic
Bitter
Diaphoretic
Emmenagogue
Nervine
Sedative
Tonic

PartsUsed:

Primarilythe flowers, but the leaves are also useful.^ⁱ

i Rosemary Gladstar, Rosemary Gladstar’s Family Herbal: A Guide to Living Life with Energy, Health, and Vitality.

ExternalUses

Contrary to most people, I primarily use chamomileas an external remedy. As a vulnerary (heals wounds), antiseptic(prevents infections), anti-inflammatory (stops inflammation), andanalgesic (pain reliever), it is an excellent herb for a variety ofinjuries. What’s more, its soothing qualities are wonderfullyconveyed through its aroma and beauty. When I am injured I want to besoothed and comforted. Even when I experience traumatic injuries,chamomile is a marvel at putting me at ease. Available in anysupermarket (and almost any gas station), it is something I can turnto when I get into an accident far from home. When home, if I do nothave chamomile tea on hand both as loose leaf and as tea bags then Iam just not prepared.

A Chamomile Hot Compress

Makingcompresses is as simple as making tea. They are used to get the herbtea onto your body rather than in it and can be used cold or hotdepending on the condition you treat. I use Chamomile hot compressesto reduce the swelling of traumatic injuries, to soothe an irritated,infected, or abraised vulva (with extraordinary and almost immediateeffect!), or to heal minor wounds. Thanks to a variety of bikeinjuries, I feel a particular affinity between my vulva and thisdelicate yet powerful plant.

How to Make a Chamomile Hot Compress

Youare going to make a super strong infusion. When making a compress, Iuse way more plant matter to water than I do when making an infusionfor internal use. As an Italian, I refuse to give you exactmeasurements. You want it strong and dark and you want to let itsteep while covered so the volatile oils will not escape.

Whenthe infusion is hot, but not so hot that you will add a burn to yourlist of injuries, you will do one of two things depending on how youprepared the tea:

Looseleaf: If you usedthe loose chamomile blossoms, fresh or dried, you will dip a cleanwashcloth (for swellings) or sterile gauze pad (for wounds) into theinfusion and let it soak up the tea. Then place the cloth on theinjured area of the body and replace with new compresses when itcools. If you are working with a wound, use a new cloth for eachcompress. For swellings, I tend to use the same cloth over the courseof a single treatment (which may last as long as an hour or moredepending on the injury).

Teabags: Tea bags areremarkably handy. Any good herbalists will tell you that tea bags arenot as effective as loose leaf because the herb often needs to be cutsmaller to fit into the bag and the finer it is the sooner it losesits potency. However, I can tell you that even when you use theconventional tea bags from the supermarket, the compress will workremarkably well. What’s more, you can use the tea bags as thecompress and can lay them directly on the wound/swelling, which Ifind particularly helpful as they hold the heat a little better(they’re thicker and still have the herb inside of them, whichprobably technically makes it a Hot Chamomile Poultice). This is aquicker, cleaner, and easier way to make a compress and if you useorganic tea bags you don’t lose as much potency.

Ifyou would love to hold the heat in longer, you can lay a hot waterbottle over the compress. Make sure you keep your infusion covered.It should hold the heat for quite some time.

Hot Chamomile Pillows

This is from one of my favorite herbals. Itsounded so cool, I had to share! I would use it the way I use a hotcompress.

Filla linen or cotton sack half-full with chamomile flowers, tie or sewit shut, and then place it on a rack above a pot of boiling water.The chamomile in the sack will swell as it absorbs the steam. Whenthe pillow is warm but not too damp, remove it and let it cool for afew minutes before applying to the body. A chamomile pillow can bekept at a constant temperature for a long time by placing a hot waterbottle on top of the pillow. After removing the pillow, dry the skinarea carefully with a cleantowel and cover wellto prevent loss of heat. The contents of chamomile pillows can bereused two or threetimes if they are dried carefully and stored in a dry place betweenapplications.^ⁱ

i Nancy Arrowsmith, Essential Herbal Wisdom: A Complete Exploration of 50 Remarkable Herbs, 341, Print.

It's been so long...

2011-11-10T23:03:00.001-05:00

Basket of Rose Petals, Arcana

This year has been a sad strange thing, winding and turning so many times I am dizzy. It is ripe for learning, Advanced Personal Growth 401. I have learned that non-profits, like other institutions in which power is held, are often corrupt. That those who hold the power, those at the very top, often abuse the power, and like all good corporations, put a shiny spin on what is often a tragic situation. I have learned that even outside of NYC, even safe sweet humble places like Vermont, have a dark side.

And this has quite simply, broken my heart.

And so I have repeatedly returned to what is whole and true. Friendship. Herbs. Love.

I am allowing the adventure to continue to take me to new places --geographically, psychologically-- and hope to root down somewhere soon, somewhere in northern Vermont. In the mean time I am working on secret herb projects and beginning to renew my love affair with the internet, and especially, blogging. This gift of information, stories, wisdom. I love all of the sharing and can't wait to add to this creative space we collectively build. Hello again!

The Herbal Teat

2010-11-14T17:02:00.000-05:00

I dreamed of opening a little herb shop and cafe. A place where people could gather in a safe and welcoming space. Where you could surround yourself with the sensuous beauty of herbs and good company. I am very fortunate to have a sudden opportunity to do just that. At least on a small scale. For more information about this little herb store that could, check out herbalteat.com

Be Your Own Herbalist

2010-06-14T02:46:00.001-04:00

July 12, 19, 26 & August 9, 16, 23 from 6- 8PM
at The Firehouse Center for the Visual Arts, 135 Church St, Burlington VT

Many of the weeds you walk past are powerful plants that can stop bleeding, draw out infection, nourish your body and more. In this 6 week class, learn how to safely and effectively use herbs to improve your health - it's simpler than you think! Each week we'll make herbal preparations, identify wild plants, and learn a variety of home remedies and bodycare recipes.

By the end of this program you will:

Know how to properly prepare herbal preparations such as infusions, decoctions, tinctures, oils, salves, compresses, poultices, and basic bodycare preparations such as cleansers, scrubs, toners, face masks, and lotions.
Have a materia medica of 10 common herbs that you can safely and effectively use to improve your health.
Know traditional ways to treat common ailments such as stress, colds, and cuts.

The total cost for the program:

Includes handouts, teas, tinctures, salves, and more.
Is only $90 (it's a recession discount!).
A $35 deposit is required to register. The balance of $55 is due by the first class, unless you make special arrangements with Melissa.
A limited number of scholarships are available.

The cost for only the first class:

Is $20.
This class is an introduction to herbalism. It includes ground rules for how to safely explore the world of herbs.

For more information, please contact Melissa Stiebert at healthempowermint@gmail.com. To register, please follow this link.

Mama's Totally Rad Lotion

2010-05-16T22:33:00.005-04:00

My mama and I took Rosemary Gladstar's apprenticeship together. I can't even describe how wonderful it's been to share my herbal adventures with my mama! We are constantly calling each other to let the other one know about some new herbal discovery. And we share recipes! My mama loves making things. Especially Rosemary's Perfect Cream, which she has perfected and modified. This cream is so delicious I want to eat it and I want to share it with all of you as part of Mountain Rose Herbs Recipe Contest in the bodycare category.

Melt the following ingedients in a double pot boiler:
1/2 cup almond oil
1/2 cup jojoba oil
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup shea butter
2-3 teaspoons of beeswax

Pour into a blender and let cool until it starts to look opaque and a little solid.

Then put the top of the blender on but remove the inner nob so there is a hole in the lid to pour the watery ingredients through (this is Rosemary Gladtsar's trick for how to mix oils and water together successfully).

You'll be pouring in the following (pre-mixed):
1/2 cup distilled water
About half of the essential oils you want to use (usually 5 to 10 drops but varies according to the essential oils you choose and your olfactory desires)
1/2 cup aloe vera gel (the best is fresh from the plant! it's so much better than store bought gel. Some people advise against the use of the fresh gel. I think this is because of the fear of contaminating the cream with bacteria and reducing it's shelf life. My mama has seen no reduction in shelf life and the cream is so much better with the fresh aloe! I might even say it's her secret ingredient. You have to try it! I will say, that in general, this cream does have the capacity to mold, so I tend to keep mine in the fridge and keep a little in a jar outside of the fridge for weekly use)

Pour the watery goods in slowly. Blend it on high until it's creamy.

