herbs

Another Update and St. John’s Wort Folklore

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Summery path through greenery

In last week’s post I mentioned HopTea but hadn’t tried it yet. From the packaging to the taste, this is so similar to beer that honestly I didn’t care for it because I have never liked beer. My sons both liked it though (what is it about males and that beer taste? I swear it’s innate!) but my oldest liked it best and drank the bulk of it quite happily. He would love me to keep in stock so now I have another thing to add to my grocery list! They have ones with caffeine too, which seems ideal for people who want a beer taste without the alcohol or the sedative effect. Although I don’t care for the beer-like taste, I still think this just a really cool, unique herbal product and appreciate the simple, clean ingredient lists. The packaging is excellent too although it was a bit confusing at first to figure out if it had alcohol in it or not. I scoured the can, then their website, and it seemed not to have any, but just to make sure I did ask the company and it is indeed free of alcohol.

Aiden enjoying HopTea

Since this is St. John’s Day (June 24th) which is why St. John’s Wort is named such (blooms this time of year and considered the best day to harvest it), I’d thought I’d share a fun little folklore of the herb. Most know this herb for its anti-depressant actions, and some know it is also anti-viral and externally eases aches and pains, but there is still more to this herb.  St. John’s Wort has been used for hundreds of years as a protector and wound healer, and also used in divination. Because it is flowering around summer solstice, there are many variations of rituals for young women to divine who their future husband is and/or how long it will be until they are married. One way is to pluck a few flower tops in the dewy morning on solstice, in secret of course, then place them under your pillow and you will then dream of your future husband that night. Or, hang the fresh cut solstice flower tops on your bedroom wall and again, you will dream of your future husband. Another version actually begins the entire story line of a cute little-known book called The Lark by E. Nesbit where the main character uses St. John’s Wort on a summer solstice night along with an accompanying magical rhyme to see the face of her future husband. This takes place right after World War One and I love how herbs were still such a part of life in the not so distant past. E. Nesbit is known for her children’s stories by the way, so although The Lark is not labeled ‘young adult’ it would fall into that category I believe if it were written today. It’s a fun little read for an adult too, but perfectly appropriate for young adult or even middle grade readers if you are looking for summer reading options for your kids. And if you are disappointed that you missed this magical night of marital prophesy and now have to wait an entire year, rest assured you can sleep with a rose petal under your pillow and dream of your future spouse any night of the year.

If you are the crafting sort, I have a couple of videos on making St. John’s Wort tincture and several on making herbal oils so you can follow those directions using fresh St. John’s Wort. I don’t have a video making St. John’s Wort because it is one of the only herbs that does need to be fresh, not dried, in order to make oil and I have never had access to a large amount of fresh flower tops.

Enjoy the magic of summer.

Earth Day 2020 (April 22, 2020)

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Happy 50th Earth Day! Check out the official website for Earth Day which lists activities all around the world: https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2020/. Considering these are pretty much all online activities, you don’t have to just look at the activities nearest you which is a bonus. (There’s an interactive map on that homepage if you scroll down.) I am happy the environment has at least gotten a break during this strange time and I am uplifted by the reports of cleared pollution and thriving wildlife. Whatever we return to in terms of ‘normalcy’ surely will be imprinted with very visible proof that we humans impact the environment in very real, very immediate and long term ways. We can exist without such harsh impacts, and that should be foremost in our collective minds as we co-create our futures and design our world.

Here’s a little Earth Day activity if you are so inclined. Mandalas have many different uses and meanings, but one which I really like is that they symbolize connection of self to the greater whole. Mandalas made with found nature items can be made outside and are a gift to the maker who gets to enjoy the artistic pursuit and touch nature’s many gifts, but also anyone who happens upon the surprise mandala gets an aesthetic thrill as well. To do this, you want to gather some materials like pine cones, flower petals, leaves, stems, even cut grass, and arrange them so that each quadrant is the same as the other three quadrants. So for example, if you have two flower petals with a pine cone in one quadrant, you do the exact same thing three more times in a circle, and there is your mandala. Here are some examples from Bing: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=natura+mandala&FORM=HDRSC2. This is a great kids’ activity and is a way for little artists to be creative in public spaces, just be sure to explain that they must use materials that are already on the ground, otherwise they might be popping off flower tops all over the place.

