I'll Lend You a Calendula: Herbal Salve-A-Tion

 

 Beautiful, clean-smelling calendula blossoms, picked late on a sunny morning and steeped for a few weeks in olive oil, infused the oil with their healing properties. We strained away the plant matter, warmed the oil, and mixed in 3-4:1 parts oil to melted beeswax.

Then we poured our fresh salve into small containers to restock our winter supply and to sell to neighbors and friends. Hurray for no more chapped hands, cracked fingers, itchy vaginas, and sore noses!

Kale and Hearty

The New Moon of the New Year fell of the first day! What an auspicious time to leap into new beginnings. May we be like the hearty kale plant - not only surviving winter frost - but becoming sweeter and offering even more nourishment through times of harsh weather.

Herbal Wisdom for the Gemini New Moon

The June new moon fell on Saturday, the 8th. the same day as as our Old-Style Life Skills Series workshop We'd Walk & Herbal 1st Aid with local herbalist Alicia North of Northstar Botanicals. Alicia explained that on that day, both the sun and the moon were in the highly excitable, mentally stimulating sign of Gemini -- a great time for undertaking intellectual pursuits and learning something new. We all were learning MANY new things as she identified plants around the Local Farm barnyard and told us about some of their healing properties. Visit Motherhouse News for a few of her tidbits.

As a refreshing, especially appropriate Gemini New Moon beverage, Alicia recommended steeping bruised Lemon Balm leaves in cold water.

Lemon Balm is mentally and physically soothing, gently cooling, and mildly stimulating -- setting the perfect stage for new endeavors!