Add the rest of your essential oils in until you like the smell (again, ofen another 5 to 10 drops)
Possibilities include:
lavender and grapefruit (an antidepressant pick me up)
bergamot and ylang ylang (a little on the sensual side)
ylang ylang and grapefruit (an anti-anxiety pick me up that's also good for reducing cellulite)

So this is your base yummy yummy cream, but you can easily modify it to include particularly nourishing or medicinal effects. One variation my mama makes for psoriasis, eczema, or itchy dry skin (this should work on a fungal rash, but I wouldn't use the aloe - Rosemary Gladstar says that aloe gel can lock in a staph infection, eep! And I would up the antifungal punch because fungus thrives in moisture and this lotion is naturally moist. Calendula and lavender are antifungal, as are tea tree and some other goodies like black walnet hulls and pau d'arco. If you have a rash, find out what you have before you treat it or you can make it worse!).

The psoriasis/eczema cream is exactly the same as above except for two things:
Instead of using 1/2 cup of almond and 1/2 cup of jojoba, you can use 1/3 cup olive, 1/3 cup almond, and 1/3 cup jojoba and infuse in a double pot boiler with equal parts burdock leaf, calendula, comfrey leaf, and st. johnswort for an hour or more.

Strain the oil and put it back in the double pot boiler with the coconut oil, shea butter, and beeswax.

The second distinction is that my mom uses lavender for the essential oil because it is so healing. Chamomile essential oil might also be a good idea because it has anti-itch and anti-inflammatory effects.

Italian Herb Wonder

2010-05-16T22:27:00.025-04:00

Before I give you this yummy pasta-primavera-with-a-hippie-herbal-makeover recipe, I want to share, what I think is a brilliant discovery - an easy and simple way to sneak rooty decoctions into your daily diet.

Whole grains - rice, millet, quinoa, amaranth - are super nourishing and can form the foundation of your diet (along with lots and lots of veggies). Though I am not vegan myself, I live in a vegan household and have a hard time digesting refined flour and breads so grains have indeed become a staple (well, when I am not eating out). And at various times I have tried to drink all sorts of decoctions, which always make me feel great, but which sometimes taste nasty (try reishi or dandelion).

Well, when asked to cook a medicinal meal for my Chinese Herbal Medicine final class, I came up with this recipe:

Cook half oats, half quinoa in a decoction (in this case I used reishi) rather than water. This was amazing! Reishi decoction, though a super immune booster and detoxifer, is seriously bitter. And I like bitter but this is just too much! So you might be wondering - did it make the grains taste like poopoo? No! It was still slightly sweet because grains are inherently sweet. Add a little honey or maple syrup, some nuts or seeds, and voila, you have a yummy breakfast.

So, this is a big part of this recipe. The decoction grain trick. And I would recommend using it with burdock (though burdock does taste lovely on its own), dandelion root, or reishi as these are all nourishing detoxifying tonic herbs. You might also try astragalus, which is immune boosting (though I know of two people who have had serious allergic reactions to this root, so try a little of the decoction first and see how you feel). You could even try a combo!

If you are new to cooking grains, the process is quite simple and you can easily find ratios of grain to water (or decoction) when purchasing the grains. I'll be using amaranth for this recipe and I believe the ratio is 2 parts water (or in my case reishi decoction) to 1 part amaranth, but I eyeball it (and if I add too much water I just take the lid off and let some evaporate away).

This recipe, uses a grain - amaranth - rather than pasta as its base (though you could easily use pasta if that suited you).

The basic idea is to create a veggie tomato sauce which you pour over the amaranth. It's delicious! And super healthy.

Observe the yummy assortment of veggies below (and mini notes on their health benefits) and the simple process:

1. Cut and sautee onions (super strong antioxidant with anticancer properties) in coconut oil (not only does it tolerate a higher heat before morphing and becoming carcinogenic, but it has wonderful healing properties including antiviral properties).

2. When the onions just start becoming a little translucent it's time to add the mushrooms. You can use regular mushrooms, like crimini, or you can go for the gusto and slice up some shitake and toss them in with the onions. Now, I must admit, that sauteed shitakes are nasty. As far as I can tell. But these mushrooms will end up simmering in a sauce and shitake mushrooms in tomato sauce is one of the best things ever. Yum! And shitakes have wonderful immune boosting and anti-cancer properties.

3. Mince and add garlic. Okay, I feel like I shouldn't even mention the health benefits of garlic because if you don't know that this is one of the most health providing plants, you've probably been living under a rock. But I live under a rock where most subjects are concerned and I'm in love (with garlic) so I will share that raw garlic is an amazing antiviral, antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-parasitic. Cooked you don't get these properties as well, but you also don't stink quite as much and you will enjoy other properties like positive effects on your cardiovascular system and its anti-cancer effects. If you are coming down with a cold or the flu you might want to mince the garlic five minutes before the sauce is done and then throw it in. It has a bite this way! Which I love. But you may want to start with a little and see how it goes.

4. Start chopping your greens. You're going to start with the tough stemmy parts and add them in first cause they need to cook longer to become tender and less bitter. I like using dandelion greens (an amazing diuretic and tonic for the kidneys) and mustard greens, but kale (antioxidant and anticancer) or collard greens (may block the spread of breast cancer) would work well, too. And of course, so would nettles!!!! Cooking takes the sting out of the stinging nettles so have no fear. And they are of course more nutritive than just about anything else and they are great for people with allergies! You can also use spinach, or go for a spinach-like-but-even-better-kind-of-weed called lamb's quarters. This little bugger is a cousin of amaranth and it grows everywhere and comes up early in the spring. It's tastes mild and lovely, too!

5.If you have them and like chunky tomatoes in your tomato sauce, feel free to cut em up in big chunks and throw them in now.

6.At this point you can add beans or tempeh. I love kidney beans the best. Instead of adding beans to this pan, you can also add things like split peas or lentils or tofu to the pot of amaranth and reishi decoction and they'll cook well in there.

7. Now add your leafier green parts and toss in some tomato sauce. You can add oregano, basil, rosemary, or any combo thereof. These herbs - super aromatics that they are - all share antibiotic and immune boosting properties. You can even add a bay leaf! Cover, reduce to a simmer, and wait as long as you can (maybe fifteen minutes to a half an hour) to enjoy.

I take the amaranth, throw it in the bottom of my bowl and then slather it in lots of lots of primavera tomato sauce. The amaranth is really creamy, so maybe this is a better approximation of a polenta dish than a pasta dish. Either way, it's amazing! And I have high standards cause I grew up with my mama's lovely Southern Italian cooking.

Sit down with a loved one and enjoy! With or without the red wine. And thank you once again, Mountain Rose Herbs, for inspiring me to share this in the culinary herb category. Check out the "Mountain Rose Herbs Recipe Constest". You'll find lots of great stuff!

YOUR DAILY BREW

2010-05-16T20:48:00.023-04:00

Herbal medicine is most brilliant when it is infused as deliciously as possible into the nooks and crannies of your life. This is no simple thing if you are erratic, eccentric, and a little disorganized. Or so I thought. Herbal medicine is most effective taken consistently over time. But how does a hyperactive, over-extended, attention deficit disordered gal do that?

I once thought that if I could just clear a little space in my life, create a little harmony, a little rhythm, a little regularity, I would be fine. I would get enough sleep, exercise, meditation; I would eat all of the right foods and drink the right herbal teas; I would make my bed every day; and I would never have another psychological or physical problem.

But I am simply irrevocably me. Deeply in love with herbs. Steeped in passion, chaos, and glorious messiness. Wounded. Easily bored and distracted unless my soul can spill out in bright colors, intuitive choices, and a little bit of spontaneity and spunk.

And herbal medicine works this way, too.

And so, I present to you, your daily herbal brew. A recipe for Italians, Sagitarians, ADD'ers, or anyone else who has trouble coloring inside the lines...

And thank you, Mountain Rose Herbs, for the inspiration to share this medicinal recipe as part of your Mountain Rose Herbs Recipe Contest.