When I gave a class to middle school students, I had them make a mandala from dried herbs and you can do this too with ingredients right in your spice drawer. My emphasis was explaining that different parts of plants are used in culinary and medicinal ways, so I had them start off with the seed pod star anise as the center pieces. Then we used seeds, I believe I used fennel but you can use poppy or sesame seeds if you have those as well, or any seeds you might be intending to plant in your garden soon. Next were roots and for that I used astragalus roots, but your spice cabinet might be thin on actual roots, so using rhizomes instead of roots such as ginger or turmeric (Be careful! It stains!) powder might work, or just draw some roots and make it a mixed media project. Then we used stems and leaves, so bay leaves worked nicely with some rosemary leaves as well. next were flower petals which I happen to have plenty of but this might be harder at home. I used dried rose petals and calendula tops, but if you are lucky enough to have blooming flowers, even dandelion tops around, use those. If you are just making this outside, it doesn’t matter if you are mixing fresh and dried materials, but of course if you are doing this inside in order to keep it, then you will need to use dried materials only. Next for fruits I used dried rosehips, but you can use cloves or peppercorns instead. Don’t forget that we use bark too! Cinnamon comes from bark and I happened to have pau d’arco bark as well, so we used that, but cinnamon sticks can add great character and definitely awesome smells. You can use anything that you find in your herb and spice cabinet really and just have fun making something for Earth Day or any day you need something new to do with your at-home-24/7-kiddos. If you want something more permanent, you can try gluing the dried materials on cardboard, but it’s going to be precarious. I used old photo book pages, the kind with sticky backs and a clear plastic overlay, and glue, with the students I worked with. They glued the dried herbs on the sticky page, the put the plastic cover back on it and taped that down. It seemed pretty secure that way but unfortunately wasteful. Here are a few of those:

These really aren’t necessary to keep, it’s just a way to get in touch with the natural gifts around us and use our creative minds to have an artistic experience which we all crave, every single one of us. If you make a nature or herbal mandala, please send me a pic via my contact me page or in the comments, or tag me on instagram (@blossomherbs)~ I’d LOVE to see it!

Enjoy your Earth Day and be sure to send her some love and gratitude for all she does!   X🌎X🌍X🌏

Two Ingredient Face Mask from Your Kitchen

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This was not planned and turned into something else entirely once I started doing it because I cannot estimate measurements for the life of me, but I figured I’d share it anyway because we all have extra time at home these days so this might be an enjoyable project for you too, as it was for me. (Even though I messed it up!) But herbal crafting is incredibly forgiving, which is one thing I love about it. Just to be clear, turmeric does stain. The yellow disappears from skin within hours if there is any at all left after using, but on clothes, washcloths, porcelain, towels, etc, it can last forever, so do be careful. Again~ on skin and nails it might stain for a few hours, but it goes away quickly. If that bothers you, here are other mask options that are no doubt lurking in your cupboard or fridge. To be honest I had to buy the buttermilk which was about $2.50 at Whole Foods. It’s going to last for many masks and perhaps some pancakes too. 

Let me know what your go-to DIY mask ingredients are! I’d love to hear and it’s a fine time to experiment.

I hope you are all safe and sane, healthy and happy.

Does Anyone Know What Day it is?

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I just got back from a walk and on it I tried to remember if schools had been closed for two weeks as of tomorrow, or three…? These days are running together in a blur and I have the building anxiety that I need to move on from the initial stages of getting used to this new ‘normal’ and start being productive and constructive again, but honestly the only thing I’ve been doing more of is sleeping. I have been taking walks, making food, and trying to do some dance cardio in my bedroom but it’s just not the same on carpet and with no other goofballs cardio-dancing next to me. Even cooking has been difficult since we moved into a new house at the same time as all this pandemic craziness really got going and by ‘new’ I mean new to us, it is a middle-aged house by human years’ standards and I don’t think anything has been updated since its rebellious teen years at best. The refrigerator freezes our produce no matter how warm I make the temperature, and it has also frozen some sauces and salads. The stove top is one of those flat ones and I don’t even know what the material is but I don’t care for it one bit. It just makes cooking more difficult for now, although I’m sure I’ll eventually figure out the issue with the fridge, or have yet another service guy out here to do it, but for now we are just dealing with it. I did see a pho recipe recently that got me excited though, not only because it’s a noodle soup and I love noodle soups, but also because it’s just for two which means I won’t have leftovers that might potentially freeze in our refrigerator. Not that leftovers are often a problem with two teen boys in the house, but best not to take any chances. In case you are new to pho, which is pronounced, I’m told, close to fu? with a lift at the end like a question, it is a Vietnamese soup that is packed with nutrients. It is usually made with pork or beef, but you can find chicken or vegetarian versions such as the one I intend to make later this week when I get back out to a grocery. What makes pho unique is the use of spices such as star anise, cinnamon, and ginger which are excellent for the digestive system and for supporting the immune system. Keep in mind that star anise is the primary source for the main ingredient in Tamiflu. Herbs are powerful indeed.

