Herbs and Emotional Healing Webinar

The next webinar in the AHG series will take place on Thursday, October 13th. Steven Horne, RH(AHG) will be teaching on Herbs and Emotional Healing. This webinar will also be free and open to the public. You can learn more about Steven's class at the AHG website or register directly here.

The Professional Herbalist Training Webinar Series, taught by AHG professional members, will provide up-to-date information that combines ancient wisdom with modern science, drawing upon the varied herbal traditions of the world. Beginners and experienced health professionals are welcome to attend. While some of these classes will be free and open to the public, access to all of them can be ensured by  joining the American Herbalists Guild today.  

In addition to Free Access to 6 educational webinars a year, you get the following with your membership:

• Free subscription to the biannual Journal of the American Herbalists Guild  
• Free subscription to our quarterly informational e-newsletter, Guild News and Views 
• Discounted registration to the AHG Annual National Symposium 
• Unlimited on-line access to past issues of the JAHG
• Unlimited on-line access to over 250 recorded lectures from AHG conferences and seminars
• Local Chapter membership and participation
• Social Networking  

For more than twenty years, the American Herbalists Guild has been working to promote excellence in botanical medicine education and practice.

And check out our 22nd Annual National Symposium, being held on October 20-23 in St. Petersburg, Florida. A dynamic line-up of teachers, including Paul Stamets (author of Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World) have been invited to celebrate the vital role of herbs in health care.  

LYME DISEASE Public Information Meeting

Challenges & Updates on Diagnosis & Treatment

Sunday, Sept. 18, 1-4 pm, FREE

Mahone Bay Centre, 45 School St., Mahone Bay, NS

Special Guest Speaker from BC: Dr. E. Murakami, President & Founder of Murakami Centre for Lyme Research, Education & Assistance Society

More info: http://murakamicentreforlymebc.giving.officelive.com

Local contact: Ellen Agger 902-624-0427

Monarch Excitement!!

You have no idea how excited I am today!!!!!!!  Look what is gracing my milkweed today!!  Over a dozen monarch butterfly caterpillars!!  I can't believe I haven't noticed them sooner!!  I am so blessed to have been given these two amazing huge mature milkweed plants for my yard this year!  Sincere thanks, Nicole!  I can't wait for what comes next!!

FREE Webinar

Introduction to Ayurvedic Detoxification: Treating Diseases Caused by Amavata

Date: Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011 Time: 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM PDT Free and open to the public! Are you looking to eradicate the root of chronic disease for your clients or for yourself? The East Indian Ayurvedic tradition considers amavata, or deep level toxicity, to be the seat of chronic disease. Join Todd Caldecott, clinical herbalist and author of Ayurveda: The Divine Science of Life and Dr. Alan Tillotson, Ph.D., clinical herbalist, licensed acupuncturist and author of The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook, for a discussion about how you can integrate Ayurvedic herbal, dietary, and detoxification methods into your approach to resolving chronic disease. This webinar is hosted by Michael Tierra and the East West School of Planetary Herbology, and is appropriate for students and practitioners of herbalism. Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/812172050 After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar. System Requirements: PC-based attendees: Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server Macintosh®-based attendees: Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

Mi’kmaq Acadian Culture Festival and Reunion

August 19 - 20, 2011

Fort Point Museum

Lahave, NS

Schedule of Events


Friday, August 19- Fort Point Museum 
4:30-  Mussels cooked in seaweed by Alden Darville
5:00-6:00- Cajun/Louisana Dinner with Chef Keith Doucet from Louisana- Advance tickets $15.00 ea
6:30-8:00 – Second Seating.
Entertainment : Louisiana Cousins:
Bernie David, Christine and Lee Ann Guidry Law.

8:00- Mi’kmaq Teaching with Elder Leland Surette
          Sacred Fire, Smudge, Drumming and Singing.
          Heartbeat Drummers
           Flute- Elder Leland Surette


Saturday- August 20th
9:00-11:00  Sunrise Ceremony at Mi’kmaq Acadian Burial site in Petite Riviere, NS
10 :00- Canoe Race at Getson’s Cove, near Fort Point.
11:30- Official Opening and Flag Ceremony
12:30-1:00- Darren Arsenault
1:05-1:30 – Bernie David
1:35-1:55- Heartbeat Drummers
2:00- 2:20- Kaylyn Turner
2:25-2:50- Rhonda Kennedy
2:55-3:35- Collage
3:40-4:00 – Mi’kmaq Dancer
4:05-4:30- Christine and Leeann Guidry Law
4:35-5:10- Yves Rossignol and Cajun Zydeco Blues Band
5:30- 7:30- Feast and Give Away Ceremony
7: 30- Clean up of grounds and Kitchen
8:00-10:00 pm- Acadian Kitchen Party.

