Thoughts on the Winter Solstice

The Winter Solstice has just passed and now the days grow in length again...but still the nights are long.  This can be a slow time, to reflect, to go inside (literally in one's dwelling and also in one's own being).  

An aspect for health for me involves being in touch with natural cycles and being in my own rhythm with that.  I definitely feel the need to go inside myself at this time and am feeling the need to slow down.  There is something stirring in me that feels a bit elusive right now.

On the Winter Solstice, we had a gathering of friends where I live and below are some of the intentions and seeds for thought that were offered forth.
  

Intention:  in the quiet earthy darkness and stillness there is a light that emerges, a spark to tend, a light to share.


Seeds to consider:  What is the light that emerges from embracing and honoring the darkness?  Where there is light there are also shadows, and how do we acknowledge them?  How can we support each other through these times?

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Healing, feeling, being one.
Take your time go slowly.
Listen deeply to yourself.
Simple things are holy.

(from a song i learned at Free Cascadia Witch Camp. 
i don't know the origin or if i have the lyrics correct...however i do like this version)

Hooray for Bay Nuts!

from the SubRosa- a community space blog.

Today three friends and I harvested more bay nuts, each of us has already been out collecting, either together or with others (one of my friends is eight years old, and I am glad to have this special time with her in this context).  In Santa Cruz, the California Bay Laurel tree is very abundant in the wild spaces around this area.  From where I live, it is a ten minute walk to the river where redwood trees, sycamore trees and bay trees share the land.  In other seasons, nettles can be found, and soon mushrooms will be popping up.  

For me, harvesting these foods is a way for me to connect to the land, and to do that with friends creates a special kind of bond between us.  In a small way, we are meeting our needs for basic sustenance, and in a larger way we are also bypassing the capitalist alienation of how we get our food.  It is also important for me to mindfully do this gathering, as this also involves a kind of relationship, one with the trees and nuts and land from which they grow.  I also give back, gratitude and tend to these areas.  This attention to how I relate, to myself, to others, to the land is an important aspect of anarchism for me, where I embody my theory in the how-I-am in the world.  And the bay nuts are really tasty (and have a caffeine like effect).

Here are some links that give some directions on how to process bay nuts.  There are two primary methods, roasting in the shell and roasting outside of the shell.  I have tried both, and you can too.  Whatever the method you use, be sure to not over-roast the bay nuts.

-Baynutting: Tips for Harvesting, Storing and Using California Bay Nuts in the Shell
-Handout on Harvesting and Roasting Bay Nuts Out of the Shell

Also see the article posted on this blog about Ethical Harvesting.

Autumn Equinox

It has been awhile since I have written in this blog.  This entry is a bit different from the previous ones in that I discuss spirituality in the context of the community where I live.

For me a part of being healthy involves nurturing my connection to the land where I live, the people in my community and to a sense of spirituality.  We in Santa Cruz, where I live, are having an Autumn Equinox ritual celebration with the following intention...

As we transition with the Autumn Equinox we celebrate and honor the abundance we share:  of the land, of friendship and of spirit.
    

We have the desire to make magic together and explore ways we can deepen our affinities with each other, the land, and spirit...and for us carry that out into the world!  That last piece is very important to me, where I want to have an active engagement with the world, and the deep affinities I nurture can be fuel for that work.

 Wood, Stone, Feather, and Bone
(adapted from a song by Joules Graves)

-this is a song we will sing in the ritual
and has been changed by friends to be Santa Cruz related-

wood, stone, feather, and bone
roaring of the ocean guide us home
wood, stone, feather, and bone
roaring of the ocean guide us home

coyot and raven
coyot and raven
in my soul, in my soul
in my soul, in my soul

river, sea, redwood tree
howling of the wind gonna set us free
river, sea, redwood tree
howling of the wind gonna set us free

owl and salmon
owl and salmon
in my soul, in my soul
in my soul, in my soul

Medicinal Plants We Like: Nettles

Oh yes, it has been so long since I have posted.  I am more often in the forest and other wild places then updating this blog.  Now it is springtime and it is a wonderful season to be out and about, connecting with the land and plants at this very fertile time of year.

