Wild Foods!
This is a little video I made talking about WILD FOODS!
Sharing wisdom about the freedom that lies within wild foods is one of my biggest passions! I believe we have a BIRTHRIGHT to have access to free, highly nutritious foods. With a little learning, we can become empowered by Wild Foods.
Wild Foods are highly nutritious and are totally FREE! They are probably even growing in your back yard! The best thing about them? They have free will. They choose where they want to grow and thrive. By eating Wild Foods we actually begin to strengthen our own free will!
Herbal Ally- Poison Hemlock
Poison Hemlock- NOT an edible friend, but an ally none the less!
Poison Hemlock knows about giving death, so working with this ally when you are needing to give death, whether it’s to old habits, parts of self that are no longer serving you, and in any other way is highly beneficial. It is a nervous system depressant that get activated from heat! Watch the video for a sad but eye opening story about how Poison Hemlock was misidentified and had its repercussions.
Ways to work with Hemlock:
-Plant brushings: Inviting the spirit of the plant to sweep away or “give death” to old parts of self that you are ready to release but may be hanging on to.
-Dreaming with it: Putting a spring near your bed or under your pillow and inviting it into your dreamtime space to sleep with you/teach you/work with you/heal you.
-Meditate with Hemlock
When we work with plants as allies, we are looking to receive wisdom/guidance/healing directly from the plant/spirit itself. Plants will show up for each of us differently so it is important to be patient, build a relationship with the plant spirit and LISTEN to what it has to share with you.
Herbal Ally Of The Week- Violets!
Ahh Violets! Violets could easily be a favorite for many. Did you know they are the first flower of spring? They do fine and in fact thrive in the snow!
Violets are the ONLY plant in the plant kingdom that flowers not for reproductive purposes, it is simply just to celebrate the coming of spring and to welcome the faeries back above ground! (They flower later in the season with a white flower below the leaves which is how it reproduces, not from the first ones!) Because of this, you can harvest all that you want, guilt free!
Violets are a powerful ally for working with grief, heartaches, and unnamed sadness. It can also be worked with for emotional headaches, and it very cooling. The leaves are high in vitamins and minerals especially Vitamins A & C, keratins, calcium, and absorb acid. It is also mucilaginous and therefor is super soothing for your insides! I love working with violets in honey, and they can also be infused into vinegars. Try putting a little flower into your water bottles and letting it sit for 5 minutes- violet water- YUM!
My favorite recipe is Violet Grief Ease (I believe adapted from Susun Weed but will double check)
2 cups Violets
2 cups Water
Whole Lemon
Honey
*The honey not only helps make it delicious but also helps it to stay like a sorbet in the freezer. Too little honey and it will freeze fully. This is the best to make bunch of and keep around to come back to throughout the year!
Herbal Ally Of The Week- Cottonwood Trees
Cottonwoods!
These majestic tress have dark grey/brown bark with deep furrows, heart shaped leaves, and often grow close to water. Buds can be harvested in late winter before they open up. The resin from the buds is where the potent medicine lies.
It brings great relief to the muscular skeletal system, is anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antimicrobial. Infused in an oil, it can help with arthritic joints, sprains, muscle aches, swelling, inflammation and makes a great massage/sore muscle rub!
Did you know? Bees actually use the Cottonwood resin as an antimicrobial glue to line their hives? Propolis!
Michael Moore also said that a picture of the buds is “an excellent expectorant for thick mucus from bronchitis”
Beware though! I made my first infused oil and it seems to have fermented which can very easily mean it is no longer safe to use. Make sure to dry out the buds fully or heat the oil with buds in a double boiler style! The buds are also yummy in honey :)