Time of Roses

I mark time by what is happening in the natural world.

Gabriela Piwowarska, Pixabay

One of my earliest memories was of the roses in my childhood backyard. They bloomed at the very start of May, often on May first. My mother, who was Catholic, would encourage us cut several to put in small vases and bowls of water, before her statues of Mary mother of Jesus, and on the mantle and table. At the same time, roses featured in processions of Mary in my very Catholic neighborhood, which were followed by crowning the Queen of the May with roses, a tradition held over from Old Europe, and not Catholic at all, that I know.

Now at the halfway point between Spring and the start of Summer, I am watching the rose buds, and waiting for them to bloom — a little later this year, because it has been cooler. Last week I returned from the Midsouth Women’s Herbal Conference, that from my perspective was a unified field of kindness and inspiration under the leadership of Michelle Rigling. It was nurtured by the wonderful women who were there; and some who could not even be there, but whose presence still lingered from previous years. So fitting for the energies of the Rose. This conference was marked for me by the bloom of the dogwoods that were everywhere on the eastern journey, and my return home from it with the coming of the roses. Both are magical plants. But then, all plants are magical.

Ellen Chan, Pixabay

What does the Rose sing to you? She is a plant of initiation, bringing us intoxicating scent (usually), beauty, silken sensuality, and thorns (usually). More accurately, these are prickles — they arise from the skin of the stem, and in the case of roses curve downward, both protecting the Rose from animals, and helping them to grow over other plants. Roses are not all sweetness and light, and like all gateway herbs and guides to transformation, she holds a suggestion of trials in the journey, and moves us to attend to power-within. Rose claims her own space. She is a mistress of shielding her delicate beauty, and expanding well beyond the ground where she is rooted. We must enter her space with respect, and mindful of her authority in it, whether we are doing inner work or remedies for skin and bones.

She is another guardian of the boundaries, often found in my region on fence lines and hedgerows, with a warning to those who come frivolously, or out of harmony with her delicate prickly medicine. She is also a guardian of the boundaries of the heart, helping us connect with our own deeper flows, while holding the door against those who would enter with force.

Native roses that grow in the south central plains and nearby bioregions include the Carolina Rose (Rosa carolina), that grows with other shrubby plants, and the Prairie Rose, also known as Rosa blanda. It has few prickles, and is a little paler than R. Carolina, but it’s what I see more, and it’s a beautiful find to stumble on in a hot dusty field.

Rosa carolina — Malcome Manner CC BY 2.0

Rosa blanda — Frank Mayfield Creative Commons CC BY_SA 2.0

*Some qualities of the Rose:***

Antiinflammatory
Astringent
Cooling
Nervine
Nutritive
Pelvic decongestant (moves blood, moves energy)
Wound healing

Those suggest applications and uses:

When you’re hot! That includes hot under the collar as well as thermally hot. Rose helps relax the liver, and is a soothing nervine also. Use cooling Rose Water or strong cooled tea, tincture or oxymel for hot conditions or heat injuries. I use a tea of leaves and / or flowers on hot, sticky eyes and it’s a true relief when it’s been blowing dust. I drink it in summer, and will often pour some in my hand and wet myself down with it, smoothing it over itchy or scratched skin. (Herbal medicine doesn’t have to be complex, and often, simple approaches are the best!)

As a mild emmenagogue and pelvic decongestant. (Some say not so mild, but it doesn’t feel as strong to me as, say, mugwort does). Especially in summer I’ll drink the tea when I’ve been at the computer more than the garden, and doubled over my midriff as I lean forward. I can physically feel the renewed flow of energy and blood to the area, even if I’m just resting. (Caution in pregnancy. If in doubt, seek the assistance of a qualified practitioner before using.)

A gentle toning astringent. It’s mild enough for children, and often used as an eyewash. (Don’t mistake “mild” for ineffective! Often mild herbs used longer are superior to stronger ones that cannot be taken at length.) Use any time an astringent is called for. Eyes, mucous membranes and skin all respond with reduced weepy, leakiness in the presence of rose, internally or externally.

