Tag Archives: herbalism

Magickal Portals )O(

Merry meet all,

The overdress from Holy Clothing arrived! I love it. It is so beautiful and feminine. I feel so beautiful when I wear it. I can wear it with about twenty different dresses in my wardrobe, which is also what made it worth buying. The herb cutter from The Witches moon arrived. The herb cutter is so beautiful! 

I woke up to a skiff of snow on the ground this morning. Well I looked out my window and decided, winter is not over yet. Snow covers the ground and a harsh wind rocks the trees. I still see the portal visible only to me. Or is it? To be able to see the portal and imagine you are escaping to Middle Earth, soften your gaze and peer between the two trees. It so does appear like a portal to me, carrying you far away from all your worries. If I had a choice, I would move to Middle Earth and never return. 

The future for all humankind is dark and scary. The earth’s resources are being manipulated and seized and wasted at an unprecedented scale. We ask too much of the earth and forget that we have to give back. Machinery, the army and the government are the enemy. The technology we are producing and depending on are causing the earth’s destruction. Many cellphones end up in landfill. The oceans are stuffed with garbage. The air is polluted. We cannot eat money but we all live like we can. We have a scary future ahead of us if we continue at this rate. We expect the earth to produce forever but it doesn’t work that way. 

That is why if I was given the choice, I would flee to Middle Earth. And to quote Gandalf, “I won’t be going alone.” I would take my loved ones including my cat with me. I always felt like I never fit in here anyway. I would not look back. We are all doomed and we have a bleak future. Why should we leave Earth, move to another planet and colonize there if we can’t learn our mistakes here? No, we have to learn first then ask ourselves if we could really do that to another planet. 

There are people all over the world claiming to be experiencing visits from aliens. They are unafraid of the aliens- except me, I am scared to death of them. They claim that the aliens are teaching them that we may be better off leaving earth and going with the aliens. Who am I to deny them? I can see the rationale behind it. The aliens are wise and know what await us. 

It will break my heart to be forced to see war break out and the earth torn apart. To see people overcome with rage, furious that the earth can keep up no more with their need for selfish gratitude, tearing other people apart- their kin and know love no more. But that may be our future. The Goddess has raised her horns and awoken-and she is pissed. The sinkholes, climate change, the natural disasters: droughts, wildfires, flooding and hurricanes are signs of her fighting back. I hope she never tires. I hope she teaches us a powerful lesson. I hope she stays and stands proud, driven by a beautiful fury. We have been bad children. 

Now don’t get me wrong. I know that there are other earth stewards out there like me who are likeminded. If you are reading this and you are one of them, power to you! I see you as a kindred spirit. Yes we who do care about Earth and all her beauty and power are hopefully exempt from the doom just lurking over the horizon. But unfortunately, those who are in power blinded by greed and money and drive the cruel wheel of machinery will propel all of us to an unpleasant future. 

I believe in leaving offerings and having a harmonious relationship with the nature spirits here. I would probably get laughed at. I don’t care. I know what I feel and I live in harmony with the earth. I work with not against. Many people take so much for granted. I dare say they will eventually wake up when it is too late. 

I follow a surprisingly simple routine for showing my concern for the earth. I save eggshells, I recycle and compost, and I eat a lot of organic food. I opt for organic food as often as I can. I know organic food is more expensive but they make it that way to try and discourage you from buying it. I resist and buy it anyway. I practice organic gardening methods and I never use toxic chemicals such as insecticides, pesticides and other such poison on my garden. I have the most beautiful garden Ever. I use organic seeds and organic soil. I reuse cloth bags and I drag my personal cart to the store and back, up and down that steep hill. I take the bus and take many strolls on the nature trail. 

I practice bioregional herbalism and follow a sustainable practice with my herbalism. 

These are all things we could all be doing. I love seeing other people take their own cloth bags to the grocery store. It cheers my heart so much. That is in itself an act of rebellion. Ok now just keep that up and start small then expand your earth stewardship practice. 

Happy International Women’s Day – which is every damn day!

Blessings, Spiderwitch

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Bioregional Herbalism

Merry meet all,

Summer is here and my garden is blossoming in full force. I love how my garden is growing so well. My kitty is perched on the scratching post at the back door, getting her usual nature telly. 

I grow my herbs with an intention. I am growing herbs to have in order to not have to order them online. It is so much better when the herbs you want grow in your own garden. (Besides, who really wants to pay for shipping fees for that? Not me.) 

I grow the herbs I want with the intention of using them for my studies at the Herbal Academy. This means I get the fresh sun-drenched, bee pollinated herbs from my garden. I can grow what I need and as many herbs as I want or need. I now get to harvest mugwort, sage, parsley, oregano, chives, nettle, dill, marigold, chamomile, lavender, rosemary, lemon balm, purple coneflower, apple mint, raspberry leaf, dandelions, St.John’s Wort, elderberries, strawberries, comfrey, among other herbs. I know how to properly dry and store the herbs in my apothecary. It’s definitely a win-win. You can’t beat that variety.

