Handcrafted Botanicals & Supplies
“One of the first aspects of primitive culture to fall before the onslaught of civilization is knowledge and use of plants for medicines.” – Richard Evans Schultes Ph.D.
As I prepare to teach the Fall/Winter series of classes dedicated to herbal immune support I wonder how much longer I and my fellow herbalists will be able to do so.
Where am I going? What do I mean by this? Continue reading “The People’s Medicine”
It is finally Fall here in the Northern hemisphere. Gone is the fast paced growth of Spring and Summer. We are down to the final days of harvesting, and putting away for Winter. The air is crisp,and cool as we enter the time of the trees. The trees are mostly ignored during the fast paced bustle of the gardening season, though we may occasionally appreciate them for their shade on a hot day, or a temporary refuge from a quick summer rain. Now their color changes bring them front and center in all their glory. The leaves are starting to drop, the sap is slowing, but the trees are still very much alive. Their songs are heard in the slightest rustle and creak of their branches, their energy low, constant and nurturing like a mother’s heartbeat felt from the womb.
As the days and nights grow cooler they shed what no longer serves them, as we should also do. It is a time of inward reflection, and preparation for a new seasons growth. A time of dreaming and scheming as my grandmother would say.
Make time for self care by taking a walk through the woods. You may want to bring a small journal or notebook with you. Clear your mind and focus on your senses. What do you see, smell, hear, taste? Find a tree that speaks to you and sit with it for awhile. Jot down any thoughts, and images that come to mind.
Now think about the things that no longer serve you. Before you start your journey home find a nearby leaf, write on the leaf anything you want to let go of. Crumple up the leaf, scatter it in the woods and leave it with the trees.
We see them everywhere this time of year, in all shapes, colors, and sizes, it’s Pumpkin season! Pumpkins are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidents, not to mention many varieties are just plain tasty. Easy to grow, cook, can, and store, pumpkins are a favorite of homesteaders everywhere. Roasted pumpkin, soup, breads, pies, the list goes on, even the seeds are a tasty snack when baked. Fun fact, many of the store-bought tins of “pumpkin” contain very little if any real pumpkin, they are usually a mixture of other winter squashes.
Symbolizing the Full Harvest Moon, prosperity, fertility, abundance, and protection, the seeds can be used in any manner of spell work with these intentions. Cleaned out pumpkins make the perfect vessels for candle workings as evidenced by the magical Jack O Lantern, faces carved into pumpkins to keep the spirits away. The jack o’ lantern originates in Ireland though the Irish didn’t use pumpkins. Ancient Celts carved Turnips, Rutabagas, and other large root vegetables to ward off evil spirits. Pumpkins did not exist in Ireland at that time.
The next time you want to bless your friends and family with love, and prosperity bake them a pumpkin pie!
Pumpkin Pie
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
¾ c evaporated milk
½ c brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ginger
¼ tsp cloves
2 large eggs
Unbaked 9” pie crust
Preheat oven to 425. Mix sugar and spices in a small bowl. Beat eggs in a large bowl then add pumpkin, spice mix and evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temp to 350 and bake an additional 50 minutes.
Spring has finally sprung here in N. Central Ohio and foraging is in full swing. What have I been foraging for? I have been busy gathering the last of the Ramps, and Violets. I have also gathered chives, Dandelions, Purple dead nettle, garlic mustard, Sweet Woodruff, and Plantain. Our grandmother Pine dropped a bough during a storm, so I gathered those needles as well. So, what will I do with all this bounty? The possibilities are endless!
The Ramps will be made into a lovely pesto which is quick, easy, and oh so delicious! I will post the recipe at the bottom of the blurb.
An infused oil will be made with the Violets, and the Plantain which I will then use to make a skin loving lotion. Some of the Chives, Purple dead nettle, and Garlic Mustard will be dried for later use, and the rest will make a nice salad for my lunch. This batch of Sweet Woodruff will be steeped for a traditional May wine. And our little bough of Pine needles will be powdered up and baked into a shortbread which tastes just like the holidays. So there you have it, many simple and enjoyable ways to use the bounty that nature has provided. Happy foraging!
