~Herban Chica~

Another YUMMY oil

2011-06-01T17:44:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Seed Oil For Health and Skin!

■Great for maintaining smooth skin.
■Increase energy.
■Lower high cholesterol levels.
■Help alleviate prostrate problems.
■Miner depression.
■Improve sexual health.
■Help stop kidney stones from forming.
■Prevent arteries from hardening.
■Learning disabilities.
■Can help increase milk production for lactating mothers.
■Help with bladder problems.
It can make a healthy salad dressing, adding a nice nutty flavour, yet it is no good for cooking as the heat destroys the essential fatty acids.

It makes a good massage oil, for helping to relieve headaches and muscle aches and pains.

When buying pumpkin seed oil, check to make sure it does not contain too much sunflower oil. A lot of manufacturers will add more sunflower oil to cut costs. And always buy cold pressed.

Like flaxseed oil, keep your pumpkin seed oil in the fridge.

To date, there are no known pumpkin seed oil side effects, apart from maybe a slight stomach upset. It has also been found not to interfere with any medication. So enjoy the pumpkin seed oil benefits.
RESOURCE http://www.foreverlookingood.com/pumpkin-seed-oil-benefits

~Herban Chica~: Toxic Free Fly traps

2011-06-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

~Herban Chica~: Toxic Free Fly traps

Toxic Free Fly traps

2011-06-01T15:08:00.000-07:00

The house fly ICK!
I can't stand flies and flies seem to love our yard and seem to lie in wait at our screen door, each time we open it.. 2 or 3 buzz right in.
I did some searching, wondering why flies seem so bad these last couple of years. I have had a dog for the last 11 years and never had a problem before so I didn't think it was because of that however, if you don't pick up the poop.. it is inevitable that you will attract flies.
The last couple of years I have had a garden, and from what I have learned from www.getridofthings.com , this may be the cause of the abundance of flies that I have. flies love moisture and this will attract them..

I don't like using pesticides or anything that is potentially hazardous to my family or my pets and on www.getridofthings.com I found a few recipes for fly homemade fly traps.

I have yet to try them, and will get back to you with the results! but I have cut and pasted from the website and there list is below.
Previously I have tried vinegar in a glass, wrapped in plastic and a few small holes punched in the plastic.. it was not worth my expensive Braggs applecider vinegar- it caught only a few itty bitty flies and that was it.
HERE IS LIST FROM WWW.getridofthings.com

Homemade Flytraps and Repellents
Homemade fly strips. Making your own fly strip is simple. First, mix up a quarter cup of corn syrup with about a quarter cup of granulated sugar. Next, cut strips from a paper bag that are about 2 inches wide and about 18 inches long. Poke a small hole in the top of the paper strip and run the strip through your sugary concoction or simply smear some of it on the paper. Put a string through the hole, and hang it up. Just remember to keep a bowl or something underneath it to catch any drips.

Homemade flytrap. This one's even easier. Grab a mason jar, and put some syrup, sugar, soda, or any combination of sweet stuff that you can think of in it. Put the lid on and poke some holes in it that are just large enough for the particular flies you are dealing with to get in, and place it in the area with the greatest fly concentration. If you want some ideas for some homemade fruit flytraps, click here.

Plastic bag trick. This one is pretty odd but supposedly works well. All you gotta do is fill a plastic, 1-gallon zipper bag about halfway with water and hang it outside above your door. There are a couple different theories for why this works:1) The light reflections from the water look like spider webs, so the flies avoid the area. 2) The light reflecting off the water simply disorients the flies and they go elsewhere.

Natural fly control. I know these aren't really homemade . . . but whatcha gonna do about it? Anyway, marigolds, mint, and basil are all natural fly deterrents that can be planted outside. Inside, you can hang pine boughs, scatter orange peel, or scatter cloves.

Need some more Fly Control info?

Making "GREEN" cleaning products

2011-05-16T15:16:00.000-07:00

Please Visit my new website and join me in a class on how to make your own
"green" cleaning products at home!

www.earthwisdomsite.com

EarthWisdom

2011-04-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

I am excited to announce that I have gotten together with a friend and we have created EarthWisdom, an outdoor education website that includes Medicinal Plant Walks and all sort of classes. Our next endeaver will be to incorporate a non profit group for children!
Please stay posted!
Check out our website at:

earthwisdomsite.com

Medicinal Plant Walks and More

2011-04-04T16:52:00.000-07:00

Please visit my other website below:
www.earthwisdomsite.com
to learn more about medicinal plants of the Sonoran Desert and plant medicine making!

Healthier Laundry Detergent

2011-03-05T10:06:00.000-08:00

Just finished my first batch of homemade liquid laundry detergent! It was fast and easy and I suggest it to anyone. My friends kids make it, that is how easy it is and the money you will save is AMAZING! especially with teenagers. I think it works out to less than .50 cents a load, I haven't calculated that price yet but my friend has, she makes it by the 5 gallon bucket and her recipe is a little different but here is my recipe.

Ingredients:
Fels Naptha Bar
Washing Soda
Borax laundry booster

I grated a half bar of Fels Naptha and added that to about 8 cups of boiling water.
When that was melted I poured in a half cup of the Washing Soda and half cup of the Borax laundry booster and kept that on the stove but not on a boil. I kept stirring periodically until melted completely. This mixture will be thick, remove from stove and set aside.

I used plastic milk/water like jugs and and filled each with 11 cups of warm water and then poured the liquid laundry mixture into them, leaving room enough at the top of the jugs so that I can mix them or shake them periodically for the next 24 hours.

This is so easy and quick to make, and fun! I would love for your feed back if trying this recipe.

All ingredients can be bought at an Ace hardware store.

Our Desert Pharmacy

2011-03-04T10:28:00.001-08:00

Medicinal Plant Walk includes book
March 27th
Usery Park, Levee Trail Head
For more information contact
carrie at EARTHWISDOM@cox.net

Riparian Preserve

2010-11-27T10:32:00.000-08:00

LINKS:
Riparian Preserve MAP
RIPARIAN INSTITUTE.org

Today I was grateful to be able to walk with a couple of my Herbalism students at the Riparian Reserve as they held a Medicinal Plant Walk. They did such a wonderful job!

I have decided to hold some classes there for next years students, it will be a perfect spot leading to their goal of Outdoor Education. Today there were a wide variety of plants taught about from my favorite the Creosote to Globe Mallow and even Bursage, unfortunatly some of the specimens were in their dormant stage and not pretty to look at however the props that the students brought provided a better idea.

If you are interested in media that can help you learn and understand the Medicines of the plant world in The great Sonoran Desert I will provide a reading list below:
Herbal Medicine of the American Southwest by Charles Kane
Herbal Medicine trends and traditions by Charles Kane
and any books from Michael Moore the Herbalist.
However Charles Kane is local and also provides medicinal plant walks in the Tucson area.

Next month I will be at the nature center supervising two other herbalism students, looking forward to their presentations as well.

Rosemary Wine

2010-11-08T23:27:00.001-08:00

by Patricia Halovanic, University Heights, Ohio

3 cups any white wine
3 tablespoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons honey or more to taste
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves

Bruise fresh rosemary leaves
bring all to a simmer for 5 minutes
strain rosemary and serve warm or chilled.
Great for colds or coughs, soothing for night time drink.

Medicinal Wine by James Green, Herbalist

Port, Madeira, Claret, sparkling wines, Apple Cider or Mead can be used.

Medicated wines are low alcohol, dosage can be a tablespoonful to a wine glass full 3times a day.

Best made in small quantities, without heat and well capped in a cool dark place.

Using dried herbs, reduced to a fine powder combined with wine of choice, macerate 14 days, visit and shake mixture daily for two weeks, pour into a sterilized bottle, cap and store in cool location.

WHY Rosemary?
This is a great time of year to use Rosemary medicinally. Rosmarinus officinale has many healing properties as it is an antioxidant, circulatory stimulant, spasmolytic and carminative. It is anti bacterial, warming and drying.
It is great for mental fogginess or fatigue, headaches, hypotention, flatulent indigestion, digestive fullness, joint inflammation,hypothyroidism but is contraindicated in pregnancy.
Rosemary is also very tasty! Fresh Rosemary Tea is quite yummy too, I like strong enough to taste but not overwhelming!

Morning Sickness

2010-10-15T14:37:00.000-07:00

Morning sickness may be common for some expecting mothers, while others may not have a single nauseous moment. Thankfully, there are many natural plant/herbs and excersizes that can alleviate morning sickness without the harsh allopathic medicines containing antihistamines.

Susan Weed, Herbalist and author suggests to simply "Walk a mile a day" to prevent morning sickness as moving will also move the chemical by products of the increased hormonal activity of pregnancy through your body, easing the uncomfortable and sometimes overwhelming feeling of nausea.

Here is a list of some of her other suggestions to PREVENT morning sickness:

Increasing (under doctors supervision) iron and vitamin B complex
Eating unsalted crackers or matzo before getting out f bed.
Avoid spicy and greasy foods.
Get out of bed slowly in the morning, ease into your day rather than sudden movement.
Drink a cup of Anixe or Fennel seed tea when you wake up.
Drink a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in 8 oz of warm water first thing in the morning.

REMEDIES for morning sickness by Susan Weed:

Drink a cup or two of Raspberry leaf tea each day
Homeopathic remedie: Ipecac 30x, Nux vomica 6z, Cannabis 30x
Drinking a tea made from dried peach tree leaves to help control morning sickness distress.
Sip peppermint or speramint infusion first thing in the morning.
Take tablespoonful doses of ginger root tea anytime nausea occurs.

I didn't have any morning sickness in my pregnancy and I feel very blessed for this as I do not handle nausea well.
I haven't tried any of these remedies but I think that trying them wouldn't hurt, if nausea was an issue that needed to be dealt with.

http://www.healingwiseforum.com/

Tea With Susan Weed

Information from "Wise Woman Herbal for the childbearing years" by Susan Weed.
FIND HER ON FACEBOOK!

Susans Poetry Contest

Psoriasis, not just skin deep

2010-08-31T15:30:00.000-07:00

What is psoriasis?
Psoriasis is a skin disease and can be a serious ailment that can effect your skin, nails, joints and even heart. The most common type of Psoriasis can be easily identified by raised red patches on the skin that are covered with a silvery buildup of dead skin cells referred to as "scale". These patches are most commonly seen on elbows, scalp, knees and torso. The skin cells replicate too rapidly, as much as 1,000 times more rapidly than than normal skin.

Psoriasis is linked to an immune system break down but no one really knows for sure what it is caused from however a number of factors appear to contribute to psoriasis including poor digestion, bowel toxemia, impaired liver function, alcohol consumption, too many animal fats in your diet and an excess of stress in your life.

In my Holistic Healthcare schooling I have learned that skin diseases are linked to the liver, and with knowing this then we can rely on the fact that foods or avoidance of foods can help alleviate most skin conditions.

Foods that are healing for Psoriasis are foods high in antioxidants such as carrots, tomatoes(however, in some people may worsen flare ups), fresh fruits and dark leafy greens.

Foods that are high in fiber, this will help eliminate foods that trigger the flare ups that may be in your intestines.

Topically using Capsaicin, aka cayenne or other peppers, however some burning feeling may be felt and too uncomfortable for some, otherwise after a few days of using an over the counter cream with capsaicin, the burning feeling will subside.
Also topical ointments or salves containing glycyrrhetinic acid from licorice, and chamomile.

Consider taking a good source of omega 3's, such as flaxseeds or flaxseed oil or eating purslane ( you can find purslane in some natural grocery stores produce dept. and Food City Markets)

A natural home rememdy made of equal parts honey, bees wax and olive oil to apply to the skin.
The NATIONAL PSORIASIS FOUNDATIONS suggest oatmeal baths, see there website for ingredients and direction.

Tumeric in foods but also topically however this can be messy and may stain clothing.

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar-1 cup to one gallon of water and either bath in it or make compresses to apply to inflammed skin. You can also add baking soda to this mixture.

Beet/carrot juice with lemon wedge.

Herbs used for Psoriasis:
The list is long and depends on the type of psoriasis that you have but out of the 18herbs that I know used for this disorder I will list 6.
(not in any specific order)
Red Clover
Oregon Grape
Burdock
Sarsaparilla
Tumeric
Dandelion

Foods to avoid:
SUGAR, Gluten, Alcohol, fried or fatty foods,high-protein foods and of course drinking grapefruit juice if you are taking medication for psoriasis.

resources:
Healing foods by Michael Murray N.D.
Green Pharmacy Healing Foods by James A. Duke, PhD
300 Herbs by Matthew Alfs

Summer Heat

2010-07-04T21:41:00.000-07:00

The weather is getting hotter, 113 just the other day. I am so glad to have my teas! Iced and making it fresh all day keeps me cool!
My new favorite. Not so theraputic but delicious non the less. I take a pitcher of ice, crammed to it's brim.
5-6 tea bags of Blueberry superfruit by STASH and in a seperate 12 oz cup 3\4 full of boiled water, steep for 15 minutes covered.
This will make a very concentrated tea. LIke I have said before, I have a thing for sweet so I take 10-20 drops of Stevia Clear and add that to the ice before I pour the hot tea over the ice. Add cool water if needed to fill pitcher.

My whole family loves this tea.