Workshops on Saturday:
1:00- 2:00 pm – Herbal Medicine Walk by Jeanette Poirier
2:00-3:00- Drum by Peter Pictou
3:00-3:45 pm- Bow and Drill-  by Richard MacKinnon
3:35-4:30- Mi’kmaq Medicine Circle by Laurie Lacey
4:30--5:30- German History Presentation .

Crafters: Carolyn Zwicker
Medicine – Mother Nature with Love – Kelli Souva.
Fortune Teller-  Contessa Crystal

Concessions : Lunenburg County Historical Society- Hamburgers, Hot dog and Sweets
                         Mi’kmaq & French Descendents Reunion- Steamed mussels, corn and Clams.
A donation bucket will be passed around at the feast . Please bring an item for Give Away.  The item is usually something that you give from yourself.

A Harvesting We Will Go!!

The weather has turned the mullein and the Saint John's Wort into little yellow flower factories!  It's a perfect time to be harvesting both here!  They both grow wild and are often found in dry, gravelled areas.  There are some growing along the back roads here in the countryside.

A Young Mullein Plant
Photo by waldopics on Flickr

Mullein Flowering
Photo by gmayfield10 on Flickr

Mullein Flowers
Photo by nc_hiker on Flickr

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is a soft, peaceful plant with an affinity for aiding in lung and bowel complaints.  Both leaves and flowers are used in medicinal remedies.  Harvest the younger leaves in early Spring and the blossoms in the middle of the summer.  When looking for information to share about this lovely plant, I found this great link to Ryan Drum's overview of three wonderful herbs, Nettles, Horsetail and Mullein.

Saint John's Wort Plant
Photo by gmayfield10 on Flickr

Saint John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is also a bright, cheery plant to harvest on a warm summer morning... if you don't mind competing with the bees!  You'll know you've found it if you hold one of the leaves up to the sun and it has little pin holes all over it!  This plant is widely known for its use in treating depression and there is much research available on this plant as a result.  This plant has a wealth of uses and is a staple in my apothecary.

Saint John's Wort Flower
Photo by carinemily on Flickr

"Aromatic, astringent, resolvent, expectorant and nervine. Used in all pulmonary complaints, bladder troubles, in suppression of urine, dysentery, worms, diarrhoea, hysteria and nervous depression, haemoptysis and other haemorrhages and jaundice. For children troubled with incontinence of urine at night an infusion or tea given before retiring will be found effectual; it is also useful in pulmonary consumption, chronic catarrh of the lungs, bowels or urinary passages. Externally for fomentations to dispel hard tumours, caked breasts, ecchymosis, etc." ~Grieve

Yarrow Flowers
Photo by beautifulcataya on Flickr

While you're out wandering around looking for these yellow fellas, keep an eye out for the lovely white Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) also in bloom right now!  I have a posey of that hanging up drying right now too!!

Whew, it's been a busy weekend!
Wishing you a happy harvest!
Val :)

24th Women's Herbal Conference, Aug. 19-21

Wendy and I attended the Women's Herbal Conference last summer and thoroughly enjoyed it!  The WHC is celebrating a new location this year!  I know it will be an extremely exciting and enlightening weekend!

Wellness & Information Day - July 13th

I just received this from our wonderful aroma therapy experts at Casaroma at the Alderney Landing in Dartmouth.  They do so much more than just aroma therapy that I thought I'd share!
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Hope you can join us at the Wednesday Market at the Landing to have a look at what we do and experiment a bit with our equipment. Check out your aura, learn how the Scalar laser works, see the eternale at work etc. Hear about our fabulous Wellness Cruise happening in April 2012. A lucky visitor will get a gift certificate for a relaxing Eternale treatment!

Excellent Herb Knowledge Site

I'm still reeling from an amazing extended weekend at Wheaton College in Massachusetts for the 10th Annual International Herb Symposium!  My brain is overflowing!

As I visit the web sites of some of the amazing instructors, I thought I would share any that seem particularly good with you.  The first one I am browsing is Guido Mase's site called Grian Herbs.

I attended Guido's very technical workshop on Polyphenolics (i.e. how tannins work) and was blown away by his wealth of herbal knowledge at the molecular level!  He did a superb job of explaining the complex topic in a manner that made sense (even to someone like me who has a very limited chemistry background).