As a skin healer. Try a tea for scratches and superficial wounds or as a facial toner, and infused rose oil to follow the toner.

Apothecary:

Monfocus on Pixabay

To Make a Tea:

Put 1/4 cup of fresh leaves and petals coarsely chopped, or 1-2 Tablespoons dried in a pint jar, and pour just boiled water over them. Cap and steep for at least 30 minutes. (If you want a stronger infusion, use 1/2 cup per pint, and steep overnight.) These can be used as is, or diluted at need for a soothing skin wash in hot weather. Sip any time you feel boggy, want to cool down, or for a heart easing nervine before bed.

Sun Infused Oil:

Fill a small jar with newly but well dried, chopped rose buds and cover with olive oil. Cap tightly and place in a warm, sunny window on a plate. (The oil may leak out as it steeps, and the plate will protect your surface.) Let it sit for 4-6 weeks, then pour through several layers of cheesecloth into a clean jar. Cap tightly, and store in a cool dark place.

Oxymel:

An oxymel is a mixture of vinegar and honey, and there are many ways to make one. This is my favorite for Rose:
Fill two small jars full of fresh coarse chopped fragrant rose petals, or 1/3 full of dried. (A 4 to 6 ounce jar is a good size to learn with.) Pour raw apple cider vinegar into one jar to about 1/2 inch from the top, and fill the other with honey, to the same level. Stir the honey jar well. Let them sit in a cool, dark space for 4-6 weeks. At the end of that time, find a jar that will hold the liquid contents of both together, and filter each jar through a few layers of cheesecloth into it. Shake well, label and store. Use an ounce of oxymel with or without water any time you want a gentle nervine to help you cool down.

♦

A blog post can only scratch the surface of this multifaceted plant. This month on the Prairie Star Herbalist Connection we are talking in depth about the Medicine of the Rose. I invite you to join us for a Zoom Circle, starting with a slide show covering Actions, Energetics, Uses, History, Lore, and Clinical Applications; followed by an in-depth discussion of personal experiences with the plant.

(There is a small monthly subscription fee, and you will have access to all of the instructional content for all 7 topics for as long as your are there. Stay as long as you like, and cancel at any time. To learn more, click here, and check out the monthly or yearly plans. You can investigate before you pay. Once you join, check Events in the sidebar, and you’ll see it there.)

Hope to see you in the Community! There is so much more to say and know about the Medicine of the Rose.

You can join the Prairie Star Herbalist Connection here.

You can follow Joan on facebook here.

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, are not intended to diagnose or treat disease, and are for informational purposes only.

July 10, 2020February 28, 2021

Summer 2020 – Time for Yourself

Summer

Solstice has come and gone, and now the sunlight fades a little earlier each day. The Motherwort in my garden is spent, and the Monarda’s stunning purple falls away. In the rhythms of life, of the earth, summer brings us to the hot, bright spot on the wheel of the year, where Goldenrod, Poke and Sunflowers ready their buds in the heat.

Summer corresponds to other rhythms as well: Noon, and the full moon, when energies are high and dreams are born. This is the time of fullness, as the land brings crops and plants into readiness for a harvest to come — by us, and by birds and animals who already dine on the bounty of my juniper berries and hollyhock seeds. It is the time of high activity, creating, and exuberant life.

But what a different summer this is. There is a surreal overlay as the stress of uncertainty features in the ongoing days, and loss and the constant need for adjustment take their toll. How do we navigate the time before us? The same way humans have always navigated difficult changes in their circumstances. We will pause, and assess, and learn, and create new options. But now, in the middle of a global pandemic, on the edge of a longed-for social justice revolution, faced with mounting loss of loved ones, jobs and income, it feels as if the overwhelm may not end. In this moment, self care and compassion become the greatest gifts you can give yourself. Finding or creating time to feel safe, loved, and at peace is a critical strategy of self care. As you do this, aligning with Earth Rhythms and our common herbal allies are powerful gifts.