This particular blend has hibiscus in it which is a natural coolant. This blend also has some other favorites... orange peel, lemongrass, rosehips, chicory root, bluberry flavor and powder, acai and licorice powder and blaccurrant powder! YUMMY!!

a new blog on supplements

2010-07-02T15:06:00.000-07:00

You are invited to check out my new blog on supplements, it is a class project that I am required to post weekly. Could be interesting, maybe.

click below and see:

Supplements...WHY?

Summer Tea

2010-06-21T15:31:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Peppermint and Hibiscus! Both coolants, both delicious.
During the heat of the summer I usually put peppermint spirits in my water or make iced peppermint hibiscus tea.

Freshly Dried Hibiscus can be found at Food City but I buy mine on line from MOUNTAIN ROSE HERBS.

Fresh peppermint works best in my opinion, I grow it and that is what I use but if you do not have access to fresh peppermint you can also use peppermint tea bags.
I also add 2-3 drops of therapeutic grade peppermint essential oil from YOUNG LIVING Essential Oils. If you are like me and like your tea sweet than you can add Peppermint Stevia. STEVIA is a natural sweetener made from leaves of the stevia plant. I recommend using the liquid drops and since it is 8000 times stronger than sugar, I only add 9 drops in the whole pitcher of tea. Just a touch of sweet.
My daughter loves it, I love it and the natural coolant of both hibiscus and peppermint keeps you refreshed and cool in the summer heat. For the younger kids who may not like drinking plain water, the pink from the hibiscus helps by giving it a fruit punch or juice look to it.
Another option is just the PEPPERMINT ESSENTIAL OIL and fresh peppermint or tea bags and one or two lemon slices, omitting the hibiscus is an option that I take if I do not have hibiscus readily available.

I take a handful of fresh peppermint and steep for 15-20 minutes in about 1/2 quart size jar covered with boiling water and a lid. Add Hibiscus here as well or do the same with the hibiscus in a different jar.
After 15-20 minutes strain and pour over ice in a large pitcher. Add 9 drops of peppermint stevia and 3 drops of YOUNG LIVING PEPPERMINT OIL. At this time you can add additional filtered water.
Pour over ice and garnish with fresh sprigs of peppermint and enjoy!

CAUTION: be careful with the peppermint oil. ingesting straight essential oil is not recommended and may cause skin irritation to some that come into contact with the oil. My suggestion is to only use up 3 drops per large pitcher of water.

Ordering up one dose of Propylene glycol !

2010-06-20T01:32:00.000-07:00

Germs:
We all have busy lives, no time to do everything we can in the time that we have available to us.

So, we adapt. We take needed short cuts to get by; there isn’t anything wrong with this right?

What about simple hand washing. It is said that in order to adequately wash your hands that you should run your hands under warm water with a good soap and rub with friction for about 20 to 30 seconds.

So, I ask… “why don’t we have 20-30 seconds to wash our hands? Are we that much in a hurry”. Perhaps not, maybe we just want to make sure that we are germ free when there may not be a washroom around.

Our toddlers touching everything, putting there hands in their mouths after 30 other toddlers just did the same thing and what if the parents of the other toddlers don’t teach hygiene like we teach hygiene, perhaps the other toddler was ill or touched something disgusting? So, we do our best as parents to keep those nasty germs off of and out of our children. We carry our little gel instant sanitizers.

Purell put on the market a wonderfully magical INSTANT HAND SANITIZER with Moisturizers and Vitamin E.

They reinforced our FEARS about germs and then offered their miracle cure. Great idea in our germ phobic world, however they forgot to mention the dangers in there miracle germ cure.

I read the ingredients, but first had to search for them.
The only one listed on the back of the bottle was the active ingredient. Ethyl Alcohol 62%.....purpose Antimicrobial.

Reading the small print, I learned that I could peel away the back sticker and conveniently hiding under was the Drug Facts Continued list.

I couldn’t’ pronounce most of the other ingredients and certainly didn’t know what they were so I GOOGLE searched them. None were that good, and actually listed in MSDS sheets as pretty nasty stuff.

MSDS stands for Material Safety Data Sheets and these sheets are required on all chemical substances. The agency regulating these sheets is OSHA, the U.S. Government owned OSHA
The problem that I am having is that we aren’t really told these awful truths, we have to search them out. Fine, I can do that… my responsibility right…

So that is exactly what I did. I found a plethora of information but will chose just one ingredient to list, when choosing this single ingredient I randomly chose 3 and this one was the worst but there are plenty of other ones on there that you can check out for yourself.

Propylene glycol here is a link so you can read for yourself. I did cut out a few of what information only to shorten the lengthy list but if you want the whole shebang than by all means USE THE LINK.

PPE:
Splash goggles. Lab coat. Vapor respirator. Be sure to use an approved/certified respirator or equivalent. Gloves.

It may be absorbed through the skin and cause systemic
effects similar to those of ingestion.

It may affect behavior/central nervous system(CNS depression, general anesthetic, convulsions, seizures, somnolence, stupor, muscle contraction or spasticity, coma), brain (changes in surface EEG), metabolism, blood (intravascular hemolysis, white blood cells - decreased neutrophil function), respiration (respiratory stimulation, chronic pulmonary edema, cyanosis), cardiovascular system(hypotension, bradycardia, arrhythmias, cardiac arrest), endocrine system (hypoglycemia), urinary system (kidneys), and liver.

Ingestion: Prolonged or repeated ingestion may cause hyperglycemia and may affect behavior/CNS (symptoms similar to that of acute ingestion).

Inhalation: Prolonged or repeated inhalation may affect behavior/CNS (with symptoms similar to ingestion),
and spleen………..
WAIT… isn’t that enough? Well there is more, I encourage any who are interested to stop, read and educate what it is that we are doing to ourselves with these products that we think are safe to use, daily, and on our children. Disgusting.

So what is the solution?
My NIECE gave me the idea to take little flannel sheets or wash cloths, dampen with sterile water and add essential oils that are anti microbial.
Here are a few antimicrobial essential oils:
Lavender
Rosemary
Sage
Thieves which is a beautiful blend of Clove, lemon cinnamon, eucalyptus and rosemary.

Not only would this be a wonderful aromatherapy but also isn't harmful for our health, and we are also being GREEN, by not buying and throwing away all those empty bottles of hand sanitizers! Which opens up a whole other can of worms. I strongly encourage you to check out this WEBSITE on plastics.

sorcery?

2010-06-18T14:25:00.000-07:00

Seriously....
How is it that the use of insect/animal/plant derived remedies from traditional culture is looked upon as voodoo or as disgusting and superstitious, but cellular poisons such as chemotherapy is accepted in our culture?

If we come from earth and return to earth in our life cycle than wouldn't it make sense to live from earth as well?

Does everyone know that pharmaceutical drugs are still derived from mineral,plant and animal sources For instance there are vaccines derived from blood and urine of various domestic and wild animals such as horses, monkeys and insects. Why is it that pharmaceuticals companies aren't playing SORCERY when they take these natural sources and then alter, taint and tweak them? Then they inject them into our bodies and our children's bodies.

We can learn from nature, eat of the land, stop creating poisons but take what mother earth and father sky has already provided for us in it's glorious natural state, from the plants as they already are and then eat ourselves well or eat well as a preventative... with our families. Yes! actually sitting down with your family at a table sharing with our loved ones thus healing our souls and hearts, healing our bodies with whole unprocessed foods. Herbs and Vegetables rather than boxed, canned or fake foods. IT CAN BE DONE, one step at a time.

Our culture is lacking in nutrition, sleep, community and self worth and we continue to cause damage by ignoring this.

I am not suggesting immediate drastic changes over night but only one food at a time and one meal at a time... even if it is once a week to start is effort.

I am not suggesting to stop your pharmaceuticals, throw out your processed foods, force members of your family to sit around a table at every meal.

I am only suggesting that you look inside at your true needs, begin to imagine what it would be like and maybe start slowly.

It's a choice. Your choice and mine. I am still learning and have a long way to go but slowly I have weeded out one thing at a time, eliminating processed foods one at a time.

It has been two years since I have started, it is a process... I still have processed foods in my house, there are canned goods and ingredients that I cannot pronounce, yet there is a whole lot less of that these days than two years ago. I think that I would have starved to death if I just tossed all processed foods out with out first learning how to replace them.

I am okay with my progress, it isn't perfect but I am okay with where I am and know that it is a process.. it isn't exactly easy, it takes a little time and a lot of effort but it can be done.

It can be expensive too, but there are ways to cut back and that you may not even be aware of. Just by not eating fast food,cutting back or eliminating starbucks, no buying bottle water, turning down your air conditioning by 2 degrees... it all ads up and if it is really important to you to change your unhealthy habits than you WILL find a way.

Gluten/ Dairy Issues?

2010-05-03T18:17:00.001-07:00

I would like to proudly introduce my daughter McKee, age 15. She has started her own blog on the woes and triumphs of her allergies to foods. Please visit her new blog and come back for more as she will be adding more recipes weekly!

McKees Food Blog

Herbal crispy rice snacks

2010-04-22T21:09:00.000-07:00

Picture borrowed off of google.com

Mountain Rose Herbs Recipe Contest

2 cups of crispy brown or white rice
3/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup of natural peanut butter
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds or shelled sunflower seed or combine both.
2 tbls chia seeds
2 tbls freshly ground flax seeds
1/4 cup of Goji berries

cocoa powder or shredded coconut (optional)

Add more berries/seeds/crispy rice for consistancy if needed Can add cinnamon to taste too! When finished you can dip squares in or roll balls in cocoa or shredded coconut.

my berries, and seeds I buy from Mountain Rose Herbs, my crispy rice I buy from Sprouts Farmers Market

Mix peanut butter, honey, vanilla, nuts/seeds and berries to a bowl, add crispy rice cereal and stir gently.
Wet your hands and form mixture either into bite sized balls or squars, place on wax paper and serve.

this will yeild aproximately 8 dozen 1 inch peices.

Happy Eating!

Mountain Rose Herbs Recipe Contest click here to learn more!

Winters Relief Hand Salve Recipe

2010-04-21T16:03:00.000-07:00

When infusing these herbs the aroma of spicy pumpkin fills your home and it is delightful! The color of the finished product is a beautiful pumpkin pie color and smells good enough to eat!

Winters Relief Hand Salve

All Herbs were bought at Mountain Rose Herbs so they are Certified Organic,Ethically wild crafted or chemically free harvested and all herbs are dry plant material in whole form which I then (after Measurement, grind down)

1/2 cup Ginger
1/2 cup Chaparral
1/2 cup Clove
1/2 cup Cinnamon
1/4 cup Cayenne (already ground) optional, I like it's anti inflam and warming effect
1 cup White Willow Bark

1/2 cup of Jojoba Oil
3/4 cup Arnica Oil ( previously sun infused with dry plant material)
4 1/2 cups of Olive Oil
2 0z Vitamin E oil ( from Mountain Rose Herbs)
1 1/4 cup Local Bees Wax

After blending down the herbs individually to a fine powder or as fine as I could get them, I put them in a large stainless steel bowl, added the mixtures of oils (except vitamin E)and placed the bowl atop a stock pot of boiling water. Turn the heat down to a simmer and stir the mixture very often, making sure that the oils do not get too hot and burn the herbs. I did this for a minimum of two hours but not more than 4.

Strain the herbs from the oil and with a potato ricer and cheese cloth press the oil from the herb and set aside. Herbs now can be discarded.

“Mountain Rose Herbs Recipe Contest”

This oil can be stored away from light and heat for several months if you do not plan to make a large batch of salve as I usually make. This is a great christmas gift Idea and making a large batch as the recipe is suggested would make approximately 32 1oz size containers.

I then take a new clean stainless bowl or clean and dry the first bowl and pour all of the oil and wax into the bowl and again (double boiler method) bring the heat up just enough to melt the wax, this is when I add the vitamin E.

When wax is melted pour into 1oz containers.

This salve smells like pumpkin pie or christmas time. It is warming and delicious to the skin. Caution (due to cayenne) for small children and mucus membranes.

MOUNTAIN ROSE HERBS RECIPE CONTEST CLICK HERE!

Jamaican Dogwood

2010-04-18T14:46:00.000-07:00

These are photos that I took during the process of pouring off a tincture of Jamaican Dogwood Bark that I had made.

The flavor of the tree bark is slightly smoky, woody and not at all that bad However it has been explained to be acrid and bitter and to produce a burning sensation in mouth with a strong disagreeable smell like broken opium. I don't find that it is extremely bitter and I haven't broke opium so I am not sure if this is true either. I also do not get a burning sensation but I do find that when the tincture is dropped into my mouth that there is a very slight warming effect.

Jamaican Dogwood tree has a very valuable wood. The pounded leaves and young branches are used to poison fish the method followed is to fill an open crate with the branches, drop it into the water, and swill it about till the water is impregnated with the liquid from the leaves, etc.; this quickly stupefies the fish and enables the fishers to catch them quickly.In 1844 attention was called to its narcotic, analgesic and sudorific properties which are uncertain.

---Medicinal Action and Uses---In some subjects it cures violent toothache, neuralgia and whooping-cough and promotes sleep, and acts as an antispasmodic in asthma. It also dilates the pupil and is useful in dysmenorrhoea and nervous debility. In other subjects it only causes gastric distress and nausea; over doses produce toxic effects.

---Preparations and Dosages---Fluid extract, 5 to 20 drops, which may be cautiously increased to 2 fluid drachms. Solid extract, 1 to 5 grains.

