August, the month of holidays and harvest, a time to sit back, rest and relax and enjoy the fruits of our labours. A time for friends and families to be together, to re-connect, a time to laugh and play and enjoy each other and all that we have. A time for quiet contemplation and thankfulness. Something moves in my garden pond and a frog appears to rest upon a lily pad, his throat pulsing like a beating heart, such is the rhythm of life. Butterflies, bees and dragonflies hover and flutter between the flowers, drinking deeply from the funnels of nectar laden petals. I watch this spectacle unfold before me, an interwoven symphony of dance and psychedelic colour, there for the taking and a pure joy to behold.
Midsummer Day dawns to a fanfare of birdsong against the backdrop of an early morning sky of pink and grey. Walking barefoot upon the spongy mounds of moss and grasses I revel in the thought of my feet being bathed in the purity of fresh morning dew. I kneel before a great Oak to scoop a handful of dew into the palms of my hands and splash my face with its invigorating coolness. As I open my eyes a flurry of Elderflower petals shower me from above and stick to my wet face. I look up and am sure I hear the childlike titter of faerie folk having one last laugh before the true day dawns and they are gone.
I recently spent sometime learning how to scour the California country side for medicinal plants and herbs. One plant that was a surprise to me was the abundance of a weed known for its fascinating health benefits and tasting remotely like fresh picked corn.
The botanical name ~ Stellaria media ~ meaning ‘little stars’, or commonly known as Chickweed, can affect your physical and psychic health, by opening up cosmic energies and giving the strength handle these energies. Chickweed has been used in folk medicine for skin conditions, indigestion rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, stomach ulcers and as a "blood cleanser". When chickweed is consumed, it increases the body’s ability to absorb nutrients, especially minerals. It can also dissolve and break down unwanted matter, including disease-causing bacteria, cysts, benign tumors, thickened mucus in the respiratory and digestive systems, and excess fat cells. Yes, you heard me correctly; drinking chickweed infusion can eliminate fat cells.
While visiting the local Farmers Market today, I noticed a great addition to the growing easy ups. This new vendor just sold freshly grown hers. You can buy the herb picked or planted, I was particularly drawn to the Wheatgrass display. It looked so fresh and healthy I decided to share some of the interesting benefits shared by the vendor.
Wheatgrass is one of the most potently healthy substances on earth. Yet for some reason it is still not mainstream – even though there are thousands of wheatgrass benefits that are so clear and felt so quickly. A few of the benefits really caught my attention. Did you know that Wheatgrass can cause gray hairs to vanish; clear Rosacea; and get rid of bad breath?
Being one to reach for a holistic cure, before dowsing myself with all sorts of medications, I also attempt to do the same for my four-legged-furry family. I am here to extol the amazing healing properties of Olive Leaf. Recently all of my babies contracted Feline calicivirus, a cat upper respiratory illness, commonly known as the cat flu.
Those of us who own animals understand that sharing space with them is like living with a continual three year old, well I have five of them … all sick at the same time. When speaking to the veterinarian, he basically told me there is no specific treatment for FCV. Antibiotics could be are used for secondary bacterial infections, and immune modulators, but not much else can be done. I went back to nature.
Dreaming of a large garden with an acre or two for herbs and flowers and botanical beauties is my favorite past time. Meanwhile, I am happy to discover those bits and pieces that I can actually add to my sanctuary. Come sit and swing on my patio, roam one of my gardens or dig your hands into the dirt in my little plot of paradise ...
I would like to share with you, my favorite board on Pinterest ~ My Heaven~ http://pinterest.com/YourWellnessGuide/my-heaven
Erin Lale
Fellow faculty at Harvard Divinity School posted an open letter to Wolpe in response to his article. It's available on this page, below the call for p...
Erin Lale
Here's another response. The Wild Hunt has a roundup of numerous responses on its site, but it carried this one as a separate article. It is an accoun...
Erin Lale
Here's another response. This one is by a scholar of paganism. It's unfortunately a Facebook post so this link goes to Facebook. She posted the text o...
Erin Lale
Here's another link to a pagan response to the Atlantic article. I would have included this one in my story too if I had seen it before I published it...
Janet Boyer
I love the idea of green burials! I first heard of Recompose right before it launched. I wish there were more here on the East Coast; that's how I'd l...