YOUR MMM MMM GOOD

QUART SIZED MASON JAR

OF HERBAL LOVE

1. WHY YOU WANT TO MAKE AND DRINK THIS

The quart sized mason jar is one of the hallmarks of modern American herbalism. Why? Because a quart, or four cups, is the perfect amount of tea to drink over the course of the day if you would like to improve your general health through tonics or treat a chronic condition. And this is something you want to do as often as you can (hence the name: your daily brew), though breaks are good, too. Rosemary Gladstar recommends five days on, two days off as a general rule of thumb. Now this is a guilt free recipe for the inconsistent so this is the key: You want to do this as often as you can, but don't worry about it. Once you start drinking your daily brew you will feel so good that you will want to do it. But you may run out of herbs. And forget to buy some for weeks. That's okay.

Or life may suddenly add a new layer of hecticness and you forget to do it... day after day. That's okay.

Just start one day. And do it whenever you can. Because herbs work. They work more quickly and most potently under the ideal conditions (like you) but they will work even if used inconsistently, even if they are powdered, irradiated, and old (like you!). I swear that the power of herbs is so simple and strong that they will make your life better one small step at a time and as long as you don't beat yourself up for your inconsistency you will continue to use them more and more as they slowly transform who you are from the inside out. They are your friends. They hold you up, keep you strong, and fill in all of the gaps from poor parenting. They will support you. So start using them. Especially your local weedy friends.

And remember. Healing is not a linear process. You cannot heal physically until you are ready on all levels. And you may resist healing. But that's okay. Because you will get more comfortable with it.

2. WHAT YOU WILL NEED

A quart sized mason jar or 2. You'll only need one if you decide not to strain your tea.

A tea strainer

Or a yerba mate straw

A tablespoon for measuring out your dried herbs (if you're into that sort of thing)

A handful of herbs

And a tincture.

3. HOW TO DO IT
The goal is to have a day's worth of herbal brew (which consists of a tonic tea and a medicinal tincture). You can prepare this the night before or in the morning.

NIGHTTIME INSTRUCTIONS
If your tea has a whole night to steep, feel free to do a cold water infusion. This means you add your herbs to your jar, add some cold water, your tincture, then steep until the mornin'. Very quick and simple. When morning comes, you can strain your herbs out or carry them around all day and drink with your yerba mate straw. (in a pinch, your teeth work well as an herb strainer, too :o)

MORNING INSTRUCTIONS
Put the water on to boil before your morning poop or while you go brush your teeth (with your herbal tooth powder!).

Set out the mason jar and look at your beautiful selection of teas (ideally, these should be jarred individually and stored in a dark place. I like to keep them in my kitchen - even though the temperature and moisture fluctuations from cooking are not ideal - so I can reach them quickly and easily).

You'll want at least four tablespoons of dried herbs or twice as much in fresh herbs (because fresh herbs have a lot of water in them) or you can put in whatever feels right, but remember you want a stronger infusion than your standard one herbal tea bag in a cup kind of tea.

This is a good amount:

Though some herbalists definitely use more. The herbs that I am going to recommend are food grade so you don't have to worry too much about exact dosage. It's more important to drink the tea throughout the day (as opposed to all at once in the morning) because herbs metabolize quickly. If you are drinking the tea over the course of the day, the chemicals in the herbs will be in your bloodstream with more constancy and will yield a greater effect.

Cover your tea with water and cap (so you keep the volatile oils, which rise into the air with steam, in the tea).

I'll recommend four herbs that work well, but if you already know what herbs you love, choose them, or choose the ones perfectly suited to a chronic condition you would like to work on. The herbs I use are tonics - food grade herbs you can drink lots and lots of. The kind of stuff most people like. And they taste yummy. They're your backbone. The kind of things that will make you feel mmm mmm good because they juice you up with nutrients, smooth all the jagged edges in your little nervous system, and fill you with a little piece of heaven.

I enjoy:

PEPPERMINT
HAWTHORN LEAF
NETTLES
MILKY OAT TOPS
ALFALFA

Now this recipe is based on the simple premise that some of us don't like to follow recipes. We're feelers, having the most fun when we add a little o' this, a little o' that according to some internal whim that may be spiritually divined, unconscious reason, or sheer unadulterated who knows. And it feels great. And it's interesting enough that you can do it morning after morning. And since you have to spend a split second actually looking at your herbs and deciding what to drink today, it gives your body an opportunity to send subtle cues to your mind, urging you this way or that. Really, your body knows what it's hungry for, it knows what it needs. So I like combining one or more (even all!) of the above herbs, with my favorite combination being nettles and hawthorn leaf in equal parts. I've also used a stunning combo I found at a local herb store which includes some of these herbs and a few others - red clover, alfalfa, nettles, peppermint. Nourishing and detoxifying.

So why is hawthorn and nettles my favorite?

Well, hawthorn leaf is simply not used enough. It is probably the sweetest most gentle most peace inducing nervine I know of. And it's so mild. So soothing to the heart (and the circulatory system, which, in Chinese Medicine, is also considered the heart).

And nettles is a super food, a super wonder that heals all manner of ills. A tonic, an adaptogen, an I-can't-believe-I-get-to-live-on-this-planet-and-eat-this-herb kind of herb it's such a miracle. So if you're drinking you hawthorn nettle tea you simply are having a deliciously smooth day. I love it.

Sometimes I like to throw in some flowers for their medicinal and aesthetic effect. Mostly, I love rose and chamomile.

The Tincture:
And then there's the tincture. You'll want to add six to nine droppers of tincture to your quart of tea.

This is my St. Johnswort tincture, which is probably my favorite thing to take.

And this is me adding it to my tea:

Sometimes when considering all of the things that are "wrong" with me - the long list of symptoms - I'm tempted to treat my liver, kidneys, bladder, heart, nerves, digestive system, and joints all at once with about 700 different herbs. I listened to a radio program with Heather Nic an Fhleisdeir on herbmentor.com. She suggested the simplest and soundest herb selection method I have ever heard (though I also like randomly taking plants I'm attracted to - once I've researched them in at least three good herb books to make sure they're safe and I really do want to take them). Basically, she said that you should list every symptom you have and then come up with at least one herb that can help with each symptom. You can consult a good herb book (or three) for this. (You can check out my herbal book list page for suggested books) Then you look for overlap and select the one or two herbs that seem to help the most symptoms. You can turn this into a tincture. Or, depending on the herb, you might want to include it in your nutritive tea instead.

The tincture is for your medicinal mother load. It's concentrated medicine and with some plants - like St. Johnswort - I find that taking the tincture three times a day is markedly more effective than drinking the tea three times a day. I also like the idea of adding a medicinal tincture to a nourishing base tea because it feels like I can effect change in a more focused/medicinal way (while treating my overall health) and it simplifies the delivery. Plus, tinctures can taste nasty, but they're usually fine diluted in tea!

Here are a few tinctures that I like to use:

1. PMS FORMULA: My favorite is a formula a friend's naturopath recommended to her. She had tremendous success with it! Even though a similar tea she took for years was not particularly helpful (or rather, was inconsistently effective). I've taken it myself and I can say that it completely dissolves my PMS symptoms, particularly the moody ones. I think combining it with nutritive teas like milky oat tops and nettles is particularly helpful. The formula is: 1 part motherwor, 3 parts vitex, 1 part dandelion root, 1 part burdock root, and 1 part dong quai.

2. REISHI OR MUSHROOM MIX (reishi, shitake, chaga, and turkey tails): This is Nancy Scarzello's recipe. She's wonderful! And you can purchase her mushroom mix extract by contacting her.

Spirit of the Mountain Mushroom Extract

Contains chaga, reishi, turkey tails, and shiitake
These are her prices as of a year ago:

4 oz $27
8 oz $50
16 oz $90
Plus shipping and handling
Nancy Scarzello
forestbay@wcvt.com
518.585.2106.

If you make a reishi or mushroom extract, it will need a different method of preparation so feel free to consult a good book like Christopher Hobbs, "Medicinal Mushrooms".

The mushrooms are wonderful - immune boosting and detoxifying they are tonifying for all but particularly good for individuals with cancer and individuals with allergies and/or chemical sensitivities.

3. ST. JOHNSWORT: If you take St. Johnswort, remember that it has more contraindications than almost any other plant. For more info, consult my blog post on it.

