May Blossoms

This post is part of a party about herbs o Beltane hosted at http://greenmanramblings.blogspot.com/

Been out a wandering on this Beltane full moon in the fields of North Hertfordshire picking more ground ivy which brough forth much melodic singing from me - wish I could write music notes then I could exactely express the pretty song that the ground ivy evoked.

Then whislt munched on lots of Hawthorn leaves sometimes known as bread n cheese, and the tiny balled up soon to be flowers a really deep chant came outta me, I have heard a recording of the Dali Lama chanting and I felt a bit like that deep firey masculine with big bad balls hehe -

This firey tree rules by Mars is also known as May, because the hedgerows are turned creamy white as it blossoms in this month.

It is celebrated in as a heart herb both berries and blossoms are used to open the coronary arteries, improving blood supply to the heart muscle. This strengthens the heart and helps it to beat more forcefully and efficiently. As a result, the herb boosts the heart's blood-pumping force. We have also used in cases of broken hearts and heart ache from missing loved ones.

On May day it is traditional to make a head garland of May blossom n Elder flowers representing the Lord(Mars Hawthorn) n Lady (Venus Elder)as a fertility n love charm. So any of ya who want to re-produce tonights a good night!!!!

The flowers smell a bit like rotting meat explained by the chemical trimethylamine being present in hawthorn blossom which is one of the first chemicals formed in decaying animal tissue. This is one of the reasons it is thought unlucky to bring it into your homes.

Happy Beltane Moon I am off to have a fire.........

Lushous Lemon Balm aka Melissa officinalis

Been out harvesting my fruity lemon balm this morning and wondering at how differing each plant is some of them have really large generous vibrant green foliage whilst others are much smaller and darker, tougher I guess depending on how much sun/ shade, water etc they are getting but all have the amazingly uplifting scent of citrus.

I am collecting them for a new patient I had yesterday who has a over active thyroid gland and is also extremely stressed - and I know this herb in amongst others is really gonna help her.

Melissa the latin name for lemon balm is greek for "honey bee" and Melissa was also another name for Artemis the moon goddess the honeybee was considered to be a form the human soul took when descending from the Goddess Artemis herself-

My local beekeeper has told me he plants Lemon balm around the bee’s hives to keep them happy and more apt to stay at the hive and not swarm away

I see lemon balm as a having a water element and Culpepper classes it as a herb of Jupiter. In the body, this planet governs the liver and lungs.Jupiter lets us push far beyond our limits, to stretch and expand our horizons by doing something entirely different, insisting that we don't become rigid or stale.

Health Freedoms Write to the Health Minister RH MIKE o'Brian and the queen -

Fi n I have written to the powers that be to try and effect some kind of sanity up there -anyone who is interested in freedom of choice and health please have alook at the links below and print out the sample letters to send to the powerful.....

http://www.anhcampaign.org/campaigns/codex

http://www.consumersforhealthchoice.com/

Health Minister RH MIKE o'Brian
RICHMONDS HOUSE
79 WHITEHALL
LONDON
SW1A 2NS

Mimram erbs...

We've had a lovely morning out in the sun harvesting some delights for our tea blends. We went to the mimram river to a big patch of the potent ground ivy, nestling inbetween the nettles, thistles and burdock these beautiful tiny purple flowering, pungent delights were found also known as Ale Hoof it was used to clarify beer in the middle ages we also harvested a load of purple stingers.

We use the nettles in our ladies lovelies drops which combine nettles with raspberry leaf and lady's mantle.

They are really balancing, nurturing and protective for any menstrual or ladies problems, centering us and connecting us with the womb.

Lady’s mantle, coming up in so many of our gardens now with its pale shelf like leaves collecting the morning dew is revered for its mystical qualities, has been associated with the wisdom female power. It is ruled by Venus and is used for many imbalances affecting the womb. Science owes its womb toning, astringent properties to the tannin content of the herb. It helps movement out of stuck situations and away from the past.

