2023: A journey into herbalism

 For the first few months of this journey, I was on task for every aspect of this course.  Then life started to get in the way.  I took on some extra responsibilities with work and at home and I used my free time doing other things.   Excuses, all.  And now I am behind by fully two months.  I have two years to finish this program, though I suppose I could always start over because the important part is the learning, not so much the certification.  As I have fallen further and further behind, I have felt more and more guilt about being behind and less and less confident about what I have already learned and my ability to continue to learn.  Vicious cycle. I have a lot of projects that don't get finished.  It is not uncommon for me to get 90% complete and then walk away.  I take on new stuff all of the time and then fall off of the passion when it gets to be too much.  Perfectionism, insecurity, something I don't know yet, all could be reasons.  It is frustrating, that much I kno

I have some gifts from the yard I want to share with you. I broke off a small bit of the pear tree, so I brought it inside and placed it on my desk.  We are studying alter making today in class.  I jumped ahead!  I also found the crystal with a tree of life wrapped in wire around it.  It was on a broken chain, so I believe it was left for me to find.  It was in the soil that I dug up from the back yard.  I was sifting through the soil, removing rocks to use in the patio.   I am so grateful I am receiving. This journey has me opening my awareness to small blessings, that I would have previously overlooked.  I admit, sometimes, it can be too much, too fast.  I realize that I am not in a race, that I can savor these experiences, the small gifts, the birdsong, the tiny flower, the breeze on my skin.  So much to take for granted, to rush through.   My confidence is growing along with my awareness.  Like any journey, it is not always forward.  Sometimes, I trip and fall down a psychological,

 I just got a very clear message that I need to write more openly about what has been happening for me, through me, to me since I started this course.  I hope by the end of this essay, you will hear what I hear. That sounds ever loving crazy, I would have said just a few months ago.  But listen, I have a story to share with you. Since I wandered closer to herbalism, maybe a year or more ago, I have heard about Dandelion, but not in the same way I knew about dandelion.  Yes, capital letter intended.  You see, I have a preconceived notion about dandelion and likely, so do you.   It is a weed, we say with a hiss.  Demonized dandelion.  Bane of lawns everywhere.  There is also a stigma about the dandelion - it symbolizes laziness, a moral lacking, someone less. Add a cracked sidewalk and a plastic bag rolling by like a modern day tumbleweed. A dandelion free lawn was held as the highest standard.  Think golf courses, palatial estates, the White House.  Other such criminal weeds include clo

 Today, I got to harvest some early spring nettles.  This was my first time, but hopefully not my last.  Again, I forgot to ask before I started to harvest, but as soon as I remembered, I sent some energy out and felt it bounce right back at me with as much joy and enthusiasm as I had.  I will take that as a yes. I filled a bucket and only when I got home did I stop and think, "Now what do I do?"  I watched a few YouTube videos, found out a way to sauté them with garlic and lemon juice, make fresh tea and confirm that I could make a tincture with fresh nettles.  I wondered because fresh nettles have a sting.  I guess we will find out.   First thing I did was give them a good rinse.  There were dogs where I harvested, so I discarded anything that looked brown or otherwise damaged.  I heard that one should eat the leaves and not the stems.  I do not know if this is true when making medicine.  I did only use the leaves for the tincture. When I ate them last year, I used the stem

 I have started crafting, which has been the most intimidating component of this journey so far.  Today, I put together a Hawthorn Cordial, which ought to be good for my heart and my gut.  The more I learn about our gut microbiome, the more interested I become in the myriad of ways to support that system. Studies have been linking our gut health to the health of many of our body systems.  The idea that we have as many things living inside us than we have cells is really fun to ponder.   Microbiome (nih.gov)   I have been interested in digestifs lately after having one at a restaurant a few weeks ago.  After dinner drinks have always seemed so highbrow and that is not how I see myself.  This cordial includes hawthorn berries, apple, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla, honey and brandy.  I will let you know how it tastes in about a month.  I have very high hopes for it.  I have been trying different ones and while I can't say I love them, they are interesting. 10 days ago, I threw t

The first lesson for my second month of class was about negotiating with obstacles.  It was setting a stage for things to come, but it has caused me to stop and reflect about the things I have done already in my life to negotiate with the natural world and what work I still need to do and what I need to do as soon as I can. Two years ago, I got rid of my chickens and the chicken run with the idea that I would use that space as my witch's garden, a place to grow medicinal plants and to start my journey learning about them.  Last year, I ordered a number of medicinal, pollinator supportive plants. I have been planting for birds and pollinators for years, but these plants had the added focus of being medicinal.  I had gotten a truck load of arborist chips and had been working to transform my yard into a sanctuary where all were welcome.  As I was laying it all out and burning a fire in my fire pit, saying prayers of welcome, two eagles flew low over my yard, and I felt truly blessed.