Anyway, Grian Herbs provides a wealth of high-quality herbal knowledge including various Workshop and Class Handouts, an Herbal Database, An Introduction to Herbal Protocols, Medicine Making recipes and so much more.  It's certainly worth a visit!!!  Guido also maintains his blog called A Radicle - be sure to check it out too!

Thank you, Guido for a wonderful workshop!

Amazing Yoga Class Discount!!!

Holy smokes!!
Pure Freedom Yoga Studio is offering an incredible 69% discount right now!!
Get a 10 class pass for just $39!!! WOW!!
The offer expires in just 2 days - act fast!


Click here for all of the details!

Nova Scotian Herbal Workshops

I received this flyer from local herbalists, Jeanette Poirier and michele Haddal.  A group of us have attended their workshops in the past and have thoroughly enjoyed them!  It's wonderful to have workshops here so close to home!  I'm hopeful that I'm going to be able to make it to these this time!  Hope to see you there!

HANS 9th Annual Herb Fair and AGM

Date: Saturday, July 16, 2011
Time 8:30 am to 5 pm
Location: Camp Brunswick, 42 Mines Road, East Chezzetcook
(approx. 1/2 hour from either bridge in Halifax/Dartmouth)

Cost: $40 (members) and $65 (non-members). Yearly membership $25.
For those needing to overnight, there is indoor space and tenting available at an extra fee.

Food: Participants are responsible for their own nourishment.
Herbal teas and water will be provided.

Come and enjoy a day of herbal workshops. There will be plant walks, herbal medicine making, plant spirit medicine, and much more.

There will also be a silent auction, a plant sale and a raffle.

Learn more at http://herbalns.org or contact Michele at admin@herbalns.org for more information.

Apple Blossom

Tonight Wendy and I visited a local park to harvest Hawthorn Flowers. We found apple trees blooming nearby and I could not resist bringing some of the sweetly-scented apple blossoms home for a bath! What a treat!! I felt so wonderful after the bath, I just had to search around and see what people were saying about the benefits of apple blossoms. I have compiled some of my findings below... no wonder I had a beautiful bath!!!

Photo by Glenn Franco Simmons on Flickr

Wikipedia:
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family (Rosaceae). It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. The tree originated in Western Asia, where its wild ancestor, the Alma, is still found today. There are more than 7,500 known cultivars of apples, resulting in a range of desired characteristics. Cultivars vary in their yield and the ultimate size of the tree, even when grown on the same rootstock.[2]

NMC News:
Aromatherapy uses and benefits include:
love, friendship, happiness, success

Magical Herbalism by Scott Cunningham:
Wear to promote happiness and success.
Anoint candles during love rituals.
Add to bath to aid relaxation.

About.com
Apples and their blossoms can be associated with abundance, fertility, love and immortality.

For the ancients, the apple was considered a symbol of immortality. Interestingly, it's also seen as a food for the dead, which is why Samhain is sometimes referred to as the Feast of Apples. In Celtic myth, an apple branch bearing grown fruit, flowers, and unopened bud was a magical key to the land of the Underworld. It's also a symbol of the harvest, and is frequently found on altars during Mabon celebrations.

In the English ballad "Thomas the Rhymer," young Thomas is cautioned against eating the Fairy Queen's apples, because to eat the food of the dead would prevent him from ever returning to the land of the living. This story reminds us that apples, and their blossoms, are associated with the realm of the Fae.

The apple is often found as a component in love magic, and the blossoms may be added to incenses and brews. In traditional folklore, apples are used as part of love divination -- peel the apple in a continuous length, and when the first strip of peel falls off, it will form the initial of the person you are to marry. Cut an apple in half and count the seeds -- an even number means marriage is coming, an uneven number indicates that you'll remain single for a while.

Use the fruits of the apple tree in divination, or brew the flowers into a tea. Use the tea to wash your face and hair in, to bring love your way. In some Druid traditions, apple blossoms are pressed to release oils, and the oils are used in blends to bring health and prosperity. A seventeenth-century herbal recommends mixing apple blossom extract with a bit of rose water and some pig fat as a cure for rough, dry skin.

Pomona was a Roman goddess of orchards, and is associated with abundance and bounty. To bring fertility and abundance into your life, hang garlands of apple blossoms around your home - particularly over your bed if you're trying to conceive.

Other names: Silver Bough, Tree of Love, Fruit of the Gods
Gender: Feminine
Element: Water
Deity Connections: Venus, Aphrodite, Diana, Apollo, Zeus

Congratulations On Your New Yoga Studio, Kathryn!!

