Happy Mother’s Day

And since you’re such a good mom, here are some flowers just for you.

 

Back Yard Herbalism, Back Yard Magic

When I first came to live with the hubster and his brood, I was at the end of an incredibly stressful decade of moving from place to place, relationship to relationship, and personal crisis to personal crisis (Hi kids, can you say Saturn return?). Most of these moves involved living in shabby apartments in poor areas of cities where, if there was anything green growing, you would have to move a bunch of trash to get to it, and you probably wouldn’t want to touch it because stray dogs and cats had probably gotten to it first. I had been trying to learn about herbs for several years; I had learned a bit, but what I knew didn’t involve recognizing very many plants. I didn’t know for sure what Mugwort looked like, didn’t know Plantain or Cleavers either. I could have identified Lavender and Dandelions (probably, although I might have been fooled by the almost-look-alikes), but that was about it.

So the hubster’s little raggle-taggle acre in the country was pure heaven. Oh my goddess look–green things! Everywhere! Oh crap I don’t know what ANYTHING is.

There was this tree at the edge of the property. Not a very big tree (at the time), but in the spring it had these delicate white blossoms, and the bees came to them in droves. But I had to be careful if I wanted to cut some–sharp, hard thorns. I watched as spring swung in to summer, and the flowers were replaced by hard little green berries. I felt powerfully drawn to this thorny little tree, even though the hubster (back then, the boyfriend) complained about getting stabbed by her when he tried to mow around her. I didn’t know what kind of tree she was, but I knew she was powerfully magical. I could feel love and protection coming from her, but also sensed a fierceness about her. She was a tree to be respected. She was a tree that kept company with faeries–and not the sweet little flower faeries, to be sure.

Finally I visited the Tree identification guide at the Arbor Day Foundation website, and discovered to my great delight that my mystery tree was a Hawthorne. All of what I sensed about this tree was confirmed, once I had a name, and could do some book research.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but Hawthorne was a gateway for me to the whole concept of working with the plants that grow around you for healing and magic. I don’t often talk specifically on this blog about my spiritual path, and I almost never talk about magic. But I can’t discuss Hawthorne without talking about both, because I knew her as a sacred and magical entity before I understood her effect on the physical body.

So now I have to take a side track for a bit, and talk about my beginnings with my spiritual path. I came to my path during those same turbulent years in which I stumbled from one difficult situation to another, after having parted ways with my childhood faith shortly after college. I did what many people do when they start exploring neo-paganism; I read books by Scott Cunningham and Gerina Dunwich and Laurie Cabot, and they all told me I needed lots of accessories to be a pagan, and also, the herbs I would need to be a good pagan were mostly from very very far away, or at least from somewhere hot (for example, you CANNOT be a pagan without white sage!!!! Even if you live in the moldy Willamette valley where it’s almost impossible to keep the stuff alive over the winter. Or do I just have a black thumb?).

Back to the subject at hand then! The more I learned, and the more I got in touch with spirit and myself, the more I began to feel that the plants we use for ceremony (and magic, if we choose to practice it) are best when they grow close to home, just like the plants we use for medicine. How could I understand the magic of a plant that I’d never seen when it was alive? How could I truly understand the energies of a plant that I couldn’t even RECOGNIZE if I came face to leaf with it? Hawthorne is the perfect example: I read about the tree’s magical nature in many places, but until I stood before her I couldn’t feel that potent energy. Now I know her as an amazing spirit ally.

So around here, it isn’t just back yard herbalism, it’s back yard magic too. I use plants that grown on my property for smudge or loose incense–Mugwort, Garden Sage, Red Cedar, Lavender Foliage, Rosemary, Roses, etc.–and for any other part of ceremony. I rarely do what I would call “magic”, but when that seems appropriate, I call on the friends who grow around me for that too. And they participate eagerly; they probably think it’s all a great game.

 

Mystery Solved! and the May Tree

By Fiya, who came up with Small-Flowered Buttercup (Ranunculus parviflorus). After some image searching I’m pretty sure she’s right on the money.

Also, it appears that my church might take off; I told the hubster this morning I think we should call it the Church of the Wild Green, and he chuckled. I have an offer from Howling Hill to start up an East Coast branch, and a congregation of one (someone named Beth–hi Beth!), although I don’t know which branch she’ll join.