Here’s a link to the vegan pho on Frontier Coop’s website. Let me know if you make it or have your own go-to pho recipe. By the way, restaurants are very clever out here with naming their Vietnamese restaurants which I never understood until someone explained the pronunciation to me. My favorites are: What the Pho? and Pho King.

Stay safe and stay sane.

 

Herbs During the Plague

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Anyone else been thinking about the Plague recently? Back in the middle ages there weren’t many options for medicines other than what grew within walking distance of one’s community. Actually, that’s true for almost all of human history, so it’s no wonder that people turned to herbs during the Plague years.

Below are a couple of old sayings during Middle Ages era of Plague:

“Eat valerian and pimpernel And all of you will be well”

“ Take of sage, rue, briar leaves, elder leaves, of each a handful, stamp them and strain them with a quart of white wine, and put thereto a little ginger, and a good spoonful of the best treacle, and drink thereof morning and evening.”

It was common to wear garlic around the neck or to tie other bundles of herbs around different parts of the body such as wrists to keep oneself safe, and the Plague doctors themselves also implemented herbal armor. Those long beak-like masks famous from that era were actually constructed that way in order to house herbs in the ‘beak’ area. The herbs were either fresh, dried, or soaked in vinegar to make an extract, then placed in the tip of the beak so the doctors would breathe in the herbal air instead of the ‘bad air’ because at that time they thought the disease was transmitted through air instead of understanding there were particles involved. The herbs varied depending on the place, but some common herbs used were: juniper berries, mint leaves, myrrh, rose petals, camphor, cloves, and straw.

Another use of herbs from the Plague years which is still around today is in the formation of ‘thieves’ oil. Thieves oil has a great story to it, though whether it is more history or mythology is anyone’s guess. The story has several variations, but basically they all say something along the lines of this: During the Middle Ages there were four thieves in France who used to rob the graves (or the houses) of those who had died of the Plague and managed to not get ill themselves. When they were eventually caught, they were given a lighter punishment in return for telling how they did it. The four thieves admitted they used herbs (most likely soaked in vinegar at that time) to keep themselves from getting the disease. They knew how to do this because among them were perfumers and spice traders who understood the anti-biotic and anti-viral properties of their goods. Their blend has passed down to us through all these centuries, though the actual recipes vary depending on who’s making it. Usually the blends include: clove, lemon, eucalyptus, cinnamon and rosemary, and then different makers add in their own special favorites. This is almost always an essential oil blend now, instead of a vinegar extract, and it can be found under names such as Thieves oil, Four Thieves, Bandits oil, Medieval oil, etc, and of course you can make your own. Just use a mix of antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal essential oils to make a powerful anti-germ blend and add it to a carrier to wear as perfume or diffuse it in the air with a diffuser.

Vinegar extracts aren’t nearly as common as they used to be, but one recipe has endured for a long time, though no one knows exactly when it began. This actually just came up in a court case because one company wanted to trademark the name ‘Fire Cider’ but other herbalists and companies resisted that since fire cider is a long time folk recipe that many believed should not and could not be owned by one company. The courts agreed and the trademark was thrown out so anyone can make fire cider and call it such. Fire cider is an herbal combination that boosts immunity, especially during the winter months, and seems to be more common in the Northeast of the U.S. than anywhere else from what I’ve observed, though I could be wrong about that. Beloved herbal elder, Rosemary Gladstar was one of the main people leading the fight to keep fire cider out of trademark territory, and she’s one of the first to pen a recipe that has been widely copied. Here is her version and you can watch her make it and follow along here:

Ingredients

1/2 cup ginger, fresh (grated) 1/2 cup horseradish (fresh, grated)

1 onion (chopped)
10 cloves garlic (crushed or chopped)
2 pepper, jalapeño (chopped)
1 lemon (zest of)
2 tablespoons rosemary, dried (or several sprigs of fresh rosemary)
1 tablespoon turmeric, ground
apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey (plus more to taste)