Green blessings,
Ali
*Please forage responsibly, and always be 100% certain in your plant identification
Ramp Pesto
2 c Ramp leaves
1/3c Olive oil
½ c Pine nuts (or whatever nuts you like, I use Walnuts)
½ c Parmesan cheese (optional)
Salt, Pepper, dash of Lemon juice
Toss everything but the Olive oil into a food processor, add Olive oil slowly until you reach your desired consistency. It’s just that easy, enjoy!
I am often asked what my favorite herb is. There are so many wonderful herbs that it’s difficult to have a favorite. Most people assume it’s Thyme since the apothecary is named after it. But one always stands out to me over all the rest. It isn’t that it’s somehow more amazing than the others, it is in the personal relationship that we have with each other. That herb is Yarrow. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), is a European native that has been naturalized in North American. The name Achillea is a nod to the great warrior Achilles who was purported to have used the herb extensively on his soldiers. Millefolium translates to thousand leaves for its finely divided wisp like leaf formation.
Yarrow has been used for both medicinal, and spiritual properties, and many indigenous peoples classify it as a sacred herb. Other names have been used such as woundwort, devil’s nettle, bloodwort, soldier’s woundwort, nosebleed, and staunchweed. Many of these common names refer to great ability as a hemostatic, astringent, and antibacterial. Pollen of Yarrow has been found in burial caves dating back 60,000. Years.[1]
The spiritual use of Yarrow also has a long history. It is used mainly for protection, divination, and love. Yarrow stalks are traditionally used to cast the I Ching, the Chinese book of prophecy. It has also been used in exorcism rites. Ruled by Venus, this powerful herb was hung over the marriage bed to guarantee love for 7 years (what happened in the years after that I can’t say). It was also hung over a newborns crib to protect it from evil. Carried as a charm or talisman Yarrow it seems has been a “go to” since ancient times. A flower essence of Yarrow can aid those who are empathic or feeling vulnerable. It has been used to cleanse the aura, and as an amplifier for other herbs.
My personal journey with Yarrow began many years ago when I first began studying herbs in earnest. She was the first herb I ever worked with medicinally, and later spiritually. Yarrow is always with me. Indeed, while shopping with a friend one day I pulled out my wallet at checkout only to have a little baggie drop out of my purse onto the floor. The looks I got as I explained that it was Yarrow, and not cannabis were priceless! So why didn’t I name the apothecary after it? Well… A Moment in Yarrow just wasn’t as catchy. Or perhaps a deeper part of me just wanted to keep her to myself, like a treasured friendship that is part of my heart, the intimacies of the relationship not meant for public display.
Green blessings,
Ali
*Disclaimer: This post is for educational purposes only and in no way constitutes medical advice. I am not a doctor, and do not, diagnose, or treat patients. Please check with your primary care physician before using herbal remedies.
A Moment in Thyme 2018©
[1] https://www.encyclopedia.com/plants-and-animals/plants/plants/yarrow
If you walk into any New Age shop you will undoubtedly find a basket or bin of white sage bundles. You may find a few other items around it such as Palo Santo, Cedar bundles, Sweetgrass, but you will definitely find white sage. White sage has become the “go to” for cleansing/ clearing one’s person or space, or has it?
White Sage (Salvia apiana), is native to the Southwestern US, and Northern Mexico. It was used extensively by indigenous peoples for everything from food, medicine, body care (shampoos, oral care), as well as ceremonial uses. It is one of the four sacred plants represented in the medicine wheel on the West, (the other three are Sweetgrass for the North, Tobacco for the East, and Cedar for the South) [1].
Due to modern popularity it is now in danger due to over harvesting, and drought.[2] It is currently on the “watch” list of United Plant Savers. When using any plant, we want to be sure that this use is sustainable so that we are not contributing to the problem. Know your sources for your herbs, and plants. Better yet, plant some yourself if it can grow in your climate. And if it doesn’t grow in your climate ask yourself the serious question of “why I need to use this particular plant?” Our ancestors used plants that were native to their location. Get to know what plants are native to your location and cultivate a relationship with them.
