The Clarifying Beat: Eucalyptus

from botanical.com

The dancing trees of the Eucalyptus are unmistakeable in their form and scent.  As medicine the Eucalpytus tree, specifically its essential oils and leaves, has been used as a plant of healing and purification for a very significant part of our humyn history.  The tree is said to guard against all forms of illness and the leaves are useful when placed in the body of a healing poppet.  Hand a branch of Eucalyptus above one who is afflicted with illness to bring about a speedy recovery.  Wear the pods of the Eucalyptus as charms of protection.

Whenever I think of Eucalyptus I think of koala bears (more on that later), but more importantly, dancing.  The grace of a windswept dancer curling their toes against dust of earth and stars.  Extending their breath along the lines of their arms, the straightness of their spine, the sturdiness of their thighs.  Much of Eucalyptus' powers lie in its ability to center and call us back to our inner beating rhythm.  As a remedy, Eucalyptus is useful for those of us who are seeking our true rhythm beyond the drudgery of schedules that keep us distracted from our passions, our desires, and our calling(s) in life.  So many folks are seeking "the best new thing" whether it be the newest diet, a popular exercise regime, the latest spiritual practice, and with so much noise the resounding beat of our own healer remains unnoticed and, at worst, ignored.  Along comes the dancing trees of the Eucalyptus, who clears our visions, strengthens our breath, and with its fragrant sharpness helps set us on a path of authentic renewal and adventure.

As someone who spent a great deal of their childhood as a koala bear, I have a great fondness for Eucalpytus.  I spent part of my adolescence playing beneath the dancing green leaves of the Eucalyptus - its clarifying scent and the way the wind sounds moving through its branches remind me of my earlier adventures into herbal medicine and magick.

Eucalyptus has been used for tens of thousands of years in Australian Aboriginal medicine - it is a plant that has taken an interest in humyn affairs for a long while and it deserves a great deal of gratitude.  Some of the primary uses of Eucalyptus in modern Western herbalism is as an expectorant, helping to move colds, pneumonia, and bronchitis out of the chest, to clear-up and prevent viral infections, and as an astringent.  Dilating the bronchiales of the lungs, Eucalyptus moistens mucous membranes and helps regulate mucous secretions.  Excellent for other respiratory complaints such as asthma, coughs, the 'flu, and sinus infections.  Use the leaf  in a tea and, along with the essential oil in steams, diffusers, and chest rubs.

The essential oil is especially excellent to use for promoting mental clarity - it has a sharp heat that burns away the feeling of being in a stagnant swamp of mental muddledness.  Overall, the essential oil is tonifying on the nervous system.

Use topically as a warming chest rub and as a diluted oil for rheumatic pain, aching joins, stiffness, neuralgia, and bacterial skin infections.  Apply the diluted oil to blisters, burns, herpes sores, scratches, and wounds.  For those folks who have excessively oily skin (remember that some oil is good and healthy for our skin) or acne might consider using Eucalyptus is facial toners and steams.  As a diluted gargle, Eucalyptus is great for cold sores in the mouth.  Try mixing the leaves of Eucalyptus with  honey as a general syrup for respiratory ailments.  Burn the oil as an insect repellant and use in anti-flea washes for pests.  For my textile friends, Eucalpytus can be used as a dye, producing shades of green, brown, and orange.

I, Courage: Borage

John Gerard, a popular herbalist of the 16th and 17th century (and becoming popular again on Facebook), provides us with the translation of wonderful maxim of Borage which was said to be recited by Roman soldiers preparing for contests of strength:

Ego borago gaudia semper ago. I, Borage, always bring courage.

The blue flower of the courageous Borage was embroidered onto the clothing on knights going off to battle to protect them and strengthen their resolve and worn in buttonholes to the same effect.  Spike the tea of the one who you wish to propose to you with Borage to infuse them with the courage to finally ask.  Known also as  Cool-tankard, the flowers were used in drinks for their cooling effect before ice was a widely available and used commodity.  A tea will induce psychic powers as well as improve one's outlook in life.

Borage can be, in many ways, the "shining armor" we need to assume our warriorhood, reclaim our lives, and our sense of self.  For those who are suffering nervous exhaustion, especially "menopausal women who are overworked and totally exhausted," but any person who seems to be suffering from adrenal burnout and is emotionally spent will benefit from Borage.(1)  Borage has an uplifting and lightening affect that is a wonderful remedy for despondency and those who might say often, "I just can't take it anymore" but aren't entirely sure who "I" is or what it is they can't take.  Borage is an  herbal ally that strengthens the will and the knowing of self, reinforcing crumbling boundary walls and infusing the spirit with the brilliant hope that comes from uninhibited courage.  