Yeast/Candida Infections

2010-04-15T01:22:00.001-07:00

Remedy
Pau d’ Arco

What is Candida?
Candida is a fungi that can live normally in the bowel flora but often with poor diet, can multiply beyond manageable amounts and spread into other areas of the body causing chain reaction and disease.

Candida can be a result to the following:
• Poor diets
• Excessive intake of alcohol and sweets
• Parasitic infections
• Long term use of birth control pills or estrogen replacement therapy
• Habitual steroid or corticosteroid use
• Habitual use of antibiotics

Pau d’ Arco is one of many herbs that can help eliminate or prevent yeast infections by its immune building properties, anti fungal and microbial properties, high in nutrients to replace Chi, and Selenium containing.

Selenium is a mineral that is an anti oxidant (scavenger of free radicals) and though it can be found in some foods like various nuts, animal products, tuna and soybeans to name a few, it can also be found in wheat products and other foods that will not be advantageous to someone fighting a yeast infection.

Pau d’ Arco is another way of getting selenium without taking supplements or having to find the foods that have it, that you may or may not enjoy eating, may be allergic to or the hassle of diet planning. * Selenium can reach toxic levels but usually this happens when there are supplements being taken without a professional regulating diet and supplement intake.
Pau d’ Arco also not only supplies you with the Selenium but other factors (3) that are benefit to you and your health, to recap those four benefits of this herb are

• Antimicrobial/Anti fungal
• Nutritional Energy that restores your vitality
• Immune booster
• Contains Selenium which is one of the body’s defenses against the growth of Candida

More about Pau d’ Arco:

The Latin binomial for this herb is Tabebuia impetiginosa and belongs to the Bignoniaceae family.

The part used is the bark and the tendencies of this medicine is drying and slightly warming.

Beyond the wonders of Yeast Elimination, this plant is also known for help in cleansing the Lymph system, Anti Inflammatory, assisting the correction of IBS, Colitis/Chrohn’s,
Herpes virus, Malaria, and Brucellosis.

Caution is best for those who have a tendency to hemorrhage; concurrent use with anti coagulants.

Resources:
20,000 Secrets of Tea by Victoria Zak 1999 p. 68,139,180-182,219
300 Herbs by Matthew Alfs 2003 p. 83
Herbal Medicine from the heart of the earth by Sharol Tilgner N.D. 1999 p.94

plenty to be grateful for

2010-03-10T16:55:00.000-08:00

Proud to Sponsor

I recently was invited and am feeling so grateful to be able to sponsor a wonderful herbal event which will be held at the shambhalla institute in LA

www.shambhallainstitue.com

I am grateful for all that the universe has to offer and am feeling it's great love and energy daily, which it has stemmed partly from the wonderful out of season rain that we have been getting here in Phx,Arizona and the beauty of the desert that the rain has brought.

The wonderful blooms that I have in our flower garden and the healthy organic veggies that are growing in our other garden.

Spring is in the air and I am lapping up and enjoying every drop of it.

Is it often that we stop and think about all we really have to be grateful for?

Maybe for some, but not for everyone. It isn't always easy, I know that first hand but getting into the habit of it by daily journaling or prayer or how ever one chooses will work, and the more grateful you are the more you will have to be grateful for, others who see this in you will envy it and some may not understand it but it is our responsiblity to share it and to teach it... and if you don't have it then pretend to have it and it will come... that is just how it happens. :)

Own it, the Zen way.

2010-03-08T15:33:00.000-08:00

I recently have acquired several books about and to do with the ZEN way, however with the book list that I have ahead of these books…. I won’t get to reading them for another couple of years.

I love books and always have, I have too many to read though and when I am overwhelmed with all the reading that is required in school and that I have put on my “to read for pleasure” list, I will not read anything that I am supposed to.

This overwhelming pattern of mine brought me to my magazine reading. I can get tidbits of my reading on subjects that I want but not have to worry about finishing a book to get the content in which I was wanting. These little magazine blurbs seem to fill my need for the moment until I can find the list of other books listed in the magazine in which I need to purchase in order to read. It is such a vicious circle!

One of the magazines that I truly feel inspired by is “Spirituality and Health” and in their March/April issue there is an article by Geri Larkin and she writes about “owning up” the Zen way.

She talked about her normal morning dog walking routine in their lovely home town of Portland, Oregon. This certain morning, Geri was groggy from about only six hours of sleep and on her way out the door grabbed her library book to take to the book drop during her morning walk. Her dog Bodhi decided once arriving at the library book drop that he was ready to make his morning poo and so he did. Geri was prepared, with a plastic bag she reaches down and picks up her dogs deposit and ties the bag shut and then placing the bag into the book drop, closing it, and then gasping to realize that in her hand was the book and in the drop were the droppings of her beloved dog Bodhi.

She goes on explaining the stages in which her emotions ran.

Stage one: OH, NO!

Stage two: I could get away with this, just walk away… no one can see you.

State three: Owning up.

This is where she mentions the old Zen koan embedded in her mind in which every morning a monk calls to himself: “Master! Master!” then he answers himself: “Yes” “you must keep clear” In other words, you must stay in the situation exactly as it is, and do what it needs you to do.
She needed to own up and that is what she did by calling the library when they opened and explained what she had done. Her reasoning was that if she hadn’t then she would have causes harm, by leaving the bag without notifying anyone she would have caused harm to the person opening the box and to everyone that that person would have told throughout that day. But by calling and explaining to the appropriate people what she had done, she had caused a great laugh to the person on the other end of the phone and to all that were there to share in the experience of the phone call.

How simple was that I ask myself? When owning up, good things come of it. Sometimes it is harder than you can imagine but the good that comes out of it is priceless.

I may have walked away that morning, not feeling like it was my responsibility and not thinking that it may harm others. Harming others by my actions is not something that I want to do and the next time I do something silly like this, I will give it an extra thought about how my action will affect the next person and I will make the ZEN choice.

The Loving Oil of Ylang Ylang

2010-03-03T18:39:00.000-08:00

Ylang Ylang comes from the tropical Asian Tree of the custard-apple family and is named Cananga odorata. It is a fast growing tree and regenerates itself quite rapidly when damaged.
The Cananga plant is native to the Philippines and Indonesia and is commonly grown in Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia thriving on the humid tropical environments.
Ylang Ylang is a loving oil because it speaks to our Heart on many levels, perhaps on every level and especially with the love within ourselves for ourselves and others. It is a calming oil and not only helps normalize sebum issues by calming down over active sebum glands but also with hypertension and tachycardia.
Ylang Ylang harmonized with your soul, mind and Central nervous system… it is said to help control a fit of epilepsy by a simple inhaling of the fragrance at the onset of a seizure. It is loving and calming to premenstrual syndrome, insomnia and anxiety. It is told to help aid infections of the intestinal tract.
The loving oil of Ylang Ylang aids with self-esteem and self awareness, it opens the heart, the sensuous aroma of Ylang Ylang aids with depression, tension, stress, shyness, impatience, resentment and welcomes joy and warmth into your being and your surroundings.
I loved Ylang Ylang before I knew all these wonderful things about it. Before… before I was open to believing in the powers of nature, the power of aroma, the power of plants. What changed it for me was education, I had a teacher that used the word “wooji woo” to explain all the hippie like things, the things that somewhere in my life growing up I found to be ashamed of. The childlike belief of fairies and plants that spoke to you went away a long time ago… along with some hope and some dreams but all that is coming back to me and with the help of the plants.
I wish everyone who laughed or mocked the wisdom of plants would give in… give in to the desire to be like a child again and carry hope and love and forgiveness like children, we are growing up so fast and teaching our children to grow up so fast.. it is such a horrible shame and I am not above this… there have been times that I had to bite my tongue before I said to my daughter when she 9 or 10… “grow up”… why would I want her to grow up? I surely know now that I was foolish, she is 15 years old and way too grown up for me.
Now, I try to erase the pushing of her to grow up, I can’t erase anything though. However, I can introduce her to my knew understandings… this week it will be the understandings of Ylang Ylang, and if she will listen… then it will be a beautiful week.

Carrie ( Herban Chica)

* Ylang Ylang information was gathered from an article written by Robin Michaels called Ylang Ylang a loving oil. The article was found in FEB/MARCH article of the “Four Corners” magazine.

Believe

2010-02-01T23:34:00.000-08:00

don't wait.

don't wait for the opportunity to approach you...create the opportunity. Believing in yourself is hard to do sometimes... you have to believe in yourself before anyone else does, unless of course it's your mother or you spouse... seriously though.. even if it means pretending. Pretend you are what you want to be and in that act, you will become what you want to be.

We have so many obstacles but so does everyone, and it is those obstacles that mold us into being the best that we can be, without them we would be weak and predictable and I am not sure about you but I don't want to be weak and predictable.

With the economy the way that it is, with the shift that is going on, with the war with the the disaster in Haiti and around the world.. all of these things we need to work even harder, have even more faith and believe even more. It is a collective consciousness and if we just tap into it, then we can prevail.

Prevail in what ever it is that we want to prevail in. Yes, easier said than done but I won't stop saying it, I won't stop believing it and if it doesn't get me to where I want to go, then it will at least get me further than if I hadn't believed at all.

Breathe, believe and treat others the way you want to be treated. Stop being afraid and take someones hand, not someones hand that will help you up.. but someones hand that YOU can help up.

Only use organic house plants now???

2010-01-29T14:06:00.000-08:00

Why would you want ONLY organic house plants?

Because the American Society for Horticultural Science says so... at least in September of 2009. "buy only organically grown indoor plants, wash them carefully, and replace any plastic pots."

We use to think that having indoor plants would help make provide a better air quality in our living spaces but we have found out that perhaps it has done more harm then good.

There are harmful toxins in carpets, paint, and in pesticides put on the indoor plants before bringing them home from the store, the plastic pots that these house plants are in often put off toxic fumes as well.

Where do we go from here? Do we drive ourselves crazy trying to avoid all the toxins that are in our daily lives from the fumes on the road or in the sky from the jet trails left behind? What about the plastic that our water bottles come in or plastics that we might microwave or freeze.

We tore the carpet up, we changed what we eat, we took our microwave out of the house,we try to keep positive, loving thoughts, we try to be humble (a hard hard one for me sometimes!) What else can we do??

We recently built an above ground organic garden in our backyard, I was proud of all the thought that was put into it, until someone asked me if the wood that we used to build it was treated or not. WTF? No, I did not think about the wood that was treated with who knows what type of chemicals that may leach into the soil that we babied for months and composted organic veggie scraps in, and then planted our Heirloom and Organic seeds in.

What else do I need to worry about, what about the hose that I water the garden from? How about the nicotine from the neighbors back yard that seems to always make it into our yard and into our house if the windows are left open? What about the bees that pollinate our plants but have visited lethal pesticide plants before mine.

The truth is, I can only do so much without driving myself mad. I have to trust that what effort that we put into the foods that we eat, growing organic foods and wasting little... will help. I have to let go of my fears and just do what I can do because that is all that we can do.

One of my patients that I saw today is trying to change his life for the better, he wanted to get off of all the pharmaceuticals that he was on, he was worried about his liver, he was worried about washing his vegetables, about who touched the fruit at the store before he did and if they ever washed their hands. He was worried about the air that he breaths into his lungs at the health care facilities, the water fountain that he took a drink at in the lobby of the health care facility,and so on and so forth...

I do believe that this patient was so sick with worry that "it" was even a health hazard... Worry is probably one of the biggest toxins to our bodies, I wanted to tell him to breathe, to relax, not be so fearful... but instead, I just listened... and learned. I learned that if we look; we will always find things to fear.

I chose to live and not to worry myself sick. What do you choose?

The Albatross speaks

2010-01-07T13:51:00.001-08:00

As much as I would like to believe that my carbon footprint is better than my neighbors, I know that it isn't what it should be.

I don't drink tap water, and even though I have a water cooler... I find myself wanting to go buy a case or two of plastic water bottles already filled with water. It's just easier, quicker and more convenient all around. I made that decision two days ago, I rationalized it by stating to my boyfriend that I would drink more water if I had a water bottle that was already filled for me, I would drink my herbal tinctures in my water so that means I would be more consistent with taking my herbs and therefore I would be healthier! It makes perfect sense!

Before I went out and bought a couple cases from Costco, I went home. I checked the mail and received a magazine "Spirituality and Health". I picked it up and I read a little bit then came across a photograph of a dead bird, partially deteriorated, feathers, beak and skeleton and in the center of those feathers were a multitude of colors, unrecognizable pieces and parts of plastic, fishing line, balloons and who knows what else. I read the piece and realized that it is my responsibility, as small as an impact that myself would make, it is still my responsibility to do my part. The story was sad and the photos were even more sad but impact it made on me was big.
I will be honest, I am not sure how long the impact will last or how soon it will be before I forget about "my part" or "my responsibility" but for today, and tomorrow and probably at least this month... I will take part on lessening my carbon footprint by recycling or not wasting. I did want to share this with others though, hopefully to get them thinking too...
The pictures you see here are from the magazine Spirituality and Health Jan.2010 issue, photos by Chris Jordan who will be speaking at the Sharpless Auditorium at Haverfor College in Haverford, PA Jan. 28th.

unsafe products who claim to be Healthy

2009-12-24T11:56:00.001-08:00

As Herban Chica followers may already know, I am an herbalist and have been playing around with making products for skin that are healthy alternatives to what is offered out there to the general public.