Instructions

Put ginger, horseradish, onion, garlic, peppers, lemon zest, lemon juice, rosemary and turmeric in a quart canning jar. Cover with apple cider vinegar by about two inches. Use a piece of natural parchment paper or wax paper under the lid to keep the vinegar from touching the metal. Shake well. Store in a dark, cool place for one month and shake daily.
After one month, use cheesecloth to strain out the pulp, pouring the vinegar into a clean jar. Be sure to squeeze as much of the liquid goodness as you can from the pulp while straining. Add ¼ cup of honey and stir until incorporated. Taste your cider and add another ¼ cup until you reach desired sweetness. Fire cider should taste hot, spicy and sweet. It is great as a winter time tonic and as a remedy for colds and coughs. Often people use it as salad dressing, on rice, or with steamed vegetables.

Just to be clear, fire cider is not a recipe originating from the Plague era, but it is a vinegar based recipe which is how most herbal medicines were prepared back then, which is why I’m sharing it on this post. Also, don’t worry about exactness with this recipe, as it’s a folk recipe that has many variations so yours will be just fine.

Stay safe and healthy and let me know if you make your own fire cider and how it turns out! Also comment with any herbs you are currently taking to keep healthy during this pandemic~ I’d love to hear!

Lomatium

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This is an herb that’s been on my mind lately due to the COVID-19 crisis but I was on the fence about sharing it. It’s an anti-viral, antibactierial, antifungal herb specific to the respiratory system (also great for urinary system) with historical anecdotal precedence as a flu fighter from the 1917-1918 pandemic. It is said that Native Americans took the root of lomatium to keep themselves healthy and in fact had low rates of the flu because of this herb. It can be taken for its immune boosting effects but is mostly used once respiratory issues start and then ceased once the issues are resolved. Sounds like the perfect COVID-19 herb, right?

The problem is it can give people an all-over rash, so it has not been used widely here because it’s impossible to know who will get the rash and who won’t. Most natural health practitioners who do use it start the dose off very small, such as three drops three times per day, then build up over a week, so the rash is less likely to present. If a rash does present, it goes away in about five to seven days.

I wanted to share this information because I have seen many herbal remedies targeting this virus popping up and if they do include lomatium (which would make perfect sense) you need to be aware that a rash might result. An herbalist I interned with used to make his own lomatium extract that he sold and he didn’t seem to have any customers complain about a rash, so I don’t know how widely the rash aspect occurs. I know Gaia Herbs stopped selling it but Herb Pharm still does, so it seems to be a fairly rare occurrence.

In other news, my move finally happened, so we are home-bound in a brand new location and taking the opportunity to walk our dog all over the area to get to know the ins and outs of our new stomping grounds. As for the house itself, there are not many plants in the yards actually, but a lot of lawn, so I’m hoping I can plant some herbs this spring. I had a couple of pictures I wanted to add here, but for some reason my computer won’t comply, but hopefully it will allow the pics later~ stay tuned for updates.

Here is a prayer for a pandemic that was shared in the New Hope Influencer Co-op of which I am a part. It’s written by a Seattle resident, Cameron Bellm, and has been on social media a few days now, but if you haven’t seen it, here it is:

Prayer for a Pandemic

May we who are merely inconvenienced

Remember those whose lives are at stake.

May we who have no risk factors

Remember those most vulnerable.

May we who have the luxury of working from home

Remember those who must choose between preserving their health and making their rent.

May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close

Remember those who have no options.

May we who have to cancel our trips

Remember those who have no safe place to go.

May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of our economic market

Remember those who have no margin at all.

May we who settle in for a quarantine at home

Remember those who have no home.

As fear grips our country,

let us choose Love.

During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other,

Let us find ways to be the loving embrace of (our higher power) to our neighbors.

Amen

Take care everyone and remember that ‘this too shall pass’. I do wonder though if this is merely the first in a new era of pandemics. With overpopulation, superbugs, and global climate change, I have to wonder if this will become a new natural disaster that we’ll start planning for and dealing with on a semi-regular basis. Just a thought….what do you think?

Immune System and Moving

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Hello from the land of Limbo! I’ve been stuck in a moving delay with most of our stuff moved over to the next house and some essentials keeping us at the old house and quite frankly it’s been rather stressful and discombobulating. Add this to the whole living and working in the center of US’s coronavirus outbreak (Kirkland, Washington) viewfromworkand it’s been a wild ride for the last few weeks. Our schools are still in session, but all the businesses around here are insisting their workers telecommute which has at least been a boon for traffic. All the trips I’ve made between the two houses trying to locate our things has at least been through less congestion. Counting all the blessings I can at this point.