When the body is overworked, the mind muddled, and the emotions frantic, the steady drumbeat of Borage can help to restore an overwhelmed nervous system and rebuilding strained adrenals.  With its cooling mucilaginous abilities, Borage is helpful for overheated conditions such as fevers and infections, as well as asthma, general colds, and hot, dry coughs.  Borage keeps the sweat pores toned which protects against chills and fevers that try and settle in a wet, stagnant environment.  For the pregnancy, Borage ripens the cervix for labor and supports breastfeeding by increasing milk flow

Borage is of course useful for depression and I am especially fond of using it for depression that situates itself during transition periods: the postpartum periods, departures (such as leaving home or college or going off to war), and general life passages that require us to look honestly at who we are and what we are doing.  The shift that Borage is particularly good at triggering in persons of a melancholic persuasion is the ability to love what we are responsible and accountable to which may mean a reassessment of priorities to be able to come to that emotional space.

Externally, Borage is good for dry skin as well as rashes, eczema, varicose veins, and can be used as an eyewash for irritated and inflamed eyes.  The flowers are delicious and can be added to salads and drinking water.

(1)  Rosari Kingston, MNIHM as cited in Wood, Matthew. The Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic, 2008. (2008): 146.

The Warrior + The Healer: Yarrow

botanical.com

Beware the Devil's Nettle and all its accompanying glamouries - it knows well the art of divination, the charms of love, and has an affinity for blood.  The common name, Yarrow, is from the Old English gearwe which is thought to be derived from heiros, further linking Yarrow to the art of magick.  Placed over the eyes, Yarrow promotes clairvoyance, and Deb Soule recommends putting the herb in sachets to help connect with the green world.

Matthew Wood puts is succinctly when describing those who might be aided by the healing powers of Yarrow: "The Wounded Warrior, the Wounded Healer." (1)  For those folks who serve on the front line in their lives, who are often the first in and the last out in any endeavor, and who are prone to ignore health needs until they are lying flat on their backs.  A particularly good remedy for the healers among us who have difficultly following their own recommendations of vital living, healing and resting.  Yarrow is for the ones who appear strongest and are often the most sensitive and bruised - they won't let you know, but when they do the pain can seem immense and unraveling.  Yarrow is an everyday tonic with the skills of a crisis manager and can help those who feel they must always be the strongest to express their vulnerabilities in ways that restore true fortitude.

Yarrow is an herb of the blood and through its ability to move blood, by releasing and contracting, it is able to help regulate high, persistent fevers.  Yarrow is a good herb for general uterine congestion which can include a variety of conditions, such menorrhagia as well as amenorrhea, and is useful in the treatment of endometriosis, uterine prolapse, menopausal symptoms like night sweats and restlessness.   As a blood mover, Yarrow has an affinity for the kidneys and also acts as a mover of water, addressing issues like water retention and promoting healthy discharge.

wikipedia.org

While a hot cup of Yarrow tea will help to release heat and promote sweating, a cold cup of Yarrow tea will have a stronger affect on the stomach and kidneys, strengthening digestion and assimilation of nutrients.  Yarrow is also useful in promoting circulation because it relaxes peripheral blood vessels and can be used in treating rheumatic and arthritic conditions.

Topically, Yarrow flowers and leaves can be used in hair rinses for scalp health and to prevent hair loss.  The herb is also good in facial steams for acne prone skin, headaches, asthma, hay fever, and stuffed sinuses.  Chew on the leaves to relieve toothache and use as an antiseptic and astringent soak for cuts, abrasions, bee stings, psoriasis, and hemorrhoids.   The ever-wise Maude Grieve assures us that Yarrow tea dispels melancholy, which is reason enough to keep Yarrow nearby.

For the Wounded Warriors, Wounded Healers among us, Yarrow can be taken as a daily tonic at low doses (1 - 3 drops up to 3 times daily) for general health and well-being.  Make an extract of Yarrow in a base of Witch Hazel Extract as a wonderful hemorrhoid treatment - once extracted, pour some of the blend on to a pad, chill them in the fridge, and wear for hemorrhoid pain relief and repair.

(1) Wood, Matthew. The Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to New World Medicinal Plants. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 2009.

Boundary-marker, boundary-breaker: Hawthorn

Hawthorn from botanical.com

Hawthorn Craetagus monogyna gets its name from the Anglo-Saxon word “haw” meaning hedge or enclosure and is used as such in parts of the world like the UK to mark the boundaries of fields.  Known simply at times as “thorn,” Hawthorn is one of the sacred trees of Celtic folklore that along with Oak and  Ash, help mortals to see the Good Folk.  Hawthorn is both a charm of fertility and chastity (quite a permeable boundary there) – place it in a bouquet for a fertile union and beneath the bed to make it less so. The Hawthorn hedge is a sacred plant of May, used to decorate May Poles, though is must be carefully harvested so as not to anger the Gods to whom it is so sacred.  Witches were sometimes called “hedgeriders” invoking their ability to ride the hedge from the fields of humankind to the fields of faery.

