Healing Herbs You Can Grow This Spring

grow herbs at homeNick Polizzi – Planting an herb garden is the perfect way to bring in the spring, and we humans have been doing it for thousands of years.

Putting our hands in the soil nourishes something deep within us, and there is now scientific evidence that gardening holds a number of measurable health benefits. The data shows that tending to flowers and simply being in nature can calm anxiety, lift symptoms of depression and lower blood pressure!

Not to mention the amazing flavor and nutrients that fresh garden-goodies bring to every meal. Continue reading

Symphony of Self

“Then the voices of the Ainur, like unto harps and lutes, and pipes and trumpets, and viols and organs, and like unto countless choirs singing with words, began to fashion the theme of Iluvatar to a great music; and a sound arose of endless interchanging melodies woven in harmony that passed beyond hearing into the depths and into the heights, and the places of the dwelling of Iluvatar were filled to overflowing and the music and the echo of the music went out into the void, and it was not void.” – The Silmarillion. J.R.R.Tolkien.

The Symphony of Self

music

Picture by Mike Stone

Elva Thompson – When we are born into this world, we bring with us the celestial song of infinite possibility, and our chakras vibrate with the music of creation. Energetically we have a clean slate, but as oneness enters the third dimension it becomes dual, and in duality there is a separation from source, and as a result conflict; conflict equals trauma, the shrinking back of soul.

The shrinking back of soul

“God has mercifully ordered that the human brain works slowly; first the blow, hours afterwards the bruise.”  – The Return. Walter de la mare.

As our awareness expands, the innocence and trust we were born with is soon ravished by trauma that can blight our entire lives; sexual abuse, physical violence, cruelty, and the mind numbing shock of abandonment, rejection, humiliation and oppression. Fortunate indeed, is the child that escapes such trauma, and whose chakras still resonate with the Symphony of Self

Hell hole

I’ve heard it said that our school days are the best years of our lives. Mine were full of fear, re-enforcing my feelings of self-doubt and value as a being… a veritable hell hole for a traumatised young girl. Continue reading

Calendula Plant Benefits: Grow Your Own Medicine

Natural Society | January 29 2013

Calendula officinalis is a plant most often used to brighten up a garden or flower bed. It’s a popular choice because it’s pretty and is super easy to grow. But, what many people don’t know is that their pretty garden-addition is a valuable herbal remedy.

Calendula, also known as “pot marigolds” are usually a bright golden color. It is often mistaken for “common marigold” or Mexican marigold, which are very different and are members of the Tagetes genus. They don’t offer the same medicinal benefits as calendula, so it’s crucial when looking for the herbal remedy that you know what you are after.

The flowers of Calendula have been used for centuries for a variety of ailments and health problems. Some of those benefits include:

  • Wound healing
  • Burn soothing
  • Immune boosting
  • Collagen regeneration
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Liver, gallbladder, and uterine tonic
  • Anti-fungal
  • Rash soothing
  • Calming scrapes, cuts, bites, and other minor wounds
  • General skincare

Calendula officinalis also has antimicrobial, antiviral, and astringent properties, and is a go-to skin treatment for many herbalists.

“Calendula is such a soothing and calming skin herb when used topically,” says herbalist Dawn Marie Dillon of Breathless Beauty. “I use Calendula in every baby soap and salve I make.”

Making Calendula Oil

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