No one seems to know exactly how panicked everyone should be~ debates rage on if this is all overblown to this isn’t being taken nearly seriously enough. All we can do is take personal responsibility for ourselves and our loved ones and boost our immune system with the usual suspects: elderberry, astragalus, medicinal mushrooms, echinacea if getting sick, essential oils in a variety of ways, and general good sense. Probiotics are also smart, as is vitamin C, zinc, and pretty much any herb used in any way is going to be healthy for your immune system so if you are cooking at home, go heavy on the herbs and spices. Adaptogens help with stress, nervines with anxiety, and of course there’s CBD for all of it if that works for you. In other words, you don’t have to feel helpless and panicky. There are many natural ways to help us all move through these trying times. Now only if they would help move the last of my things to the new house, that’d be magical. ladybug

But, no worries, the movers are supposed to finish up this Friday the 13th…what could possibly go wrong?

Stay healthy, XO

New(ish) Products

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Most of these products are new to me, although I know at least one of these has been around for at least a year or so, hence the ‘ish’. Here are my (and one of my son’s) favorites from the most recent New Hope Blogger Box.

Our favorite were the vegan Mexican dips by Zubiate Foods including queso, crema, and salsa (which is the only one that is not normally already vegan). These are not things we normally eat so when I asked my son if he thought the queso tasted like regular cheese-y queso, he said he had never had it before so he didn’t know but he really liked it. I tried it and it did taste like queso I’ve had if my memory serves me right, but more importantly, it really is delicious. We weren’t sure what to do with the crema but it turned out to be our favorite! It was also the best smelling and since neither of us really knew what to expect from ‘crema’ and were pleasantly surprised. It was so good! The salsa was tasty and spicy. We are used to salsa and this one was a delicious one, though probably a bit spicier than we would choose for a long chow session. The mix of the three with chips were really just right though! If you are vegan or simply avoiding dairy, I definitely recommend trying these for a fun snack or part of a full Mexican meal. I’m sure others can get a lot more creative with them than just the chips we paired them with, but my brain is currently filled with trying to find a place to move into so chips and dip were all I could muster.

Speaking of brains, this adaptogenic herb is also known to boost brain power. If you know one adaptogen, it’s most likely this one, ashwagandha, because it seems to be the most popular also the most versatile one in terms of helping the most amount of issues in the widest amount of people. It is also referred to as Indian Ginseng (actual Ginseng is also an adaptogen but has a greater effect on testosterone and can cause issues because of it. It is generally recommended that only men over 25 take it, and over 40 benefit the most from it. Women seem to tolerate it at any adult age.) Ashwagandha on the other hand has a more mellow effect and is far more about balance. It is recommended for mood stabilizing as well as stress management, and one way it does that is by stabilizing cortisol which most people know as one of the major ‘fight or flight’ hormones and has been recently documented to play a big role in holding onto belly fat. Ashwagandha is also the best adaptogen to help with sleep issues as well as helping with long term energy levels during the day time. This ashwagandha supplement by Youtheory is an easy way to get it into your daily life.

CBD is still having its day (years?) in the spotlight, and these by Hemp Fusion are intelligent mixes with thoughtful ingredients. The stress one actually has ashwagandha in it, no surprise there! They also sent a sleep one and an energy one, both of which I tried and I can attest to a lovely night’s sleep with the sleep one, but the energy one is harder to quantify. It might have been what helped me walk my dog this evening when I really would have preferred to sit on the couch with a magazine, but it really is hard to say. It didn’t make me buzzy or jumpy, that’s for sure. How are you guys feeling about CBD at this point? I’m curious as to what people are experiencing with it, or if they haven’t tried it yet, and if not, why? Let me know in the comments or contact me please :0).

The facial products from Probulin are a unique concept although I have heard before that putting probiotics on the face is beneficial, usually in the form of yogurt or kefir based facial masks. I am excited to try the entire line they sent because the ingredients look top quality as they are free of GMOs, sulfates, glycols, parabens, phthalate, sythetic fragrances, and they are cruelty free too. They really seem to have put together some products with the concept of ‘don’t put on your body what you wouldn’t put into your body’ in mind. I’ll have to let you know how my skin reacts once I use the line for a few days, but goodness knows that after this rough year I could use some intense facial therapy! I’ve tried everything once or twice as of last night, and so far so good. My skin feels healthy and the products go on nicely. I think the cleanser is my favorite for the way it leaves my skin feeling clean but not stripped.