I have learned so much, I have learned how easy it is to make a good for you, good quality product that is fun... I have also learned what big manufactures put in there so called, "healthy products" are not healthy at all.

A company will put in preservatives that make a shelf life incredibly long, that is good for the manufacturer but not the consumer. Most of these preservatives are proven unhealthy.

A company can put a trade mark name on a product that says "ORGANIC" and legally NOTHING in the product is organic. That is because it didn't say.. "this is organic", it simply named it's UN ORGANIC product "organic".

One product in particular is called "the healing garden" it's trademark is "skin organics" and "re nourish" but when looking at the ingredients they only listed a few of the ingredients and those were proven bad, unhealthy and when promising to filter UV rays... it actually inhibited the protection from the sun and therefore enhancing the damage caused by UV rays. Nothing organic was listed.. wouldn't you list an ingredient if it were organic? I would and do.

This product " the healing garden" also carried a warning label that stated that if swallowed contact a poison control center right away....

My question is WHY would you want to put something that was this harmful on your skin, the Biggest organ of your body?

It is scary to think of how ignorant that I have been for years, and it isn't our fault. We are deceived and lied to. We want to believe but are learning that we cannot believe.

We must start being responsible for our own health, educate ourselves, fight back by not promoting these companies who are in it for pure profit and not interested in the long term effects that it has on our health and our children's health.

Product ingredients that you may want to further investigate, stay away from but please don't take my word for it, investigate it yourself... research it. Don't be fooled anymore.

Avobenzone
Oxybenzone
Octinoxate or octyl metghoxycinnamate
Octisalate

Even some of the ingredients in Burts Bees has been recently classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer to be "possibly carcinogen to humans" WHY... use something that is even POSSIBLY cancer causing? Why if you don't HAVE to use it? It just doesn't make sense to me and is very upsetting.

I would love to hear opinions on this subject, I would love to learn more if you have other information that would be of value to this topic.

And,.... to promote my products which are completely safe and healthy.. visit herbanchica.etsy.com, I also custom make products. If you have a need for something that I don't make, allow me to formulate something for you and if I haven't made it yet or don't have another product that will help then your first sample will be free, even the shipping and handling!

random post

2009-12-15T15:18:00.001-08:00

The year is at an end and what a year it has been. If I had to share one thing that I learned it would be to let go of fear.

As soon as I let go of my fear, doors opened up for me. The universe is plentiful and always has been but only until I was ready, was I able to accept the wonderful gifts it had to offer.

I would have to say that in my journey to become an herbalist, that it was indeed the herbs that brought to me an array of opportunities. How does that make sense? I am not sure... it could have been the like minded people that I was surrounded by, or mother natures energy wrapping her arms around me while I wrapped my arms around mother nature. I won't sit and contemplate the whys too much. It is a waste of my energy, I just need to show my gratitude and share my soul and my knowledge with others.

If I could tell you one thing that would be of some importance in life then it would be to open up to taking chances as scary as it may be.

I have started a business, am still a student of Holistic Health (and life), am pursuing many adventures and feel the urge to retreat to blogging a bit more. I miss it, I must find the time to express myself in order to balance the emotions and the adventures that I have been on.

Life is good, Herban Chica
Silybum Herbal

End of Year

2009-12-08T20:35:00.000-08:00

Well, its the end of the year and looking back ... I go over all of the things that I have learned, the struggles, the lessons, the ah ha moments. Everything that has gotten me here today, where I am... wherever that may be.

It is a constant directional change from day to day, this isn't a bad thing. This is life. I can think I am headed this way but find myself headed another. I can plan to go in this direction but heading in this direction I am drawn to another direction, which is a direction that I might not have known if I hadn't taken the first direction. Sounds as confusing as I am. haha.. and all I can do is laugh.

This road, or many roads that I have taken and will take...is life. What I have learned is that I must live one day at a time and the key word is "LIVE". What is living? For many years, living was merely getting by, working, playing and starting over again. I am not sure what it is to me today but I can assure you that it is much more than it has been in the past and I don't know if this can be chalked up to knowledge from age or experience but it doesn't really matter to me... not today anyway. What matters is how I live today and if I can ask myself, "Have I grown today". Well, I have... today I have grown, I can only hope and pray that tomorrow I will have grown and that in these experiences and growths that I can share with those around me the good things that I feel, see and love.
There are so many wonderful people out there and I want to know them all.. the only way to start that is by being one of those wonderful people that others want to know. Give, Give, and give. It will only cause good things to happen even when things don't look so good.

for today, that is all I have to say... inside there is so much more to share... but for another day.

blessings! Carrie
Herban Chica

Sedona Arizona

2009-11-22T19:23:00.001-08:00

Breath taking views, beautiful weather, great company... priceless.

Winters Relief Salve

2009-11-14T14:41:00.001-08:00

I was in the winter spirit and got a wild wintery hair to make some more salve. The weather has just started cooling and my skin was starting to show signs of dryness. Especially my hands as I work in the medical field and am constantly wearing latex gloves (yuck). I chose a few winter like herbs and pulled them out of my medicine cupboard and smelled each one. How wonderful the fragrance, my mood was even more enhanced with the clove and cinnamon aroma. I ground each herb and careful mixed them and writing down each ingredient, I added ginger because it is warming and cayenne for it's anti inflammatory properties, I pulled out the comfrey and and chapparel and beautiful arnica and calendula. I kept smelling the mixture with great pride and thought to myself that I was making something wonderful! I used the best oil that I had, jojoba and olive oil and vit E and bees wax at the end. This is the most glorious smelling salve, my whole house has this fragrance and I am enjoying every bit of it. I have my windows and door open and the scent is mixing with the cold air of outside. Glorious! It smells like (but better) then a scented candle, very strong and warming, I could almost eat it! The buttery smell of the calendula and the cinnamon remind me of baking and I am sure my neighbors are salivating too!

HELP bring Naturopathic medicine to Florida!!!

2009-11-04T14:01:00.000-08:00

> Hi there,
>
> We would like your help in bringing Naturopathic Medicine to Florida. Naturopathic Doctors attend 4 year medical schools, have recently been classified as Physicians by the Department of Labor, and provide natural, individualized treatments that address the cause of illness and help to restore health. Blue Cross just completed a study that shows Naturopathic Medicine is at least 50% more cost effective then the current Florida health care model, and yet, Florida has not licensed NDs since 1959! What is up with that? Let's move Florida into the modern era, as Arizona, Washington, Oregon, New Hampshire, and so many other states have already done.
>
> How can YOU help?
>
> 1) Join our association as a supporting member, a Friend, for as little as $10.
> 2) Send this email to EVERYONE you know and encourage them to send it out to everyone they know.
> 3) If you have the desire and have some extra time, volunteer to help us spread the word.
>
> Make a statement - We all deserve to be healthy, to have choices in healthcare, to know the doctor treating us is properly trained and licensed. Take back your health choices today -
>
> Become a Member Today! We can make this happen, together, today.
>
> Newsletter sign-up - stay in loop and follow our progress.
>
> Watch us on PBS!
<
> FNPA.org

>
> Visit us on FaceBook
>
> Willing to Volunteer (no you do not have to call and ask people for money :-)
>
> We thank you for your help in the most profound way possible via email.
>
> --
> The Doctors and Members of the FNPA

quoting from dandelion revolutions dot com

2009-10-31T10:58:00.000-07:00

Milk thistle seeds, Silybum marianum, are known as a supreme herbal tonic for the liver. It is traditionally used for supporting the liver and gallbladder as it increases the production of bile, and has hepatic, demulcent, choloagogue, antihepatoxic, and galactagogue actions. From David Winston, “It is indicated for cirrhosis of the liver as well as nephrotoxity, psoriasis and Hepatitis A, B, and C. It combines well with Burdock seed for dry, scaly skin conditions (87)”.

Silymarin was isolated by German researchers as the most important active ingredient of milk thistle seeds. Later on it was discovered that silymarin is actually a group of chemicals, flavanolignans, not just one single chemical constituent (Wikipedia). From Matthew Wood, “laboratory and clinical research has demonstrated that silymarin prevented the destruction of liver cells, increased the production of new liver cells, and increased the level of glutathione, an amino acid which helps to detoxify poisons and process hormones” (448).

Wood states that “milk thistle is an excellent liver and abdominal medicine in serious cases” (449), like death cap mushroom poising. It is not perhaps the first herb to reach for in everyday liver support like burdock, dandelion or yellow dock. But for those who are in need of more specific and stronger liver support in cases of liver complications or to conteract hepatotoxic pharmacueticals, David Hoffmann states that the theraputic dose from Commission E is 12 to 15 grams of the seeds or 200 to 400 miligrams per day of standardized silymarin.

Milk thistle condiment - This tasty and easy-to-make condiment is a wonderful way to get the liver rejuvenating effects of milk thistle in your daily diet. Sprinkle on eggs, rice dishes, soups and stews, practically any kinds of ethnic foods, and stir into mayo and mustard to eat on sandwiches and dips. I partically love it with seafood, like on Spanish paella.

• 1/2 cup milk thistle seeds

• 1 T ginger powder

• 1 T garlic powder

• 1 t paprika

• Grind seeds well in a coffee grinder. Mix with the other herbs, put in a shaker and use daily.

This article is not mine... I got it from a wonderful website called "dandelion revolution"

http://dandelionrevolution.com

hiking with friends in the superstition

2009-10-13T00:32:00.000-07:00

It is October and we didn't have much of our monsoon weather this year. Seems to be dryer and dryer each season, however, the beauty in the Sonoran desert still welcomes me and the views are still breathtaking.
I can hardly wait for January, I will be giving several walk abouts to teach medicinal plants of our beautiful desert and I hope to see the blooms that the desert is lacking on this latest hike. I missed seeing the fairy dusters, brittlebush and desert marigolds.

Cavecreek Spur Cross 10-10-2009

2009-10-11T15:56:00.001-07:00

a beautiful tea

2009-10-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

I had some left over tea blend, dandelion leaf, gotu kola, cleavers, and mint. I added a handful of rosemary, nettles, handful of calendula flowers and pink rose buds. I then steeped it for about an hour. It was wonderful, I loved the rosemary and rose flavor together. I was drinking this superb tea while extracting the juice from the tunas of the prickly pears that we collected the day before and decided to add some of the juice to the tea and was pleasantly surprised. What a wonderful combination and a wonderful pink color. Earlier in the week I had made some rose bud infused honey and sweetened this tea, it was perfect. Delicious, nutritious and refreshing. There is one problem, I didn't write down the amounts, I know better than that! I hope that I can duplicate this tea again sometime, I know next time that no matter what.. measure and write down the ingredients!

Juicing Tuna

2009-10-04T18:31:00.001-07:00

After the Gleaning Party... I decided to try my hand at juicing the tunas for some yummy treats at a later date. There were several different ways to juice them but I seem to find that a combination of them worked best for me. Freezing and thawing them into a bowl was one way, they kind of partially juiced themselves, then squeezing them through cheese cloth, but before that I took an old meat tenderizer.. and poked holes in them, put them in the cheese cloth and squeezed the rest of the juice out, straining them one last time into a bowl and then finally into freezer bags and putting them into the freezer to use at a later date. viola!

grateful

2009-10-03T11:03:00.000-07:00

The more I learn about the plants and this earth, the more passionate I become. I am new at all this... I don't even know how to use some of the "green" terms correctly. But I am learning and loving it.
I find that I get emotional when talking about the plants.. I feel wierd about it but then again I feel blessed about it too.
We can learn so much from the desert.. from the earth in general. It isn't hard, it just takes a want to learn it and then the earth, the universe, will supply the opportunities. I feel so grateful. I love all that I am learning and want to share it with the world.
On a prickly pear gleaning party gathering, I overheard a woman who was walking her dog stop and ask one of the gleaning participants what we were doing. When he told her that we were collecting the prickly pear for juicing, making jam, margaritas or what not... she was suprised. She has lived here since .. well, forever and had no idea that this cactus bore fruit that was not only edible but DELICIOUS. How much more do I not know? How much more do you not know? And what might the our lives be like if we knew more?

skin cancer returning

2009-10-02T06:42:00.000-07:00

So if you have been following you can see that the skin cancer that we have been treating with creosote oil aka chaparral; practically disappeared. It seemed to have come back with a vengeance though, We did continually put the medicated oil on the spot but did slow down that number of times and may have skipped a few days in total. So when it came back we applied the oil again and were diligent but it didn't seem to help, I switched to red clover tincture both topically and a little internally and it seemed to start looking better. We also added one of my salves as a topical that has calendula, creosote,olive oil and vitamin E. The skin cancer looks better but it is still there, actually there are two spots again rather than just one.
We think that the creosote worked. We think that it cured the skin cancer on the surface layer of the epidermis but the cancer that was deeper in the skin layer remained and therefore grew back to the surface. Mike and I have decided to have the skin cancer looked at by his dermatologist and determine how to take care of it after his consultation. This is a reminder to me that allopathic and natrapathic medicine should and can be integrated. When I decided to go natural I told myself that I wouldn't totally give up on modern day medical and this is why. I believe in herbs, I love herbs and natrapathic medicine and I will always try to do things the natural way first and foremost but we who chose the natural path may also want to remember that both types of medicine can go hand in hand and work together. I will remain to keep you posted on the skin cancer. =)

Lakshmi the Hindu Goddess of Beauty Inscense Oil

2009-09-21T17:15:00.000-07:00

In a jar, combine equal measure of roughly crushed rose petals, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, and lemon peel. Pour Sweet almond oil over the mixture, covering all the ingredients and cap. Infuse by the sun but wrapped in tin foil so that the UV rays do not damage the ingredients, infuse for at least 4 days. Strain the oil and decant into a dark glass container, store in a cool place.