Kathryn over at Pure Freedom Yoga has just opened a brand new studio in Rockingham Ridge Plaza off of Dunbrack Street, Clayton Park in Halifax!

There are FREE classes all week! Be sure to drop by, check out the amazing new space and stretch a little!

Congratulations, Kathryn!!!
Val :)

Herbal Juices

Comfrey is ready for harvest here!  In fact, I've been cutting back the blooms to help the plants bush out a bit and prolong harvesting - as it is best to harvest before blooming.

Comfrey is a member of the Borage and Forget-me-not family, Boraginaceae. Comfrey thrives in almost any soil or situation, but does best under the shade of trees. Michael Phillips (author of The Apple Grower) tells us to plant comfrey under our fruit trees to attract bees to improve pollonation.

Comfrey should be harvested before it sends its vital energy into producing flowers. An established comfrey is a robust plant and will grow over and over again throughout the summer so you can enjoy multiple leaf harvests by cutting back the plant to keep it from flowering until later. For Mrs. Grieve's overview of comfrey and its medicinal properties, visit botanical.com. There are also a few other links in my sidebar with great herbal info.

Herbal juices allow us to extract the entire wealth of vitamins and minerals from nutrient rich herbs because we are consuming the entire harvest in its most vital state. In a past herbal class, Savayda Jarone of Mayflower Herbs had us in the garden picking 4" baby comfrey leaves to make herbal juice. I was shocked at the lovely light cucumber flavor of this mild slightly green drink!

HERBAL JUICE

1/2 cup chopped fresh herb

1 cup water

Blend in food processor or blendrer until pureed and frothy.

Strain and serve.

To preserve herbal juices longer, put unstrained juice in a sterile glass jar and add 1 cup apple cider vinegar and cover. Shake daily for 2 weeks then strain. Take 1 tsp in water, 1 or 2 times daily. The shelf life is about 3 months.

If you are not familiar with this wonderful garden specimen, give it a try. It will thrive in partly shaded areas of the garden, it produces gorgeous texture with its large leaves and it attracts beneficial bees with it's striking blossoms.

Originally posted: May 12, 2010

Holy Horsetail!!

There is an abundance of horsetail in our area - particularly in my yard! I was going to elaborate on the medicinal uses of horsetail; however, there is a superb overview of horsetail on the University of Maryland Medical Center website.

I thought it might be fun to share couple of simple recipe ideas using horsetail. There are more out there in herbal beauty books and on the interwebs if you do a bit of searching.

Horsetail Hair Rinse

Ingredients:
2 1/2 teaspoons dried horsetail (double the amount if fresh)
2 cups boiling water

Optionally add any (or all) of these:
calendula

lavender

rosemary

peppermint

etc.

Directions:
Steep horsetail in boiled water for 20 minutes. Shampoo hair and rinse thoroughly. Poor horsetail rinse through hair and leave in for ten minutes. Rinse with clear water.

Horsetail Nail Soak

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp dried horsetail (double the amount if fresh)

3 Tbsp dill seeds

2 cups water

Directions:

Place herbs and water in a small saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Gently boil covered for 15-20 minutes, remove from heat and allow to continue steeping covered until cool. Strain into a sterile bottle and refrigerate until ready to use. Warm a small amount of the mixture and soak nails in a small bowl for 10 minutes 3 or 4 times per week. Trim nails and massage moisturizing lotion into hands after each soak.

Original posting: June 3, 2010

2011 Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference

2011 Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference

Sept 15th-18th, 2011

Held at the stunningly beautiful Ghost Ranch in historic New Mexico.

Brought to you by Anima Lifeways and Herbal School, Mountain Rose Herbs, and our other supportive Sponsors.

“An amazing conference, resurrecting the spirit of Western Herbalism.“

-Paul Bergner, North American Institute of Medical Herbalism

David Hoffmann • Kiva Rose • Paul Bergner • Phyllis Hogan • Jesse Wolf Hardin • Juliet Blankespoor • Jim McDonald • Ryan Drum • Robin Rose Bennett • 7Song • Bevin Clare • Todd Caldecott • Charles Garcia • Margi Flint • Howie Brounstein • Kathleen Maier • CoreyPine Shane • Christa Sinadinos • Mimi Kamp • Larken Bunce • Doug Eliott • Linda Garcia • Lisa Ganora • Rosalee de la Foret • Kristine Brown • United Plant Savers

Over 3 days of Classes and Workshops! 49 Classes taught by 29 Leading Teachers!