So, on to the very serious business of what’s up next in my Backyard Herbalism adventure. I’ve been hemming and hawing, but at last I’ve decided that May is clearly the month to spend time with Hawthorne, the May Tree. I hope to begin posting about her by the end of the week.

Until then, thanks to everyone who hazarded a guess about my weed! You may consider yourselves officially blessed by Reverend Michelle

 

The Church of Weeds, a Mystery Revisited, and a CONTEST!

You must now refer to me as Reverend Michelle, if you don’t mind. That’s right y’all, I’m an ordained minister, thanks to the Universal Life Church, and if the world is very lucky I might start my own church. The hubster says I should call it the Church of Weeds, and I like the concept of a church devoted to wild green things, but I think the name needs a little work.

The reverend thing actually has more to do with my starting up a Reiki practice than it does with starting up a church, but it’s been a while since I did a random weed-worshiping piece, so I guess it’s time. (Don’t ask me how one thought necessarily follows another, my brain has taken the evening off.)

In any case . . . remember this mystery weed? The one everyone said was ground ivy? Y’all were WRONG! I still don’t know what it is, but here is photographic proof that this is a different beast than Glechoma hederacea. I don’t want to say I told you so but . . . well, I did. Or I tried to. No smell. No square stems. And now, as you see:

The flowers are all wrong. Here’s a link to a pic of ground ivy flowers. Here’s a picture of the flowers on my mystery weed:

These flowers are very wee. Smaller than my pinky nail, I think.

Here are some pictures of the growth habit.

A mouse’s eye view:

And one stem plucked from the plant and laid out for a better view. It’s a blurry picture, but you CAN see the general shape and habit:

And this picture shows the fine, stiff but soft hairs on the stems:

And here, once again, is a picture of the leaves, and you can just make out some of the flowers. All the flowers seem shy, hiding under the leaves.

All these pictures are NOT to gloat over how I held firm when everyone insisted on ground ivy; they are an effort to finally get positive identification on my mystery. So all my weedy friends, what have I got? I still have no idea. No fragrance, other than a green lettuce sort of smell, tastes bland, leaves and stems fuzzy. Anybody?

Let’s make it a contest! First person to give me a correct identification gets a free gift–how about a home-grown smudge stick? You can choose from rosemary, red cedar, or a combination of the two (unless you want to wait for the mugwort to be ready). My curiosity about this plant is making me a little nuts–or more nuts than usual.

See y’all in church! Tee hee!

 

Backyard Herbalism: The Last Dandelion Blossom Post?

Well ladies and gentlemen, I think this might be my last post focused on dandelion blossoms for a little while! But I’m not going to promise anything–obsessions are sometimes hard to kick.

First, a bit of trivia: did you know that each “petal” on a dandelion head is really an entire flower, containing all the reproductive parts? So a dandelion blossom is actually a whole community of tiny flowers. Isn’t that amazing? No wonder dandelion plays so well with others.

So. Dandelion blossoms are very nourishing for the nervous system. For this reason, the blossoms of dandelion steeped in white wine for an hour or two help bring deep, restful sleep. The dandelion elixir I made was steeped in home-brewed white wine given to me by my friends husband; she’s been taking a small amount every evening, roughly a quarter of a cup, and it has greatly improved her sleep. She was suffering from intense insomnia, so it’s been a welcome change.

This same preparation–and any preparation of any part of the dandelion plant–also aids the body in digestion of food.

And finally, dandelion blossom fritters (pancakes) help to dissipate lethargy and restore physical vitality.

I can attest to the way consuming dandelion regularly helps with energy and mood. I’ve been consuming some part of the plant almost daily–not in great quantity, mind you–over the past month, and I’m noticing improved energy and cheerfulness in spite of weather that is colder and wetter than it usually is this time of year. Of course, dandelion is only part of the picture. I’m getting more fresh air (because I’m hanging out with plants so much), more exercise (walking around picking dandelions! among other things) and generally eating more greens and wild plants. One herb is not going to fix all that ails a person–think of them as friends and allies, not saviors, and you’ll be on the right track.

I hope all my posts this month have helped more people think of dandelions as a friend. I know I haven’t convinced my mother, but from the comments I’ve received I think maybe a few people will be nicer to their dandelions, and that’s good enough for me.