This oil can be used in an essential oil burner or dabbed in your pulse points.

skin cancer week 4

2009-09-15T22:08:00.000-07:00

Week three and week four of the skin cancer spot. We bumped up the dosage from 1-2 x a day to 3-6 times a day and there is another significant change. Mike the "cancer model" is also using creosote oil as a sun screen. Over all, we think his skin even looks better since he has been applying the infused creosote oil.

in the earlier photos (week 1 and 2) there were cancer spots lower on his face that we were showing you. One disappeared and the other ended up NOT being cancer after all.

crazy mad=?

2009-09-15T12:47:00.000-07:00

You would think that at my ripe age of 40+, that I could learn how to breathe, be calm, and think before I act. I have worked at it for years and am still working at it, but when it matters most... I throw that technique out the window.

I have had some days to mull over the whole "flower essence" ordeal. And, yes... I had a right to be upset.. but they also have a right to be ignorant. I mean, I haven't always known what I know now about herbs and essences, about holistic healing, about raising a baby, or a pre teen and I definitely don't know how to raise the teen that I have now. I can assume that I do "know" when it comes to certain aspects but the truth is I am not all knowing.

My 15 year old told me something the other day and has told me a few other times over the last couple of years.... now, I will take some credit for her wise mind.. as it is I who did raise her. She told me that I wouldn't feel so persecuted if I didn't persecute others. She tells me that sometimes I am way too judgmental and that is why I am always feeling judged. Truth. and it hurts. and it's hard to admit. As much as I would like to give a lengthy explanation or defense.. the truth is none of us are as innocent as we think we are.

I am glad that my daughter told me this gently. Without being mean, it was easier to take, and harder to deny this truth. She told me that I am not always that way, but that it comes out periodically and I can see that, depending on how I feel about myself or what type of day that I had. None the less, it is true about me and I hate it.

After this flower essence ordeal and after my last blog on the emotions that I shared about the flower essence ordeal, I received a letter from Katie, (Lotus Wei) and she opened my eyes (again) she told me what I already knew, but she told it to me when I needed to hear it again and she told me in a way that was gentle and empowering and this inspired me to look again at my actions that day, more than my actions though, to look at my emotion, my feelings and if I had just taken a breath that day before I took everything so personally, before I let myself feel attacked or persecuted, then I would have handled it in a way that I would be proud of and in a way that my daughter would have been proud of and possibly not have been so emotional about it.

I am always learning, one is never to old to learn. Sometimes we have to look at ourselves deeper than ever before and ask ourselves questions that we have never asked ourselves before and in doing this.. we will grow and learn and be enlightened to ourselves in ways that we have never before.

Katie suggested that I take this experience and make it a good one, up 'til now... I shared this story just to share this story. Just to get others on my side. Just to validate myself, my feelings and my actions. That isn't good enough, I know better than that, I preach that but do I live it? Obviously not. Not that day anyway.

So what do I do then? I start again, taking what I learned with me into today and into other experiences. Sharing the learning experience with others so that it IS a positive that came out of an unfortunate situation. Actually, if I look at it again... the situation wasn't really unfortunate. It opened some eyes to flower essences and a holistic approach and it also opened my eyes to me.

flower essences illegal?

2009-09-11T12:35:00.000-07:00

My 14 year old daughter got "busted" for taking 4 drops of Bach's White Chestnut Flower essence at her high school.

My daughter was diagnosed with A.D.D. and I choose not to put her on the prescribed narcotics. We went down that road before and it didn't work for us. My daughter couldn't eat, couldn't sleep and told me that she felt that it made her feel dull.

Flower essence seems to work for her, I gave her a bottle to take to school and keep in her purse. Even though I probably should have thought twice about it's contents .. I did not. Flower essences uses alcohol as a preservative. 4 drops of flower essence has less alcohol than 1/4 of a small ripe banana, a 5 year old can purchase flower essence, you can do flower essence and drive. It is safe to give flower essence to a 6th month old.

Yet, they pulled her from class, searched her purse and made the appropriate phone calls. I was told by an officer of the law that he guaranteed me that if he made her blow in a breathalyzer that it would show alcohol in her system. I challenged him, I asked him to please do give her one. He took offense by this and began to raise is voice, telling me that he is doing me a favor by NOT giving her one, do I want him to give her a ticket? she would have to go to court and would have a record. I told him that he should go ahead, give her a breathalyzer and if it came up positive for alcohol then he would be educating me. He changed the subject and wouldn't give her one.
The Vice principal told me over the phone that my daughter would be suspended for consumption of alcohol. But by the end of our conversation he told me that he would let her slide but that the principal could over rule that. The vice principal also told me that he was giving us a break and that it would NOT go in her record but she still had to go home for consumption of alcohol.

I think that they are idiots, I think that they started a big ruckus because they are ignorant, and when I gave them a little information, a little too late they still had to follow through with sending her home for consumption of alcohol.

However they also knew that they hadn't anything to stand on and legally couldn't ticket her, suspend her or put it in her record... they knew that they would have a legal battle if they did.

So, my daughter does not take flower essence to school anymore. When she has a water bottle I will put a dose in there for her. She will not bring the bottle of essence to school though. This is so unfortunate, I was appalled at their ignorance.

I wrote the company Bach and they too were appalled.
I spoke with an organic alchemist, business owner of LOTUS WEI,LLC., She has offered to help educate my daughters school on flower essences.

I have found it hard to not push this further, by filing a complaint with the police department, by writing the school board by calling the local news station. However,I am not sure of what my intentions would be about doing that. Is it for revenge? or is it for education purposes. Should I fight for my rights or chalk it up as a learning experience and move on?

I won't make that decision today. I will sit quietly and figure out my intentions first.

But for the record... keep your flower essence hidden, don't show any officers of the law and maybe you should think twice about drinking while consuming flower essences.

visit lotuswei.com

Beautiful Oats

2009-09-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

Today I worked on oat tops. I worked on them some yesterday too. I would take the end tip of the hull and pinch and the seed would pop out. It was easy to do, just tedious and after doing it for 3 hours yesterday and then for another hour and a half it really made my fingers sore.
So far, spending almost 5 hours of removing the seeds from the hull I had pretty much had it. The last half hour of those grueling hours I let my mind drift.

I thought that there had to be a better way of doing this. I thought of the indigenous woman and how they must have sat in groups and worked with the grains of the earth, what they may have talked about. I could almost here them laughing and sharing stories as their fingers worked the grains.

I imagined the elders of the group doing most of the talking and the younger women listening and learning, learning about family, respect, hard work and learning about the place in which they held amongst the elders or this tribe.

What would they discuss, would it be much different then maybe something that we would discuss in a family setting? Maybe not unlike the women of my generation, gathering in the kitchen preparing a feast for extended family around holidays.

While I was dreaming about these woman, these strong women with dust on their feet, sitting in a group close to the ground and with toddlers strapped to them or running about their feet. While my mind wandered and played in the ideas and minds of thee indigenous people, I found myself working with the oats in a different way, I was feeling their texture in my hands, rolling the oats in my fists and smelling the faint aroma.

The oats felt good in my fists and I kept working them, rubbing them against each other and listening to the rustling of them when they wisped away the hulls from the friction. The seeds began to separate and it hit me.

I realized how much quicker this was to separate the seeds, the one seed at a time technique was painful and tedious but rolling the oats in my hands, smelling them, admiring them and enjoying the texture of them was working much better. I thought that this may have been kind of the same technique that these women may have used.
In no time at all, the oats were finished.

Another hour had passed and I finished twice if not 3 times as much then the one seed technique.

So, this day… I visited women from the past and heard their laughter, saw their faces and learned from them… at one point I took the oats to the ground and sat there working with them so that I could feel closer to these women. This experience was enlightening, I feel extremely grateful and blessed and I feel a communion that I didn’t feel before. The more that I work with these plants, the more that I love them. The more I give to them, the more they give back.
Thank you JoAnn Sanchez for allowing me this opportunity.

skin cancer week 3

2009-09-06T11:55:00.000-07:00

It is quite amazing to watch the transformation. I am a believer of herbs, it isn't a doubt in my mind at all that they work but watching and sharing with the rest of the world (or my few followers anyway)is so exciting. Week one, week two and now week three.. I can see the transformation and it is really cool.

Skin Cancer week 2

2009-08-31T19:42:00.000-07:00

Week 2 of using Creosote Oil. Not much difference... however it may be changing shape.. and color. Not sure if it is actually changing but it looks as though it may be changing. We are going to keep on applying the Creosote Oil 3x a day for now and will keep you posted.

Rosemary Gladstars Cleansing Grains

2009-08-29T18:53:00.000-07:00

A beautiful recipe from an beautiful herbalist, Rosemary Gladstar.

oats
white clay
almonds
lavender
roses
poppy seeds
honey or water or both.

The girls and I are having a "spa day"... no date set yet but I got so excited about it that I already made a batch of this wonderful cleansing scrub!

herb experiment on skin cancer

2009-08-28T07:23:00.000-07:00

Living and working under the Arizona (any)sun can wreak havoc to peoples skin. Arizona has a lot of it going around and my boyfriend is one of the ones to get it. about a year ago he had a good size chunk taken out of his arm and we have been watching these two areas on his face for a few months.

The cancer on his arm was red and flaky( not unlike the ones on his face), something that had been there awhile but was ignored until I found it and caused alarm. they cut it out, he has about an inch scar.. they had to cut pretty deep too.

This spots on his face are quite a bit smaller than the one that was on his arm and the dermatologist suggested a pharmaceutical cream to be applied to the two spots and for us to keep an eye on them, if they were to remain after the use of the cream then we were to return and they would be burnt off and then watched again.

The cream didn't do anything and my boyfriend has volunteered to do an herbal experiment and we thought that we would share it on my blog.

We tried a tincture of red clover in a cream and applied that for several weeks, it looked as though it may have reduced the redness in color but they still remain with hardly any change. That could be due to the inconsistency of the application...

We are now trying a creosote oil, not an essential oil but creosote that has been infused in olive oil. I will be helping remind him to apply this more consistently then he had been applying the red clover cream. We will keep you posted every other week or so.

wish us and the herbs luck!

Results to the hair and scalp oil

2009-08-27T00:18:00.000-07:00

On the 21st I posted a nourishing hair and scalp oil recipe... I love it!
It worked wonderfully, It has been 7 days and my hair is still soft and shiny. I tried it on my daughter and she got the same results... I give it a BIG thumbs up!

infused oils

2009-08-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

I am sun infusing, straining and decanting herbal oils for salve making in an upcoming work shop that I am planning for in the near future.

I love the golden color of the calendula and jojoba oil!
It can be a fun but tedious process if you grind the herb down as finely as I do but in doing so, it produces a much stronger herbal oil due to the break down of the surface area in the herbs which will allow the extraction of its healing constituents to absorb into the oil at a higher level.

2009-08-23T12:19:00.000-07:00

Nourish your scalp and hair

2009-08-21T15:40:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite magazines is "natural health", I may not agree or like everything in the magazine but definitely find a lot of good information in there.
Today I am putting one to the test.
I have really thick hair.. I have dry scalp and a lot of damage from using dyes, bleaches and flat or curling irons. I saw this hair oil that is supposed to nourish your hair and just happened to have the ingredients in my kitchen so I am putting it to the test.
I took two tablespoons each of castor oil, organic coconut oil, organic jojoba oil and mixed well. I then drizzled it on to my entire scalp while massaging it in well. I worked it out to the ends of my hair and then placed a steamy hot towel over my head and wrapped that in a plastic shopping bag. I am a bit concerned about it all coming out in time for class tonight and would really dislike showing up with a head full of oil... none the less, I am pleased that it feels quite nice and will let you know how easy it was to remove and how different it made my hair.

The recipe is from the september 2009 issue of "Natural Health" magazine.

Mercury mouth

2009-08-20T16:37:00.000-07:00

I have hated the thought that I had all this mercury in my mouth. I have had it since I was a young thing and until recently didn't realize how horrible it was for me.
I didn't hear about how the mercury leaches into your body and may cause dementia or Alzheimer's among other things. The mercury leeches out and deposits in the brain and small intestines, the liver and kidneys and lungs are also repositories for the mercury. YUCK! But, really.. is this all true?

So, I rushed out and had my mercury fillings removed. (2 of 4 anyway) during this process the dentist drilled,his assistant rinsed and sucked... he made silly jokes that I didn't care to hear and my mind started to drift.... I started to think about what I was actually having done.

Yes, I know that removal of mercury fillings is dangerous... you will end up ingesting a lot of what is being drilled out... I had my tincture of cilantro and my spiralina, chlorella and chloraphyl at home to help rid my body of heavy metal toxins but what I didn't realize until it was too late was that in the process of removing all that heavy metal from my mouth, he was adding other toxins!

What the hell is that smell? it smells like paint! it tastes like what I think paint would taste like, aaak, and then the composite and the resin and more drilling of the new cap... what had I done?