The product that made me write the ‘ish’ on new in the title is Lively Up Your Breath‘s breath freshener because I wrote about it almost exactly two years ago in this post. It’s a unique breath freshener, not a mint, gum, or even spray. Instead it is a liquid filled capsule that you pop in your mouth and then break (it breaks easily pressing your tongue against your mouth) and the minty liquid does its thing. It’s strong and effective.

If you try any of these, please let me know what you think! I might not be writing here for a couple of weeks because I’m going to be moving soon so life will get hectic and the internet might get tricky, but I’ll still be reading emails and comments so please contact me anytime! And wish me luck with finding a place to live and moving for the first time in over 12.5 years. My kids grew up in this house so besides the fact there is a lot of stuff to pack up, there are even more memories and emotions that will be surfacing, boxing, and/or releasing. I’m saving the ashwagandha and stress CBD for the toughest days ahead.

Bye for now! XOXO

Valentine’s Day DIY Gifts

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In honor of Valentine’s Day, I’m reposting my blog post from last year. I hope you all have a lot of love this Friday, self-love, family-love, friend-love, and romantic love too. XOXO

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Homemade gifts made with heart and intention are perfect for the holiday that celebrates love. Valentine’s Day is a warm reminder during this cold season that love should be celebrated fully and joyfully in all its forms, from friendship to family, and of course that special someone. Everyone can appreciate an herbal gift that conveys not only love, but also health, beauty, and green thoughtfulness.

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What plant could be more associated with Valentine’s than the rose? A flower of beauty that signifies love, it also has healing attributes that qualify it as an herb. Drinking rose petal tea is relaxing, due to its mildly sedative properties, and it also has some historical use as a headache reliever. The petals are used extensively for skin health, anti-aging, and beautification, while rose hips are full of bio-available vitamin C. Rose oil makes a lovely base for a massage or bath oil, and bath salts with rose petals would make a relaxing gift that encourages self-care and rejuvenation. Baths full of rose petals are picturesque and you will see plenty on Instagram, but if you don’t want to clean up wet petals after a restful bath, I suggest packing them in a muslin bag. You get all the benefits without worrying about the messy clean-up afterwards. The proportion of salts to rose petals is completely up to you, but if you want to add essential oils to the mixture, keep the essential oils down to about 10-20 drops per cup of mixture. Example: 1 cup Dead Sea Salt, 1/2 cup rose petals, 15 drops of lavender oil, and 10 drops of rose absolute in jojoba. Mix all together in a bowl before adding to a jar with a tight cap for gifting. Don’t forget to add the reusable muslin bag inside the jar, or tie it on the outside.

Making a rose petal mask is another lovely way to gift roses and encourage self-care. Make a powder from dried rose petals either by using a mortar and pestle or a food processor. I actually use an old coffee grinder for making herbal powders and it works great. Mix the rose powder with either French Green Clay or another clay that suits the skin of your recipient (or yourself if this is a self-love gift) in the proportion of 1/3 rose powder, 2/3 clay. Example: 1 tablespoon rose powder mixed with 2 tablespoons clay. Store in a dark glass jar and mix one tablespoon at a time with either a water, a hydrosol, honey, or yogurt to apply. Actually, adding the powder mix to any of these one ingredient masks will make a multifaceted concoction, and you can choose if you want more of a firming, brightening, or evening out action. Leave on for 10-15 minutes, then rinse off with warm water. Skin will be moisturized, clean, firmer, and more even-toned.

Making a massage oil out of rose oil is as easy as adding the desired essential oils to the homemade rose oil. Aim for no more than 50-60 drops of essential oil per cup of base oil. You can also add in more base oils to the rose oil, so the mixture is more suited to the recipient’s particular skin. The heavier the oil, the more appropriate for dryer skin, and the lighter oils are more beneficial for oilier skin. Massage oil should not soak into the skin but rather allow for easy gliding, so sticking with sweet almond oil, avocado oil, apricot kernel oil, and grapeseed oil are good choices, especially when mixed together. Here’s a sample recipe including the aphrodisiac scents of rose, vanilla, and jasmine:

Massage Oil

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Making Massage Oil
1/2 cup Rose Oil (olive oil infusion)

1/2 cup Vanilla Oil (sweet almond infusion)

1/4 cup Avocado Oil

1/4 cup Apricot Kernel Oil

30 drops Sandalwood

40 drops Vanilla absolute

5 drops Jasmine absolute in jojoba

I hope your Valentine’s day is full of love for your family, your friends, your partner, and yourself. We are experiencing the most snow in most of our lifetimes here in the Seattle region right now so I’ll be herbal crafting away happily this week. I also managed to make my first sourdough loaf this past weekend and it turned out splendidly! There’s a pic on my Instagram if you are interested.