2 Nights of Music with Rising Appalachia, Tina Collins & Her Pony, & Lunar Fire Tribal

Native Plant Walks • Healer's Market with Practitioners

and more

Check out all of the details at http://www.traditionsinwesternherbalism.org/

Kiva Rose - Free Webinar

This morning, I received the following note from the fine folks at LearningHerbs.com  The last webinar with Rosemary Gladstar was excellent, so I'm excited to participate again! ~~

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Greetings!


If there is a type of herbalism that defines LearningHerbs, it's "Folk, Grassroots Herbalism."

I asked my good friend Kiva Rose if she wouldn't mind doing a free, live class for y'all on the topic.

She came up with this...

Root to Fruit: Folk Herbalism from the Ground Up

In this webinar class Kiva Rose covers...

• 8 Steps to a Balanced Approach
• Growing Your Materia Medica
•  6 tips for deepening your alliance with herbs
• Introduces you to one of her favorite herbs (and it's not at all one you'd expect)
• Gives you two great recipes, including one of her signature elixirs

Kiva even made you a PDF with notes and recipes.

Want to take part in this free, live webinar event?
Just go here...

http://www.herbwebinar.com

Enjoy!
John from LearningHerbs
PS...
You're going to love this.
Kiva is awesome. (and hey, it's free) :)

Send Sweetness!!

Received from a friend in Halifax, NS today and thought I'd share this sweet idea!

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Hello Friends!

spring is here, and we are coming out of hibernation! its time to put seeds in the ground and send sweetness to those you love!

Along with other Robert's Street SOS fundraising events (see more info below if you don't know Roberts Street) City Mail, Make Work Design and City Witch Herbals are collaborating to bring you,

SUPER DELUX CANDY GRAMS!

Made to order special packages featuring weird and wonderful items made/collected by Roberts Street members! Every SUPER DELUXE CANDY-GRAM will include a wicked screen printed card with your unique message emblazoned by typewriter.

the following items are available to accompany your card: Nova Scotia Harvested Herbal Tea Blend, Miscellaneous Pin-Back Button, Love Poem written by local poet, Starter House Plant, Love Potion, Fiction Novel, Surprise Me and OrganicFair Trade Chocolate Bar.

Candy Grams are available for purchase at The Roberts Street Social Center, The Good Food Emporium, and Venus Envy. All the funds raised from the candy grams will go to Roberts Street Social Centre.

About Roberts Street and SOS:

The Roberts Street Social Centre provides a space for people to come together in Halifax. The social centre is made up of:

* Anchor Archive Zine Library
* Ink Storm Screenprinting Collective studio
* Crow's Nest space (for events, workshops, and meetings)
* an artist and zinemaking residency program
* The People's Photocopier
* a kitchen
* a yard with fire-pit and garden

Mission: The Roberts Street Social Centre is a collection of projects dedicated to providing free or affordable access to independent and alternative media, art, and education. It is a space for people to come together to share skills, knowledge, and resources. We support critical, creative projects and inspire social change through DIY (do it yourself), non-hierarchical, and consensus-based approaches. We aim to be active in our communities by collaborating with other groups and projects. We strive to be inclusive, aware of barriers and discrimination, and welcoming to all ages.

Times are tight for projects like ours, so we are holding a week of SOS (save our space) to help sustain the work we do. for a full list of events check out the website. If you are interested in supporting the work we do in a long term way contact info@robertsstreet.org about our FAN CLUB

Dandelion Leaf Recipes

Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion)

Here in Nova Scotia, dandelions are ready for picking! They provide us with the perfect tool for a spring cleanse - their leaves - just cut them at the crown and wash them thoroughly... more will grow back!

A wonderful, local herbalist, Jeanette Porrier, has provided these delicious Springtime recipes for us to savor!

Cooking with Dandelions
All parts of the dandelion are edible. Leaves are used as a vegetable; roots can be cooked for food or roasted and ground as a coffee substitute, and flowers used for wine.

When using the leaves pick when still young and tender before they have started to bloom. Harvest in clean areas away from major highways, dog doo, or pesticide application.

Dandelion Salad
Young dandelion leaves
1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil or to taste
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or to taste
A few grains of salt

Clean dandelion leaves thoroughly. Sprinkle with olive oil, vinegar, salt, and toss.

Warm Dandelion Salad
(This is good when the dandelions are a little more mature)
1 Liter dandelion leaves, well washed
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
A few grains sea salt

Steam dandelion leaves or cook in a small amount of water till tender. Drain. Add oil, vinegar and salt and toss. Serve warm.