For times when someone feels misplaced and disconnected because their heart has squeezed shut, aching from the pain of disappointment, grief and change.  For those who have lost touch with the desire of the heart when life challenges us with unexpected outcomes. They fidget, are anxious, have trouble sleeping, and may even experience heart palpitations as they close off from the pain rather than engage in the process of transformation.  It's as if they’ve been thrown up in the air and can’t seem to find their way back down, left only to fall, feeling disoriented and so they close up to try and protect themselves from the impact.  Hawthorn might be the green ally to help them fall in love, not fear.

Hawthorn is used extensively in both Chinese and Western herbal traditions.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hawthorn is primarily used as a digestive tonic, whereas in the Western tradition of herbalism it is generally used as a heart tonic.  As a heart tonic, Hawthorn tonifies the heart through normalizing blood pressure, dilating blood vessels, improving the heart’s muscle contractions, promotes circulation, lowers blood pressure, and strengthens the endothelial lining of the heart, blood and lymphatic vessels.  Hawthorn also helps to prevent future heart complications, including atherosclerosis.

Hawthorn flowers from wikipedia.org

Herbalist David Winston uses Hawthorn with clients with ADHD for its centering abilities that address disturbed and unsettled energy.  Hawthorn restores calm and is also very nutritive, full of vitamins and minerals such as C, B1, B2, and calcium.  Topically the leaves and flowers can be used as a gargle for sore throats and the berries can be eaten raw or as a jelly.  In Germany, the leaves are even used as an alternative to black and green tea.

Since Hawthorn is a slow-acting adaptogenic herb, it is important to take it for at least three months for its medicinal qualities to truly take hold.  Hawthorn is not only a tonic for the physical manifestation of our heart, but our emotional and spiritual heartache, too.  Just as Hawthorn acted as the enchanted boundary between the worlds of humans and faeries, so will Hawthorn help those who are struggling with change, usually stemming from a source of deep grief, open their hearts to compassion and acceptance.  It not only strengthens a person’s connection with their own heart, but the heart and beat of the earth who many of us call Mother.

Add Hawthorn berries into your diet, either in tea, tincture or raw, as a good source of vitamin C.  I add Hawthorn berries, leaves, and flowers into iced tea blends for its naturally cooling qualities, especially when I'm feeling irritated in the hot heat.  I especially incorporate Hawthorn into my daily Fall practice as part of my cold preventative routine.

Quicken the Mind: Peppermint

The crisp and recognizable scent of Peppermint Mentha Piperita brings money to those who carry its leaves and protection to the traveler.  Use Peppermint as an incense or floorwash to purify and energize a space. Tuck the leaves beneath your pillow to enhance dreams and visions or wear them about your neck to increase focus and drive.  Peppermint in the garden brings success to all endeavors.  The genus name of Peppermint, Mentha, is after that of a Greek nymph named Minthe, who after an affair with Pluto was turned to the Peppermint plant we know today by a jealous Persephone.  Or at least that is one version of the story…

For those that feel they are walking in a haze, worried about that which lies beyond the fog, but unable to direct focused attention towards it.  They might be too worried to know more, prone to upset stomachs, too hot then too cold, and a bit exhausted by it all.  Peppermint might be the wise green ally who helps bring them back to focus through gentleness and loving perception of the body’s needs.

Peppermint from iloveherbs.net

Peppermint loves to soothe the body.  Use as a tea or tincture to settle the stomach, ease abdominal pain, menstrual cramps, and for flatulence (especially if taken after meals).  Peppermint is also antiparasitic.  As a tea Peppermint eases flu and cold symptoms, helps to break fevers by encouraging a sweat, expels phlegm, and clears the head.  Peppermint helps treat sinusitis, laryngitis, bronchitis, and is good for inflamed lung conditions, asthma, heart palpitations, lung infection and congestion. Eases insomnia, general tension, and is good for dizziness and fainting, fatigue, and headaches

Yerba Buena

Use the oil or a tea externally to soothe sore muscles, inflammation, rough skin, hives, and rashes. Also use in cool washes for chicken pox and measles.  Peppermint can be used as a gargle for mouth and throat and to prevent gingivitis.  The crushed leaves can be applied to forehead for headaches and directly on bee stings or insect bites.  Preventatively, Peppermint can be used as a repellent for most biting bugs.

Try rubbing the fresh, crushed leaves on your skin as a natural bug repellant and for its calming properties.  I love mixing the fresh mint leaves with apple juice and ice for a cooling drink – especially important in our new Austin home!  Peppermint tea on its own is a wonderful digestive remedy, but also try mixing it with a bit of fresh grated Ginger, some Cinnamon, and a bit of Fennel seed.  Delicious!