Thank you for reading and Happy Valentine’s Day!

The Language of Nature

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This is a reblog from this time last year:

Wreaths, trees, and greenery find their way inside our homes near the winter solstice, which is so fitting. It’s not always easy to be outside for long in the winter months, so it seems natural that we have traditions which bring nature inside. I love the smell of fresh evergreens inside, and I also just love the fact that we still hold onto these green traditions throughout the plastic-ness and consumerism of the season. Nature has a way of communicating authenticity, and actually a whole lot more. The language of flowers, herbs, and trees is a language that used to be readily understood and I hope does not go completely extinct. It was at one time a language that was prevalent, back when nature was a part of every day life and herbs were used in all parts of life from sun up to sun down~ from the herbs used in the houses and in bedding to keep away vermin, to the food they ate, and the medicines (the only option!) that kept them alive. They used herbs in rituals, for spiritual purposes, celebration, decoration, and communication.

If that sounds strange, think about what a red rose signifies. If someone gives another a red rose or 12, they are probably not giving a token of friendship, a get-well bouquet, nor a flower of condolence, right? A red rose equals love, a very specific type of love~ romantic love. This seems to be an enduring symbol that has lasted far longer than any other plant language symbols, but it is by no means the only way that plant with symbolic meaning. Here are a couple of examples:

Thyme used to symbolize warrior type bravery. It was given to Roman soldiers before and after campaigns to wish them luck and honor their courageousness. A few hundred years later, ladies used to embroider thyme into handkerchiefs for knights going to battle. Thyme means warrior, bravery, courage.

Bay leaves used to symbolize scholarly achievement, honor, and victory. The Greeks and Romans were active in embracing this symbolism by crowning the most learned of the statesmen with bay leaf crowns, and also those with the highest status. Bay laurel even gives it’s name to baccalaureate, and also the word laureate, as in ‘Nobel Laureate’ or ‘poet laureate’ for example. If you search online, there are plenty of examples of graduates donning bay crowns even today, so at least that tradition is still alive in some way.

Since it is nearing Christmas, I thought I’d share some holiday plants with their symbolism. I found a bouquet in the book, Tussie Mussies, by Geraldine Adamich Laufer that she calls “Christmas Joy” and would make a lovely wreath as well. Also, using these same meanings, one can put together an essential oil blend with a special holiday message. The bouquet has the following in it:

Pine: Warm friendship, vigorous life, spiritual energy

Cinnamon: Love, beauty, my fortune is yours!

Burnet: A merry heart

Rosemary: Remembrance

Bedstraw: The manger

Holly Berries: Christmas joy

Cone: Conviviality, life

Another bouquet in her book celebrates the New Year. It is called, “New Years Resolutions” and has the following:

Vervain: Good fortune, wishes granted

Sumac: Resoluteness

Rue: Beginning anew

Parsley Flower: At the very beginning

Hyssop: Cleansing

Elderberry: Zeal

These bouquets or wreaths might be fun gifts to bring to some hosts over the holidays, and a conversation starter if you include the meaning of the plants used. Essential oil blends can be used instead for a longer lasting gift, and of course there are plenty of other herbs, flowers, and trees to choose from. For example, Mint, another traditional winter holiday scent, symbolizes burning love, and also wisdom and virtue. There is also an old saying: “Grow mint in your garden to attract money to your purse,” so this plant has a lot to offer in the way of New Year’s wishes.

However you celebrate the winter holidays, I hope you are filled with peace, happiness, and good health. From all accounts, I’m not the only one eager to see 2018 come to a close and hoping for a lighter and brighter year ahead. In order to embrace this dark, quiet, inner-focused time of year, I’ll be taking a wee break from posting here until January. Hopefully I’ll be back with some news on a couple of other projects I’m working on so stay tuned! All the best to all of you and see you next year! Cheers!

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