Dandelion and Onion
1-2 Liters dandelion leaves, well washed
1 large onion, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Steam dandelion leaves or cook in a small amount of water till tender. Drain.
In a fry pan, cook chopped onion in oil until soft and slightly browned. Add cooked dandelion, salt and pepper and stir well together. Serve as a side dish.

If you would like to be added to Jeanette's seasonal e-mail newsletter, you may contact her directly:

HerbalWizdom Nature Therapy
Jeanette Poirier, CHT
Medical Herbalist
Blockhouse, NS
herbalwizdom@hotmail.com

Herbs To Harvest!

As surely as the crocuses bloom in Spring, so does Coltsfoot! It's a sure sign that Spring has sprung and we need to get busy collecting a new harvest of herbs for the year ahead. Most dried herbs have a medicinal shelf life of about a year if they are kept sealed and out of the sunlight.

Coltsfoot (Tussilago Farfara) can easily be mistaken for Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) but when observed closely, it has some distinct differences. Coltsfoot flowers come before the plant gets leaves. Dandelions get their leaves at the same time that Coltsfoot gets flowers. Coltsfoot flowers, therefore, serve as a great reminder to also harvest Dandelion leaves! Remember to collect in a natural area that is not sprayed with chemicals and is not blasted with toxins from cars or trains. Stay tuned for upcoming posts with more tips on collecting, drying and tea making.

Coltsfoot is used as a respiratory disinfectant, expectorant, and cough suppressant. Since the days of ancient Greece and Rome, coltsfoot has been used to relieve asthma, coughs and bronchial congestion. Collect the flower tops now and dry/dehydrate them for future use.

Dandelion leaf is one of the best diuretics on the planet and it is a fabulous source of nutrients and great digestive bitters. Now is the perfect time to harvest the young green leaves as they are still full of nutrients that will later be used to produce flowers. Eat some fresh tossed in salads etc. and dry/dehydrate some for future use.

It's easy, quick and fun so take a moment to bond with mother nature, step outside and pick an herb! :)

Please feel free to post questions and I'll do my best to answer them. I will also be posting links to some great herb sites in the sidebar as time permits so keep an eye out for those!

Green blessings,

Val
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Original posting: April 16, 2010

Rosemary Gladstar's Free Webinar This Wednesday Evening

Hi everyone!

Rosemary Gladstar

I'm so excited to announce that Herbalist and author, Rosemary Gladstar, will be teaching a free webinar this Wednesday night!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011 8:30 PM EDT (9:30 Atlantic, 7:30 Central, 6:30 Mountain, 5:30 Pacific)

It's called "Herbs Demystified! Remedies for Family Health".

The title more or less explains what the topic is and it's for beginner and experienced herbal folks alike. Even if you have worked with herbs quite a bit, you know that there are always new gems to be learned from Rosemary.

This is actually the first live webinar Rosemary has ever done, so this is a rare treat indeed.

And hey, it's free. :)  Plus when you register, you are entered into a drawing for an autographed book by Rosemary and a free pass to the International Herb Symposium (worth $300 and raffled off during the webinar). Of course you need to attend to be eligible to win!

All of the details are right here... be sure to register and join in the fun!

http://herbwebinar.com

The 2011 International Herb Symposium

You are joyfully invited to attend this

outstanding event

10th INTERNATIONAL HERB SYMPOSIUM

Celebrating the Healing Power of Plants

June 24 ~ 26, 2011

"A Symposium to touch your heart and soul as well as mind and spirit, this gathering is for all people enraptured by the healing essence of herbs. The International Herb Symposium offers herbal enthusiasts an incredible opportunity to learn from the worlds leading experts in botanical medicine and herbal lore. Whether a novice or advanced in your herbal interests, the Symposium offers [over 90!] classes, workshops, panel discussions and learning experiences to touch every level of your being."

I have had the extreme pleasure of attending this event in 2009 and have been awaiting its return since the day after the event!!!  I'm so thrilled to be registered to attend again this year!  What a great opportunity to meet new people, incredible herbalists, favorite authors and an international community of unbelievable instructors!!  This is one weekend you won't want to miss!!

If you are looking for a group to register with to qualify for the group discount, please email me as we are looking to grow our group to qualify as well.... near or far, we can register under the same group name!

Green blessings,
Val :)

On My Wishlist

Late last night, I once again stumbled upon an item that has been on my wishlist for a few years now... an independently published deck called The Maroon Tarot. You might ask why I haven't ordered it already. Well, it's one of those situations where the cost makes it so indulgent that I just can't allow myself the privilege of obtaining it.   Here are a few cards from the major arcana...