I asked the doc to let me see what he was spraying in my mouth, he showed me and I quickly searched the spray can for the ingredients to see what I had just been breathing in and swallowing down... but there wasn't any ingredients. He told me it was basically paint, and that it helps the camera take better pictures of my teeth. LOVELY... I was huffing at the dentist and didn't even have say in the matter!

I do everything backwards, I went home and did a little web research about the removal of amalgams and now don't know if removing those fillings did me any good or not. I do know that I am much poorer now then I was before I had the fillings removed. I pretty much screwed either way. I also know that some people have more of a toxic reaction to the composite.

I am not so sure if I will have the other fillings removed. I haven't decided if it is even worth the cost and the time sitting in a chair with some strangers fists mixing "toxic waste" in my mouth.
I do know that my teeth are prettier, my pocket book is emptier and that I am a whole lot more confused about the right thing to do when it comes to my mercury mouth.

these are from susan weeds website..

2009-08-07T12:47:00.000-07:00

Recipe Box

My favorite herbs for making nourishing infusions are

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) for lots of energy.

Red clover blossoms (Trifolium pratense) to forstall cancer.

Oatstraw (Avena sativa) to be very, very sexy.

Comfrey leaves (Smyphytum uplandica x) to help the memory.

Linden blossoms (Tillia species) to counter inflammation.

Chickweed (Stellaria media) to lose weight.

Hawthorn blossoms (Crataegus oxycantha) for older hearts.

Raspberry leaves (Rubus species) for uterine health.

To brew a nourishing herbal infusion

Place one ounce (30 grams) of dried herb by weight in a quart (liter) jar.

Fill jar to the top with boiling water.

Cap tightly and steep for at least four hours; overnight is fine.

After brewing, strain the liquid from the herbs.

Squeeze the herbs to get all the goodness out.

Refrigerate the liquid, which needs to be consumed with a day or two.

Drink your nourishing herbal infusion over ice or heated up, with honey or not.

I drink 2-4 cups of infusion a day.

You can mix nourishing herbal infusions with fruit juice or soda water; you can add whiskey or miso, honey or ginger to them, or flavor them in any way that appeals to you.

http://www.susunweed.com

pain relief salve

2009-07-31T14:00:00.000-07:00

This salve is great for any joint or muscle pain. Carpel Tunnel, arthritis or sore muscle.
The Cayenne helps with circulation, Willow Bark and arnica to deaden the pain, menthol for the icy/hot effect, ginger as an anti inflamatory, vitamin E, a preservative for longer shelf life and the other oils as carrier oils that are good for the skin. The bees wax helps with the texture and also seals in the "good stuff" and provides a barrier against moisture.

While Calendula and Creosote are sun infusing, I decided to finish up a second batch of the pain salve.
I use extra virgin olive oil, my own sun infused Birch bark oil, vitamin E oil as a preservative , Cayenne, Arnica,Willow bark, ginger roots and menthol crystals... all organic.

qoute:
If you don't accept yourself, you won't live fully, and if you don't live fully, you'll need to get full some other way.
quote from the book "Fit from Within" by Victoria Moran

Arizona Sun Infused Organic Herbs For Medicinal Salves

2009-07-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

I am starting another salve, I have began my creosote Arizona sun infused oil, I am using extra virgin olive oil, I am also infusing freshly dried Calendula in beautiful and nourishing Jojoba oil.

on another note....
So school has been quite overwhelming on some days but I am loving every minute of it. I am amazed that there is any room left in my head for anything else these days though!
I am meeting wonderful people and calling some of them friends, friends that I hope not to lose contact with. I love people, all different kinds of people and I am going to the perfect school for finding just that!
I am sluggishly working on a workshop that will be fun, I am thinking of doing it alone and then I think that I need others to help me. I am nervous and scared but know that I have enough knowledge to talk about the things that I want to share and people are letting me know that they want to hear what I have to say. I would LOVE to do many many work shops, it would be great for networking.
I have a dream, it is a dream that is close enough for me to taste but not yet is it ready to launch. I can't wait to put all this knowledge to work... if ever I wanted a perfect job... well, this would be it.

my theory/philosophy of health and healing. (rough draft)

2009-07-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

Carries Theory of Health.

To be ready to change or attempt to change into a healthier behavior or state, one has to be ready and willing before any change can take place.

There is spiritual readiness, emotional, physical, and social readiness that needs to be in place for the healing process to begin.

Health or being healthy is multi faceted and to make a change would have to be made on many levels.

I believe that health is a whole body, mind, emotion and spiritual issue. It must be dealt with as a whole. There are reasons we are in one state or another and it could be for many different reasons, environmental and emotional to name just two, but even then it weighs on every part of an individuals being/soul.

I believe first and foremost that an individual needs to focus on what is inside emotionally. It starts with what how we perceive and how we feel towards others, towards ourselves and towards life in general.

From there we may or may not be able to pin point origin of disease or the disease itself but in doing all that “looking inside”, in my eyes… creates good health.

I try and remember that my body is not me and that I am not my body. I am learning so much yet still have trouble articulating what my belief system is, I am a student of life and I am proud to say that I know that I am ignorant to many things but also proud to say that in accepting my ignorance and being open to learning is a wonderful first step.

What is my philosophy of healing?
I don’t know that I am stuck in any quotable philosophy.
I am a student and open to many. I am still searching for that general understanding of values and reality, be it speculative or observational.

I am leaving my options open. But if I had to answer that question, then I would probably say that it is in loving and acceptance of yourself and that dis-ease that one has. It is love and acceptance in the dis-ease you have in others.

It is being gentle with oneself and others, not so much battling but dancing in a way that makes the challenge less abrasive and more enlightening.

the gopher

2009-06-21T22:04:00.000-07:00

a few weeks ago, I found a gopher in my kitchen. It was dark and late at night and the weather was cool enough to leave the door open. I had a doggie gate up... the accordion style kind... I guess it was big enough for the gopher to sneak through and walk around my house. I thought it was a Scottsdale Roof Rat at first, then I thought it was a hamster and followed it out my back slider with a mason jar... I was determined to save what I thought was a neighbors lost pet hamster. Once caught and brought back in... I saw its hideous claws and front teeth... it was no hamster... I had never seen a gopher before so i googled gopher just to be sure. I ended up feeding the poor thing some veggies before letting it go in someone elses neighborhood.

so... this got me thinking and I wanted to know what it may have meant.... the gohper omen. (just for fun )

The gopher understands the necessity for being prepared. It does not hibernate at all during the winter months and lives off the food that it stores. They live almost their whole lives underground in complex tunnels that they dig. Each tunnel intersects with the next affirming to us that everything is connected in some way. In mystical lore the underworld is known as the keeper of lifes secrets. The gopher knows what lies beneath the surface of any situation and can show us how to uncover hidden truths.

Gophers run forward and backward at incredible speeds and remind us to pay attention to our action or lack of action. They can show us how to flow through life in a balanced way by always staying connected to the rhythm of lifes heartbeat.

Because Gophers tunnel under gardens pulling large numbers of plants down into their burrows it is easy to blame them for destroying the growth of crops. When gopher appears in our lives it is telling us to pay attention to our own grouth process, take responsibility for it and to stop blaming someone else when problems arrive.

Gophers are very sensitive to sharp or piercing noise. It throws them off center confusing their usual sense of balance. For those with this totem avoid loud noise whenever possible and take time for quiet reflection.

The gopher is a friendly and powerful totem and can be a beneficial guide into the underworld. If you choose to take its tour get prepared. Deeper truths will awaken in your consciousness and your present reality will be rearranged. The discovery of who you are, who you have been and who you are becoming is on the horizon.

I am entitled

2009-06-19T15:09:00.000-07:00

I have just started a public speaking class. One of our first things to do is having to come up with a 3-5 minute speech that we will be reciting in front of the class. It is called "who I am", and must be about ourselves. This is so extremely hard to do!! Or is it? mine is called ...

I am entitled, and this is my first draft...

I am entitled.

I deserve the best.
I should get the best of everything.
I should be first in line,
I am entitled to the last scoop of ice-cream,
the freshest sliced meat in the deli case.
Im entitled to have the last say, the first say and the only say.

Why do I feel this way? Who gave me permission?
How did I ever get to this state of misconception?

What makes me so special, more special than any of you here listening to me?

Absolutely nothing.

Why is it so hard to get my head around that fact that I am not entitled?

I don’t want you to get the wrong impression, but this is true to how I act sometimes.

I am embarrassed to admit it.
I wonder if I am alone in thinking this way.

I am pretty average, I am a 40 year old woman, overweight, and have elevated cholesterol, a teenager, a dog, and a boyfriend.

I am an average American that has to pay taxes and work, comes from a broken home, was raised by a single mother and went through times of having to eat only beans and rice because that is all we could afford.

Nothing is special about me, I am not born of royalty, I haven’t saved any lives, or impacted the world in anyway.

Why is it; that I feel things are owed to me, or that I am any better than anyone else.

If you were to ask me, on a conscious level I could say that I really don’t feel that I am entitled or better than anyone. It is my actions that surprise me though.

Where does this monster from within come from?

So, like many of you may be… I am also seeking a path to enlightenment. However my path begins dark, scary and treacherous.

I do not know who I am. Who is this angry person that surprises me from week to week? How did I get to be so damaged? When did it happen? How long has it been happening?

When I look at myself or my actions I see this ugly, rude, morphed person looking back at me and wonder how this came to be?

This is where I think I need to start. Do I blame my childhood? My ex-husband, my neighbor?

That will only find me misery, trying to blame him, her or circumstances. I don’t have time for that. Life is zooming along like a freight train on a mission and the only problem is, no one knows what exactly that mission is or when it will reach its destination.

Every day I try and be the “self” in which I want to be but I seem to be better at judging those around me for not doing the things that I myself want to do.
Like being selfless, listening better, not taking things personally.
In doing all that criticism of others, I sound like I am an expert; quite frankly I am an expert… I know what to or not to do but it is LIVING it that I struggle with on a daily basis and I think that I am finally starting to get it, it is in the process of looking inward more than outward and accepting your own faults and hiccups of life before you can even begin to do the same for those around you.

I know, we have all heard that before, but for some reason… today… it seems so much more pertinent in my life. Maybe because instead of just saying and believing it I am actually trying it.

Like I said earlier, it is an every day challenge… I learn things about myself that are completely ugly and embarrassing… as I took time calling out others by their mistakes I forgot to look at mine and so here in my face is this ugly, rude morphed person looking back at me… but see.. this is the key.. I need to learn to love that ugly rude morphed person, she is only human… and when I can do that then I can change.

We are not perfect, none of us are. We claim to know that- we even say it in the same breath that we are judging others in… “ I know I’m not perfect but did you see how Roger does xy and z.?”

In all my life, I knew this. I know it so well that I am an expert…. Expert at judging others. So today I am judging myself, I don’t like it much. I can say that I even hate it, but I also know that I hate it less than I hate being a hypocrite.

garlic syrup

2009-05-30T07:47:00.001-07:00

it is very pleasant and since the garlic is cooked it is less pungent and intrusive. There is no garlic breath either. Enjoy!

I just don't seem to remember to take pictures of my medicine making. BUMMER. It was quite fun preparing this remedy with my boyfriend, brewing it was nice too... I love the aroma of garlic and ginger stewing.

We took 5 large bulbs of garlic and chopped each clove very well (lots and lots of garlic), letting them set out for about 15 minutes, 1 quarter cup of freshly dried ginger root from Mountain Rose Herbs and brought cool distilled water, about 1 quart with garlic and ginger, to a slow boil in a large stainless steel pot.

Distilled water because it is "hungry", it has NOTHING in it which helps draw the constituents from the herbs, Stainless steel pot because it is better than using anything else except glass... I don't like using aluminum or coated pans for obvious reasons.

Once the pot came to a boil, I turn it to a SLOW, LOW simmer and let it "stew" for about 2-3 hours, the longer the better.The water level went down quite a bit and I had just over a half a quart of liquid left. When finished I strained the liquid gold into a sterile container and set aside.

I use raw local un pasteurized honey. I used 16 oz and in a sterile stainless steel pot on very low heat took the honey and the liquid gold and stirred, NEVER bring honey to a boil... it ruins all the good stuff in it. When done I bottled it.

one rule of medicine making for us is to NEVER have ill thoughts or words while making medicine. Keep good thoughts and intention to make good medicine.

It is good for all sorts of things, the Garlic is fruit of the Gods in my opinion! It is an immune booster to say the very least of it... you can take several table spoons of it through the day when you feel the onset of a cold or take it daily just to help boost your immune.

The honey will serve as a preserver, they say that you don't have to refrigerate it but I still keep mine in the refrigerator.

you can altar this recipe, i did by adding the ginger root. Some people use it as a marinade... however keep in mind that the healing properties would be quite less once used in cooking due to the high heat temps.

almost forgot, some people like clear medicine. They don't want any plant residue.. so they strain until all plant matter is gone (which in my opinion isn't necessary unless you are selling the product). I don't always do this because I don't mind plant matter in my medicine.

Some say that the shelf life of the medicine isn't as long as medicine that is clearer of particles. I am not worried about the particles because it is for home use, I will use it up before it goes bad and I am not planning on selling it... plus... it may even be more health beneficial having the particles in it. It depends on what herbalist is making the medicine.

I got this recipe from herbalist James Greens book "the herbal medicine makers handbook", he doesn't mind the particles either.

what is evil?