Ease

Faced with overwhelm, it’s important to first disconnect from the what’s causing it — even if just for a few minutes. This is like pulling away from a hot pan that you have touched. It removes the source of the damage, so the skin can cool, and heal. The healing is deeper if you will choose to:

- - Put the phone away
  - Give yourself permission to set aside all the worrying thoughts just for that time, and insist that they be still. (Tell yourself that you can come back to them, but this is your time to disengage.)
  - Give yourself completely to whatever you are doing.

Sunlight

Your body makes the critical hormone we call Vitamin D using sunlight. Without it, body repair slows down; and depression, lethargy and a sense of distress usually increase. Outside the summer is going on. What about taking some special time each day to ground, and root yourself deep into the earth? Morning is a great time, not long after you wake up. Energizing sunlight right then helps set the body’s rhythm for falling asleep at night. Just stand barefoot on the earth and see your energies going going, like roots, deeper and deeper into the earth’s core. Both the physical touch of feet on earth and the visualization are powerful.

And that bright noon sun! Try sitting or walking outdoors for at least 30 minutes between 11 AM and 1 PM each day. Breathe in the sunlight, and see it invigorating every cell in your body. Watch puffy clouds if you have them, and free yourself from everything external, to connect deeply with the world around you. It’s a meditation in itself, and so nourishing!

Herb Bathing

Take an old sock that it’s okay to stain, a large muslin bag, or a square foot of cotton, and fill it with an herb for a soothing bath. Tie it off in whatever way works, and set 1-2 quarts of water in a pan to boil. When the water comes to a boil, turn it off, and add the sock or bag full of herb. Poke it down with a chopstick to help it become saturated, put a lid on, and wait 30-40 minutes. In the meantime, draw a warm bath, and light a candle or two in the bath room, if you’d like. (Time it to be ready when your herbs are done.) When they have steeped, make sure your closure on the bag or sock is really tight, then pour the whole pan, herbs and all, into the bath water, and join them! Breathe deeply and enjoy the down time.

Herbs I love for this are Mugwort (cooling, so good if you’re hot natured, and can promote dreaming), Lavender buds or leaves (Ahhh, my favorite!), Rose buds, and Calendula. (If you have dried or fresh Calendula flowers you can just throw them loose in the tub, and watch them expand and drift, but you’ll need to skim them out with a big strainer before you pull the plug!)

Tea for One — A Ritual

This is a ritual of self care, that begins with connecting with a plant. Choose a tea for it’s aromatic, or enlivening, or soothing properties, and consider it for a moment. What draws you to the plant that this comes from? Boil some water in a pan or teapot, and select a lovely place to drink it where you will not be disturbed. That could be at the table, or on the porch, or on a blanket in the grass. Be inventive! Set your place with a teapot and cup; put tea in your vessel to steep, and pour the water when it’s ready, straining if needed.

Notice everything that you can about the tea: The warmth and smell of the steam, the initial color of the tea and how it changes, the smell of the herb. Enter a meditative space for 3-5 minutes while the tea steeps. Pour your tea, noticing it’s fragrance and color. Sip, and explore the taste. Is it bitter? Astringent? Tannic? Sweet? What else? Breathe deeply and let your thoughts be calm and flowing as you enjoy your tea and your sacred space.

My favorite uplifting teas for this are Black or Green tea with Clove, Orange Peel and Cardamom. (The spices are warming, so use less, or try honey instead if you are hot natured.) My favorite relaxing brews for this are Chamomile, Linden, Hawthorn and Lavender.

Flow

When the nervous system is nourished and supple, it’s easier to flow with life. Some herbal allies have a gift for nourishing and soothing the nervous system from within. To make any of these herbal infusions, use 1/4 to 1/2 cup of herb* to a pint of water. Plan to let it steep for at least 4 hours, up to overnight. Several of these are really bitter (and that’s part of the medicine!), so adding honey or stevia is fine. As you drink them, be sure to tune in to their taste and energies.
* Exception: Marshmallow. Instructions are below.

1. Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) An antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and gentle calming herb. Also a digestive bitter, so it’s great if anxiety unsettles the stomach. Try a strong pint, divided into 3 doses 20 minutes before meals during the day for daytime calm and to sleep easier at night.