One advantage of my restraint in getting this deck is that there is now a companion guide to go with it!  Oddly enough, the author of the companion lives in Toronto - a mear 18 hour drive from me!

Although this site is in Russian, it provides amazing close-up pictures of each card in this incredible deck: http://blackwarlock.mirbb.net/t1881-topic

There is something so vibrant and beautiful about this artwork.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Do you own any tarots or oracles that you just love?  Which ones are they?

Cutie Pa-tootie!

I can't even believe how long it's been since I last posted!!  Where has the time gone!?  I just competed this little project that I wanted to share with you.... I think they are just too cute for words!  They are only as as long as my ring finger!

Yarn: Fabel Superwash Sock Yarn by Garnstudio; color 151

I have never knit anything much more than a dishcloth or a scarf before, so 4 teeny tiny knitting needles and itty bitty sock yarn was a huge change for me!

These adorable baby slippers from the SockPixie took me a few tries to get the first one going correctly but once I got the hang of it, the second one was quicker.  I also learned that the repeat pattern in this variegated yarn is a bit long for such tiny projects; they would be even more colorful with a shorter repeat length!

What projects have you been working on lately?

A Shout Out to LearningHerbs.com

Check out their FREE online courses!

Ya know, when something is that good and it's FREE, you just have to tell everyone about it!  Well, LearningHerbs.com really is that good and their awesome online courses truly are FREE!  And when you sign up for one of their courses, they automatically add you to their monthly herbal lessons delivered directly to your email - for FREE (of course you can unsubscribe any time - but who would want to!?)  Plus, they give you access to all of the past issues to browse through too - kewl!

Today, I completed the Home Remedy Secrets course which includes a free eBook, free on-line videos for each lesson and a free herb chart to print as a reference for what you learned.  In all, it took less than 45 minutes!!  How great is that!?  The lessons are super basic, easy to follow and provide you with loads of ideas to get you started using herbs and thinking about other ways to use them.

Don't wait! Take a look now!
What a great way to start a holiday!

Finally Time to Strain and Bottle!

I'm finally back to the blog!  Hurricane Earl passed through Halifax yesterday leaving us without power for the better part of the day.  I'm very thankful to report that we are all safe and sound; however, I am sad to report that a few tree friends on our property were uprooted by Earl.

During my time sequestered in my home, I decided to strain and bottle some of my tinctures, oils and vinegars that have been brewing for at least 6 weeks now (much more in some cases!).  Our stove runs on propane so, even thought the power was out, I was able to boil some water and clean my jars before filling them with deliciousness!  I put a wide-mouth funnel in the bottle and open my jelly bag to "line" it and then dump my herbs in to strain ( you can also use cheese cloth).  Once the bulk of the liquid is strained, I gather up my jelly bag (or the corners of the cheese cloth) and I squeeze the heck out of it to get every last drop of goodness!  Proven - this is great for relieving anger, stress and tension! LOL!  Here's the beautiful result...

My St. John's Wort Oil and Chive Flower Vinegar

I was thrilled to find that the St. John's Wort oil worked perfectly this year after following the suggestions found in this article by Laurel Vukovic where she suggests covering the bottle of steeping oil with cheesecloth (secured with a rubber band) to keep moisture from causing the oil to spoil - worked like a charm!  I was also careful to use only the biggest, plumpest buds just ready to open and let them wilt overnight.  My earliest bottles turned red right away; my later oils took nearly 6 weeks to turn a nice deep red - but they did turn red!  The chive vinegar also turned a gorgeous pink color from all of the chive blossoms I tucked into the mix!

This is definitely the most rewarding part of the whole process!  If you still have your harvests steeping and they're ready to strain, take a few minutes to strain them - it's soooo exciting!

