All summer I’ve been gathering herbs from the mountainside, and now I can proudly look at my counter stuffed with jars of oils, tinctures and dried herbs and think “We can now make it through the winter.”

Of course, I also look and say “If only I’d gotten that mullein on time” or “Too bad the first batch of yarrow molded!” but really, my apothecary is full, I have oils made that cost me nothing more than time and olive oil (instead of $11.00 an ounce purchased in a store!) and my first aid kit is stocked.

I have comfrey and calendula salve for the inevitable scrapes and bruises from the icy walkways and the cuts and scrapes from fall yardwork. There’s bottles of St. John’s Wort oil for aching muscles and damaged nerves, and comfrey oil for reducing scars and helping connective tissues. There’s even a comfrey-St John’s oil for those aching arthritic joints that the honored elders in my family get when the weather changes! (And for my own aches from old injuries! If only I’d known years ago what herbs could do!)

There’s garlic oil for rubbing into feet or dripping into ears. Mullein leaves dried to be burned, incense smudge style, for racking coughs. Yarrow leaf for bleeding wounds, yarrow flowers for diaphoretic infusions for fevers (That means they’ll make you sweat and help your body use the fever to it’s best ability!) Bunches of dried lavender decorate my tables and windows, filling the house with a rich smell of flowers as well as easing tension and stress.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m anywhere near done! There’s a dozen jars of herbs on the counter waiting to be ground and encapsulated into a woman’s balancing blend for my sister, another five waiting to be made into caps for -me-. Dried elderberries are reminding me that I need to make syrup and candies for the long winter months, and my empty nettle jar is telling me I need to get out and find more infusion herbs. I do need to get out and find at least a few mullein flowers, for the inevitable earaches that come every winter to my family of men who won’t wear hats, and then the fall cleaning up before things close- flea powder for the carpets, new flea strings for the dogs, and herbal concoctions of baking soda and herbs to scrub the surfaces, vinegar to foam it all up, and then disinfecting with thyme or rosemary.

Pomanders to scent the house over the winter (Those are oranges or lemons with whole cloves stuck into them, sometimes in patterns and sometimes just everywhere, and then let dry. They scent the house with a delicious citrus/clove smell!) Lavender and cedar sachets to protect my clothes from moths…

The list goes on and on, but every day that I look around, I can be satisfied with what I’ve made- a house free of chemicals, a family in good health with the freedom to choose their healthcare instead of being forced into the trap of ‘OTC meds or misery’ and the satisfaction of knowing that I made all this with my own hands.
It’s a good fall.

Today we had two bouts of food poisoning. Jeri left her ham out too long and spent all morning throwing up, and Errant got sick yesterday morning and spent the whole day with cramping and pain.

This morning’s remedy: Wormwood tincture. Rosalee de la Foret recommends (on Susun Weed’s recommendation) 3 drops tincture in some water every hour until symptoms subside (or four doses). So far, it seems to be working. It’s almost time for round two, we’ll have to see.

St John’s Wort Oil
Arnica Oil/Gel
VetWrap
Ice Packs
Plaintain Oil/Salve
Mortar/Pestle
St John’s Wort Tincture
Yarrow Tincture
Healing Salve (make fresh!)
Cottonwood oil/salve
Osha Tincture

So it’s not all herbs, but that’s a pretty sound first aid kit.

I didn’t herb about today, sorry. It’s been an emotional and trying day, not that anything happened. Just emotional.

Um… lets see. I cooked today, but I don’t really think that was herbal.

Nope. Nothing. Sorry.

Otherwise, not much to report. >< So tired.

Orion gave up soda for Lent. I don’t know that Errant did anything.

I chose to sacrifice time. Every day of Lent, my goal is to do something herbal. Wednesday I started Cinnamon Tincture (which is already ridiculously strong, oh my goodness!) and set aside my pickled burdock, made a gift bag of pickled burdock and comfrey ointment and oil for a friend of mine who bruised her tailbone badly. Thursday I was in surgery all day for a hernia, but when I arrived home I made comfrey infusion, mixed it with milk and honey, and drank that. Today I am not nearly so sore as yesterday, and another batch of infusion and milk, this time with cinnamon and yarrow for the bleeding.

This afternoon I will … probably taste those pickled burdock roots, since I haven’t tasted them since they were put under-brine and canned.

^^

[2] Playful, capricious, active. Otter people are often very lighthearted, playful people who are naturally joyful. During rough times, otter people are often optimistic and are masters in finding the humor in even the worst situations. Otter medicine teaches the value of laughter, play, and feminine wisdom.