 

A Day in the Life

I just have to tell y’all about the perfect day I had yesterday. It started in the morning when the hubster brought me a cup of tea in bed. He brings me tea in bed every morning! Unless it’s the weekend, when I always wake up first, and then I bring him tea in bed. Our morning cup of tea ritual is our chance to have a few moments of conversation and connection before the busy day starts, and before the Drama Princess wakes up and starts chattering. (Tea is also one of the few things the hubster is allowed to make. He’s sort of frightening in the kitchen, I’m sure I’ve mentioned that before.

THEN I got a phone call from an on-line friend who lives in Wisconsin, and we had a nice talk.

After my phone call, I got up and checked my e-mail and blogged, then made breakfast with our eggs and some locally made organic sourdough bread, and butter from just over the Coast Range (about 30 miles away, give or take a few miles). And I finished off my last bit of toast with some home-made apricot jam from Oregon Apricots. Mmmmmm . . .

After breakfast I got dressed and put some black beans in a bowl of water to soak for lunch, and then started a batch of polenta. Once the polenta was in the pie pan cooling, I spent a nice long time smudging the house with some loose incense I purchased from Summersea Herbs. It smelled SO GOOD and the house just felt delightful when I was done . . . very serene energy. After the smudging I took a basket outside and picked enough flowers for a bouquet (my first of the season, other than some daffodils last month). And then I gathered dandelion greens and flowers, violet leaves, mallow leaves, and bittercress leaves for to complete the lunch.

I had just finished when my friends arrived; we walked around outside for a while identifying weeds and visiting the chickens, then went inside so that I could give one of my friends reiki. After reiki we ate lunch; I baked the polenta, seasoned the beans, and sauteed the garden weeds with some fresh garlic and chives. Then one of my friends did some energy work/massage on my back, which was amazing and delightful and I felt so much more relaxed after!

They stayed until about 5:00. After they left I roasted chicken for dinner, which we had with the last of the polenta from lunch and some roasted garlic.

After dinner we spent some time outside with the chickens! Now the weather is warmer and the grass is lush, we’ve been letting some of the chickens out in the evening for a few hours of supervised free-ranging. We’d love to allow our chickens to free range all the time, but the number of dogs, coyotes, raccoons and possums roaming our area makes this choice most unwise. The chicken tractor is our answer, as I’ve mentioned before, because they still get fresh weeds and insects frequently–but it’s nice to let the ladies roam free occasionally.

Yesterday evening was one of those idyllic evenings when the slant of light sheds a beatific splendor over everything, and we watched our glossy-feathered Rhode Island Reds rush around the field in an ecstasy of grazing and scratching

.

Kismet, the neurotic Siamese, even emerged from the house; the chickens really make him nervous:

Our apple tree is blossoming in the most amazing profusion, and the ladies really enjoyed walking under the tree and eating fallen petals like candy. Can you blame them?

The new chicks are teenage chickens now, and they are pretty little ladies, aren’t they?

And finally, because I am apparently obsessed and unable to control myself, check out this gorgeous dandelion seed head:

I’ve never understood why anyone would see this as anything other than beautiful. Am I crazy? (Please don’t answer that question.)

It was such a beautiful day yesterday. Ever have one of those days where you’re truly happy, and you KNOW you’re happy? That happens more and more these days, as we slowly build the life we want. I have so much to be grateful for.

 

Back Yard Herbalism: Dandelion and Depression

I often mention Judith Berger’s Herbal Rituals as a must-read herbal. So I turn to a direct quote from her dandelion section to talk about Dandelion’s beneficial influences on those who suffer from depression:

Dandelion’s bright yellow blossoms are very sensitive to light and weather conditions, closing up their heads in the face of impending darkness and storms. Dandelion is a wonderful ally for those with a similar emotional constitution, whose hearts open fully and joyously when warmth and light are beamed upon them, but who wither and shut down quickly when more turbulant emotions are expressed in their presence.

A tea of the fresh blossoms is often used to treat depression; the sense I get from what I’ve read about dandelion, and just the kind of energy that comes from dandelion, is that it would be especially helpful for those whose emotions are closed down, who are turned inward from hurt or lack of a sense of love and worthiness. I feel that this goes hand in hand with the way dandelion blossoms encourage that emotional expansiveness I’m always going on about.

