This thought runs around in my mind often. If you have read the page "why herbs" you will understand why. Pain reminds us that we are alive but it also warns us of problems that need facing, wounds that need healing, love that needs nurturing.
Today my hands are hurting, not because I am feeling someones pain, but because I just took a great deal out of my garden. I am feeling pain on the outside from pulling passionfruit vines from every nook and cranny, unwittingly getting cranky as my Elder tree emerged, broken in parts, but mainly missing most of her leaves etc due to being denied sun for so long due to the passion of this vine who seems to think it owns the yard. I am praying that she will heal enough and with sun, now grow from all the smaller shoots in time for the autumn berries to appear. I live in hope and try to keep a postive mind as negative thought brings nought but negative action or results.
I stopped my guilty thoughts for that very same reason. I apologised to the plants as I ripped them out but reminded myself that they were being very non productive and destructive in their own way. I feel pain on the inside as I detest the thought of harming ANY living, even when it is necessary. Today it was necessary. And I take it as a sign that none of the bees and wasps flying around me and none of the other bugs or spiders crawling over me bit me that it was ok.
To get at these plants I had to go through one of my beloved Tansy shrubs. Today I thanked her for growing so well, for guarding the other plants but noted that her time had come to do some good. I cut down all the long shoots to just above ground level. As those who have been folloiwng will know, we have had some shocking heat conditions this past week, so if I did not harvest this plant now it was going to go to waste.
Indeed many of the lower leaves were not good to keep. These I placed aside for the compost where they will help break down other things. The good leaves I sorted into size. Some to dry, some for cooking and some to press. The flower heads cut off and saved, some which were dried for seeds, some to add to my jar of already dried flower heads. I even saved the long stalks which I am thinking to use for something else. No waste at all!
I made my tansy vinegar yesterday afternoon and hid it away in a nice dark drawer. Its the very first time I have made a vinegar infusion so I hope it works! I am looking forward to trying it out.
Oh and a big thank you to those who sent healing for my boy. Yesterday I took him to the doctor as he was not looking so well in the morning. The irritation is just in the outer ear which is fantastic, the herbiotics obviously did their job and the doctor said that if he had not gone in the water he probably would be fine. He gave him some drops which I am finding hard to get into the child as her prefers my herbal ones. LOL. Now I just have to convince him on the whole "heal thyself" theory. We can all do it, we just have to want to!
Happy Herbal Dreaming everyone! Hugs and smoochies xoxoxox
Spring Crescent Shawl
11 years ago
