The Romans used Thyme for melancholy, to purify rooms and as an ingredient in beer and many cheeses. During the medieval period in Europe, Thyme was also placed under pillows to support good sleep and ward off nightmares.
The Magic of Mugwort
Mugwort is also said to provoke prophetic dreams, and is ritualistically used for purification and for clearing and marking sacred space.
Burdock: More Than a Pesky Weed
The root is considered a vegetable in many countries, and is added to soups and other dishes. And even more than its use as a food, Burdock has a long history of use as a medicine.
Battery Urban Farm: Real Garden in the Heart of NYC
The modern era, enriched with progressive technology, has pushed us away from ever-providing Nature. The metropolitan lifestyle has forced adults and youths to forget about harvesting their own food. Because of this isolation, kids have no idea where the delicious fruit and vegetables come from. Do they come from the supermarket or the farmers’ market, or do the goods just appear from nowhere?
The Silent Call
The connection, the belonging…reminds me once again, I’ve come home.
Seeing the Forest and the Trees
Having visited the Daintree Rainforest in Far North Queensland, walking and talking under its leafy green canopy with Venture Deeper guide Chris O’Dowd, listening to Chris’s unquenchable enthusiasm for his subject has changed the way I look at trees.
Cheery Feverfew
Feverfew is a master medicine for addressing headaches and migraines. Its anti-inflammatory properties put it on par, or even above, pharmaceuticals like Aspirin, and without the side effects.
Falling in Love with California Poppies
One of the properties of the California Poppy is that it’s hypnotic, and that’s kind of how I have experienced the flowers in person. Their brightness is so inviting, to the point where if I look long enough, I sometimes feel like I’ve disappeared and there’s nothing left but pulsating orange.
The Joy of Mint
As an herbalist, I work a lot with both common mints: spearmint and its cousin peppermint. Peppermint is a hybrid of spearmint and watermint. High in menthol, peppermint is given to supporting the digestive system in numerous ways.
Tree Zen
In August, I went to a forest of Redwood trees in California with my partner. We’d been there once before, and wanted to visit what was determined to be the oldest tree in the grove – over 1400 years old.