2009-05-18T20:56:00.000-07:00

What is the distinction between recognizing something evil and judging it...

When you have an emotional reaction to what you see, you are judging. That is your signal that you have an issue inside yourself- with yourself-not with the other person. If you react self righteously to evil, look inside yourself for the very thing that so agitates you, and you will find it. If it were not there you would simply discern, act appropriately, and move on. -Gary Zukav

2009-05-09T13:53:00.000-07:00

Weather for today

Current: Partly Cloudy
Wind: NW at 6 mph
Humidity: 12%
Sat
Clear
103°F | 65°F

Damn hot!
When it is summer and to hot to eat anything heavy or that requires stove top and time...
I create quick, easy, light and good for you dishes with what ever I can find in the house.

I live in Arizona, citrus is given to others by random people. They have plenty of it and share it often. I have tons of lemons and grapefruit today so I try and use as much as I can.

In the Morning upon waking I squeeze fresh lemon and honey into hot water as a beverage, or add it to iced water or tea.

I squeeze lemon on my cous cous with fresh parsley, onion, garlic and veggies.

Today I found black beans and kidney beans, added red bell pepper, cucumber, scallions, fresh garlic, light rosemary and sage, freshly cracked pepper and fresh ground Celtic sea salt... squeezed a little lemon and had a delicious light lunch with a hot cup of lemon and honey water.

delicious and good for me!

Rosemary

2009-05-07T13:10:00.000-07:00

“Against weyknese of the brayne and coldness thereof, sethe rosemaria in wyne and lete the pacyent receye the smlke at his nose and keep his heed warme.”
— Crete Herbal

Rosmarinus officinale

I have always been drawn to the flaver and aroma of Rosemary but until becomeing an herbalism student I didn't realize how medicinal that Rosemary was. Rosemary is a great anti oxidant, anti fungal, anti bacterial and an anti inflammatory herb and until recently I have never tried it as a tea. I wasn't even sure if it would be enjoyable if drunk as a tea, but it was. It is on my top favorite beverages.

History:
• It was customary to burn Rosemary with Juniper Berries to purify sick rooms in French hospitals
• The Spaniards revere it as one of the bushes that gave shelter to the Virgin Mary in the flight into Egypt and call it Romero, 'the Pilgrim's Flower'.
• The ancients used the herb for strengthening the memory
Tradition:
• if drunk is said to do away with all body evil
• is considered a safeguard from witches and evil influences in both Spain and Italy
• is the Herb of Remembrance and Friendship
• leaves were placed under your pillow dispel evil spirits and bad dreams
• was the emblem of fidelity for lovers
• was grown to attract elves
• was hung on porches and doors keeps thieves out
• was used at both weddings and funerals
• was used as incense in magical spells
• was used as incense in religious ceremonies
• was used for protection and banishment

Rosemary Tea Recipe

I steep aprox. ¼ cup of tea in about 2-3 quarts of hot water, by first bringing the water to a boil and then pulling it off the burner, adding the ¼ cup of the dried tea, covering the pot and letting steep for at least 15 minutes. At the end of the steeping time I then add enough cool water to equal aprox. 1gallon. I like to drink my tea at about room temperature but this tea could be drunk either cold or hot if preferred. This tea will keep for at least 24 hours after brewing and up to 72 hours.
Yield aprox. 1 gallon of tea

Questions:

Is this strength of tea good for its medicinal properties?
In my opinion, yes and no. If you were to drink it regularly then yes, as a nutritive tea it would be helpful as a preventative. For more acute situations I would probably drink the tea stronger, 1-3 cups per day.

How long will this tea keep?
As I have learned in my herbalism class, you should make fresh tea daily. If kept refrigerated then it can last 1-3 days.

Can you drink too much of this tea?
You can overdose, or over “do” anything. I suppose anything can be toxic if done excessively including drinking rosemary tea but I haven’t heard of any deaths by over consumption of this herb; however, precaution is necessary for people who have allergic reaction or prone to epileptic seizures and rosemary essential oil may have epileptogenic properties. Rosemary essential oil is potentially toxic if ingested. Large quantities of rosemary leaves can cause adverse reactions, such as coma, spasm, vomiting, and pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs) that can be fatal. Avoid consuming large quantities of rosemary if pregnant or breastfeeding.

Key Actions:
• Tonic & stimulant nerving
• Circulatory & heart tonic
• Antibacterial & antiseptic
• Antidepressant
• Carminative

A ritual of communion as a budding herbalist

2009-04-24T22:41:00.000-07:00

A ritual of communion with a plant could be explained as a courtship.

It is passionate and communications become easier the more time spent with another.
You begin to think alike and share without words.
You're more aware of one another and your bond grows deeper over time. the relationship may start out vague.
You may happen to be taking a walk along a path that you have taken may times before but this time, something draws your attention. You notice, at first it is a visual attraction.
You are drawn in but may not be sure why, not at first anyway.
You may even try to ignore it all together, continue on your day but at a later date or time a vivid picture of that attraction finds it's way back to your soul, burned into your minds eye is a visual of that plant, it's leaves, texture, smell, color and emotion. You find that periodically out of no where that image finds its way up through you and taps at you, sort of saying " hey, remember me?".
My communion was with the beautiful Milk Thistle. Out of the blue, in the middle of a thought or in my daily activities... There she is. With all her beauty. She is strong, protective, and giving. She is beautiful and vibrant. To me she is Grand, Her leaves are deep in green and through out are a lighter shade of green trailing up and out like veins. She is profound with her thorns, They jut out at predators but when you gently touch her they are forgiving. The color of her bloom is delicate and bright and very inviting. I fell in love with the Milk Thistle the very first time looking at her.
by CJG
Close your eyes and visualize, feel her energy... in time the nature spirits will come to you.

Reevis Mountain School of Self -Reliance ....

2009-04-12T21:18:00.000-07:00

Peter Big Foot!
That's his name, you may or may not have heard of him. He is best known for his trek of 85 miles in 15 days through the Sonoran Desert without food or water back in 1975. he relied on only what he could forage through the desert. Check out his website for more incredible details. www.reevismountain.org.

My boyfriend and I spent 2 nights and two days out on his mountain with a small group of curious people from different walks of life.
One single mother, hospice nurse and sweet souled woman.

One guy who was corporate, marathon runner who turned ill with Hodgkin's disease In what he thought was the peak of his life, and then went naturopathic and will graduate as naturopathic doctor in about a year from now.

A Football star and his cheerleader wife and parents of two and grandparents, who are retired and well travelled and now live off the grid in Arizona and volunteer at a wild life rescue habitat.

Not to mention Nate the intern who is a wonderful cook and Peter Big Foot and his Crown Patricia.

We went up there with not many expectations, just some peace and tranquility to be had. We got that and a whole lot more. Words cannot give the experience any justice and I fear that I would diminish the experience by trying to share with words, and even though the photos that we took do not include the wealth of spirit and joy that was felt with the company and the stories that were told, I will add those photo's to this blog.

The food was outrageous and nourishing. It was unlike anything that we had ever tasted. My personal favorite was the turnip and rutabaga mash. My boyfriend loved the fresh free range egg omelette's that were made with fresh organic spinach from the garden.

With that here are a couple photo's. I would love to hear your Questions or comments.

2009-04-06T17:42:00.000-07:00

On one side of the 8 plus foot orange metal fencing that surrounds the garden, are the back of some apartments. From within the garden, looking out I can see these apartments and the trash that is left out for our view.
I would love to see vines covering this side of the garden so the kids could remove themselves from the their surroundings... so that they could be surrounded by nothing but garden, nothing but nature.

I am also assuming that all the stray cats are from these apartments. The stray cats that come into the locked garden, obviously for the same reasons that the children do. Because there is some peace within those orange metal bars, Under the shade of the trees, away from the ugly world and into the nurture of nature.

On the inside of the fencing, and under some weeds that we have begun to clear from the ground, I am finding the stones that the kids have painted and the home-made stepping stones that have been thoughtfully placed throughout the walk ways.

In the trees, strung from branch to branch is twine and little painted swatches.It is the art work of the children, they hang and blow in the wind like flags, some faded by the sun, some weathered by the wind and rain and have become fringed at the edges.
Bright colors, names and imagination painted on little pieces of cloth adorn the trees and bring a sweetness here, I am falling in love.

There is a certain soft, forgiving spirit that I feel while here. It is tender and hopeful and full of love. It surrounds me and I become part of it.
I feel light, loving and loved.
I feel free in thought.
I am going to find something here, it is not something that I can physically touch, it is beyond that. It is within me and it will be healing. I feel it creeping up inside of me, from the earth and up through my veins. I do not know what it is but I welcome it, it is something that excites my spirit. It is something that I have not felt before, am I creating it or has it always been there. Waiting for me to find it?
Love and Gratitude. (thank you LG.!)

2009-04-06T16:39:00.000-07:00

Today I had a chance to go back to "grounds for healing", the little healing garden for kids.
The fellow herbalism student that came with me today, tried to come to the garden last week but was sent away, was not allowed in the school or on the property because there was a "lock down" in progress. There had been a violent threat to the school or a student, or something like that.

It has been many many weeks since I have been there and things have changed since then. It is April and things have begun to grow (including the weeds) but there was hope, I could see it in the flowers that had bloomed at the base of the trees.
School was in session and the kids watched from afar Curious and wondering who we were and what we were doing, were we nice enough to approach or ???

Eventually a couple of little boys probably about 8 or nine years of age approached us and asked if they could come into the garden.
Their faces up against the metal bars, their big brown eyes peering in at us.
They asked several times, each time it was harder to say no. They were diligent and determined to come into the garden with us.
I wanted to let them in but we are not allowed to be alone with the children. We are volunteers, not social workers or teachers or affiliated with the school in anyway.We have to keep the gate locked to keep them out while we are there, it is sad to me but I completely understand too.
I suggested that they ask their teacher so that I would not have to say "no" any more.

Later 3 little girls found enough courage to come and ask too. Unfortunately, we had to send them away also. The girls with the same dark brown eyes as the boys, watching intently. The girls all in skirts and long dark hair with friendly little smiles on their faces. Small delicate hands clasping the bars,It was obvious to me how these children loved this garden, I felt honored to be cleaning it up for them.

The kids get to paint on the walls at the school and have painted some really adorable pictures.

Whats For Dinner?

2009-03-12T18:13:00.000-07:00

We went to the farmers market today and so did everyone else. It was so busy!! choices were great, bought beets with greens attached, collard greens, bok choy, red and green cabbage, fruits, artichokes, spinach,kale, squash, zuc's, brussels sprouts, radishes, red yams, sweet potatoes,celery, honey,... you name it... I think we got it. We rushed home and washed and prepared easy snack foods and precut what we were cooking for the night. It was so fun!

Be empeccable

2009-03-10T07:35:00.000-07:00

A wonderful book found me. The four Agreements.
The first Agreement is be impeccable with your word. Dissected and re read, tasted and touched... this is harder then I first imagined. Being impeccable with my word I thought would come easy because I thought that I already was. I am not... not to the extent that I want and need to be, and before I can expect others to be impeccable with their word, I must be impeccable with my word.

Off to work, more later.

2009-03-05T21:07:00.000-08:00

Oh I am so excited! Today we put together my medicine cupboard. I went to Ikea and found a perfect piece for my kitchen area. It is a cutting board top and has closed cabinets. I have put my herb order in and have oz and oz, actually Pounds of herbs being shipped as we speak and a few of us girls are chipping in for our 5 gallons of Everclear. Tinctures, salves and syrups coming soon. I have recently purchased several medicine making books and also have handouts from class too. We will be stocked for years to come!
My back yard garden is on its way too. Between my boyfriends schedule and my schedule we haven't had much time to assemble it but it will only take a few moments and we will be ready to get some healthy organic soil to fill it.
I get free organic seeds sent to me for being a United Plant Savers member and have some cool contacts that will share some with me too. We are privy to some of the seeds that are growing at the naturalpathic college and other gardens around the valley.
I have met some wonderful people and will be networking in no time. I am so excited about all of this. I can't wait to graduate with my degree and be able to put better use to my knowlege.
peace and kindness, The herbie.

Garden Tour

2009-02-28T20:09:00.000-08:00

Today I visited 4 gardens in the Valley of the sun. Here are a couple of pictures that I took. Enjoy.

The beginning of my Gardenette

2009-02-22T09:43:00.000-08:00

05/09

I am so excited to have bought almost all the makings for my lil' raised garden today. It is going to be a a 4x8 raised garden in my back yard with a drip system already in place in my back yard so we will just altar that to drip or spray in through my garden. This is my first raised garden, actually it is my first garden ever. I am a little nervous but I think that I can handle it.

08/21/09
Well, 3 months later and still nothing grows in my garden. I am waiting for our arizona planting season which will be in October. We have been feeding the organic soil with lots of compost and it looks wonderful. The birds are starting to feed on some of the stuff that we have thrown on top and havent stirred in yet and our little chaweiner dog loves jumping in there and pulling out veggie pieces too!
Speaking of our chaweiner... have you ever known a dog to love fruit and veggies? it is crazy how much she loves apples and watermelon, uncooked red and green cabbage, mixed greens, beans and carrots. I get a kick out of it

2009-02-19T21:21:00.001-08:00

I am so excited! Today Brit taught herb class at SWIHA, (she is an herbalist who owns and herb shop in Gilbert, AZ) She handed out a pamphlet from Peter Big Foot's Reevis Mountain school of self reliance. My class has an opportunity to go spend time with Peter Big foot very soon but I am also booking a two day and two night retreat there for my boyfriend and I. I will be so excited to share on my blog, the adventures of this retreat and class outing.