There is an extensive list of plants that can be used for cleansing aside from White Sage.
*Desert Sage
*Cedar
*Mugwort
*Juniper
*Sweetgrass
*Frankincense
*Copal
*Palo Santo
are just a handful of substitutes.
When using plants for spiritual cleansing you are connecting not only with the plant, but with the great mother earth. In using plants sustainably, respectfully, and with gratitude we tread lightly on the earth. I can think of few things more spiritual in nature then that.
[1] https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/products/white-sage-cultivated/profile
[2] https://www.unitedplantsavers.org/species-at-risk
Green blessings,
Ali
* The information presented in this article is for educational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as a substitute for diagnosis and treatment by a health care professional.
© Ali Wolf –20018
I am often asked how I use all the wonderful herbs that grow in my yard. For someone just getting started on their relationship with plant medicine it can be very overwhelming. In the beginning it’s hard to look at a patch of Burdock, and see anything but a very large leafed weed with burrs that stick on everything. One doesn’t immediately picture it as a resource for the dinner table, or noon cup of tea.
One of the best ways to incorporate medicinal herbs into your daily life is by including them in your food. Our ancestors knew this, and used this knowledge to stay well fed throughout the seasons.
“Season” is a key word here. I am in zone 5b currently in the midst of winter. What’s in the yard this winter? Some of my favorite winter foods include Burdock, Yellow dock, Horseradish, chickweed, wild garlic, and Pine just to name a few. When foraging for wild edibles please make sure you have a 100% certainty on identification. When in doubt go without!
While I could just toss all that together in a pot and call it a day, I will also utilize pantry items I have stored from earlier harvests. So here a few family favs to get you started:
Breakfast:
Yellow Dock Griddle Cakes with Ginger Citrus syrup
Lunch:
Dinner:
Savory Roasted Roots w/ Scarborough Fair Bread
Winter Solstice Shortbread Cookies
Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.
—— attributed to Hippocrates
Wool gathering in the dark days of winter, not the actual act, but the old phrase meaning to daydream. The winter solstice is my favorite day of the year. It is my favorite day for introspection, self-work, and conjuring hopes, and dreams for the new year. Many find the long darkness somewhat cold, and depressing, I used to, but not anymore. Over the years I have come to look forward to it as a very tangible reminder that Spring is coming just around the bend. For without the darkness there can be no light. The day after the solstice the light will shine just a wee bit longer in the sky, as it will each day forward until we reach the summer solstice.
I wasn’t really conscious of my internal celebration of the solstice until just a few years ago. I used to invite friends over for a small celebratory gathering on the solstice, mainly because most people were free that day unlike the rest of December days where everyone is wrapped up in holiday plans, Christmas, Yule, Hanukkah, etc. As the years passed I found myself increasingly annoyed at the commercialization of any/ all holidays, with a longing to return to the roots of the season.
My ancestors would have been tucked in for the winter. Hopefully with rafters and cellars full of the autumn harvests, and hunts. Root vegetables would be simmering in the pot and families would be spending time together telling stories, and conjuring their hopes, and dreams for the new year. Many people would not see another soul until the winter thaw making it the perfect time for mending of all things.
Soon I will be putting on a pot of root soup which will simmer all day and tease us with it’s wonderful rich smell. That along with some crusty herb bread, and a Cherry herbal cordial made in the autumn will round off my darkest day dinner, very similar to my ancestors. So, cheers to you, and may you fully embrace the darkness, and relish the return of the light!
Green blessings,
Ali Wolf
“There is magick in the plants for all the world to share, If you will simply sit with them they will show you where”
-Ali Wolf (Garden Magick: A Young Yogi’s Adventure story)
Work is work, whether it’s doing something you love or hate, it is still work. All work and no play not only makes Jack a dull boy, but dulls Jill’s senses just as much. We are not designed to work constantly and our bodies will remind us of this every chance it gets, as an act of self-preservation. Listen to your body, it has your best interests at heart. Continue reading “Just quit it – Embracing the green Giving permission to honor ones’ self.”