2. Linden (Tilia europea) I love this herb! A lovely ally when the stomach is nervous, blood pressure goes up from anxiety, and overwhelm creeps in. It can ease grief, and relieve heart inflammation. I make a strong infusion to drink on many days, and use it as a weaker tea for my tea ritual (above) just so I can just smell it. I’m convinced this is one of the gifts of the fey to us for times of change.

3. Marshmallow (Althea officinalis) Such a soother! It is demulcent, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, and more. When we become dried out from summer heat, so does our nervous system. Drinking a demulcent tea on a regular basis can bring flow, and counter depression and sleeplessness. This one is easiest to make: stir a 1/2 teaspoon powdered herb into a pint of filtered water at room temperature. Let it sit for 4-8 hours, strain, and drink all day as a beverage. It will have a slightly thick consistency, and you want that! You can even leave the powder in the jar and stir it well before you drink. Did I mention? — It’s a nutritive tonic, as well.

4. Oats (Avena sativa) This is a nervine tonic, and considered a longevity drink in the Ayurvedic tradition. Drink a pint of strong infusion a day as a beverage for as long as you want, to add a soothing flow to nerve energy. It’s B-vitamins, minerals and saponins are wonderful nourishment for the nervous system.

5. Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) A supreme nervine tonic, that imparts a regenerative effect. It is notably calming, and perfect to use before doing any of the other interventions above. You can use the 1/4 cup amount long term for extended nervous tension and nervous exhaustion during the day, and benefit from easier sleep at night. Reduce to 2-3 Tbs if 1/4 cup makes you sleepy.
“Side-Flowered Skullcap” by pchgorman is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

This time calls to us to bring our gifts of creativity and love to the front, to heal what can be healed for ourselves, each other, and the planet. It is the Change Time, and our gifts are needed. Our Allies are here for us, and we can be here for the world, if we give ourselves the care we need to nurture strength and resilience. May this sharing help you thrive, and may you be well. — Joan

Joan is offering support online at reduced rates for those who want help navigating the stress of these times. Contact her here for a free phone consultation to learn more.

If you would like to learn more about herbal lifestyles and reweaving your connections with earth rhythms, click here to visit Joan’s events page, and be sure to sign up for her newsletter.
She will be adding virtual events soon,
and any delays or cancellations in previously scheduled events
will be noted as they occur.

You can follow her on facebook here.

May 20, 2020May 21, 2020

Resilience

This is a tender time, as we confront loss of what once seemed stable. Loved ones, jobs, and a way of life once taken for granted all feel threatened by something so small it cannot be seen with an ordinary microscope. Yet outside, spring is unfolding in all her glory, reminding us that life is greater than our own changes, and will continue past this time that feels very big to us right now. It is worth remembering too, that the plants know how to navigate change, and we can learn a lot from them about resilience, by sitting with them, and observing how they react to their world. Just doing that eases stress and fosters resilience.

Finding Resilience

Resilience is said to be the ability of a system or a person to withstand and adapt to shock, sudden change or adversity. On a personal level it begins in the mind, heart and spirit. It comes from confronting life honestly, separating what we have control over from what we do not (I make a list on paper, for clarity); caring for the need of the moment and providing for the next need to follow, with whatever is at hand.

There is an opportunity in this time of transition, to consider what we might not want to resume as the new normal emerges, and what we want to co-create instead as we all adapt to this change. In making decisions as we adapt, our intuitive heart can help us be in our center as we quietly connect with it; and being in nature offers grounding and perspective. Herbal allies can nourish the heart and nervous system, as we adapt to changing circumstances. Many of these are soothing to spirit as well as body. A few of my favorites are…

Three mints and a rose:

**Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis).**

It is a member of the mint family, that comes to us from southern Europe. Its name Melissa comes from the Greek for “bee”. (Bees love it!) Calming, Mildly sedative and antidepressive — what’s not to love! It has been naturalized here for a long time, and is a favorite for its soft energy, strong presence, and delicate fragrance. Avicenna, a middle eastern herbalist who taught and practiced during the middle ages, recommended it to “make the heart merry”. It nourishes the nerves and has antiviral properties, making it a favorite in times of viral illness. Try a cup of relaxing lemon balm tea as you stop the clock to unwind; or snip fresh leaves into a salad for added flavor and an uplifting treat for your spirit.