Spring Cleaning

2010-05-13T22:28:00.003-04:00

So it's been a while... I guess I can blame it on the blog hijack, my broken laptop, netflix, and spring. I wanted to come back to blogging, but my dark wintry design left me feeling, well ... dark and wintry. So I decided to spruce it up a bit. And, to be honest, there's about a thousand heart breakingly gorgeous pictures on www.free-nature-pictures.org that I want to splatter all over my blog, but I'm not quite sure how to sneak them in so I'll add a few of my favorites here. Their beauty alone is healing. Oh the power of plants. Also, poppies remind me of my grandfather who I called Poppy. He loved plants and was an avid gardener with a green green thumb. He was murdered when I was very small and I feel that the four year old me is still holding him very close, carrying him around with me. The only thing that reminds me of my grandfather more than, well, poppies, are roses, because he grew them in his tiny backyard in Queens. After he died I sat near the roses often. One day when I have a home of my own, I look forward to planting roses to remind me of his kindness, generosity, and incredible love.

Herb Birthday Madness

2010-03-31T20:15:00.001-04:00

This year I turned 28 and, well, it started off with a bang. I encountered truffle oil frites, was on the news, and, best of all, had some of my favorite people cozied up in my dining room and kitchen cooking, drinking, and being herbalicious.

Post Herbal Spa

Post Herbal Spa Glow

Dream Pillow Mix

Making Dream Pillows

Herbal Steams

Herbal Steam, Inside

Juice for Complexion (carrots, cukes, etc.)

My face is still glowing, despite the daily assault of chocolate. Let's see how it holds up after a Puerto Rican/Italian Easter.

Oh Irony

2010-03-30T10:14:00.000-04:00

After posting last I went to view my blog and behold - again it was redirected. I once again tried to contact the google gods - a near impossible feat if your problem does not fit into a very specified form to complete - but meeting failure yet again, searched the help forum with a little more savvy and found someone who just last week had a similar problem. Yay! And someone actually wrote back. Double yay. It appears that within the last few weeks blogger has been attacked with many hijacks/spam blogs. Through... third party gadgets! If you have any third party gadgets on your blog, you may want to delete them now. But if you do not and your blog goes a little crazy, go to layout and try to remove the gadget. The problem is, the spam gadget (which may have functioned normally for a long time, but was hacked into) will automatically redirect when you open it and you have to be faster than the redirect to remove it. I finally succeeded! So I think I'm back for real. Unfortunately the birthday herb spa post I was going to write will have to wait as this has taken me quite a while and I do need to go to work. I feel victorious but also slightly skeptical that this will stick this time. cheerio, m

I'm back!

2010-03-30T09:17:00.002-04:00

For a few weeks there my poor blog had been hijacked and redirected to - even more insulting - a faulty link probably trying to sell you viagra. Now I know all of you readers out there are disappointed that you no longer get to see those discounts on viagra, but my herb blog is up and running again! I never would have known, but a dear friend, Mary Johnson, checked my blog one last time - just to see - and the redirect was gone. While it is spring and I suppose that, combined with my naivety that such a violation could occur to my precious blog, may curb my compulsive posting, at the moment, Vermont is doing what it does best in the spring - being grisley and disgusting and even more horrible than winter so expect to see a lot of me.

with love and gratitude, melissa

Herbal Product Update

2010-03-05T12:04:00.000-05:00

I have surprised myself by actually making things lately. I think, in part, being able to share it with you, dear friend, adds an extra level of motivation. After all, I am one of those people who can barely cook or do laundry without a friend. But friends are not always available for all of life's chores and pleasures and so, you, dear internet friend, are a wonderful stand in. Also, I am a terrible hoarder. I love collecting things! It feels almost squirrel-y. Primal and innate. A survival instinct. Sometimes mislaid but fortunately in this case "collecting" or "gathering" blog posts makes me happy and keeps me herbally focused.

Okay, but enough about me, let's talk about the herbs!

I finally strained off my Coconut Rose Oil. Behold! The process:

A jar.

Cheesecloth.

I poured the oil, which was full of rose petals, into the jar. See how the cheesecloth catches the roses, which I can then squeeze to retrieve a little more oil.

Finished product. Unfortunately I do not have Rose essential oil to add at this point, so the smell is very sweet and subtle (especially because coconut oil is so fragrant). However, the texture of this oil is absolutely heavenly - light but nourishing. I can't wait to use this as a massage oil. On myself.

Behold! The citrus cleaner is... more yellow.

And Behold! The St, John's Wort Tincture is red. Yippee

As of yesterday I began nipping off the bottle. This is a two week old tincture - just old enough to use but not quite as old as I want it. However, I need my St. J. Sick and overwhelmed, I started adding hawthorn tincture and st. j tincture to my lemon water and teas throughout the day. Well, not surprisingly, I felt better and better as the day progressed then woke up this morning feeling heavenly - happy and relaxed and fully capable of confronting all of life's to-dos which previously were drowning me. Why are herbs so wonderful?

March Herb Classes at City Market

2010-03-04T09:34:00.002-05:00

You can sign up for all classes at the customer service desk of City Market (located in downtown Burlington). And all of the classes are free!!! Thank you, co-op.

Stewards of Healing Plants: Planting the Future with Rosemary Gladstar

March 6^th (Saturday) 4:00-6:00PM

Land stewardship, habitat protection and sustainable cultivation practices are of primary importance to the conservation of Native American medicinal plants and the rich heritage of American herbalism. Rosemary Gladstar has been practicing, living, learning, teaching, and writing about herbs for over 35 years. She is the author of nine books including the popular Herbal Healing for Women, Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health and theScience and Art of Herbalism, an extensive home study course. Join City Market in an important discussion about herbal conservation and discover the many ways that you can make a difference in helping to preserve not only medicinal plants but also the tradition of American Herbalism.

Hear Gladstar discuss land as sanctuary, creating botanical sanctuaries on your own land, cultivation methods of some of our most important native medicinal plants, and learn about plants that are ‘at risk’ in Vermont and the appropriate analogs for these herbs. A gorgeous slide presentation of North American at Risk Herbs and details about United Plant Savers, a grass roots non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation and cultivation of North American medicinal plants are also included.

The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are limited. Tickets are available the City Market Customer Service desk. The First Unitarian Universalist Society is located at 152 Pearl Street, in Burlington, Vermont.

Herbal support for a healthy nervous system
March 8^th (Monday) 5:00-6:00PM

The herbalist's approach to conditions such as anxiety, depression, and sleeplessness relies on tonification and strengthening rather than sedation or masking of symptoms. Learn how to build strength in your nervous system and also how to gently address issues such as nerve pain and weakness with medicinal plants.

Free Herbal Clinic

March 15^th (Monday) 4:00-7:00 PM

Have you ever been interested in using herbal medicine to improve your health? Join Betzy Bancroft RH (AHG), Larken Bunce MS, and Guido Masé RH (AHG) and students from the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism in a free, personalized session focused on your individual constitution and any health conditions you may be experiencing. An incredible opportunity to explore the art of herbal healing with experienced practitioners! All sessions last about an hour and a half and are completely confidential. By appointment. Please sign up at the Customer Service Desk.

Culinary and Medicinal Uses of Herbs and Spices

March 17 (Wednesday), 6:00-7:30PM

Join Food Education Coordinator, Caroline Homan and Herbal Education Coordinator, Cristi Nunziata, for a discussion and sampling of culinary and medicinal spices and herbs that are commonly used in various cuisines. Travel the spice trail with us and learn all about how to put the spices in our wonderful Bulk spice section to mouth-watering use.

Ayurvedic Cooking, Six Tastes for Better Balance of Health

March 20^th (Saturday) 12:00-1:30PM
Learn to cook easy, healthy, (and most importantly) tasty meals while gaining understanding of Ayurveda. Participants will learn to use common kitchen spices as medicine and understand how the 6 taste theory can bring balance to one's health

Spring Cleansing with Guido Masé

March 29^th (Monday) 5:00-6:00PM

Spring officially arrives this month, and it is time for spring cleansing. Cleansing provides relief of winter’s stagnation and opens you to a more energetic state of being. Learn to use herbs for cleansing and detoxification and which herbs can be supportive of the liver in its role as the major detoxifier of the body. Please sign up at Customer Service. Free

Compulsive Book Buying

2010-03-02T09:37:00.002-05:00

It's a problem that not every person is courageous enough to admit. But I can own it. My two new herbal indulgences (by far the greatest component of my book buying habit) are these two strange but beautiful gems.