I also learn what grows well in my garden and what doesn’t grow well. For example, the lavender didn’t come back this year- at all. I had to buy a new lavender plant and a new rosemary plant. That is a good reason to have a grow light kit. If I don’t have a certain herb available in my garden, I turn to Planet Organic to get the herbs. I won’t pay shipping fees. I can practice bioregional herbalism that way, getting herbs locally, mostly from my garden and the abundant amazing nature trail here. 

Some herbs are at risk from being so over harvested by companies that don’t practice sustainability. If I obtain the herbs I need from the garden and trail, and I am aware of what is at risk, then I can harvest sustainably and with a happier conscience. I only take what I need. I set an intention before I harvest and then harvest the roots, seeds, flowers or berries that I need at the time. For example, purple coneflower is listed as at risk on the United Plant Savers website. I am growing it in my garden and that way I can help the plant survive. I don’t harvest from the purple coneflower. I want the purple coneflower to grow and to thrive and most importantly, to be no longer endangered. I want the purple coneflower to establish itself and be pollinated by many a bee. The purple coneflower is so beautiful and has many healing properties but I’m more interested in seeing it thrive and blossom and beautify my garden! And get pollinated by bees. 

My other intention is using the herbs in special recipes I get from the Herbal Academy. I have yet to try all the recipes I get from them. I have a binder reserved only for the Herbal Academy recipes. I plan to use the herbs in teas, tinctures, salves, and many other recipes. I want to have herbs like sage, parsley, oregano and chives for adding spice to a dish. I have those herbs growing in their own section in my garden. I have herbs for teas, tinctures and salves in another section of my garden. That includes herbs like lavender, lemon balm, nettle, mugwort, raspberry leaf, comfrey. The Herbal Academy has a good list of herbs to grow for teas here:

  1. Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
  2. Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)
  3. Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)
  4. Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea)
  5. Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum)
  6. Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)
  7. Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)
  8. Bee balm (Monarda fistulosa)
  9. Nettle (Urtica dioica)
  10. Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
  11. Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
  12. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
  13. Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
  14. Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)
  15. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

That is a wonderful selection of herbs! I can almost taste it already. I have two wicked teapots for brewing teas, and a few lovely tea towels from the Herbal Academy, and a great selection of herbs. I believe that the act of steeping and enjoying tea to be a ritual, never mundane. It is a great way to relax, unwind and connect to Mother Earth by enjoying the bounty she provides us with. 

Practicing bioregional herbalism, obtaining herbs sustainably and using organic gardening methods are key to helping the herbs we want to thrive and be their very best. If you wouldn’t consume the pesticide or herbicide, then why would you expect a harmless bee to ingest it? It tastes just as bad to the bee or dragonfly, trust me. I have a beautiful garden and I use none of those chemicals. Let’s be good to the one who gave us everything we have. Let’s honour the Mother Goddess. 

Blessed Be, Spiderwitch

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Scandinavian Dandelion Syrup )O(

Merry meet all,

Today an overcast sky darkens the gorgeous verdant green grounds here. The trees and plants are so bright green, resplendent against the dark sky. I just strolled through the garden, marveling at how fast everything is growing. They get big overnight, it’s amazing. 

The other day I concocted a brew of Scandinavian Dandelion Syrup. I am so proud of myself. It’s an actual syrup. Now I feel like a true herbalist! I have tried so many times and wasted so many herbs to make syrup. I finally did it! Here are some tips on how you can brew this awesome potion too!

Put on your herbalist hat and get outside! I took a bag and a pair of scissors with me. I ventured out to the nature trail where I collected fifty dandelions. Yep you read that right. You can collect more if you like but not less. I washed them at home and snipped off the green stems. Be sure to leave plenty of dandelions for the bees. Only pick dandelions that are healthy and undamaged. Pat them dry with a paper towel. 

Put all the dandelion flowers in a pot. Bring the dandelion tea to a boil then let it simmer for half an hour. Tip: Let the dandelions steep in the pot in the fridge overnight. It makes for a richer, more healthy tea. In the morning, strain the flowers and toss the flowers to the compost goddess. Chop up 1 rhubarb stalk, two apples, add the juice of a lemon, and let it simmer. Strain the tea again. Toss the fruit to the compost. Now you make the syrup. Measure how much tea you have and that will tell you how much sugar to add. Be sure to strain the tea well. I had two cups of the tea so I added the same amount of sugar. Let it boil but not scald on the stove. The tea will smell amazing. The sugar will dissolve. Leave it on the stove and occasionally stir until the liquid has evaporated but again, don’t scald the pot. Turn the heat off and allow it to cool. If you scald the mixture, it will change color and you don’t want that. The mixture should thicken as it cools. 

Pour the syrup into a sterile jar and leave it to thicken into the jar. The syrup should look and taste amazing! Now that I have enjoyed my own homemade syrup, I may never buy processed syrup again! I had so much syrup I split it with my Mom. The photo above shows the jar of syrup. See the gorgeous color? I am so proud to have brewed a jar of syrup! You will fall in love with it too. 

Store the dandelion syrup in the fridge. Pour it onto roasted root veggies or pancakes! Enjoy!

Blessings, Spiderwitch

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