**Rosemary (Salvia rosemarinus, formerly Rosmarinus officinalis).**

This heady, aromatic mint is so easy to benefit from. Just breathe it’s uplifting scent for a boost to the emotions and nervous system! Or put it in your food for a little warming-bitter flavor to aid digestion, and lift your spirits as well. This is an herb I use often for those dealing with grief. If that is so for you, try sitting near a live Rosemary as you sort out what you are feeling, and bask for a little while in its unconditional acceptance. Rosemary is warming, so go easy in the summer if you’re a hot constitution, but it’s also a diaphoretic, and can cool you through sweating. This herb is considered a “blood mover”, so check with your care provider before using in medicinal amounts, if you are pregnant.

**Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora).**

Another “magic mint”, nervine and relaxant. Skullcap is one of my frequent go-tos when stress keeps a person in a state of anxiety that they cannot come down from. Tincture or tea will work, though the tea actually seems stronger to me. The trick with skullcap for high stress times, is to use smaller amounts, but more often. This acts as a tonic restorative for the nervous system, fostering relaxation without heavy sedation, so it can be used in the day time. A tea, as under “To Imbibe” below (it’s bitter — honey is fine), or about 10 drops of tincture, three times a day for either, is a good place to start.

**Hawthorn berry, leaf and flower (Crataegus spp.).**

This tree in the rose family is often planted as a border in hedgerows, and guards the edges of roads or where forest meets prairie. Hawthorn is a lovely herb that both protects and heals the heart (verified through much scientific study!), is also antioxidant, and can lower blood pressure over time. It soothes the inner, or spiritual heart as well, making it easier to settle into your intuitive center. I use the powdered berries in an almond milk smoothie as a daily treat, and sip a tea of the leaf and flower before meditating, or connecting with the natural world.

To Imbibe

Unless you prefer taking in a tincture as I suggested for Skullcap, pour one cup boiling water over 1-3 teaspoons of dried Lemon Balm or Hawthorn — or only 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of Rosemary or Skullcap — in your favorite teapot. (Experiment with larger amounts for fresh herb). Steep for about 20 minutes, and sip. Rosemary and Skullcap are bitter, and that’s part of their medicine. If you drink them about 20 minutes before a meal, they will help your digestion as an added benefit. Adding honey is fine. Or… You can dilute them in smoothies if you’d like. If you are pregnant, avoid Rosemary except in in small amounts on food, unless your care provider says it’s okay.

Herbs can support you as you seek a state of ease, so you can sort out where you are going. Any or all of the herbs listed here are friends in times of change, and I leave you in good hands with them, as you go forward. Until next time, I wish you wonder as you sit in green spaces, drawing on your wisdom in the company of the plants.

If you would like to learn more about herbal lifestyles and reweaving your connections with earth rhythms, click here to visit Joan’s events page,
and be sure to sign up for her newsletter.
She will be adding virtual events soon,
and any delays or cancellations in previously scheduled events
will be noted as they occur.

You can follow her on facebook here.

November 28, 2019December 7, 2019

How Plants Help Us

Aligning with Life

When I choose an herb to use as medicine, I don’t tend to think in terms of what herb is “for” this or that condition or symptom. In choosing an herb to partner with, I don’t usually entertain questions about their constituent chemicals first, except to know if it contains some that are hazardous. Those questions stem from the way drugs work, but plants are not drugs, and they are not used in the same way.

In talking about using an herb “for” something, what most people want is suppression of a symptom. But symptoms are the body’s expression of its life force, and it’s best effort to heal itself, or adjust to a what it perceives as a threat — so is constant suppression of symptoms really a good thing? They also act as a language offering us a deeper insight into why they arose in the first place. Instead of stifling the symptom (suppressing the expression of life force and the body’s communication to us) what if we listen to what the body is trying to tell us, and support it in it’s own healing of what is causing the symptom?