Raspberry leaf is again toning to the womb and is used successfully during pregnancy to aid in birth. It is extremely protective nourishing.

Nettle is used as a cleansing herb to support the kidneys. Ruled by Mars it empowers the fire element in a person, breaking up excessive or waterlogged emotions.

We went on an self-care abdominal massage course this weekend where we were recommended to massage our tummys every evening before bed to improve circulation to the area. It helps to keep our wombs in place, take a few minutes out each day for us and improve menstrual and digestive symptoms. It's the perfect thing to do whilst taking ladies lovelies drops.

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Enjoy your spring forays...

Wicked Weather

Well what a lovely weekend!

I have been so very productive and happy in my garden, diggin and harvesting got loads of fragrant, lemon balm, sticky, cleavers and pungent, sage today and lots of thorns in my hands and feet from the pruned hawthorn hedge!!The thorns are really nasty so I have dropped lavender on em all to try and prevent infection.

Cleared a space under my south facing window for some cucumbers and soft fruits I had to dig out a bit st.johns wort, a creeping jasmine -I was amazed at how far this plant had travelled with it long thin green stems rerooting and speardin as they hit the ground- and an elder that self seeded from the composting old berries that we had boiled for the Venus Rob(elderberry syrup)how resilient it that -infact I felt a wee bit guilty for digging her up but she chose my front wondow to grow infront of and would soon block out all my light-her roots were truely awesome hugh creeping right up to my front door....I had a fire and burnt her with alot of love and a few wishes of protection.

The Oat Seeds have spourted and are looking healthy and vibrant mmm my own porridge oats one day.

Made up a few bags of Anti-infective tea with Myrtle leaves from the New Forest - and berries from the bush by my gate-this one was a cutting from my Grans bush one that she secretely purloined from Buckingham Place where she was attending a Garden Party - apparentely the bush there was grown from Queen Victoria's wedding boquet(oooer misses)lavender flowers from the front garden ,st.john's wort from an old railway line in Welwyn and thyme from the garden mm delicious
So I have been dosing myself up with about 5 cups of this mix to shift my chest infection and its working a treat.

Spring in dorset...

While Karina is up in herts planning the film I've chipped off down to dorset to check out spring and prepare for the new baba...due canny soon. The film project is really exciting, i'll be doing a bit of potential recruiting down here and we'll see what we can put together.
Spring around the Cerne valley and dorchester comprises of daffodils, which the bulbs have been used for alzheimers and medical research done into it. If anyones has any herbal experience of daffodils use I'd love to here.

There is pilewort (lesser celendine) everywhere...is it trying to tell us something, or is a sign of what might be in order post birth!

nu Plans

Well today I am thinking about a nu project - I would like to make a film about the political history of Herbal medicine and the legislation and regulations surrounding the present and future of herbalism in the uk. -here is a site with loads of info -http://www.herbal-practitioners.co.uk/

I think that creating a charity -The Witch Hunt- to fund this ventureis prob the best way tomake it happen and then finding a teamof folk who'd like to be invovled - but if anyone has other ideas please let me know -this is embryonic but lets make it grow.....

been repotting house plants today mmm how lovley

chesty witch

Unfortunately I am slightely underdaweather with a nasty chesty cough but have had the pleasure of steppin out into my front garden and feeling the warm spring sun on my face, picked some-rosemary,thyme, bay, lemon balm n oregano for my morning tea. I am also taking thyme liquorice and elecampane syrup n loads of ginger and hyssop so fingers crossed it shall go away soon.

I have been on the south coast in Brighton for the past few days and itsbeen a lovely break -there was a chilli festival on the front so I sampled loads of differing chili delights mmmm.

Alot is happening in the Herb world to do with regulation and licensing of products I have been following progress in some confusion as all the legal jargon is dry to read this has led me to want to create a film detailing exactelywhat is going on -if anyone is interested in this project please let us know....