I don't think I would recommend either of these for individuals just beginning to learn and read about herbs. "The Naturopathic Handbook of Herbal Formulas" by Herbal Research Publications, Inc. is far from in depth but it has some interesting formulas (some of which should not be used except by experienced herbalists because of the herbs that are used). It's definitely written for someone who is a practicing naturopath. As to "A Modern Herbal" by Mrs. M. Grieve, while it is an herbal must have it's hard to get into. I purchased the second volume used years ago and couldn't for the life of me understand why it was so highly recommended. It had way too much info for me to be able to process or appreciate as a beginner. This book was originally published in 1931 and it has a lot of info from such old school herbalists as Nicholas Culpepper. I purchased the first volume at City Market and started reading the entry on aconite (a highly poisonous herb that is used sparingly in western herbalism - and again, only by very experienced herbalists - and is used extensively in Chinese Medicine because they prepare it in a way that completely eliminates its toxicity). I absolutely loved it!

Laurel's Coconut Rose Massage Oil

2010-03-01T21:25:00.005-05:00

Yesterday there was a dinstinct lack in herbal product making (no Rosemary's perfect cream), though there was plenty of nettles oat tea to be had and obsessive herbie and relationship gabbing. While talking amid the ruins of my home, Laurel and I started sharing about our love of Rose. What a scent! How I wish this plant was rich in volatile oils but despite its luxurious euphoria inducing aroma, it remains quite barren volatile oil speaking and it's essential oil sells for about $50 an ounce (try making a rose hydrosol - you get nada. It takes SO MANY roses to make an ounce of essential oil). I lamented - I wish I could smell rose all of the time. What's a girl to do? Laurel said, well, you know, I make a coconut rose oil that smells so strongly of roses. I was sold. She referred me to her blog, where you can find a wonderful description (along with the inspiration) to make this sweet smelling, skin loving, sex me up massage oil. It was so inspiring I had to make it. Tonight. Fortunately, I had all of the ingredients on hand.

Dried rose petals, food grade coconut oil, and jojoba.

You will also need a double pot boiler or a makeshit one (a coffee can or bowl in a pot of water).

Laurel says that she uses about two thirds coconut oil (which is solid at room temp) to one third jojoba (which is liquid). This is what I did:

I put about half a jar (almost 7 ounces) of coconut oil in the top pot of my double boiler (I put water in the bottom pot).

I then put about half of a bottle (or two fluid ounces) of jojoba in with the coconut oil.

And heated it up.

Until the coconut oil was completely melted.

Then I added the rose petals (but not too many - I didn't want them sticking up out of the oil).

And now they are quietly infusing into the oil on a low simmer. You should do this for at least a half hour or forty minutes, but the longer you do it, the stronger it becomes (Laurel recommends up to 4 hours).

I washed my new little mason jars and have them drying in preparation for receiving my warm strained rose oil. When finished I will show you the fruits of my labor. As far as I can tell, I should gewt at least 6 ounces of oil for about $11 in materials.

While I am waiting for it to finish, I must admit to a fear of burning/deep frying my herbs while using this method. I especially have this concern while heating flower petals - like calendula or rose - which tend to take on a somewhat crispy appearance. I also constantly worry about whether or not the water in the lower pot should touch the top pot and whether a simmer is truly a just before boiling situation (which I believe is the technical cooking definition) or whether its a slow and gentle low heat baby boil. Any thoughts? I am tempted to make a solar infused rose oil to see how they compare. Because the coconut oil is solid, I will still have to melt the coconut into the jojoba but once that is down I would pour it over roses in a jar, cap and let sit in the sun for two to four weeks (being especially mindful that the jar and herbs are dry and that the herbs are safely below the oil).

What does Laurel have to say about the wonders of this delicious oil? Well, in case you haven't made it over to her blog yet, I will tittilate you with a few choice tidbits:

"So, a few months ago i decided to combine my love of all things coconut & all things rose-- and made a batch of this decadent rose infused coconut oil. insert millions of exclamations here- this shit's the shit! there was like a magical love party in my kitchen. making it is almost as sexy as using it!

so, beyond what i have already shared with you about my love of roses, rose petals and flowers-- as we all know, and have had shoved down our throats by those trying to comodify our feelings-- are associated with love and romance. They are also wonderfully medicinal on both an energetic and physiological level. Roses are cooling, anti-inflammatory, astringent (toning to the skin and mucus membranes)and help cool all sorts of hot-irritated skin ailments. On an energetic level, the same applies. Roses cool heated and inflamed emotions like irritation and anger, while toning or giving gathered strength to our feelings. A massage with rose oil, is one of the greatest remedies to calm an agitated body and mind. To add to yesterday's post, rose oil would be an amazing way to love your premenstrual bod.

Coconut oil is also considered cooling (in the same ways) and may even be anti-viral (on an energetic note, viruses are generally considered to be "hot" conditions in the body). It also is soothing, softening and moistening-- and just fucking delicious. In Ayurveda, both roses and coconut are considered toning and pacifying to "pitta" types as well as "pitta" symptoms (more on Ayurveda later- and how uncomfortable it can make me as a privileged "westerner" to think I might be contributing to a mass cultural appropriation. For now, I share those last thoughts from personal experience-- and for that reason, feel good passing them on).

I add a tiny bit of jojoba oil to this blend-- to keep the final product a little softer than plain coconut oil- which will harden at low temperatures. in most of the poorly heated households i have lived in this oil ends up pretty semi-solid- but melts at body temperature-- go ahead read into this, it's hot! Jojoba oil is not a true oil, but actually a liquid ester wax (lets call it fat!) that almost mirrors the human sebum-our skins natural coating. Jojoba oil softens the skin, while still allowing it to breath and is incredibly healing for stubborn skin ailments."

She also has good recommendations for cleaning up that oily mess you just made:

"A hint about cleaning up: Cleaning up oil can be hard-- but as a lover of oil and an ex-biodiesel maker, (read: several hours of collecting, filtering and making a mess with this shit from the local restaurants, every week. I was like living in a permanent state of grease!) I have learned a trick or two about getting that heavy stuff out and away (fryer oil is not an oil that makes my heart sing, I'll just say here). The first thing I like to do, is give everything a good wipe-down with paper towels, newspaper (both which you can compost) or a cloth (i keep packing tissue and napkins just for this reason and they go in my herbal product making kit-i am such an herb geek). Then without adding any water, I add dishsoap to all the oily items and give them a "dry wash" with only the soap and slightly damp sponge-- oil will bind with oil (which soap is made of), but separate from water. Then I go ahead and wash them with really HOT water.

Okay, so really my first cleaning method is to take off all my clothes, and wipe off all the excess oil from the double boiler, and soak it up in my skin. Getting warmed up yet? :)

One day I had a friend stop in, to find me completely naked making cream in my kitchen. Um, excuse me, could you put some of that on my back?"

Wish I were blogging...

2010-02-27T23:45:00.001-05:00

I would like to be blogging right now but I am in fact painting my house a dark brown, dark pink, and sumptuous spring green. It is "Almost done" as it has been for weeks, but enough of the deep brown living room is finished for me to set up a desk with a sweet green lamp and lightbulb diffuser, a pappazon, and the mattress on the floor that gets decked out with pillows and blankets for the joy of our movie watching friends. We have in fact created a theater, a cave, something warm and rich to snuggle into using eco-friendly paints. While I clean and paint, clean and paint, I use white vinegar and water with essential oils of peppermint (because the mice hate it and it's so gosh darn invigorating) and eucalyptus (because mold and mildew hate it and your lungs love it). I smell thyme essential oil (from the ceramic lightbulb diffuser) because like eucalyptus, mold and mildew hate it while lungs love it (so good for my asthmatic love). And all day - because I have in fact been doing this all day - I have been listening to herb radio, steeping myself in that goodness. My goal for the evening is to move the furniture out of the kitchen so tomorrow I can make Rosemary's Perfect Cream with Laurel and Rose and to make sure the sweet and comfy bed is ready to go in the living room so Laurel can spend a night in B-town before returning to Montpelier and herb school.

St. John's Wort Tincture

2010-02-25T13:39:00.003-05:00

St. Johns Wort is an herb that everyone has heard about and few people know. Despite learning about its amazing healing properties where nerves are concerned (making it an excellent topical treatment for burns, nerve damage, and nerve pain), I was wary/disinterested in this herb. There was too much hype and also a vague buzz about how it did not live up to that hype. All the same, I could identify it; I knew how to hold the leaves up to the sun to see the perforata, to squeeze the buds and when they left red marks on my fingers, to make an oil that would turn blood red. But everything changed once I actually got to know St. J.