But first, it is worth considering the many ways herbs affects us, so I invite you to leave behind what you know about a world of seemingly endless drugs for a little while, and step into the world of plants to learn how they help us heal.

Plant Medicine

First it is important to consider just what herbalism, also known as plant medicine, is and is not. Plant medicine uses an entire plant part, and sometimes a whole plant, to nourish the body and shift it’s ecology, internally or externally. We use whole leaves, flowers, stems, roots or seeds for the complex of energies they hold. Herbalism is not about a single extracted chemical or constituent. In each whole plant or plant part, such as a root or leaf, are chemicals that work together to shift our bodies toward health. When chemical companies fixate on a single ingredient made into a standardized extract, they are usually missing some of the most important parts of the plant.

Though the chemical and pharmaceutical companies love to isolate “active ingredients” from plants and peddle them as miracle cures, the truth is, the full scope of chemicals that are in most plants — much less which ones work together — aren’t well known. This is important, because sometimes chemical companies extract one part but leave out the other, rendering the their “miracle cure” ineffective. Concentrated single constituents from plants that are packaged into pill form really just amount to a type of thinly disguised pharmaceutical.

In working with plants, we work with the whole plant to nourish the body and support it’s healing; and the real miracle is how plants, with all their energetic effects, interact with the body to bring health.

In this sense, the use of essential oils by themselves is not herbalism, though they do derive from plants, and can play an adjunct role in some herbal formulas. Essential oils are distilled from the plant without the other chemicals that support, and sometimes alter their behavior in the body. They are a highly concentrated component of a whole plant, more akin to pharmaceuticals in being a “constituent part” rather than a synergistic whole. It also takes enormous amounts of plant material to make a very small amount of essential oil, which can be hard on the land in ways that violate the very essence of connection and relationship with plants that is at the heart of herbalism. A richer and more plant connected alternative to using essential oils is to used infused oils. They extract more than just the volatile fraction from the plant, and offer a more whole and gentle resonance as a result.

Our bodies are built with sunlight distilled by plants, energizing a vital force within us that no formula of dead chemicals can replace.
Nature has provided abundantly for our needs with synergies from the green world, packaging chemicals and energies that already work together into a single leaf, flower or root.

Shifting State

Herbs influence the body in multiple ways. They nourish cells and organs, and the body also reacts to particular qualities of a plant. Have you ever reached for a piece of fruit or a lemonade when you are too hot in the summer? You probably sense that most fruits are cooling. Conversely, you probably sense that a hot cup of spicy tea on a cold autumn day is warming, not only because of its thermal warmth, but because of the warming spices. Temperature is one way that plants affect us. Taste is another, as sour is part of that cooling property, and bitter enlists a whole cascade of secretions and alerts all along the whole digestive tract. (Yes, just the taste of bitter can do that, and I will share about it in a future blog, so stay tuned!) My favorite shift though, is the way that cold infused Marshmallow root, Althea officinalis, moistens all my mucous membranes, before I can even swallow it. In our dry Oklahoma summers, that can be a blessing.

It’s not quite known how this happens, but for thousands of years herbalists and physicians of the ancient world have known that it does, probably by some reflex response in the body. All I know is, when I am working with someone who is all dried out, they are grateful for the effects of Marshmallow. Interestingly, as their dryness eases, so do depression and insomnia, though Marshmallow is not specifically a mood elevator or hypnotic.

Sometimes the constitutional state of the body is what is causing other symptoms, and shifting that state promotes healing.

So herbs help the body shift its state through taste, temperature, moistness or dryness, and more; and these actions tell me so much about how the plant will work for the person I am helping. In essence, plants shift the ecology of the body, nourishing it from within, while offering an even deeper medicine.

I hint at what that is here, and I’ll tell it’s story another time. Until then, notice the effect that a cup of any tea has on your state. Sit quietly as you sip, and tune in…. is it warming or cooling? Astringent or moistening? Stimulating or calming? When you do this, you are tuning in to some of the powerful ways that herbs help us heal.