This is also a wonderful time to be harvesting stinging nettles, among other plants.  See previous entry about ethical harvesting, and it is important for me to be mindful of my relationship to the plants I harvest and land I harvest from.

Here is some information about stringing nettles from a website I found.  Below is just some of the information available.  Go to the links to find out more.  I have not personally made and used the herbal formulas so proceed as you will.

STINGING NETTLE
by Kassie Vance

From http://www.herballegacy.com/Vance_Medicinal.html

[Table of Contents] [History] [Location] [Chemical Constituents] [Medicinal Qualities] [Contra-Indications]
[Known Herbal Formulas] [Dosages & Applications] [Personal Experience] [Bibliography]

THE BENEFITS OF THE USE OF STINGING NETTLE
IN HERBAL PREPARATIONS

KNOWN HERBAL FORMULAS OF STINGING NETTLE

For medicinal purposes, stinging nettle is best harvested early in the spring when the plant is about six inches tall.  As they come into flower they can be picked and dried for later use. The use of gloves is recommended for gathering the fresh plant.

Young leaves are cooked as a potherb.  Steam them like spinach and add condiments to taste, or add it to soups, stews, or casseroles.  The volatile components in the hairs are neutralized by heat (cooking or drying).

“Strong syrup made of the root, combined with suitable quantities of wild-cherry bark and blackberry root, forms an excellent remedy for all summer complaints of children and bowel affections of adults.”

The following are formulas or recipes involving stinging nettle:

To treat eczema, especially in infants:
1 part stinging nettle leaves
1 part figwort
1 part red clover
Take as a tea three times daily.

To treat an under-active thyroid:
1 part stinging nettle leaves
1 part oats
1 part wormwood
1 part damiana (or kola)
2 parts bladderwrack
Take as a tea three times daily.

Healthy Blood Herbal Tea
1 plantain leaf
2 nettle leaves
3 mint leaves
1 cup water

Boil the plants for 3 minutes, and then steep.  Drink warm before breakfast.  If using dried plants, double the dosage and use for 1 month.

Nettle for Arthritic Pain
To prepare the tea as it is given here a juicer is needed.
1 part stinging nettle juice
1 part cotton grass juice
Walnut tree leaves equaling the weight of the above juices combined
1 squirt vinegar
Honey
About 6 cups water

Bring all ingredients to a boil, except for the honey, and skim off the foam.  Strain out the plant debris and sweeten with honey, if desired.  Drink this in moderate amounts on an empty stomach.  A packaged tea is also available.  Take 2 cups of this tea a day for two weeks.

Nutritious Herbal Seasoning
Mix equal parts dried finely crumbled garlic, parsley, watercress, sweet basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, nettles, and comfrey.  Add one part each, powdered: dulse, rosehips, and cayenne.  Add one quarter part each powdered: dandelion root, burdock root.  Blend ingredients together, adjust seasoning to taste.  Make a small amount at a time.  Keep in a tightly sealed container.

Basic Nettle Hair Rinse
Make an infusion, let cool, and use the tea as a final rinse after shampooing.

For healthier, shinier hair, bring to a boil 1 pint apple cider vinegar.  Pour over 2 ounces dried nettles.  Cover and place in a cool, dark place for seven days, shaking daily.  Strain and store in a dark glass jar.  To use, mix 2-3 tablespoons of herbal vinegar with 1 cup warm water.  Use as a rinse and rub into scalp. 

In applying nettle to the scalp to stimulate hair growth, the freshly expressed juice can also be applied, as well as a decoction of the root.

Wake Up Bath
For a stimulating bath that is beneficial for rheumatic aches and pains, mix equal parts of dried nettles, rosemary, lemon balm, comfrey, lavender, and mint.  Make a strong infusion of the herbs, strain, and pour into bath, or put herbs in a cloth bag and float in bath water.

To curdle milk:
Boil the fresh leaves in a slightly larger volume of well-salted water for ten minutes and use the tea to curdle milk when making cheese; the amount varies with the type of milk and the hardness of curd desired.