I also feel that one would benefit even more from taking ones cup of fresh dandelion blossom tea outside and sitting in a field of blooming dandelions. Gazing on all that golden exuberance whilst sipping a tea full of sunshine blossoms would be a delicious experience for the weary soul. And most likely it would benefit even the happiest of us–sunshine and flowers being one of life’s great delights. Dandelion seems to remind us of the beauty and joy found in simple, humble things, and I think that’s something many of us are missing. Remember how much delight you could have as a child just blowing all the white puffy seed-parachutes off a dandelion head on a breezy day, watching those little bits of fairy fluff wheel away over the grass? I still get a thrill from it–although that might be because I know it means more dandelions will grow . . .

 

I Have a Dream . . .

I woke up in the very early hours of the morning after a very strange series of dreams, and couldn’t go back to sleep for quite a while. Naturally my brain, once awakened, immediately turned to farming, food, and plants. I started fantasizing about ways we could make cities better places to live. I came up with a whole plan for a dream city; mind you, I have zero understanding of urban planning or engineering, so this really is all a fantasy at this point, but I was so entertained by it that I think it prolonged my wakeful period. So I thought perhaps y’all might like to imagine with me, and maybe add to the dream. So then, my series of what if’s.

What if we really did run out of fuel (we will, you know, the only thing we don’t know for sure is WHEN), and all the transportation in the city was divided between light rail, and used vegetable oil fuel? What if EVERY restaurant’s used oil got turned in to fuel?

What if, at the top of every tall building/skyscraper in a city, there was a garden, and a vermicompost box? What if even HALF of all balconies had vegetables growing on them? What if the very very tall buildings had windmills on top?

What if the public parks in cities had public gardens in at least part of them?

What if they stopped spraying pesticides and herbicides everywhere, and chickens could be kept in the parks too, in cute little chicken tractors with little license plates, painted in bright pretty colors? Children could go to the park with their parents, and buy eggs from the public chickens, and everyone could eat the dandelions and chickweed and plantain from the lawns?

What if hospital grounds had amazing gardens where they grew real food to feed people, so that patients in hospitals could actually be nourished?

What if they cut out 6 inches at the edge of every sidewalk lining every street, and put in dirt, and let a fine and flourishing crop of dandelions grow there? How much carbon dioxide would they eat up, and give us back life-giving oxygen? Can you imagine the sight of city streets lined with thick crops of bright yellow flowers, or lush green leaves, or white seed puffballs? Can you imagine how much more friendly the streets would feel?

What if all the landfills started utilizing bioremediation practices? Various kinds of mushrooms and plants that could break down the garbage and heal the ground?

What if, instead of ornamental trees, the cities planted fruit trees fit for the climate zone, and the public could eat freely when the fruit was ripe? Instead of ornamental shrubs, what about berry bushes, if the light is right? Instead of planter boxes full of annuals, what about planter boxes full of culinary and medicinal herbs, or carrots and cabbage?

Is any of this even logistically possible? Could the cities become a bit more productive, and a bit less of a sink-hole for resources? Could they become pleasant places to live? I don’t really know, to be perfectly honest.

I have a whole different scheme for suburbia, much more outlandish and of course most people probably wouldn’t like it. I have to remember that not everyone wants to grow food and raise animals. But it’s awfully nice to dream . . .

So what about you? What are your “what if’s” for green, productive cities? Who wants to play let’s pretend with the crazy chicken lady?

 

Back Yard Herbalism: Dandelion Flower Infused Oil

One of the most delightful things I’ve made with my dandelion flowers is dandelion flower infused oil, and a salve made by adding beeswax to that infused oil. I use the infused flower oil as a salve on my hands when they’re sore and chapped from a day of working in a nursery, getting scratched up by plastic pots, and dried out from all the water and dirt. I could wear gloves, but they make me feel clumsy, and you can’t check the moisture of the soil very well if you’re wearing gloves. But dandelion blossom oil, and the salve made from it, have many other uses:

One of the chief uses for the oil, described by Wise Woman Tradition herbalists, is as a breast massage oil. This beautiful bright yellow salve or oil helps to ease premenstrual soreness, and also helps to soften fibrous or thickened breast tissue. Used in this way, the oil is said to strengthen the immune system, protect against cancer, and increase one’s sense of self-worth.

