Our national holiday, just passed, had to be fought for until it was finally won. The same is true for freedom, justice, and dignity for all beings. The fight for MLK Jr.’s national holiday was not born of hate; its fuel was love and respect and this needs to be our fuel as well because unlike hate, which depletes our energy and burns it out, love is an eternally renewable resource. Let’s all work together, with joy and the deepest respect for life to continue to create a world of justice …

Well, here's what it looked like on the day before Thanksgiving last week...got one special snowstorm all day and all night for my b'earthday!! Spent as much time shoveling snow off the trees as off the ground...Lost some precious grandma cedars and pines, more on that to follow. Now, I'm gathering rose hips and hawthorn berries for medicines...as they are both so delicious after the "frost". As you can see in the photos, I'm still putting away the last of the autumn harvest including late blooming calendula…

This is a gift from the heart of the plant and from the heart of another awesome apprentice, Victoria, Victoria was chopping up roots from intense Native American warrior plant "poke" (Phytolacca americana) to make a tincture. When it's ready in a couple of months this tincture will be a stimulant for the lymph system that can be used when certain types of challenging infections are present. Poke's medicine is so strong that it is used in tiny doses, starting with …

Here's one of my awesome apprentices, Paul, trying out my "lazy herbalist" method of harvesting ginkgo biloba leaves last week...it's tough work but someone has to do it ;) Thanks for the great pic, Paul, or is that "pick"? I guess it's both! Ginkgo biloba leaves are best used when they're yellow or yellowing. I dry mine for infusions and use them for oxygenating the whole body, especially the brain and lungs…

Now that we're getting a taste of winter it's time to incorporate warming foods and herbs. Here's one of my favorite winter recipes using common herbs easily found on your kitchen spice rack! THYME-GINGER EUPHORIC ELIXIR 1 cup fresh thyme (or 1/2 cup dried) 2-3 inch piece of fresh ginger root Unflavored brandy Honey (raw, buckwheat if possible) Cut up the fresh thyme, and grate the fresh ginger …

Sassafras is such an imp She won’t let you stay sad No matter what is going on She says, “It’s not that bad!” (Excerpt from: The Gift of Healing Herbs) Sassafras keeps my lungs healthy, my skin clear, and my spirits lifted during the cold, darkness of winter. And I love the taste of the leaves! I generally mix green and colorful autumn orange and yellow leaves together to dry and then steep them …

So thrilled to have my interview with Meryl Ann Butler featured on OpEdNews today! "We humans have so much more creative juice than we realize. Our intentions create our lives and so the more conscious we become in making our choices, the more we can shape our individual lives and attend to the reclaiming and healing of our world. Most people today are fearful for the continuation of our species …

Sometimes when I go out for a spontaneous walk on the mountain that backs up to my home I haven't brought my basket...then I find some wonderful plant medicine I simply have to bring home...uh-oh...what to do? I've learned to make "baskets" out of whatever I'm wearing! Here's how it worked with a recent sassafras leaf harvest. Rolled and tied up the front of my shirt, then when that was completely full, I rolled …

It’s a busy time of year in the garden and in the wild…With the glory of gold, red, orange and still-green autumn leaves and the air crisp and fresh… Been harvesting, drying, digging up plants to bring inside (got them all in last night when it went down to the low 30's...eek! So I get my wish to have the wood stove season and herb drying season coincide, at least for a short while!! But drying isn't all there is... I go out with my …

Here's a delicious recipe that makes the most of late summer peaches and aids digestion at the same time! The peaches I used were actually give-aways from the farmer's market because they had soft spots and blemishes. However, they tasted amazing. Simply Marvelous Peach-Kefir Smoothy Ripe peaches - 2 Kefir (goat or cow) - 1 cup or more, to taste Vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon or more, to taste 1. Remove all the …

Peach Prunus persica I'm sweet, juicy, cooling, and moist, Relaxing nerves and tissue. I help you when you're not content In fact, I like to kiss you! I allay severe nausea -- This is one of my great gifts, Especially in pregnancy -- Use my flowers, leaves, or pits. I am such a beautiful tree, And I support your liver. My fuzzy fruit's round and luscious; Your life flows like a river. from The Gift of Healing Herbs: Plant …

Wow, summer is almost over...and it has been an especially playful one for me. Since both my current books are done, I've had time to enjoy both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, as well as the forest and beautiful lakes where I live. The Gift of Healing Herbs has been out in the world for just five months now and I'm getting mail every day from people telling me how the herbs and the simple recipes in the book are helping them. I love getting these letters! It helps justify wayyy too …