Peter Big Foots web site is http://www.reevismountain.org/. Peter BigFoot is best known for is walk across the Sonoran Desert, relying only on the land. He didn't bring food or water. He walked 85 miles in 15 days. AMAZING. He teaches a survival class that I wish I could afford to take. Maybe some day.

Two of my latest books that I have aquired are:

Sacred Plant Medicine the wisdom in native american herbalism by Stephen Harrod Buhner

The Herbal HandBook a users guide to medical herbalism by David Hoffmann

both books were advised reading from my herbalist teacher Joanne. David Hoffmann actually wrote the Text that we are reading in class.

Another event that I can't wait to share on my blog will be the SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE on BOTANICAL MEDICINE which I will be attending in April.

2009-02-17T15:46:00.001-08:00

A few days have passed since my last entry and I can't stop thinking about that little garden. My vision now is different. I dream about what I can do to help the garden, to help the children. I want to feel the dirt and the weeds in my hands. I want to plant seeds. I want to watch the transformation and hear the gasps and gratefulness from the children. I feel very lucky to be part of this project.

I don't know much about gardening. I do not have a green thumb. I am not nervous, I am excited. I can do this, I will do this and it will be good. I will get so much back from this... I will learn about me, about gardening and about service.

There are things that I will understand and know that I am unaware of. This ugly little garden isn't so ugly to me anymore.

I can't wait to go back and start my intern there. I can't wait to transform it. I went to a book fair and bought books about gardening. This experience thus far has provoked me to dream about my own back yard and raised garden and compost. So many ideas, where do I find the time?

grounds for healing journal

2009-02-14T15:02:00.001-08:00

2/14/2009
9:15 am

Its Valentines Day. I am supposed to meet my classmates at Grounds for Healing, but I am having trouble finding it. I am in an unfamiliar neighborhood. The neighborhood is run down and there is trash in the yards of quite a few of these homes, the home directly across from this school that I am sitting at has a couch and garbage piled a couple of feet high in their front yard.
I think I must be lost.
I leave to get into an area where there is more people, I pull up to a fast food restaurant and call a class mate and she tells me that it must be at the school, to go back and wait, she says that she will be late.
I go back to the ugly little school; I drive around the school and do not see any garden. I do not see any classmates either.
It is now 10 minutes until we are all suppose to meet.
I can’t be the ONLY early bird.
I drive around the other side of the school and I see this woman in her vehicle. She must here to let us into the “secret” garden.
I continue to write in my journal after I park near her.
The school has bars on the windows.
Wow, what a place for a school. Surrounded by garbage filled yards and bars on the windows. I am not sure what is in store for me.
A few more classmates show up, we walk towards the “garden”, The garden lies on the side of the school, down a wide pathway past the dumpsters. Along the pathway is a mural painted by the students of the school.There is a gated area at the end of this pathway the gate is unlocked and to get in to the “garden” you must try and avoid the puddle of water in the entrance. The gardens water source is badly damaged and there is flooding. Weeds, oh my gosh! There are so many weeds.
The woman there that unlocked the garden gate is named Linda. She instructs us to fill out some paperwork. I look around and see all these cats. Wild, skinny, dirty cats. I smell their urine in the garden. As I fill out my papers, I glance around and think about the expectation of the garden that I had when I had signed up to volunteer here.

It isn’t at all what I had expected. What I had envisioned was this beautiful garden, partly indoors or like a greenhouse, raised beds with smiling children kneeling at them while digging to plant seeds. It was a quiet and peaceful garden, so beautiful and clean, I could even hear the birds chirping and the buzz of the bees. I could almost smell the fragrance of all the herbs and flowers and the fresh turned soil.

This garden however, was flooded, smelled like ammonia and full of weeds.There was trash that scattered about and stray cats that used it for a litter box. There were more weeds than any other plant and it was so cold,damp and overgrown.

How could this be the garden to help heal small children who had experienced trauma?

How was this garden going to be healing to anyone while it is in this condition? Now, I understood my purpose here more than ever before.

Linda speaks of the children who come here. They are 99% below poverty she tells us. They have seen and experienced horrible things and this garden has been a sort of refuge for some of them.

It has been here for 10 years and use to be nothing before that, no grass or trees or plants of any kind existed before it.

There are some painted rocks the surround the garden; she tells us that they are painted by kids who have lost a family member to violence.

As I fill out my paper work and watch a stray cat lap up a drink from the flooded earth, I listen to a story that Linda tells of a little boy who was awaken in the middle of the night and then lined up with his siblings to watch his father shot in the face 7 times.

Then to be told by his fathers’ killer that he, like his siblings would be next, the killer promises he would return on their next birthday to kill each one of them. This is a story of one of the little boys that at one time came or still comes to this garden.

The same garden that I sit in, surrounded by leaky pipes that flood the grounds, with the smell of cat urine, filled with weeds and some trash, that lies behind an ugly little school with bars on its windows and the garbage filled yards of the homes that surround it.

2009-02-13T18:08:00.000-08:00

My neice had asked me where she could buy herbs that she trusted. I told
her some local areas but here is a website to another trusted company.

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/

One thing that is being taught in my herbalism class is who to trust and not trust when buying herbs. From quality and ethics there is so much to learn, There is way to wildcraft that will not harm the herbs that are on the endangered list and this would be one company that is very ethical in the way that it harvests and wildcrafts, not to mention a great quality products.

2/7/2009 Cave Creek class trip

2009-02-07T15:17:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a gorgeous day it was today. I learned so many new things and new plants. I learned a little about spirit medicine plants and our relationship with them as humans .

Hearing some of this stuff a few years ago would have made me laugh, now I just listen and say "wow, really?" Some of it is so beyond me but like I named this blog.... it is a journey and I am on board, willing to learn what I can... and when I really really listen.... it makes soooo much sense and I begin to understand and then and only then I decide that maybe my ridicule in the past was ignorance.. no "maybe" about it.

I wouldn't call myself a tree hugger yet, in fact... I am not even sure what one is. However, I think I am on my way. It is a wonderful wonderful experience that is going on here.... I had no idea how very closely we are related to the plants. Their purpose, their communication, their journey's, their relationships to us and to other plants. All I can say is that I have so much to learn and the learning will never cease. There is way too much to learn about these wonderfully giving plants that we share this world with.

One of the most intriguing concepts that I learned today was that these plants do NOT depend on us... we depend on them. As simple as that is to grasp, as blatant as that is.... it is amazing to really think about that. We need to protect and love and listen to our plants- without them, means to be without life.

Shelter, shade, medicine, nutrition or food for all living creatures, ceremony, heat, and more.

Two books that I am going to share with you I actually haven't read yet but they were suggested to us by today's guides on our hike, they are listed below.

The Secret Life of Plants by Perter Tompkins
The healing power of plants by Eliot Cowen

FYI:

The sap from trees can and has been used for healing from cough syrup to carpal tunnel.
The Creosote bush has properties to heal many things including dandruff to tumors.
The Mesquite Tree can be used for fuel,dye or chewing gum.
Prickly Pear can drain fluid from a blister by applying the pulp, it can drain the toxins or poisons from a sting or a bite. You can scramble it in eggs or use it as first aid.

These 3 plants are considered the 3 essentials in healing.

I only touched a few of their many uses.

DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know that the Jojoba's leaves can orient themselves to get more or less sun by turning their leaves?

Did you know that the more aromatic the plant means the more medicinal?

Did you know that the AMAZING (one of my favorites) creosote AKA chaparral AKA Larrea tridenta AKA greasewood plant leaves can be dried and powdered and used as a antiperspirant?

or heated like a poultice can relieve abdominal pain after childbirth; aching feet and joint pain?

Or that the leaves also relieve toothace, gas, headache, tuberculosis, impetig, UTI, diabetes autoimmune diseases and PMS just to name SOME of its cures?

Here are some more suggested readings from the guides

"The Scalpel and the Silver Bear" Alvord, Lori Arviso, M.D.

"A Rendezvous with the Clouds" Fleming, Tim, M.D.

"Earth Medicine Earth Food" Mehl-Madrona, Lewis, M.D.

Time for me to study! Hope you find this blog helpful, interesting or get some type of positve experience by reading it.

jHerban Chicaj

Chuparosa "humming bird bush"

I want some earth....

2009-02-03T18:56:00.001-08:00

I want to plant herbs. I want a garden of herbs in my back yard but more than that, I want a plot of land. I want it organic and I want to share with the community. That is a little dream that I had today. It may pass, but for today... it is a dream.

2009-02-02T12:55:00.000-08:00

On my last post I mentioned a few herbs of the week... this is what I have learned about a few of them
Brittle brush is a mild stimulant, you can collect the twigs in the late fall and in the spring you can collect the flowers for a salve and use it for minor aches and pains. The leaves have been picked and used for tea, sitz bath and smudging. The leaves have also been used to ease tooth and gum pain in small children.

a picture of brittle bush or Encelia farinosa

Creosote Bush or Larrea tridentata
Uses: antioxidant, antiseptic, anti-microbial, hair tonic, arthritis, blood, skin, tumors, cysts.
used by Pima, Papago, Seri, Cahuilla
Creosote has very resinous leaves and is considered one of the best healing plants. Creosote could very well be one of the oldest plants on earth, in California one was carbon dated to 1300 years old. It was used by the Tohono oo dam people to treat the flu, colds and parasites, used for menstral cramps, skin sores and dandruff and its fresh leaves put into shoes to help with arthritis of the feet. Creosote was used for blessings by burning the leaves for incense or smudging.
The small resinous leaves slows down water loss in the plant and also protuects itself from the ultra violet rays and is a strong anti oxident.The resin acts as a sunscreen to protect the plant in the harsh dessert but can also be used as a sunscreen for humans too.

a picture of Creosote bush Larrea tridentata AKA chaparral and a Tohono O'odum woman

The Tohono O'odham and Pimeria Alta

I am a new member of United Plant savers

More TRUSTED websites below:
http://www.americanherbalist.com/

A very trusted place to buy your herbs and more
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/

Brigette Mars website (Good RAW food recipes)
http://www.brigittemars.com/

Deborah Frances ND website
http://www.dancingcrow.net/

Rosemary Gladstars website
http://www.sagemountain.com/

Herbs of the Week

2009-02-01T19:54:00.000-08:00

Taxonomic Relatives of the Composite Family

Brittlebush Encelia farinosa

Globe Artichoke Cynara scolymus

Chamomile Matricaria recutita

Goldenrod Soidago canadensis

Pot Marigold (Calendula) Calendula officinalis

Wormwood Artemisia absinthium

Yarrow Achillea millefolium

Mugwort Artemisia vulgaris

Taxonomy: System of classifying organisms into natural related groups based on shared features or traits.

Composite Family: Relating to or being a large family of flowering plants that bear many small flowers united into compact heads resembling single flowers.

We will take a field trip to the Desert Botanical Gardens for this next class. What I will have to share with you afterwards, I am unsure of-

but I think that it must be about TOXONOMIC RELATIVES OF THE COMPOSITE FAMILY.... :)

Tonight I did some reading from one of my text books "Medical Herbalism" by David Hoffmann, FNIMH, AHG.... It named plants containing anticancer compounds, they were listed as follows:

This information was found on page 25

Cuymnosperm Families

Cephalotaxaceae, Podocarpaceae, and Taxaceae

Angiosperm Orders and Families

Magnoliales: Annonaceae

Ranunculales: Menispermaceae

Myrtales: Thymelaeaceae

Celastrales: Celestraceae

Euphorbiales: Euphorbiaceae

Sapindales: Apocynaceae

Liliales: liliaceae

The World Health Organization (WHO) website http://www.who.int/en/

This organization supports and actively promotes traditional medicine. The Traditional Medicine Program was established by the WHO in 1977. Traditional medicine would include ayurveda and traditioanl Chinese medicine and is knowledge based on the experience and observation of generations.

websites to visit

http://www.who.int/en/

http://www.redlist.org/

http://www.unitedplantsavers.org/

Herbal Walk with Herbalist and Author Charles Kane

2009-01-31T22:23:00.000-08:00

Charles Kane has Western Herbalism Medicine study programs in April, May, June, July and August.

a walk with Charles Kane

2009-01-31T22:17:00.000-08:00

Charles Kane has a Private Practice in Oro Valley On Innovation Park. Dr.

He is an author of two books that I know of:

"HERBAL MEDICINE OF THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST" and " HERBAL MEDICINE: TRENDS AND TRADITIONS" here is a link to his web site.

www.tcbmed.com

Urban Farm

2009-01-31T16:30:00.000-08:00

Today I visited the Urban Farm in Phoenix arizona. I heard about the Urban farm in my herbalism class.

I recently became an herbalism student and have learned that I really don't know as much as I thought that I did. I am overwhelmed with a plethora of information but in all my life have never been so excited to learn more. My blog is here for me to share but most importantly so that I can record all the information that is being pumped into my brain before it is forgotten or pushed out by new incoming information. Wait, isn't there and herb for that TOO!

In my blogs I will try and share what I have learned, where I get my information and how to find information that is true opposed to information that is false and out there only to make a profit.

Herban Chica