Burlingtonians, keep a look out for this sweet and subtle weed along the bike path (heading toward North Beach), at Oakledge, Redstone Quarry, and in Winooski. In some ways St. J reminds me of chamomile - it is a gentle but powerful healer. But, unlike chamomile, it is probably the most contra-indicated herb out there. It interferes with the metabolism of virtually half of pharmaceutical medications, including birth control pills (which means if you take St. J, your birth control pills may be less effective - of course, I strongly believe that virtually no one should take birth control pills but that's for another post). This has to do with the way your liver metabolizes chemicals and the enzymes that are involved in this process. Your liver controls the level of chemicals in your bloodstream (thereby directly affecting whether or not a "medicine" or toxin is affecting the cells in your body). The more quickly the liver breaks down a chemical, the less time it spends in the body doing whatever it is it does. Think about the different ways that individuals react to alcohol. Often, those individuals who can drink you under the table have more of the enzyme that breaks down and metabolizes alcohol. There is one enzyme that is involved in breaking down about 50% of the pharmaceuticals out there and good ole St. J interferes with this enzymatic process. That means that St. J affects the way those pharmaceuticals are metabolized and therefor how long they stay in the bloodstream and how much of the drug is in the bloodstream at any given time. So if you are on meds for depression, those meds are supposed to be given to you in just the right dosage to affect your delicate brain chemistry in precisely the right way (and sometimes it takes a little trial and error to get this right - of course, except in particular cases, I also think almost no one should be taking pharmaceuticals for depression). So this means if you start taking St. J for depression while also taking a pharmaceutical, you need to work with your doctor so that the dosage of the drug you are taking can be appropriately altered. In fact, if you are on any medications and would like to talk St. J, you should consult with a doctor, naturopath, or qualified herbalist.

All this aside, St. Johnswort is one of the most incredible herbs I have ever encountered. And my real relationship with this plant first began one lonely summer day when my heart was in my shoes and I wandered down the bike path anxiety ridden and depressed. I saw St. J growing along a graffiti covered cement wall (not the kind of place I would harvest St. J for internal use) and I couldn't help myself. I picked just a lock of it and carried this small yellow flower in my breast pocket. I could feel a gentle but distinct change in my mood. I felt lighter, happier, at ease, more peaceful, and the rest of my evening was accordingly pleasant. It was the first time I fully appreciated how being near an herb could be as healing as eating an herb.

I had some St. J tincture in my cupboard but must admit that I never used it until I got the flu this fall (it was the first time I ever had the flu in my whole life and it knocked me out!). As soon as I felt it coming I began taking St. J tincture (along with some other herbs) because of its anti-viral properties. Now let me describe my mental state before I came down with the flu - anxiety ridden and overwhelmed by all of the work that needed to be down in my house, for my small new small herb business, and for my wonderful day job at City Arts. Then I got slammed so hard by the flu I literally thought I might die and I could not function. Needless to say, the "must do's" in my life piled up unpleasantly. Which I clearly did not mind while I was so sick I could not move. But that only lasted one day. Then I began to feel just well enough to not die and that was unfortunate because my Italian working class values always taught me that if something needed to be done, and you were physically capable of doing it, you did it no matter the suffering. Can I tell you that in almost all cases - no matter how ill you are - you can still get shit done. This is unfortunate. But I have been trying to get my mother's workaholic voice out of my head for years now so I refused to do anything while still quite ill and... I signed up for netflix, watched bad movies, slept and ate food that Ali brought over. And... I was okay with this. A miracle! But then, when I was still sick but definitely out of the woods, I stopped taking my St. J tincture. I woke up the next morning and almost instantly started having an anxiety attack about something I did not think twice about all week. I wondered what was suddenly different and I decided that it was the St. John's Wort. I began taking it again and took it consistently for two weeks. Those were the best two weeks of my life. Nothing changed. I had the same job, the same boyfriend, the same house, and suddenly instead of being overwhelmed and panic stricken by everything in my life (and therefor completely ungrateful for the precious things I did have in my life), I was absolutely ecstatic about all of those things - boyfriend, job, house. The way I looked at everything was so different. But tincture is expensive, unless you make it yourself (and even then, using organic local alcohol, as I am really eager to do, is still expensive but less so), and so after my two sale bottles of St. J were through, I stopped taking it (it was about to be Christmas afterall). My anxiety almost instantly returned, which is why last Tuesday I decided to finally make the St. J tincture I had been planning to make for two months.

HOW TO MAKE A TINCTURE

Now tincture making is perhaps the simplest herbal preparation you can make if you are following the folkloric or simpler's tradition. But I hardly do it. In part, this is because my mother is a tincture-aholic (she is constantly making them). Going home for Christmas is like going to my own personal apothecary where everything is free. It's awesome! But the other reason I don't make tincture is the cost of good organic local booze. I am always so tempted to purchase the $12 handle of vodka, but I can't quite get myself to do it. I know that many wonderful herbalists use regular liquor and the truth is the tinctures they make are wonderful and effective. And it's a hell of a lot better than buying pharmaceuticals! But a lot of plant material goes into the alcohol making process and I can't quite get myself to give in and go for the cheap stuff.

Last May I did finally make my first tincture all by myself (as in, not in an herb class). I chose to make valerian tincture cause as you can tell from this post, I am just a little on the anxious side and valerian is one of my angels - it's a dream come true! So I bought a bottle of local organic vodka and went to town. Unfortunately when you pour an entire bottle of vodka into a half gallon mason jar the smell alone is near vomit inducing. It made me so sick that I never want to use the tincture. And when I am desperate and give in, it kind of turns my stomach (much like the grain alcohol tinctures).

Well, I've been fantasizing about using apple brandy for a long time because it just sounded gentler and more medicinal, but until recently could not find good local organic brandy (even though I knew there was at least one VT company out there). Fortunately, Pearl Street Bevvie now carries it and, even though it is even more expensive than the organic vodka, I'm in love.

HOW TO MAKE A TINCTURE FOR REAL

Below you will find all of the ingredients you need to make a folkloric tincture. Herb, jar with tightly fitted lid, and alcohol.

You put some herb into said jar. Observe the above image. Then you pour alcohol over herb and make sure you have at least two inches of alcohol above the herb matter.

Cap and shake. The image below is, well, oriented the wrong way but you can see the ratio of herb to liquor. The first time I ever made a tincture was during my apprenticeship with Rosemary Gladstar. She broke us into small groups and told us to make a tincture for a particular ailment - I think we did something for your digestion. We chose the herbs, piled them in there, poured in the alcohol and were very proud of ourselves. Then Rosemary held our jar up to the class as an example of what not to do and she lovingly made fun of our tincture because it was PACKED with herbs. So you got to let your tincture breathe a little. Give it a good shake. Make sure there's some room in there.

Now you wait two weeks to six months before you strain and press the herbs and bottle your tincture in amber bottles. You can shake every day to put your intentions in there and make sure all the herb doesn't compress on the bottom.

It's been just over a week since I made my St. J tincture and it's become nice and dark brown. One day, when I have the desire to make a standardized tincture, I will tell you all about that.

Herbalicious Day

2010-02-16T23:00:00.001-05:00

Some days just start out right. You wake up in a warm snuggly bed having dreamed all night about making big hollywood movies and doing acrobatics in the Firehouse Gallery; put on your new belly dancing CD;

make some hot lemon water for your liver;

put on a reishi/ burdock/ licorice decoction for your beloved's allergies,

make some citrus vinegar for cleaning;

make some good ole daily tea for yourself and head out into the world all bright eyed and bushy tailed (a rare occurrence in February).

THE INCREDIBLE EDIBLE LEMON:

1. Despite its clearly acidic nature, lemon is actually alkanizing when you ingest it. It's super astringent so it squeezes out toxins and makes your liver feel real good (and livers in today's American world are poor beat up suckers).

2. In Chinese medicine the sour taste is associated with the element of wood and wood governs your liver and gallbladder.

3. It's antibacterial and antiviral and considering how teeming we are with little buggers I assume that a little ole internal cleansing of that sort is good for you.