Tips:

• Just make the amount of product you will be able to consume this year and make fresh next summer.  If you have extra, it makes a wonderful gift in a pretty bottle!  
• Label and date all of your products.  Include proportions and ingredients; saves time next time and also makes adjustments easy.
• The suggested life of a medicinal oil is about a year when stored in the fridge or about 6 months when stored on a cool, dark cupboard shelf.  The olive oil base hardens somewhat in the fridge but melts instantly when touched by fingers or slightly slower when set on the counter to warm a bit. 
• Plain oil will eventually go rancid, thus, so will your oil products.  You will know by smell if the oil has gone rancid - it will have a sharp smell.  However, I have some older than a year and they are still fine (although less potent medicinally).
• Vinegar is a natural preservative but it does not keep indefinitely.  To extend the life of your vinegars, keep them in the fridge or on a cool, dark cupboard shelf.  I'm a rebel - they're lined up on my dining room windowsill as a reminder to use them at every meal; this window does not get direct sunlight.
• Experiment!  Use your vinegars to make interesting salad dressings, flavourful marinades, tasty soups and interesting drizzles - don't forget those beauty products too!  Use your oils alone or in combination with other oils (and essential oils) to make salves, lotions, massage oils - don't forget to incorporate the edible oils into your cooking with your vinegars!

Now that we have some delightful oils to work with, we can explore those even further in upcoming posts - stay tuned!

Herbal Aftershave

Photo by David Wright on Flickr

I just had to share this fun project that I did tonight (yes, I was gathering herbs in the dark again!)  I love the magazine called The Herb Quarterly and I found a recipe by Janice Cox and Maggie Howe for herbal aftershave in the Summer 2010 edition on page 16.

Essentially, this recipe makes a herbal tincture with the addition of some citrus peeling and some spices - too simple!

Here is the combination of herbs that decided to I use based on input from my DH:
1 cup of chopped herb (roughly 3/4 chocolate mint, 1/8 plantain, 1/8 thyme)
6 dried cloves
1 star anise

I placed it all in a 1 cup mason jar and covered it with 40% (80 proof) vodka.
I'll put it in a cool dark place to steep for 3 to 4 weeks (more or less depending on scent strength) and I'll shake it now and then.  Then I'll strain it into a clean bottle that's a convenient shape for aftershave.  Voila!  Since this is tinctured, it will last indefinitely.

The authors also suggest these herbs and spices in a combination of your choice:

• zest of one citrus (lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange)
• basil
• lemongrass
• lavender
• mint
• anise hyssop
• rosemary
• thyme
• sage
• lemon balm
• lemon verbena
• bay leaves
• fennel
• 2-3 peppercorns
• 2-3 dried cloves
• 2-3 dried allspice berries
• 3-5 juniper berries
• gin (for a fresh, bracing herbal scent)
• rum (for a sweeter note)
• vodka (for no additional scent)

I have three books authored by Janice Cox and they all contain quick, fun recipes to try.  Here are links to each of them on amazon.ca:

• Natural Beauty at Home
• Natural Beauty for All Seasons
• Natural Beauty from The Garden

Have fun creating (at any time of day - or night)!

Val :)

Interview With A Goddess

Art by nixjim13 at Deviant Art

"What's the one thing that surprises you most about mankind?"

She answered: "That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again.  That they lose their health to make money and then  lose their money to restore their health. That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor the future. That they live as if they will never die, and they die as if they never had
never lived..."

Her hands took mine and we were silent. After a long period, I said, "May I ask you another question?"

She replied with a smile.

"As a Mother, what would you ask your children to do for the new year?"

"To learn that what is most valuable is not what they have in their lives, but who they have in their lives.

To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.

To learn that they should control their attitudes, otherwise their attitudes will control them.

To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in persons we love, and that it takes many years to heal them.

To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness.

To learn that there are persons that love them dearly, but simply do not know how to show their feelings.

To learn that money can buy everything but happiness.

To learn that while at times they may be entitled to be upset, that does not give them the right to upset those around them.

To learn that great dreams do not require great wings, but a landing gear to achieve.

To learn that true friends are scarce, he/she who has found one has found a true treasure.

To learn that it is not always enough that they be forgiven by others, but that they forgive themselves.

To learn that they are masters of what they keep to themselves and slaves of what they say.

To learn that they shall reap what they plant; if they plant gossip they will harvest intrigues, if they plant love they will harvest happiness.

To learn that true happiness is not to achieve their goals but to learn to be satisfied with what they already achieved.

To learn that happiness is a decision.  They decide to be happy with what they are and have, or die from envy and jealousy of what they lack.

To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see something totally different.

To learn that those who are honest with themselves without considering the consequences go far in life.

To learn that even though they may think they have nothing to give, when a friend cries with them, they find the strength to appease the pain.

To learn that by trying to hold on to love ones, they very quickly push them away; and by letting go of those they love, they will be side by side forever.

To learn that even though the word "love" has many different meanings, it loses value when it is overstated.

To learn that they can never do something extraordinary for Me to love them;  I simply do.

To learn that the shortest distance they could be from Me is the distance of a prayer."

Blessings...

~Author Unknown~