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.

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.

June 7, 2019February 13, 2020

Many Medicines

The Stories We Tell Ourselves

The words we choose as we think about things matter. Our thoughts, and how we frame them, both reflect, and help us define our belief systems. When we let someone else create the relevant stories in our lives, we cede our power over to them. Now at a time when we have done that en masse in the area of our health, we are as a nation, the sickest we have ever been, and more so than any other industrialized nation, in spite of spending more per capita on health care than any of them. The cultural story that has been most co-opted in modern times is the story of Medicine — things that connect us to Life, and heal us deeply.

Many Medicines

Have you ever danced with abandon on a carpet of grass, while birds sang and clouds scudded by in a blazing blue sky? Did you feel the flowing medicine of being connected to all the life around you? Have you ever opted to enjoy downtime with a cup of tea, instead of taking drugs for a tickly throat, and felt the medicine of tea, and warmth and quiet pour through you? Two days ago in an organic food store, a conversation that began with smiles between two strangers, ended with a hug as we acknowledged the Spirit Medicine that had just connected us, through a conversation. Kindness between two people is incredible medicine.

Herbalist Susan Weed talks to us of “Seven Medicines” that speak to diverse wellsprings of healing. (1) My own list is similar, and the wells of what heals us are deep: Story Medicine, Spirit Medicine, Earth Medicine, Plant Medicine, Energy Medicine, and more. Your list may vary depending on your background and beliefs, but what is important is that we have a list, and that we acknowledge that there are many kinds of medicines that we can engage in for healing. Any of them can be potent enough to shift the course of illness.

How did it become just about the drugs?

Dollar sign made of pills Medicine was not always a commodity. Before the creation, funding and monetization of the AMA and our current medical system in the USA, non-drug medicines were primary. But in making health care a commodity instead of treating it as a fundamental human right in our country, the role of the “other” medicines was deliberately diminished, cultivating a culture of dependency, where patients were told they should rely exclusively on doctors and drugs for their physical well being — and that that was the only well being that mattered!

The Story Medicine of early “doctor shows” and endless drug commercials worked, for awhile. Now, what passes for health care in our country revolves around symptom control at best; and at worst, is a system for fixing parts piecemeal, and generating repeat business. It is a revolving door of symptom relief using drugs or surgeries that cause further damage, where the patient pays dearly each time. Compassionate and skilled doctors are at the mercy of an infrastructure bent on maximizing profit, and uncaring or greedy doctors are allowed to thrive in our “health care” system.

The question surfaces: “Would we need so much palliative care if we ate and lived in alignment with foods and cycles that our bodies already know?”

Drug-and-Machine medicine is sometimes lifesaving — but there is always a price to pay, in one domain or another. This can be fiscal, in debt that can be devastating and life changing for an entire family, or in organ failure caused over time by a drug that eases a challenging symptom at the expense of damaging an organ. Or it can be from collateral damage caused by a necessary intervention, such as when my appendix burst. Then, surgery and very strong antibiotics probably saved my life. The price? $10, 000; and I had to rebuild my microbiome, that precious colony of extraordinarily diverse organisms that live in our intestines and are collectively part of our digestive, endocrine and immune systems.

Sacred Medicines — Nurturing Health

True medicines help us deepen our connection to our bodies,
and to the forces that maintain its life.

Rest and herbs were once prescribed first, and the role of simple foods and clean water were paramount in nurturing health. People cultivated time apart to be in silence with their own thoughts. The medicine of aligning to the earth, sun and moon in their cycles were so important that personal and cultural life revolved around them. Attuning to Spirit played a role, and yes, there were miracles sometimes, from all of these.

The way of Earth Medicine is not just about taking this herb for that symptom. The deeper work is in aligning with the foods and plants our bodies evolved with, to nurture health, and restore health when it is lost. Symptoms are our bodies way of talking to us, and we can allow them, and focus instead on what’s causing the symptom. When we heal the root cause, the symptoms frequently diminish, or cease on their own.

Story Medicine can help us align with our inner knowing about our body’s capacity to heal. Food and Herbal Medicines nourish deeply, giving the body what it needs to heal itself and maintain health. Spirit Medicine reminds us that we are greater that the physical self that we see, and are a part of all life. And what of Nature Medicine? How are we not nature? Sitting or walking in nature reunites us with the environment that we came from, and that our cells remember. There we are connected again with signals from all the life around us that energize our bodies and spirits. This is so reviving that it is incorporated into the healing systems of Japan and other countries.

Choosing Your Medicine

We do not need permission from anyone to choose the medicines we need. What Story Medicine do you tell yourself about your body and it’s ability to heal? Your cells sing a story of vitality and regeneration — Listen! Can you hear? What are your other best medicines? Are you connected to the earth through foods and herbs your body loves? Do you sleep enough? (It is one of the most profound medicines, reducing the risk of heart conditions, gut permeability and so many other illnesses!) When is your sacred time – your time apart for reflection and spirit? What comforts you? How do you connect with the heart flows of the people in your life? All of these bring potent healing.

As you heal with food, herbs, sleep, energy, inner work, or just time aside for the pampering comfort of a warm candlelight bath, you will surely find yourself needing drug medicine less… and less…

Welcome friend, as you return to the First Medicines.
Remembering them is a little like coming home.

1. http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/January05/healingwise.htm

October 25, 2018March 3, 2020

Autumn Reflections

They are expressions of the life force, just as we are, dancing their days in the wind; being themselves in they fullest way they know how. They deal with the challenges of their own lives. Here that is scorching hot summer sun, the bugs, too much wet-dry-cold-hot, and people wanting to pick them. And they communicate what they learn between them, as conditions change. They contribute to, and are a part of the other lives around them, filling niches in ways that we rarely pause long enough to observe, and learn, but that may be critical for some of those lives. They are far older on this planet than we, and are willing to teach us ways of being in the world that we have not even thought of yet, or maybe have just forgotten. They have lived through many climate changes in their long, evolving history; and may be our next, best guides as we navigate the consequences of what we have done to our home. All this is part of their medicine, and they share. Sometimes we make them part of us through breath; or eating and drinking their nourishment. And sometime just sitting with a plant is medicine enough — perhaps the best of all.

I am remembering the plants of this year — sudden discoveries such as that wonderful stand of Horsetail; the Solidago that came as if to my wish, blown onto my fence line; the amazing profusion of our local mugwort, Artemisia ludoviciana, lining the fence rows in the countryside; the Peach, Pines, Borage and Yellow Dock; and the startling growth of mistletoe on the rare river alder. All of them are part of this year’s medicine, though with some I picked no plant, and made no tea or tincture. Just finding the hidden, sandy place of the horsetail with it’s dappled sun was magic enough, and the mistletoe went to ceremony, for a druid circle at Lammas. The alder is too rare to harvest any part, but she was a brave spirit, and left me inspired.