4. Rosemary Gladstar told us apprentices that if there was one thing you could do to radically improve your health, it would be to start your day with a glass of hot water with half a lemon squeezed into it. I have been doing this for two or three months now, with much more regularity than I can normally muster (cause it's so darn easy AND it makes me feel so so good) and I have to say that I feel healthy despite a somewhat sad diet and lack of regular exercise (two things I struggle with in the winter).

5. One interesting note about lemon: while studying abroad in Tasmania, Australia many years ago, an interesting article appeared that had all us girls yapping (apparently each one of us had read the newspaper that day and was fascinated/excited by this article) - a Doctor had done preliminary research and he wanted to share his findings because he thought that the information was so profound. He said that lemon juice killed sperm and the HIV virus and he recommended women squeeze lemon juice on a cotton ball and insert it into the vagina pre-sex (this also had us wondering whether or not such a thing was feasible, but I have since used garlic in order to clear up minor infections and have on occasion had sex with a garlic clove in there with no consequence; still, the cotton ball worries me). I have not seen any additional information about lemon and this possible use, but then again, magical herbal wonders are not often publicized cause the man can't make much money off of them and in fact stands to lose a fair bit of money (unless you might be able to lose weight with an herbal remedy, allowing for easy exploitation and a quick buck for nefarious companies).

AND IT CLEANS, TOO!

The first night that I discovered herbal blogs (a full two weeks ago), I came across a blog that I love - apotheblogary. In fact, my herb blog love was probably born while reading Elizabeth's entries. Here is this wonderful woman who just loves making things. She's living in England and chronicling her experiences and here I am snuggled up in bed in Northern Vermont gobbling it all up and feeling a burning desire to run downstairs and start making stuff. It was so inspiring! Even more so than reading an herb book. She described creating a simple citrus vinegar to use for household cleaning that you can find here. What was so brilliant was how simple, personal, and accessible all of her information was. I am a notorious reader and thinker and a hesitator when it comes to doing. But there is something about blogging that makes me feel like doing. In fact, being able to chronicle my own herb love here has already begun to inspire me to make things I keep postponing making (Like St. J tincture!) because I can't wait to post on my blog! Anyway, considering the number of lemons I consume on a weekly basis and the gallon of white vinegar sitting in the bathroom for cleaning, making this citrus cleaner was a no brainer.

ALLERGIES

Anyone living with allergies knows what a struggle it can be. Until recently I wrestled my whole life with an almost complete inability to digest food due to food allergies. More than the heartbreak of not being able to eat without getting sick was the heartbreak of being misunderstood - it is sometimes very hard for people without allergies to understand what it's like. They may even assume that it's all in your head. How heartbreaking to suffer so much with people assuming that your suffering is delusional. Well, luckily for me I did not believe that it was all in my head, nor did I believe in IBS (otherwise known as bullshit). I stubbornly pursued healing until it arrived (and at first it was strange and unnerving to suddenly be well after so long). Unfortunately, my partner suffers from a far more extreme allergy/chemical sensitivity. He has a contact skin allergy to cigarette smoke which has steadily grown worse over the years. What does that mean? That the slightest - and I mean slightest - bit of smoke can make his whole body feel like it is burning and itching. The only relief he finds is in taking a hot shower and scrubbing the smoke/chemical residues off of his skin. What does that mean? He cannot leave the house without incredible suffering. Needless to say I would like nothing more in the world than to help his body recover its balance and heal. And he, bless his soul, will drink any nasty concoction I put in front of him. Here enters reishi, burdock, and licorice. Allergies are complicated but often there are two underlying issues - a general low grade toxicity in your system/blood and adrenal fatigue. May this work, may this work, may this work. Reishi is a super detoxifier and immune booster and people with chemical sensitivities have been cured with reishi and/or a combination of other mushrooms where almost all else failed. Reishi is especially helpful where stress/adrenal fatigue are involved. Burdock is an alterative, or blood purifier. It loves your liver, activates your digestion, and is herb supreme for healing skin conditions. And my partner and I have a special/sacred relationship to this plant (though he doesn't know that :o) And licorice balances out the horrid bitter taste of the reishi and supports your adrenals.

NOURISHING TEA & WHY IT'S GOOD FOR ME

Today I made myself a quart jar of nettles, oatstraw, and malva tea. A quart is a standard daily dose for tonic teas/teas that are being used to heal chronic conditions. I vary my teas, but often nettles is in my blend. Not because of the taste, which I do not always particularly enjoy, but because it makes me feel heavenly. Nettles is a much maligned weed that is much worshipped by herbalists. Otherwise known as land spirulina, this plant is super nutritious, super tonifying, good for the kidneys, mildly diuretic, and magical. It is classified as a tonic or as an adaptogen. Rosemary also said that if there is one simple thing you can do to radically alter your health it is to incorporate nettles into your diet (as tea, as food). The only other herb that had a similar classification was chamomile. She said that if you have no idea what to do for someone, give them a cup of chamomile tea. That alone will help (because it is such a gentle and powerful healer, particularly for your nervous system, which is often a part of any health challenge). My mom and I took Rosemary's apprenticeship together (BEST THING EVER). I can talk a little too much about my mom, who I love more than anything, but I will say that she is almost as ADD as I am and her health was not the greatest (she watched two parents live in and out of hospitals and she saw the terrible impact that had on their health so she rejected conventional medicine but never had anything to replace it with until we did this apprenticeship together). Being gloriously ADD, her ability to do anything consistently is as shoddy as mine. But she did haphazardly incorporate nettles into her cooking. Her extreme, chronic hayfever cleared up by 85%. Her excruciatingly painful periods became... not painful at all (she has severe endometriosis and has suffered terribly every 28 days since she was 9). Her lifelong constipation dissolved. I don't klnow if she wants me sharing all of this info, but can you say hallelujah?

OTHER HERBIE THINGS TODAY:

I brushed my teeth with cinnamon tooth powder, gargled with homemade ti tree mouthwash (a drop or two of essential oil in water), wolfed down a clove of raw garlic with my dinner (as usual), and finally made some tincture!

Oh Herb Cabinet

2010-02-16T00:57:00.001-05:00

As a teenager I had no idea how to actually use herbs, but I loved them and I had them lined up beside my bed in decorative jars. Today I have too many herbs stuffed in all manner of places and my herb cabinet often has flying herbs bounding off the shelf. I long for organization here so I thought I would show before pictures of my herb cabinet in the hopes that I will be inspired to actually reorganize and post the new pics.

This next picture is just the kitchen in which the herb cabinet lives. It's in a post tofu scram state. The live plants in this pic are a pothos, lemon verbena, and rosemary. The cabbage is half dead (on the cutting board), the half a lemon is very dead but it's my favorite daily medicine (half a lemon squeezed into a cup of hot water first thing in the morning, though i like taking it before bed as well - so good for your liver), the turmeric is dried, and the coconut oil is divine (good to cook with on medium high heat and it's antiviral properties are lovely - I haven't had a cold sore since I started eating it regularly; also makes a sumptuous body butter).

What to do when you feel sick...

2010-02-12T22:52:00.001-05:00

Now I'll admit that most herbalists will tell you to get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, and maybe wolf down some garlic, echinacea, astragalus, cayenne, or some combination thereof. They might tell you to sniff some essential oils or take some anti-virals. And while I do often eat heaps of raw garlic when getting ill, today my therapy of choice was shopping. I was so tired and mildly sicky feeling at work that at one point it felt like I was moving through jello. I kind of hated it and decided to take the afternoon off but before I headed home to snuggle in my bed, I had to mail a package for my beloved. While conducting this errand I thought of him as anything but my beloved and it did - somehow - take me almost an hour to complete this task. I was grumpy and irritated and once on the phone threatened to stab him in the face (but he knows I love him) so in order to make myself feel better I told myself that my reward for hiking the five blocks to the post office with this stupid box was a stop in Crow Books on the way back. I always hop in there to see what new used herb books they have. I'm frightened to think about how much money I have spent there. Often, there's nothing, but I've gotten some jewels. Today yielded a big fat zero (of course just last Friday I purchased four books to make myself feel better - but that was more of a therapeutic strategy for the strange emotional states people in extreme Northern climes find themselves in come February).