[3] The otter is a feminine totem. It’s fur and pelts have been used from time immemorial by medicine people the world over to hold their medicine tools.

Otter is the symbol of grace and empathy. Otter medicine takes great pleasure in the success and happiness of others, and will work untiringly to help others achieve that. There is no selfishness in otter. They could never be mean, or self-centered, or self-driven. You will not find an otter who gossips, or who “flames” others, or who is unnecessarily critical in a vengeful way for the purpose of otter is to support and enhance OTHERS, not themselves.

Otter is also a signal that you need to take more time for yourself to just play and be silly. Lighten up! You must feed otter’s playful side so that she can continue to help balance your great concern for the welfare of others. We lose sight, sometimes, of our own spirit’s need to be lighthearted and to laugh and be childlike. That is a very important element in walking in balance.

[4] There are two kinds of Otter, the river and sea. Delightful creatures to watch in the wild otters have a strong curiosity exploring every nook and cranny they can find just to see what’s there. Their curiosity reminds us that everything is interesting if looked at from different angles. They know how to float on the currents of life enjoying the beauty that it holds. Their relaxed attitude reminds us to laugh with life and not take things to seriously. They offer us the gift of laughter, trust and playfulness.

Otters are agile and fast in the water. They are often seen floating on their backs with their paws extended out of the water, sliding on their bellies playfully, or performing acrobatic maneuvers. Water has long been associated with the emotional energies in man. Otters glide through the emotional ups and downs of life with ease and can teach us how to do the same. They represent the creative, nurturing energies that live within us and show us how to honor them.

Otters are excellent parents and care for their young longer than most other marine mammals. They enjoy the company of other otters and are rarely seen alone. Those with this medicine benefit by living on or close to the water and find comfort in group interactions.

The otter is very talkative. When frightened their calls take on an erie piercing sound similar to a baby screaming. They have few natural enemies and are not afraid of humans. During the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, otters were one of the few creatures that would allow humans to hold them without putting up a fight. As the oil was wiped from their bodies the otter would lie very still in the arms of the one caring for it, unafraid and trusting.

When otter appears in your life it is asking you to let go of worry and pain, lighten up and enjoy what life has to offer. Trust your inner knowing , develop trust for others and embrace the world with excitement and enthusiasm. Life is what we make it. The otter shows us how to create a joyful future. All we need to do is follow its lead.

[5] Otter brings understanding of our childlike self and asks us to rediscover our playful side. In its wisdom it advises us to nurture our talents and make good use of them.

Snake:
[1] Snake comes when we are moving toward change and need to let go of a part of our old self. Snake awakens our spiritual intuition allowing us to explore the mysterious depths of our mind and soul. Its unblinking stare looks into our souls and teaches us how to birth untapped power and creative wisdom.

Heron:
[1] Aggressive, Self-Determination, Self-Reliance

[2] You are strong and aggressive, determine your own course in life and rely upon yourself. You find a comfortable balance in the “shifting sands” of life for you are able to see opportunity where many would not look twice. You know what is best for you, and have the courage to follow your own path.

You are a person who does not need the security of a 9 to 5 job, pension plan, group insurance and the assurance that every day will be the same. You are one of those rare breeds that can live on the razor’s edge of life, and have an in-born instinct about what will and what won’t work for you. You are happiest when you are exploring many things, learning many skills, and are often known as a “jack of all trades”. While this may give the impression that you are flighty and irresponsible, quite the opposite is true. If one thing fails you, you have an assortment of knowledge and skills to fall back on. You are never without, and adapt into new working situations with ease.

While you enjoy a social life, it is not a necessary part of your existence for you are quite at home alone, with your own thoughts and devices. You are comfortable with yourself, and have no need to be surrounded by people. You are not impressed with status symbols, or accumulating “things”, and have no need or desire to play the game of “keeping up with the Joneses”.

The great blue heron is the “boss bird”, the king of the marshes. It is the tallest of the herons, and the most powerful in flight. It hunts with a slow, deliberate, stalking stride that seems to tell everything else to stand aside. If you are attracted to the blue, you approach new opportunities with even more aggression. You know what is best for you, and will not allow anyone else to change your path.

Heron medicine is strong and courageous. It is not afraid to take responsibility for every aspect of life. It will never pass the buck, or deny an act or deed. It is the totem of character and strong will, but it will never use those gifts to bully or take advantage of others. If you know someone who is afraid to take control of their life, introduce the heron. It could make a difference.