Dandelion oil is also a lovely pain reliever, helpful in soothing arthritic joints, back tension, sinus headaches, stiff necks, and weepy swollen skin sores. I personally can attest to the way it soothes sore muscles, especially in the neck, as I just used it last night after a day of carrying around heavy potted plants. It doesn’t have a numbing effect–rather, it helps the body relax a bit, easing that tightness that can be so painful.

And remember that elixir I made, with the intention of expansive energy and release of blocked emotions? It seems that the oil functions much the same way, not only promoting relaxation, but also aiding the body in releasing emotions trapped in the muscles. I can’t tell you how much sense this makes to me at the energetic level, with the way dandelion is so free and giving and abundant. It also makes me think about how our culture tends to be so constricted emotionally, how we try to cover and shove down all the negative feelings, resorting to drugs if necessary to keep us from feeling them; and meanwhile, dandelion is crowding around our homes, constantly shouting out to us that she can help us let our emotions flow and find resolution. I feel like I should make gallons of the infused oil and share it with everyone I know.

So I assume most people who read about herbs know how to make an infused oil, but in case you don’t, Susun Weed has a great article on herbal infused oils here. One note, however–I attended a conference last summer, and herbalist Heather Nic an Fhleisdeir recommends only steeping moist things like dandelion and calendula flowers in oil for two weeks, and/or allowing the flowers to wilt somewhat before putting them in a jar and adding oil.

So I know I’m totally a dandelion disciple right now–thanks for your patience, y’all. I’m just so fascinated by all the ways this much-maligned little plant could be one of our best friends if we’d let it. Spread the word, and I promise some day I’ll talk about something different.

And if you think this is bad? Just wait until my roses are blooming.

 

Love Your Mother, Love Your Weeds

Happy Earth Day! I bet you thought I’d give you a break from talking about weeds, since it’s Earth Day, and maybe give you a run down of things you can do to love your Mother instead. But you are so wrong! And really you should have known better; weeds are, after all, some of the Mother’s most beloved children, wouldn’t you say? After all, she helps them to thrive everywhere.

Then again, weeds are good children to Gaea. Weeds are usually very good for the earth, for the soil, and they all do different work. Here are two examples of why, if you love your Mother, you should love the weeds too:

Dandelion (yes, again) is very kind to the soil. That nice long taproot penetrates the hardpan and brings up minerals (especially calcium) from deep down. They deposit these minerals nearer the surface, replenishing minerals that have washed away (often by careless human treatment of the soil, but sometimes by erosion or other natural forces). These same taproots help to break up and aerate compacted soil, and create much-needed drainage channels. This rototilling action is further aided by the earthworms who are attracted to dandelions. And when the plant dies, the root channels help the earthworms continue to journey deeper in to the soil. Dandelion also attracts many species of beneficial insects and birds–and is a prime food source for honey bees. And finally, dandelions give off ethylene gas, which can cause nearby flowers and fruits to mature more quickly–a compelling reason to let the dandelions hang out in the garden with your tomatoes, huh?

Here in Oregon there’s a lot of hubbub about the horrors of Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius). But let us consider for a moment where Scotch Broom moves in. Where do you see it? In clear cuts. On bare hills beside roads, where all the vegetation has been scorched or chopped or dug away for “safety and health” reasons. Scotch Broom would not be “invading” if we had not already ravaged the ecosystem. Studies suggest that Scotch Broom is not invasive in an intact ecosystem. Scotch Broom moves in when large areas of land have been laid bare, protecting the soil from erosion, and fixing nitrogen in the soil to restore it’s health and fertility. Read more about it here.

In general, weeds do many jobs, from increasing nutrients, to improving drainage, to providing food for all kinds of creatures (including humans), to attracting beneficial fauna and slowing or stopping erosion. Weeds undo a lot of the damage inflicted on the soil by humans–or at least, they do if we let them. I was going to say a lot more on the subject, but discovered someone else has said it all much more eloquently than I could in this amazing article.

One last tidbit: at the Wise Weeds site you’ll find a list of weeds and what they can tell you about the condition of your soil, plus a little bit about some of their other uses.

So there it is. You can show Mama Gaea some love every day by simply giving the weeds a little room to grow.