I went across the street to Borders (I know what a hideously un-hippy thing to do, but I just wanted to look, I swear. Also, I decided that maybe I was just dehydrated and I knew they had a water fountain.). Well, I got the best thing ever. A book on human anatomy that is literally a third of my body height. And it's so visual! When I brought it home and excitedly opened it up to the integumentary system my partner failed to share my joy and in fact thought he would soon be sick. Damn him, this was good shit.

Did I mention that I was once in a former life a serious bio nerd? As a teenager I would become sexually aroused by certain scientific concepts. Anyway, I broke out the finger cymbals that I got in my belly dancing kit I also purchased. I already have a "Belly Dancing for Wimps" DVD, an awesome book on the subject, and now a CD and the cymbals. I told him all I needed was some belled skirts and I'd be set. He laughed. He thought I should actually know how to belly dance to be all set. Lately (and by lately I mean for the last six months to a year) I've had a secret burning desire to belly dance but I guess that's all for another blog :o) But the most exciting thing about these purchases is the fact that they were way on sale (which makes me feel less like I am supporting the man because if they are way discounted, well,... i don't know, but it's almost like buying used?). Also, the giant anatomy book will enhance my ability to actually focus on anatomy the way I feel I should to be a good little herbalist. For years I've wanted to take the "Holistic Physiology" class offered at the VT Center for Integrative Herbalism. It's so scientific I think it makes most people want to puke. I can't wait! Guido Mase teaches it and he is an amazing teacher. The first class I took with him (on advanced tincture making - a subject I actually didn't care about) was... [sigh] well, the best. Not in the enchanting way Rosemary Gladstar's classes are the best, but in the oh my god I have never learned so much in two hours before way.

I did actually come home to treat myself in a more typical way. I popped three bags of Yogi Tea's immune booster into my mug, sprinkled some of the "Medieval Mix" essential oil blend with rosemary and thyme and more into my ceramic ring lightbulb diffuser and hopped into bed, and promptly(ish) fell asleep. However, my partner accidentally woke me up 10 minutes later to tell me something i probably wouldn't have cared about even if i were awake, but he was real excited about it so, that's cute, right? Now I should probably pretend that the big exploratory land of the internet is really just some imaginary place so I can slip away into sleep - a much more real place. Now my partner's talking to me about about the best essential oils to use in order to kill airborn mold spores and has just found an annoying site that says you must purchase an electric cold air diffuser to do so as traditional diffusers use heat and therefor destroy the volatile oils rendering them ineffective and potentially toxic (especially if you don't use high quality therapeutic oils). I'm definitely being belligerent today but I stubbornly refuse to believe this and am mentally insulting the unknown author of such information. What do you think?

Oh, by the way, effective herbal remedies to stave off a cold or flu include:

1. Heaps and heaps of echinacea. If you take it right as you're getting sick it works wonders, but only if you take a few droppers of tincture every two or three hours or a 1/2 to 1 cup tea every two to three hours.

www.freeherbpictures.com

2. 1/8th to 1/4th of a teaspoon of cayenne pepper mixed into a little bit of water, drunk like a shot, and chased by some milky substance (so actual dairy or a veggie alternative). Amazing! But if you are starting to get an earache you may way to avoid as in that case it can make your ears burn.

3. Garlic. Raw, just like nature wanted her. You can mince a clove with parsley and add to food (the parsley has tons of vitamin c but is mostly there to protect you from smelling like a sewer for the rest of the day). You might want to do one clove in the morning and one in the evening. A good medicinal recipe is a slice of good whole grain toast with some olive oil drizzled over the top and some minced raw garlic and rosemary.

4. Rose hip tea or jam. This may have more vitamin c than your mama. And the jam is so simple to make and is a good preventative therapy! This is Juliette de Bairacli Levy's recipe. Put some dried rose hips in a bowl, cover with organic apple juice and put in the fridge overnight. In the morning you have the most lovely jam! The more apple juice, the sweeter it is. The less, the tarter it is.

5. Sleep, sleep, and more sleep, with lots of warm fluids. If you can, it's a good idea to take a day off when you feel like you might be coming down with something instead of when you already have it.

6. Stop eating sugar and white flour! That's usually what does me in.

7. Ask yourself if you are unusually stressed or if your body is trying to get your attention (or if you are trying to get your attention). Sometimes getting sick is a way of begging for reprieve, rest, or good ole compassion.

2010-02-11T21:50:00.001-05:00

Look what I discovered in my Mountain Rose newsletter!

Valentine Herbalism

2010-02-11T21:44:00.001-05:00

Last night Ali dragged me out of the house to actually enjoy myself. Armed with a bucket of food for my beloved and $20 in my pocket we headed up and over the hill to Purple Shutter Herbs in Winooksi for a Valentine Herbalism workshop (I dropped the food off on the way there). I knew all the basics - aphrodisiacs, massages, what have you - so initially decided not to go (something about owing the IRS too much money - yet again - and trying to be stingy - not a natural setting) but I finally decided to go because I realized that I needed to just be around the herbs and people who loved the herbs. Too much work lately and too little herbal love makes me, well... a little raw. Besides, Laura Brown is an amazing teacher so I trusted I would not be disappointed, but this was definitely more than I hoped for. Some highlights:

1. In the Middle East green peas are considered to be an extremely strong aphrodisiac. Try this recipe: boil green peas and onions together, combine with ground cinnamon, ginger, and cardamon and mash. Sounds yummy!

2. It was once said, in one particular area of the world I cannot recall, that if you took three of your own pubic hairs, and three hairs from your left armpit, and heated them on a hot shovel, then pounded them into a powder and stuffed them into a bread you could feed it to your heart's desire to seal the deal. Ali may know where this custom was once practiced as she asked Laura to repeat herself so she could take notes.

3. I made an awesome smelling massage oil - rose otto (9 drops), lime e.o. (5 drops or somewhere there around), clove e.o. (4 drops) to two ounces of carrier oil (in my case almond oil and jojoba).

4. Jojoba oil is actually a wax not an oil.

5. Damiana cordial is really that good.

6. Good chocolate is heaven.

7. Good friends are even better.

8. Oh and yohimbe may kill you. Use with caution. Or not at all. Though when Laura let us loose in the apothecary to choose any three bags of herbs we would like (preferably with a romantic flavor) Ali went for the yohimbe. Apparently it really increases blood flow to your genitals and can demand that your heart pump up to 50 times the amount of blood it normally does as a result. This = dangerous. Particularly if you have a minor undetectable heart defect that would never have otherwise killed you. Fortunately you may be able to tell your heart is working too hard when your ears start ringing and you are dizzy - then drink gallons and gallons of water to rush it through your system. I may lay outside of Ali's love chamber on Valentine's Day with a pot of water and the occasional anxious call of "Everyone all right in there?" Though I must admit, that were it not for a minor heart condition on my part, I, too, would have filled up a little plastic bag with yohimbe.

So we got hours of fun, a massage oil, some damiana cordial, homemade chocolate bark with aphrodisiacal toppings (and got to lick the bowl!), edible spreadable honey, our own tea blend and a mouthful of whip cream while we all crowded in the apothecary with jars of herbs hugged to our bosoms. It was such an awesome and fun night. All Ali kept saying was, "I want to go to herb school!". I know. I know. I'm still fantasizing about the Montpelier herb school, the VT Center for Integrative Herbalism. In the mean time I think I'll just make Ali my apprentice. It'll be like playing doctor as a kid only better.

Oh to love the internet...

2010-02-11T21:42:00.000-05:00

It is late and dreamy and I should find myself asleep but the internet is like an open spreading fibrous thing that I can get lost in, tangled in its roots and passages, amazed by the simple and profound ways so many passions can dovetail - herbs, writing, art, community. I love the internet, love it a little too much. All of the new things I'm learning. Inspired by a beautiful blog created for work and the sudden realization that there were amazing herb blogs out there, and the amazing Valentine Herbalism class that I just took at Purple Shutter Herbs with my best friend, and the fact that my partner is a programmer and so I find myself loving all dorky computer things as an extenstion of loving him - I am finally creating a blog about my love - yes my giddy passion - for herbs that I vow to actually use and use as a good blogger should. As a way of organizing my swirling ADHD thoughts, creating my own materia medica (which I promised to do as part of my Sage Mountain apprenticeship years ago), writing again, and reaching out and sharing with those stumbling strangers and dear friends who find their way here again.